refrigerator
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MIDEA GROUP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
Smart Images
Figure 0007898006000001 
Figure 0007898006000002 
Figure 0007898006000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.
Background Art
[0002] Refrigerators are provided with a plurality of storage compartments arranged vertically and a plurality of doors for opening and closing each storage compartment. Refrigerators are relatively large among household appliances and are prominent in the room where they are installed. In recent years, users' awareness of the design of household appliances has increased. In particular, for doors that are easily noticeable to users, refrigerators have been developed that are not only user-friendly but also have elaborate designs.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In particular, when aligning the doors, it is desirable that the front and rear positions are aligned. Therefore, efforts have been made to improve the manufacturing accuracy of each component of the door and adjust the position during the assembly operation. However, even within the range of manufacturing tolerances, depending on the user's sensitivity, the deviation in the front and rear positions may be noticeable. In this case, there are also limitations in the management of manufacturing accuracy, and there is a risk that the adjustment during the assembly operation will become an excessive burden.
[0005] Therefore, a refrigerator is provided that improves the design while reducing the burden during the assembly operation.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The refrigerator of this embodiment comprises one door and another door positioned adjacent to and below the first door. The first door has a first surface on its lower surface and a first concave shape formed by being recessed toward the vertical center of the first door, located in front of the first surface. The other door has a second surface on its upper surface facing the lower surface and facing the first surface, and a second concave shape formed by being recessed toward the vertical center of the other door, located in front of the second surface. The rear end of the first concave shape and the rear end of the second concave shape are located on a single imaginary straight line extending vertically in a side view. The position of the front end of the first surface and the position of the front end of the second surface are set differently in the front-rear direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] Front view showing the external appearance of an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Right side view showing the external appearance of an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment, along line II in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A plan view showing an overview of the configuration of the ice-making compartment door and the small freezer compartment door for an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Right side view showing the exterior of the vegetable compartment door of an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] A partial side view showing an enlarged view of the configuration near the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door, illustrating an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A partial side view showing an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment, with the area within circle II in Figure 6 further enlarged. [Figure 8] A partial side view showing an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment, with the area within circle III in Figure 5 enlarged. [Figure 9] Figure 8, which shows a conventional refrigerator, is equivalent to this diagram. [Figure 10]A partial side view (corresponding to Figure 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration near the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door, in an example of a refrigerator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] A partial side view (corresponding to Figure 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration near the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door, in an example of a refrigerator according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] A partial side view (corresponding to Figure 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration near the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door, illustrating an example of a refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] A plan view (equivalent to Figure 4) showing the general configuration of the ice-making compartment door and the small freezer compartment door for an example of a refrigerator according to the fifth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] Several embodiments of refrigerators will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.
[0009] (First Embodiment) First, the refrigerator 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 10. Figure 2 is a right side view of the refrigerator 10. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 is configured to have multiple storage compartments within a vertically elongated rectangular box-shaped casing 11 with an open front. In the following description, the opening side of the casing 11 will be referred to as the front of the refrigerator 10, and the side opposite the opening will be referred to as the rear of the refrigerator 10. Also, the vertical direction relative to the direction of gravity when the refrigerator 10 is placed on the floor in the position shown in Figure 1 will be referred to as the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10. Also, the left-right direction when the refrigerator 10 in Figure 1 is viewed from the front will be referred to as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.
[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 is mainly composed of a casing 11. The casing 11 is a rectangular box with an open front and good insulation properties. In this case, although details are not shown, the casing 11 is constructed by providing insulation material between, for example, a resin inner box and a metal outer box.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal right side view of the refrigerator 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the housing 11 includes, as a plurality of storage chambers for storing stored items, for example, a refrigerating chamber 12, a vegetable chamber 13, an ice making chamber 14, a small freezing chamber 15, and a freezing chamber 16. The refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 13 are storage chambers in the refrigerating temperature range. The ice making chamber 14, the small freezing chamber 15, and the freezing chamber 16 are storage chambers in the freezing temperature range. In FIG. 3, the internal configuration of the housing 11 is not shown.
[0012] In the present embodiment, the refrigerating chamber 12 is provided at the uppermost part of the housing 11. The vegetable chamber 13 is provided below the refrigerating chamber 12. The ice making chamber 14 and the small freezing chamber 15 are located below the vegetable chamber 13 and are provided side by side. The freezing chamber 16 is provided below the ice making chamber 14 and the small freezing chamber 15, that is, at the lowermost part of the housing 11.
[0013] The refrigerator 10 includes a left refrigerating chamber door 21, a right refrigerating chamber door 22, a vegetable chamber door 23, an ice making chamber door 24, a small freezing chamber door 25, and a freezing chamber door 26. The left refrigerating chamber door 21 and the right refrigerating chamber door 22 are, for example, double - hinged doors that open and close the opening at the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12. The width of the left refrigerating chamber door 21 and the width of the right refrigerating chamber door 22 may be the same or different. In the case of the present embodiment, the right refrigerating chamber door 22 is configured to be wider than the left refrigerating chamber door 21.
[0014] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the refrigerator 10 includes a left hinge 191 and a right hinge 192. Each hinge 191, 192 is provided above and below the opening of the refrigerating chamber 12, respectively, and rotatably supports each refrigerating chamber door 21, 22. The vegetable chamber door 23, the ice making chamber door 24, the small freezing chamber door 25, and the freezing chamber door 26 are all drawer - type and are connected to containers not shown in detail, and open and close the openings at the front sides of the vegetable chamber 13, the ice making chamber 14, the small freezing chamber 15, and the freezing chamber 16, respectively.
[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and the like, each of the doors 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 includes a door body 221, 231, 241, 251, 261, a frame member 222, 232, 242, 252, 262, and a plate member 223, 233, 243, 253, 263. The left refrigerator door 21 also includes a door body (not shown), a frame member, and the plate member 223.
[0016] The door body of the door 22 not shown and each of the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 are each generally formed in a rectangular shape and constitute the main body of each of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. The frame portion of the door 21 not shown and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, 262 are formed in a frame shape and form the upper, lower, left, and right surfaces of each of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. Inside the door body of the door 21 not shown and the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, 262, heat insulating members (not shown in detail) are respectively arranged. The plate members 213, 223, 233, 243, 253, 263 are each generally formed in a rectangular plate shape and are respectively attached to the front surfaces of the frame portion of the door 21 not shown and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, 262.
[0017] The door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, 262 can be respectively constituted by, for example, metal members or resin members. In the present embodiment, the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, 262 are made of resin members. Also, the plate members 223, 223, 233, 243, 253, 263 are made of, for example, glass plates. In other embodiments, the plate members 223, 223, 233, 243, 253, 263 may be made of decorative plates formed of, for example, synthetic resin or the like.
[0018] Each door 21, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26 has a lower surface portion 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a and an upper surface portion 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, respectively. The lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a form the lower surface of each door 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. The upper surfaces 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b form the upper surface of each door 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.
[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the lower surfaces 21a and 22a of the refrigerator doors 21 and 22 and the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23 each form a surface facing each other. The lower surface 23a of the vegetable compartment door 23 and the upper surfaces 24b and 25b of the ice-making compartment door 24 or the small freezer compartment door 25 each form a surface facing each other. The lower surfaces 24a and 25a of the ice-making compartment door 24 or the small freezer compartment door 25 and the upper surface 26b of the freezer compartment door 26 each form a surface facing each other.
[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, at least one pair of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 that are arranged vertically have a pair of concave shapes formed opposite each other on their opposing lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b.
[0021] In this embodiment, the concave portion is formed by recessing the front of the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a and the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b toward the vertical center of each door 23, 24, 25, 26. The concave portion is realized, for example, as a recessed portion 30 or a groove portion 40. The recessed portion 30 is provided opposite the groove portion 40 to widen the trajectory for inserting the user's fingers into the groove portion 40, thereby facilitating insertion. The groove portion 40 is provided opposite or opposite the recessed portion 30 to receive the user's fingers. The front wall portion 41 of the groove portion 40 can be gripped and operated by the user when pulling out or inserting each door 23, 24, 25, 26.
[0022] In this embodiment, the recessed portions 30 are formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. The grooved portions 40 are formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b. The recessed portions 30 formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a are referred to as recessed portions 303, 304, and 305, respectively. The grooved portions 40 formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b may be referred to as grooved portions 404, 405, and 406, respectively. When there is no need to distinguish between recessed portions 303, 304, and 305, they may be collectively referred to as recessed portions 30. When there is no need to distinguish between grooved portions 404, 405, and 406, they may be collectively referred to as grooved portions 40.
[0023] Furthermore, at least one pair of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, which are arranged vertically, have a first surface 50 and a second surface 60 that are formed opposite each other on their opposing lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b. In this embodiment, the first surface 50 is provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, and the second surface 60 is provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b.
[0024] The first surfaces 50 provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a are referred to as first surfaces 503, 504, and 505, respectively. The second surfaces 60 provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b are referred to as 604, 605, and 606, respectively. When there is no need to distinguish between the first surfaces 503, 504, and 505, they may be collectively referred to as first surfaces 50. When there is no need to distinguish between the second surfaces 604, 605, and 606, they may be collectively referred to as second surfaces 60.
[0025] The surfaces 50 and 60 are located behind the concave portion, i.e., the recessed portion 30 or groove portion 40, on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a, and on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b, respectively, and form generally horizontal surfaces. The first surface 50 and the second surface 60 form generally parallel surfaces to each other. On the lower surfaces 24a, 25a, and 26a and upper surfaces 23b, 24b, and 25b of two doors arranged vertically among the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, the concave portions 30 and 40 and the surfaces 50 and 60 are arranged facing each other.
[0026] In this embodiment, the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 provided in the frame members 232, 242, 252, and 262 of the vegetable compartment door 23, ice maker door 24, small freezer door 25, and freezer door 26 are formed to extend across the full width of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 in the left-right direction. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the ice maker door 24 and the small freezer door 25. That is, the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 provided in the vegetable compartment door 23, ice maker door 24, small freezer door 25, and freezer door 26 have their internal spaces exposed to the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. When a user observes the refrigerator 10 from the left or right side, the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 provided in the vegetable compartment door 23, ice maker door 24, small freezer door 25, and freezer door 26 are visible.
[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the frame member (not shown) of the refrigerator door 21 and the frame member 222 of the refrigerator door 22 each have a groove 80. The groove 80 is formed by recessing a portion of the lower surfaces 21a and 22a of each door 21 and 22 upwards. The groove 80 can be operated by the user when opening and closing each door 21 and 22 by rotating them around the hinges 191 and 192. The groove 80 is provided in the center of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction, extending over a portion of the left-right width of each door 21 and 22. Therefore, the space inside the groove 80 provided in the refrigerator doors 21 and 22 is not exposed to the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.
[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the frame member 232 of the vegetable compartment door 23 has a groove 90. The groove 90 is formed by recessing a part of the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23 downwards. The groove 90 has a front wall portion 91, a rear wall portion 92, and a bottom portion 93. The groove 90 is formed across the full width of the vegetable compartment door 23 in the left-right direction. In other words, the groove 90 is a space inside which the refrigerator 10 is exposed to the outside in the left-right direction. On the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23, a surface portion 94 forming a horizontal surface is formed behind the rear wall portion 92.
[0029] The configuration of the recessed portion 30, grooved portion 40, and surface portions 50, 60 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of the area where the lower surface portion 23a of the vegetable compartment door 23 and the upper surface portion 25b of the small freezer compartment door 25 meet. Figure 7 is a further enlarged view of the inside of circle II in Figure 6. The recessed portion 30 opens forward and toward the opposing recessed portion 30, in this case forward and downward, and has a wall portion 31. That is, the user can see the inside of the recessed portion 30 from the front. The wall portion 31 forms the inner surface of the recessed portion 30. The depth of the recessed portion 30 is set to become deeper as it moves toward the opposing grooved portion 40. For example, in the case of the vegetable compartment door 23, the wall portion 31 is formed to be located further back as it moves downward. In this embodiment, the wall portion 31 is formed with a curved cross-section. For example, in this embodiment, the wall portion 31 is formed with a roughly elliptical arc cross-section. In other embodiments, the wall portion 31 may be formed in a straight line shape with an angle in its cross-section.
[0030] The groove 40 is formed in the shape of a U-shaped groove with a downward-sloping cross-section. The groove 40 has a front wall 41, a rear wall 42, and a bottom 43. The front wall 41 forms the front surface of the groove 40. The rear wall 42 forms the rear surface of the groove 40. The bottom 43 forms the bottom surface of the groove shape of the groove 40 and connects the front wall 41 and the rear wall 42 to each other. The front wall 41 forms a surface that extends generally parallel to the door body 241, 251, and 261, that is, a surface that is generally perpendicular to the front-rear direction, or an inclined surface that slopes backward as it approaches the bottom 43. In this embodiment, the front wall 41 forms an inclined surface that slopes slightly backward as it approaches the bottom 43. The rear wall 42 forms an inclined surface that slopes slightly forward as it approaches the bottom 43. Furthermore, the rear wall portion 42 may form a surface that extends parallel to the door body 241, 251, and 261, that is, a surface that is generally perpendicular to the front-to-back direction.
[0031] The front wall portion 41 overlaps with at least a portion of the internal space of the groove portion 40 in the front-rear direction. That is, the height position of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41 is the same as the height position of each surface portion 50, 60, or is set closer to the bottom portion 43 than the height position of each surface portion 50, 60, i.e., lower in this case. Therefore, when a user looks at the front wall portion 41 from the front, at least a portion of the groove portion 40 is not visible.
[0032] In this embodiment, the height position of the tip 411 of the front wall portion 41 is set to be the same as the height position of the second surface portion 60. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the tip 411 of the front wall portion 41 is located on a virtual straight line L2 that extends in the front-rear direction on the same plane as the second surface portion 60. Therefore, the inside of the groove 40 of the small freezer door 25 cannot be seen from the front. The same applies to the grooves 40 of the ice-making door 24 and the freezer door 26. However, as shown in Figure 5, in the groove 90 of the vegetable compartment door 23, the height position of the tip 911 of the front wall portion 911 is set lower than the height position of the surface portion 94. Therefore, a part of the upper part of the rear wall portion 92 of the groove 90 can be seen from the front.
[0033] At least one pair of opposing concave sections 30 and 40, visible from the side, have their rear ends positioned identically in the front-to-back direction. In this case, "identical" means identical in design, and includes deviations of approximately plus or minus 2 mm within the manufacturing tolerance.
[0034] In each door 23, 24, and 25, a ridge 32 is provided between the wall 31 of the recessed portion 30 and the first surface portion 50. The ridge 32 connects the rear end of the wall 31 and the front end of the first surface portion 50. The ridge 32 forms a curved surface that is convex toward the direction away from the vertical center of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 and toward the front. In this embodiment, the ridge 32 forms a curved surface that is convex toward the downward and forward. A first curvature change point P1 is located at the rear end of the wall 31. That is, at the boundary between the recessed portion 30 and the ridge 32, i.e., at the rear end of the wall 31, the contour lines of the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a in a side view change from an upwardly convex curve or straight line to a downwardly convex curve. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the recessed portion 30 and the ridge portion 32, that is, at the rear end of the wall portion 31, the contour lines of the lower portions 23a, 24a, and 25a in a side view change from an upwardly convex curve to a downwardly convex curve.
[0035] In each door 24, 25, and 26, a ridge 44 is provided between the rear wall 42 of the groove 40 and the second surface 60. The ridge 44 connects the rear end of the rear wall 42 to the front end of the second surface 60. The ridge 44 also connects the end of the rear wall 42 of each door 24, 25, and 26 (in this case, the upper end) to the front end of the second surface 60. The ridge 44 forms a curved surface that is convex in the direction away from the vertical center of each door 24, 25, and 26 and forward. In this embodiment, the ridge 44 formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b form a curved surface that is convex upward and forward.
[0036] A second curvature change point P2 is located at the opening end of the rear wall portion 42. That is, at the boundary between the groove portion 40 formed on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b and the ridge portion 44, i.e., at the upper end of the rear wall portion 42, the contour lines of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b in a side view change from a downward convex or straight line to an upward convex. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the groove portion 40 and the ridge portion 44, i.e., at the upper end of the rear wall portion 42, the contour lines of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b in a side view change from a straight line to an upward convex curve.
[0037] A pair of opposing concave sections, for example, an opposing recessed section 30 and a grooved section 40, are set so that the positions of their rear ends in the front-to-back direction coincide. In other words, the rear ends of the opposing recessed section 30 and grooved section 40 overlap in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the pair of opposing recessed sections 30 and grooved section 40 are set so that the position of the first curvature change point P1 and the position of the second curvature change point P2 overlap in the vertical direction. The first curvature change point P1 and the second curvature change point P2 are located on the same virtual straight line L1 extending in the vertical direction. Note that the same configuration may be used even when the grooved sections 40 and grooved sections 40 are facing each other.
[0038] As a result, the rear end of the recessed portion 30 is positioned on the vertical extension of the rear wall portion 42 of the opposing groove portion 40. Therefore, when a user observes the refrigerator 10 from the side, the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 appear aligned, giving the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 an orderly and sophisticated impression.
[0039] Furthermore, in at least one pair of opposing lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, the front-rear position of the front end of the first surface 50 and the front-rear position of the front end of the second surface 60 are set to be different. In this embodiment, in combinations of lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b in which the recessed portion 30 and groove portion 40 are visible at least in a side view, the front-rear position of the front end of the first surface 50 and the front-rear position of the front end of the second surface 60 are set to be different. As a result, even if one or both of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, which are arranged vertically within the manufacturing tolerance range, are slightly misaligned in the front-rear direction, the user will not easily perceive the misalignment due to an optical illusion.
[0040] In this embodiment, the front-to-back position of the second surface portion 60 located on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b is set forward of the front-to-back position of the first surface portion 50 located on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. In other embodiments, the front-to-back position of the first surface portion 50 located on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b may be set backward of the second surface portion 60 located on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a.
[0041] In at least one pair of opposing lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, the radius of curvature of the edge 32 and the radius of curvature of the edge 44 are set to be different. In this embodiment, in combinations of lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b in which the recessed portion 30 and grooved portion 40 are visible at least in a side view, the first radius of curvature R1 of the edge 32 and the second radius of curvature R2 of the edge 44 are set to be different. As a result, even if one or both of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, which are arranged vertically within the manufacturing tolerance range, are slightly misaligned in the front-to-back direction, the misalignment will be less noticeable due to an optical illusion.
[0042] In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R2 of the edges 44 located on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be larger than the radius of curvature R1 of the edges 32 located on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. For example, the radius of curvature R2 of the edges 44 can be set within the range of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm. Also, the radius of curvature R1 of the edges 32 can be set within the range of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R2 of the edges 44 located on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b can be set to be smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the edges 32 located on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a.
[0043] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, in each of the pull-out type doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, the position of the upper end surface of each plate member 233, 243, 253, and 263 is set lower than the position of the upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b. Furthermore, in each of the doors 24, 25, and 26, the height position of the upper end surface of each plate member 243, 253, and 263 can be set between the upper and lower ends of the ridge portion 44 or below the ridge portion 44. In this embodiment, in each of the doors 24, 25, and 26, the height position of the upper end surface of each plate member 243, 253, and 263 is set between the upper and lower ends of the ridge portion 44. At least a portion of the rear of the upper end surface of each plate member 233, 243, 253, and 263 in each of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 is covered from above by the front end of the frame members 232, 242, 252, and 262.
[0044] In this embodiment, the vertical cross-sectional shapes of the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 are designed to be generally constant from the right end to the left end of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26. In other words, in a plan view, the rear wall portion 42 of the groove portion 40 and the rear end portion of the recessed portion 30 form a straight line extending in the left-right direction. That is, the depth of the recessed portion 30 and the depth of the groove portion 40 are set to be constant across the left-right direction.
[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 and the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44 are designed to be approximately constant from the right end to the left end of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26.
[0046] Next, the decorative processing applied to at least one of each door 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 will be described. In this embodiment, decorative processing is applied to at least the vegetable compartment door 23. In this case, the door 23 is subjected to so-called hot stamping, although details are not shown in the illustration. Hot stamping, also known as foil stamping, is a technique that applies foil to a processing surface and heats and pressurizes it to adhere and fix the foil to the processing surface, thereby adding decoration. The foil is formed, for example, by vapor-depositing metal onto a thin film made of resin, and can add a metallic luster to the processing surface. Therefore, when light shines on the hot-stamped surface, the light is reflected, creating a luxurious effect. For example, the foil can be attached to the processing surface with a silicone roller.
[0047] Figure 8 is a right side view showing an enlarged view of the interior of circle III in Figure 5 of the vegetable compartment door 23. The vegetable compartment door 23 has a front portion 100, a plurality of curved portions 101 and 102, and a top portion 103 at the front end portion 911 at the upper end of the frame member 232. Of the two curved portions 101 and 102, the curved portion located in front is called the first curved portion 101, and the curved portion located in rear is called the second curved portion 102.
[0048] The front portion 100 forms the front surface of the tip portion 911. The first curved portion 101 forms an upwardly convex curved surface and connects the upper end of the front portion 100 to the front end of the second curved portion 102. The second curved portion 102 forms an upwardly convex curved surface and connects the rear end of the first curved portion 101 to the front end of the apex portion 103. The apex portion 103 forms the upper end surface of the tip portion 911. In this embodiment, the apex portion 103 forms a horizontal surface.
[0049] The front portion 100 is generally perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and forms a surface that slopes forward towards the bottom. In other embodiments, the front portion 100 may form a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. The front portion 100 is located above the upper end of the plate member 233 and is exposed to the outside, in this case the front of the refrigerator 10. The front portion 100 can be decorated. In this embodiment, although details are not shown, the front portion 100 is hot-stamped.
[0050] The radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface 101 is set to be larger than the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface 102. For example, the radius of curvature R3 can be set within a range of 20 times or less the radius of curvature R4. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface 101 is set to 2.0 mm, and the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface 102 is set to 0.2 mm. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface 101 can be set within a range of 0.2 mm to 2.0 mm. Also, the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface 102 can be set within a range of 0.1 to 0.2 mm.
[0051] Here, for example, as shown in Figure 9, a step 200 can be provided between the upper end of the front portion 100 and the top portion 103 to connect them in a stepped manner. In this case, the design becomes linear and planar, and the light reflected from the hot-stamped front portion 100 may not spread to the top portion 103, potentially failing to fully utilize the advantages of the lighting effect. Furthermore, depending on the position of the mold joints in the frame member 232, the hot-stamped foil may get caught in the burrs generated at the joints, or the edges of the foil may become wavy instead of straight.
[0052] According to this embodiment, when the door 23 is observed from above, the gloss from the hot stamping process on the front portion 100, that is, the light reflected from the front portion 100, is further diffusely reflected by the surface of the first curved portion 101 which has a large radius of curvature, making the design of the refrigerator 10 look even more luxurious. In addition, when the foil is applied with a silicone roller during the hot stamping process, the presence of the first curved portion 101 and the second curved portion 102 ensures that the edges of the foil are neatly finished, thus preventing the foil from getting caught in burrs or the edges of the foil from becoming wavy.
[0053] Furthermore, a similar configuration may be adopted for the upper surfaces 21b, 22b, 24b, 25b, and 26b of doors 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26, where multiple stages of curvature are set at the leading edge. Similarly, a similar configuration may be adopted for the lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23, 24, 25, and 26a of each door 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26a. In particular, similar effects are achieved when the user is expected to look down at the upper surfaces 21b, 22b, 24b, 25b, and 26b from above, or when the user is expected to look up at the lower surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a from below.
[0054] Furthermore, the above configuration is not limited to each door 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, but can be applied to any component that is subjected to hot stamping. For example, in the case of a refrigerator 10, it can be applied to various resin components such as the chiller compartment container in the refrigerator compartment 12, the frame of the shelf board, the pockets provided on the inside of the refrigerator compartment doors 21 and 22, and the duct installed on the back of the refrigerator compartment 12.
[0055] According to the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 10 comprises one set of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, and other doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 arranged adjacent to and below the first set of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. The first set of doors 23, 24, and 25 have a first surface portion 50 on their lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a, and a recessed portion 30 which is provided in front of the first surface portion 50 and formed by recessing toward the vertical center of the first set of doors 23, 24, and 25. The other doors 24, 25, and 26 have upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b that face the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a, and a second surface 60 that faces the first surface 50, and a groove 40 which is a second concave shape formed in front of the second surface 60 and recessed toward the vertical center of the other doors 24, 25, and 26. The rear end of the first concave shape and the rear end of the second concave shape are located on a single imaginary straight line L1 that extends vertically in a side view. The position of the front end of the first surface 50 and the position of the front end of the second surface 60 are set differently in the front-rear direction.
[0056] In other words, the rear ends of the opposing pairs of concave sections 30 and 40 of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 overlap vertically, but the opposing pairs of flat sections 50 and 60 are not designed symmetrically. As a result, even if the front-to-back positions of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 are slightly misaligned within the manufacturing tolerance range, the misalignment is less noticeable to the user, and the arrangement of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 appears aligned. Therefore, the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator 10 is improved. In addition, the burden of assembly work for the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 in the manufacturing process is reduced, and the yield rate of the refrigerator 10 is improved, thus reducing manufacturing costs.
[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, one door 23, 24, 25 has a first edge 32 between a recessed portion 30, which is a first concave shape, and a first surface portion 50. The other doors 24, 25, 26 have a second edge 44 between a groove 40, which is a second concave shape, and a second surface portion 60, which is a second surface portion. The edges 32 and 44 each form a curved surface that is convex toward the front. The first radius of curvature R1 of the edge 32 is set differently from the second radius of curvature R2 of the edge 44.
[0058] In other words, the radii of curvature R1 and R2 of the opposing edges 32 and 44 are different, resulting in an asymmetrical design of a pair of opposing surfaces 50 and 60. This maintains a sense of overall design unity and makes the slight misalignment of the front-to-back positions of the upper and lower doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 less noticeable.
[0059] Furthermore, either the first concave portion or the second concave portion is a recessed portion 30 that opens forward. The other of the first concave portion or the second concave portion is a groove portion 40 having a front wall portion 41 that covers at least a part of the first concave portion or the second concave portion when viewed from the front.
[0060] According to this, the upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b or lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a of doors 23, 24, 25, 26 are provided with grooves 40 into which fingers can be inserted and into the front wall 41 where the user can place their fingers. Furthermore, recesses 30 are provided in the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 that are arranged facing each other, at positions opposite the grooves 40. As a result, when the user pulls out or pushes in the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, the recesses 30 provide a wider path for the fingers, making it easier to insert the hand into the grooves 40. In addition, the presence of the front wall 41 makes it easier for the user to operate the doors 23, 24, 25, 26.
[0061] In this case, when operating the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the storage compartments 13, 14, 15, and 16 located from the center to the bottom of the refrigerator 10, the user has to reach up from above. Therefore, if the design involves operating the lower part of doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, there is a risk that the user's operational burden will increase.
[0062] In contrast, according to this embodiment, the first concave portion is a recessed portion 30 provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a of one door 23, 24, and 25, and opening toward the front. The second concave portion is a groove 40 provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b of the other doors 24, 25, and 26, and having a front wall portion 41 that covers at least a part of the second concave portion when viewed from the front.
[0063] As a result, the parts that receive user input are located on the upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26, rather than the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a. This makes it easier for the user to open and close the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, improving user convenience.
[0064] According to this embodiment, the position of the front end of the second surface portion 60 is set further back than the position of the front end of the first surface portion 50. In other words, the ridge portion 44 between the second surface portion 60 and the groove portion 40 has a larger shaving at its corner compared to the ridge portion 32 between the first surface portion 50 and the recess portion 30.
[0065] When operating each door 23, 24, 25, and 26, the user inserts their fingers into the groove 40 from the recessed portion 30 side, that is, from above in this case, and grasps the front wall portion 41. Therefore, compared to the case where the ridge portion 44 is relatively angular, the likelihood of the user's fingers bumping into it and causing discomfort is reduced.
[0066] According to this embodiment, the height position of the second surface portion 60 is set to be the same as or higher than the height position of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41.
[0067] Here, the closer the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a of the upper doors 23, 24, 25 and the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 are to each other, the better the thermal insulation between the doors. Therefore, the thermal insulation effect can be improved by making the height of the first surface 50 of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 greater than or equal to the height of the tip 411 of the front wall 41.
[0068] More specifically, the height of the second surface portion 60 is set to be the same as the height of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41.
[0069] By making the height of the second surface 60 of the lower doors 24, 25, and 26 the same as the height of the tip 411 of the front wall 41, the appearance of the refrigerator 10 when viewed from the front or side can be made neater and give a more sophisticated impression.
[0070] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. In this embodiment, in a set of doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 arranged vertically, a slope is formed on either one or both of the following: between the concave shape formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a of the upper doors 23, 24, and 25 and the first surface 50, or between the concave shape formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, and 26 and the second surface 60. In this case, the slope is inclined so that it moves towards the vertical center of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 as it moves forward.
[0071] In this embodiment, a sloped portion 70 is formed between the grooves 40 formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, and 26, and the second surface 60. The sloped portion 70 forms a surface that becomes lower towards the front and connects the upper end of the rear wall portion 42 of the groove 40, that is, the portion corresponding to the second curvature change point P2 in the first embodiment, to the front end of the second surface 60.
[0072] According to this embodiment, one of the doors 23, 24, 25 and the other doors 24, 25, 26, in this case, the one door 23, 24, 25 has a ridge portion 32 which is a curved surface that is convex toward the front, connecting a recessed portion 30 as a first concave shape and a first surface portion 50, or a groove portion 40 as a second concave shape and a second surface portion 60. The other of the doors 24, 25, 26, in this case, the doors 24, 25, 26 have a sloped portion 70 which connects a recessed portion 30 as a first concave shape and a first surface portion 50, or a groove portion 40 as a second concave shape and a second surface portion 60.
[0073] In other words, in this embodiment, by forming a slanted portion 70 on one of the doors 24, 25, 26, the design near the joint of the upper and lower doors 23, 24, 25, 26 is made asymmetrical in the vertical direction. As a result, even if there is a slight misalignment in the front-to-back position of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 within the manufacturing tolerance range, the overall front-to-back position appears to be aligned. Therefore, the same effect as in the above embodiment is achieved.
[0074] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 11. In this embodiment, either the first radius of curvature R1 of the edge 32 or the second radius of curvature R2 of the edge 44, or both, vary across the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. In this case, the difference between the first radius of curvature R1 and the second radius of curvature R2 is set to be larger towards the left-right ends of the refrigerator 10 and smaller towards the center.
[0075] In this embodiment, the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44 changes across the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. Specifically, the second radius of curvature R2 is set to be larger towards the outer edges of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and smaller towards the center. The first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 does not change across the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.
[0076] In other words, according to this embodiment, the difference between the first radius of curvature R1 of the first edge portion 32 and the second radius of curvature R2 of the second edge portion 44 is set to be greater on the outer side of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction than on the central part of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction.
[0077] According to this, the design of the overlapping doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, which are arranged vertically, becomes more asymmetrical the closer the refrigerator 10 is to the outer surface that is directly visible to the user. Therefore, the aforementioned effect can be further enhanced.
[0078] In other embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 of the edges 32 of the doors 23, 24, and 25 may be set to be smaller on the outer side of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction than on the central side of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction.
[0079] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 12. In each of the above embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 of the edges 44 of the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be larger than the second radius of curvature R2 of the edges 32 of the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. However, in this embodiment, the first radius of curvature R1 of the edges 44 of the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature R2 of the edges 32 of the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a.
[0080] In this case as well, the first curvature change point P1', which is the connection point between the recessed portion 30 and the ridge portion 32, and the second curvature change point P2', which is the connection point between the groove portion 40 and the ridge portion 44, are located on the same virtual straight line L1' that extends in the vertical direction.
[0081] As a result, even if the front-to-back positions of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 are slightly misaligned within the manufacturing tolerance range, the misalignment will be less noticeable to the user, and the arrangement of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 will appear aligned. Therefore, the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator 10 is improved. In addition, the burden of assembly work for the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 in the manufacturing process is reduced, and the yield rate of the refrigerator 10 improves, thus reducing manufacturing costs.
[0082] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 13. In this embodiment, the shape of the vertical cross-section of the concave portion of doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 changes along the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.
[0083] Figure 13 shows plan views of the ice-making compartment door 24 and the small freezer compartment door 25. In this case, the depth of the groove 40 is shallower towards the outer edges of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and deeper towards the center in the left-right direction. That is, the position of the rear wall 42 is located further forward towards the outer edges of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and further back towards the center of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction. Therefore, in plan view, the rear wall 42 of the groove 40 forms an arc that is convex with the center receiving backward. In this case, the position of the front wall 41 of the groove 40 is basically set to be the same across the width of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction.
[0084] Furthermore, although not shown in detail, the depth of the recessed portion 30 is also set to be shallower towards the outer edges of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and deeper towards the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the rear end of the recessed portion 30 is located further forward towards the outer edges of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and further back towards the center of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction. Therefore, in a plan view, the rear end of the recessed portion 30 forms an arc in which the central part is receding towards the rear.
[0085] In the embodiment described above, the depth of the recessed portion 30 and groove portion 40, which are concave shapes, in the front-to-back direction is set to be shallower towards the outer edges in the left-to-right direction of the refrigerator 10 and deeper towards the center.
[0086] Here, since users are expected to operate the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 in roughly central areas, increasing the depth of the central recess 30 and groove 40 makes it easier for users to insert their fingers. This improves user operability. Also, when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the side, the groove 40 does not have an excessive depth, resulting in a clean appearance and a sophisticated impression.
[0087] In the embodiments described above, recesses 30 are provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b, and grooves 40 are provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a, but the embodiment is not limited to these. In other embodiments, grooves 40 may be provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b, and recesses 30 may be provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. In yet another embodiment, grooves 40 may be provided on either the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b or the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. In this case, for example, the height of the tip of the front wall portion 41 of the groove 40 provided on at least one of the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b or the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a can be set closer to the bottom portion 43 than to the surfaces 50 and 60. This makes it easier for the user to insert their fingers into the grooves 40 even if the grooves 40 are facing each other.
[0088] The embodiments described above are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented 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. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0089] 10...Refrigerator, 11...Refrigerator body, 12...Refrigerator compartment, 13...Vegetable compartment, 14...Ice maker compartment, 15...Small freezer compartment, 16...Freezer compartment, 21...Left refrigerator compartment door, 22...Right refrigerator compartment door, 23...Vegetable compartment door, 24...Ice maker compartment door, 25...Small freezer compartment door, 26...Freezer compartment door, 21a, 22a, 23a, 2 4a, 25a, 26a...lower surface part, 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b...upper surface part, 30...recessed part (concave shaped part), 32...ridge part (first ridge part), 40... Groove (concave shaped part), 41... Front wall, 411... Tip, 43... Rear wall, 44... Ridge (second ridge), 50... First surface, 60... Second surface, 70... Slanted surface
Claims
1. It is equipped with multiple drawer doors, and each of the multiple drawer doors has a handle for the user to grip. The aforementioned handle portion is formed by a groove formed by recessing the upper surface portion downward, and the groove portion has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion. Each of the aforementioned multiple drawer doors is provided with either a first handle portion, where the front wall portion extends to the height of the upper part of the rear wall portion, or a second handle portion, where the front wall portion is lower than the rear wall portion. Of the drawer doors located above the lowest of the aforementioned plurality of drawer doors, the drawer door with the longest vertical length has the second handle, and the drawer door with the shortest vertical length has the first handle. As the aforementioned multiple drawer doors, The first door, It comprises another door positioned adjacent to the lower part of the first door, The first door has, on its lower surface, a first surface portion and a first concave portion that is provided in front of the first surface portion and is formed by being recessed upward, The other door has a second surface portion on its upper surface portion that is located behind the groove portion and faces the first surface portion. The first door has a first edge between the first concave portion and the first surface portion, The other door has a second ridge between the rear wall and the upper surface, The first and second edges each form a curved surface that is convex toward the front. The radius of curvature of the second edge and the radius of curvature of the first edge are set to be different. refrigerator.
2. A drawer door comprising a plurality of drawer doors, each of the plurality of drawer doors having a handle portion on the upper surface for the user to place their hand on, The aforementioned handle portion is formed by a groove formed by recessing the upper surface portion downward, and the groove portion has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion. Each of the aforementioned multiple drawer doors is provided with either a first handle portion, where the front wall portion extends to the height of the upper part of the rear wall portion, or a second handle portion, where the front wall portion is lower than the rear wall portion. Of the drawer doors located above the lowest of the aforementioned plurality of drawer doors, the drawer door with the longest vertical length has the second handle, and the drawer door with the shortest vertical length has the first handle. As the aforementioned multiple drawer doors, The first door, The system comprises another door positioned adjacent to the lower part of the first door, the other door having the first handle, The first door has, on its lower surface, a first surface portion and a first concave portion that is provided in front of the first surface portion and is formed by being recessed upward, The other door has, on the upper surface facing the lower surface, a second surface facing the first surface, and a second concave shape formed in front of the second surface and recessed downwards. The first door has a first edge between the first concave portion and the first surface portion, The other door has a second ridge between the second concave portion and the second surface portion, The first and second edges each form a curved surface that is convex toward the front. The radius of curvature of the second edge is set to be larger than the radius of curvature of the first edge. refrigerator.
3. Either the first door or the other door has a curved surface that is convex toward the front, connecting the first concave portion and the first surface, or the second concave portion and the second surface. The other door between the first door and the other door has a slanted portion connecting the first concave portion and the first surface portion or the second concave portion and the second surface portion. The refrigerator according to claim 2.
4. The position of the front end of the second surface is set to be further back than the position of the front end of the first surface. The refrigerator according to claim 2.
5. A drawer door comprising a plurality of drawer doors, each of the plurality of drawer doors having a handle portion on the upper surface for the user to place their hand on, The aforementioned handle portion is formed by a groove formed by recessing the upper surface portion downward, and the groove portion has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion. Each of the aforementioned multiple drawer doors is provided with either a first handle portion, where the front wall portion extends to the height of the upper part of the rear wall portion, or a second handle portion, where the front wall portion is lower than the rear wall portion. Of the drawer doors located above the lowest of the aforementioned plurality of drawer doors, the drawer door with the longest vertical length has the second handle, and the drawer door with the shortest vertical length has the first handle. As the aforementioned multiple drawer doors, The first door, The system comprises another door positioned adjacent to the lower part of the first door, the other door having the first handle, The first door has, on its lower surface, a first surface portion and a first concave portion that is provided in front of the first surface portion and is formed by being recessed upward, The other door has, on the upper surface facing the lower surface, a second surface facing the first surface, and a second concave shape formed in front of the second surface and recessed downwards. The first door has a first edge between the first concave portion and the first surface portion, The other door has a second ridge between the second concave portion and the second surface portion, The first and second edges each form a curved surface that is convex toward the front. The radius of curvature of the first edge is set differently from the radius of curvature of the second edge. The difference between the radius of curvature of the first edge and the radius of curvature of the second edge is set to be greater on the outer side of the refrigerator in the left-right direction than on the central part of the refrigerator in the left-right direction. refrigerator.