refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator which can effectively keep a small cold room at low temperature and constant temperature.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 10 includes: a cold room 12; a cooling room 115 in which air blown to the cold room 12 is cooled by a cooler; a chilled room 20 defined in the cold room 12; a vegetable room 30 which is defined in the cold room 12 and arranged below the chilled room 20; and a partition wall 21 which partitions the chilled room 20 from the vegetable room 30. The partition wall 21 has: a return air channel 22 in which air which has cooled the cold room 12 returns to the cooling room 115; and a heat insulation layer 23 disposed between the return air channel 22 and the chilled room 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator having a small refrigerator compartment inside a refrigerating compartment.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a refrigerator in which a storage container is arranged inside a refrigerating compartment as described in Patent Document 1 is known. Here, a chilled container is stored at the bottom of the refrigerating compartment. The air blown by the blower is supplied to the refrigerating compartment via an air duct formed on the rear side of the refrigerating compartment. On the other hand, a part of the air blown into the air duct is blown to the chilled container without passing through the refrigerating compartment, and cold air is directly supplied to the stored items such as meat. By doing so, the temperature inside the container of the chilled container is made lower than the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment, for example, about 0°C. Thereby, foods such as meat stored in the chilled container can be preserved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, there is room for improvement from the viewpoints of lowering the temperature and maintaining a constant temperature in the small refrigerator compartment.

[0005] Specifically, the small refrigerator compartment is cooled by the inflow of air cooled by the cooling chamber. Also, the air that has cooled the small refrigerator compartment passes through the vicinity of the small refrigerator compartment and returns to the cooling chamber. On the other hand, when the high - temperature air that has cooled the entire refrigerating compartment returns to the cooling chamber and passes through the vicinity of the small refrigerator compartment, the small refrigerator compartment is heated by the returning air. As a result, there is a problem that the lowering of the temperature and the maintenance of a constant temperature in the small refrigerator compartment are hindered.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator that can effectively achieve low temperatures and constant temperatures in a small refrigerator compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a refrigerator compartment, a cooling compartment for cooling air supplied to the refrigerator compartment by a cooler, a first small refrigerator compartment partitioned within the refrigerator compartment, a second small refrigerator compartment partitioned within the refrigerator compartment and located below the first small refrigerator compartment, and a partition wall separating the first small refrigerator compartment and the second small refrigerator compartment, wherein the partition wall comprises an upper plate member, a lower plate member, an insulating layer sandwiched between the upper plate member and the lower plate member, and within the partition wall Excluding the first and second small refrigerator compartments. The refrigerator has a return air passage through which the air that has cooled the refrigerator chamber returns to the cooling chamber, and the return air passage has a vertical air passage extending in the vertical direction and a horizontal air passage extending in the horizontal direction, and a part of the vertical air passage is the insulating layer front side It is characterized by being formed in the notch portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator can be provided that can effectively achieve low temperatures and constant temperatures in the small refrigerator compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the box-shaped storage section. [Figure 2B] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an exploded perspective view showing the box-shaped storage compartment. [Figure 3A] This is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the chiller compartment. [Figure 3B]This is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the chiller compartment. [Figure 4A] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of the partition wall seen from above. [Figure 4B] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of the partition wall seen from below. [Figure 5] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a side cross-sectional view showing the chiller compartment and its surrounding area. [Figure 6A] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the partition walls in detail. [Figure 6B] This figure shows a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the lower plate member in detail. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this description of the embodiment, the same reference numeral will be used for the same components in principle, and repeated explanations will be omitted. In the following description, the directions of up, down, front, back, left, and right will be used, but left and right refers to the left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front.

[0011] Figure 1 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10.

[0012] The insulated box 11 that constitutes the main body of the refrigerator 10 has an outer box 111, an inner box 112, and an insulating material 113. The outer box 111 is made of a steel plate that has been bent into a predetermined shape. The inner box 112 is made of a synthetic resin plate that is placed inside and spaced apart from the outer box 111. The insulating material 113 is made of foamed urethane resin or the like that is filled between the outer box 111 and the inner box 112.

[0013] The storage chamber inside the heat-insulating box body 11 is partitioned into a refrigerating chamber 12 and a freezing chamber 13 from above. The refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 are partitioned by a heat-insulating wall 17 having the same heat-insulating structure as the heat-insulating box body 11. Also, the front opening of the refrigerating chamber 12 is closed by a heat-insulating door 18, and the front opening of the freezing chamber 13 is closed by a heat-insulating door 19. The temperature inside the refrigerating chamber 12 is, for example, 2°C or more and 5°C or less, and the temperature inside the freezing chamber 13 is, for example, -20°C or more and -18°C or less. Further, a partition shelf 16 is arranged inside the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0014] The chilled chamber 20 is a first small refrigerating chamber partitioned inside the refrigerating chamber 12. The chilled chamber 20 is cooled to a lower temperature than other areas of the refrigerating chamber 12, and for example, its interior is cooled to -4°C or more and -2°C or less. The chilled chamber 20 is formed inside a storage container 29. The storage container 29 is a synthetic resin container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top and is made to be pullable in the front-rear direction. Also, the chilled chamber 20 has an air introduction part 41 and a storage part 42. The air introduction part 41 is an area where air is blown through an air duct 118 and an air outlet 37, and the storage part 42 is an area where stored items such as meat are stored.

[0015] The vegetable chamber 30 is a second small refrigerating chamber partitioned inside the refrigerating chamber 12 and is formed below the chilled chamber 20. The vegetable chamber 30 is formed inside a storage container 33 which is a vegetable chamber storage container. The storage container 33 is a synthetic resin container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top and is made to be pullable in the front-rear direction. The upper surface opening of the storage container 33 is covered by a partition wall 21. The interior of the vegetable chamber 30 is cooled to, for example, 3°C or more and 7°C or less.

[0016] On the back side of the freezer compartment 13, a cooling chamber 115 is formed. Inside the cooling chamber 115, an evaporator 116, which is a cooler, is disposed. Also, a machine room 14 is demarcated and formed at the rear of the lower end side of the refrigerator 10, and a compressor 15 is arranged in the machine room 14. The evaporator 116 and the compressor 15, together with a condenser and expansion means not shown here, form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. By operating the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the air inside the cooling chamber 115 is cooled by the evaporator 116, and by blowing this air into each storage compartment, the temperature inside each storage compartment becomes within a predetermined cooling temperature range.

[0017] Inside the cooling chamber 115, a blower 39 is arranged above the evaporator 116. The blower 39 is an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the air inside the evaporator 116 cooled by the evaporator 116 toward the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

[0018] Inside the evaporator 116, a defrost heater 117 is arranged below the evaporator 116. As thick frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 116 with the operation of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, in this case, control means not shown stops the compressor 15, closes the cooling chamber 115, and energizes the defrost heater 117 to heat it, thereby performing a defrost operation to melt and remove the frost. Also, although not shown here, a shielding device for appropriately closing the air passage is arranged near the blower 39.

[0019] An air duct 118 is formed upward from the cooling chamber 115. At the upper part of the air duct 118, an air outlet 32, which is an opening for blowing air into the refrigerator compartment 12, is formed.

[0020] A damper 31 is interposed in the air duct 118. The damper 31 is a multi - damper that can individually open and close the air duct 118 connected to the refrigerator compartment 12 and the air duct 118 connected to the chilled chamber 20.

[0021] The cooling operation in the refrigerator 10 will now be explained. First, based on instructions from a control unit (not shown here), the compressor 15 of the refrigeration cycle is operated, and the air inside the cooling chamber 115 is cooled by the evaporator 116. The cooled air is then blown into the refrigerator compartment 12 via the air passage 118 and outlet 32 ​​by the blower 39. A portion of the cooled air is also supplied to the chiller compartment 20 via the air passage 118 and outlet 37. Furthermore, a portion of the cooled air is also supplied to the freezer compartment 13.

[0022] The air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 returns to the cooling compartment 115 via the vegetable compartment 30. Similarly, the air that has cooled the chilled compartment 20 and the freezer compartment 13 also returns to the cooling compartment 115.

[0023] Figure 2A is a perspective view showing the box-shaped storage section 43, and Figure 2B is a perspective view showing the various side views that make up the box-shaped storage section 43. Here, the box-shaped storage section 43 is located inside the chilled compartment 20 shown in Figure 1 and is a component that insulates the inside of the chilled compartment 20 from other areas of the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0024] Referring to Figure 2A, insulating material made of a roughly plate-shaped foamed resin or the like, as described later, is placed on the top side, left and right side, and rear side of the box-shaped storage section 43.

[0025] Referring to Figure 2B, the aforementioned box-shaped storage section 43 contains a left wall section 431, a right wall section 432, an upper surface section 433, and a rear surface section 434, all made of insulating material such as foamed resin. The left wall section 431 is built into the left side of the box-shaped storage section 43. The right wall section 432 is built into the right side of the box-shaped storage section 43. The upper surface section 433 is built into the upper surface of the box-shaped storage section 43. The rear surface section 434 is housed in the rear side of the box-shaped storage section 43. Specifically, when the box-shaped storage section 43 is injection molded, the left wall section 431, the right wall section 432, the upper surface section 433, and the rear surface section 434 are insert molded. Also, referring to Figure 1, the upper surface section 433 is positioned above the air intake section 41.

[0026] In this way, by arranging the left wall portion 431, the right wall portion 432, the top surface portion 433, and the rear surface portion 434 inside the box-shaped storage portion 43, the thermal insulation effect of the aforementioned storage portion 42 can be improved.

[0027] Referring to Figure 2B, a portion of the box-shaped storage section 43 can also be replaced with another part of the refrigerator 10. Specifically, the rear portion 434 of the box-shaped storage section 43 can be made up of a multi-duct cover (not shown here). Furthermore, the right wall portion 432 of the box-shaped storage section 43 can also be made up of an inner box 112 (not shown here).

[0028] Figure 3A is a perspective view of the chilled compartment 20 from the front right, and Figure 3B is a perspective view of the chilled compartment 20 from the front left. In Figures 3A and 3B, the air paths are indicated by dashed arrows.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3A, an air outlet 44 is formed on the left end of the ceiling surface of the box-shaped storage section 43. The air outlet 44 is a through-hole that connects the air intake section 41 and the storage section 42 shown in Figure 1. Also, as shown in Figure 3B, an air outlet 44 is formed on the right end of the ceiling surface of the box-shaped storage section 43. By forming air outlets 44 on the right and left sides of the ceiling surface of the box-shaped storage section 43, more air can be supplied from the air intake section 41 shown in Figure 1 to the storage section 42.

[0030] Figure 4A is a perspective view of the partition wall 21 from the front and above. Figure 4B is a perspective view of the partition wall 21 from the front and below. As shown in Figure 1, the partition wall 21 is a wall-like member that vertically separates the chilled compartment 20 and the vegetable compartment 30.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4A, the top opening 35 is an opening formed on the upper surface of the partition wall 21. The top opening 35 is a roughly rectangular opening and is formed in the middle of the partition wall 21 in the front-to-back direction. Multiple top openings 35 are formed along the left-to-right direction. As will be described later, the top opening 35 is an opening through which return air from the refrigerator compartment 12 is taken in.

[0032] The front portion 34 constitutes the front part of the partition wall 21 and has a flat surface.

[0033] The transparent panel 40 consists of a glass plate or the like fitted into the front portion of the partition wall 21. By providing the transparent panel 40, when the insulated door 18 is in the open position (refer to Figure 1), the user can see the stored items such as vegetables stored in the vegetable compartment 30 through the front portion of the partition wall 21. In other words, the user can see the inside of the vegetable compartment 30 without having to pull the vegetable compartment 30 forward.

[0034] Referring to Figure 3A, the rear side portion of the chilled compartment 20 can be constructed with a multi-duct cover (not shown here). Furthermore, the right side portion of the chilled compartment 20 can also be constructed with an inner box 112 (not shown here).

[0035] As shown in Figure 4B, the bottom opening 36 is a portion of the rear part of the lower surface of the compartment wall 21 that has been opened. The bottom opening 36 is located at the rear end of the compartment wall 21. In addition, multiple bottom openings 36 are formed along the left-right direction. As will be described later, the bottom opening 36 is the portion from which air is blown into the vegetable compartment 30.

[0036] Figure 5 is a lateral cross-sectional view showing the chilled compartment 20 and its vicinity.

[0037] The rear portion of the partition wall 21 includes a return air passage 22 through which the air cooled in the refrigerator compartment 12 returns to the cooling compartment 115, and an insulating layer 23 disposed between the return air passage 22 and the chilled compartment 20.

[0038] The return air passage 22 has a vertical air passage 24 extending vertically and a horizontal air passage 25 extending horizontally. The upper end of the vertical air passage 24 is exposed to the refrigerator compartment 12, and its lower end is connected to the horizontal air passage 25. The vertical air passage 24 is formed below the front end of the chilled compartment 20. The upper end of the vertical air passage 24 is the upper opening 35 shown in Figure 4A. The horizontal air passage 25 is a cavity formed below the insulation layer 23 and extends to the rear end of the compartment wall 21. The rear end of the return air passage 22 is the lower opening 36 shown in Figure 4B. The lower opening 36 is formed behind the rear surface of the storage container 33.

[0039] The corner 26 at the connection point where the lower end of the vertical air passage 24 and the front end of the horizontal air passage 25 connect has a curved surface. This allows the air blown from the refrigerator compartment 12 to the vegetable compartment 30 to be well guided by the curved corner 26 as it flows from the vertical air passage 24 to the horizontal air passage 25.

[0040] The insulation layer 23 is made of, for example, foamed urethane resin and forms the upper portion of the insulation layer 23. In other words, the insulation layer 23 is positioned between the return air passage 22 and the chilled compartment 20, suppressing heat exchange between the return air passage 22 and the chilled compartment 20. Furthermore, the insulation layer 23 is positioned between the chilled compartment 20 and the vegetable compartment 30, suppressing heat exchange between the chilled compartment 20 and the vegetable compartment 30.

[0041] A chilled compartment return air passage 38 is formed on the rear side of the compartment wall 21 for the air that has cooled the chilled compartment 20 to return to the cooling compartment 115. The air that has cooled the chilled compartment 20 passes through the chilled compartment return air passage 38 before being blown into the vegetable compartment 30.

[0042] In the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, the air blown into the refrigerator compartment 12 via the airflow passage 118 returns to the aforementioned cooling compartment 115 after passing through the vegetable compartment 30. Specifically, the air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 is introduced into the vegetable compartment 30 via the return airflow passage 22 formed inside the partition wall 21, and the air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 30 returns to the aforementioned cooling compartment 115.

[0043] Here, the temperature of the air circulating inside the return air passage 22 is, for example, around 4°C. On the other hand, the internal temperature of the chilled compartment 20, which is located directly above the return air passage 22, is, for example, -3°C. Therefore, the return air circulating inside the return air passage 22 may cause the chilled compartment 20 to be unintentionally heated up, potentially causing a deterioration in the freshness of stored items such as meat stored in the chilled compartment 20.

[0044] In this embodiment, an insulating layer 23 is placed between the return air passage 22 and the chilled compartment 20. Therefore, it is possible to restrict the inadvertent heat exchange between the high-temperature return air circulating inside the return air passage 22 and the low-temperature air inside the chilled compartment 20, thereby suppressing the rise in the internal temperature of the chilled compartment 20.

[0045] Furthermore, the lower opening 36, which is an air outlet through which air is blown from the partition wall 21 into the vegetable compartment 30, is formed behind the rear end of the storage container 33. Therefore, the air blown into the vegetable compartment 30 from the lower opening 36 is not directly introduced into the interior of the storage container 33, but cools the storage container 33 from the surroundings. Thus, vegetables and other items stored inside the storage container 33 can be stored effectively.

[0046] The configuration of the partition wall 21 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 6A and 6B. Figure 6A is an exploded perspective view of the partition wall 21 seen from below, and Figure 6B is a perspective view of the lower plate member 272 seen from above.

[0047] The partition wall 21 comprises an upper plate member 271, an insulating layer 23, and a lower plate member 272. In other words, the partition wall 21 has a structure in which the insulating layer 23 is sandwiched between the upper plate member 271 and the lower plate member 272.

[0048] The upper plate member 271 is made of a synthetic resin plate and covers the insulation layer 23 from above.

[0049] The insulation layer 23 is a roughly plate-shaped member made of foamed urethane resin or the like. A convex portion 28 is formed on the lower surface of the insulation layer 23. Multiple convex portions 28 are formed in a matrix on the lower surface of the insulation layer 23.

[0050] The lower plate member 272 is made of a synthetic resin plate and covers the heat insulation layer 23 from below. The return air passage 22 shown in Figure 5 is formed as a gap between the heat insulation layer 23 and the lower plate member 272.

[0051] The thickness of the return air passage 22 formed on the lower surface of the insulation layer 23 and the upper surface of the lower plate member 272 is determined by the lower surface of the convex portion 28 contacting the upper surface of the lower plate member 272.

[0052] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 28 is approximately boat-shaped, following the airflow inside the return air passage 22. Here, a boat shape refers to a shape in which the front and rear in the longitudinal direction are narrowed and rise like the bow of a boat. By having the convex portion 28 approximately boat-shaped, obstruction of the airflow by the convex portion 28 can be suppressed. Moreover, by having the convex portion 28 approximately boat-shaped, it is also possible to straighten the air flowing through the cross air passage 25.

[0053] The above is a description of the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment. According to this embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, by providing an insulating layer 23 between the return air passage 22 through which the cooled air from the refrigerator compartment 12 returns and the chilled compartment 20, the rise in temperature inside the chilled compartment 20 due to the return air passing through the return air passage 22 is suppressed. As a result, the freshness of fish and meat stored in the chilled compartment 20 can be maintained for, for example, 10 days or more. In addition, since a partition plate is not required below the chilled compartment 20, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 10 can be simplified.

[0055] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5, by making the corner 26 of the connection point where the vertical air passage 24 and the horizontal air passage 25 of the return air passage 22 connect a curved surface, the airflow resistance inside the return air passage 22 can be reduced. As a result, air can be circulated well and the vegetable compartment 30 can be cooled efficiently.

[0056] Furthermore, referring to Figure 6, by making the convex portion 28 formed in the return air passage 22 boat-shaped, it is possible to prevent the convex portion 28 from obstructing the airflow.

[0057] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5, by blowing the relatively high-temperature air cooled in the refrigerator compartment 12 into the vegetable compartment 30, the vegetable compartment 30 can be kept at an appropriate temperature. On the other hand, by blowing the air cooled in the chiller compartment 20 separately into the vegetable compartment 30, it is possible to prevent the vegetable compartment 30 from becoming excessively cooled.

[0058] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5, by positioning the rear end of the return air passage 22 behind the rear end of the storage container 33, it is possible to suppress direct airflow from the refrigerator 10 into the storage container 33 and prevent the inside of the storage container 33 from being excessively cooled.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be combined with each other.

[0060] The inventions that can be understood from the embodiments described above, along with their effects, are described below.

[0061] The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a refrigerator compartment, a cooling compartment for cooling air supplied to the refrigerator compartment by a cooler, a first small refrigerator compartment partitioned within the refrigerator compartment, a second small refrigerator compartment partitioned within the refrigerator compartment and located below the first small refrigerator compartment, and a partition wall separating the first small refrigerator compartment and the second small refrigerator compartment, wherein the partition wall has a return air passage through which the air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment returns to the cooling compartment, and an insulating layer disposed between the return air passage and the first small refrigerator compartment. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, low temperature and constant temperature can be effectively achieved in the first small refrigerator compartment. Specifically, by providing an insulating layer between the return air passage through which the air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment returns and the first small refrigerator compartment, the rise in temperature inside the first small refrigerator compartment due to the return air passing through the return air passage is suppressed.

[0062] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the return air passage has a vertical air passage extending in the vertical direction and a horizontal air passage extending in the horizontal direction, the upper end of the vertical air passage is exposed to the refrigerator compartment and the lower end is connected to the horizontal air passage, and the corner of the connection portion where the vertical air passage and the horizontal air passage connect is a curved surface. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by making the corner of the connection portion where the vertical air passage and the horizontal air passage of the return air passage connect a curved surface, the air passage resistance inside the return air passage can be reduced. Therefore, air can be circulated well and the refrigerator compartment can be cooled efficiently.

[0063] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the return air passage is formed as a gap between the heat insulating layer and the plate member, the convex portion protruding from the main surface of the heat insulating layer abuts against the plate member, and the convex portion is characterized in that its cross-section is substantially boat-shaped. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by making the convex portion formed in the return air passage boat-shaped, it is possible to prevent the convex portion from obstructing the airflow.

[0064] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the first small refrigerator compartment is a chiller compartment, the second small refrigerator compartment is a vegetable compartment, the air that has passed through the return air passage is blown into the vegetable compartment, and the air that has cooled the chiller compartment is returned to the cooling compartment. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the vegetable compartment can be kept at an appropriate temperature by blowing the relatively high-temperature air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment into the vegetable compartment. On the other hand, by blowing the air that has cooled the chiller compartment into the vegetable compartment separately from the refrigerator compartment, it is possible to prevent the vegetable compartment from being overcooled.

[0065] Furthermore, the refrigerator of the present invention further comprises: the first small refrigerator compartment being a chiller compartment; the second small refrigerator compartment being a vegetable compartment; and a vegetable compartment storage container disposed inside the vegetable compartment; the heat insulating layer being disposed between the chiller compartment and the vegetable compartment; and the rear end of the return air passage being positioned behind the rear end of the vegetable compartment storage container. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by positioning the rear end of the return air passage behind the rear end of the vegetable compartment storage container, it is possible to suppress direct inflow of air from the refrigerator into the vegetable compartment storage container and to suppress excessive cooling of the inside of the vegetable compartment storage container. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 111 Outer box 112 Inner box 113 Insulation 115 Cooling room 116 Evaporator 117 Defrost heater 118 Airflow duct 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 14 Machine room 15 Compressor 16 compartment shelves 17 Insulated Walls 18 Insulated Doors 19 Insulated Door 20 Chilled compartment 21 Partition Wall 22 Return air path 23. Insulation layer 24 Longitudinal wind tract 25 Crosswind channel 26 corners 271 Upper plate member 272 Lower plate member 28 Convex part 29 Storage containers 30 Vegetable compartment 31 Damper 32 Air outlet 33 Storage containers 34 Front part 35 Top opening 36 Bottom opening 37 Air outlet 38. Chilled compartment return airflow path 39 Blower 40 Transparent plate 41 Air intake 42 Storage section 43 Box-shaped storage section 431 Left wall section 432 Right wall section 433 Top part 434 Rear part 44 Air vents

Claims

1. Refrigerator compartment, A cooling chamber in which the air blown into the aforementioned refrigerator is cooled by a cooler, A first small refrigerator compartment is formed by partitioning the interior of the aforementioned refrigerator compartment, A second small refrigerator compartment is partitioned within the refrigerator compartment and located below the first small refrigerator compartment, It comprises a partition wall separating the first small refrigerator compartment and the second small refrigerator compartment, The partition wall comprises an upper plate member, a lower plate member, an insulating layer sandwiched between the upper plate member and the lower plate member, and a return air passage through which the air that has cooled the refrigerator compartments, excluding the first and second small refrigerator compartments, returns to the cooling compartment. The aforementioned return air passage has a longitudinal air passage extending along the vertical direction and a transverse air passage extending along the horizontal direction. A refrigerator characterized in that a portion of the longitudinal air passage is formed in a notch at the front edge of the heat insulating layer.

2. The upper plate member has an upper opening formed therein, which allows the cooled air from the refrigerator compartment to flow in. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper opening is located above the notch in the heat insulating layer.

3. The aforementioned cross air passage is formed as a gap between the lower surface of the heat insulating layer and the lower plate member. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that the air in the cross air passage is returned to the cooling chamber through the lower opening formed in the lower plate member.

4. The aforementioned cross air passage is formed as a gap between the lower surface of the heat insulating layer and the lower plate member. The aforementioned first small refrigerator compartment is a chiller compartment. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that the second small refrigerator compartment is a vegetable compartment.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that a chilled compartment return air passage is formed behind the partition wall for the air that has cooled the chilled compartment to return to the cooling compartment.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that the temperature inside the chilled compartment is -2°C or lower.

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