refrigerator

Abstract

To improve the design of a refrigerator comprising a water supply tank.SOLUTION: A water supply tank 30 comprises: a container body 36 of which an upper surface is opened; a lid body 38 closing the upper surface of the container body 36; a front side container locking part 41 provided on a front side of the container body 36; a lid protruding portion 57 provided in the lid body 38, and protruding upward from a front end part of the lid body 38, at a position separated rearward from the front end part; and a tank front part 46 covering a portion provided in the lid body 38, and locked in the front side container locking part 41, from a front side, and constituting a front upper part of the water supply tank 30 as a front part of the water supply tank 30. An upper end of the tank front part 46 is located at a position higher than the lid protruding portion 57. A height difference between the upper end of the tank front part 46 and an upper end of a container front part 116 constituting a front upper part of a housing container 114 is smaller than a height difference between the upper end of the tank front part 46 and an upper end of the lid protruding portion 57.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In a refrigerator having an automatic ice-making function, a water supply tank is installed in the refrigerating chamber, and water in the water supply tank is supplied to an ice-making tray to make ice. In such a refrigerator, since the water supply tank may be detached in an inclined state depending on its arrangement in the refrigerating chamber, conventionally, a fixing member that compresses a sealing material provided between the container body and the lid is used to attach the lid to the container body so that water in the container body does not leak out (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] The water supply tank is often placed on the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber. In the case of a water supply tank that attaches the lid to the container body using the above-described fixing member, the fixing member is arranged at a conspicuous position in the refrigerator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention have been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve the designability of a refrigerator provided with a water supply tank that attaches a lid to a container body using a fixing member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment, a refrigerator is provided in a storage compartment with a water supply tank for storing water to supply water to an ice tray, and a storage container provided on the side of the water supply tank in the width direction, wherein the water supply tank comprises a container body with an open top and a closing mechanism for the top of the container body. Lid body The front container locking portion provided on the front side of the container body, and the Lid body It is provided in the above Lid body A lid projection that protrudes upward from the front end, at a position further rearward from the front end, and the Lid body Provided That part The part that engages with the front container locking portion 、 The container comprises a tank front portion that covers the water supply tank from the front and constitutes the upper front portion of the water supply tank, wherein the upper end of the tank front portion is higher than the lid protrusion, and the height difference between the upper end of the tank front portion and the upper end of the container front portion that constitutes the upper front portion of the storage container is smaller than the height difference between the upper end of the tank front portion and the upper end of the lid protrusion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Front view showing the main parts of the refrigerator compartment in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view AA in Figure 2 [Figure 4] Perspective view of the water tank [Figure 5] Perspective view of the water tank [Figure 6] Disassembled perspective view of the water tank [Figure 7] Cross-section of a water tank [Figure 8] Front view showing the main parts of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention [Figure 9] BB cross-section diagram (Figure 8) [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (First Embodiment) The refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (1) Configuration of Refrigerator 1 As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator 1 comprises a refrigerator body 2 that opens to the front. The refrigerator body 2 is constructed with an insulating space 5 formed between a steel plate outer box 3 and a synthetic resin inner box 4, and has insulating material such as vacuum insulating material or foamed insulating material. The refrigerator body 2 has multiple storage spaces inside the inner box 4. Specifically, from the top down, there is a refrigerator compartment 6 and a vegetable compartment 7, below which there is an ice-making compartment 8 and a small freezer compartment (not shown) arranged side by side, and below these there is a freezer compartment 10.

[0010] The refrigerator compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 7 are both storage compartments cooled to a refrigerated temperature range (for example, 1-4°C), and they are separated vertically by a partition plate 11 made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figure 2, the space separated vertically by the partition plate 11 and the lowest shelf 12 is further divided in the refrigerator width direction by a vertical partition wall 13 positioned against one side wall (left wall) of the refrigerator compartment 6. A water supply tank 30 and a water supply device 31 are provided in the space between the left wall of the refrigerator compartment 6 and the vertical partition wall 13 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the tank compartment). The water supply tank 30 is stored in a predetermined position in the front-to-back direction by a positioning part (not shown) provided on the partition plate 11. Storage containers 14 are stored in the space between the vertical partition wall 13 and the other side wall (right wall) of the refrigerator compartment 6 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the chilled compartment). Furthermore, the vertical partition wall 13 is positioned so as to be hidden behind the front portion of the storage container 14, as shown in Figure 2.

[0011] The ice-making compartment 8, the small freezer compartment, and the freezer compartment 10 are all storage compartments cooled to a freezing temperature range (for example, -10 to -20°C). The ice-making compartment 8 is equipped with an ice-making device 32, which includes an ice tray 33 and an ice release mechanism 34, and an ice storage box 9 for storing the ice produced by the ice-making device 32. The ice-making device 32, together with the water supply tank 30 and water supply device 31 located in the refrigerator compartment 6, constitutes an automatic ice-making device, and water from the water supply tank 30, which is drawn up by the water supply device 31, is supplied to the ice tray 33.

[0012] At the inner part of the storage chambers (refrigerator compartment 6 and vegetable compartment 7) in the refrigerating temperature zone of the refrigerator body 2, a refrigerating cooler 20 for cooling the storage chambers in the refrigerating temperature zone is provided. Above the refrigerating cooler 20, a refrigerating fan 21 for blowing the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 20 into the refrigerating space is provided.

[0013] At the inner part of the storage chambers (ice making chamber 8, small freezer compartment, freezer compartment 10) in the freezing temperature zone of the refrigerator body 2, a freezing cooler 22 for cooling the storage chambers in the freezing temperature zone is provided. Above the freezing cooler 22, a freezing fan 23 for blowing the cold air generated by the freezing cooler 22 into the refrigerating space is provided.

[0014] The refrigerating cooler 20 and the freezing cooler 22 constitute a refrigeration cycle together with a compressor 25 and a condenser housed in a machine room 24 formed at the lower rear part of the refrigerator body 2, and are cooled by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 25.

[0015] (2) Storage container 14 As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the storage container 14 stored in the chilled chamber sandwiched between the vertical partition wall 13 and the right side wall of the refrigerator compartment 6 includes a pull-out upper container 70 and a lower container 71 provided one above the other, and a lid body 72 rotatably provided at the front end of the front end plate 12 of the lowermost stage.

[0016] The upper container 70 is made of a synthetic resin container having an opening on the upper surface with a substantially rectangular planar shape, and a storage space for storing stored items such as foods is formed inside.

[0017] At the front end of the upper container 70, a front wall 73 rising upward from the bottom surface of the upper container 7 to partition the front end of the storage space is provided. In front of the front wall 73, a container front portion 74 arranged at a predetermined interval is provided over the entire width of the upper container 70.

[0018] The front wall 73 is recessed towards the rear in the center in the width direction, forming an upper grip portion 75 that widens the gap in the front-to-back direction from the front surface portion 74 of the container. The upper grip portion 75 functions as a handle when the user's fingers are inserted from below to insert or remove the upper container 70.

[0019] The upper end of the container front section 74 is connected to the upper end of the front wall 73. The lower end of the container front section 74 ends at the same height as the bottom surface of the upper container 70, except in front of the handle section 75, and ends above the bottom surface of the upper container 70 in front of the handle section 75. As a result, the container front section 74 is provided with a notch 76 that opens up the area in front of the handle section 75.

[0020] Furthermore, a band-shaped second emphasis portion 74a is provided between the upper end of the container front portion 74 and the upper end of the notch portion 76, extending across the entire width of the upper container 70. The second emphasis portion 74a is an area that is visually distinguishable from other parts of the container front portion 74, and is, for example, an area with different material, color, pattern, or thickness. Preferably, this second emphasis portion 74a is an area with lower transparency than other parts due to coloring, surface treatment, metal deposition, etc.

[0021] An opening is formed above the front surface 74 of the upper container 70 between it and the lower surface of the shelf 12, and this opening is closed by the lid 72. As shown in Figure 3, when the lid 72 closes the opening formed by the shelf 12 and the front surface 74 of the container, it is preferable that the upper end of the front surface 74 of the container is located on the extension of the center line in the thickness direction of the lid 72 in a side view.

[0022] Such an upper container 70 is pulled forward from its stored position in the chiller compartment by sliding along rails (not shown) to push up the lid 72, allowing stored items such as food to be loaded and unloaded from the top opening of the upper container 70.

[0023] The lower container 71 is made of synthetic resin and has a roughly rectangular top surface with an opening, and has a storage space inside for storing food and other items. When the lower container 71 is stored in the chiller compartment, the opening on its top surface is closed by the bottom surface of the upper container 70 located above it. The front end of the lower container 71 has a lower handle portion 78 that is recessed downwards, allowing a hand to be inserted from above.

[0024] (3) Water tank 30 As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the water supply tank 30 comprises a container body 36 with an opening on its top surface and a lid 38 that closes the top opening of the container body 36. The water supply tank 30 stores water (ice-making water) in the container body 36 for supplying water to the ice tray 33 via the water supply device 31, and the lid 38 prevents the ice-making water from spilling out of the container body 36.

[0025] The container body 36 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped-shaped container made of synthetic resin, which is long in the front-to-back direction, with a larger distance between the front circumferential wall 36a and the rear circumferential wall 36b compared to the distance between the left and right circumferential walls. The container body 36 includes a front projection 40 that extends over substantially the entire width of the container body 36 so as to project forward and upward from the upper end of the front circumferential wall 36a, a front container locking portion 41 provided on the front circumferential wall 36a, a rear container locking portion 42 provided on the rear circumferential wall 36b, and a packing contact portion 44 that projects outward from the periphery of the top opening (see Figure 6).

[0026] The front projection 40 comprises a tank front portion 46 provided at a distance in front of the front peripheral wall 36a, and peripheral portions 47 provided from both the left and right ends and the upper end of the tank front portion 46 towards the rear, with the lower ends of the peripheral portions 47 connected to both sides of the upper end of the container body 36.

[0027] The front projection 40 has a tank handle portion 49 that opens downward between the front surface 46 of the tank and the front peripheral wall 36a (see Figure 7). The tank handle portion 49 functions as a handle when the user inserts their fingers from below to insert or remove the water supply tank 30.

[0028] The front section 46 of the tank constitutes the front of the water supply tank 30. The front section 46 of the tank slopes backward as it goes upward, and its angle of inclination is approximately the same as that of the lid 72 that constitutes the front of the storage container 14 and the front section 74 of the upper container 70, as shown in Figure 3.

[0029] At the lower end of the front surface 46 of the tank, a strip-shaped first emphasis portion 46a is provided, extending in the left-right direction and having a constant vertical dimension. The first emphasis portion 46a is an area that is visually distinguishable from other parts of the front surface 46 of the tank, and is, for example, an area with different material, color, pattern, or thickness. Preferably, this first emphasis portion 46a is an area with lower transparency than other parts due to coloring, surface treatment, or metal deposition.

[0030] The lower end 46b of the first emphasis section 46a is located at the lower end of the tank front section 46 and is at the same height as the lower end 74b of the second emphasis section 74a of the upper container 70 stored in the chilled compartment. Also, the upper end 46c of the first emphasis section 46a is at the same height as the upper end 74c of the second emphasis section 74a of the upper container 70 stored in the chilled compartment.

[0031] Furthermore, the rear surface of the front projection 40 has a rear opening 48 located above the packing contact portion 44 of the container body 36, and communicates with a hollow tank handle portion 49 that is partitioned by the tank front portion 46, the circumferential portion 47, and the front circumferential wall 35a of the container body 36.

[0032] Preferably, the front projection 40 has a tapered shape, with the width (left-right direction) of the tank front portion 46 decreasing as it goes upwards. Furthermore, it is preferable that the edges of the tank handle portion 49 and the rear opening 48 provided on the front projection 40 have an arc-shaped cross-section, and it is preferable that the radius of curvature of the edge of the tank handle portion 49 is larger than the radius of curvature of the edge of the rear opening 48.

[0033] The packing contact portion 44 is a flange-shaped portion that protrudes outward from the peripheral edge of the upper opening of the container body 36. The upper surface of the packing contact portion 44 is in contact with the packing 61 provided on the lid 38. The lower surface of the packing contact portion 44 that protrudes forward from the upper end of the front peripheral wall 36a is provided with a front container locking portion 41 that protrudes downward. The lower surface of the packing contact portion 44 that protrudes rearward from the upper end of the rear peripheral wall 36b is provided with a rear container locking portion 42 that protrudes downward.

[0034] The lid 38 is a synthetic resin molded body comprising a lid body 50 that covers the upper opening of the container body 36, a front fixing member 51 provided at the front end of the lid body 50, a rear fixing member 52 provided at the rear end of the lid body 50, and hanging walls 53, 54 provided on the lower peripheral edge of the lid body 50.

[0035] The front fixing member 51 is rotatably supported on a pivot shaft 55 that extends in the width direction and is provided at the front end of the lid body 50. The front fixing member 51 includes a front lid locking portion 56 that protrudes downward from the pivot shaft 55 toward the front circumferential wall 36a, and an operating portion 57 that extends upward from the pivot shaft 55.

[0036] When the user presses the front fixing member 51 forward to raise the operating section 57, the front lid locking section 56 locks into the front container locking section 41, as shown in Figure 7, fixing the front side of the lid 38 to the container body 36. With the front lid locking section 56 fixing the front side of the lid 38 to the container body 36 in this state, the upper end (tip) of the operating section 57 is positioned below the upper end of the front projection 40 provided on the container body 36. In other words, when the lid 38 is fixed to the container body 36, the front projection 40 provided on the container body 36 covers the entire front fixing member 51 from the front.

[0037] Furthermore, the front fixing member 51 releases the front lid locking portion 56 from the front container locking portion 41 by pressing the operating portion 57 backward from the state in which the front lid locking portion 56 is locked to the front container locking portion 41, thereby releasing the front of the lid 38 from the container body 36. At that time, the operating portion 57 collapses into the recess 62 provided at the front end of the lid 38.

[0038] The rear fixing member 52 has a similar structure to the front fixing member 51, except that the operating part 60 is located below the pivot shaft 58 and the rear lid locking part 59. In other words, the rear fixing member 52 is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 58 that extends in the width direction and is provided at the rear end of the lid body 50, with the rear lid locking part 59 protruding below the pivot shaft 58 toward the rear circumferential wall 36b, and the operating part 60 is provided further below the rear lid locking part 59. When the user rotates the operating part 60 so that it approaches the rear circumferential wall 36b, the rear lid locking part 59 engages with the rear container locking part 42, fixing the rear side of the lid 38 to the container body 36, and when the user rotates the operating part 60 so that it moves away from the rear circumferential wall 36b, the rear lid locking part 59 disengages from the rear container locking part 42, releasing the rear side of the lid 38 from the container body 36.

[0039] The hanging walls 53 and 54 are annular members that extend downward from the periphery of the lid body 50. Hanging wall 53 is provided at a distance from hanging wall 54 radially inward and extends longer downward than hanging wall 54. An annular packing 61 is provided between the two hanging walls 53 and 54.

[0040] The packing 61 is positioned between the hanging walls 53 and 54 and protrudes downward from the outer hanging wall 53. When the front fixing member 51 and the rear fixing member 52 are operated to fix the lid 38 to the container body 36, the packing 61 is pressurized, and the front lid locking portion 56 and the rear lid locking portion 59 engage with the front container locking portion 41 and the rear container locking portion 42, sealing the space between the container body 36 and the lid 38.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, when such a water supply tank 30 is stored in a tank compartment sandwiched between the left wall and the vertical partition wall 13 of the refrigerator compartment 6, the front of the water supply tank 30 and the front of the storage container 14 stored in the chiller compartment overlap in the left-right direction (refrigerator width direction).

[0042] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when the water supply tank 30 and the upper container 70 are stored in the tank compartment and the chilled compartment, respectively, the front-to-back positions of the tank front portion 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the lid 72 coincide, and the front-to-back positions of the first emphasis portion 46a provided on the tank front portion 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the second emphasis portion 74a provided on the container front portion 74 of the upper container 70 coincide.

[0043] The front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 has approximately the same inclination angle as the lid 72 of the storage container 14 and the front surface 74 of the upper container 70. As a result, the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 overlaps with the lid 72 and the front surface 74 of the storage container 14 located in the chiller compartment in the left-right direction.

[0044] Furthermore, since the lower end 46b and upper end 46c of the first emphasis portion 46a provided on the water tank 30 are positioned to coincide in the height direction with the lower end 74b and upper end 74c of the second emphasis portion 74a provided on the storage container 14, the first emphasis portion 46a overlaps with the second emphasis portion 74a in the left-right direction, forming a continuous pattern that extends horizontally.

[0045] (4) Effects In this embodiment, the front projection 40 that constitutes the front of the water supply tank 30 covers the front fixing member 51 that secures the lid 38 to the container body 36 from the front. As a result, the fixing member becomes less conspicuous inside the refrigerator, improving the aesthetic design of the refrigerator.

[0046] In this embodiment, since the front protrusion 40 protrudes upward from the container body 36, it becomes easier to cover the entire front fixing member 51.

[0047] In this embodiment, since the front protrusion 40 is provided with a tank handle 49, the front protrusion 40 can be effectively utilized, and the user will support the container body 36 when inserting or removing the water tank 30, which helps to prevent the lid 38 from coming off unintentionally.

[0048] In this embodiment, since the operating portion 57 of the front fixing member 51 extends upward from the front lid locking portion 56, the front fixing member 51 can be operated from above the container body 36, resulting in excellent operability.

[0049] In this embodiment, the front protrusion 40 protrudes upward and forward from the container body 36, and a rear opening 48 is provided on the back of the front protrusion 40. Therefore, the operation of the front fixing member 51 is not obstructed by the front protrusion 40, and the front fixing member 51 can be operated smoothly.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the periphery of the rear opening 48 has a circular arc cross-section, it is possible to prevent the user from being injured by touching the periphery of the rear opening 48, and also to prevent chipping of the periphery of the rear opening 48.

[0051] In this embodiment, since the tank handle portion 49 provided on the front protrusion portion 40 is in communication with the rear opening 48, the front protrusion portion 40 does not obstruct the flow of cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 6. Moreover, because the tank handle portion 49 and the rear opening 48 are in communication, a slide core structure can be used to mold the front protrusion portion 40 of the container body 36, thereby reducing the risk of mold damage even if the front protrusion portion 40 has a hollow portion that is recessed in the vertical direction inside.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 overlaps with the lid 72 and the front surface 74 of the upper container 70 in the left-right direction, thus unifying the design of the water supply tank 30 and the storage container 14 and improving the aesthetic appeal of the refrigerator.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first emphasis portion 46a provided on the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the second emphasis portion 74a provided on the front surface 74 of the storage container 14 overlap in the left-right direction, forming a continuous pattern that is continuous in the left-right direction. This emphasizes the design unity between the water supply tank 30 and the storage container 14, further improving the aesthetic appeal of the refrigerator.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to enhance the sense of unity in design between the water tank 30 and the storage container 14, it is preferable that the distance between the front projection 40 of the water tank 30 and the lid 72 and front surface 74 of the storage container 14, which are provided to overlap it in the left-right direction, and the distance between the front projection 40 and the shelf 12 be small. For example, it is preferable that each distance be 4 mm or less.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the front projection 40 in a tapered shape where the width (left-right direction) dimension of the tank front portion 46 decreases as it goes upwards, the following effects are obtained.

[0056] In other words, when stored items are placed in the storage container 14 positioned to the side of the water tank 30, the partition plate 11 supports the weight of the stored items, causing the center of the partition plate 11 in the left-right direction to deform slightly. Due to this deformation, the upper end of the water tank 30, which is placed on the partition plate 11, tilts slightly toward the center in the width direction of the refrigerator, and the distance between the upper end of the front protrusion 40 and the lid 72 becomes smaller than that between the upper end of the front protrusion 40 and the lid 72, which may cause discomfort to the user. Furthermore, depending on the weight of the stored items in the storage container 14, the deformation of the partition plate 11 may become excessive, potentially causing the water tank 30 and the lid 72 to come into contact at their upper ends.

[0057] In this embodiment, by making the front projection 40 tapered and narrowing upwards, the gap between the upper end of the front projection 40 and the lid 72 does not narrow easily, which helps to suppress contact between the water tank 30 and the lid 72, and also camouflages the tilt of the water tank 30, thereby reducing the discomfort caused to the user.

[0058] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the above-described embodiment, based on Figures 8 and 9. Elements identical to or corresponding to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0059] In the first embodiment described above, the case in which the storage container 14 stored in the chiller compartment consists of an upper container 70, a lower container 71, and a lid 72 was explained. However, in this embodiment, a single-tiered storage container 114 that is not divided into upper and lower sections is stored in the chiller compartment.

[0060] This storage container 114 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped container with a front wall 114a, a rear wall, left and right side walls, and a bottom surface, and has an opening on its top surface.

[0061] The upper end of the front wall 114a is provided with a container projection 115 that protrudes forward and upward from the front wall 114a. As shown in Figure 9, the container projection 115 comprises a container front portion 116 provided at a distance in front of the front wall 114a of the storage container 114, a connecting portion 117 extending in the left-right direction that connects the container front portion 116 and the front wall 114a, and a side portion 118 that connects the left and right sides of the container front portion 116 and the connecting portion 117 to the front wall 114a.

[0062] The connecting portion 117 protrudes approximately horizontally forward from the upper part of the front wall 114a and is connected to the lower part of the container front portion 116. Below the connecting portion 117, a container handle portion 119 is formed between the container front portion 116 and the front wall 114a, opening downwards. The container handle portion 119 functions as a handle when the user's fingers are inserted from below to insert or remove the storage container 114.

[0063] The container front section 116 is provided across the entire width of the storage container 114 in the left-right direction and extends from the same height as the lower end of the tank front section 46 of the water supply tank 30 to the same height as the upper end of the tank front section 46 in the vertical direction, closing the gap formed between the shelf board 12 and the front end of the upper opening of the storage container 114 from the front.

[0064] The front surface 116 of the container is positioned approximately parallel to the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30. In this embodiment, the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the front surface 116 of the container are inclined slightly backward as they go upward from the vertical.

[0065] A container inclined portion 116d is formed at the upper end of the container front portion 116, which slopes backward as it goes upward. In this embodiment, a tank inclined portion 46d is also formed at the upper end of the tank front portion 46 of the water supply tank 30, which slopes backward as it goes upward, at the same height as the container inclined portion 116d and is approximately parallel to it.

[0066] The lower end of the container front portion 116 is provided with a strip-shaped second emphasis portion 116a that extends in the left-right direction and has a constant vertical dimension. The second emphasis portion 116a is an area that is visually distinguishable from other parts of the container front portion 116, and is, for example, an area that differs in material, color, pattern, or thickness of components.

[0067] The lower end 116b of the second emphasis portion 116a is located at the lower end of the container front portion 116 and is positioned at the same height as the lower end 46b of the first emphasis portion 46a provided on the tank front portion 46 of the water supply tank 30, and the upper end 116c of the second emphasis portion 116a is located in front of the connecting portion 117 and is positioned at the same height as the upper end 46c of the first emphasis portion 46a.

[0068] In this embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 9, when the water supply tank 30 and the storage container 114 are stored in the tank compartment and the chiller compartment, respectively, the tank front portion 46 that constitutes the front of the water supply tank 30 and the container front portion 116 that constitutes the front of the storage container 114 overlap in the left-right direction. As a result, the designs of the water supply tank 30 and the storage container 114 are unified, improving the aesthetic design of the refrigerator.

[0069] In particular, the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the front surface 116 of the storage container 114 overlap in the left-right direction in front of the front peripheral wall 36a of the container body 36 and the front wall 114a of the storage container 114, which makes it easier to emphasize the uniformity of the design and improves the aesthetic appeal of the refrigerator.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper and lower ends of the tank front portion 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the container front portion 116 of the storage container 114 are at the same height, and the tank inclined portion 46d and the container inclined portion 116d provided at the upper ends of the tank front portion 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the container front portion 116 of the storage container 114 overlap in the left-right direction, or the first emphasis portion 46a overlaps with the second emphasis portion 116a in the left-right direction, forming a continuous pattern that is continuous in the left-right direction. As a result, the sense of unity in the design is easily emphasized, and the aesthetic appeal of the refrigerator can be improved.

[0071] In this embodiment, we have described a case where the tank front portion 46, which constitutes the upper front portion of the water supply tank 30, overlaps with the container front portion 116, which constitutes the upper front portion of the storage container 114, in the left-right direction. However, it is also possible for a part of the front portion of the water supply tank 30 and a part of the front portion of the storage container 114 to overlap in the left-right direction, such as when the lower front portion of the water supply tank 30 and the lower front portion of the storage container 114 overlap.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the front perimeter wall 36a of the water supply tank 30 and the front wall 114a of the storage container 114 are formed to be approximately parallel to each other. When the water supply tank 30 and the storage container 114 are stored in the tank compartment and the chiller compartment, respectively, the front part 46 of the tank and the front part 116 of the container overlap in the left-right direction, and the front perimeter wall 36a and the front wall 114a also overlap in the left-right direction. The entire front section of the water supply tank 30 and the entire front section of the storage container 114 may overlap in the left-right direction. When the entire front section of the water supply tank 30 and the entire front section of the storage container 114 overlap in the left-right direction, the designs of the water supply tank 30 and the storage container 114 are unified, further improving the aesthetic appeal of the refrigerator. (Other embodiments) Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These 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.

[0073] For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, emphasis portions 46a, 74a, and 116a were provided on the front surface 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the front surfaces 74 and 116 of the storage containers 14 and 114, respectively. However, emphasis portions may be provided on one of the front surfaces 46 of the water supply tank 30 and the front surfaces 74 and 116 of the storage containers 14 and 114, but not on the other. Alternatively, emphasis portions may be provided on one, and a striped pattern extending horizontally at the same height as the upper end of the emphasis portion on the other may be provided on the other.

[0074] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the first emphasis portion 46a and the second emphasis portions 74a and 116a, which are continuous in the left-right direction, may be made of the same material, color, pattern, etc., or they may be made of different materials, colors, patterns, etc.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the case in which the front container locking portion 41 is provided on the front peripheral wall 36a of the container body 36 of the water supply tank 30 was explained. However, the front container locking portion may also be provided on the front side of the container body 36, such as on the left and right side walls of the container body 36, and the front lid locking portion may be provided on the lid 38 so as to engage with the front container locking portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1...Refrigerator, 6...Refrigerator compartment, 11...Divider plate, 12...Shelf board, 14...Storage container, 30...Water tank K, 36...Container body, 36a...Front circumferential wall, 36b...Rear circumferential wall, 38...Lid, 40...Front protrusion, 41...Front container locking part, 42...Rear container locking part, 44...Packing contact part, 46...Front part, 46a...First emphasis section, 46b...Lower end of the first emphasis section, 46c...Upper end of the first emphasis section, 47...Circumference Front section, 48...rear opening, 49...tank handle section, 50...lid body, 51...front fixing member, 52...Rear fixing member, 56...Front lid locking part, 57...Operating part, 59...Rear lid locking part, 60... Operating part, 61... packing, 62... recess, 70... upper container, 71... lower container, 72... lid, 74 ...front of the container, 74a...second emphasis section, 75...handle section, 114...storage container, 115...capacity Container protrusion, 116...front part, 116a...first emphasis part, 116b...lower end of the first emphasis part, 11 6c...Upper end of the first emphasis section, 116d...Tank inclined section, 117...Connecting section, 118...Container handle Kebu

Claims

1. In a refrigerator equipped with a water supply tank for storing water to supply water to an ice tray, and a storage container located on the side of the water supply tank in the width direction, The aforementioned water supply tank A container body with an open top, A lid body that closes the upper surface of the container body, The front container locking portion provided on the front side of the container body, A lid projection is provided on the lid body, located at a position rearward from the front end of the lid body, and projecting upward from the front end; The lid body has a portion that is provided on it and engages with the front container locking portion, and the tank front portion covers it from the front and constitutes the front upper part of the water supply tank, The upper end of the front portion of the tank is located higher than the protruding portion of the lid. A refrigerator in which the difference in height between the upper end of the tank's front surface and the upper end of the container's front surface constituting the upper front of the storage container is smaller than the difference in height between the upper end of the tank's front surface and the upper end of the lid's protruding portion.

2. The upper end of the front surface of the container has a container inclined portion that slopes backward as it goes upward, The water supply tank has a tank inclined section at the upper end of the front of the tank that slopes backward as it goes upward. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The tank comprises a front portion and a front projection having circumferential portions provided from both the left and right ends and the upper end of the front portion of the tank toward the rear, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the front projection is provided above and in front of the container body, and an opening is provided on the back of the front projection above the container body that opens toward the rear.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the periphery of the opening provided on the back of the front projection has a cross-sectional arc shape.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the width of the lower end of the front portion of the tank is greater than the width of the front circumferential wall of the container body which forms the water storage portion.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the tank and the front portion of the container overlap in the left-right direction.

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