refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of providing an upper container sliding in a front-rear direction on a pull-out type lower container without providing a guide part on an inner box.SOLUTION: A refrigerator has: a lower container 7 that is provided in a small freezing chamber 15D (storage chamber), and moves in a front-rear direction; and an upper container 8 that is provided above the lower container 7, and slides in the front-rear direction along the lower container 7. The upper container 8 has a first sliding part 86 that slides in the front-rear direction along the lower container 7. The lower container 7 has a second regulation surface 772 (regulation part) that regulates rearward movement of the first sliding part 86.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As a drawer-type storage compartment of a refrigerator, there is known one including an upper container that slides in the front-rear direction along a lower container that moves in the front-rear direction together with a door. In such a refrigerator, the lower container and the upper container stacked in the vertical direction may be drawn forward, only the upper container is moved rearward, and then the lower container is used. In order to prevent the upper container that has moved rearward of the lower container from falling behind the lower container, it is necessary to provide a guide portion for guiding the upper container in the front-rear direction on a side surface of the inner box. Therefore, when adding the upper container to a storage compartment that does not have an upper container, it was necessary to modify the mold of the inner box. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-106326 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which an upper container sliding in the front-rear direction can be provided on a drawer-type lower container without providing a guide portion on the inner box. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] The refrigerator according to the embodiment includes: a lower container that is provided in a storage compartment and moves in the front-rear direction; and an upper container that is provided above the lower container and slides in the front-rear direction along the lower container, wherein the upper container includes a first sliding portion that slides in the front-rear direction along the lower container And a second sliding part provided in front of the first sliding part and sliding in the front-rear direction along the lower container, , and the lower container includes a regulating portion that regulates rearward movement of the first sliding portion The first sliding part and the second sliding part have a sliding surface that slides and faces upward, and the sliding contact parts that contact the sliding surface of the first sliding part and the second sliding part are in different positions in the vertical direction, the sliding contact part of the second sliding part is located lower than the sliding contact part of the first sliding part, and the sliding surface has a recess into which the second sliding part is fitted when the upper container overlaps the rear portion of the lower container, a first sliding surface formed in front of the recess, and a second sliding surface formed behind the recess, and the first sliding surface is located lower in the vertical direction than the second sliding surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A front view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the small freezer compartment, seen from the front at an oblique angle. [Figure 3] A small side view of the door in the closed position. [Figure 4] A side view of a small freezer compartment with the door fully open and the upper container positioned above the rear portion of the lower container. [Figure 5] A side view of a small freezer compartment with the door fully open and the upper container positioned behind the lower container. [Figure 6] A side view of a small freezer compartment with the door fully open and the upper container positioned above the front part of the lower container. [Figure 7] A perspective view showing the upper container positioned above the rear portion of the lower container. [Figure 8] A perspective view showing the upper and lower containers separated. [Figure 9] A perspective view showing the upper container positioned behind the lower container. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing the upper container positioned above the front portion of the lower container. [Figure 11] A side view showing the upper and lower containers separated. [Figure 12] A side view of the small freezer compartment of a refrigerator with the door closed, showing a modified example of one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0008] In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction a user viewing the refrigerator from in front of it is facing. Furthermore, the side of the refrigerator closer to the user standing in front of it is defined as the "front," and the side further away is defined as the "back." In this specification, "width direction" refers to the left-right direction as defined above. In this specification, "depth direction" refers to the front-back direction as defined above. In the diagram, the +X direction is the right direction, the -X direction is the left direction, the +Y direction is the rear direction, the -Y direction is the front direction, the +Z direction is the up direction, and the -Z direction is the down direction. In addition, in a refrigerator, the side facing the thickness of the wall (storage compartment, freezer compartment, etc.) is defined as the "inside," and the side opposite the inside of the wall, facing the outside of the refrigerator, is defined as the "outside."

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

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator 1 comprises a wall body having a wall 10 and doors 11. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a wall body 10, multiple doors 11, multiple shelves, multiple containers, a cooling unit, and a control board. In this embodiment, the refrigerator body is formed by the above configuration other than the multiple doors 11.

[0011] As shown in Figure 2, the wall 10 includes, for example, an inner box 3, an outer box 4, and foamed insulation material 5. The inner box 3 is a component that forms the inner surface of the wall 10 and is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The outer box 4 is a component that forms the outer surface of the wall 10 and is made of, for example, metal such as steel plate. The outer box 4 is formed to be slightly larger than the inner box 3 and is positioned outside the inner box 3. The foamed insulation material 5 is a foamed insulation material such as polyurethane foam and is filled between the inner box 3 and the outer box 4. As a result, the wall 10 has thermal insulation properties.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the wall body 10 includes an upper wall 12, a lower wall 13, left and right side walls 14, 14, and a rear wall. The upper wall 12 and the lower wall 13 extend substantially horizontally. The left and right side walls 14, 14 stand upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 13 and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 12. The rear wall stands upward from the rear end of the lower wall 13 and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 12.

[0013] A plurality of storage compartments 15 are provided inside the wall body 10. The plurality of storage compartments 15 include, for example, a refrigerating compartment 15A, a vegetable compartment 15B, an ice making compartment 15C, a small freezing compartment 15D, and a main freezing compartment 15E. In the present embodiment, the refrigerating compartment 15A is arranged at the topmost position, the vegetable compartment 15B is arranged below the refrigerating compartment 15A, the ice making compartment 15C and the small freezing compartment 15D are arranged below the vegetable compartment 15B, and the main freezing compartment 15E is arranged below the ice making compartment 15C and the small freezing compartment 15D. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 15 is not limited to the above example. The wall body 10 has, on the front side of each storage compartment 15, an opening that allows food materials to be put into and taken out of each storage compartment 15.

[0014] The openings of the plurality of storage compartments 15 are openably and closably closed by a plurality of doors 11. The plurality of doors 11 include, for example, left and right refrigerating compartment doors 11Aa, 11Ab that close the opening of the refrigerating compartment 15A, a vegetable compartment door 11B that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 15B, an ice making compartment door 11C that closes the opening of the ice making compartment 15C, a small freezing compartment door 11D that closes the opening of the small freezing compartment 15D, and a main freezing compartment door 11E that closes the opening of the main freezing compartment 15E.

[0015] The left and right refrigerating compartment doors 11Aa, 11Ab are, for example, French-style side-by-side hinged doors. The left and right refrigerating compartment doors 11Aa, 11Ab are rotatably supported on the wall body 10 by hinges 10h. In the present embodiment, the width dimension (the dimension in the left-right direction) of the right refrigerating compartment door 11Ab is larger than the width dimension of the left refrigerating compartment door 11Aa.

[0016] On the other hand, the vegetable compartment door 11B, ice making compartment door 11C, small freezing compartment door 11D, and main freezing compartment door 11E are, for example, draw-out doors. The vegetable compartment door 11B, ice making compartment door 11C, small freezing compartment door 11D, and main freezing compartment door 11E are drawably supported relative to the wall body 10 by guide members.

[0017] The wall body 10 has a plurality of (two in this case) partition portions (not shown) that partition the interior of the wall body 10. These partition portions are, for example, partition walls each extending along a substantially horizontal direction. One partition portion is located between the refrigerating compartment 15A and the vegetable compartment 15B, and partitions between the refrigerating compartment 15A and the vegetable compartment 15B. On the other hand, the other partition portion is located between the vegetable compartment 15B, and the ice making compartment 15C and small freezing compartment 15D, and partitions between the vegetable compartment 15B, and the ice making compartment 15C and small freezing compartment 15D. Note that no partition wall is provided between the ice making compartment 15C and small freezing compartment 15D, and the main freezing compartment 15E.

[0018] A plurality of shelves are arranged in the refrigerating compartment 15A. The plurality of containers include a refrigerating compartment container (e.g., a chilled compartment container) arranged in the refrigerating compartment 15A, a vegetable compartment container arranged in the vegetable compartment 15B, an ice making compartment container arranged in the ice making compartment 15C, a small freezing compartment container arranged in the small freezing compartment 15D, and a main freezing compartment container arranged in the main freezing compartment 15E.

[0019] The cooling unit includes a compressor. The cooling unit includes, for example, a cooler and a fan arranged in a cooling air passage formed by a duct component. The compressor is provided, for example, in a machine compartment at the bottom of the refrigerator 1, and compresses the refrigerant gas used for cooling the storage compartment 15. The refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor is sent to the cooler via a suction pipe or the like.

[0020] The control board comprehensively controls the entire refrigerator 1. For example, the control board controls the driving of the aforementioned fan, compressor, and the like based on detection results from temperature sensors provided in the refrigerating compartment 15A, the main freezing compartment 15E, and the like. The control board is mounted, for example, on the top wall 12 of the wall body 10.

[0021] In the cooling unit, the cold air cooled by the cooler flows into the cooling air passage due to the rotation of the fan. The cold air that flows into the cooling air passage flows from bottom to top and is blown out into the refrigerator compartment 15A and the vegetable compartment 15B through the outlets formed in the flow path forming components.

[0022] On the rear side of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, a door container with an adjustable height and a door container fixed to the bottom are detachably attached.

[0023] Here, the configuration of the right refrigerator door 11Ab, vegetable compartment door 11B, ice maker door 11C, small freezer door 11D, and main freezer door 11E is the same as the configuration of the left refrigerator door 11Aa described above. In other words, the configuration of the right refrigerator door 11Ab, vegetable compartment door 11B, ice maker door 11C, small freezer door 11D, and main freezer door 11E can be described by replacing "left refrigerator door 11Aa" with "right refrigerator door 11Ab", "vegetable compartment door 11B", "ice maker door 11C", "small freezer door 11D", or "main freezer door 11E" in the explanation of the left refrigerator door 11Aa described above.

[0024] [Configuration of the small freezer compartment] Next, the specific structure of the small freezer compartment 15D will be explained with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 2, the small freezer compartment 15D has a pull-out type small freezer door 11D. As shown in Figure 3, the small freezer compartment 15D is closed when the small freezer door 11D moves backward and is positioned to block the opening 15a in the wall 10. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the small freezer compartment 15D is opened when the small freezer door 11D moves forward and is positioned away from the opening 15a. Note that in some figures, the small freezer door 11D is omitted for clarity where necessary.

[0025] The small freezer compartment 15D is equipped with two-tiered containers 7 and 8, each for storing different items, arranged in an upper and lower tier. The lower container of the two-tiered containers 7 and 8 will be referred to as the lower container 7, and the upper container as the upper container 8. The lower container 7 and the upper container 8 correspond to the small freezer compartment containers described above. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the width dimension of the upper container 8 is the same as the width dimension of the lower container 7. The front-to-back dimension of the upper container 8 is smaller than the front-to-back dimension of the lower container 7. The vertical dimension of the lower container 7 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the upper container 8. As shown in Figures 7, 9, and 10, the upper container 8 is slidable in the front-rear direction along the upper edge of the lower container 7. The upper edge of the lower container 7 is the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7, which will be described later.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, a small freezer door 11D is attached to the front of the lower container 7. Guide members 61 are attached to both sides of the lower container 7 in the left-right direction. A connecting member 62 (see Figure 3) is attached to the rear of the lower container 7, connecting the rear ends of the guide members 61. The guided member 61 is guided by a guide portion 63 (see Figures 3 to 6) provided on the inner surface 3a of the inner box 3, allowing it to move in the front-rear direction. The lower container 7, upper container 8, small freezer door 11D, guided member 61, and connecting member 62 move together in the front-rear direction when the small freezer door 11D is pulled forward or pushed backward. The lower container 7, upper container 8, small freezer door 11D, guided member 61, and connecting member 62 together are referred to as the drawer section 16. When the drawer section 16 is pulled out to its maximum extent (fully open), the rear portion of the lower container 7 is located inside the small freezer compartment 15D, and the front portion of the lower container 7 is located in front of the small freezer compartment 15D.

[0027] The first, second, and third positions are set as follows, representing the positions of the upper container 8 relative to the lower container 7 when the upper container 8 moves in the front-rear direction along the upper edge of the lower container 7. The first position is, as shown in Figure 7, the position where the upper container 8 overlaps the rear portion of the lower container 7, and the rear end portion 8b of the upper container 8 overlaps the rear end portion 7b of the lower container 7. The front end portion 8a of the upper container 8 in the first position is positioned above the middle portion of the lower container 7 in the front-rear direction. The second position is, as shown in Figure 9, the position where the rear end portion 8b of the upper container 8 is positioned behind the rear end portion 7b of the lower container 7, and the middle portion of the upper container 8 in the front-rear direction overlaps the rear end portion 7b of the lower container 7. In the second position, the rear portion of the upper container 8 is positioned behind the lower container 7, and the front portion overlaps the rear portion of the lower container 7. The third position, as shown in Figure 10, is where the upper container 8 overlaps the front portion of the lower container 7, and the front end 8a of the upper container 8 overlaps the front end 7a of the lower container 7. The rear end 8b of the upper container 8 in the third position is positioned above the middle portion of the lower container 7 in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] The upper container 8 is slidable in the front-rear direction between a third position and a second position along the upper edge of the lower container 7. The lower container 7 has a first restricting portion (first restricting surface 771) that restricts the upper container 8 from moving forward beyond the third position, and a second restricting portion (second restricting surface 772) that restricts the upper container 8 from moving backward beyond the second position.

[0029] When the drawer section 16 is moved to the rear and the upper container 8 is stored in the small freezer compartment 15D, it is positioned relative to the lower container 7 in one of three positions: the first position, the third position, or a position between the first and third positions. Figure 3 shows the upper container 8 positioned in the first position relative to the lower container 7 with the drawer section 16 stored in the small freezer compartment 15D. When the drawer section 16 is stored in the small freezer compartment 15D, the upper container 8 is positioned below the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment of the inner box 3. The upper end 8c of the upper container 8 is positioned in contact with the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment, or with a gap of a predetermined amount or less.

[0030] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the upper container 8 is movable between a second position and a third position when the drawer section 16 is moved forward and pulled out from the small freezer compartment 15D. As shown in Figure 4, when the drawer section 16 is pulled out and the small freezer compartment door 11D is fully open, and the upper container 8 is positioned in the first position, the rear part of the upper container 8 is positioned inside the small freezer compartment 15D, and the front part of the upper container 8 is positioned in front of the small freezer compartment 15D.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, when the drawer section 16 is pulled out and the small freezer door 11D is fully open, and the upper container 8 is positioned in the second position, the vicinity of the front end 8a of the upper container 8 is positioned in front of the small freezer compartment 15D, and the portion of the upper container 8 rearward from the vicinity of the front end 8a is positioned inside the small freezer compartment 15D. The portion of the upper container 8 positioned inside the small freezer compartment 15D is positioned below the small freezer compartment upper plate 3b of the inner box 3. In this case as well, the upper end 8c of the upper container 8 is positioned in contact with the small freezer compartment upper plate 3b, or with a gap of a predetermined amount or less. The upper end 8c of the upper container 8 corresponds to the upper end 841 of the first side wall section 84 of the upper container 8, which will be described later.

[0032] When the drawer section 16 is pulled out, the upper container 8, positioned in the second position, has its front portion, which is positioned above the lower container 7, sandwiched between the lower container 7 and the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment from above and below. Therefore, even if the upper container 8 attempts to rotate around a point directly above the rear end 7b of the lower container 7, with the portion behind this axis pointing downwards and the portion in front of this axis pointing upwards, the front portion contacts the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment of the inner box 3 from below, preventing it from rotating, tilting backward, or falling backward.

[0033] As shown in Figure 8, the lower container 7 is a deep, roughly rectangular container with an open top. The lower container 7 has a bottom plate portion 71, a front wall portion 72, a rear wall portion 73, and a pair of side wall portions 74, 74. The bottom plate portion 71 constitutes the bottom surface of the lower container 7. Hereafter, the lower container 7 is assumed to be in a position where its bottom surface is positioned horizontally. The lower container 7 has a shape that is symmetrical in the left-right direction. The bottom plate portion 71 is a flat plate with a horizontal surface and a roughly rectangular shape. The front wall portion 72 extends upward from the front edge of the bottom plate portion 71. The rear wall portion 73 extends upward from the rear edge of the bottom plate portion 71. One of the pair of side wall portions 74, 74 extends upward from the left side edge of the bottom plate portion 71, and the other side wall portion 74 extends upward from the right side edge of the bottom plate portion 71. The upper edges 741 of each of the pair of side wall portions 74, 74 extend horizontally over the entire length in the front-to-back direction.

[0034] A protrusion 75 is provided slightly below the upper edge 741 of each of the pair of side wall sections 74, 74, projecting outward in the left-right direction. The protrusion 75 extends along the entire front-rear direction of the side wall section 74. The upper container 8 slides in the front-rear direction along the upper edge 741 of each of the pair of side wall sections 74, 74 and the upper surface of the protrusion 75 provided on each of the pair of side wall sections 74, 74. Hereinafter, the upper surface of the protrusion 75 will be referred to as the sliding surface 76.

[0035] As shown in Figures 8 and 11, the sliding surface 76 has a recess 763 formed in the middle of the front-rear direction, which is recessed downwards and opens upwards. The portion of the sliding surface 76 in front of the recess 763 is referred to as the first sliding surface 761, and the portion behind the recess 763 is referred to as the second sliding surface 762. The portion of the first sliding surface 761 that connects with the recess 763 near the rear end is an inclined surface that gradually slopes upward from the front to the rear. This inclined surface is denoted as the first inclined surface 761a. The portion of the first sliding surface 761 in front of the first inclined surface 761a is a horizontal surface. This horizontal surface is denoted as the first horizontal surface 761b. The portion of the second sliding surface 762 that connects with the recess 763 near the front end is an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward from the front to the rear. This inclined surface is denoted as the second inclined surface 762a. The portion of the second sliding surface 762 rearward of the second inclined surface 762a is a horizontal surface. This horizontal surface is denoted as the second horizontal surface 762b.

[0036] As shown in Figure 11, the recess 763 is surrounded by a recess front surface 763a located at the front, a recess bottom surface 763b located at the bottom, and a recess rear surface 763c located at the rear. The recess front surface 763a is an inclined surface that slopes gradually toward the rear from the top to the bottom. The upper end of the recess front surface 763a is continuous with the rear end of the first sliding surface 761. The recess rear surface 763c is an inclined surface that slopes gradually toward the front from the top to the bottom. The upper end of the recess rear surface 763c is continuous with the front end of the second sliding surface 762. The recess bottom surface 763b is a horizontal surface. The front end of the recess bottom surface 763b is continuous with the lower end of the recess front surface 763a. The rear end of the recess bottom surface 763b is continuous with the lower end of the recess rear surface 763c. The rear end of the first sliding surface 761, i.e., the rear end of the first inclined surface 761a, and the front end of the second sliding surface 762, i.e., the front end of the second inclined surface 762a, are positioned at approximately the same height. Therefore, the first horizontal surface 761b is positioned lower than the second horizontal surface 762b. The first horizontal surface 761b is positioned at the same height as the bottom surface 763b of the recess.

[0037] A first restricting surface 771 is formed on the side wall portion 74, extending upward from the front end of the sliding surface 76, i.e., the front end of the first sliding surface 761, and facing rearward. A second restricting surface 772 is formed on the side wall portion 74, extending upward from the rear end of the sliding surface 76, i.e., the rear end of the second sliding surface 762, and facing forward. The upper ends of the first restricting surface 771 and the second restricting surface 772 reach the upper edge portion 741 of the side wall portion 74. A third inclined surface 773 is formed at the rear end of the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74, gradually extending downward toward the rear from the upper end of the second restricting surface 772. The upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 and the third inclined surface 773 are examples of third sliding surfaces. Alternatively, both the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 and the third inclined surface 773 may be considered as a whole third sliding surface. The width dimensions of the first restricting surface 771, the second restricting surface 772, and the third inclined surface 773 are the same as the protruding dimension of the convex portion 75, i.e., the width dimension of the sliding surface 76.

[0038] As shown in Figure 8, the upper container 8 is a roughly rectangular container with an open top. The upper container 8 has a bottom plate portion 81, a front wall portion 82, a rear wall portion 83, a first side wall portion 84, and a second side wall portion 85. The bottom plate portion 81 constitutes the bottom surface of the upper container 8. Hereafter, the upper container 8 will be assumed to be in a position where its bottom surface is positioned horizontally. The front wall portion 82 extends upward from the front edge of the bottom plate portion 81. The rear wall portion 83 extends upward from the rear edge of the bottom plate portion 81. The first side wall portion 84 extends upward from the left edge of the bottom plate portion 81. The second side wall portion 85 extends upward from the right edge of the bottom plate portion 81. In this embodiment, the upper container 8 is provided with a removable tray 811 on top of the bottom plate portion 81.

[0039] A notch 831 is formed on the upper side of the rear wall 83, opening upward in the middle of the left-right direction. The notch 831 is located in front of the cooling unit's outlet. When the upper container 8 is stored all the way to the back of the small freezer compartment 15D, the notch 831 is positioned at the tip of the outlet, and the cold air blown out from the outlet flows into the interior of the upper container 8. As shown in Figure 11, the upper container 8 of this embodiment has a flange portion 832 that protrudes rearward from the corner formed by the bottom plate portion 81 and the rear wall portion 83.

[0040] The second side wall portion 85 has a smaller height dimension than the first side wall portion 84. The upper end portion 851 of the second side wall portion 85 is positioned lower than the upper end portion 841 of the first side wall portion 84. In this embodiment, the upper edge of the second side wall portion 85 is formed to be lower on the rear side than on the front side.

[0041] A first sliding part 86, a second sliding part 87, and a third sliding part 88 are provided at the midpoint in the height direction of the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85, respectively. The first sliding part 86, second sliding part 87, and third sliding part 88 provided on the first side wall portion 84 and the first sliding part 86, second sliding part 87, and third sliding part 88 provided on the second side wall portion 85 are symmetrical in shape. In the following, the first sliding part 86, second sliding part 87, and third sliding part 88 provided on the second side wall portion 85 will be described, and the description of the first sliding part 86, second sliding part 87, and third sliding part 88 provided on the first side wall portion 84 will be omitted.

[0042] The first sliding portion 86 is provided in the middle of the second side wall portion 85 in the front-rear direction. The first sliding portion 86 has a first projection 861 that protrudes to the right from the second side wall portion 85, and a first vertical plate portion 862 that extends downward from the right end of the first projection 861. The first projection 861 is a flat plate with a horizontal surface. The first vertical plate portion 862 is a flat plate with a vertical surface facing left-right. The first sliding portion 86 has an L-shape when viewed from the front-rear direction.

[0043] The second sliding portion 87 is provided near the front end of the second side wall portion 85. The second sliding portion 87 has a second projection 871 that protrudes to the right from the second side wall portion 85, and a second vertical plate portion 872 that extends downward from the right end of the second projection 871. The second vertical plate portion 872 is a flat plate with a horizontal surface. The second vertical plate portion 872 is a flat plate with a vertical surface facing left to right. The shape of the second sliding portion 87 when viewed from the front to back is L-shaped.

[0044] The third sliding portion 88 is provided near the rear end of the second side wall portion 85. The third sliding portion 88 protrudes to the right from the second side wall portion 85. The third sliding portion 88 is a flat plate with a horizontal surface. The third sliding portion 88 does not have a vertical plate portion like the first vertical plate portion 862 of the first sliding portion 86 and the second vertical plate portion 872 of the second sliding portion 87.

[0045] The first sliding portion 86, the second sliding portion 87, and the third sliding portion 88 are arranged with spacing between them from front to rear, in the order of second sliding portion 87, first sliding portion 86, and third sliding portion 88. The first projection 861 of the first sliding portion 86, the second projection 871 of the second sliding portion 87, and the third sliding portion 88 are arranged at the same height as the second side wall portion 85. The first vertical plate portion 862 of the first sliding portion 86 is greater than the second vertical plate portion 872 of the second sliding portion 87 in the vertical direction. Short It is formed. The lower end portion 86a of the first vertical plate portion 862 is greater than the lower end portion 87a of the second vertical plate portion 872. Upward They are positioned as follows. The height difference between the lower end 86a of the first vertical plate portion 862 and the lower end 87a of the second vertical plate portion 872 is approximately the same as the height difference between the second horizontal surface 762b of the second sliding surface 762 of the lower container 7 and the first horizontal surface 761b of the first inclined surface 761a and the bottom surface 763b of the recess 763. Hereinafter, the lower end portion 86a of the first vertical plate portion 862 will be referred to as the lower end portion 86a of the first sliding portion 86, the lower end portion 87a of the second vertical plate portion 872 will be referred to as the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87, the rear end portion of the first vertical plate portion 862 will be referred to as the rear end portion 86b of the first sliding portion 86, and the front end portion of the second vertical plate portion 872 will be referred to as the front end portion 87b of the second sliding portion 87. The lower end portion 86a of the first sliding portion 86 and the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 correspond to the "sliding contact portion" in the claims.

[0046] When the upper container 8 is placed on top of the lower container 7, the first protrusion 861 of the first sliding portion 86 of the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85, the second protrusion 871 of the second sliding portion 87, and the third sliding portion 88 are positioned above the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7. The first vertical plate portion 862 of the first sliding portion 86 and the second vertical plate portion 872 of the second sliding portion 87 are positioned on the outside in the width direction of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7 and above the sliding surface 76.

[0047] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7, when the upper container 8 is positioned above the lower container 7 in a first position, the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 is inserted into the recess 763 of the sliding surface 76, and the lower end portion 86a of the first sliding portion 86 contacts the second sliding surface 762. The first projection 861 of the first sliding portion 86, the second projection 871 of the second sliding portion 87, and the third sliding portion 88 are placed on the upper edge portion 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7 and contact the upper edge portion 741 of the side wall portion 74. At this time, the third sliding portion 88 is placed near the rear end portion of the upper edge portion 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7. The upper container 8's movement in the front-rear direction relative to the lower container 7 is restricted by the insertion of the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 into the recess 763.

[0048] As shown in Figures 5 and 9, when the upper container 8 is positioned on the lower container 7 in a second position, the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 contacts the second horizontal surface 762b of the second sliding surface 762, and the lower end portion 86a of the first sliding portion 86 is positioned above the second horizontal surface 762b with a gap. The rear end portion 86b of the first sliding portion 86 contacts the second regulating surface 772 from the front. The first projection 861 of the first sliding portion 86 and the second projection 871 of the second sliding portion 87 are positioned above the upper edge portion 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7 with a gap. The third sliding portion 88 is positioned behind the lower container 7.

[0049] In the second position, the lower container 7 is supported only by the second sliding part 87, which is in contact with the second horizontal surface 762b of the second sliding surface 762. The first sliding part 86 and the third sliding part 88 are not supported by the upper container 8 from below. As described above, the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment of the inner box 3 is positioned above the upper container 8, and the upper container 8 is sandwiched between the lower container 7 and the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment of the inner box 3 from above and below. Therefore, when the upper container 8 is positioned in the second position, even if the rear part that is not supported by the lower container 7 tries to rotate so that it is lower than the front part, this rotation is suppressed by contacting the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment of the inner box 3 from below, and as a result, tilting backward or falling backward is suppressed. In this embodiment, the center of gravity of the upper container 8 is located between the first sliding part 86 and the second sliding part 87. Therefore, when the upper container 8 is positioned in the second position, the center of gravity of the upper container 8 is located above the upper container 8. This prevents the upper container 8, when positioned in the second position, from tilting or falling backward to the lower container 7. The upper container 8 is restricted from moving further back than the second position relative to the lower container 7 by the first sliding part 86, located in the middle of the front-to-back direction, contacting the second restricting surface 772 from the front.

[0050] As shown in Figures 6 and 10, when the upper container 8 is positioned in the third position on top of the lower container 7, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 contacts the first horizontal plane 761b of the first sliding surface 761, and the lower end 86a of the first sliding part 86 is positioned above the first horizontal plane 761b with a gap. The front end 87b of the second sliding part 87 contacts the first restricting surface 771 from behind. The first projection 861 of the first sliding part 86, the second projection 871 of the second sliding part 87, and the third sliding part 88 rest on the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74 of the lower container 7 and contact the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74. The upper container 8 is restricted from moving forward beyond the third position relative to the lower container 7 by the contact of the front end 87b of the second sliding part 87 with the first restricting surface 771.

[0051] Next, we will explain the operation of refrigerator 1. When the lower container 7 is pulled forward from the small freezer compartment 15D, the upper container 8 moves along the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74 of the lower container 7 when it is pulled forward or pushed backward. When the upper container 8 in the first position shown in Figures 4 and 7 is pushed backward, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves backward and upward along the rear surface 763c of the recess 763, disengaging from the recess 763 and resting on the second inclined surface 762a of the second sliding surface 762. As the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves above the bottom surface 763b of the recess, the entire upper container 8 moves upward. As a result, the lower end 86a of the first sliding part 86 separates from the second sliding surface 762, and the first protrusion 861 of the first sliding part 86 and the second protrusion 871 of the second sliding part 87 separate from the side wall 74 of the lower container 7. At this time, the upper container 8 is not in contact with the lower container 7 except for the lower end 86a of the first sliding part 86. Even in this state, the upper container 8 is sandwiched between the lower container 7 and the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment of the inner box 3, thus preventing it from tilting backward or falling backward. When the upper container 8 is pushed further backward, the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 moves backward and upward along the second inclined surface 762a to reach the second horizontal surface 762b. When the upper container 8 is pushed further backward, the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 moves further backward along the second horizontal surface 762b. As shown in Figure 5, when the second sliding portion 87 comes into contact with the second restricting surface 772, the backward movement of the upper container 8 is restricted, and the upper container 8 is positioned in the second position.

[0052] When the upper container 8 in the second position is pulled forward, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves forward along the second horizontal surface 762b with contact between them. The third sliding part 88 in the second position is positioned behind the lower container 7 and is separated from the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74, so it is expected to be slightly lower than when it is resting on the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74. Even in such a case, the third sliding part 88 positioned behind the lower container 7 can move forward along the third inclined surface 773, so the third sliding part 88 can be guided onto the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74. When the upper container 8 is pulled further forward, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves forward and downward along the second inclined surface 762a, is inserted into the recess 763, and is positioned in the first position.

[0053] As the upper container 8 in the first position shown in Figures 4 and 7 is pulled forward, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves forward and upward along the front surface 763a of the recess 763, disengaging from the recess 763 and resting on the first inclined surface 761a of the first sliding surface 761. As the upper container 8 is pulled further forward, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves forward and downward along the first inclined surface 761a, reaching the first horizontal surface 761b. As the upper container 8 is pulled further forward, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 moves further forward along the first horizontal surface 761b, and as shown in Figure 6, the forward movement of the front end 87b of the second sliding part 87 is restricted to contact the first restricting surface 771, and it is positioned in the third position. When the second sliding portion 87 moves along the first horizontal plane 761b, the first projection 861 of the first sliding portion 86, the second projection 871 of the second sliding portion 87, and the third sliding portion 88 are placed on the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7 and move while in contact with the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74. At this time, the first sliding part 86 moves along the second horizontal surface 762b of the second sliding surface 762, and when it reaches above the second inclined surface 762a of the second sliding surface 762, it separates from the second sliding surface 762. When the first sliding part 86 moves above the recess 763, it also separates from the recess 763 and is not inserted into the recess 763. When the first sliding part 86 moves above the first inclined surface 761a, it contacts the rear end of the first inclined surface 761a (the upper end of the front surface 763a of the recess 763), but does not contact any other parts.

[0054] When the upper container 8 in the third position is pushed backward, the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 moves backward along the first horizontal plane 761b. As the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 moves backward along the first inclined surface 761a, it moves backward and upward along the first inclined surface 761a, and the lower end portion 87a of the second sliding portion 87 is inserted into the recess and positioned in the first position.

[0055] When the lower container 7 (drawer section 16) is pulled forward and the upper container 8 remains in the second position, and the lower container 7 is pushed toward the small freezer compartment 15D, the upper container 8 moves backward while remaining in the second position relative to the lower container 7. When the flange 832 of the upper container 8 comes into contact with the positioning section 9 (see Figure 3) provided at the rear of the small freezer compartment 15D, the upper container 8's backward movement is restricted. In this state, when the lower container 7 moves backward, the lower container 7 moves backward relative to the upper container 8, and the upper container 8 is positioned in the first position. In this embodiment, the positioning section 9 is provided below the air outlet provided at the rear of the small freezer compartment 15D. The positioning section 9 may be a dedicated member for positioning the upper container 8, or a member or device provided at the rear of the small freezer compartment 15D may serve both the role of positioning the upper container 8 and other roles. Because the positioning unit 9 is provided, even if the lower container 7 is stored inside the small freezer compartment 15D while the upper container 8 is still in the second position, when the lower container 7 is pulled out next, the upper container 8 will be in the first position.

[0056] Next, I will explain the effects of Refrigerator 1. In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the upper container 8 slides in the front-rear direction along the upper edge of the lower container 7, and a second restricting surface 772 is provided that restricts the upper container 8 from moving backward when the first sliding part 86 of the upper container 8 at the second position contacts the lower container 7. This prevents the upper container 8 from moving backward beyond the second position and tilting or falling behind the lower container 7, even without providing a guide part in the inner box 3 to guide the upper container 8 in the front-rear direction. In other words, an upper container 8 that slides in the front-rear direction can be provided on top of a pull-out type lower container 7 without providing a guide part in the inner box 3 to guide the upper container 8 in the front-rear direction.

[0057] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 is positioned lower in the vertical direction than the lower end 86a of the first sliding part 86, and when the upper container 8 is placed in the first position, the lower end 86a of the second sliding part 87 is configured to fit into a recess 763 provided in the sliding surface 76 of the lower container 7. With this configuration, the upper container 8 can be kept in the first position by the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 fitting into the recess 763. Since the first sliding part 86 does not interfere with the recess 763, even if the first sliding part 86 and the second sliding part 87 slide on the same sliding surface 76, it does not hinder the sliding of the upper container 8 forward of the second position.

[0058] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the front portion of the second sliding surface 762 is a second inclined surface 762a that gradually slopes downward from the rear to the front. The second inclined surface 762a can smoothly guide the second sliding portion 87 of the upper container 8, which moves from the second position to the first position, into the recess 763. Similarly, in the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the rear portion of the first sliding surface 761 is a first inclined surface 761a that gradually slopes upward from the front to the rear. The first inclined surface 761a can smoothly guide the second sliding portion 87 of the upper container 8, which moves from the third position to the first position, into the recess 763.

[0059] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the center of gravity of the upper container 8 is located between the first sliding part 86 and the second sliding part 87 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the upper container 8 is positioned in the second position, the center of gravity of the upper container 8 is located above the upper container 8. This prevents the upper container 8, when positioned in the second position, from tilting backward or falling behind the lower container 7.

[0060] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the upper container 8 has a third sliding part 88 located behind the first sliding part 86. Therefore, when the upper container 8 moves backward, while the third sliding part 88 is sliding against the upper edge 741 of the side wall 74 of the lower container 7, rotation of the upper container 8 so that the rear part is lower than the front part around the first sliding part 86 is suppressed. In other words, the movement of the upper container 8 can be stabilized.

[0061] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the lower container 7 has a third inclined surface 773 that gradually slopes upward toward the front to guide the third sliding portion 88 of the upper container 8 when the upper container 8 moves from a second position to a first position. As a result, even if the third sliding portion 88 of the upper container 8 in the second position is lower than the height of the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 of the lower container 7, the third sliding portion 88 can be guided onto the upper edge 741 of the side wall portion 74 by moving forward along the third inclined surface 773.

[0062] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the third sliding surface is positioned above the second sliding surface 762 in the vertical direction, and the restricting portion (second restricting surface 772) is positioned between the second sliding surface 762 and the third sliding surface. Therefore, when moving the upper container 8, interference between the restricting portion (second restricting surface 772), which restricts the rearward movement of the first sliding portion 86, and the third sliding portion 88 is suppressed.

[0063] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, when the lower container 7 (drawer section 16) is pulled forward and the upper container 8 remains in the second position, if the lower container 7 is pushed toward the small freezer compartment 15D, the upper container 8 moves backward while remaining in the second position relative to the lower container 7. The flange portion 832 of the upper container 8 contacts a positioning portion 9 (see Figure 3) provided at the rear of the small freezer compartment 15D, thereby restricting the backward movement of the upper container 8. With this configuration, even when the lower container 7 is pulled forward and the upper container 8 remains in the second position, if the lower container 7 is pushed toward the small freezer compartment 15D, the lower container 7 moves backward relative to the upper container 8 which is in contact with the positioning portion 9, allowing the lower container 7 and upper container 8 stored in the small freezer compartment 15D to be positioned with respect to the lower container 7 in the first position relative to the lower container 7.

[0064] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the second side wall portion 85 of the upper container 8 has a smaller height dimension than the first side wall portion 84. The upper end portion 851 of the second side wall portion 85 is located below the upper end portion 841 of the first side wall portion 84. Generally, the inner box 3 of a large refrigerator is a component formed by vacuum forming. In this case, large chamfers are often made at the corners of the box-shaped component to improve moldability and manufacturability. As a result, the storage space on the sides of the refrigerator compartment is narrower at the top compared to the central part. Therefore, by positioning the upper end 851 of the second side wall 85, which is provided on the outer side (side) of the refrigerator 1 in the left-right direction, below the upper end 841 of the first side wall 84, which is provided on the central side of the refrigerator 1 in the left-right direction, the shape of the inner box 3 can be accommodated. Both the upper end 841 of the first side wall 84 and the upper end 851 of the second side wall 85 can be positioned in contact with the upper plate 3b of the small freezer compartment, or with a gap of a predetermined amount or less, thereby preventing the upper container 8 from tilting backward or tipping over.

[0065] Although embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the lower container 7 and the upper container 8 are provided in the small freezer compartment 15D, but they may also be provided in other freezer compartments, refrigerator compartments, vegetable compartments, etc. Also, when multiple containers are stacked vertically and move in the front-to-back direction relative to the container below, the configuration of the lower container 7 and the upper container 8 of this embodiment may be adopted for two vertically adjacent containers.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the first sliding portion 86 and the second sliding portion 87 of the upper container 8 are provided separately for the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85, respectively. In contrast, the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85 may be provided integrally for the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85, respectively. For example, as shown in Figure 12, a sliding member 89 may be provided for the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall, with a first sliding portion 86A similar to the first sliding portion 86 provided for the rear portion of the sliding member 89, and a second sliding portion 87A similar to the second sliding portion 87 provided for the front portion. In this case as well, the lower end portion 87Aa of the second sliding portion 87A is positioned lower than the lower end portion 86Aa of the first sliding portion 86A. Furthermore, the third sliding portion 88 may also be provided integrally with the sliding member 89.

[0067] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, a second sliding portion 87 is provided in the upper container 8, and a recess 763 is formed in the lower container 7 into which the second sliding portion 87 of the upper container 8 in the first position is inserted. However, the second sliding portion 87 and the recess 763 do not necessarily have to be provided. The shape of the sliding surface 76 of the lower container 7 may be other than that described above.

[0068] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 is positioned lower in the vertical direction than the lower end 86a of the first sliding part 86. However, the vertical positions of the lower end 86a of the first sliding part 86 and the lower end 87a of the second sliding part 87 may be set as appropriate. The front-rear positions of the first sliding part 86 and the second sliding part 87 may also be set as appropriate.

[0069] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the position of the center of gravity of the upper container 8 in the front-rear direction is located between the first sliding part 86 and the second sliding part 87, but the position of the center of gravity of the upper container 8 may be set as appropriate.

[0070] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the upper container 8 is provided with a third sliding part 88, but it is not required. If the upper container 8 is provided with a third sliding part 88, the lower container 7 is not required to be provided with a third inclined surface 773 that guides the third sliding part 88.

[0071] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, a positioning unit 9 is provided for positioning the upper container 8 in a first position when the lower container 7 and the upper container 8 are stored in the small freezer compartment 15D, but the positioning unit 9 may not be provided.

[0072] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the second side wall portion 85 of the upper container 8 has a smaller height dimension than the first side wall portion 84, and the upper end portion 851 of the second side wall portion 85 is positioned lower than the upper end portion 841 of the first side wall portion 84. Alternatively, the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85 may have the same height dimension, and their upper ends may be positioned at the same height. The upper container 8 may also have a shape in which the first side wall portion 84 and the second side wall portion 85 are swapped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1...Refrigerator, 3...Inner box, 3b...Small freezer compartment top plate, 7...Lower container, 8...Upper container, 9...Positioning part, 11D...Small freezer compartment door, 15E...Main freezer compartment, 75...Protrusion, 76...Sliding surface, 84...First side wall, 85...Second side wall, 86...First sliding part, 86a...Lower end, 86A...First sliding part, 86Aa...Lower end, 87 Second sliding part, 87a...lower end, 87A...second sliding part, 87Aa...lower end, 88...third sliding part, 89...sliding member, 761...first sliding surface, 761a...first inclined surface, 761b...first horizontal surface, 762...second sliding surface, 762a...second inclined surface, 762b...second horizontal surface, 763...recess, 771...first restricting surface, 772...second restricting surface, 773...third inclined surface, 832...flange

Claims

1. A lower container is provided in the storage room and moves in the front-to-back direction, An upper container is provided above the lower container and slides along the lower container in the front-rear direction, The upper container has a first sliding part that slides along the lower container in the front-rear direction, It has a second sliding part provided in front of the first sliding part and sliding in the front-rear direction along the lower container, The lower container includes a restricting part that restricts the rearward movement of the first sliding part, The first sliding part and the second sliding part have a sliding surface that slides and faces upward, The sliding contact portions that contact the sliding surfaces of the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion are at different positions in the vertical direction. The sliding contact portion of the second sliding portion is positioned lower than the sliding contact portion of the first sliding portion. The aforementioned sliding surface is When the upper container overlaps the rear portion of the lower container, the recess into which the second sliding part is fitted, A first sliding surface formed in front of the aforementioned recess, It has a second sliding surface formed on the rear side of the aforementioned recess, The refrigerator wherein the first sliding surface is positioned lower than the second sliding surface in the vertical direction.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the second sliding surface is an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward from the rear to the front.

3. A lower container is provided in the storage room and moves in the front-to-back direction, An upper container is provided above the lower container and slides along the lower container in the front-rear direction, The upper container has a first sliding part that slides along the lower container in the front-rear direction, A second sliding part is provided in front of the first sliding part and slides in the front-rear direction along the lower container, It has a third sliding part located behind the first sliding part, The lower container includes a restricting part that restricts the rearward movement of the first sliding part, The first sliding part and the second sliding part slide against an upward-facing sliding surface, The third sliding portion has a third sliding surface that slides and faces upward in the vertical direction, The sliding contact portions that contact the sliding surfaces of the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion are at different positions in the vertical direction. The third sliding surface reaches the rear end of the lower container, The rear end of the third sliding surface is an inclined surface that gradually rises upward from the rear to the front of the refrigerator.

4. A lower container is provided in the storage room and moves in the front-to-back direction, An upper container is provided above the lower container and slides along the lower container in the front-rear direction, The upper container has a first sliding part that slides along the lower container in the front-rear direction, A second sliding part is provided in front of the first sliding part and slides in the front-rear direction along the lower container, It has a third sliding part located behind the first sliding part, The lower container includes a restricting part that restricts the rearward movement of the first sliding part, The first sliding part and the second sliding part slide against an upward-facing sliding surface, The third sliding portion has a third sliding surface that slides and faces upward in the vertical direction, The sliding contact portions that contact the sliding surfaces of the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion are at different positions in the vertical direction. The aforementioned sliding surface is When the upper container overlaps the rear portion of the lower container, the recess into which the second sliding part is fitted, A first sliding surface formed in front of the aforementioned recess, It has a second sliding surface formed on the rear side of the aforementioned recess, The third sliding surface is positioned above the second sliding surface in the vertical direction. The regulating portion is located between the second sliding surface and the third sliding surface of the refrigerator.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the center of gravity of the upper container is located between the first sliding part and the second sliding part.

6. The upper container has a third sliding portion located behind the first sliding portion, The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower container has a third sliding surface on which the third sliding part slides and which faces upward in the vertical direction.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a positioning part provided in the storage chamber that moves to the rear and contacts from the rear the rear end of the upper container which overlaps the rear portion of the lower container stored in the storage chamber.

8. The upper container is, The base plate and, A first side wall portion extending upward from one edge in the width direction of the bottom plate portion, It has a second side wall portion extending upward from the other edge in the width direction of the bottom plate portion, The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the upper end of either the first side wall portion or the second side wall portion is positioned lower than the upper end of the other side wall portion.

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