refrigerator

Abstract

This refrigerator comprises: a door in which a first rib that protrudes rearward is provided on the rear side; a first locking part that is provided on the inner wall of the first rib and the inside of which is filled with a resin; a storage container having a first fitting recess in a wall part erected on one side of a bottom plate; and an egg tray having a tray in which a plurality of holes for supporting eggs are formed. The tray has a chamfered part between the short side and the long side of the peripheral edge, and the storage container is attached to the first rib by the first locking part being inserted into the first fitting recess. The first fitting recess is provided on the inner side of an extension line of the long side of the tray and a line passing through a connection part between the chamfered part and the short side and parallel to the long side in a state where the egg tray is stored in the storage container. The distance between the short side of the tray and a side wall in a long side direction is smaller than the width of the first fitting recess in the long side direction, and the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap with each other in a top view. By having this configuration, the gap between the corners of the egg tray and the storage container can be effectively utilized, which improves storage properties of the storage container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator comprising a storage container on the inner side of a door.

Background Art

[0002] A refrigerator includes a storage container, a so-called door pocket, behind a door. An egg holder is stored in the storage container, and by placing eggs in holes of the egg holder, movement of the eggs is restricted, and the eggs can be held within the storage container. In such a refrigerator, when the door is closed, the storage container occupies a certain volume within the storage space, so there has been a problem that the storage container unnecessarily narrows the storage space when no stored articles are stored therein.

[0003] Accordingly, refrigerators have been proposed in which the storage container is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the inner side of the door, and can be removed when not in use. In a conventional art, there is a refrigerator including a door and a medium-article pocket attached to the inner surface of the door, wherein recesses are respectively formed in lower corner portions on left and right side surfaces of the medium-article pocket; on the other hand, protrusions project in the up-down direction from the inner surface of the door so as to sandwich the medium-article pocket from the left and right, and in each protrusion, a convex portion is formed corresponding to the recess of the medium-article pocket. In such a refrigerator, the medium-article pocket is attached to the door by inserting the recess into the convex portion of the protrusion from top to bottom while the inner back surface of the medium-article pocket is brought into contact with the inner surface of the door (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the recess of the small and medium-sized pocket has a front-to-back width approximately equal to the radius of the circular hole of the egg holder, and a left-to-right width approximately one-fifth of the diameter of the circular hole. Since the diameter of the circular hole is generally about 5 cm when the egg is a chicken egg, the front-to-back width of the recess is approximately 2.5 cm, and the left-to-right width of the recess is approximately 1 cm. In order to provide a recess of this size on the side of the small and medium-sized pocket, Patent Document 1 requires either widening the depth of the small and medium-sized pocket to create space for the recess, or narrowing the left-to-right width of the egg holder to create space for the recess, which reduces the storage capacity of the small and medium-sized pocket. To solve this problem, there is a need to miniaturize the recess provided in the small and medium-sized pocket.

[0006] However, if we try to reduce the size of the recessed area in order to improve the storage capacity of the pockets for small and medium-sized items, the following problems arise.

[0007] When the recess of a pocket for small and medium-sized items is made smaller, the protrusion on the door side is also made smaller to match the recess. When molding a protrusion corresponding to the size of the recess described in Patent Document 1 integrally with the door, vacuum forming is generally used. In vacuum forming, a sheet of thermoplastic resin is heated with a heater, the air between the molding die and the sheet of thermoplastic resin is exhausted with a vacuum pump, the sheet of thermoplastic resin is pressed tightly against the molding die and deformed, and then cooled to form the resin. The thickness of the thermoplastic resin sheet before processing is about 0.8 mm to 2 mm.

[0008] In vacuum forming, when the front-to-back width of the protrusion on the door side is 4 mm or less, the thickness of the thermoplastic resin sheet before processing is approximately 0.8 mm to 2 mm. As a result, during vacuuming, the sheet may not fit into the mold groove for forming the protrusion, or even if it does fit, it may not adhere tightly to the mold groove. In such cases, defects such as distortion of the protrusion or failure to form the protrusion after vacuum forming occur. Furthermore, even if the protrusion is formed as designed, the space inside the protrusion is narrow, so when injecting polyurethane foam, air or foaming gas may accumulate inside the protrusion, preventing the polyurethane foam from entering the space inside the protrusion. In such cases, there is a problem of reduced strength of the molded protrusion.

[0009] This disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by miniaturizing the protrusions on the ribs of the refrigerator door and by positioning the corresponding recesses on the storage container side in the gap between the corner of the egg tray and the corner of the storage container, thereby improving the storage capacity of the storage container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This disclosure relates to a refrigerator for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising: a box body having a storage compartment with an opening at the front; a door attached to the box body that opens and closes at least a part of the storage compartment from the front and has a first rib protruding to the rear when the storage compartment is closed; a first locking part provided on the inner wall of the first rib and filled with resin inside; a rectangular bottom plate; and a storage container formed by side walls erected on the periphery of the bottom plate, wherein the storage container has a first fitting recess in the wall portion erected on one side of the bottom plate among the side walls, and a plurality of holes for supporting eggs are formed therein The egg tray comprises a tray having a short side and a long side around its periphery, a chamfered portion between the short side and the long side, and legs that support the tray against a base plate. The storage container is attached to the first rib by inserting the first locking portion into the first fitting recess. When the egg tray is placed in the storage container, the first fitting recess is provided inside the line extending from the long side, passing through the connection between the chamfered portion and the short side, and parallel to the front side, when the tray is viewed from above. The distance in the long side direction between the short side and the side wall is smaller than the width in the long side direction of the first fitting recess, and the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap when viewed from above. The first locking portion comprises a first locking projection that is inserted into a first fitting recess and a reinforcing projection that extends in the depth direction, the first locking projection contacts the reinforcing projection and extends upward from the reinforcing projection, and when the storage container is attached to the first rib, the reinforcing projection contacts the bottom plate and supports the storage container, a second rib extending to the rear is provided on the rear side of the door, the door has a rear surface between the first rib and the second rib, the reinforcing projection is integrally molded to the rear surface and the inner wall, the bottom plate has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides on its periphery, and the side wall portion is along the pair of long sides of the bottom plate It has a pair of long side wall sections erected along the long sides of the bottom plate and a pair of short side wall sections erected along the short sides of the bottom plate, a second locking projection is provided on the rear surface, a second fitting recess is provided on the long side wall section attached to the rear surface of the pair of long side wall sections, the first locking projection and the second locking projection are inserted into the first fitting recess and the second fitting recess, respectively, and the storage container is attached to the first rib and the rear surface, the first fitting recess and the second fitting recess are connected by a connecting part, and the first fitting recess, the second fitting recess and the connecting part are integrally molded from resin. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The refrigerator disclosed herein miniaturizes the first locking portion provided on the rib of the refrigerator door by filling the inside with resin by injection molding, and provides a first fitting recess on the storage container side corresponding to the first locking portion, which is located inside the line extending from the long side and a line parallel to the long side passing through the connection between the chamfered portion and the short side when the egg tray is placed in the storage container and viewed from above, so that the distance in the long side direction between the short side and the side wall is smaller than the width in the long side direction of the first fitting recess, and the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap when viewed from above. With this configuration, the recess on the storage container side can be placed in the gap between the corner of the egg tray and the corner of the storage container, thereby improving the storage capacity of the storage container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the rear side of the right door of the refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the rear side of the right door of the refrigerator compartment according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure, showing the storage container removed from the right door of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 5] These are cross-sectional views AA and BB of the right door of the refrigerator compartment according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 6] These are a perspective view and a top view of the storage container and egg tray according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged view of region D of the storage container and egg tray according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] These are a side view and a perspective view of a storage container according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a plan view of the rear surface of the right door of the refrigerator compartment according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure, showing a storage container attached to the right door of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of the right door of the refrigerator compartment according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]It is a cross-sectional view of the right door of the refrigerating compartment according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] It is a top view of the storage container and the egg tray according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, an enlarged view of region G of the storage container, and a cross-sectional view of the right door of the refrigerating compartment in a state where the storage container is attached to the right door of the refrigerating compartment. [Figure 13] It is an H-H cross-sectional view of the storage container and the egg tray according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view of the rear side of the right door of the refrigerating compartment according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] It is a J-J cross-sectional view of the right door of the refrigerating compartment according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure, and a J-J cross-sectional view of the right door of the refrigerating compartment in a state where the storage container is attached to the right door of the refrigerating compartment. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the refrigerator of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Components denoted by the same reference numerals in each drawing are the same or equivalent, and this is common throughout the entire specification. The forms of the components shown in the drawings and the entire specification are merely illustrative, and are not limited to the forms described in the specification. In particular, the shapes of components are not limited only to the shapes in the embodiments. In addition, the drawings may simplify the representation of the actual structure. Furthermore, in the drawings, the size of each component and / or the positional relationship between components may differ from the actual one. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, up, down, left, and right are defined based on the direction when a user standing in front of the refrigerator views the refrigerator. In addition, regarding the refrigerator body described later, the side where an opening is formed is defined as the front side, and the side where a storage compartment is formed relative to the front side is defined as "rear". In this specification, the "lateral width direction" means the left-right direction based on the above definition. In this specification, the "depth direction" means the front-rear direction based on the above definition. The "vertical direction" means the height direction of the refrigerator. In the description of the refrigerator door of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the description is based on the arrangement in a state where the door is closed. For example, even when describing a revolving door, the description is given on the assumption that the above-mentioned left-right direction is a direction fixed to the door. In addition, in the description of the storage container and the rib of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the description is based on the arrangement in a state where the storage container and the rib are attached to the door and the door is closed (the storage compartment is closed by the door).

[0014] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1 as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where a plurality of storage compartments 6 are closed. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 includes a box body 1 which is a refrigerator main body. The box body 1 is composed of an outer box 2 made of steel plate, an inner box 3 made of resin, and a heat insulating material 4 (not shown) filled between the outer box 2 and the inner box 3.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a right refrigerating compartment door 14 of the refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1 is opened. The box body 1 has a refrigerating compartment 7 that is opened or closed by the right refrigerating compartment door 14 and a left refrigerating compartment door 15. In FIG. 2, the refrigerating compartment 7 is opened by the right refrigerating compartment door 14.

[0016] The refrigerator 100 includes a plurality of storage compartments 6 inside the box body 1. As the plurality of storage compartments 6, a refrigerating compartment 7, an ice making compartment 8 (not shown), and a switchable compartment 9 (not shown) capable of switching temperature zones are arranged side by side on the left and right below the refrigerating compartment 7. A freezing compartment 10 (not shown) is arranged below the ice making compartment 8 and the switchable compartment 9, and a vegetable compartment 11 (not shown) is arranged below the freezing compartment 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerating compartment 7 has an opening 13 on a front surface 12 of the box body 1.

[0017] The refrigerator 100 is equipped with a right refrigerator door 14, a left refrigerator door 15, an ice maker door 16, an ice maker door 17, an ice maker door 18, an ice maker door 19, an ice maker door 16, an ice maker door 17, an ice maker door 18, an ice maker door 18, and an ice maker door 19, respectively, in front of the refrigerator compartment 7, ice maker compartment 8, an ice maker door 9, an ice maker door 10, and an ice maker door 11, respectively, which open and close the refrigerator compartment 7, ice maker compartment 8, an ice maker door 9, an ice maker door 10, an ice maker door 16, an ice maker door 17, an ice maker door 18, and an ice maker door 19, respectively. The right refrigerator door 14 is rotatably fixed to the box body 1 via a first hinge 5a, and the left refrigerator door 15 is rotatably fixed to the box body 1 via a second hinge 5b. The right refrigerator door 14 and the left refrigerator door 15 partially open and close the opening 13 (at least a part of the refrigerator compartment 7) in front of the front surface 12 of the box body 1, opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 7 in a double-door style. The ice-making compartment door 16, the switching compartment door 17, the freezer compartment door 18, and the vegetable compartment door 19 are doors that open and close the ice-making compartment 8, the switching compartment 9, the freezer compartment 10, and the vegetable compartment 11, respectively, and are pull-out type doors. However, this embodiment is not limited to this, and the refrigerator 100 may also be configured such that the refrigerator compartment 7 is opened and closed by a single refrigerator compartment door.

[0018] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the refrigerator 100 has multiple storage compartments 6, including a refrigerator compartment 7, an ice-making compartment 8, a convertible compartment 9, a freezer compartment 10, and a vegetable compartment 11. However, the configuration of the refrigerator 100 is not limited to this, and for example, the refrigerator 100 may have a configuration that does not include an ice-making compartment 8 or a convertible compartment 9. Also, the refrigerator 100 may have a configuration in which the top and bottom of the freezer compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 11 are swapped. Furthermore, the number of storage compartments 6 that the refrigerator 100 has is not limited to five. Moreover, this disclosure can also be applied when all of the storage compartments 6 are refrigerator compartments or freezer compartments, and in that case, it is also referred to as a refrigerator. Furthermore, the door for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 7 may be a single door of the single-leaf type.

[0019] The refrigerator 100 is equipped with a compressor 21 (not shown) and a cooler 22 (not shown) on the rear side 20 of the box body 1, and the refrigeration cycle is composed of the compressor 21 (not shown), cooler 22 (not shown), condenser 23 (not shown), capillary tube 24 (not shown), etc.

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the right refrigerator door 14 of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1, viewed from the rear. Hereinafter, the configuration of the right refrigerator door 14 will be described as simply "door 14". Door 14 has a front portion 25 that forms part of the front of the refrigerator 100 and the front of door 14 when door 14 is closed, a rear portion 27 that forms the rear of door 14, and a side portion 26 that forms the side of door 14 between the front portion 25 and the rear portion 27. The front portion 25 is made of glass, steel plate, etc. The side portion 26 is made of a resin door frame 28. The rear portion 27 is made of a resin such as polypropylene. Polypropylene is a material suitable for injection molding.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the door 14 has a rear portion 27 having a left rib 31 which is a first rib and a right rib 32 which is a second rib. The rear portion 27 has a rear surface 30 between the left rib 31 and the right rib 32. The left rib 31 and the right rib 32 are provided on the rear side of the door 14, projecting backward when the door 14 is closed to open the refrigerator compartment 7. The left rib 31 and the right rib 32 project backward from the rear surface 30 when the door 14 is closed to open the refrigerator compartment 7. The left rib 31 is located to the left of the left-right center of the door 14 when the door 14 is viewed from the front with the door 14 closed. The right rib 32 is located to the right of the left-right center of the door 14 when the door 14 is viewed from the front with the door 14 closed. The left rib 31 and the right rib 32 are structures for attaching the storage container 36, which will be described later, to the door 14. They are parallel to each other, have a predetermined width in the left-right direction, and extend vertically, protruding from the rear of the door 14. The rear portion 27 is formed by injection molding of resin. A fitting portion 34 is provided in the rear portion 27 along the door frame 28 so as to surround the left rib 31 and the right rib 32. The packing 33 is inserted into the fitting portion 34 and attached to the rear portion 27.

[0022] On the left rib 31 and the right rib 32 of the door 14, the following are detachably attached from top to bottom: a free pocket 35 for storing food items, a storage container 36 which is a pocket for small and medium-sized items such as eggs, beverages, and condiments, and a bottle pocket 37 for storing beverages. The storage container 36 has a removable egg tray 38 for arranging and storing eggs inside the container 36. The eggs are chicken eggs as an example, but are not limited to them.

[0023] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the door 14 from the rear. In Figure 4, the free pocket 35, storage container 36, and bottle pocket 37 have been removed from the door 14. On the left rib 31, a projection 45 for locking the free pocket 35, a first locking part 46 for locking the storage container 36, and a projection 47 for locking the bottle pocket 37 are provided on the first inner wall 40, which is the side where the free pocket 35, storage container 36, and bottle pocket 37 are attached, each protruding outwards. On the right rib 32, a second locking part 48 for locking the storage container 36 is provided on the second inner wall 41, protruding outwards. The second locking part 48 is shown by a dashed line in Figure 4. Note that in Figure 4, the projections on the right rib 32 for locking the free pocket 35 and bottle pocket 37 are omitted.

[0024] The rear portion 27, which includes the left rib 31, the right rib 32, the rear surface 30, the first locking portion 46, and the second locking portion 48, is formed by injection molding of a resin such as polypropylene. The first locking portion 46 and the second locking portion 48 are formed by filling the interior with resin. The left rib 31, the right rib 32, the rear surface 30, the first locking portion 46, and the second locking portion 48 are continuously and integrally molded from resin.

[0025] Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view AA of door 14, showing the first locking portion 46 provided on the left rib 31 and its surroundings. Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of door 14, specifically a horizontal cross-sectional view of the left rib 31. Figure 5(b) is a top view of the first locking portion 46 and its surroundings. Although not shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), insulation material is placed inside the door 14.

[0026] The first locking portion 46 will be explained using Figures 5(a) and 5(b). A first locking portion 46 is provided on the first inner wall 40 of the left rib 31, which is the side (right side, the inner side of the left rib 31) to which the storage container 36 is attached. The first locking portion 46 is a structure for detachably attaching the storage container 36 to the left rib 31. Similarly, a second locking portion 48 is provided on the second inner wall 41 of the right rib 32, which is the side (left side, the inner side of the right rib 32) to which the storage container 36 is attached. The second locking portion 48 is a structure for detachably attaching the storage container 36 to the right rib 32. In other words, the first locking portion 46 and the second locking portion 48 are structures for detachably attaching the storage container 36 to the door 14. The structure and shape of the second locking portion 48 are symmetrical to the first locking portion 46.

[0027] The first locking portion 46 has a first reinforcing projection 50 extending in the depth direction and a first locking projection 51 extending upward from the first reinforcing projection 50. The first reinforcing projection 50 is the region below the dashed line L2 of the first locking portion 46 in Figure 5(a). The first locking projection 51 is connected to the first reinforcing projection 50 at the dashed line L2.

[0028] The rear portion 27 has a connecting surface 53 that connects the rear surface 30 and the first inner wall 40. The connecting surface 53 is curved, but is not limited to this and may be flat. A first reinforcing projection 50 is provided on the left rib 31, connecting to the first inner wall 40, the connecting surface 53, and the rear surface 30, and projecting outward (to the right) from the first inner wall 40. A first locking projection 51 is also provided on the left rib 31, connecting to the first inner wall 40, extending upward from the first reinforcing projection 50, and projecting outward from the first inner wall 40. The first locking projection 51 comprises, from top to bottom, a tip portion 55 and a main body portion 56. As shown in Figure 5(a), the tip portion 55 is the area above the dashed line L1 of the first locking portion 46, and the main body portion 56 and the tip portion 55 are connected by the dashed line L1. The tip portion 55 has a curved surface with a rounded shape that is convex upward, or a chamfered structure that is convex upward. As shown in Figure 5(a), the main body portion 56 is the area below the dashed line L1 and above the dashed line L2 of the first locking portion 46. The main body portion 56 is connected to the first reinforcing projection 50 at the dashed line L2. The main body portion 56 has a shape in which the vertical width is longer than the depth width, and the depth width widens towards the bottom.

[0029] The first reinforcing projection 50 and the first locking projection 51 are formed by resin injection molding, and the interiors of the first reinforcing projection 50 and the first locking projection 51 are filled with resin. Therefore, compared to conventional projections formed by vacuum molding, the width in the depth direction, the width in the left-right direction, and the width in the up-down direction of the first reinforcing projection 50 and the first locking projection 51 can be made smaller while suppressing the occurrence of defects during formation.

[0030] For example, the width X1 of the first reinforcing projection 50 in the left-right direction is 7.6 mm, and the width Z1 in the depth direction is 17.2 mm. Also, for example, the width X2 of the connection portion between the tip portion 55 and the main body portion 56 of the first locking projection 51 at the position of the dashed line L1 is 7.6 mm, and the width Z2 in the depth direction is 3.6 mm. Also, for example, the width X3 of the connection portion between the main body portion 56 and the first reinforcing projection 50 at the position of the dashed line L2 is 7.6 mm, and the width Z3 in the depth direction is 7.4 mm. Also, for example, the vertical width Y1 of the first locking portion 46 is 29 mm. Also, for example, the vertical width Y2 of the first reinforcing projection 50 is 3.6 mm.

[0031] The second locking portion 48 has a second reinforcing projection 150 extending in the depth direction and a second locking projection 151 extending upward from the second reinforcing projection 150.

[0032] The rear portion 27 has a connecting surface 153 that connects the rear surface 30 and the second inner wall 41. The connecting surface 153 is curved, but is not limited to this and may be flat. A second reinforcing projection 150 is provided on the right rib 32, which is connected to the second inner wall 41, the connecting surface 153, and the rear surface 30, and protrudes outward (to the right) from the second inner wall 41. A second locking projection 151 is also provided on the right rib 32, which is connected to the second inner wall 41, extends upward from the second reinforcing projection 150, and protrudes outward from the second inner wall 41.

[0033] The second reinforcing projection 150 and the second locking projection 151 are formed by resin injection molding, and the interiors of the second reinforcing projection 150 and the second locking projection 151 are filled with resin. Therefore, compared to conventional projections formed by vacuum molding, the width in the depth direction, the width in the left-right direction, and the width in the up-down direction of the second reinforcing projection 150 and the second locking projection 151 can be made smaller while suppressing the occurrence of defects during formation.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first locking projection 51 and the second locking projection 151 are formed by injection molding, so the inside of the first locking projection 51 and the second locking projection 151 can be filled with resin, eliminating the need for filling with foamed insulation material. Therefore, the width in the depth direction and the width in the left-right direction of the first locking projection 51 and the second locking projection 151 can be reduced compared to the case of vacuum forming. In addition, the width in the depth direction and the width in the left-right direction of the first fitting recess 68 and the first fitting recess 69 provided in the storage container 36, which will be described later, can also be reduced compared to the conventional method.

[0035] Furthermore, by providing a first reinforcing projection 50 from the first inner wall 40 to the rear surface 30 of the left rib 31, and providing a first locking projection 51 extending upward from the first reinforcing projection 50 to the first inner wall 40, the first reinforcing projection 50 acts as a support part that supports the bottom plate 61 of the storage container 36. The first reinforcing projection 50 is integrally molded from resin, connecting to the rear surface 30, the connecting surface 53, and the first inner wall 40. The first reinforcing projection 50 reinforces the left rib 31, suppressing deformation when foamed urethane is filled into the interior of the left rib 31. This eliminates the need for a jig to hold down the area C between the first locking projection 51 and the rear surface 30, which was previously difficult to install, thus simplifying the manufacturing of the door 14. Furthermore, when the left rib 31 is cooled by the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 7, the air contained in the foamed urethane inside the left rib 31 contracts, reducing the width of the left rib 31 in the left-right direction. However, in this embodiment, the first reinforcing projection 50 is integrally molded with resin by connecting it to the rear surface 30, the connecting surface 53, and the first inner wall 40, so that the left rib 31 is fixed and reinforced to the rear surface 3. Therefore, by providing the first reinforcing projection 50 on the left rib 31, the reduction in the width of the left rib 31 in the left-right direction when the left rib 31 is cooled can be suppressed, and the lateral rattling when the storage container 36 is attached to the left rib 31 can be reduced.

[0036] Figure 6(a) is a perspective view of the storage container 36 and egg tray 38, seen from diagonally above. Figure 6(b) is a top view of the storage container 36 and the egg tray 38.

[0037] Using Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the storage container 36 attached to the first locking part 46 and the second locking part 48 at the rear of the door 14 will be described.

[0038] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the storage container 36 is a box-shaped storage container with an open top surface 60, and has a bottom plate 61 that supports the stored items and side walls 62 that extend upward from the bottom plate 61. The outer surface of the side walls 62 is called the outer surface 63. The storage space S1 of the storage container 36 is formed by the bottom plate 61 and the side walls 62. The bottom plate 61 and the side walls 62 are integrally molded from resin.

[0039] The bottom plate 61 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is a roughly rectangular flat plate. Side walls 62 are provided around the entire circumference of the bottom plate 61, rising above the peripheral edge 61b. The bottom plate 61 and the side walls 62 form the storage space S1 of the storage container 36. The bottom plate 61 has a pair of long sides 61b1 and 61b2 and a pair of short sides 61b3 and 61b4 at the peripheral edge 61b. The side walls 62 have a first long side wall 66a and a second long side wall 66b, which are erected on the pair of long sides 61b1 and 61b2 respectively, and a first short side wall 66c and a second short side wall 66d, which are erected on the pair of short sides 61b3 and 61b4 respectively. The side wall portion 62 has curved portions 65 (65a, 65b, 65c, and 65d) between the first long side wall portion 66a and the second long side wall portion 66b and the first short side wall portion 66c and the second short side wall portion 66d, respectively. The curved portions 65 correspond to the corners of the storage container 36. With the storage container 36 attached to the door 14, of the four curved surfaces 65, the curved surface 65 between the first long side wall 66a and the first short side wall 66c (front left side) is designated as curved surface 65a, and the curved surface 65 between the first long side wall 66a and the second short side wall 66d (front right side) is designated as curved surface 65b. With the storage container 36 attached to the door 14, the first long side wall 66a is located on the rear side 30 (front side) than the second long side wall 66b. The first long side wall 66a is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 61. Also, with the storage container 36 attached to the door 14, the first short side wall 66c is to the left of the first long side wall 66a, and the second short side wall 66d is to the right. The first short side wall portion 66c is the first wall portion, and the second short side wall portion 66d is the second wall portion.

[0040] The storage container 36 is provided with a first fitting recess 68 formed inwardly recessed and protruding into the storage space S1 in the first short side wall portion 66c, which is a first wall portion attached to the left rib 31. The first fitting recess 68 is a structure into which the first locking portion 46 is inserted, allowing the storage container 36 to be detachably attached to the left rib 31. Similarly, the storage container 36 is provided with a second fitting recess 69 formed inwardly recessed in the second short side wall portion 66d, which is a second wall portion attached to the right rib 32. The second fitting recess 69 is a structure into which the second locking portion 48 is inserted, allowing the storage container 36 to be detachably attached to the right rib 32.

[0041] The egg tray 38 is a tray for holding eggs such as chicken eggs and is stored in the storage container 36. The egg tray 38 consists of a rectangular tray 70 when viewed from above and legs 71 that are bent downward at approximately right angles from the periphery of the tray 70 and erected. The legs 71 are members that support the tray 70 horizontally with respect to the bottom plate 61.

[0042] When viewed from above, the tray 70 has a pair of long sides, a first long side 75a and a second long side 75b, and a pair of short sides, a first short side 75c and a second short side 75d, around its periphery 75. When the egg tray 38 is stored in the storage container 36 and the storage container is attached to the door 14, the first long side 75a is in front of the second long side 75b (towards the rear surface 30), with the short side 75c to the left (towards the first rib) and the short side 75d to the right (towards the second rib) of the long side 75a. Between the first long side 75a, the second long side 75b, the first short side 75c, and the second short side 75d, the tray 70 has chamfered portions 73a, 73b, 73c, and 73d, respectively, where the corners are beveled. The first chamfered portion, chamfered portion 73a, is located between the first long side 75a and the first short side 75c. The second chamfered portion, chamfered portion 73b, is located between the first long side 75a and the second short side 75d. Chamfered portions 73a, 73b, 73c, and 73d are corners of the egg tray 38 (tray 70).

[0043] The tray 70 has multiple holes 72 formed at equal intervals to support the eggs. In Figures 6(a) and 6(b), there are 12 holes 72 in total: 6 along the long side of the tray 70 and 2 along the short side. However, the number of holes 72 is not limited to this. The chamfered portions 73a, 73b, 73c, and 73d have their corners chamfered along the hole closest to them among the multiple holes 72. For example, the corner of chamfered portion 73a is chamfered along the first hole 72a closest to chamfered portion 73a when the tray 70 is viewed from above. The first hole 72a is an opening for chicken eggs formed on the first long side 75a side (front side) and the first short side 75c side (left side) of the tray 70 among the holes 72.

[0044] When the egg tray 38 is placed in the storage container 36, the first short side 75c has a gap of 1 mm to 3 mm between it and the adjacent first short side wall portion 66c. This is smaller than the width of the first fitting recess 68 in the direction parallel to the first long side 75a (left-right direction). Also, the first long side 75a has a gap of 1 mm to 3 mm between it and the adjacent first long side wall portion 66a. This is smaller than the width of the first fitting recess 68 in the direction parallel to the first short side 75c (depth direction).

[0045] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are enlarged views of region D, showing the first fitting recess 68 and its surroundings in the storage container 36 when the egg tray 38 is stored in the storage container 36. Figure 8(a) is a side view of the first short side wall portion 66c of the storage container 36. Figure 8(b) is a perspective view of the storage container 36, seen from the lower left side of the front.

[0046] The configuration of the first fitting recess 68 provided in the first short side wall portion 66c of the storage container 36 will be explained using Figures 7(a), 7(b), 8(a), and 8(b). The first fitting recess 68 is formed in the first wall portion, which is the first short side wall portion 66c, recessed inward (to the right). As shown in Figure 7(a), the chamfered portion 73a has an arc shape when viewed from above. The curvature R1 of the chamfered portion 73a is greater than the curvature R2 of the curved surface portion 65a of the storage container 36. Therefore, when viewing the storage container 36 and the egg tray 38 from above, a gap S2 is formed between the first long side wall portion 66a, the curved surface portion 65a and the first short side wall portion 66c of the storage container 36 and the chamfered portion 73a of the tray 70. Also, the center P2 of the arc of the chamfered portion 73a is closer to the center of the tray 70 than the center P1 of the first hole 72a. Furthermore, as an example, the chamfered portion 73a has a straight line shape as shown in Figure 7(b). In this case as well, when viewing the storage container 36 and egg tray 38 from above, a gap S3 is formed between the first long side wall portion 66a, the curved portion 65a and the first short side wall portion 66c of the storage container 36 and the chamfered portion 73a of the tray 70. In both Figure 7(a) and Figure 7(b), with the egg tray 38 placed in the storage container 36, the first fitting recess 68 is provided on the inside of the extension line L4 of the first long side 75a (L6 in Figure 7(b)) when viewing the tray 70 from above, and on the inside of the line L5 (L7 in Figure 7(b)) that passes through the connection point P5 (P7 in Figure 7(b)) between the chamfered portion 73a and the first short side 75c, and is parallel to the first long side 75a. Furthermore, the distance between the first short side 75c and the first wall portion in the direction parallel to the first long side 75a (left-right direction) is smaller than the width of the first fitting recess 68 in the direction of the first long side 75a. Furthermore, the tray 70 and the first fitting recess 68 do not overlap in the vertical direction.

[0047] The first fitting recess 68 is located within the gap S2 when the storage container 36 and the egg tray 38 are viewed from above. The first fitting recess 68 has a groove 76 on its inner side. The groove 76 is recessed inward (to the right) from the outer surface 63 of the storage container 36 (the outer surface 63a of the first short side wall portion 66c). The dashed line within the first fitting recess 68 in Figures 7(a) and 7(b) corresponds to the groove 76 in a horizontal cross-section with a height passing through the tray 70.

[0048] As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the groove 76 has substantially the same shape as the first locking projection 51. The first fitting recess 68 is provided extending upward from the bottom surface 61a of the bottom plate 61 to a predetermined height along the connection portion 78 between the curved surface portion 65a of the storage container 36 and the first short side wall portion 66c. The first locking projection 51 of the first locking portion 46 is inserted into the first fitting recess 68, and the storage container 36 is attached to the left rib 31.

[0049] In Figure 8(a), the straight line L3 is the line where the connection portion between the tip portion 55 and the main body portion 56 is located when the first locking projection 51 is inserted into the first fitting recess 68, that is, the portion of the first locking projection 51 indicated by the straight line L1 in Figure 5(a). Point P3 is the point where the straight line L3 intersects with the front end of the groove 76. In this embodiment, the first fitting recess 68 is formed in the first short side wall portion 66c such that point P3 is behind the connection portion 78 of the storage container 36. Since point P3 is behind the curved surface portion 65a, the depth of the groove 76 from the outer surface 63 (left side surface 63a) can be kept constant at the position of the straight line L3. With this structure, the first locking projection 51 is less likely to come off the first fitting recess 68 compared to the case where the groove 76 spans the curved surface portion 65a of the storage container 36 at its entire height. With this configuration, the locking ability of the first fitting recess 68 is maintained, while the first fitting recess 68 and the groove 76 are widened as they extend downwards. The width of the first locking projection 51 in the depth direction has a shape that widens downwards and towards the front. Therefore, in accordance with the shape of the first locking projection 51, the first fitting recess 68 and groove 76 provided in the storage container 36 are widened downwards, and the entrance 77 formed in the bottom surface 61 is provided spanning the curved surface portion 65a and the first short side wall portion 66c. This configuration makes it easier for the user to insert the first locking projection 51 into the first fitting recess 68, and makes it easier to attach the storage container 36 to the left side rib 31.

[0050] The storage container 36 is attached to the door 14 in the following manner. When the user positions the first long side wall portion 66a of the storage container 36 in contact with the rear surface 30 of the door 14 and slides the storage container 36 downward, the first locking projection 51 of the first locking portion 46 provided on the left rib 31 is inserted into the first fitting recess 68 of the storage container 36, and the second locking projection 151 of the second locking portion 48 provided on the right rib 32 is inserted into the second fitting recess 69 of the storage container 36, thereby attaching the storage container 36 to the left rib 31 and the right rib 32 (i.e., the door 14). The first reinforcing projection 50 and the second reinforcing projection 150 contact the bottom plate 61 of the storage container 36 and support the storage container 36 when it is attached to the door 14.

[0051] Figure 9 is a plan view of the door 14 as seen from the rear, with the storage container 36 attached to the door 14. Figure 10 is a cross-section of the FF in Figure 9, showing the egg tray 38 stored in the storage container 36 and the storage container 36 attached to the door 14, with a top view of the area around the first fitting recess 68 of the storage container 36.

[0052] In Figure 10, the dashed line within the first fitting recess 68 indicates the groove 76 and the first locking projection 51 inserted into the groove 76 in a horizontal cross-section passing through the tray 70. In this embodiment, the first locking portion 46 is formed by injection molding. Therefore, the depth of the connection portion between the tip portion 55 of the first locking projection 51 and the main body portion 56 can be made 4 mm or less, and the depth of the connection portion between the first locking projection 51 and the first reinforcing projection 50 can be made 8 mm or less. By injection molding, the first locking projection 51 has a width in the depth direction of 1.5 mm to 4 mm and a width in the left-right direction of 4 mm to 8 mm in a horizontal cross-section passing through the tray 70. Therefore, the first fitting recess 68 can also be reduced in size accordingly compared to conventional designs.

[0053] Therefore, the size of the first fitting recess 68 provided in the storage container 36 can be reduced compared to when the first locking portion 46 is formed by conventional vacuum forming. As a result, with the egg tray 38 stored in the storage container 36, the first fitting recess 68 can be positioned in the gap S2 between the chamfered portion 73a and the first short side wall portion 66c and the curved portion 65a. Furthermore, the front end 68a and rear end 68b of the fitting recess 68 can be positioned between the front end P4 and rear end P5 of the chamfered portion 73a. In addition, the tray 70 and the first fitting recess 68 do not overlap in the vertical direction.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10, the first fitting recess 68 is provided inside the line L4, which is the extension of the first long side 75a of the tray 70, and the line L5, which is parallel to the first long side 75a and passes through P5, which is the connection point between the chamfered portion 73a and the first short side 75c. The distance between the first short side 75c and the first short side wall portion 66c in the direction of the first long side 75a is smaller than the width of the first fitting recess 68 in the direction of the first long side 75a. Also, the tray 70 and the first fitting recess 68 do not overlap in the vertical direction.

[0055] The first fitting recess 68 is located behind the front end P4 of the chamfered portion 73a and in front of the rear end P5 of the chamfered portion 73a when the storage container 36 is viewed from above. The chamfered portion 73a has an arc shape. The first fitting recess 68 is located between the first short side wall portion 66c of the storage container 36 and the chamfered portion 73a. This configuration allows for effective use of the gap S2 created by the difference in shape between the chamfered portion 73a, which is the corner of the egg tray 38, and the curved portion 65a, which is the corner of the storage container 36. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate notch in the tray 70 for the fitting recess. In addition, the distance between the first short side wall portion 66c and the tray 70 in the direction parallel to the first long side 75a (left-right direction) can be made narrower than the width of the first fitting recess 68 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, when the storage container 36 is attached to the door 14, the first reinforcing projection 50 and the second reinforcing projection 150 support the bottom plate 61 of the storage container 36 from below. Therefore, even if the width of the first locking projection 51 in the depth direction and the width in the left-right direction are reduced by injection molding, sufficient strength can be obtained.

[0056] The first fitting recess 68 is located within the gap S2 when the storage container 36 and egg tray 38 are viewed from above. Therefore, a notch in the tray 70 is not required to avoid interference with the first fitting recess 68, improving the aesthetic design of the tray 70. In addition, the multiple holes 72 formed in the tray 70 can be provided wider on the left and right sides of the tray 70 than in conventional designs, increasing the distance between the holes 72 and improving the strength of the egg tray 38. Furthermore, since the first fitting recess 68 and the tray 70 do not interfere with each other when viewed from above, the egg tray 38 can be inverted and stored in the storage container 36 when eggs are not being stored. Also, by inverting the egg tray 38 and storing it in the storage container 36, temporary fixing during packaging can be easily performed. Moreover, by making the storage container 36 and egg tray 38 symmetrical both horizontally and front-to-back, the storage container 36 can be attached to the left rib 31 and the right rib 32 even when rotated 180° horizontally. Furthermore, even when the egg tray 38 is rotated 180° horizontally, it can still be stored in the storage container 36.

[0057] Furthermore, since the first fitting recess 68 is provided along the connection portion 78, compared to conventional structures in which the fitting recess is provided closer to the center of the side wall of the storage container, even when the egg tray 38 is not used, the stored items are less likely to come into contact with the first fitting recess 68, improving the storage capacity of the storage container 36.

[0058] In Embodiment 1, the first locking portion 46 provided on the left rib 31 of the door 14 and the second locking portion 48 provided on the right rib 32 are formed by injection molding. By forming the first locking portion 46 and the second locking portion 48 by injection molding, the error that occurs when forming them by vacuum forming is about 0.8 mm, while with injection molding the error can be reduced to about 0.1 mm. Therefore, by forming the first locking portion 46 and the second locking portion 48 by injection molding, rattling when the storage container 36 is attached to the left rib 31 can be reduced compared to when they are formed by vacuum forming.

[0059] Furthermore, by forming the first locking portion 46 by injection molding, the width in the depth direction of the first locking projection 51 and the second locking projection 151, which was difficult to form by vacuum forming, can be reduced to 1.5 mm or more and 4 mm or less (for example, 3.6 mm). Accordingly, the size of the first fitting recess 68 and the second fitting recess 68 into which the first locking projection 51 and the second locking projection 151 are inserted can also be reduced, and when viewing the storage container 36 from above, the first fitting recess 68 can be provided in the gap S2 which is the space between the first long side wall portion 66a, the curved portion 65a and the first short side wall portion 66c and the chamfered portion 73a of the egg tray 38. Furthermore, the second fitting recess 69 can be provided in the gap between the first long side wall portion 66a, the curved portion 65b, and the second short side wall portion 66d, and the chamfered portion 73b of the egg tray 38. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to narrow the width of the egg tray 38 in the left-right direction in order to provide the fitting recess in the storage container 36, and no notches are required in the egg tray 38.

[0060] Embodiment 2. The refrigerator 200 of Embodiment 2 will now be described. The description of Embodiment 2 will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1, and elements that are common to or correspond to the elements described above will be simplified or omitted. In Embodiment 1, the first locking portion 46 provided on the left rib 31 had one first locking projection 51 on the first reinforcing projection 50, but in Embodiment 2, the first locking portion 203 provided on the left rib 202 has two locking projections on the reinforcing projection 204. In addition, the storage container 207 has a first fitting recess 209 and a second fitting recess 210 in the first short side wall portion 208, which is a wall portion corresponding to the first short side wall portion 66c. The other configurations of the refrigerator 200 of Embodiment 2 are the same as those of the refrigerator 100 of Embodiment 1.

[0061] Figure 11(a) is a cross-section of the door 201 in Embodiment 2, and is a cross-sectional view at the same position as AA in Figure 4. Figure 11(b) is a cross-section of the door 201 in Embodiment 2, and is a cross-sectional view at the same position as BB in Figure 4. The first locking portion 203 in Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 11(a) and 11(b).

[0062] A first locking portion 203 for securing the storage container 207 is provided protruding outward from the inner wall 211 of the left rib 202. A second locking portion 214 is also provided on the inner wall 213 of the right rib 212. The right rib 212 and the second locking portion 214 are symmetrical to the left rib 202 and the first locking portion 203, so their description and illustration are omitted. The first locking portion 203 includes a reinforcing projection 204, a first locking projection 205, and a second locking projection 206 located behind the first locking projection 205. The reinforcing projection 204 is longer in the depth direction than the first reinforcing projection 50 of Embodiment 1, and is integrally molded with the rear surface 30, the connecting surface 53, and the inner wall 211. The first locking projection 205 is provided on the inner wall 211, extending upward from the reinforcing projection 204 and projecting outward (to the right) from the inner wall 211. The shape and position of the first locking projection 205 relative to the inner wall 211 are the same as those of the first locking projection 51 of Embodiment 1, so a description is omitted. The second locking projection 206 extends upward from the reinforcing projection 204 and projects outward (to the right) from the inner wall 211. The vertical width of the second locking projection 206 is smaller than that of the first locking projection 205. The second locking projection 206 comprises, from top to bottom, a second tip portion 217 having a curved surface that is convex upward or a chamfered structure that is convex upward, and a second main body portion 218 located below the second tip portion 217, having a shape that widens in the depth direction toward the bottom, and connecting to the reinforcing projection 204.

[0063] Figure 12(a) is a top view of the storage container 207 in Embodiment 2. Figure 12(b) is an enlarged view of region G in Figure 12(a). Figure 12(c) shows a cross-section at the same position as FF in Figure 9, with the egg tray 38 placed in the storage container 207 and the storage container 207 attached to the left rib 202, and depicts region G and its surroundings. The first fitting recess 209 and the second fitting recess 210 in Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 12(a), 12(b), and 12(c).

[0064] The storage container 207 has a first short side wall portion 208 corresponding to the first short side wall portion 66c, which is provided with a first fitting recess 209 and a second fitting recess 210. The storage container 207 also has a second short side wall portion 219 corresponding to the second short side wall portion 66d, which is provided with a third fitting recess 220 and a fourth fitting recess 221. However, the third fitting recess 220 and the fourth fitting recess 221 are configured symmetrically to the first fitting recess 209 and the second fitting recess 210, respectively, so their description is omitted. The structure of the first mating recess 209 is the same as that of the first mating recess 68 in Embodiment 1, so its description is omitted. The second fitting recess 210 is located behind the first fitting recess 209 and on the second long side wall portion 66b side. The second fitting recess 210 is formed inwardly recessed in the first short side wall portion 208. The second fitting recess 210 is a structure into which the second locking projection 206 is inserted to attach the storage container 207 to the left rib 202. With the storage container 207 attached to the left rib 202, the upper ends of the second fitting recess 210 and the second locking projection 206 are below the tray 70. In Figure 12(b), since the second fitting recess 210 is lower than the tray 70, the portion overlapping with the tray 70 is shown with a dashed line.

[0065] The first fitting recess 209 has a groove 222 inside. The structure of the groove 222 is the same as that of the groove 76 in Embodiment 1, so a description is omitted. The second fitting recess 210 has a groove 223 inside. The groove 223 has a shape that substantially matches the shape of the second locking projection 206. In Figures 12(b) and 12(c), the dashed line in the first fitting recess 209 shows the shape of the groove 222 and the first locking projection 205 in a horizontal cross-section passing through the tray 70, and the dashed line in the second fitting recess 210 shows the shape of the groove 223 and the second locking projection 206 on the bottom surface 61a.

[0066] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the storage container 207 and the egg tray 38 in the vertical direction along a straight line HH in the left-right direction passing through the second fitting recess 210 in Figure 12(b). Figure 13 shows a cross-section of the storage container 207 and egg tray 38 with the eggs 110 placed in the holes 72a and supported by the tray 70. The upper end of the second fitting recess 210 is lower than the tray 70. Furthermore, the second fitting recess 210 and groove 223 are configured to be inclined inward (to the right) toward the bottom surface 61a of the storage container 207, so that they widen from side to side toward downward. The second fitting recess 210 does not interfere with the eggs 110. With this structure, the space between the eggs 110 and the bottom plate 61 can be effectively utilized as space for installing the second fitting recess 210.

[0067] In the refrigerator 200 of Embodiment 2, in addition to the first locking projection 205, a second locking projection 206 is provided on the left rib 202. The first locking projection 205 is inserted into the first fitting recess 209, and the second locking projection 206 is inserted into the second fitting recess 210, thereby attaching the storage container 207 to the left rib 202. As a result, compared to the refrigerator 100 of Embodiment 1, the forward and backward movement of the storage container 207 relative to the door 201 is further suppressed when force is applied to the storage container 207 or when the door 201 is opened and closed. Furthermore, rotation of the storage container 207 around its left-right axis is suppressed. Therefore, compared to the refrigerator 100 of Embodiment 1, rattling of the storage container 207 and the risk of it detaching from the door 14 and falling are suppressed. Furthermore, the presence of a second locking projection 206 on the left rib 202 means that if a part of the corresponding first locking projection 205 and second locking projection 206 fits into either the first fitting recess 209 or the second fitting recess 210, the weight of the storage container 207 will cause the first locking projection 205 to abut and enter the first fitting recess 209, or the second locking projection 206 to abut and enter the second fitting recess 210. As a result, the first locking projection 205 is inserted into the first fitting recess 209 and the second locking projection 206 is inserted into the second fitting recess 210. Therefore, the storage container 207 is easier to attach to the left rib 202 than in Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the first locking projection 205 has a structure that extends downward and forward, and the second locking projection 206 has a structure that extends downward and backward. By providing inclined surfaces in the first fitting recess 209 and the second fitting recess 210 that correspond to the first locking projection 205 and the second locking projection 206, respectively, the openings in the bottom surfaces 61a of the first fitting recess 209 and the second fitting recess 210 are widened, making it easier for the first locking projection 205 and the second locking projection 206 to be inserted.

[0068] When the left rib 202 and right rib 212 of the door 201 are cooled by the cold air of the refrigerator compartment 7, the air inside the foamed urethane contracts, causing the distance between them to increase. Therefore, if the first locking projection 205 is made smaller, when it is attached to the first fitting recess 209, the overlap between the first locking projection 205 and the first fitting recess 209 in the left-right direction decreases due to cooling, and the first locking projection 205 may come off the first fitting recess 209, potentially causing the storage container 207 to fall. In the refrigerator 200 of Embodiment 2, in order to suppress such falling, the first locking part 203 is provided with a horizontally extending reinforcing projection 204. When viewed from above with the door 14 closed and the refrigerator compartment 7 closed, the reinforcing projection 204 has a trapezoidal or fan-shaped form that extends to the left and right toward the rear. Because the reinforcing projection 204 has this shape, even if the left rib 202 and the right rib 212 are cooled by the cooling of the refrigerator compartment 7 and the distance between the left rib 202 and the right rib 212 increases, an overlap between the storage container 207 and the reinforcing projection 204 can be secured, thereby suppressing the storage container 207 from falling. In addition, since the width of the second locking projection 206 in the left-right direction is greater than the width of the first locking projection 205 in the left-right direction, even if the distance between the left rib 202 and the right rib 212 increases due to cooling, an overlap between the second locking projection 206 and the second fitting recess 210 can be secured, thereby suppressing the storage container 207 from falling.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first locking projection 205 is provided on the left rib 202, on the rear surface 30 side of the center in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the first locking projection 205 is less affected by deformation due to cooling of the left rib 202 and the right rib 212, and even if the first locking projection 205 is miniaturized, it is possible to secure overlap with the first fitting recess 209.

[0070] Embodiment 3. The refrigerator 300 of Embodiment 3 will now be described. In Embodiment 3, as in Embodiment 2, the explanation will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1, and elements common to or corresponding to Embodiment 1 will be given common names and their explanations will be simplified or omitted. In Embodiment 1, the first locking portion 46 has one first locking projection 51 on top of the first reinforcing projection 50, and the storage container 36 has a first fitting recess 68 in the first short side wall portion 66c. In Embodiment 3, the first locking portion 303 has two locking projections on top of the reinforcing projection 304, and the storage container 305 has one fitting recess each in the first short side wall portion 306 corresponding to the first short side wall portion 66c and the first long side wall portion 307 corresponding to the first long side wall portion 66a. The other configurations of the refrigerator 300 of Embodiment 3 are the same as those of the refrigerator 100 of Embodiment 1.

[0071] Figure 14 is a rearward perspective view of the door 301 of the refrigerator 300 in Embodiment 3. Figure 15(a) is a cross-sectional view of door 301 at position JJ. JJ corresponds to position BB in Embodiment 1. Figure 15(b) is a top view of the area around the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 of the storage container 305, with the egg tray 38 placed in the storage container 305 and the storage container 305 attached to the door 301. Figure 15(b) is a view showing the cross section of the door 301 and the storage container 305 at the same position as FF in Figure 9. The door 301 and storage container 305 in Embodiment 3 will be described using Figures 15(a) and 15(b). A first locking portion 303 for securing the storage container 305 is provided protruding outward from the inner wall 308 of the left rib 302 that constitutes the door 301. A second locking portion 324 is also provided on the inner wall 310 of the right rib 309, but since it is symmetrically configured with the first locking portion 303, its description is omitted.

[0072] The reinforcing projection 304 provided on the door 301 is integrally molded by injection molding, connecting to the rear surface 311, the connecting surface 312, and the inner wall 308 of the left rib 302. The reinforcing projection 304 has a configuration in which a first projection 315 extending along the inner wall 308 and a second projection 316 extending along the rear surface 311 are connected, and has an L-shape when viewed from above. A first locking projection 317 is provided on the first projection 315. The first locking projection 317 has the same structure as the first locking projection 51 of Embodiment 1, so its description is omitted. A second locking projection 318 is provided on the second projection 316. The second locking projection 318 is provided above the second projection 316 and protrudes rearward from the rear surface 311. The reinforcing projection 304, the first locking projection 317, and the second locking projection 318 are integrally molded in a continuous manner by injection molding.

[0073] The storage container 305 has a first fitting recess 319 in the first short side wall portion 306 and a second fitting recess 320 in the first long side wall portion 307. The first fitting recess 319 has the same structure as the first fitting recess 68 of Embodiment 1, so its description is omitted. The second fitting recess 320 is formed to protrude inward (rear side) from the first long side wall portion 307 of the storage container 305. As shown in Figure 15(b), the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 are connected by a connecting portion 321. The first fitting recess 319, the second fitting recess 320, the connecting portion 321, the base plate 61, and the side wall portion 322 corresponding to the side wall portion 66 are integrally molded by resin injection molding.

[0074] The first locking projection 317 and the second locking projection 318 extend vertically, causing the first long side wall portion 307 of the storage container 305 to come into contact with the rear surface 311 of the door 301. When the storage container 305 is slid downward, the first locking projection 317 is inserted into the first fitting recess 319, and the second locking projection 318 is inserted into the second fitting recess 320, thereby attaching the storage container 305 to the left rib 302 and the rear surface 311.

[0075] As shown in Figure 15(b), a second fitting recess 320 is provided on the inside of the line L6, which is an extension of the first short side 75c of the tray 70, and a line L7, which passes through P4, the connection point between the chamfered portion 73a and the first long side 75a, and is parallel to the first short side 75c. The distance between the first long side 75a and the first long side wall portion 307 in the direction of the first short side 75c is smaller than the width of the second fitting recess 320 in the direction of the first short side 75c (depth direction). Also, the tray 70 and the first fitting recess 68 do not overlap in the vertical direction. The second fitting recess 320 is located to the left of the front end P4 and to the right of the rear end P5 of the chamfered portion 73a of the egg tray 38, which has an arc-shaped curved form along the hole 72. The second fitting recess 320 is also located within the gap S2, which is the space between the first long side wall portion 307, the curved portion 323, and the first short side wall portion 306 and the chamfered portion 73a of the egg tray 38.

[0076] In Embodiment 3, the storage container 305 is provided with a first fitting recess 319 in the first short side wall portion 306 and a second fitting recess 320 in the first long side wall portion 307. Therefore, when the storage container 305 is attached to the door 301, the second locking projection 318 is inserted into the second fitting recess 320, and the first long side wall portion 307 is attached to the rear surface 311. As a result, in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, the lateral movement of the storage container 305 is restricted, and lateral wobbling is suppressed. Furthermore, in Embodiment 3, the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 are connected by a connecting portion 321 and integrally molded from resin. As a result, the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 are reinforced by each other, and in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, the strength of the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 is improved. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1...Box body, 2...Outer box, 3...Inner box, 5...Hinge, 6...Storage compartment, 7...Refrigerator compartment, 12...Front, 13...Opening, 14...Refrigerator compartment right door, 15...Refrigerator compartment left door, 20...Back, 25...Front, 26...Side, 27...Rear section, 30...Rear, 31...Left rib, 32...Right rib, 36...Storage container, 38...Egg tray, 40...Inner wall, 46...First locking part, 48...Second locking part, 48...Protrusion, 50...Reinforcement protrusion 51…Locking projection, 53…Connecting surface, 55…Tip, 56…Main body, 57…Connecting part, 60…Top surface, 61…Bottom plate, 62…Side wall, 63…Outer surface, 65…Curved surface, 66…Side wall, 67…Matching recess, 68…First matching recess, 69…Second matching recess, 70…Tray, 71…Support part, 72…Hole, 73…Chamfered part, 74…Corner, 75…Periphery, 76…Groove, 77…Entrance, 78…Connecting part

Claims

1. A box-shaped structure having a storage compartment with an opening at the front, A door is attached to the box body, which opens and closes at least a portion of the storage chamber from the front, and has a first rib protruding to the rear when the storage chamber is closed, A first locking portion is provided on the inner wall of the first rib and is filled with resin inside, A storage container having a rectangular base plate in plan view and side walls erected on the periphery of the base plate, wherein the storage container has a first fitting recess in the wall portion erected on one side of the base plate among the side walls, The egg tray comprises a tray having multiple holes for supporting eggs, a short side, a long side, and a chamfered portion between the short side and the long side, and legs erected on the tray and supporting the tray against the bottom plate, The storage container is attached to the first rib by inserting the first locking portion into the first fitting recess. With the egg tray placed in the storage container, the first fitting recess is provided on the inside of the extension of the long side and a line parallel to the long side that passes through the connection between the chamfered portion and the short side when viewed from above, the distance in the long side direction between the short side and the side wall portion is smaller than the width of the first fitting recess in the long side direction, and the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap when viewed from above. The first locking portion comprises a first locking projection that is inserted into the first fitting recess and a reinforcing projection that extends in the depth direction, The first locking projection contacts the reinforcing projection and extends upward from the reinforcing projection, With the storage container attached to the first rib, the reinforcing projection contacts the bottom plate to support the storage container. A second rib extending to the rear is provided on the rear side of the aforementioned door. The door has a rear surface between the first rib and the second rib, and the reinforcing projection is integrally molded and connected to the rear surface and the inner wall. The bottom plate has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides at its periphery. The side wall portion comprises a pair of long-side wall portions erected along the pair of long sides of the bottom plate, and a pair of short-side wall portions erected along the pair of short sides of the bottom plate. A second locking projection is provided on the rear surface. Of the pair of long side wall portions, the long side wall portion attached to the rear surface is provided with a second fitting recess. The first locking projection and the second locking projection are inserted into the first fitting recess and the second fitting recess, respectively, and the storage container is attached to the first rib and the rear surface. The first fitting recess and the second fitting recess are connected by a connecting portion. The first fitting recess, the second fitting recess, and the connecting portion are integrally molded from resin. refrigerator.

2. One of the pair of short side wall portions is the wall portion, The aforementioned side wall portion has curved portions, each having a curved surface, between the wall portion and the pair of long side wall portions. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting recess is provided extending upward from the bottom plate along the connection between the wall portion and the curved portion adjacent to the wall portion.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first locking projection has a shape that widens downwards.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first locking projection has a shape that widens downward and forward when the door is viewed from the front with the storage compartment closed by the door.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing projection has a shape that extends to the left and right toward the rear when the storage compartment is closed by the door.

6. The first locking portion is provided with an additional locking projection located behind the first locking projection. An additional fitting recess is provided in the wall portion. The first locking projection is inserted into the first fitting recess, and the additional locking projection is inserted into the additional fitting recess, thereby attaching the storage container to the first rib. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the additional locking projection is located below the tray when the storage container is attached to the first rib, and the width of the additional locking projection is greater than the width of the first locking projection.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the chamfered portion has a corner that is chamfered along the first hole closest to the chamfered portion among the plurality of holes.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the chamfered portion is chamfered in a straight line when the tray is viewed from above.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the chamfered portion is chamfered in an arc shape when the tray is viewed from above.

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