Refrigerator

Abstract

This refrigerator comprises: a refrigerator body which has an outer box and an inner box, and in which an internal space is formed between the outer box and the inner box and a wiring hole is formed in one or both of the inner box and the outer box; a vacuum insulation material disposed in the internal space; foamed urethane filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box, and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; and a gas venting member that is attached to the wiring and has a structure through which carbon dioxide gas passes, wherein the gas venting member is positioned across the internal space and the outside of the internal space through the wiring hole.

Description

refrigerator

[0001] The present disclosure relates to refrigerators.

[0002] In order to ensure thermal insulation performance in a refrigerator, a vacuum insulation material is placed between an inner box and an outer box that constitute the refrigerator body, and urethane foam is filled in. Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which gas vent holes are provided in the inner box and the outer box to release carbon dioxide gas generated when the urethane foam is injected to the outside of the refrigerator body.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-42652

[0004] Generally, the diameter of the gas vent hole is set to about 1 mm to allow carbon dioxide gas to escape while preventing leakage of the urethane foam to the outside. However, providing a gas vent hole in the inner box can lead to poor appearance of the inner box and may expose the urethane foam through the gas vent hole. In Patent Document 1, the gas vent hole is covered with a sealing member on the side that contacts the urethane foam, but this method leaves the gas vent hole and sealing member visible to the user, resulting in a poor appearance.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and provides a refrigerator that can discharge carbon dioxide gas generated when urethane foam is injected without compromising the design of the refrigerator body.

[0006] The refrigerator according to the present disclosure comprises a refrigerator body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole formed in either or both of the inner box and the outer box, a vacuum insulation material arranged in the internal space, urethane foam filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box, wiring routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space through the wiring hole, and a gas venting member attached to the wiring and having a structure that allows carbon dioxide gas to pass through, the gas venting member being positioned across the internal space and the outside of the internal space via the wiring hole.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the gas vent member attached to the wiring is located between the interior space and the exterior of the interior space via the wiring hole. Therefore, carbon dioxide gas generated when the urethane foam is injected is discharged from the interior space via the gas vent member. This eliminates the need for a gas vent hole, making it possible to provide a refrigerator that can discharge carbon dioxide gas without compromising the design of the refrigerator body.

[0008] 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a refrigerator main body according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3 of the refrigerator main body according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an upper portion of an inner box according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the periphery of a ceiling surface portion of the inner box according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an attachment portion provided on the ceiling surface portion of the inner box according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a gas venting member according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a rear view of a refrigerator main body according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box according to embodiment 1. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box according to embodiment 1. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an outer box hole provided in the outer box according to embodiment 1. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box according to embodiment 2.

[0009] A refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be provided only when necessary. The present disclosure may include any combination of possible configurations among those described in the following embodiments. The dimensional relationships between components in the drawings may differ from those in reality. The configurations of the components shown throughout the specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limited to the configurations described in the specification. In particular, the combinations of components are not limited to those in the embodiments, and components described in other embodiments may be applied to other embodiments.

[0010] In the following description, terms indicating directions, such as "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear," are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these terms are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the embodiments. Furthermore, in the embodiments, terms such as "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear" are used when viewing the refrigerator 100 from the front.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a front view of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1. Note that, although the following description will be given using a six-door refrigerator 100 as an example, embodiment 1 can also be applied to refrigerators 100 with five or fewer doors, or seven or more doors.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 2, refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment includes refrigerator body 101, which is an insulated box that forms an outer shell. Inside refrigerator body 101, multiple storage compartments are provided, each having an opening on the front surface of refrigerator body 101. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, refrigerator 100 includes refrigerator compartment 1, ice-making compartment 2, small freezer compartment 3, freezer compartment 4, and vegetable compartment 5.

[0013] Refrigerator compartment 1 is located on the top shelf of refrigerator 100, and its front opening is closed by two double doors, a left refrigerator compartment door 6 and a right refrigerator compartment door 7, which can be opened and closed freely. A panel 83 that displays the status of refrigerator 100 is provided on the surface of left refrigerator compartment door 6. Panel 83 is a touch panel that doubles as an input unit and a notification unit. The input unit is an operation switch for setting the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 1, small freezer compartment 3, freezer compartment 4, and vegetable compartment 5, etc. The notification unit displays various information in addition to the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 1, small freezer compartment 3, freezer compartment 4, and vegetable compartment 5, etc.

[0014] Below the refrigerator compartment 1, ice-making compartment 2, which is opened and closed by ice-making compartment door 31, and small-freezer compartment 3, which is opened and closed by small-freezer compartment door 32, are arranged in parallel. Ice-making compartment 2 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when ice-making compartment door 31, which is a drawer door, is pulled out. Small-freezer compartment 3 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when small-freezer compartment door 32 is pulled out. In addition, vegetable compartment 5 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator 100, and freezer compartment 4 is provided above vegetable compartment 5. This freezer compartment 4 is located below ice-making compartment 2 and small-freezer compartment 3, which are arranged in parallel on the left and right, and above vegetable compartment 5. Freezer compartment 4 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when freezer compartment door 33 is pulled out. Vegetable compartment 5 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when vegetable compartment door 34 is pulled out.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 1 is arranged above the ice making compartment 2, the small freezing compartment 3, and the freezing compartment 4, and the vegetable compartment 5 is arranged below them, but the arrangement of the storage compartments of the refrigerator 100 is not limited to this. For example, the freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 may be arranged in the up-down positions in the refrigerator 100. It is sufficient for the refrigerator 100 to have at least one of the refrigerator compartment 1, the ice making compartment 2, the small freezing compartment 3, the freezing compartment 4, and the vegetable compartment 5.

[0016] 2, hinges 82 are provided at the upper left and right corners of the front surface of refrigerator body 101. Hinges 82 support left and right refrigerator compartment doors 6 and 7 so that they can be opened and closed.

[0017] 3 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of refrigerator body 101 pertaining to Embodiment 1. Refrigerator body 101 comprises an inner box 8 and an outer box 9, forming an insulated box with an opening on the front side. Inside refrigerator body 101, refrigeration compartment 1 is divided by partition 10 into ice-making compartment 2 and small-sized freezer compartment 3, and ice-making compartment 2 is divided by partition 11 into small-sized freezer compartment 3. Inside refrigerator body 101, ice-making compartment 2 and small-sized freezer compartment 3 are divided by partition 12 into freezer compartment 4, and freezer compartment 4 is divided by partition 13 into vegetable compartment 5.

[0018] The inner box 8 is composed of a left side surface 14a, a right side surface 14b, a ceiling surface 15, a floor surface 16, a back surface 30, and inner box corners 17. The four inner box corners 17 are the corner between the left side surface 14a and the ceiling surface 15, the corner between the left side surface 14a and the floor surface 16, the corner between the right side surface 14b and the ceiling surface 15, and the corner between the right side surface 14b and the floor surface 16.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of refrigerator body 101 according to embodiment 1 taken along line A-A in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 4 , an internal space 90 is formed between outer box 9 and inner box 8. Vacuum insulation material 40 is disposed in internal space 90 between inner box 8 and outer box 9. Note that refrigerator body 101 according to embodiment 1 is provided with a plurality of vacuum insulation materials 40, and depending on their locations, they may be described by different names, such as ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, rear vacuum insulation material 42, floor vacuum insulation material 43, and side vacuum insulation material 44. As shown in FIG. 3 , ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is disposed between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on ceiling surface portion 15. Rear vacuum insulation material 42 is disposed between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on the rear side of refrigerator body 101. Floor vacuum insulation material 43 is disposed between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on floor surface portion 16.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper part of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5 shows the upper part of the inner box 8 as viewed obliquely from below. Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the periphery of the ceiling surface 15 of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an attachment part 27 provided on the ceiling surface 15 of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5 , the refrigerator body 101 is provided with an interior light 18 on the ceiling surface 15 of the inner box 8. Of the upper and lower surfaces of the ceiling surface 15 of the inner box 8, the lower surface, i.e., the surface exposed inside the inner box 8, is referred to as surface 15a. The interior light 18 is attached to surface 15a. The interior light 18 has a bottom plate (not shown) and a cover portion 49 attached to the bottom plate so as to form a space between the bottom plate and the cover portion 49. A board 46 shown in FIG. 7 is housed between the bottom plate and the cover portion 49. The cover portion 49 protrudes into the interior of the inner box 8. As shown in FIG. 7 , for example, the interior light 18 has a rectangular board 46. The board 46 is attached to the ceiling surface 15 with the longitudinal direction of the board 46 aligned with the left-right direction of the inner box 8. One surface of the board 46, i.e., the surface facing the interior of the inner box 8, is provided with a plurality of interior light LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 47 spaced apart from one another.

[0022] 6 and 7, the mounting portion 27 for the interior light 18 has a convex shape in which part of the ceiling surface 15 of the inner box 8 protrudes upward. The mounting portion 27 inside the inner box 8 is recessed to correspond to this convex shape, and the substrate 46 is housed in the recessed area. The mounting portion 27 in this embodiment is arranged so that the longitudinal direction coincides with the left-right direction.

[0023] Wiring 20 connects board 46 to a control board (not shown) that controls the operation of refrigerator 100. Wiring 20 is provided on back surface 15b of ceiling surface portion 15. Back surface 15b is the surface opposite to front surface 15a of ceiling surface portion 15, and is part of the outer surface of inner box 8. Wiring 20 passes through wiring hole 24 provided in mounting portion 27 and extends inside the refrigerator. Wiring 20 extends on the refrigerator compartment 1 side, below the surface of mounting portion 27 where wiring hole 24 is provided. Terminal 23 is connected to the end of wiring 20. Terminal 23 is located below mounting portion 27 and is connected to board 46.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 7, a connection terminal 48 is provided on the substrate 46. The connection terminal 48 is provided on the surface of the substrate 46 opposite to the surface on which the LEDs 47 are provided. A terminal 23 of the wiring 20 is connected to the connection terminal 48. A control substrate (not shown) supplies power to the LEDs 47 via the wiring 20. The wiring 20 passes through a wiring hole 24 and is arranged to straddle the inside and outside of the inner box 8.

[0025] The cover part 49 is fixed to the mounting part 27 with screws (not shown). As shown in Figure 6, the mounting part 27, which has longitudinal directions on the left and right, is provided in front of the center in the depth direction of the ceiling surface part 15 of the inner box 8. The arrangement of the interior light 18 and the mounting part 27 is not limited to this. Here, an example has been given in which the interior light 18 is provided on the ceiling surface part 15, but the interior light 18 may also be provided on the left side surface part 14a, right side surface part 14b, floor surface part 16 or back surface part 30 of the inner box 8.

[0026] Wiring 20 located on back surface 15b of ceiling surface portion 15 of inner box 8 is arranged along inner box corners 17 from the rear side of inner box 8 to near the center in the front-to-rear direction of inner box 8 (see FIG. 6). Wiring 20 runs toward board 46 of interior light 18. Wiring 80 branches off from a portion of wiring 20. Wiring 80 is connected to panel 83 provided inside the refrigerator door via hinge 82 (see FIG. 2).

[0027] A gas vent member 21 having a structure that allows carbon dioxide gas to pass through is attached to the portion of the wiring 20 that is located in the wiring hole 24 and its periphery.

[0028] Gas venting member 21 is wrapped around wiring 20 from a part of wiring 20 protruding into the storage compartment of refrigerator body 101, through wiring hole 24, to a part in refrigerator body 101 where a gas lock is expected to occur. Note that, although wiring 20 is for interior light 18 in the first embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and wiring 20 may be wiring 20 for a purpose other than interior light 18.

[0029] As an example, the gas venting member 21 is an ether-based soft urethane foam. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the gas venting member 21 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of region D in FIG. 13 (described later) as an example. The gas venting member 21 has holes 25 therein large enough to allow carbon dioxide and air to pass through but not urethane. Carbon dioxide generated during urethane foaming flows from the back surface 15b (see FIG. 6) of the inner box 8 through the holes 25 in the gas venting member 21, through the wiring hole 24 formed in the inner box 8, and into the interior of the inner box 8 (refrigerating compartment 1). As an example, the gas venting member 21 has 35 or more air bubbles (holes 25) along a 25-mm line. The gas venting member 21 is a sponge-like member. This structure allows carbon dioxide generated during urethane foaming in the refrigerator body 101 and the air inside the refrigerator body 101 to be released outside the inner box 8.

[0030] The gas venting member 21 is a sheet-like member having a predetermined thickness, one side of which is an adhesive surface, and is attached to the wiring 20 by folding it over and sandwiching the wiring 20 inside. Alternatively, the gas venting member 21 is a tape-like member having a predetermined thickness, one side of which is an adhesive surface, and is attached by wrapping it around the wiring 20. Furthermore, the shape of the gas venting member 21 is not limited to this, and it may be tubular. The tubular gas venting member 21 has an opening for the wiring formed in the center of the tube. The gas venting member 21 may be attached around the wiring 20 by inserting the wiring 20 into the opening.

[0031] The thickness of the gas venting member 21 is, for example, 2 mm to 10 mm. If the thickness of the gas venting member 21 is greater than 10 mm, the gas venting member 21 will be compressed in a first region 52 between the inner box 8 and a deformed portion 51 (see FIG. 11 ) of the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 (described later). The first region 52 is a region in the internal space 90 where the distance between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 40 (the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 in FIG. 11 ) is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. For example, in FIG. 11 , the first region 52 is a region where the distance between the inner box 8, the vacuum insulation material 40, and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is equal to or less than 3 mm. The second region 53 is a region where the gap between the mounting portion 27 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is narrow. The gas venting member 21 will be compressed in the second region 53. This reduces the gas venting effect of the gas venting member 21. If the thickness of the gas venting member 21 is thinner than 2 mm, the number of gas venting holes 25 will be small, and a sufficient gas venting effect will not be obtained.

[0032] The thickness of the gas venting member 21 corresponds to the thickness before the gas venting member 21 is attached to the wiring 20, and corresponds to the thickness of the gas venting member 21 around the wiring 20 when the gas venting member 21 is attached to the wiring 20 and there is no compression of the gas venting member 21 by the surrounding structure.

[0033] 9 is a rear view of refrigerator body 101 according to embodiment 1. Side vacuum insulation materials 44 are provided between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on left side surface portion 14a and between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on right side surface portion 14b. Ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, rear vacuum insulation material 42, floor vacuum insulation material 43, and side vacuum insulation material 44 are attached to outer box 9 from the inside.

[0034] In the process of filling urethane foam 60 into refrigerator body 101, refrigerator body 101 is laid down with front surface 101a (see FIG. 6 ) on which the storage compartment opening is formed facing downward. Liquid urethane foam material is then filled through four injection ports 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d formed in back surface 35 of outer box 9.

[0035] The liquid urethane foam material is filled into the flow path between the inner box 8 and the outer box 9 while foaming, by mixing and reacting an isocyanate component with a premix component consisting of a polyol, a foaming agent, a catalyst, and a blowing agent.

[0036] The gel time, which is the time it takes for the urethane foam 60 to harden after being injected, is less than 25 seconds. The foaming ratio at the time the gel time is reached is set to approximately 80%. This ensures the fluidity required for filling, while completing hardening by the time filling is complete, making it less likely for leakage to occur from gaps in the product.

[0037] In order to fully fill the refrigerator body 101 with the urethane foam 60, it is desirable to ensure that the dimension between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or more as a flow path for the urethane foam 60.

[0038] The urethane foam material flows through the gaps between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, the back vacuum insulation material 42, the floor vacuum insulation material 43 and the side vacuum insulation material 44, and is filled between the inner box 8 and the outer box 9.

[0039] Fig. 10 is a rear perspective view showing the heat dissipation pipe 50 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 provided on the ceiling surface portion 15 of the inner box 8 shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1 taken along the line C-C shown in Fig. 10. Specifically, Fig. 11 schematically shows a cross-section taken along the straight line indicated by arrow C in Fig. 10, as viewed in the direction of arrow C. Fig. 12 is a rear perspective view showing a first region 52 around the ceiling surface portion 15 of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 12, the dashed line indicates the first region 52.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 10 , ceiling vacuum insulation 41 is disposed on ceiling surface 15 of inner box 8. Heat dissipation pipe 50 is disposed in a rectangular shape on ceiling vacuum insulation 41. In the refrigeration cycle of refrigerator 100, the compressor compresses the incoming refrigerant to form high-temperature vapor. The high-temperature vapor is sent to the condenser. The condenser condenses the high-temperature vapor to liquefy it. In refrigerator body 101, the liquefied refrigerant dissipates heat through heat dissipation pipe 50, passes through an expansion valve to lower its boiling point, and is then guided to the cooler, which serves as an evaporator. In the cooler, the refrigerant evaporates and absorbs the heat of vaporization from the air surrounding the cooler. The refrigerant that leaves the cooler returns to the compressor.

[0041] 11 , the heat dissipation pipe 50 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box 9 and is disposed in the internal space 90 between the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 and the outer box 9. To ensure space for the heat dissipation pipe 50, the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 has a recess 41 a formed on the upper surface below the heat dissipation pipe 50 and a deformed portion 51 that is convex downward, i.e., convex toward the inner box 8.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 11 , the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is attached to the outer box 9 with the heat dissipation pipe 50 sandwiched between the outer box 9 and the deformed portion 51. The deformed portion 51 of the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 and the inner box 8 form a first region 52, which is a narrower region than the surrounding area, with the gap between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 being 3 mm or less along the arrangement of the heat dissipation pipe 50. As shown in FIG. 12 , in this embodiment, the first region 52 is the combined region of regions 52a and 52b. Region 52a is formed directly below the heat dissipation pipe 50 (see FIG. 10 ) arranged in a rectangular shape on the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41. Region 52b is formed directly below the heat dissipation pipe 50 (see FIG. 10 ) arranged to extend from the rectangular heat dissipation pipe 50 toward the side vacuum insulation material 44. In FIG. 11 , the first region 52 is the region of the interior space 90 between the deformed portion 51 and the inner box 8. The first region 52 may be arranged along a straight line, a continuous straight line, a curved line, or a shape that is a combination of two or more of these. The region inside the first region 52 is indicated by a dashed line in Figure 11 as an inner region 60a.

[0043] Furthermore, the ceiling surface 15 of the inner box 8 is provided with the mounting portion 27 described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 11, the mounting portion 27 is formed by the ceiling surface 15, which is part of the plate surface constituting the inner box 8, having a protruding shape that is concave toward the interior of the inner box 8 and convex toward the outer box 9. In other words, the mounting portion 27 is provided so as to narrow the length between the inner box 8 and the outer box 9 in the interior space 90. The second region 53 is a narrowed region formed in the ceiling surface 15 by the mounting portion 27 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, where the distance between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less, narrower than the surrounding area. The second region 53 is located inside the rectangular first region 52, i.e., the inner region 60a, and is a region where the distance between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less, narrower than the surrounding area.

[0044] As described above, ceiling surface portion 15 is formed with first region 52, in which the gap between inner box 8 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less, and second region 53, which is surrounded by first region 52 and in which the gap between inner box 8 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less. When liquid urethane foam material is injected into refrigerator body 101 through injection ports 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d, the urethane foam concentrate flows between ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 and inner box 8. In first region 52, the space through which the urethane foam concentrate flows is narrow, so the flow of urethane foam 60 is suppressed when the urethane foam concentrate passes through first region 52. In this embodiment, urethane foam 60 flows from the back surface to the front surface of refrigerator body 101, but the flow of urethane foam 60 is suppressed in front of first region 52.

[0045] Therefore, only a limited amount of urethane reaches the inside of the rectangular first region 52. Therefore, at the periphery of the inner region 60a of the first region 52, the generated carbon dioxide and air are less likely to be pushed out of the refrigerator by the foamed urethane 60 than at the outside of the first region 52, and gas locks are more likely to occur due to voids formed by the accumulation of carbon dioxide and air. In addition to the interior surrounded by the first region 52, gas locks are also more likely to occur due to voids in the region where the dimension between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or less.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the presence of second region 53 inside rectangular first region 52 further limits the amount of urethane foam 60 that reaches second region 53 and peripheral region 60b. In FIG. 11 , a portion of inner region 60a, a peripheral region of second region 53 between first region 52 and second region 53 in the direction of travel of urethane foam 60, is indicated by a dashed line as peripheral region 60b. Liquid urethane foam 60 injected from the rear side of refrigerator body 101 flows toward the front, but the second region 53, which is a narrowed region, is present in the direction of travel of urethane foam 60 within inner region 60a beyond first region 52. Therefore, urethane foam 60 is less likely to flow beyond second region 53, and is less likely to reach the area behind second region 53, which is on the near side of second region 53 in the direction of travel of urethane foam 60. Furthermore, in addition to the urethane foam 60 flowing from the back side toward the front side, the vicinity of the left and right ends of second region 53 is easily reached by the urethane foam 60 flowing from the left and right sides of first region 52. The urethane foam 60 from the left and right sides of first region 52 is less likely to reach the left and right central portions of second region 53. For this reason, it can be said that the left and right central portions of peripheral region 60b of refrigerator body 101 are particularly difficult for urethane foam 60 to reach. As a result, the generated carbon dioxide and air are not pushed out of the refrigerator by urethane foam 60, and a gas lock is likely to occur.

[0047] The areas where voids are likely to occur are summarized as follows: 1. In the direction of travel of the urethane foam 60, the area beyond the narrowed area where the dimension between the inner box 8 or outer box 9 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or less. 2. If the narrowed area has a shape that "surrounds" something, regardless of whether it is circular, rectangular, or other shape, the enclosed area. 3. In the direction of travel of the urethane foam as it is being filled, if there is a second narrowed area where the dimension between the inner box 8 or outer box 9 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or less beyond the first narrowed area, the area just before the second narrowed area.

[0048] Regions 1 and 2 where voids are likely to occur correspond to inner region 60a in this embodiment, and region 3 where voids are likely to occur corresponds to peripheral region 60b in this embodiment. In this embodiment, rectangular first region 52 is used as an example of the narrowed region. If, instead of first region 52, a long or point-like narrowed region extending across the traveling direction of urethane foam 60 is provided, for example, the area beyond this narrowed region becomes region 1 where voids are likely to occur.

[0049] Therefore, in the first embodiment, in order to eliminate voids, i.e., accumulations of air and carbon dioxide gas, in the inner region 60a and the peripheral region 60b, gas venting members 21 are arranged in the inner region 60a and the peripheral region 60b, which are the target regions for void elimination. The arrangement of the gas venting members 21 will be specifically described. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 6. Specifically, FIG. 13 schematically shows a cross-section taken along the line indicated by arrow B in FIG. 6, as viewed in the direction of arrow B. As shown in FIG. 13, a portion of the gas venting members 21 attached to the wiring 20 is positioned in the wiring hole 24. Furthermore, the gas venting members 21 are arranged on both sides of the wiring hole 24 in the penetration direction of the wiring hole 24, i.e., so as to straddle the internal space 90 and its exterior.

[0050] 13, the gas venting member 21 is arranged to overlap the left and right central portions of the periphery of the mounting portion 27 behind the mounting portion 27, and to overlap the inner region 60a of the first region 52 and the peripheral region 60b behind the second region 53, where voids are likely to occur. In this way, the air and carbon dioxide in the inner region 60a and the peripheral region 60b flow out of the internal space 90 through the gas venting member 21.

[0051] That is, the wiring hole 24, which is a hole for passing the wiring 20, is used as a gas vent hole. The wiring hole 24 is covered by the base plate 46 and the cover part 49 and is hidden from the storage compartment side of the refrigerator, so the user does not feel that the design is impaired. The position of the wiring hole 24 may be in a location other than the center of the left and right of the mounting part 27, as long as it is located in a location where the inner box 8 side is covered by a member such as the cover part 49.

[0052] Furthermore, after wiring 20 and gas vent member 21 are passed through wiring hole 24, seal 22 for preventing urethane leakage is attached to inner box 8 so as to cover wiring hole 24 and gas vent member 21 in internal space 90. Seal 22 prevents urethane from passing through wiring hole 24 and leaking into the storage compartment of inner box 8 during urethane foaming. Seal 22 does not cover all of gas vent member 21, but only covers a portion of gas vent member 21. In this manner, gas vent member 21 is blocked by seal 22, leaving voids 25, thereby preventing a decrease in the gas venting effect. Although a plastic film is used for seal 22, it is even better if it has voids 25 that allow carbon dioxide gas to pass through, as this allows the carbon dioxide gas to more easily escape to the outside of refrigerator body 101.

[0053] In this way, wiring hole 24 can also be used as a gas vent hole. Therefore, even in a location where it is not desirable to form a gas vent hole, if wiring hole 24 is provided nearby, carbon dioxide gas generated inside refrigerator body 101 can be released to the outside of the body through gas vent member 21 wrapped around wiring 20. As a result, it is possible to prevent urethane from being left unfilled due to carbon dioxide voids. Here, a location where it is not desirable to form a gas vent hole is a location visible to the user and where no additional components are planned to be installed.

[0054] In the first embodiment, wiring hole 24 for wiring 20 is provided in refrigerator body 101, and vent member 21 is provided on wiring 20 passing through wiring hole 24, from the outside of internal space 90, i.e., the inside of inner box 8, to a target area where a gas lock is expected to occur. Gas vent member 21 has holes 25, which are a venting structure, through which carbon dioxide gas passes inside.

[0055] Therefore, even in areas where it is difficult to provide a vent hole in inner box 8 of refrigerator body 101 due to concerns about reducing design, carbon dioxide gas generated during urethane foaming and air present before foaming can be released through the vent structure. This reduces the generation of voids due to gas in refrigerator body 101 and the void volume, and reduces the amount of unfilled urethane foam 60 in refrigerator body 101. As a result, refrigerator body 101 with high insulation performance and box strength is obtained, and refrigerator 100 with excellent insulation performance can be manufactured.

[0056] One method of wrapping the gas venting member 21 around the wiring 20 is to place the wiring 20 in the longitudinal direction in the center of the rectangular seal 22, fold the seal 22 with the wiring 20 in between, and then adhere both ends. Another method is to wrap the gas venting member 21, which is about 10 mm wide, around the wiring 20. The gas venting member 21 does not necessarily have to be attached to the wiring 20 so as to cover the entire outer periphery of the wiring 20; it is sufficient if the gas venting member 21 is attached to the wiring 20 so that one end of the gas venting member 21 is on the storage chamber side and the other end partially overlaps the area where gas locking occurs.

[0057] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing outer case hole 81 provided in outer case 9 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 14 , outer case hole 81 is provided in area 82a covered by hinge 82 (see Fig. 2 ) provided on the upper left front surface of refrigerator body 101.

[0058] The wiring 80 branches off from the wiring 20 at an inner box corner 17 (see FIG. 3 ) formed by the ceiling surface 15 and side surface of the inner box 8. The wiring 80 passes through an outer box hole 81 provided in an area 82 a of the outer box 9 that is covered by a hinge 82, and extends from the inside of the outer box 9 toward the space outside the refrigerator.

[0059] The wiring 80 passes through the inside of the left refrigerator compartment door 6 via a hinge 82 and is connected to a panel 83 of the left refrigerator compartment door 6 and to a heater (not shown) provided inside the rotating partition provided between the left refrigerator compartment door 6 and the right refrigerator compartment door 7, thereby supplying power.

[0060] Wiring 80 is provided with gas vent member 21 and seal 22 (not shown). Gas vent member 21 is provided from the exterior space side through outer case hole 81 to a target area inside refrigerator body 101 that is near first area 52 and second area 53. In other words, gas vent member 21 provided on wiring 80 is located across internal space 90 and the outside of internal space 90 through outer case hole 81, which is a wiring hole provided in outer case 9. Carbon dioxide gas generated in internal space 90 passes through gas vent member 21 located in outer case hole 81, and flows out from internal space 90 to the outside of refrigerator body 101.

[0061] As described above, according to refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, gas vent member 21 attached to wiring 20 or wiring 80 is positioned across the inside and outside of wiring hole 24. Therefore, carbon dioxide gas generated when urethane foam 60 is injected is discharged from internal space 90 via gas vent member 21. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a gas vent hole, and refrigerator 100 can be provided that can discharge carbon dioxide gas without compromising the design of refrigerator body 101.

[0062] Furthermore, a portion of gas vent member 21 is provided in inner region 60a and peripheral region 60b, which are the target regions. Therefore, refrigerator 100 can be provided that suppresses gas lock caused by carbon dioxide gas generated inside areas that are difficult to drill holes in terms of design, and suppresses deterioration of insulation performance due to the generation of areas in refrigerator body 101 that are not filled with urethane.

[0063] According to refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, in internal space 90, seal 22 is provided which covers wiring hole 24 and is attached to inner box 8. Seal 22 covers a part of gas vent member 21. Therefore, seal 22 prevents urethane from passing through wiring hole 24 and leaking into the storage compartment side of inner box 8 during urethane foaming.

[0064] Embodiment 2. In Embodiment 2, compared to Embodiment 1, the thickness of the gas venting member 21 wrapped around the wiring 20 differs between the connection terminal 48 side and the other side. In Embodiment 1, the gas venting member 21 is wrapped around the wiring 20 with a substantially uniform thickness. In this configuration, if the outer periphery of the end of the gas venting member 21 provided around the wiring 20 is larger than the opening of the wiring hole 24, the end of the gas venting member 21 will collide with the wiring hole 24 when inserting the wiring 20 through the wiring hole 24. This may make it difficult to pass the wiring 20 through the wiring hole 24.

[0065] In order to eliminate such assembly problems, in the second embodiment, when the gas venting member 21 is wound around the wiring 20, the thickness of the gas venting member 21 is made thinner at the tip of the gas venting member 21 than at other portions. Here, the thickness of the gas venting member 21 refers to the thickness in the direction along the diameter of the wiring 20.

[0066] Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of inner box 8 according to embodiment 2 taken along the line B-B shown in Fig. 6. Specifically, Fig. 15 schematically shows a cross-section taken along the straight line indicated by arrow B shown in Fig. 6, as viewed in the direction of arrow B. As shown in Fig. 15, of gas venting member 21 wrapped around wiring 20, the thickness of portion 21b of gas venting member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 is defined as T2. The thickness of portion 21a inside inner box 8 of refrigerator body 101, i.e., outside internal space 90, is defined as T1. Thickness T2 is thicker than thickness T1.

[0067] Desirably, the cross-sectional area of ​​portion 21b of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 is equal to or larger than the opening area of ​​wiring hole 24. The cross-sectional areas of wiring hole 24 and portion 21a of gas vent member 21 on the outside, that is, inside inner box 8 of refrigerator body 101, are equal to or smaller than the opening area of ​​wiring hole 24. The other configurations are the same as those in Fig. 13 .

[0068] With this configuration, when passing wiring 20 from the internal space 90 side through wiring hole 24, portion 21a of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 can be smoothly passed through wiring hole 24. Furthermore, portion 21b of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 abuts against wiring hole 24, determining the length of wiring 20 to be pulled out from wiring hole 24, making it easy to attach wiring 20 to inner box 8.

[0069] Furthermore, the thickness and shape of portion 21b of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 can be freely set as long as internal hole 25 is not crushed by second region 53 (see FIG. 11 ) formed in the gap between inner box 8 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41. For example, portion 21b of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 may be shaped like a flat plate that extends along inner box 8 with wiring 20 in between. This can improve the ability to guide carbon dioxide gas to the outside of the refrigerator when urethane foaming occurs.

[0070] The embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. The embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the embodiments.

[0071] 1 Refrigerator compartment, 2 Ice making compartment, 3 Small freezer compartment, 4 Freezer compartment, 5 Vegetable compartment, 6 Left refrigerator compartment door, 7 Right refrigerator compartment door, 8 Inner box, 9 Outer box, 10 Divider, 11 Divider, 12 Divider, 13 Divider, 14a Left side surface, 14b Right side surface, 15 Ceiling surface, 15a Surface, 15b Back surface, 16 Floor surface, 17 Inner box corner, 18 Interior light, 20 Wiring, 21 Gas vent member, 21a External part, 21b Internal space part, 22 Seal, 23 Terminal, 24 Wiring hole, 25 Hole, 27 Mounting part, 30 Back part, 31 Ice making compartment door, 32 Small freezer compartment door, 33 Freezer compartment door, 34 Vegetable compartment door, 35 Rear part, 40 REFRIGERATED SECTION 1 Vacuum insulation material, 41 Ceiling vacuum insulation material, 41a Recess in vacuum insulation material, 42 Rear vacuum insulation material, 43 Floor vacuum insulation material, 44 Side vacuum insulation material, 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d Inlet, 46 Circuit board, 47 LED, 48 Connection terminal, 49 Cover portion, 50 Heat dissipation pipe, 51 Deformed portion of vacuum insulation material, 52 First region, 52a Region, 52b Region, 53 Second region, 60 Urethane foam, 60a Inner region, 60b Periphery, 80 Wiring, 81 Hole for outer box, 82 Hinge, 82a Region, 83 Panel, 90 Internal space, 100 Refrigerator, 101 Refrigerator body, 101a Front portion, T1, T2 Thickness.

Claims

1. a refrigerator main body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space being formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole being formed in either or both of the inner box and the outer box; A vacuum insulation material disposed in the internal space; A urethane foam is filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box, and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; Wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; A gas venting member attached to the wiring; a seal that covers the wiring hole and a portion of the gas vent member in the internal space and is attached to the inner box; Equipped with The gas vent member is located across the internal space and the outside of the internal space through the wiring hole. refrigerator.

2. A refrigerator body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space being formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole being formed in either or both of the inner box and the outer box; A heat dissipation pipe provided in the internal space; A vacuum insulation material is disposed in the internal space, attached to the outer box with the heat dissipation pipe sandwiched between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, and has a deformed portion that is convex toward the inner box at a position overlapping with the heat dissipation pipe when viewed from above; A urethane foam is filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box, and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; Wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; a gas venting member attached to the wiring and positioned across the internal space and the outside of the internal space through the wiring hole; Equipped with The internal space of the refrigerator body includes: A target area; A narrowed region is provided adjacent to the target region, the narrowed region including a first region between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, the narrowed region being smaller than the gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material in the target region, and the first region being a region between the deformation portion and the inner box; A portion of the gas venting member is provided in the target area. refrigerator.

3. The internal space of the refrigerator body includes: A target area; A narrowed region is provided adjacent to the target region, and the gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material is smaller than the gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material in the target region; A portion of the gas venting member is provided in the target area.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. A heat dissipation pipe is provided in the internal space, The vacuum insulation material is attached to the outer box with the heat dissipation pipe sandwiched between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, and has a deformed portion that is convex toward the inner box at a position that overlaps with the heat dissipation pipe when the vacuum insulation material is viewed from above, The narrowed region includes a first region that is a region between the deformation portion and the inner box. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

5. When viewed from above, the first region is arranged along a straight line, a continuous straight line, a curved line, or a shape formed by a combination of two or more of these, The inner box on the inside of the first region has a mounting portion that is concave toward the inside of the inner box and convex toward the outer box, and a member is mounted on the inside of the inner box; The narrowed region includes a second region between the attachment portion and the vacuum insulation material, A portion of the gas venting member is provided between the first region and the second region of the target region and on the periphery of the second region.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 4.

6. A substrate provided inside the inner box and having an LED for an interior light; A cover portion that covers the LED inside the inner box; Equipped with the cover portion is attached to the mounting portion with the substrate sandwiched between the cover portion and the mounting portion, The wiring hole is formed in the mounting portion, the wiring connected to the substrate is inserted through the wiring hole formed in the mounting portion, The wiring hole is covered by the substrate and the cover portion.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5.

7. The thickness of the gas venting member in the internal space is greater than the thickness of the gas venting member outside the internal space. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The gas venting member is an ether-based soft urethane foam having a plurality of pores. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A storage chamber having an opening on a front surface of the refrigerator body is provided inside the refrigerator body, The outside of the internal space is the outside space or the storage room. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.