Refrigerator

Abstract

This refrigerator includes a box having a storage chamber therein, a door for opening and closing the storage chamber on the front side of the box, and a water supply device provided in the door to supply water to the outside space. The water supply device includes a water storage unit which is detachably attached to the door, a pipe portion which is provided in the door and has openings at both ends to allow communication between the storage chamber and the outside space, and a first lid body which is formed of a resin and has an opening / closing portion which closes the opening of the pipe portion on the outside space side. The water storage unit includes: a water storage container stored in the storage chamber in a state in which the door is closed; and a supply pipe connected to the water storage container and inserted into the pipe portion from the storage chamber side and disposed in the pipe portion, the supply pipe having a protruding portion protruding to the outside space side in a state in which the supply pipe is attached to the door, and having a water supply port formed in the protruding portion. In a state in which the water storage unit is not attached to the door, the opening / closing portion of the first lid is closed and hence closes the opening of the pipe portion on the outside space side, thereby partitioning the storage chamber and the outside space. In a state in which the water storage unit is attached to the door, the first lid is opened by the opening / closing portion being pushed by the protruding portion so that the water supply port of the protruding portion is exposed to the outside space side, the opening / closing portion comes into contact with the supply pipe, and the storage chamber and the outside space are partitioned by the contact portion.

Description

refrigerator

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator having a water supply device on the door.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, refrigerators have been proposed that include a water supply device on the door (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The water supply device of a refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a cold water tank stored in the interior space, a water supply pipe connected to the cold water tank and protruding from the interior space to the exterior space through an opening in the door, a valve stem that closes the water supply port of the water supply pipe, and an operating lever that opens and closes the valve stem. When the operating lever is pressed, the water supply port of the water supply pipe is unblocked, and cold water in the cold water tank is supplied to the exterior space through the water supply pipe.

[0004] Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 48-077752

[0005] The refrigerator water supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has one end hinged to the door and a lid that covers the door opening when the water supply pipe is not in use, i.e., when the water supply pipe is removed from the door opening. However, when the water supply pipe is in use, i.e., when the water supply pipe is leading from the interior space to the exterior space through the opening, the lid does not cover the door opening, leaving the door opening exposed. As a result, cold air from the interior space leaks into the exterior space through the gap between the supply pipe and the door opening, reducing the refrigerator's airtightness and energy efficiency.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a refrigerator that ensures airtightness of the interior space regardless of whether the water supply device is attached or detached, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0007] A refrigerator according to the present disclosure comprises a box body having a storage compartment therein, a door at the front of the box body for opening and closing the storage compartment, and a water supply device provided on the door for supplying water to an external space, the water supply device comprising: a water storage unit detachably attached to the door; a pipe section provided within the door and having openings at both ends to connect the storage compartment to the external space; and a first lid body formed of resin and having an opening / closing section for closing the opening on the external space side of the pipe section; and the water storage unit comprises a water storage container stored in the storage compartment when the door is closed, and a water storage container connected to the water storage container and inserted into the pipe section from the storage compartment side to close the pipe section. and a supply pipe arranged inside the door, which has a protrusion that protrudes toward the external space when attached to the door, and a water supply port formed on the protrusion, and when the water storage unit is not attached to the door, the opening and closing part of the first lid body is closed to close the opening of the pipe part on the external space side, thereby separating the storage chamber from the external space, and when the water storage unit is attached to the door, the opening and closing part is pushed open by the protrusion, exposing the water supply port of the protrusion to the external space side, and the opening and closing part comes into contact with the supply pipe, separating the storage chamber from the external space at the contact part.

[0008] In the refrigerator according to the present disclosure, when the water storage unit is not attached to the door, the opening / closing part of the first lid is closed to close the opening of the pipe part on the exterior side, separating the storage compartment from the exterior space, and when the water storage unit is attached to the door, the opening / closing part is pushed open by the protruding part, exposing the water supply port of the protruding part to the exterior space, and the opening / closing part comes into contact with the supply pipe, separating the storage compartment from the exterior space at the contact point. Therefore, the storage compartment, which is the interior space, can be kept airtight regardless of whether the water supply device is attached or detached, and energy efficiency can be improved.

[0009] 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator as seen from the arrow II in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the left refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 is open. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which all the doors of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2 are open. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view and a partial cross-sectional view of the refrigerator taken along line V-V in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a piping section of a water storage unit of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment and its periphery. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply port opening / closing section of the water storage unit shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of the water supply device shown in FIG. 6 when supplying water from a refrigerator. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of the water storage unit shown in FIG. 7 when supplying water from a refrigerator. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which the piping section is closed by a first lid when the water storage unit shown in FIG. 6 is removed from the refrigerator. FIG. 10 is a front view of a second lid according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a view showing a contact portion of the second lid shown in FIG. 11 with the water supply port opening / closing section. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a piping section of a water storage unit of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid when the water storage unit shown in FIG. 13 is removed from the refrigerator. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid when the water storage unit shown in FIG. 13 is removed from the refrigerator. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid when a water storage unit according to a modification of the water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2 is removed from the refrigerator. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid when the water storage unit of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 3 is removed from the refrigerator. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing an enlarged view of the second lid and its surroundings shown in FIG. 22. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid when the water storage unit of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 4 is removed from the refrigerator. Fig. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second cover when a water storage unit of the water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 5 is removed from the refrigerator. Fig. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of the second cover shown in Fig. 21.Fig. 24 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid body when a water storage unit of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 6 is removed from the refrigerator. Fig. 25 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 7, showing an enlarged view of the piping portion of a water storage unit of the water supply device of the refrigerator and its surrounding area. Fig. 26 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to embodiment 6, showing a state in which a pipe portion is closed by a second lid body when the water storage unit of the water supply device of the refrigerator according to embodiment 7 is removed from the refrigerator.

[0010] A refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, the front direction in FIG. 1 will be referred to as the front of refrigerator 100, the rear direction will be referred to as the rear of refrigerator 100, and the up, down, left, and right directions when refrigerator 100 is viewed from the front will be referred to as the up, down, left, and right directions of refrigerator 100. Note that in FIG. 3, some shelves provided in refrigerator compartment 101 are not shown so that the interior of refrigerator 100 can be understood.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a front view of refrigerator 100 as seen from the direction of arrow II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which left refrigerator compartment door 111 of refrigerator 100 shown in Fig. 1 is open. Fig. 4 is a front view showing a state in which all opening and closing doors of refrigerator 100 shown in Fig. 2 are open. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view and a partial cross-sectional view of refrigerator 100 taken along line V-V in Fig. 2. Note that in Fig. 5, the view indicated by the tip of the arrow extending from the squared portion of refrigerator 100 is a partial cross-sectional view of the squared portion of refrigerator 100.

[0012] The configuration of refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described below. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, refrigerator 100 includes a box body 110 that is open at the front and an opening / closing door provided on the front surface of box body 110. The opening / closing doors include a left refrigerator door 111, a right refrigerator door 112, a left freezer door 113, and a right freezer door 114. Handles 111a, 112a, 113a, and 114a are provided on the front surfaces of left refrigerator door 111, right refrigerator door 112, left freezer door 113, and right freezer door 114, respectively. Note that hereinafter, the opening / closing doors will also be simply referred to as doors.

[0013] A water supply device 139 that supplies water to the space outside the refrigerator compartment is provided on the left refrigerator compartment door 111. The water supply device 139 will be described later.

[0014] 2 and 3 , refrigerator compartment left door 111 has front portion 111A made of metal such as steel plate and forming the front surface, which is a design surface; rear portion 111B made of resin such as ABS and forming part of the inner wall of refrigerator compartment 101 behind front portion 111A when refrigerator compartment left door 111 is closed; heat insulating material 111C (see FIG. 6 , etc., described later) filled between front portion 111A and rear portion 111B; and resin frame member 111D surrounding the outer peripheries of front portion 111A and rear portion 111B. Refrigerator compartment right door 112, freezer compartment left door 113, and freezer compartment right door 114 also have the same configuration as refrigerator compartment left door 111.

[0015] 2 and 4, the left and right refrigerator compartment doors 111 and 112 are double doors that rotate via a pair of upper and lower hinges 105, and a user manually holds handles 111a and 112a to open and close the refrigerator compartment 101. The left and right freezer compartment doors 113 and 114 are double doors that rotate via a pair of upper and lower hinges 117, and a user manually holds handles 113a and 114a to open and close the freezer compartment 102.

[0016] As shown in the partial cross-sectional view of Figure 5, the box body 110 has a steel outer box 110a located on the outermost side, a resin inner box 110b formed inside the outer box 110a, and a heat insulating material 110c filled between the outer box 110a and the inner box 110b. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the interior of the box body 110 is divided by a horizontally parallel plate-like partition 104 into a refrigeration compartment 101 located above the partition 104 and a freezer compartment 102 located below the partition 104. Note that, hereinafter, the space outside the refrigerator 100 when the doors are closed will be referred to as the "external space."

[0017] The refrigerator compartment 101 is a storage compartment (hereinafter also referred to as the internal space) having a space for storing stored goods. The temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 101 is controlled by a control device 126 to a refrigeration temperature range of +3°C to +10°C. As shown in FIG. 4 , the refrigerator compartment 101 is provided with a plurality of shelves 103 for placing stored goods. Furthermore, in the lower portion of the refrigerator compartment 101, i.e., in the space between the lowest shelf 103 of the plurality of shelves 103 and a partition 104, an ice-making water storage container 120 and a food storage container 121 are arranged side by side. That is, the ice-making water storage container 120 and the food storage container 121 are placed on the partition 104. The ice-making water storage container 120 stores water used by the ice-making device 131 to make ice, as will be described later. Furthermore, a chilled compartment, for example, is formed inside the food storage container 121 and is controlled to a chilled temperature range of approximately -3°C to +3°C.

[0018] Freezer compartment 102 is a storage compartment having a space therein for storing stored goods. The temperature within freezer compartment 102 is controlled by control device 126 to a freezing temperature range of −18° C. or below. Freezer compartment 102 is provided with a partition 108 that divides freezer compartment 102 into left and right halves, and a plurality of shelves 109 on which stored goods are placed. Furthermore, in the upper portion of freezer compartment 102, i.e., in the space between the topmost shelf 109 of the plurality of shelves 109 and partition 104, an ice-making device 131 having an ice-making section 132 and an ice storage section 133, and a food storage container 138 are provided side by side. Ice-making device 131 freezes water supplied from ice-making water storage container 120 to make ice.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 5, a cooler 118, a fan 119 disposed above the cooler 118, and a machine compartment 122 disposed below the cooler 118 are provided at the rear of the box body 110 of the refrigerator 100. Ducts 125, which are air passages through which the cool air generated by the cooler 118 passes, are formed between the box body 110 and the back surface of a rear wall portion 123 that defines the rear of the refrigerating compartment 101, and between the box body 110 and the back surface of a rear wall portion 124 that defines the rear of the freezing compartment 102. A control device 126 that controls the operation of the refrigerator 100 is mounted at the corner where an upper wall portion 110d, which is a horizontal wall at the top of the box body 110, intersects with a rear wall portion 110e, which is a vertical wall at the rear.

[0020] Cooler 118 circulates a low-temperature refrigerant to generate cold air. Specifically, the low-temperature refrigerant passing through the inside of cooler 118 exchanges heat with the air surrounding cooler 118 to generate cold air. Fan 119 disposed above cooler 118 sends the cold air generated by cooler 118 toward duct 125. Note that multiple arrows extending from fan 119 shown in FIG. 5 schematically indicate the flow of cold air within refrigerator 100.

[0021] The machine room 122 houses a compressor, an air-cooled condenser, a dryer, and a pressure reducing device, all of which are not shown. The compressor, air-cooled condenser, dryer, and pressure reducing device are connected to a refrigerant circuit along with a heat dissipation pipe to form a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor dissipates heat and condenses in the air-cooled condenser and heat dissipation pipe. The refrigerant that passes through the air-cooled condenser and heat dissipation pipe passes through the dryer and then the pressure reducing device before being supplied to the cooler 118. The refrigerant supplied to the cooler 118 evaporates within the cooler 118, exchanges heat with air passing over the surface of the cooler 118, and then returns to the compressor.

[0022] Duct 125 communicates with refrigerator compartment 101 through a plurality of air outlets 123a formed in rear wall 123, and with freezer compartment 102 through a plurality of air outlets 124a formed in rear wall 124. As a result, cool air sent to duct 125 by fan 119 is supplied to refrigerator compartment 101 through the plurality of air outlets 123a as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5, and is supplied to freezer compartment 102 through the plurality of air outlets 124a as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5. Cool air generated by cooler 118 is supplied to refrigerator compartment 101 and freezer compartment 102 (hereinafter referred to as each storage compartment) at an appropriate air volume by fan 119 controlled by control device 126. Control device 126 controls the operation of fan 119 based on, for example, values ​​detected by temperature sensors (not shown) installed in each storage compartment. In this manner, control device 126 manages the temperature of each storage compartment.

[0023] The control device 126 is configured, for example, by dedicated hardware or a CPU (Central Processing Unit, also called a central processing unit, processing device, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, or processor) that executes a program stored in a memory unit (not shown).

[0024] When the control device 126 is dedicated hardware, the control device 126 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination thereof. Each functional unit realized by the control device 126 may be realized by a separate piece of hardware, or each functional unit may be realized by a single piece of hardware.

[0025] When the control device 126 is a CPU, each function executed by the control device 126 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in a memory unit. The CPU realizes each function of the control device 50 by reading and executing the programs stored in the memory unit. Here, the memory unit stores various information and includes, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM.

[0026] It should be noted that some of the functions of the control device 126 may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware.

[0027] Control device 126 receives operation information from the operation switches on operation panel 106, outputs from various sensors, etc. Control device 126 also controls the operation of ice-making device 131. Note that control device 126 may be provided at a position other than the above-mentioned corner of box 110.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a cooling air duct 130 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 101 of the refrigerator 100. The cooling air duct 130 is provided in the front-to-rear direction on the left wall portion 110f of the box body 110. A cold air outlet 130a is formed at the front end of the cooling air duct 130. The cooling air duct 130 is an air duct that connects the duct 125 and the refrigerator compartment 101, and as shown by the arrow in Figure 5, cold air from the duct 125 flows in through a cold air inlet 130b formed in the left wall portion 110f. The cold air that flows in through the cold air inlet 130b passes through the cooling air duct 130 and is discharged from the cold air outlet 130a.

[0029] Next, a configuration for making ice using water stored in ice-making water storage container 120 shown in Figures 4 and 5 will be described. Here, the ice-making configuration refers to a configuration in which ice is made and stored by ice-making device 131 provided in freezer compartment 102.

[0030] Ice-making water storage container 120 provided in refrigerator compartment 101 is made of transparent synthetic resin. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, by opening refrigerator compartment left door 111, the user can see the amount of water stored in ice-making water storage container 120 through the transparent container. At this time, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, a first connection port 127 is formed on the underside of ice-making water storage container 120, which is connected to first water guide path 129 extending to ice-making device 131.

[0031] First water conduit 129 is a conduit for conducting water from ice-making water storage container 120 to ice-making device 131. First water conduit 129 is formed by a through-hole that vertically penetrates partition 104, which separates refrigerator compartment 101 and freezer compartment 102. An on-off valve 128, which is controlled to open and close by control device 126, is provided at the lower end of first water conduit 129. When on-off valve 128 is open, water stored in ice-making water storage container 120 passes through first water conduit 129 and is supplied to ice-making device 131.

[0032] Ice making device 131 has ice making section 132 that makes ice from water from ice making water storage container 120, and ice storage section 133 that stores the ice made in ice making section 132. As shown in Figure 5, ice making section 132 has ice making tray 134 and rotation mechanism 135 that rotates ice making tray 134.

[0033] Rotation mechanism 135 has, for example, a gearbox, and is provided behind ice tray 134. In response to instructions from control device 126, rotation mechanism 135 rotates ice tray 134 around rotation shaft 137.

[0034] Ice tray 134 is made of synthetic resin and is divided internally by ten ice-making blocks 134a, five in the front-to-back direction and two in the left-to-right direction. Water is supplied to ice tray 134 from ice-making water storage container 120 when on-off valve 128 is open. An air outlet 124a is formed in rear wall 124 behind ice making section 132. Cold air in the freezing temperature range blown out from air outlet 124a is blown onto ice tray 134 as shown by the arrow in Figure 5, freezing the water in ice-making blocks 134a.

[0035] A temperature sensor 136 is provided on the underside of ice tray 134. Temperature sensor 136 is, for example, a thermistor solidified with resin. The data detected by temperature sensor 136 is sent to control device 126. Control device 126 determines whether ice making in ice tray 134 is complete based on the temperature data detected by temperature sensor 136. When control device 126 determines that ice making in ice tray 134 is complete, it causes rotation mechanism 135 to rotate ice tray 134, as shown in FIG. 5 , around rotation axis 137. As ice tray 134 rotates in this manner, it eventually abuts against a stopper (not shown), and as it continues to rotate from this abutting state, it is twisted and deformed. Twisting ice tray 134 in this manner allows the ice frozen in ice tray 134 to be removed from ice tray 134.

[0036] The ice storage section 133 is disposed below the ice tray 134 and is a container made of, for example, synthetic resin that is open at the top. The ice storage section 133 receives and stores ice blocks that fall from the ice tray 134. The ice storage section 133 has a capacity that can store, for example, 80 to 100 pieces of ice produced in the ice tray 134. Therefore, the ice storage section 133 can store ice produced in multiple cycles in the ice tray 134. The ice making device 131 is provided with an ice detector lever (not shown) that rotates and contacts the ice stored in the ice storage section 133. Data regarding the amount of rotation of the ice detector lever is transmitted to the control device 126. The control device 126 detects the amount of ice stored in the ice storage section 133 based on the amount of rotation of the ice detector lever.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing an enlarged view of piping 145 of water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment and its periphery. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing an enlarged view of water supply port opening / closing section 147 of water storage unit 142 shown in FIG. 6 and its periphery. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing the configuration of water supply device 139 shown in FIG. 6 when supplying water from refrigerator 100. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing the configuration of water storage unit 142 shown in FIG. 7 when supplying water from refrigerator 100. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view of water supply device 139 showing a state in which pipe section 141 is closed (capped) by first lid 144a when water storage unit 142 shown in FIG. 6 is removed from refrigerator 100. FIG. 11 is a front view of second lid 144b according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a contact portion 201b of the second cover 144b shown in FIG. 11 with the water supply port opening / closing portion 147.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, the water supply device 139 has an operation panel 106 on the outer surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 111, an operation lever 140 rotatably connected to the rear surface (back surface) of the operation panel 106, a front portion 111A of the left refrigerator compartment door 111 being recessed toward the storage compartment and partially covered by the operation panel 106 when viewed from the front, a receiving portion 107 provided alongside the operation panel 106 below the operation panel 106, a pipe portion 141 provided above and rear of the receiving portion 107 within the left refrigerator compartment door 111 and connecting the storage compartment to the space outside the refrigerator compartment, a water storage unit 142 inserted into the pipe portion 141 from the storage compartment side and removably attached to the left refrigerator compartment door 111, and a first lid body 144a provided on the periphery of an opening 141a which is one end of the pipe portion 141 on the side facing the space outside the refrigerator compartment and which opens and closes the opening 141a.

[0039] The operation panel 106 has operation switches (not shown) for setting the temperature inside the refrigerator and a display panel (not shown) for displaying the various temperatures set by the operation switches. The receiving section 107 has a recess 107a recessed inward from the outer surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 111. This recess 107a forms a space for placing a container such as a cup or glass to receive water, and is located at a height that makes it easy for an adult to place the container. The operation lever 140 operates the water supply from the water storage unit 142.

[0040] Pipe 141 is disposed within left refrigerator door 111, slanting downward from the storage compartment toward the exterior space. Pipe 141 is formed by partially protruding a cylindrical portion of rear surface 111B of left refrigerator door 111 forward. Opening 141a, which is the end of pipe 141 facing the exterior space, is formed by front surface 111A of left refrigerator door 111 and deformed portion 111E, which is formed by partially protruding rear surface 111B of left refrigerator door 111. Opening 141b, which is the end of pipe 141 facing the storage compartment, is formed in rear surface 111B in conjunction with the formation of pipe 141. The widths of openings 141a and 141b (or diameters, if pipe 141 is cylindrical) are, for example, 3 cm to 5 cm. The method of forming pipe 141 and openings 141a and 141b is not limited to this. The first cover 144a is attached to the front side of the left refrigerator compartment door 111 so as to cover the opening 141a.

[0041] The water storage unit 142 is detachably attached to the left refrigerator compartment door 111 and includes a water storage container 146 for supplying water, a piping section 145, and a water supply port opening / closing section 147. The piping section 145 is cylindrical, with the end on the storage compartment side connected to the water storage container 146 and a water supply port 145b formed at the end 145a on the exterior space side. When the water storage container 146 is attached to the inner surface (rear surface 111B) of the left refrigerator compartment door 111, the piping section 145 is inserted into the pipe section 141 from the storage compartment side (opening 141b side) and disposed within the pipe section 141. The water supply port opening / closing section 147 is cylindrical, and as shown in FIG. 7, is connected to the end 145a of the piping section 145 on the exterior space side. The water inlet opening / closing unit 147 has a protrusion 147a protruding diagonally downward toward the exterior space at the center of its end facing the exterior space. A water inlet 147b, which communicates with the water inlet 145b, is formed in the center of this protrusion 147a. The water inlet opening / closing unit 147 also has an opening / closing member 148 connected to the storage compartment side via a spring 149. The opening / closing member 148 is made of a resilient synthetic resin packing and is adapted to move diagonally upward and downward by the operating lever 140. The piping unit 145 and the water inlet opening / closing unit 147 attached to the piping unit 145 form a supply pipe 150. The supply pipe 150 has a protrusion 147a protruding toward the exterior space when the water storage unit 142 is attached to the left refrigerator compartment door 111. The water storage container 146 stores water (drinks) to be supplied to users. Furthermore, a filter (not shown) is provided inside between the water storage container 146 and the piping section 145 to prevent foreign matter from entering the water supplied to the user.

[0042] Next, a method for dispensing water stored in the water storage container 146 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , a user presses the operating lever 140 with a cup. This presses the water supply port opening / closing unit 147 and the opening / closing member 148 connected thereto toward the storage compartment via the spring 149, creating a flow path within the piping unit 145 that connects the interior space to the exterior space, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9 . The cold water stored in the water storage container 146 then passes through the flow path within the piping unit 145 and is supplied from the water supply port 147b to a cup held by the user in the receiving unit 107. That is, while the operating lever 140 is being pressed, i.e., while the opening / closing member 148 of the water supply port opening / closing unit 147 is being opened by the operating lever 140, the cold water stored in the water storage container 146 passes through the water supply port 145b of the piping unit 145 and is supplied from the water supply port 147b of the water supply port opening / closing unit 147 to the cup. This allows the user to receive the desired amount of water.

[0043] The water storage container 146 is made of a transparent synthetic resin and is provided on the inner surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 111. Because the water storage container 146 is transparent, the user can see at a glance how much water is remaining in the water storage container 146. When refilling the water storage container 146 with water, the user removes the lid (not shown) on the water storage container 146 and adds water, or removes the water storage unit 142 from the left refrigerator compartment door 111 and adds water.

[0044] Cold air is blown onto the water container 146 from a cold air outlet 130a formed in the left wall 110f. As shown in Fig. 5, the cold air outlet 130a is formed closer to the water container 146 than the outlet 123a, which blows cold air into the refrigerator compartment 101. Therefore, the cold air from the cold air outlet 130a can be blown directly onto the water container 146, and the water stored in the water container 146 can be quickly cooled to a desired temperature.

[0045] Next, the first lid 144a according to the first embodiment will be described. The first lid 144a is made of a resilient synthetic resin packing and is provided around the periphery of the opening 141a, which is the end of the pipe 141 facing the exterior space, as shown in FIG. 9 . As shown in FIG. 11 , the first lid 144a has an opening / closing portion 201a formed by multiple notches radiating from the center. When the water storage unit 142 is attached to the left refrigerator compartment door 111, the opening / closing portion 201a of the first lid 144a is pressed and deformed by the protrusion 147a of the water supply port opening / closing portion 147, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , and is turned (opened) toward the exterior space, exposing the water supply port 147b of the protrusion 147a to the exterior space. This prevents water from being impeded by the protrusion 147a of the water supply port opening / closing portion 147. In addition, the opening / closing portion 201a of the first lid body 144a comes into contact with the circular corner of the water supply port opening / closing portion 147, and the contact portion 201b (see Figure 12) separates the space inside the pipe portion 141 from the space outside the cabinet, i.e., separates the storage chamber from the space outside the cabinet.

[0046] If the first lid 144a is not provided around the periphery of the opening 141a, which is the end of the pipe 141 facing the external space, there is a risk that water droplets adhering to the protrusion 147a of the water supply port opening / closing part 147 will drip into the receiving part 107. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the first lid 144a is provided around the periphery of the opening 141a, which is the end of the pipe 141 facing the external space. By doing so, water droplets on the protrusion 147a will adhere to the opening / closing part 201a of the first lid 144a and be held by the first lid 144a by surface tension, thereby preventing water droplets from dripping into the receiving part 107. The first lid 144a is made of a resin such as nitrile rubber, which has a lower thermal conductivity than metal, and therefore is less likely to form condensation on the surface facing the external space than a lid made of metal. Furthermore, in the conventional technology, a lid body that is hinged to the door at one end and covers the door opening when the piping is not in use has the problem that condensation easily occurs due to the difference in surface temperature between the lid body on the outside space side and the temperature of the outside space, causing condensation water to drip into the water supply tray. However, in the first embodiment, by using the first lid body 144a made of packing, the occurrence of such condensation water is also reduced.

[0047] Furthermore, when drinking chilled water is not required in winter, for example, when cleaning water storage container 146, or when refilling water storage container 146 with water directly from the tap, water storage container 146 can be removed from pipe 141 along with piping 145 and water supply opening / closing portion 147 toward the storage compartment, as shown in Figure 10. At this time, opening / closing portion 201a of first lid 144a, which had been pushed toward the outside space by protrusion 147a at the tip of water supply opening / closing portion 147, is released and returns to a flat shape, so that opening 141a of pipe 141 is closed by first lid 144a.

[0048] The shape of the opening / closing portion 201a of the first lid 144a is not limited to the shape formed by multiple cuts radially from the center shown in FIG. 11 , but may be any shape that satisfies the following three conditions. The first condition is that when the water storage container 146 is installed on the inner surface of the door, the opening / closing portion 201a of the first lid 144a is pressed by the piping portion 145 and the water supply port opening / closing portion 147 to open. The second condition is that the opening / closing portion 201a of the first lid 144a contacts the water supply port opening / closing portion 147, and the contact portion 201b separates the space inside the pipe portion 141 from the space outside the cabinet. The third condition is that when the water storage unit 142 is removed, the opening / closing portion 201a of the first lid 144a is restored to its flat shape, i.e., the opening 141a of the pipe portion 141 is closed.

[0049] As described above, when water storage unit 142 is removed, first lid 144a returns to its original shape after being deformed. Opening 141a, which is the end of pipe 141 facing the exterior space, is then closed by first lid 144a, separating the storage compartment from the exterior space. This makes it less likely that cold air from the storage compartment of refrigerator 100 will leak into the exterior space through pipe 141, ensuring airtightness of the storage compartment and improving energy efficiency. When water storage unit 142 is attached, protrusion 147a of water inlet opening / closing portion 147 presses and deforms opening / closing portion 201a of first lid 144a. Water inlet 147b of protrusion 147a of water inlet opening / closing portion 147 is then exposed. Furthermore, water droplets adhering to protrusion 147a of water supply port opening / closing section 147 adhere to first lid 144a and are held by first lid 144a due to surface tension, preventing them from dripping into receiving section 107. Furthermore, first lid 144a comes into contact with water supply port opening / closing section 147, and this contact portion 201b separates the space inside pipe 141 from the space outside the refrigerator. This makes it difficult for cool air from the storage compartment of refrigerator 100 to leak into the space outside via pipe 141 regardless of whether water storage unit 142 is attached or detached, ensuring airtightness of the storage compartment and improving energy efficiency.

[0050] As described above, refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment comprises box body 110 having a storage compartment therein, a door for opening and closing the storage compartment at the front of box body 110, and water supply device 139 that is provided on the door and supplies water to the space outside the storage compartment. Water supply device 139 comprises water storage unit 142 that is detachably attached to the door, pipe section 141 that is provided inside the door and has openings 141a, 141b formed at both ends to communicate between the storage compartment and the space outside the storage compartment, and first lid body 144a that is made of resin and has opening / closing section 201a that closes opening 141a of pipe section 141 on the side of the space outside the storage compartment. Water storage unit 142 comprises water storage container 146 that is stored in the storage compartment when the door is closed, and a water pipe that is connected to water storage container 146 and is inserted into pipe section 141 from the storage compartment side. and a supply pipe 150 which is arranged within the pipe section 141 and has a protrusion 147a which protrudes towards the outside-fridge space when attached to the door, and in which a water supply port 145b is formed on the protrusion 147a; when the water storage unit 142 is not attached to the door, the opening / closing section 201a of the first lid body 144a is closed to close the opening 141a of the pipe section 141 on the outside-fridge space side, thereby separating the storage chamber from the outside space; and when the water storage unit 142 is attached to the door, the opening / closing section 201a is pushed open by the protrusion 147a, exposing the water supply port 147b of the protrusion 147a to the outside-fridge space side, and the opening / closing section 201a comes into contact with the supply pipe 150, separating the storage chamber from the outside space at the contact part 201b.

[0051] According to refrigerator 100 of Embodiment 1, when water storage unit 142 is not attached to the door, opening / closing part 201a of first lid 144a is closed to close opening 141a of pipe part 141 on the exterior space side, thereby separating the storage compartment from the exterior space, and when water storage unit 142 is attached to the door, opening / closing part 201a is pushed open by protrusion 147a to expose water supply port 147b of protrusion 147a to the exterior space side, and opening / closing part 201a comes into contact with supply pipe 150, separating the storage compartment from the exterior space at contact part 201b. Therefore, the airtightness of the storage compartment, which is the interior space, can be ensured regardless of whether water supply device 139 is attached or detached, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0052] (Embodiment 2) Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of piping 145 of water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 200 according to Embodiment 2, and the surrounding area. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of water supply device 139 showing how pipe 141 is closed by second lid 144b when water storage unit 142 shown in Fig. 13 is removed from refrigerator 200. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of water supply device 139 showing how pipe 141 is closed by second lid 144b when water storage unit 142 shown in Fig. 13 is removed from refrigerator 200.

[0053] The following describes embodiment 2. As shown in Figures 13 to 15, refrigerator 200 according to embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in that it includes second lid body 144b and hinge 143 on rear surface 111B of left refrigerator compartment door 111. In embodiment 2, the same components as those in embodiment 1 and the components that have only changed in size and shape from embodiment 1 due to the provision of second lid body 144b and hinge 143 are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0054] In the second embodiment, the water supply device 139 includes, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, a hinge 143 attached to the wall above the opening 141b of the rear surface 111B of the left refrigerator compartment door 111, i.e., to the peripheral edge 141c of the opening 141b, which is the end of the pipe 141 on the storage compartment side, and a second cover 144b connected to the hinge 143 to open and close the opening 141b. The shape of the second cover 144b may be, for example, rectangular in a plan view, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be circular in a plan view, or any other shape that can close the opening 141b, which is the end of the pipe 141 on the storage compartment side, without any gaps. The second cover 144b is attached closer to the storage compartment than the pipe 141. When the opening 141b is circular, the size of the second cover 144b is, for example, 5 cm to 7 cm in diameter.

[0055] When drinking coolant is not required in winter, for example, when cleaning water container 146, or when refilling water container 146 with water directly from the tap, water container 146 can be removed from pipe 141 along with piping 145 and water supply opening / closing part 147 toward the storage compartment as shown in Fig. 14. In this case, after removing these components, opening 141b, which is the end of pipe 141 on the storage compartment side, can be closed manually or the like by second lid 144b rotatably supported on hinge 143 attached to periphery 141c of opening 141b on rear part 111B as shown in Fig. 15.

[0056] In this way, in the second embodiment, by closing opening 141b, which is one end of pipe 141 on the storage compartment side, with second lid 144b, first lid 144a and second lid 144b form air layer 151 within pipe 141. This air layer 151 is a substantially closed space, and the area between first lid 144a and second lid 144b is separated from the external space and the storage compartment. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect of suppressing air flow and forming a pseudo-insulating air layer. In this way, refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment has a fluid path structure in which a pseudo-insulating air layer is formed within pipe 141 and which makes it difficult for cold air to flow from the storage compartment to the external space. Therefore, cold air within the storage compartment of refrigerator 200 is further prevented from leaking to the outside, and the airtightness of the storage compartment can be maintained.

[0057] Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of water supply device 139 showing a state in which pipe portion 141 is closed by second lid body 144b when water storage unit 142 according to a modification of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 200 according to Embodiment 2 is removed from refrigerator 200. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of second lid body 144b shown in Fig. 16 when opened and closed, as viewed in the X direction.

[0058] 16 and 17 , a handle 144c may be provided on the surface of second lid 144b facing the storage compartment, opposite the side connected to hinge 143, and a fitting portion 144d that fits with handle 144c may be provided on rear surface 111B. In this case, when attaching water storage unit 142, the user fits handle 144c of second lid 144b into fitting portion 144d on rear surface 111B to secure second lid 144b, and then attaches water storage unit 142. On the other hand, when removing water storage unit 142, the user removes water storage unit 142, then removes handle 144c from fitting portion 144d, and closes opening 141b with second lid 144b.

[0059] The size of the handle 144c is intended to be large enough for a user to hold with their fingers. For example, when viewed from the front of the storage compartment side of the second lid 144b, it is 2 cm wide, 0.6 cm thick, and 1 cm high. However, the shape of the handle 144c is not limited to this. The end of the second lid 144b opposite the end connected to the hinge 143 may be bent backward (toward the storage compartment) to make it easier to grip with a user's fingers. Furthermore, a clamping device (not shown) having a metal plate spring structure may be provided inside the fitting portion 144d shown in FIG. 16 , so that the handle 144c of the second lid 144b is lightly held by vertically clamping it between the spring of the clamping device and the side of the fitting portion 144d. This prevents the handle 144c from coming off the fitting portion 144d and causing the second lid 144b to fall, making it easier to remove the water storage unit 142.

[0060] In addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, refrigerator 200 according to Embodiment 2 forms a substantially closed air layer 151 between first lid 144a, second lid 144b, and pipe 141 when water storage unit 142 is removed from the door. This allows a pseudo-insulating air layer to be formed between first lid 144a and second lid 144b within pipe 141. Thus, refrigerator 200 according to Embodiment 2 has a fluid path structure that forms a pseudo-insulating air layer within pipe 141 and prevents cold air from flowing from the storage compartment to the external space. This further reduces the likelihood of cold air leaking from within refrigerator 200, thereby maintaining the airtightness of the storage compartment. Without such an insulating air layer, dew may form on first lid 144a due to the temperature difference between the internal and external spaces. However, refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment is configured such that air layer 151 acts as an insulating layer, making it difficult for cold air to flow from inside the refrigerator compartment to the outside of refrigerator 200 through pipe 141. This further reduces the amount of dew that forms on the exterior space side of first lid 144a, making it less likely for water to drip. This makes it possible to remove and clean water storage container 146 installed on the storage compartment side of left refrigerator compartment door 111 while refrigerator 200 is being used (operated) as usual.

[0061] As described above, refrigerator 200 according to embodiment 2 is provided with second cover 144b that is attached to the storage compartment side of the door and closes opening 141b on the storage compartment side of pipe section 141, and when opening 141b on the storage compartment side of pipe section 141 and opening 141a on the external space side are closed, air layer 151 is formed within pipe section 141.

[0062] According to refrigerator 200 of embodiment 2, air layer 151, which is a pseudo-insulating air layer, is formed inside pipe section 141, and a fluid path structure is provided that makes it difficult for cold air to flow from inside the storage compartment to the space outside the storage compartment. This makes it even more difficult for cold air inside refrigerator 200 to leak outside, and the storage compartment can be kept airtight.

[0063] (Embodiment 3) Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of water supply device 139 showing a state in which pipe portion 141 is closed by second lid body 144b when water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 300 according to Embodiment 3 is removed from refrigerator 300. Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of second lid body 144b and its surroundings shown in Fig. 18.

[0064] Hereinafter, a third embodiment will be described. Refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment differs from refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment in that, as shown in Fig. 18 , hinge 143 of second lid 144 b is provided with spring mechanism 301 shown in Fig. 19 . In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment and components that have only been changed in size and shape from those in the second embodiment due to the provision of spring mechanism 301 in hinge 143 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0065] In refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment, hinge 143 is provided with spring mechanism 301 that presses second lid 144b in a direction to close opening 141b on the storage compartment side. Therefore, when water storage container 146 is attached to the door, second lid 144b is pressed by the side surface of water storage container 146 to open opening 141b on the refrigerator compartment side, and when water storage container 146 is removed from the door, second lid 144b automatically closes opening 141b by spring mechanism 301.

[0066] Therefore, when drinking coolant is not required in winter, for example, when cleaning water storage container 146, or when refilling water storage container 146 with water directly from the tap, water storage container 146 can be removed from pipe 141 along with piping 145 and water supply opening / closing portion 147 from the storage compartment side as shown in Fig. 14 . At this time, after piping 145 is removed, opening 141b is automatically closed by second lid 144b, which rotates via hinge 143 having spring mechanism 301, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 18 . In this way, refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment can achieve the effects of the second embodiment by eliminating the need for the user to close second lid 144b, and can prevent cold air from leaking due to forgetting to close second lid 144b.

[0067] As described above, in the refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment, the second lid body 144b is rotatably attached to the door via the hinge 143 equipped with the spring mechanism 301 that presses the opening 141b on the storage compartment side of the tube portion 141 in the closing direction.

[0068] According to refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment, after piping 145 is removed, opening 141b is automatically closed by second lid 144b which rotates using hinge 143 having spring mechanism 301. This saves the user the trouble of closing second lid 144b, and can prevent cool air from leaking due to forgetting to close second lid 144b.

[0069] (Embodiment 4) Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 400 in embodiment 4, showing the state in which pipe portion 141 is closed by second lid body 144b when water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 is removed from refrigerator 400.

[0070] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. Refrigerator 400 according to the fourth embodiment differs from refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment in that, as shown in Fig. 20 , magnetic member 401 having magnetic force is provided between second lid 144b and rear surface 111B. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment and components that have only been changed in size and shape from the second embodiment due to the provision of magnetic member 401 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0071] The magnetic member 401 is a magnetic packing or magnet. Here, the magnetic packing corresponds to a packing with a magnet embedded in the center of a rubber material or a packing with magnetic particles embedded in a rubber material. The magnetic member 401 may be provided on the peripheral portion 141c of the opening 141b of the rear surface 111B, or on the surface of the second lid 144b facing the external space. When the magnetic member 401 is provided on the peripheral portion 141c of the opening 141b of the rear surface 111B, it has a magnetic force that attracts the second lid 144b. When the magnetic member 401 is provided on the surface of the second lid 144b facing the external space, it has a magnetic force that attracts the rear surface 111B. Furthermore, when the second lid 144b closes the opening 141b, the magnetic member 401 is positioned between the second lid 144b and the opening 141b.

[0072] When drinking cold water is not needed, such as in winter, when cleaning water storage container 146, or when refilling water storage container 146 with water directly from the tap, water storage container 146 is removed from the inside of pipe 141 along with piping 145 and water supply opening / closing portion 147. Then, second lid 144b closes opening 141b, which is the end of pipe 141 facing the storage compartment. At this time, if magnetic member 401 is provided on rear surface 111B around opening 141b, second lid 144b is attracted to magnetic member 401. If magnetic member 401 is provided on the surface of second lid 144b facing the exterior space, magnetic member 401 is attracted to rear surface 111B. Therefore, magnetic member 401 improves the adhesion between second lid 144b and rear surface 111B. In this way, by providing magnetic member 401 between second lid body 144b and rear portion 111B, refrigerator 400 can improve the adhesion between second lid body 144b and rear portion 111B more than refrigerator 200 of embodiment 2, and can better maintain the airtightness of the storage compartment.

[0073] As described above, in refrigerator 400 according to embodiment 4, magnetic member 401 having a magnetic force in a direction that attracts second lid body 144b is provided on peripheral portion 141c of opening 141b on the storage compartment side of tube portion 141, or magnetic member 401 having a magnetic force in a direction that attracts rear surface portion 111B of the door is provided on the surface of second lid body 144b on the side facing the external space.

[0074] As described above, according to refrigerator 400 of embodiment 4, magnetic member 401 can improve the adhesion between second lid body 144b and rear portion 111B more than refrigerator 200 of embodiment 2, thereby maintaining better airtightness of the storage compartment.

[0075] (Fifth Embodiment) Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of water supply device 139 showing a state in which pipe portion 141 is closed by second lid body 144b when water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment is removed from refrigerator 500. Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the internal structure of second lid body 144b shown in Fig. 21 .

[0076] Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. Refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment differs from refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment in that refrigerator 500 has first stacked lid body 501 as second lid body 144b. In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment and the components that have only been changed from the second embodiment in size and shape due to second lid body 144b being configured as first stacked lid body 501 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0077] [Regarding the First Stacked Lid 501] As shown in Figures 21 and 22, in the fifth embodiment, the second lid 144b is configured as a first stacked lid 501 made of laminated components. The first stacked lid 501 is configured by stacking multiple plate-shaped lid members 503 made of, for example, glass, metal, or resin with gaps between them. Air is sealed in the gaps between the lid members 503, forming multiple still air layers 507. This suppresses air convection and other heat transfer from one still air layer 507 to the next, even when heat fluctuates in the first stacked lid 501. As a result, the first stacked lid 501 has high thermal insulation performance.

[0078] It is not necessary for air to be sealed in each gap between the lid members 503. In such a case, for example, a spacer (not shown) that maintains the spacing between the lid members 503 and maintains durability may be provided in each gap between the lid members 503, or in at least one of the gaps. Also, instead of sealing air between adjacent lid members 503, another transparent gas may be sealed in.

[0079] The outer peripheries of the plurality of cover members 503 are covered with sealing portion 510 made of rubber or silicone resin. By covering the outer peripheries of the plurality of cover members 503 with sealing portion 510 to seal still air layer 507 and ensure sealing, a structure is achieved in which external air does not flow into still air layer 507. Therefore, the insulating performance of still air layer 507 can be maintained. Sealing portion 510 contains at least one material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, and chloroprene rubber. The air to be sealed in still air layer 507 may be dehumidified, and air with a reduced moisture content may be sealed in still air layer 507. A resin frame 504 is attached to the outer periphery of resin frame 504 as a frame member for assembling first stacked cover 501 into refrigerator 500. Furthermore, if the still air layer 507 is airtight so that air from the outside does not flow in, the resin frame 504 may be attached directly to the cover members 503 without covering and sealing the outer peripheries of the multiple cover members 503 with a sealing portion 510 molded from rubber or silicone resin.

[0080] The thickness T2 of the still air layer 507 is preferably 3 mm or less. This is because if the thickness of the still air layer 507 is 3 mm or more, the air will flow more easily, reducing the insulating performance due to the still air. There are no particular restrictions on the thickness T1 of the lid member 503. However, considering actual use, if the lid member 503 is too thick, the weight of the first stacked lid body 501 will increase, so the thickness T1 of the lid member 503 is preferably, for example, 3 mm or less.

[0081] 22, the fifth embodiment shows a configuration in which three cover members 503 are used and two still air layers 507 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of cover members 22 may be two or four or more, and the number of still air layers 507 may be one or three or more.

[0082] By configuring first stacked lid 501 as described above, when piping 145 is removed from the storage compartment side, opening 141b, which is the end of pipe 141 on the storage compartment side after piping 145 is removed, can be closed by first stacked lid 501. This first stacked lid 501 has higher heat insulating performance than a lid made of a single plate-like member, so refrigerator 500 can maintain the temperature of the storage compartment better than embodiments 1 to 4 by arranging first stacked lid 501 near the boundary surface between pipe 141 and the storage compartment.

[0083] As described above, in the refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment, the second lid body 144b is formed by stacking a plurality of plate-shaped lid members 503 with gaps between them, and a gas is sealed in the gaps.

[0084] In refrigerator 500 according to embodiment 5, still air layer 507 formed by sealing gas in the gaps suppresses air convection and the like even in the case of thermal fluctuations in first stacked lid body 501, which is second lid body 144b, and suppresses heat transfer from still air layer 507 to the next still air layer 507. As a result, first stacked lid body 501 has high thermal insulation performance.

[0085] In addition, in refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment, second cover body 144b is provided with sealing portion 510 that covers the side surfaces of multiple cover members 503 and seals gaps.

[0086] According to refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment, still air layer 507 is sealed by sealing unit 510 to ensure the sealing property, thereby preventing air from flowing into still air layer 507 from the outside. Therefore, the heat insulating performance of still air layer 507 can be maintained.

[0087] Sixth Embodiment Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of water supply device 139 showing a state in which pipe portion 141 is closed by second lid body 144b when water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment is removed from refrigerator 500. Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the internal structure of second lid body 144b shown in Fig. 23 .

[0088] Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. Refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment differs from refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment in that refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment has second stacked lid body 505 as second lid body 144b. In the sixth embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment and the components that have only been changed from the second embodiment in size and shape due to second lid body 144b being configured as second stacked lid body 505 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0089] [Regarding the Second Stacked Lid 505] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, in the sixth embodiment, the second lid 144b is configured as a second stacked lid 505 made of stacked components. In addition to the structure of the first stacked lid 501 shown in Figure 22, the second stacked lid 505 includes a plurality of rib members 502 provided within each still air layer 507, and a rubber member 506 provided between adjacent rib members 502 within the same still air layer 507 and on one of the lid members 503. The rib members 502 divide the still air layers 507 and may be lattice-shaped or flat. The rib members 502 further suppress horizontal airflow, support adjacent lid members 503, maintain the spacing between the lid members 503, and also serve as spacers to improve durability. The rubber member 506 is intended to reduce the volume of the still air layer 507 within the second stacked lid 505, limiting the air region, improving the airtightness of the second stacked lid 505, and raising and increasing the heat capacity of the second stacked lid 505. The rubber member 506 can be installed in any still air layer 507. Although a greater effect can be obtained by installing the rubber member 506 in each still air layer 507, in consideration of ease of manufacturing, in the sixth embodiment, as shown in Figure 24, an example is shown in which the rubber member 506 is installed in only one still air layer 507 on the outside space side, which is highly effective as a measure against condensation.

[0090] Increasing the heat capacity of second stacked lid body 505 in this manner makes the temperature of second stacked lid body 505 itself less susceptible to changes due to the air temperature in the space outside refrigerator 600, compared to when rubber member 506 is not provided. Therefore, condensation on second stacked lid body 505 is further suppressed compared to first stacked lid body 501.

[0091] Here, the relationship between the thickness T1 of the lid member 503, the thickness T2 of the still air layer 507, and the thickness T3 of the rubber member 506 is T1≧T2>T3. Because the rubber member 506 is attached to only one surface of the lid member 503 in an area that will become the still air layer 507 when the lid member 503 is stacked, the thickness T3 of the rubber member 506 is smaller than the thickness T2 of the still air layer 507. In other words, the thickness T3 of the rubber member 506 is desirably approximately 1 to 2 mm. As an example, the thickness T3 of the rubber member 506 is 2 mm or less, and the thickness of the still air layer 507 (T2−T3), which is the thickness of the still air layer 507 minus the thickness of the rubber member 506, is 1 mm or less, with the sum of these being 3 mm or less.

[0092] Furthermore, the rubber member 506 is preferably made of butyl rubber, which is a copolymer of isobutylene and a few percent isoprene. This butyl rubber has high environmental resistance, such as weather resistance, and particularly low gas permeability, which further improves the sealing of the still air layer 507 and inhibits the movement of air within the still air layer 507. This further improves the thermal insulation performance of the second laminated lid 505. As a result, the second laminated lid 505 can have higher thermal insulation performance than the second lid 144b according to embodiments 1 to 5, and can maintain the temperature of the storage chamber even better than in embodiments 1 to 5.

[0093] As described above, in refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment, second cover body 144b is provided with rib members 502 that are provided in the gap and support adjacent cover members 503.

[0094] In refrigerator 600 according to embodiment 6, by providing rib member 502 on second stacked lid body 505, which is second lid body 144b, horizontal air flow can be further suppressed, adjacent lid members 503 can be supported, the spacing between lid members 503 can be maintained, and durability can be improved.

[0095] In addition, in the refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment, the second cover body 144b has a plurality of rib members 502, is provided between adjacent rib members 502, and has a rubber member 506 provided on one of the cover members 503.

[0096] In the refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment, by providing a rubber member 506 on the second stacked lid body 505, which is the second lid body 144b, the volume of the still air layer 507 within the second stacked lid body 505 is reduced, limiting the air area, improving the airtightness of the second stacked lid body 505, and raising and increasing the thermal capacity of the second stacked lid body 505.

[0097] Seventh Embodiment Fig. 25 is an enlarged cross-sectional schematic view of piping 145 of water storage unit 142 of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment and the surrounding area. Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional schematic view of water supply device 139 showing how pipe 141 is closed by second lid 144b when water storage unit 142 shown in Fig. 25 is removed from refrigerator 700. Fig. 27 is a cross-sectional schematic view of water supply device 139 showing how pipe 141 is closed by second lid 144b when water storage unit 142 according to a modification of water supply device 139 of refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment is removed from refrigerator 700.

[0098] The seventh embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 25 to 27 , refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment differs from refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment in that hinge 143 supporting second lid 144b is attached to the inner wall of pipe section 141. In the seventh embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment and components that have only been changed from the second embodiment in size and shape due to the attachment of hinge 143 to the inner wall of pipe section 141 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0099] In refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment, hinge 143 supporting second lid body 144b is attached to the wall surface below opening 141b of rear surface 111B of left refrigerator compartment door 111, i.e., the inner wall of pipe portion 141. When opening 141b on the storage compartment side of pipe portion 141 is open, second lid body 144b is disposed within pipe portion 141. In other words, second lid body 144b is provided rotatably within pipe portion 141. In this case, second lid body 144b is formed in a circular or rectangular shape in a plan view. When second lid body 144b is circular in a plan view, the diameters of openings 141a and 141b are formed to be the same, and pipe portion 141 is formed in a cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. 26 . However, when second cover 144b is rectangular in plan view, opening 141a is formed so that the diameter thereof is larger than the diameter of opening 141b, and tube portion 141 is formed in a tapered shape, as shown in Fig. 27. This is because, when second cover 144b is rectangular in plan view and tube portion 141 is cylindrical as described above, a part of second cover 144b hits the inner wall of tube portion 141 during the rotation of second cover 144b so as to close opening 141b with second cover 144b.

[0100] As described above, the hinge 143 is attached to the inner wall of the pipe portion 141, and the second lid body 144b is provided rotatably within the pipe portion 141. In this way, when the water storage unit 142 is attached to the door, the second lid body 144b is pushed by the water supply port opening / closing portion 147 of the water storage container 146 and rotates toward the external space, and the second lid body 144b is positioned inside the pipe portion 141. Therefore, the opening 141b on the storage chamber side of the pipe portion 141 can be automatically opened. Furthermore, by providing the spring mechanism 301 to the hinge 143 of the lid body 144, the second lid body 144b rotates toward the storage chamber side when the water storage unit 142 is removed from the door. Therefore, the opening 141b on the storage chamber side of the pipe portion 141 can be automatically closed.

[0101] As described above, in refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment, second lid body 144b is provided rotatably within pipe portion 141.

[0102] In refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment, when water storage unit 142 is attached to the door, second lid 144b is pushed by water supply port opening / closing section 147 of water storage container 146 and rotates toward the space outside the refrigerator, and second lid 144b is disposed inside pipe section 141. Therefore, opening 141b on the storage compartment side of pipe section 141 can be automatically opened.

[0103] In the first to seventh embodiments, water is supplied from the left door 111 of the refrigerator compartment, but this is not limiting, and water may be supplied from the right door 112 of the refrigerator compartment.

[0104] Furthermore, in the first to seventh embodiments, the refrigerator has refrigeration compartment 101 and freezer compartment 102, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have only refrigeration compartment 101.

[0105] Furthermore, in the first to seventh embodiments, a refrigerator in which the freezer compartment 102 is divided by a partition 108 has been exemplified, but this is not limited to this, and the freezer compartment 102 may not have a partition 108 and may not be divided.

[0106] In addition, in the first to seventh embodiments, the freezer compartment left door 113 and the freezer compartment right door 114 are connected by hinges 117 and are configured as double doors, but the present invention is not limited to this. The freezer compartment left door 113 and the freezer compartment right door 114 may be configured to open and close by drawing out the door using rails.

[0107] Furthermore, when second lid body 144b is supported on rear surface portion 111B by hinge 143 equipped with spring mechanism 301, handle 144c of second lid body 144b and the mating hook of rear surface portion 111B that fits therewith are not necessarily required. That is, when attaching water storage unit 142, second lid body 144b is lifted by hand, and water storage unit 142 is inserted into opening 141b, and at the same time, water storage unit 142 presses down second lid body 144b. Therefore, second lid body 144b is pressed by water storage unit 142, and hinge 143 equipped with spring mechanism 301 rotates toward the external space, and when attachment of water storage unit 142 is complete, second lid body 144b is fixed between water storage unit 142 and rear surface portion 111B. When removing the water storage unit 142, the opening 141b, which is the end of the pipe 141 on the storage chamber side after the piping 145 is removed, is automatically closed by the second lid 144b which rotates using the hinge 143 equipped with the spring mechanism 301. In this way, it is possible to save the user the trouble of closing the second lid 144b.

[0108] It should be noted that appropriate combinations, modifications, or omissions of the respective embodiments are also included within the scope of the technical ideas shown in the embodiments.

[0109] As described above, in the refrigerator according to the present disclosure, even when water storage unit 142 installed on the storage compartment side of the refrigerator door is removed, openings 141a, 141b at both ends of pipe portion 141 are closed by first lid 144a and second lid 144b. This makes it difficult for cool air inside the storage compartment of refrigerator 100 to leak out, maintaining the airtightness of the storage compartment and preventing condensation from forming on first lid 144a and second lid 144b due to the temperature difference between the interior and exterior spaces. This allows water storage unit 142 to be freely removed and cleaned while the refrigerator is in normal use (operation).

[0110] 22 Lid member, 50 Control device, 100 Refrigerator, 101 Refrigerating compartment, 102 Freezer compartment, 103 Shelf, 104 Partition, 105 Hinge, 106 Operation panel, 107 Receiving portion, 107a Recess, 108 Partition, 109 Shelf, 110 Box body, 110a Outer box, 110b Inner box, 110c Heat insulating material, 110d Upper wall portion, 110e Rear wall portion, 110f Left wall portion, 111 Left refrigerator compartment door, 111A Front portion, 111B Rear portion, 111C Heat insulating material, 111D Frame member, 111E Deformation portion, 111a Handle, 112 Right refrigerator compartment door, 112a Handle, 113 Left freezer compartment door, 113a Handle, 114 Right freezer door, 114a Handle, 117 Hinge, 118 Cooler, 119 Fan, 120 Ice making water storage container, 121 Food storage container, 122 Machine room, 123 Rear wall, 123a Air outlet, 124 Rear wall, 124a Air outlet, 125 Duct, 126 Control device, 127 First connection port, 128 Opening / closing valve, 129 First water guide path, 130 Cooling air duct, 130a Cold air outlet, 130b Cold air inlet, 131 Ice making device, 132 Ice making section, 133 Ice storage section, 134 Ice tray, 134a Ice making block, 135 Rotation mechanism, 136 Temperature sensor, 137 Rotation shaft, 138 Food storage container, 139 Water supply device, 140 operating lever, 141 pipe section, 141a opening, 141b opening, 141c peripheral section, 142 water storage unit, 143 hinge, 144 lid body, 144a first lid body, 144b second lid body, 144c handle, 144d fitting section, 145 piping section, 145a end section, 145b water supply port, 146 water storage container, 147 water supply port opening / closing section, 147a protrusion section, 147b water supply port, 148 opening / closing member, 149 spring, 150 supply pipe, 151 air layer, 200 refrigerator, 201a opening / closing section, 201b contact section, 300 refrigerator, 301 spring mechanism, 400 refrigerator, 401 magnetic member, 500 refrigerator, 501 First laminated lid body, 502 rib member, 503 lid member, 504 resin frame, 505 second laminated lid body, 506 rubber member, 507 still air layer, 510 sealing part, 600 refrigerator, 700 refrigerator.

Claims

1. A box having a storage chamber therein; a door for opening and closing the storage chamber at the front of the box body; A water supply device provided on the door and supplying water to the outside space, The water supply device is A water storage unit that is detachably attached to the door; A pipe portion provided in the door, having openings at both ends and communicating the storage chamber with the outside space; A first lid body having an opening / closing portion that closes the opening of the pipe portion on the outside space side, The water storage unit includes: a water storage container that is stored in the storage chamber with the door closed; A supply pipe connected to the water storage container, inserted into the pipe section from the storage chamber side and disposed in the pipe section, has a protruding portion protruding toward the outside space when attached to the door, and has a water supply port formed in the protruding portion. The first lid body is When the water storage unit is not attached to the door, the opening / closing part is closed to close the opening of the pipe part on the outside space side, thereby dividing the storage chamber and the outside space, When the water storage unit is attached to the door, the opening and closing part is pushed by the protruding part to open, exposing the water supply port of the protruding part to the outside space side, and the opening and closing part comes into contact with the supply pipe to separate the storage chamber from the outside space at the contact part. refrigerator.

2. The opening and closing portion has a shape formed by making a plurality of cuts radially from the center.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The door has a receiving portion in which a container for receiving water is placed, The receiving portion is provided on the exterior space side of the pipe portion, and the door has a recess that is recessed inward from the outer surface.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a second cover body attached to the door on the storage chamber side and closing the opening on the storage chamber side of the pipe portion; An air layer is formed in the pipe portion in a state where the opening on the storage chamber side and the opening on the external space side of the pipe portion are closed.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A handle is provided on a surface of the second lid body facing the storage chamber, The door has a fitting portion on the rear surface thereof that fits with the handle.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

6. The second lid body is The door is rotatably attached via a hinge having a spring mechanism that presses the opening of the tube portion on the storage chamber side in a closing direction.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

7. A magnetic member having a magnetic force in a direction that attracts the second lid body is provided on the peripheral portion of the opening on the storage chamber side of the pipe portion, or a magnetic member having a magnetic force in a direction that attracts the rear surface of the door is provided on the surface of the second lid body on the exterior space side.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

8. The second lid body is The rotor is rotatably provided in the tube.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

9. The second lid body is A plurality of plate-shaped cover members are stacked with gaps between them, and gas is sealed in the gaps.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

10. The second lid body is A sealing portion is provided to cover the side surfaces of the plurality of cover members and seal the gap. The refrigerator according to claim 9.

11. The sealing portion is The rubber material contains at least one of butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, and chloroprene rubber. The refrigerator according to claim 10.

12. The second lid body is A rib member is provided in the gap to support the adjacent cover members. The refrigerator according to claim 9.

13. The rib members are arranged to divide the gap into two or more spaces. Refrigerator according to claim 12.

14. The second lid body is A plurality of the rib members are provided, A rubber member is provided between the adjacent rib members and on one of the cover members. Refrigerator according to claim 12.

15. The supply pipe is a piping section connected to the water storage container, inserted into the pipe section from the storage chamber side, and disposed within the pipe section; a water supply port opening / closing part attached to the piping part and forming the protrusion part, When the water storage unit is attached to the door, the opening / closing part comes into contact with the water supply port opening / closing part, and the contact part separates the storage chamber from the outside space.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

16. The first lid is made of resin.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

17. The water storage container stores water, The water stored in the water storage container is supplied from the water supply port through the piping section.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.