Refrigerator

Abstract

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

Description

refrigerator

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator having a storage container inside the door.

[0002] Refrigerators are equipped with a storage container, known as a door pocket, behind the door. The storage container houses an egg holder, and by placing eggs in the holes in the egg holder, the eggs can be prevented from moving and kept inside the storage container. In such refrigerators, when the door is closed, the storage container restricts a certain volume of the storage space. Therefore, when there is no item stored in the storage container, the storage container unnecessarily narrows the storage space.

[0003] To address this issue, refrigerators have been proposed that have a detachable storage container attached to the inside of the door and that can be removed when not in use. Prior art refrigerators include a door and a storage pocket attached to the inside of the door, where the storage pocket has recesses formed in the lower corners of each of the left and right sides, and protrusions protruding vertically from the inside of the door to sandwich the storage pocket from the left and right, with protrusions formed on each protrusion corresponding to the recesses of the storage pocket. In such refrigerators, the storage pocket is attached to the door by inserting the recesses into the protrusions of the protrusions from above downward while the rear surface of the storage pocket abuts against the inside of the door (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-147202

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

[0006] However, if an attempt is made to reduce the size of the recess in order to increase the storage capacity of the pocket for small and medium-sized items, the following problems arise.

[0007] When miniaturizing the recess of the small and medium-sized pocket, the protrusion on the door side is also miniaturized to match the recess. Vacuum molding is commonly used to mold a protrusion that corresponds to the size of the recess described in Patent Document 1 integrally with the door. In vacuum molding, a sheet of thermoplastic resin is heated with a heater, the air between the molding die and the sheet of thermoplastic resin is evacuated with a vacuum pump, and the sheet of thermoplastic resin is pressed against the molding die to deform it, followed by cooling to form the shape. The thickness of the thermoplastic resin sheet before processing is approximately 0.8 mm to 2 mm.

[0008] In vacuum forming, when the front-to-back width of the convex portion on the door side is 4 mm or less, the thickness of the thermoplastic resin sheet before processing is approximately 0.8 mm to 2 mm. Therefore, during vacuum drawing, the sheet may not fit into the mold groove used to form the convex portion, or even if it does fit, it may not adhere tightly to the mold groove. In such cases, defects such as distortion of the convex portion after vacuum forming or failure to form the convex portion occur. Furthermore, even if the convex portion is formed as designed, the space inside the convex portion is narrow, so air or foaming gas may accumulate inside the convex portion when the urethane foam is injected, preventing the urethane foam from filling the space inside the convex portion. In such cases, the strength of the convex portion after molding decreases.

[0009] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a refrigerator that improves the storage capacity of storage containers by miniaturizing the protrusions provided on the ribs of the refrigerator door and arranging the recesses on the storage container side that correspond to the protrusions in the gaps between the corners of the egg trays and the corners of the storage container.

[0010] The present disclosure provides a refrigerator for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising: a box body having a storage compartment with an opening on the front; a door attached to the box body, which opens and closes at least a portion of the storage compartment in front of the front, and which has a first rib on its rear side that protrudes rearward when the storage compartment is closed; a first locking portion provided on the inner wall of the first rib and filled with resin; a storage container in which a storage space is formed by a rectangular bottom plate and side wall portions erected on the peripheral edge of the bottom plate, the side wall portion erected on one side of the bottom plate having a first fitting recess; and an egg tray having a plurality of holes formed therein for supporting eggs, and having short sides, long sides, and chamfered portions between the short and long sides on the periphery, and legs that support the tray against the bottom plate. The storage container is attached to the first rib with the first locking portion inserted into the first fitting recess, and when the egg tray is placed in the storage container, the first fitting recess is located inside the extension line of the long side and a line that passes through the connection between the chamfered portion and the short side and is parallel to the front side when the tray is viewed from above, and the distance in the long side direction between the short side and the side wall is smaller than the width in the long side direction of the first fitting recess, so that the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap when viewed from above.

[0011] In the refrigerator disclosed herein, a first locking portion provided on a rib of the refrigerator door is miniaturized by filling the interior with resin by injection molding, and a first fitting recess on the storage container side corresponding to the first locking portion is located inside a line extending from the long side of the tray and a line passing through the connection between the chamfered portion and the short side and parallel to the long side when the egg tray is placed in the storage container, with the tray being positioned such that the distance in the long side direction between the short side and the side wall is smaller than the width in the long side direction of the first fitting recess, and the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap in top view. With this configuration, the recess on the storage container side can be positioned in the gap between the corner of the egg tray and the corner of the storage container, improving the storage capacity of the storage container.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear side of the right refrigerator compartment door of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rear side of the right refrigerator compartment door according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a storage container removed from the right refrigerator compartment door. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the right refrigerator compartment door according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along lines A-A and B-B, respectively. FIG. 6 is a perspective view and a top view of a storage container and an egg tray according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of region D of the storage container and egg tray according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a side view and a perspective view of a storage container according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the rear side of the right refrigerator compartment door according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a storage container attached to the right refrigerator compartment door. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the right refrigerator compartment door according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 shows a top view of a storage container and an egg tray according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, an enlarged view of area G of the storage container, and a cross-sectional view of the right refrigerator door with the storage container attached to the door. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the storage container and egg tray according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure taken along line H-H. 3 shows a perspective view of the rear side of the right refrigerator door according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the right refrigerator door according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure taken along line J-J, and a cross-sectional view of the right refrigerator door with the storage container attached to the door.

[0013] An embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Components designated by the same reference numerals in each drawing are identical or equivalent, and this applies throughout the entire specification. The configurations of components shown in the drawings and the entire specification are merely illustrative and are not limited to those described in the specification. In particular, the shapes of components are not limited to those shown in the embodiments. The drawings may represent simplified versions of the actual structure. Furthermore, the size of each component and the relative positions of components in the drawings may differ from the actual ones. Unless otherwise specified, the definitions of up, down, left, and right are based on the direction of the refrigerator as viewed from a user standing in front of the refrigerator. The side of the refrigerator body (described below) on which an opening is formed is defined as the front, and the side on which a storage compartment is formed relative to the front is defined as the "rear." In this specification, the term "width direction" refers to the left-right direction defined above. In this specification, the term "depth direction" refers to the front-to-rear direction defined above. The term "up-down direction" refers to the height direction of the refrigerator. In the description of the refrigerator doors of the present disclosure, the description will be based on the arrangement of the doors when closed, unless otherwise specified. For example, even when describing a revolving door, the left and right directions are assumed to be the directions fixed to the door. Furthermore, in the description of the storage containers and ribs in this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the descriptions will be based on the arrangement when the containers and ribs are attached to the door and the door is closed (the storage chamber is closed by the door).

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

[0015] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1 with right refrigerator compartment door 14 open. Box body 1 has refrigerator compartment 7 that is opened or closed by right refrigerator compartment door 14 and left refrigerator compartment door 15. In Fig. 2, refrigerator compartment 7 is opened by right refrigerator compartment door 14.

[0016] The refrigerator 100 has multiple storage compartments 6 inside the case 1. The multiple storage compartments 6 include a refrigerator compartment 7, and below the refrigerator compartment 7, an ice-making compartment 8 (not shown) and a switchable compartment 9 (not shown) whose temperature range can be switched, arranged side by side. A freezer compartment 10 (not shown) is arranged below the ice-making compartment 8 and the switchable compartment 9, and a vegetable compartment 11 (not shown) is arranged below the freezer compartment 10. As shown in FIG. 2 , the refrigerator compartment 7 has an opening 13 on a front surface 12 of the case 1.

[0017] Refrigerator 100 is provided with a right refrigerator door 14, a left refrigerator door 15, an ice making compartment door 16, a switchable compartment door 17, a freezer door 18, and a vegetable compartment door 19 in front of refrigerator compartment 7, ice making compartment 8, switchable compartment 9, freezer compartment 10, and vegetable compartment 11, respectively, which open and close refrigerator compartment 7, ice making compartment 8, switchable compartment 9, freezer compartment 10, and vegetable compartment 11. Refrigerator right door 14 is rotatably fixed to case body 1 via first hinge 5a, and refrigerator left door 15 is rotatably fixed to case body 1 via second hinge 5b. Refrigerator right door 14 and left refrigerator door 15 partially open and close opening 13 (at least a part of refrigerator compartment 7) in front of front surface 12 of case body 1, thereby opening and closing refrigerator compartment 7 in a double door style. Ice making compartment door 16, selectable compartment door 17, freezer compartment door 18, and vegetable compartment door 19 are drawer-type doors that open and close ice making compartment 8, selectable compartment 9, freezer compartment 10, and vegetable compartment 11, respectively. Note that this embodiment is not limited to this, and refrigerator 100 may have a configuration in which refrigerator compartment 7 is opened and closed by a single refrigerator compartment door.

[0018] In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which refrigerator 100 includes multiple storage compartments 6, including refrigerator compartment 7, ice-making compartment 8, selectable compartment 9, freezer compartment 10, and vegetable compartment 11. However, the configuration of refrigerator 100 is not limited to this. For example, refrigerator 100 may be configured without ice-making compartment 8 or selectable compartment 9. Also, refrigerator 100 may be configured with freezer compartment 10 and vegetable compartment 11 reversed in position. The number of storage compartments 6 included in refrigerator 100 is not limited to five. The present disclosure is also applicable to cases in which all storage compartments 6 are refrigerator compartments or freezer compartments, and such cases are also referred to as a refrigerator. The door for opening and closing refrigerator compartment 7 may be a single, one-wing door.

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

[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the right refrigerator compartment door 14 provided in the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment, seen from the rear. The following describes the configuration of the right refrigerator compartment door 14 as the door 14. The door 14 has a front portion 25 that forms part of the front surface of the refrigerator 100 and the front surface of the door 14 when the door 14 is closed, a rear portion 27 that forms the rear side of the door 14, and a side portion 26 that forms the side surface of the door 14 between the front portion 25 and the rear portion 27. The front portion 25 is formed of glass, a steel plate, or the like. The side portion 26 is formed by a resin door frame 28. The rear portion 27 is formed of a resin such as polypropylene. Polypropylene is a material suitable for injection molding.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3 , the door 14 includes a rear surface portion 27 having a left rib 31, which is a first rib, and a right rib 32, which is a second rib. The rear surface portion 27 has a rear surface 30 between the left rib 31 and the right rib 32. The left rib 31 and the right rib 32 are provided on the rear side of the door 14 and protrude rearward when the door 14 is in a state where the refrigerator compartment 7 is closed. The left rib 31 and the right rib 32 protrude rearward from the rear surface 30 when the door 14 is in a state where the refrigerator compartment 7 is closed. The left rib 31 is provided to the left of the left-right center of the door 14 when viewed from the front when the door 14 is in a closed state. The right rib 32 is provided to the right of the left-right center of the door 14 when viewed from the front when the door 14 is in a closed state. The left rib 31 and the right rib 32 are structures for attaching a storage container 36 (described later) to the door 14, and are parallel to each other, have a predetermined width in the left-right direction, extend vertically, and protrude rearward of the door 14. The rear surface 27 is formed by resin injection molding. A fitting 34 is provided in the rear surface 27 along the door frame 28 so as to surround the left rib 31 and the right rib 32. A gasket 33 is inserted into the fitting 34 and attached to the rear surface 27.

[0022] Removably attached to the left rib 31 and the right rib 32 of the door 14 are, from top to bottom, a free pocket 35 for storing foodstuffs, a storage container 36 which is a pocket for small and medium-sized items for storing eggs, beverages, seasonings, etc., and a bottle pocket 37 for storing beverages, etc. Removably housed in the storage container 36 is an egg tray 38 for storing eggs in an aligned manner within the container 36. The eggs are, by way of example, chicken eggs, but are not limited to this.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the door 14 as viewed from the rear. In FIG. 4, the free pocket 35, the storage container 36, and the bottle pocket 37 have been removed from the door 14. The left rib 31 has a first inner wall 40, which is the side on which the free pocket 35, the storage container 36, and the bottle pocket 37 are attached, and is provided with a protrusion 45 for engaging the free pocket 35, a first locking portion 46 for engaging the storage container 36, and a protrusion 47 for engaging the bottle pocket 37, each of which protrudes outward. The right rib 32 has a second locking portion 48 for engaging the storage container 36, which protrudes outward from the second inner wall 41. The second locking portion 48 is indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 4. The protrusions on the right rib 32 for engaging the free pocket 35 and the bottle pocket 37 are omitted from FIG. 4.

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

[0025] Fig. 5(a) is an A-A cross-sectional view of the door 14, showing the first locking portion 46 provided on the left rib 31 and the surrounding area. Fig. 5(b) is a B-B cross-sectional view of the door 14, showing a horizontal cross-section of the left rib 31. Fig. 5(b) is a view showing the first locking portion 46 and the surrounding area from above. Although omitted in Figs. 5(a) and 5(b), a heat insulating material is arranged inside the door 14.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0034] In this embodiment, the first locking protrusion 51 and the second locking protrusion 151 are formed by injection molding, so the interiors of the first locking protrusion 51 and the second locking protrusion 151 can be filled with resin, eliminating the need for filling with foam insulation. This allows the depth and left-right widths of the first locking protrusion 51 and the second locking protrusion 151 to be smaller than those in the case of vacuum molding. Furthermore, the depth and left-right widths of the first fitting recess 68 and the first fitting recess 69 provided in the storage container 36, which will be described later, can also be smaller than conventional widths.

[0035] Furthermore, by providing the first reinforcing protrusion 50 from the first inner wall 40 of the left rib 31 to the rear surface 30 and providing the first locking protrusion 51 extending upward from the first reinforcing protrusion 50 on the first inner wall 40, the first reinforcing protrusion 50 functions as a support for supporting the bottom plate 61 of the storage container 36. The first reinforcing protrusion 50 is connected to the rear surface 30, the connecting surface 53, and the first inner wall 40 and is integrally molded with resin. The first reinforcing protrusion 50 reinforces the left rib 31 and suppresses deformation when urethane foam is filled inside the left rib 31. This eliminates the need for a jig that has been difficult to install in the past to hold down the area C between the first locking protrusion 51 and the rear surface 30, simplifying the manufacture of the door 14. Furthermore, when the left rib 31 is cooled by cold air from the refrigerator compartment 7, the air contained in the urethane foam inside the left rib 31 contracts, thereby reducing the left-right width of the left rib 31. However, in this embodiment, the first reinforcing projection 50 is connected to the rear surface 30, the connecting surface 53, and the first inner wall 40 and is integrally molded with resin, so that the left rib 31 is fixed to and reinforced by the rear surface 3. Therefore, by providing the first reinforcing projection 50 on the left rib 31, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the width of the left rib 31 in the left-right direction when the left rib 31 is cooled, and it is possible to reduce left-right rattle when the storage container 36 is attached to the left rib 31.

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

[0037] The storage container 36 attached to the first and second locking portions 46, 48 at the rear of the door 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b).

[0038] 6(a) and 6(b), the storage container 36 is a box-shaped storage container with an open top surface 60, and has a bottom plate 61 that supports stored items, and sidewall portions 62 that extend upward from the bottom plate 61. The outer side surface of the sidewall portions 62 is referred to as an outer surface 63. The bottom plate 61 and the sidewall portions 62 form a storage space S1 of the storage container 36. The bottom plate 61 and the sidewall portions 62 are integrally molded from resin.

[0039] The bottom plate 61 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape in a plan view. A side wall portion 62 is provided around the entire periphery of the bottom plate 61, extending upward from a peripheral edge portion 61b. The bottom plate 61 and the side wall portion 62 form the storage space S1 of the storage container 36. The bottom plate 61 has a pair of long sides 61b1 and 61b2 and a pair of short sides 61b3 and 61b4 at the peripheral edge portion 61b. The side wall portion 62 has a first long side wall portion 66a and a second long side wall portion 66b extending from the pair of long sides 61b1 and 61b2, respectively, and a first short side wall portion 66c and a second short side wall portion 66d extending from the pair of short sides 61b3 and 61b4, respectively. The side wall portion 62 has curved surface portions 65 (65a, 65b, 65c, and 65d) between the first long side wall portion 66a and the second long side wall portion 66b and the first short side wall portion 66c and the second short side wall portion 66d. The curved surface portions 65 correspond to the corners of the storage container 36. When the storage container 36 is attached to the door 14, of the four curved surface portions 65, the curved surface portion 65 between the first long side wall portion 66a and the first short side wall portion 66c (on the left front side) is referred to as the curved surface portion 65a, and the curved surface portion 65 between the first long side wall portion 66a and the second short side wall portion 66d (on the right front side) is referred to as the curved surface portion 65b. When the storage container 36 is attached to the door 14, the first long-side side wall 66a is located closer to the rear surface 30 (front side) than the second long-side side wall 66b. The first long-side side wall 66a is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 61. Furthermore, when the storage container 36 is attached to the door 14, the first short-side side wall 66c is located to the left of the first long-side side wall 66a, and the second short-side side wall 66d is located to the right. The first short-side side wall 66c is the first wall, and the second short-side side wall 66d is the second wall.

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

[0041] Egg tray 38 is a tray for holding eggs, such as chicken eggs, and is stored in storage container 36. Egg tray 38 is composed of tray 70, which is rectangular in top view, and legs 71 that bend downward at approximately right angles from the periphery of tray 70. Legs 71 are members for supporting tray 70 horizontally relative to bottom plate 61.

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

[0043] The tray 70 is formed with a plurality of holes 72 at equal intervals for supporting eggs. In FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b), six holes 72 are provided in the long side direction of the tray 70 and two holes 72 are provided in the short side direction, for a total of 12 holes 72. However, the number of holes 72 is not limited to this. The chamfered portions 73a, 73b, 73c, and 73d have their corners chamfered along the holes closest to the chamfered portions 73a, 73b, 73c, and 73d among the plurality of holes 72. For example, the chamfered portion 73a has its corner chamfered along the first hole 72a, which is closest to the chamfered portion 73a when the tray 70 is viewed from above. The first hole 72a is an opening for eggs that is formed among the holes 72 on the first long side 75a side (front side) and closest to the first short side 75c side (left side) of the tray 70.

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

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

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

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

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

[0049] In FIG. 8A , line L3 represents the connection between the tip portion 55 and the main body portion 56 when the first locking projection 51 is inserted into the first fitting recess 68, i.e., the line along which the portion of the first locking projection 51 indicated by line L1 in FIG. 5A is located. Point P3 represents the intersection of line L3 and the front end of the groove 76. In this embodiment, the first fitting recess 68 is formed in the first short-side side wall portion 66c so that point P3 is located rearward of the connection portion 78 of the storage container 36. Because point P3 is located rearward of the curved surface portion 65a, the depth of the groove 76 from the outer surface 63 (left surface 63a) can be constant at the position of line L3. This structure makes it more difficult for the first locking projection 51 to disengage from the first fitting recess 68 than when the groove 76 is provided across the curved surface portion 65a of the storage container 36 at all heights. With this configuration, the first fitting recess 68 and the groove 76 are wider toward the bottom while maintaining the locking ability of the first fitting recess 68. The depth direction width of the first locking protrusion 51 is shaped to widen toward the front toward the bottom. Therefore, the first fitting recess 68 and the groove 76 provided in the storage container 36 are wider toward the bottom to match the shape of the first locking protrusion 51, and the entrance 77 formed in the bottom surface 61 is provided across the curved surface portion 65a and the first short side wall portion 66c. This configuration makes it easier for the user to insert the first locking protrusion 51 into the first fitting recess 68 and attach the storage container 36 to the left rib 31.

[0050] The storage container 36 is attached to the door 14 as follows: The user brings the first long side wall portion 66a of the storage container 36 into contact with the rear surface 30 of the door 14 and slides the storage container 36 downward. This causes the first locking protrusion 51 of the first locking portion 46 on the left rib 31 to be inserted into the first fitting recess 68 of the storage container 36, and the second locking protrusion 151 of the second locking portion 48 on the right rib 32 to be inserted into the second fitting recess 69 of the storage container 36, thereby attaching the storage container 36 to the left rib 31 and the right rib 32 (i.e., the door 14). When the storage container 36 is attached to the door 14, the first reinforcing protrusion 50 and the second reinforcing protrusion 150 come into contact with the bottom plate 61 of the storage container 36 and support the storage container 36.

[0051] Figure 9 is a plan view of door 14 viewed from the rear with storage container 36 attached to door 14. Figure 10 is a cross section taken along line F-F in Figure 9, and is a top view of the periphery of first fitting recess 68 of storage container 36 with egg trays 38 stored in storage container 36 and storage container 36 attached to door 14.

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

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

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

[0055] When viewed from above, the first fitting recess 68 is located behind the front end P4 of the chamfered portion 73a and in front of the rear end P5 of the chamfered portion 73a. The chamfered portion 73a has an arc shape. The first fitting recess 68 is located between the first short-side side wall 66c of the storage container 36 and the chamfered portion 73a. This configuration effectively utilizes the gap S2 created by the difference in shape between the chamfered portion 73a, which is the corner of the egg tray 38, and the curved portion 65a, which is the corner of the storage container 36. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate notch for the fitting recess in the tray 70. Furthermore, the distance between the first short-side side wall 66c and the tray 70 in the direction parallel to the first long side 75a (left-right direction) can be narrower than the left-right width of the first fitting recess 68. Furthermore, when the storage container 36 is attached to the door 14, the first reinforcing protrusion 50 and the second reinforcing protrusion 150 support the bottom plate 61 of the storage container 36 from below, so even if the depth and left-right widths of the first locking protrusion 51 are reduced by injection molding, sufficient strength can be obtained.

[0056] The first fitting recess 68 is located within the gap S2 when the storage container 36 and the egg tray 38 are viewed from above. This eliminates the need for a notch in the tray 70 to avoid interference with the first fitting recess 68, improving the design of the tray 70. Furthermore, the multiple holes 72 formed in the tray 70 can be spaced farther to the left and right of the tray 70 than in the past, increasing the distance between the holes 72 and improving the strength of the egg tray 38. Furthermore, because the first fitting recess 68 and the tray 70 do not interfere with each other when viewed from above, the egg tray 38 can be stored upside down in the storage container 36 when not storing eggs. Furthermore, storing the egg tray 38 upside down in the storage container 36 simplifies temporary fixing during packaging. Furthermore, by making the storage container 36 and the egg tray 38 symmetrical in both the left-right and front-to-back directions, they can be attached to the left rib 31 and the right rib 32 even when the storage container 36 is rotated 180 degrees horizontally. Furthermore, even if the egg tray 38 is rotated 180 degrees horizontally, it can still be stored in the storage container 36.

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

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

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

[0060] Embodiment 2. A refrigerator 200 according to embodiment 2 will be described. In embodiment 2, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and descriptions of elements common to or corresponding to the elements described above will be simplified or omitted. In embodiment 1, first locking portion 46 provided on left rib 31 includes one first locking protrusion 51 on first reinforcing protrusion 50. However, in embodiment 2, first locking portion 203 provided on left rib 202 includes two locking protrusions on reinforcing protrusion 204. Furthermore, storage container 207 includes first fitting recess 209 and second fitting recess 210 on first short-side side wall portion 208, which is a wall portion corresponding to first short-side side wall portion 66c. The remaining configuration of refrigerator 200 according to embodiment 2 is the same as that of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1.

[0061] Figure 11(a) is a cross-section of door 201 in embodiment 2, taken at the same position as A-A in Figure 4. Figure 11(b) is a cross-section of door 201 in embodiment 2, taken at the same position as B-B in Figure 4. The first locking portion 203 in embodiment 2 will be described using Figures 11(a) and 11(b).

[0062] A first locking portion 203 for locking the storage container 207 is provided on an inner wall 211 of the left rib 202 and protrudes outward. A second locking portion 214 is also provided on an inner wall 213 of the right rib 212. The right rib 212 and the second locking portion 214 are configured symmetrically to the left rib 202 and the first locking portion 203, and therefore will not be described or illustrated. The first locking portion 203 includes a reinforcing protrusion 204, a first locking protrusion 205, and a second locking protrusion 206 located rearward of the first locking protrusion 205. The reinforcing protrusion 204 is longer in the depth direction than the first reinforcing protrusion 50 of the first embodiment and is integrally molded with the rear surface 30, the connecting surface 53, and the inner wall 211. A first locking protrusion 205 is provided on the inner wall 211, extending upward from the reinforcing protrusion 204 and protruding outward (to the right) from the inner wall 211. The shape and position of the first locking protrusion 205 relative to the inner wall 211 are the same as those of the first locking protrusion 51 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. The second locking protrusion 206 extends upward from the reinforcing protrusion 204 and protrudes outward (to the right) from the inner wall 211. The vertical width of the second locking protrusion 206 is smaller than that of the first locking protrusion 205. The second locking protrusion 206 includes, from top to bottom, a second tip portion 217 having a curved surface that is convex upward or a chamfered surface that is convex upward, and a second main body portion 218 that is below the second tip portion 217, has a shape that widens in the depth direction as it goes downward, and is connected to the reinforcing protrusion 204.

[0063] Figure 12(a) is a top view of storage container 207 in embodiment 2. Figure 12(b) is an enlarged view of region G in Figure 12(a). Figure 12(c) is a cross-sectional view taken at the same position as F-F in Figure 9, with egg tray 38 placed in storage container 207 and storage container 207 attached to left rib 202, showing region G and its surroundings. First fitting recess 209 and second fitting recess 210 in embodiment 2 will be described using Figures 12(a), 12(b), and 12(c).

[0064] The storage container 207 has a first fitting recess 209 and a second fitting recess 210 on a first short-side side wall 208 corresponding to the first short-side side wall 66c. The storage container 207 also has a third fitting recess 220 and a fourth fitting recess 221 on a second short-side side wall 219 corresponding to the second short-side side wall 66d. However, the third fitting recess 220 and the fourth fitting recess 221 are configured symmetrically to the first fitting recess 209 and the second fitting recess 210, respectively, and therefore will not be described here. The structure of the first fitting recess 209 is the same as that of the first fitting recess 68 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. The second fitting recess 210 is located rearward of the first fitting recess 209 and on the second long-side side wall 66b side. The second fitting recess 210 is formed inwardly in the first short side wall portion 208. The second fitting recess 210 is a structure into which the second locking protrusion 206 is inserted to attach the storage container 207 to the left rib 202. When the storage container 207 is attached to the left rib 202, the upper ends of the second fitting recess 210 and the second locking protrusion 206 are below the tray 70. In Figure 12(b), because the second fitting recess 210 is lower than the tray 70, the portion that overlaps with the tray 70 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0065] The first fitting recess 209 has a groove 222 therein. The configuration of the groove 222 is the same as that of the groove 76 in embodiment 1, so description thereof will be omitted. The second fitting recess 210 has a groove 223 therein. The groove 223 has a shape that substantially matches the shape of the second locking protrusion 206. Note that in Figures 12(b) and 12(c), the dashed lines in the first fitting recess 209 indicate the shapes of the groove 222 and the first locking protrusion 205 in a horizontal cross section passing through the tray 70, and the dashed lines in the second fitting recess 210 indicate the shapes of the groove 223 and the second locking protrusion 206 on the bottom surface 61a.

[0066] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the storage container 207 and egg tray 38 taken along the horizontal line H-H passing through the second fitting recess 210 in FIG. 12(b). FIG. 13 shows a cross-section of the storage container 207 and egg tray 38 with an egg 110 placed in the hole 72a and supported by the tray 70. The upper end of the second fitting recess 210 is lower than the tray 70. Furthermore, the second fitting recess 210 and the groove 223 are configured to slope inward (to the right) toward the bottom surface 61a of the storage container 207 so as to widen downward in the horizontal direction. The second fitting recess 210 does not interfere with the egg 110. This structure allows the space between the egg 110 and the bottom plate 61 to be effectively utilized as space for installing the second fitting recess 210.

[0067] In refrigerator 200 of the second embodiment, in addition to first locking protrusion 205, second locking protrusion 206 is provided on left rib 202. First locking protrusion 205 is inserted into first fitting recess 209, and second locking protrusion 206 is inserted into second fitting recess 210, thereby attaching storage container 207 to left rib 202. Therefore, compared to refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, when a force is applied to storage container 207 or when door 201 is opened or closed, movement of storage container 207 in the front-to-rear direction relative to door 201 is more suppressed. Furthermore, rotation of storage container 207 about an axis in the left-to-right direction is suppressed. Therefore, compared to refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, rattle of storage container 207 and its falling off door 14 are suppressed. Furthermore, because the left rib 202 has the second locking protrusion 206, once a portion of the corresponding first locking protrusion 205 or second locking protrusion 206 fits into either the first fitting recess 209 or the second fitting recess 210, the weight of the storage container 207 causes the first locking protrusion 205 to abut against and enter the first fitting recess 209, or the second locking protrusion 206 to abut against and enter the second fitting recess 210, so that the first locking protrusion 205 is inserted into the first fitting recess 209 and the second locking protrusion 206 is inserted into the second fitting recess 210. Therefore, the storage container 207 can be attached to the left rib 202 more easily than in the first embodiment. In addition, the first locking protrusion 205 has a structure that extends downward and toward the front, and the second locking protrusion 206 has a structure that extends downward and toward the rear, and the first mating recess 209 and the second mating recess 210 are provided with inclined surfaces that correspond to the first locking protrusion 205 and the second locking protrusion 206, respectively, so that the openings on the bottom surfaces 61a of the first mating recess 209 and the second mating recess 210 are widened, making it easier for the first locking protrusion 205 and the second locking protrusion 206 to be inserted, respectively.

[0068] When left rib 202 and right rib 212 of door 201 are cooled by the cold air in refrigerator compartment 7, the air in the urethane foam inside contracts, causing the distance between them to increase. Therefore, if first locking protrusion 205 is made smaller, when it is attached to first fitting recess 209, the left-right overlap with first fitting recess 209 decreases due to cooling, which could cause first locking protrusion 205 to come off first fitting recess 209 and cause storage container 207 to fall. In refrigerator 200 of embodiment 2, to prevent such falling, first locking portion 203 is provided with reinforcing protrusion 204 that extends horizontally. Reinforcing protrusion 204 has a trapezoidal or fan-shaped shape that extends left and right toward the rear when viewed from above with door 14 closing refrigerator compartment 7. Because the reinforcing protrusions 204 have such a shape, even if the left rib 202 and the right rib 212 are cooled by cooling the refrigerator compartment 7 and the distance between the left rib 202 and the right rib 212 increases, an overlapping area between the storage container 207 and the reinforcing protrusions 204 can be secured, thereby preventing the storage container 207 from falling. Furthermore, because the width in the left-right direction of the second locking protrusions 206 is greater than the width in the left-right direction of the first locking protrusions 205, an overlapping area between the second locking protrusions 206 and the second fitting recesses 210 can be secured, thereby preventing the storage container 207 from falling, even if the distance between the left rib 202 and the right rib 212 increases by cooling.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first locking protrusion 205 is provided on the rear surface 30 side of the center in the front-to-rear direction of the left rib 202. Therefore, the first locking protrusion 205 is less susceptible to deformation caused by cooling of the left rib 202 and the right rib 212, and even if the first locking protrusion 205 is made smaller, an overlapping margin with the first fitting recess 209 can be ensured.

[0070] Embodiment 3. A refrigerator 300 according to embodiment 3 will be described. Similar to embodiment 2, embodiment 3 will be described mainly focusing on differences from embodiment 1. Elements common to or corresponding to embodiment 1 are given common names, and descriptions thereof will be simplified or omitted. In embodiment 1, first locking portion 46 includes one first locking projection 51 on first reinforcing projection 50, and storage container 36 includes first fitting recess 68 on first short-side side wall 66c. In embodiment 3, first locking portion 303 includes two locking projections on reinforcing projection 304, and storage container 305 includes one fitting recess on first short-side side wall 306 corresponding to first short-side side wall 66c and first long-side side wall 307 corresponding to first long-side side wall 66a. The other configurations of the refrigerator 300 of the third embodiment are common to the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment.

[0071] FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of door 301 included in refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15(a) is a cross-sectional view of door 301 taken along the line J-J. J-J corresponds to the line B-B in the first embodiment. FIG. 15(b) is a top view of the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 of storage container 305, with egg tray 38 placed in storage container 305 and storage container 305 attached to door 301. FIG. 15(b) is a cross-sectional view of door 301 and storage container 305 taken at the same position as F-F in FIG. 9. The door 301 and storage container 305 according to the third embodiment will be described using FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b). A first locking portion 303 for locking storage container 305 is provided on inner wall 308 of left rib 302 constituting door 301 and protrudes outward. A second locking portion 324 is also provided on the inner wall 310 of the right rib 309, but since it has a bilaterally symmetrical configuration with the first locking portion 303, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] The reinforcing protrusion 304 provided on the door 301 is integrally formed by injection molding, connecting with the rear surface 311, the connecting surface 312, and the inner wall 308 of the left rib 302. The reinforcing protrusion 304 has a configuration in which a first protrusion 315 extending along the inner wall 308 is connected to a second protrusion 316 extending along the rear surface 311, and has an L-shape in top view. A first locking protrusion 317 is provided on the first protrusion 315. The first locking protrusion 317 has the same structure as the first locking protrusion 51 of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. A second locking protrusion 318 is provided on the second protrusion 316. The second locking protrusion 318 is provided above the second protrusion 316 and protrudes rearward from the rear surface 311. The reinforcing projection 304, the first locking projection 317 and the second locking projection 318 are integrally formed continuously by injection molding.

[0073] The storage container 305 has a first fitting recess 319 on the first short-side sidewall 306 and a second fitting recess 320 on the first long-side sidewall 307. The first fitting recess 319 has the same structure as the first fitting recess 68 of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The second fitting recess 320 is formed to protrude from the first long-side sidewall 307 toward the inside (rear side) of the storage container 305. As shown in FIG. 15( b), the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 are connected by a connecting portion 321. The first fitting recess 319, the second fitting recess 320, the connecting portion 321, the bottom plate 61, and the sidewall 322 corresponding to the sidewall 66 are integrally molded by resin injection molding.

[0074] The first locking protrusion 317 and the second locking protrusion 318 extend vertically, and when the first long side wall portion 307 of the storage container 305 is brought into contact with the rear surface 311 of the door 301 and the storage container 305 is slid downward, the first locking protrusion 317 is inserted into the first mating recess 319 and the second locking protrusion 318 is inserted into the second mating recess 320, and the storage container 305 is attached to the left rib 302 and the rear surface 311.

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

[0076] In the third embodiment, the storage container 305 has a first fitting recess 319 on the first short-side sidewall 306 and a second fitting recess 320 on the first long-side sidewall 307. Therefore, when the storage container 305 is attached to the door 301, the second locking protrusion 318 is inserted into the second fitting recess 320, and the first long-side sidewall 307 is attached to the rear surface 311. Therefore, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the left-right movement of the storage container 305 is restricted, and wobbling in the left-right direction is suppressed. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 are connected by a connecting portion 321 and are integrally molded from resin. This allows the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 to reinforce each other, thereby improving the strength of the first fitting recess 319 and the second fitting recess 320 in addition to the effects of embodiment 1.

[0077] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...box body, 2...outer box, 3...inner box, 5...hinge, 6...storage compartment, 7...refrigerator compartment, 12...front, 13...opening, 14...right refrigerator compartment door, 15...left refrigerator compartment door, 20...rear, 25...front, 26...side, 27...rear surface, 30...rear, 31...left side rib, 32...right side rib, 36...storage container, 38...egg tray, 40...inner side wall, 46...first locking portion, 48...second locking portion, 48...protrusion, 50...reinforcing protrusion , 51...engaging protrusion, 53...connecting surface, 55...tip portion, 56...main body portion, 57...connecting portion, 60...upper surface, 61...bottom plate, 62...side wall portion, 63...outer surface, 65...curved surface portion, 66...side wall portion, 67...fitting recess, 68...first fitting recess, 69...second fitting recess, 70...tray, 71...support portion, 72...hole, 73...chamfered portion, 74...corner portion, 75...periphery, 76...groove, 77...inlet, 78...connecting portion

Claims

1. A box body in which a storage chamber having an opening in the front is formed, A door attached to the box body, opening and closing at least a part of the storage chamber in front of the front surface, and having a first rib protruding rearward provided on the rear side in a state where the storage chamber is closed, A first locking portion provided on the inner wall of the first rib and filled with resin inside, A container in which a storage space is formed by a bottom plate having a rectangular shape in plan view and side wall portions erected on the peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and the storage container having a first fitting recess in a wall portion erected on one side of the bottom plate among the side wall portions, An egg tray having a plurality of holes for supporting eggs, a short side and a long side at the periphery, and a chamfered portion between the short side and the long side, and legs erected on the tray for supporting the tray with respect to the bottom plate, The storage container is attached to the first rib by inserting the first locking portion into the first fitting recess, In a state where the egg tray is stored in the storage container, the first fitting recess is provided inside an extension line of the long side and a line parallel to the long side passing through a connection portion between the chamfered portion and the short side when the tray is viewed from above, a distance in the long side direction between the short side and the side wall portion is smaller than a width in the long side direction of the first fitting recess, and the tray and the first fitting recess do not overlap when viewed from above, A refrigerator.

2. The bottom plate has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides at the peripheral edge, The side wall portion has a pair of long side wall portions erected along the pair of long sides of the bottom plate and a pair of short side wall portions erected along the pair of short sides of the bottom plate, One of the pair of short side wall portions is the wall portion, The side wall portion has curved surface portions having curved surfaces between the wall portion and the pair of long side wall portions, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting recess is provided to extend upward from the bottom plate along a connection portion between the wall portion and a curved surface portion adjacent to the wall portion.

3. The first locking portion has a first locking protrusion inserted into the first fitting recess, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first locking protrusion has a shape that widens downward.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first locking protrusion has a shape that widens downward and forward when the door is viewed from the front in a state where the storage chamber is closed by the door.

5. The first locking portion includes a first locking protrusion inserted into the first fitting recess and a reinforcing protrusion extending in the depth direction, the first locking protrusion is in contact with the reinforcing protrusion and extends upward from the reinforcing protrusion, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein in a state where the storage container is attached to the first rib, the reinforcing protrusion contacts the bottom plate to support the storage container.

6. A second rib extending rearward is provided on the rear side of the door, The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the door has a rear surface between the first rib and the second rib, and the reinforcing protrusion is connected to the rear surface and the inner side wall and integrally formed.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing protrusion has a shape that widens left and right toward the rear in a state where the storage chamber is closed by the door.

8. The first locking portion includes a second locking protrusion behind the first locking protrusion, a second fitting recess is provided in the wall portion, the first locking protrusion is inserted into the first fitting recess, the second locking protrusion is inserted into the second fitting recess, and the storage container is attached to the first rib. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein in a state where the storage container is attached to the first rib, the second locking protrusion is below the tray, and the left and right width of the second locking protrusion is larger than the left and right width of the first locking protrusion.

10. The bottom plate has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides at the peripheral edge, the side wall portion has a pair of long side wall portions erected along the pair of long sides of the bottom plate and a pair of short side wall portions erected along the pair of short sides of the bottom plate, a second locking protrusion is provided on the rear surface, a second fitting recess is provided in the long side wall portion attached to the rear surface among the pair of long side wall portions, the first locking protrusion and the second locking protrusion are respectively inserted into the first fitting recess and the second fitting recess, and the storage container is attached to the first rib and the rear surface. The refrigerator according to claim 6.

11. the first fitting recess and the second fitting recess are connected by a connecting portion, The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the first fitting recess, the second fitting recess and the connecting portion are integrally formed of resin.

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

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the chamfered portion is chamfered linearly when the tray is viewed from above.

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