JP7577390B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator that reduces manufacturing costs by fixing the vacuum insulation material in a state where it is pressed against the inner box using an insulating correction member, thereby improving workability.

In a typical refrigerator, a storage compartment is formed inside an insulated box, and the front opening of this storage compartment is closed by an insulated door that can be opened and closed. The insulated box is made of an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin plate placed inside the outer box, and insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box.

Urethane foam is generally used as the insulating material filled into the insulated box of a refrigerator. However, to further reduce the energy consumption of refrigerators, an insulating material with higher insulating properties than urethane foam is preferable.

For this reason, vacuum insulation materials are sometimes used as the insulation material built into the insulated box. Vacuum insulation materials are made by vacuum-packing fibrous inorganic materials such as glass wool, and have an insulating effect ten or more times greater than that of urethane foam. With this configuration, the vacuum insulation material can effectively insulate the storage compartment from the outside, and the energy required for the refrigerator's cooling operation can be reduced.

The configuration of a conventional refrigerator 100 that uses vacuum insulation material will be described with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional refrigerator 100.

As shown in FIG. 12, the refrigerator 100 has an outer box 101 and an inner box 102, and a storage chamber 107 is formed inside the inner box 102. In addition, foam insulation material 103 and vacuum insulation material 104 are arranged between the outer box 101 and the inner box 102 as insulation materials. The vacuum insulation material 104 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box 101. In addition, a pipe 106 through which a refrigerant flows is arranged on the inner surface of the outer box 101. Therefore, a groove 105 is formed on the outer surface of the vacuum insulation material 104 in accordance with the pipe 106.

Patent No. 4111096

However, the refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 12 had room for improvement in terms of insulation of the refrigerator 100 and the manufacturing method of the refrigerator 100.

In the refrigerator 100, the vacuum insulation material 104 is arranged on the outer box 101 side. However, there are areas at the four corners of the outer box 101 where the vacuum insulation material 104 is not arranged, and there is a problem that heat can enter the storage chamber 107 from these areas, making it difficult to fully achieve the insulation effect.

In addition, in the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 100, it is necessary to attach the vacuum insulation material 104 to the inner surface of the outer box 101 using an adhesive, but there is a problem that performing the adhesive process increases the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator 100.

In addition, since pipes 106 through which a refrigerant flows are arranged on the inner surface of the outer box 101, grooves 105 for installing the pipes 106 must be formed in the vacuum insulation material 104 to improve heat dissipation from the pipes 106. Therefore, grooves 105 must be formed in the vacuum insulation material 104 to match the piping path of the pipes 106, which poses the problem of increased manufacturing costs for the refrigerator 100.

To solve the above problem, a structure in which the vacuum insulation material 104 is arranged along the inner box 102 can be considered. If the bonding process is omitted from the viewpoint of manufacturing costs, there is a risk of gaps occurring between the vacuum insulation material 104 and the inner box 102 in the curved regions at both ends of the vacuum insulation material 104 in the longitudinal direction. If the foam insulation material 103 penetrates into the gap and rises between the vacuum insulation material 104 and the inner box 102, an unfilled region of the foam insulation material 103 will occur between the vacuum insulation material 104 and the outer box 101, and the outer appearance of the outer box 101 will be poor due to the unfilled region, which may result in a decrease in yield.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a refrigerator that reduces manufacturing costs by fixing the vacuum insulation material in a pressed state against the inner box using an insulating correction member, improving workability.

In a first aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerator is provided with an insulated box in which a storage compartment is formed, a refrigeration cycle that cools the air blown into the storage compartment, and a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant for the refrigeration cycle flows. The insulated box has an outer box that forms the outer surface of the insulated box, an inner box that is disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating material that is disposed in the heat insulating space between the outer box and the inner box. The heat insulating material is disposed in the heat insulating space on at least both sides in the width direction of the insulated box, and includes vacuum heat insulating material having its longitudinal direction in the height direction of the insulated box, and foam filling in the heat insulating space. and a foam insulation material that is fixed to the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, and at least a portion of a spacer is attached to one end of the vacuum insulation material located at the front side in the depth direction of the insulation box, and at the other end of the vacuum insulation material located at the rear side in the depth direction of the insulation box, a plurality of insulating correction members are arranged between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material and have their longitudinal direction in the depth direction of the insulation box, and the insulating correction members are fixed to the insulation space in a state where the vacuum insulation material is pressed against the inner box. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is fixed in a state where it is pressed against the inner box by the insulating correction members, and the work of attaching the vacuum insulation material to the inner box with an adhesive or the like is not necessary, and manufacturing costs are reduced.

In addition, in a second aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material is pressed against the inner box by the spacer and the insulating straightening member. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is fixed in a state where it is pressed against the inner box by the spacer and the insulating straightening member. This improves the workability of assembling the vacuum insulation material, and reduces the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator.

In addition, in a third aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the insulating straightening member is elastically deformed within the insulation space, so that the vacuum insulation material adheres closely to the inner box. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is pressed by the insulating straightening member within the insulation space, and is fixed in a state of adherence to the inner box. This improves the ease of assembly of the vacuum insulation material, and reduces the manufacturing costs of the refrigerator.

In addition, in a fourth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer has a notched portion that fixes the position of the one end side of the vacuum insulation material. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is stably positioned within the insulation space and fixed in a state pressed against the inner box. This improves the ease of assembly of the vacuum insulation material and reduces the manufacturing costs of the refrigerator.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material is fixed in a pressed state against the inner box by the insulating correction member, improving workability and reducing manufacturing costs.

1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of the refrigerator from the front, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of an outer box seen from the front, and (B) is a perspective view of an inner box seen from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a heat insulating correction member according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an oblique view showing the spacer, (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration in which the spacer is assembled to a vacuum insulation material, and (C) is an oblique view showing the configuration in which the spacer is assembled to a vacuum insulation material. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a rear view of a heat-insulating straightening member seen from the rear, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator, and FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views of a refrigerator for explaining a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views illustrating a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views of a refrigerator for explaining a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional refrigerator.

The refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the refrigerator 10 when viewed from the front, and the front-rear direction refers to the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, when describing this embodiment, the same reference numbers are used for the same components as a general rule, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

The schematic configuration of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1(A) is a perspective view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment as seen from the front. FIG. 1(B) is a side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. Note that in FIG. 1(B), the flow of cold air is indicated by arrows.

As shown in Fig. 1(A) and Fig. 1(B), the refrigerator 10 has a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13 formed as storage compartments inside an insulated box 11. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is blocked by an insulated door 34 so as to be freely opened and closed, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is blocked by an insulated door 35 so as to be freely opened and closed. The insulated doors 34 and 35 are rotating doors whose right ends are rotatably supported on the insulated box 11. Note that drawer-type doors may also be used as the insulated doors 34 and 35.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a cooling chamber 27 is defined behind the freezing chamber 13, and an evaporator 26 is disposed in the cooling chamber 27. A machine chamber 14 is defined behind the bottom of the insulated box 11, and a compressor 29 is disposed in the machine chamber 14. The evaporator 26 and the compressor 29 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) via refrigerant piping 18 (see FIG. 2A), forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. A defrost heater 20 is disposed below the evaporator 26 to melt frost on the evaporator 26.

A blower 28 is disposed above the cooling chamber 27, and the cold air inside the cooling chamber 27 cooled by the evaporator 26 is blown via the blower 28 to the refrigerator chamber 12 and the freezer chamber 13. A damper 19 is disposed in the air path to the refrigerator chamber 12. Here, a control device (not shown) detects the temperature inside the refrigerator chamber 12 with a sensor (not shown) and controls the opening and closing of the damper 19. Then, the flow rate of cold air to the refrigerator chamber 12 is adjusted to keep the temperature inside the refrigerator chamber 12 constant.

By the above control by the control device, the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to the refrigerator temperature range, and the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to the freezer temperature range. Then, the cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 returns to the cooling compartment 27 via the return air duct.

As shown in the figure, the insulating box 11 mainly comprises an outer box 15 made of a steel plate that forms the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 16 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 15, and a thermal insulating material 17 disposed in the insulating space 50 between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16.

The insulating material 17 used is a foam insulating material 17A and a vacuum insulating material 17B. For example, foamed urethane is used as the foam insulating material 17A. For example, vacuum insulating material 17B is used, which is made by storing an aggregate of fibers such as glass in a bag and creating a vacuum inside the bag.

The configuration of the outer box 15 and inner box 16 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2(A) is a perspective view of the outer box 15 of this embodiment as seen from below the front. Figure 2(B) is a perspective view of the inner box 16 of this embodiment as seen from below the front. Note that in the description of the outer box 15, reference will be made to Figure 6(A) as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the outer box 15 is formed by bending a thin steel plate with a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The outer box 15 mainly has an outer box back panel 15A (see FIG. 6(A)), outer box side panels 15B formed from the left and right ends of the outer box back panel 15A toward the front, and an outer box top panel 15C formed from the upper end of the outer box back panel 15A toward the front.

The outer box side panel 15B and the outer box top panel 15C are integrally formed by bending a single steel plate into a U-shape. Refrigerant pipes 18, through which the refrigerant used in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle flows, are attached to the inner surfaces of the outer box side panel 15B and the outer box top panel 15C with aluminum tape 32.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the inner box 16 is a synthetic resin molded body vacuum-formed into a predetermined shape. The inner box 16 mainly comprises an inner box back panel 16A, inner box side panels 16B formed from the left and right ends of the inner box back panel 16A toward the front, an inner box top panel 16C formed from the upper end of the inner box back panel 16A toward the front, and an inner box bottom panel 16D formed from the lower end of the inner box back panel 16A toward the front. In addition, a heat-insulating partition wall 33 is formed in the vertical middle of the inner box back panel 16A to separate the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

The thickness of the resin constituting the inner box 16 is preferably 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm, more preferably 0.7 mm to 1.5 mm. By making the thickness of the inner box 16 within this range, the strength of the inner box 16 can be sufficiently ensured, and deformation of the inner box 16 is prevented during the process of filling with the foam insulation material 17A (see Figure 1 (B)) in the manufacturing process.

The heat-insulating straightening member 40 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the heat-insulating straightening member 40 of this embodiment. In addition, in the description of the heat-insulating straightening member 40, FIG. 6 (A) will be referred to as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The length L1 of the heat-insulating straightening member 40 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 250 mm or more and 350 mm or less. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 preferably has a length at least half that of the inner box 16 (see FIG. 2B) in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box body 11 (see FIG. 1B), and more preferably has a length of about 2/3 that of the inner box 16 in the depth direction. On the other hand, the length L2 of the heat-insulating straightening member 40 in the lateral direction is preferably about 50 mm. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 has a cutout surface 43 on both longitudinal end faces 41 and 42, each of which is C-faced.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is disposed in the heat-insulating space 50 between the vacuum heat-insulating material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 has a thickness T2 of about 25 mm, and is a member that presses and fixes the vacuum heat-insulating material 17B against the inner box side panel 16B, and corrects the curved shape of the vacuum heat-insulating material 17B. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 is an elastic member, and is formed from, for example, a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene, polyethylene resin, or polyethylene foam, and does not deteriorate the heat-insulating efficiency of the refrigerator 10 even if it is disposed in the heat-insulating space 50. Furthermore, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is compressed and deformed along the shape of the refrigerant pipe 18 at the contact point with the refrigerant pipe 18. This prevents the design surface of the outer box 15 from becoming uneven in the area where the refrigerant pipe 18 is disposed, which leads to poor appearance.

As shown in the figure, the cutout surface 43 is formed on each of the end faces 41, 42 of the heat insulating straightening member 40, and the cutout surface 43 is formed at a diagonal position in the longitudinal direction. However, this structure is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cutout surface 43 may be formed on either one of the end faces 41, 42 of the heat insulating straightening member 40.

The spacer 30 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4(A) is a perspective view showing the spacer 30 of this embodiment. Figure 4(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the spacer 30 attached to the vacuum insulation material 17B of this embodiment. Figure 4(C) is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the spacer 30 attached to the vacuum insulation material 17B of this embodiment. Note that in the description of the spacer 30, reference will be made to Figure 7(A) as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), the spacer 30 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with each corner chamfered. When the spacer 30 is viewed from the front of the paper in FIG. 4(A), the spacer 30 has a cross-sectional shape with the upper left portion of the paper cut out. The spacer 30 mainly has a first adhesive surface 30A that is a flat surface facing the left side of the paper, and a second adhesive surface 30B that is a flat surface facing upward on the paper and perpendicularly intersects with the first adhesive surface 30A. The height L3 of the spacer 30 is preferably 10 mm or more and less than 50 mm.

The spacer 30 is made of a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene. By using a foamed resin material as the spacer 30, the spacer 30 is appropriately compressed and deformed when it is inserted into the insulation space 50, as shown in FIG. 7(A). Then, by utilizing the repulsive force generated by the spacer 30, the vacuum insulation material 17B is pressed against the inner box side panel 16B and is firmly fixed in the desired position.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the spacer 30 is attached to the end of the vacuum insulation material 17B on the lower side of the paper. The first adhesive surface 30A of the spacer 30 is adhered to the side near the bottom surface of the vacuum insulation material 17B on the right side of the paper. Meanwhile, the second adhesive surface 30B of the spacer 30 is adhered to the bottom surface of the vacuum insulation material 17B on the lower side of the paper. An adhesive tape or adhesive is used to adhere the vacuum insulation material 17B to the spacer 30.

As shown in FIG. 4(C), the vacuum insulation material 17B has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction of the page, and multiple spacers 30 are attached to the side edge at the front of the page. In this embodiment, two spacers 30 are attached near the center and near the lower end of the longitudinal side edge of the vacuum insulation material 17B. By attaching multiple spacers 30 to the vacuum insulation material 17B, the vacuum insulation material 17B is more stably positioned and assembled in the insulation box 11.

The structure of the insulation space 50 between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16 of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 (A) is a rear view of the vacuum insulation material 17B of this embodiment as seen from the rear side of the refrigerator 10. Figure 5 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, in which the refrigerator 10 is cut in the vertical direction at the middle of the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

Figure 5 (A) shows three patterns of the shape of the vacuum insulation material 17B as an example. The vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged on the side of the refrigerator 10 in the width direction and along the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10, and has a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately the same as the length in the height direction of the inner box 16. The thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 17B is manufactured within the range of 15 mm ± 1 mm. As shown in the center of Figure 5 (A), it is preferable that the shape of the vacuum insulation material 17B is linear along the longitudinal direction of the vacuum insulation material 17B. However, as shown on both sides of Figure 5 (A), there are also vacuum insulation materials on the market in which both ends of the longitudinal direction of the vacuum insulation material 17B are curved in the left-right direction of the page.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the refrigerant pipes 18 are fixed to the inner surface of the outer box 15. In the insulation spaces 50 on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10, the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged in approximately close contact with the inner box side panel 16B of the inner box 16 on the refrigerator compartment 12 side. On the other hand, on the freezer compartment 13 side, the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged in approximately close contact with the rail portion 49 that guides the storage container or its reinforcing plate. In the area where the rail portion 49 is not formed, the foam insulation material 17A is filled between the inner box side panel 16B and the vacuum insulation material 17B. Similarly, the foam insulation material 17A is also filled in the insulation partition wall 33 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

As described above with reference to FIG. 5(A), vacuum insulation material 17B is also available on the market in which both ends of the longitudinal direction are curved in the left-right direction of the page. If there is a process for attaching vacuum insulation material 17B to inner box side panel 16B, the curved shape of vacuum insulation material 17B does not pose a problem, but the process for attaching vacuum insulation material 17B increases manufacturing costs.

Therefore, in this embodiment, two each of the insulating correction members 40 and spacers 30 are arranged in the insulation space 50 on both the left and right sides of the width direction of the refrigerator 10 together with the vacuum insulation material 17B. The process of attaching the vacuum insulation material 17B is omitted, reducing manufacturing costs, and the curved shape of the vacuum insulation material 17B is corrected, achieving close contact between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B.

Specifically, the heat-insulating straightening members 40 are disposed on the rear side of the refrigerator 10 at positions slightly below the inner box top panel 16C of the inner box 16. The heat-insulating straightening members 40 are also disposed on the rear side of the refrigerator 10 at the upper level of the freezer compartment 13. Meanwhile, the spacers 30 are disposed on the front side of the refrigerator 10 at positions slightly above the inner box bottom panel 16D of the inner box 16. The spacers 30 are also disposed on the front side of the refrigerator 10 at the middle level of the refrigerator compartment 12. In other words, the heat-insulating straightening members 40 and the spacers 30 are alternately disposed at the desired intervals in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10, thereby realizing adhesion between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B.

The cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 (A) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, cut along the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 in the area where the heat-insulating correction member 40 is arranged. Figure 6 (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area circled 51 shown in Figure 6 (A).

As shown in FIG. 6(A), first, on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10, the insulating space 50 between the inner box side panel 16B and the outer box side panel 15B is provided with an insulating correction member 40 and a vacuum insulating material 17B. The vacuum insulating material 17B is in almost intimate contact with the inner box side panel 16B, continuing from near the front end of the inner box side panel 16B to near the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

Meanwhile, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is inserted into the heat-insulating space 50 from the rear side of the refrigerator 10 and is arranged so as to abut the refrigerant pipe 18 and the vacuum insulation material 17B. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 is arranged in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10, at least from the vicinity of the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B to its central region. As shown in the figure, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 abuts two refrigerant pipes 18.

Specifically, the width W1 of the insulation space 50 is 40 mm. As described above, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 17B is 15 mm, the thickness T2 of the insulating correction member 40 is 25 mm, and the thickness T3 of the refrigerant piping 18 is 4 mm. With this structure, the total thickness of the above members in the area where the refrigerant piping 18 is installed is 44 mm, which is thicker than the width W1 of the insulation space 50.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the insulating straightening member 40 is made of a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene, and at the contact point with the refrigerant pipe 18, it is compressed and deformed inward by about 4 mm to conform to the shape of the refrigerant pipe 18. This structure generates a repulsive force from the compressed insulating straightening member 40 toward the inner box side panel 16B, and the insulating straightening member 40 presses the vacuum insulation material 17B toward the inner box side panel 16B. The improved adhesion between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B prevents the vacuum insulation material 17B from moving inadvertently when forming the foam insulation material 17A during the manufacturing process.

As shown in the figure, three rows of refrigerant pipes 18 are arranged approximately parallel to each other in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10, and the refrigerant pipe 18 located in the middle is located approximately in the center of the inner box side panel 16B. The insulating correction member 40 is supported in a balanced manner by two rows of refrigerant pipes 18 from the rear side of the inner box 16, and is arranged to be as parallel as possible to the inner box side panel 16B and the outer box side panel 15B. With this structure, the insulating correction member 40 can improve the adhesion between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B even on the front side of the vacuum insulation material 17B that is not in contact with the insulating correction member 40 by pressing the contact area with the vacuum insulation material 17B with a uniform force.

Furthermore, the cutout surface 43 formed on the front end surface 41 of the insulating correction member 40 is disposed on the outer box side panel 15B side. As described above, the insulating correction member 40 is inserted into the insulation space 50, which is a narrow area, while being compressed and deformed inward by the refrigerant piping 18. At this time, the insulating correction member 40 uses the cutout surface 43 on the front side to climb over the refrigerant piping 18 and is inserted into the insulation space 50, which is a narrow area, thereby greatly improving workability.

Next, in the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the outer box back panel 15A, the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached to the inner surface of the outer box back panel 15A and is spaced apart from the inner box back panel 16A. A foam insulation material 17A is formed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box back panel 16A. Then, both end faces 52 of the vacuum insulation material 17B are positioned outside the end faces 53 of the vacuum insulation material 17B that are in almost close contact with the inner box side panel 16B. This structure reduces the gaps between the vacuum insulation materials 17B, reducing heat leakage and improving the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10.

The cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7(A) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, cut along the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 in the area where the spacer 30 is arranged. Figure 7(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area circled 54 shown in Figure 7(A).

As shown in FIG. 7(A), vacuum insulation material 17B and spacers 30 are disposed in the insulation space 50 between the inner box side panel 16B and the outer box side panel 15B on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10. The vacuum insulation material 17B is in almost intimate contact with the inner box side panel 16B, continuing from near the front end of the inner box side panel 16B to near the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

In the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the outer box back panel 15A, the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached to the inner surface of the outer box back panel 15A and is spaced apart from the inner box back panel 16A. The space between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box back panel 16A is filled with foam insulation material 17A. Both end faces 52 of the vacuum insulation material 17B are positioned outside the end faces 53 of the vacuum insulation material 17B that are in close contact with the inner box side panel 16B. This structure reduces the gaps between the vacuum insulation materials 17B, reducing heat leakage and improving the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10.

As shown in FIG. 7(B), a spacer 30 is adhesively fixed to the front end surface 55 of the vacuum insulation material 17B, and the spacer 30 is compressed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. This structure generates a repulsive force from the compressed spacer 30 toward the inner box side panel 16B, and the spacer 30 presses the periphery of the end surface 55 of the vacuum insulation material 17B against the inner box side panel 16B. This prevents the vacuum insulation material 17B from moving inadvertently when forming the foam insulation material 17A during the manufacturing process.

The outer box joint 44 is formed by bending the tip of the outer box side panel 15B, and the inner box joint 45 is formed by bending the tip of the inner box side panel 16B. The tip of the outer box side panel 15B and the tip of the inner box side panel 16B are joined by fitting the inner box joint 45 into the outer box joint 44.

As shown in the figure, the end of the outer box joint 44 has an end 46 that flares out toward the rear to facilitate engagement with the inner box joint 45. Because the end 46 is the end face of a steel plate, if the end 46 is pressed against the vacuum insulation material 17B, there is a risk that the outer skin of the vacuum insulation material 17B will tear.

Therefore, in this embodiment, by disposing a spacer 30 on the end surface 55 of the vacuum insulation material 17B, the spacer 30 comes into contact with the end 46, and the end 46 does not come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 17B. This structure prevents the vacuum insulation material 17B from being torn by the end 46.

Furthermore, because the spacer 30 contacts the end 46, a space 47 is formed in front of the vacuum insulation material 17B. With this structure, when the foam insulation material 17A is foam-filled into the insulation space 50 during the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 10, the space 47 can be used to allow the liquid foaming materials 63, 64 (see FIG. 10) described below to flow smoothly.

As described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7, in the insulation space 50 in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10, the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged on the inner box side panel 16B side, and the foam insulation material 17A is arranged on the outer box side panel 15B side. Since the vacuum insulation material 17B and the foam insulation material 17A have different thermal expansion coefficients, when the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached to the outer box side panel 15B, the boundary between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the foam insulation material 17A may appear like a step on the outer surface of the outer box side panel 15B. However, in this embodiment, the boundary between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the foam insulation material 17A is formed away from the outer box side panel 15B, so the boundary does not appear on the outer box side panel 15B, and the deterioration of the appearance design of the side of the refrigerator 10 is prevented.

If the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged so as to be in close contact with the outer box side panel 15B, measures must be taken to prevent air from pooling near the refrigerant pipe 18. For example, measures must be taken to form a recess in the side of the vacuum insulation material 17B corresponding to the refrigerant pipe 18. However, in this embodiment, the refrigerant pipe 18 is embedded in the foam insulation material 17A or penetrates into the thermally insulating correction member 40, so that the above-mentioned recess processing measures are not necessary, simplifying the configuration of the refrigerator 10 and reducing manufacturing costs.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, referring to FIG. 5(A), the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged away from the refrigerant piping 18, so that there is no need to form a groove on the side of the vacuum insulation material 17B to avoid the refrigerant piping 18. Furthermore, the insulating correction member 40 that abuts against the refrigerant piping 18 is compressed and deformed to conform to the shape of the refrigerant piping 18. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material 17B can be used with a simple flat side, which reduces manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the refrigerant piping 18 can be arranged relatively freely, which also reduces manufacturing costs.

Next, a method for manufacturing the refrigerator 10 described above will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11. Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the process of incorporating the inner box 16 into the outer box 15 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. Figs. 9(A), 9(B), and 9(C) are cross-sectional views illustrating the process of incorporating the vacuum insulation material 17B of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment into the insulation space 50. Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the process of foam-filling the foam insulation material 17A of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment into the insulation space 50. Figs. 11(A), 11(B), and 11(C) are cross-sectional views illustrating the process of foam-filling the foam insulation material 17A of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment into the insulation space 50.

In the following description, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 7 and their descriptions as appropriate, and the same components as those of the refrigerator 10 described using Figures 1 to 7 will be given the same numbers and repeated description will be omitted. Also, the cross-sectional views shown in Figures 11(A) to 11(C) are cross-sectional views taken at the area where the heat-insulating correction member 40 is arranged near the inner box top panel 16C, looking downward from the cut position.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, prepare an outer box 15 formed by forming a steel plate into a predetermined shape, and an inner box 16 made of synthetic resin and vacuum-formed into a predetermined shape. Then, as shown in FIG. 2(A), refrigerant pipes 18 through which the refrigerant used in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle flows are attached to the inner surfaces of the outer box side panels 15B and the outer box top panel 15C of the outer box with aluminum tape 32. After that, install the inner box 16 inside the outer box 15. Note that during this installation process, the outer box back panel 15A shown in FIG. 6(A) is not attached.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9(A), vacuum insulation material 17B is prepared and inserted into insulation space 50 between inner box side panel 16B and outer box side panel 15B on both the left and right sides of refrigerator 10. The width W1 of insulation space 50 is tapered in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10, narrowing toward the front in the depth direction of refrigerator 10.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the vacuum insulation material 17B has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction of the page, and two spacers 30 are attached to the front side edge of the vacuum insulation material 17B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10, near the center and near the lower end.

Next, the vacuum insulation material 17B is inserted into the insulation space 50 with the side on which the spacer 30 is installed facing downward. When the lower end of the vacuum insulation material 17B is inserted up to the lower end of the insulation space 50, the spacer 30 is compressed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. As a result, as described above, the repulsive force generated by the spacer 30 is used to press the vacuum insulation material 17B against the inner box side panel 16B, so that the vacuum insulation material 17B is more stably positioned and assembled into the insulation box body 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the insulating correction member 40 is prepared and inserted into the insulating space 50 into which the vacuum insulating material 17B has been inserted. As described above with reference to FIG. 6(A) and FIG. 6(B), the width W1 (see FIG. 9(A)) of the insulating space 50 on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10 is 40 mm, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulating material 17B is 15 mm, and the thickness T3 of the refrigerant piping 18 is 4 mm. The width W1 of the insulating space 50 is tapered so as to narrow toward the front in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

With this structure, the width W2 of the insulation space 50 after inserting the vacuum insulation material 17B is 25 mm in the area without the refrigerant piping 18, and 21 mm in the area where the refrigerant piping 18 is installed. The thickness T2 of the insulating correction member 40 is 25 mm, and the work of inserting the insulating correction member 40 into the insulation space 50 requires pulling the outer box side panel 15B outward or crushing the vacuum insulation material 17B, which is a very time-consuming task.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the insulating correction member 40 is inserted into the insulating space 50 with the notched surface 43 of the end face 41 of the insulating correction member 40 positioned on the outer box side panel 15B side. In the area of the insulating space 50 where the refrigerant pipe 18 is installed, which is a particularly narrow area, the notched surface 43 makes it easier to get over the refrigerant pipe 18, greatly improving the ease of insertion of the insulating correction member 40.

9(C), the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is disposed at least from the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B to the central region in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. Preferably, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is disposed from the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B to about 2/3 of the area. In this embodiment, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 abuts the two refrigerant pipes 18 on its side. Then, the outer box back panel 15A to which the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached is prepared, and the outer box back panel 15A is assembled to the upper end of the outer box side panel 15B. This operation forms the insulation space 50 filled with the foam insulation material 17A as a substantially sealed space, and the vacuum insulation material 17B is firmly fixed to a predetermined position in the insulation space 50.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, injection holes 61 and 62 are formed in the outer box rear panel 15A. Injection hole 61 is a hole for injecting liquid foaming material 63, and injection hole 62 is a hole for injecting liquid foaming material 64. Here, the inner box 16 and the outer box 15 are laid on their sides so that the front side of the refrigerator 10 faces downward, and the liquid foaming materials 63 and 64 are injected into the insulation space 50 through the injection holes 61 and 62.

Here, the vacuum insulation material 17B is fixed at two points on the rear side in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 by the insulating correction members 40, and is fixed at two points on the front side in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 by the spacers 30. As shown in the figure, the insulating correction members 40 and the spacers 30 are arranged alternately in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10.

In particular, the injection hole 61 is formed near the upper end of the vacuum insulation material 17B. As described above with reference to FIG. 5A, the vacuum insulation material 17B is distributed on the market without any problem in terms of product quality even if both ends of the longitudinal direction are curved in the left-right direction of the page. In this embodiment, the insulating correction member 40 is disposed at a horizontal distance L7 from the injection hole 61, for example, 100 mm.

11(A), the upper end of the vacuum insulation material 17B has its curved shape corrected by the insulating correction member 40, and is pressed against the inner box side panel 16B by the insulating correction member 40. As described above, the insulating correction member 40 is pressed into the narrow insulation space 50, and is disposed in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 from at least the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B to its central region. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material 17B is in close contact with the inner box side panel 16B over almost its entire surface.

10, liquid foaming material 63 is injected through injection hole 61, and liquid foaming material 64 is simultaneously injected through injection hole 62. The liquid foaming material 63 injected through injection hole 61 passes through insulation space 50 between vacuum insulation material 17B and outer box side panel 15B, and reaches the front end of insulation space 50 directly below injection hole 61. The liquid foaming material 63 then flows, foaming, toward spacer 30 disposed in the center of refrigerator 10.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 11B, in the area where the insulating straightening member 40 is arranged on the front side of the spacer 30 and the surrounding area, the liquid foaming material 63 flows while foaming even toward the upper side of the paper. As described above, the curved shape of the upper end side of the vacuum insulation material 17B near the injection hole 61 (see FIG. 10) is corrected by the insulating straightening member 40 and adheres closely to the inner box side panel 16B. As a result, when the liquid foaming material 63 is foamed and filled, the liquid foaming material 63 is prevented from penetrating between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B and foaming while rising, and foam insulation material 17A is prevented from being formed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B.

As shown in FIG. 11C, the liquid foaming material 63 rises from the insulation space 50 between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B, preventing the occurrence of an unfilled area in the insulation space 50 between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. The liquid foaming material 63 foams while wrapping around the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the outer box back panel 15A and the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the vacuum insulation material 17B attached to the outer box back panel 15A, and foaming insulation material 17A is also formed on the back side of the inner box 16.

Then, as shown by arrows 65 and 66, the liquid foaming materials 63 and 64 injected from the injection holes 61 and 62 flow and foam in the insulation space 50 at the front end of the refrigerator 10, eventually filling the central area 67. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(A) and other figures, the liquid foaming materials 63 and 64 injected from the injection holes 61 and 62 foam and fill the insulation space 50 between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16, forming the foamed insulation material 17A. This prevents the refrigerator 10 from being discarded due to poor appearance caused by the unfilled areas of the foamed insulation material 17A on the outer box side panel 15B of the refrigerator 10.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the horizontal distance L4 between the injection hole 61 and the spacer 30 located in the vertical center of the refrigerator 10 is preferably 200 mm or more. Here, the horizontal distance L4 is the distance between the injection hole 61 and the spacer 30 in the horizontal direction when the outer box 15 and the inner box 16 are lying on their sides. With this structure, the liquid foaming material 63 spreads in a liquid state to some extent and reaches the spacer 30 while foaming, so that the liquid foaming material 63 can easily overcome the spacer 30 and flow well toward the right side of the paper. Note that if the horizontal distance L4 is not sufficiently secured, the liquid foaming material 63 will be blocked by the spacer 30.

The height L5 of the spacer 30 is preferably 50 mm or less, and more preferably 40 mm or less. This allows the liquid foaming material 63 to easily flow over the spacer 30 and toward the region 67.

On the other hand, the spacer 30 located at the bottom end of the refrigerator 10 in the vertical direction is disposed closer to the bottom end of the refrigerator 10 than the injection hole 62. With this structure, the liquid foaming material 64 injected from the injection hole 62 is blocked by the spacer 30 and flows toward the region 67. Then, the liquid foaming material 64 can be sufficiently distributed in the region 67. The height L6 of the spacer 30, like the height L5 of the spacer 30, is preferably 50 mm or less, and more preferably 40 mm or less.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1(A), the insulated door 34, the insulated door 35, and each component device are attached to the insulated box body 11, completing the refrigerator 10.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the insulating box includes an outer box forming the outer surface of the insulating box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and an insulating material disposed in the insulating space between the outer box and the inner box. The insulating material includes a vacuum insulating material disposed in the insulating space on at least both sides of the width direction of the insulating box, and has its longitudinal direction in the height direction of the insulating box, and a foam insulating material foam-filled in the insulating space including the area where the vacuum insulating material is disposed. In addition, in the depth direction of the insulating box, a spacer is attached to the front side of the vacuum insulating material, at least a part of which is disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulating material, and an insulating straightening member is disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulating material and has its longitudinal direction in the depth direction of the insulating box, on the rear side of the vacuum insulating material. With this structure, in the above-mentioned insulating space, the vacuum insulating material is pressed against the inner box side by the insulating straightening member and the spacer, and is firmly fixed, so that the foam insulating material is formed without having an unfilled area between the vacuum insulating material and the outer box. As a result, the refrigerator is prevented from being discarded due to poor appearance caused by the unfilled areas.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, refrigerant pipes fixed to the outer box are arranged in the insulation spaces on both sides in the width direction of the insulation box body. The insulation straightening member is made of an elastic material and has a chamfered cutout portion at its longitudinal end. The insulation straightening member is fixed to the insulation space with at least two or more refrigerant pipes embedded in it in the longitudinal direction, and the cutout portion is located on the refrigerant pipe side. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is pressed against the inner box side by the insulation straightening member and is in close contact with the inner box. Furthermore, the insulation straightening member is inserted into the insulation space using the cutout surface, which greatly improves workability.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material is arranged in the height direction of the insulating box body up to near the top surface of the inner box, and the insulating straightening member is fixed to the insulation space in a state in which the vacuum insulation material near the top surface of the inner box is pressed against the inner box. With this structure, although some vacuum insulation materials have curved shapes at both ends in the longitudinal direction, the insulating straightening member straightens out the curved shape of the vacuum insulation material before it is arranged in the insulation space, thereby preventing the occurrence of unfilled areas of the foam insulation material.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the insulating straightening member is made of a foamed resin material. With this structure, the insulating straightening member is arranged in the insulating space, which is a narrow area, and this improves workability and allows the vacuum insulation material to be firmly fixed to the inner box side.

The manufacturing method of the refrigerator of the present invention includes the steps of preparing an outer box constituting an insulating box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, a vacuum insulation material disposed in the insulating space between the outer box and the inner box and having its longitudinal direction in the height direction of the insulating box, and a spacer and an insulating correction member for fixing the vacuum insulation material in the insulating space; disposing the inner box inside the outer box and attaching a spacer to the vacuum insulation material on the front side in the depth direction of the insulating box, and then inserting the vacuum insulation material into the insulating space on at least both sides in the width direction of the insulating box; inserting the insulating correction member into the insulating space in which the vacuum insulation material is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is the depth direction of the insulating box, and pressing the vacuum insulation material against the inner box from the rear side in the depth direction of the insulating box to at least the center; and injecting a liquid foaming material into the insulating space to foam it, thereby forming a foamed insulation material in the insulating space including the area in which the vacuum insulation material is disposed. This manufacturing method allows the vacuum insulation material to be pressed against the inner box side by the insulation correction member and spacer in the insulation space, and the foam insulation material can be formed in a state where it is firmly fixed. This prevents the foam insulation material from being formed between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box, prevents the occurrence of an unfilled area of the foam insulation material between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box, and prevents the refrigerator from being discarded due to poor appearance caused by the unfilled area.

REFRIGERATION LIST 10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 12 Refrigerating compartment 13 Freezer 15 Outer box 15A Outer box back panel 15B Outer box side panel 15C Outer box top panel 16 Inner box 16A Inner box back panel 16B Inner box side panel 16C Inner box top panel 16D Inner box bottom panel 17 Insulating material 17A Foamed insulating material 17B Vacuum insulating material 18 Refrigerant piping 30 Spacer 40 Insulating correction member 41, 42 End surface 43 Cutout surface 50 Insulating space 61, 62 Injection hole 63, 64 Liquid foaming material

Claims (4)

The present invention comprises a heat-insulating box having a storage chamber formed therein, a refrigeration cycle that cools air blown into the storage chamber, and a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant for the refrigeration cycle flows,
The insulating box body includes an outer box forming an outer surface of the insulating box body, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a thermal insulating material disposed in a thermal insulation space between the outer box and the inner box,
The heat insulating material is disposed in the heat insulating space on at least both sides of the width direction of the heat insulating box, and includes a vacuum heat insulating material having a longitudinal direction in the height direction of the heat insulating box, and a foam heat insulating material that is foamed and filled in the heat insulating space,
A plurality of spacers are attached to one end side of the vacuum insulation material located at the front side in the depth direction of the insulation box body, and at least a portion of the spacers are disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material,
A plurality of heat-insulating correction members are arranged between the outer box and the vacuum heat-insulating material on the other end side of the vacuum heat-insulating material located at the rear side of the depth direction of the heat-insulating box, and have a longitudinal direction in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box;
The refrigerator, wherein the heat insulating correcting member is fixed to the heat insulating space in a state in which the vacuum heat insulating material is pressed against the inner box side. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum insulation material is pressed against the inner box by the spacer and the insulating correction member. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the insulating correction member elastically deforms within the insulating space, so that the vacuum insulating material adheres closely to the inner box. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spacer has a notch shape that fixes the position of the one end side of the vacuum insulation material.

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