JP7248538B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to refrigerators.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a detachable water tank 400 (0022).

JP 2009-287857 A

The water supply tank is connected to a water supply pump that draws up water contained therein and transfers the water to an ice making chamber or the like. If the water supply tank has a structure that can rattle for some reason, the water supply tank can also rattle when the water supply pump is attached or detached. At that time, the water supply tank is likely to come into contact with the upper and lower bottom surfaces, the top surface, or the shelf due to movement caused by rattling. This deteriorates the operability of the attachment/detachment operation of the water supply tank by the user.

The present invention, which has been made in view of the above circumstances,
a storage room with an open front;
a shelf arranged in the storage chamber and having a top surface support portion on the lower surface side;
a bottom surface under the shelf;
a water supply pump attached to the bottom side;
a water supply tank detachably connected to the water supply pump ;
The top surface support portion is a refrigerator that supports the top surface side of the water supply pump.

Front perspective view of refrigerator of embodiment The front view of the refrigerating compartment with the refrigerating compartment door opened according to the embodiment. Top perspective view of the lower shelf of the embodiment Bottom view of the lower shelf of the embodiment Left side view of the partition of the embodiment BB sectional view of FIG. CC cross-sectional arrow view of FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a water supply pump according to an embodiment; Partial cross-sectional view of the portion where the water supply pump of the embodiment is fitted to the bottom of the refrigerator compartment

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator compartment 2 with the door of the refrigerator compartment 2 opened.
A refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment 2, an ice-making compartment 3, an upper freezer compartment 4, a lower freezer compartment 5, a vegetable compartment 6, and the like.
Inside the refrigerator compartment 2, a movable upper shelf 7, a fixed right shelf 8, a movable left shelf 9, a fixed lower shelf 10, and an indoor storage room 12 are arranged in this order from the top. A partition 11 extending vertically is arranged on the upper surface of the lower shelf 10 . A cooling panel 14 is provided on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 2 .

The right shelf 8 and the left shelf 9 are shelves smaller in lateral dimension than the upper shelf 7, the right shelf 8 is fixed in the refrigerator compartment 2, and the left shelf 9 is movable. The other ends of the right shelf 8 and the left shelf 9 are supported by the upper ends of vertically extending partitions 11 . The partition 11 is fixed to the upper surface side of the fixed lower shelf 10 .

[Lower shelf 10]
3 is a top perspective view of the lower shelf 10, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lower shelf 10. As shown in FIG.
The lower shelf 10 has a flat portion 19 formed of glass or resin as a main surface, an upper surface bridging portion 26 arranged on the upper surface on the left-right center side of the flat portion 19 and extending in the front-rear direction, and a periphery of the flat portion 19. A substantially rectangular frame 20 made of resin, for example, arranged at the edge of the lower shelf 10, a lower surface bridging portion 27 arranged on the lower surface, a convex portion 25 continuous from the lower surface side frame 20, and a storage chamber support portion 28 projecting further downward from the lower surface bridging portion 27 .
The flat portion 19 can be formed from a single plate member.
The upper surface bridging portion 26 has an open rear end, a bag-like portion 262 that closes the front end and the upper side near the front end, and concave streaks 261 in which walls are erected on the left and right sides. The bridging part 26 connects the frame member on the front side and the resin member on the back side with the glass plate 19 interposed therebetween.

The frame portion 20 is attached by so-called insert molding that is molded around the flat portion 19 by supplying fluid resin to the edge of the flat portion 19 before solidification. Preferably, the bridging portions 26 and 27 and the convex portion 25 are also insert-molded in the same step as the frame portion 20, as will be described later.

The lower surface bridging portion 27 can realize stress relaxation of the flat portion 19 . Similarly, since the upper surface bridging portion 26 is also made of a resin that is insert-molded as an integrated member together with the frame portion 20 , stress can be applied to the upper surface side of the planar portion 19 . For this reason, the lower surface of the planar portion 19 preferably has a lower surface bridging portion 27 that includes or substantially coincides with the vertical projected area of the upper surface bridging portion 26 . As a result, the stress due to contraction generated on the upper side and the lower side of the flat portion 19 is offset, and the warp of the shelf 10 is suppressed. Since the partition 11 is not attached to the lower surface bridging portion 27, unlike the upper surface bridging portion 26, it is not necessary to provide a grooved line or a bag-like portion.

The plane portion 19, the lower surface bridging portion 27, and the frame portion 20 can be coated with an opaque structure, for example, paint. This makes it difficult for the wiring of the indoor storage room 12 and the water supply pump 16 to be visually observed through the lower shelf 10 . Since there is a risk that the paint may be scraped off when it comes in contact with the members arranged below the shelf 10, such as the indoor storage compartment 12, a storage compartment support part 28 is provided as a spacer between the shelf 10 and the indoor storage compartment 12, etc. there is Since the storage chamber support portion 28 is arranged on the shelf 10 (for example, the frame portion 20 or the lower surface bridging portion 27) instead of the indoor storage chamber 12 or the like, the storage chamber support portion 28 may come into contact with the shelf 10 due to vibration during transportation or the like. This prevents the paint from being scraped off.

A convex portion 25 formed continuously from one side 201 of the frame portion 20 is arranged on the lower surface of the lower shelf 10 . Since one end 251 of the convex portion 25 is continuous with the frame portion 20, it is easy to form the frame portion 20 and the convex portion 25 in the same process.

The convex portion 25 (one end 251 ) may be formed discontinuously (that is, spaced apart) from the frame portion 20 . When both ends 251 and 252 of the convex portion 25 are formed continuously with the frame member 20 or the lower surface bridging portion 27 respectively, stress due to shrinkage is generated and deforms the plane portion 19, the frame portion 20, or the lower surface bridging portion 27. There is fear. Therefore, at most, only one end 251 of the projection 25 is continuously integrated with the frame 20 and the lower surface bridging portion 27, and the remaining end 252 is separated. As a result, the connection between the convex portion 25 and the frame portion 20 or the lower surface bridging portion 27 is cut off. Since the occurrence of contraction stress can be suppressed by interrupting the connection, the necessity of providing a structural member for canceling the stress on the upper part of the lower shelf 10 can be reduced, and the degree of design freedom can be improved.

The convex portion 25 is provided in front of the water supply pump 16 as will be described later. As a result, even if the water supply pump 16 is tilted forward, it can be supported, and the operability of the water supply tank 13 can be improved.

[Sikiri 11]
FIG. 5 is a side view of the partition 11 of this embodiment. The partition 11 has a main surface 119 , a narrow width portion 112 arranged on the lower end side of the main surface 119 and sandwiched between the left and right side walls of the groove 261 , and an acute abutment portion 111 arranged at the front end of the narrow width portion 112 . , and a notch 114 located on the upper end side to which the shelf 8 is attached. The right shelf 8 is provided with, for example, a groove (not shown) that is mated with the notch 114 .
The narrow portion 112 is inserted into the groove 261, the abutting portion 111 contacts the bag-like portion 262, the narrow portion 112 contacts the left and right side walls of the groove 261, and the partition 11 is locked.

[Layout below shelf 10]
FIG. 6 is a view showing the layout below the lower shelf 10, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.
Beneath the lower shelf 10, surrounded on three sides by the U-shaped inner wall 21 of the refrigerator compartment 2, an indoor storage compartment 12 and a water tank 13 are arranged side by side on the front side. are placed. The cooling panel 14 is attached to the inner wall 21 on the rear side.

The indoor storage compartment 12 is a box-shaped storage compartment that is provided in the refrigerating compartment 2 and has an open front, and is a storage compartment that can store food in a different environment from the refrigerating compartment 2 . For example, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 2 is about 2° C. to 10° C., a chilled compartment with a temperature of about -2° C. to 0° C. can be provided as an example of the indoor storage compartment 12 .

The water supply tank 13 is a container for containing water, which is a material for ice to be made and stored in the ice making chamber 3, and can be freely taken out by the user.
The water supply pump 16 is provided on the rear side of the water supply tank 13 and has the function of sucking up the water inside the water supply tank 13 and supplying it to the ice making machine installed in the ice making chamber 3 .
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the water supply tank 13, the water supply pump 16, and the lower shelf 10, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line C--C in FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the water supply pump 16, and FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the portion where the water supply pump 16 is fitted to the bottom surface 24 of the refrigerator compartment.

[Attachment of pump 16 to bottom face 24]
As illustrated in FIG. 9, the bottom surface 24 of the refrigerating compartment partially protrudes upward in correspondence with the attachment of the water supply pump 16 . For example, a rear surface portion 241 and a front surface portion 242 are formed as an upward projecting portion of the bottom surface 24, and there is a recess between these portions in which the main portion of the water supply pump 16 is placed, and the ice making chamber is located below the refrigerating chamber. etc. A bottom fitting portion 243 is provided on the upper end side of the front portion 242 .

The water supply pump 16 has a pump rear surface portion 161 located behind the rear surface portion 241 of the bottom surface 24 when attached to the refrigerator compartment, a pump front surface portion 162 located forward of the front surface portion 242 of the bottom surface 24, and a pump front surface portion 161. It has a pump fitting portion 163 arranged on the central side and corresponding to the bottom fitting portion 243 .

To attach the water pump 16 to the bottom surface 24, the water pump 16 is transported so that the main portion of the water pump 16 rests between the ledge surfaces 241, 242 of the bottom surface, and the pump fitting portion 163 and the bottom fitting portion are engaged. Both of them are locked by matching the portion 243 . When both are locked, the front surfaces 162 and 242 of the pump and the bottom surface face each other, and the rear surfaces 161 and 242 face each other as described above. In the present embodiment, the pump fitting portion 163 is a claw and the bottom fitting portion 243 is a hole, but as long as both are locked, the form and position are not limited. The claw-fitting is advantageous in that it is easy to assemble at the manufacturing site and that the number of tools used for repairs can be reduced.

[Rattling of pump 16]
In general, a resin molded product has a draft angle of about 3° or less in order to facilitate release from the mold. In this embodiment, the front and rear surfaces 161, 162 of the pump are drafted so that the plate thickness becomes thinner from the top to the bottom. In addition, at least the rear surface 241 (the side where the fitting portion is not arranged) of the bottom surface of the refrigerator has a draft so that the plate thickness becomes thinner from the bottom to the top.

Thus, if at least one of the pump 16 and the bottom surface 24 is made of resin, a gap is formed between the main portion of the water supply pump 16 and the front and rear sides of the bottom surface 24, so the water supply pump 16 may tilt back and forth. When the water supply pump 16 tilts forward and backward, the top surface 164 of the pump 16 also tilts forward and backward. For this reason, a convex portion 25 serving as a pump top surface support portion is provided on a portion of the bottom surface of the shelf 10 facing the top surface 164 to support the inclination of the pump 16 . At this time, a concave portion such as a slit may be provided in the top surface 164 so that the convex portion 25 may enter the concave portion. good too. Further, instead of the top surface 164, a protrusion may be extended from the shelf 10 so as to contact and support the upper end side of the front surface of the pump 16. As shown in FIG.

The position of the convex portion 25 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the top surface 164 of the pump. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the frame member 20 has walls on three sides other than the front surface, so that the amount of deflection in the front portion is large. Therefore, since the front end side of the water supply pump 16 is more likely to come into contact with the shelf 10 , the convex portion 25 may be arranged so as to come into contact with the front end side of the top surface of the water supply pump 16 .

Similarly, by having the projection 25 at the bottom of the lower shelf 10 and behind the water supply pump 16, the water supply pump 16 can be prevented from tilting rearward. Due to the process of attaching the lower shelf 10, it is conceivable that the convex portion 25 collides with the water supply pump 16 when the lower shelf 10 is attached, resulting in improper attachment. Therefore, it is desirable to provide the convex portion only in front of the water supply pump 16 . In addition, it is desirable to attach a cushioning material to the upper rear portion of the water supply pump 16 in order to prevent the water supply pump 16 from tilting rearward. Examples of materials for the cushioning material include materials having cushioning properties and rigidity, such as foamed polyethylene and polystyrene blocks.

Reference Signs List 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerator compartment 3 Ice-making compartment 4 Freezer compartment 5 Freezer compartment 6 Vegetable compartment 7 Movable upper shelf 8 Fixed right side Shelf 9 Movable left shelf 10 Fixed lower shelf 11 Partition 12 Indoor storage room 13 Water supply tank (water container)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 14 Cooling panel 15 Air passage cover 16 Water supply pump 19 Flat surface 20 Frame 21 Refrigerating chamber wall 24 Refrigerating chamber bottom 25 Convex Part 26 Upper surface bridging part 27 Lower surface bridging part 28 Storage chamber support part (spacer)

Claims (4)

a storage room with an open front;
a shelf arranged in the storage chamber and having a top surface support portion on the lower surface side;
a bottom surface under the shelf;
a water supply pump attached to the bottom side;
a water supply tank detachably connected to the water supply pump ;
The top surface support part supports the top surface side of the water supply pump. The shelf is
a flat part;
a resin frame attached to the side circumference of the planar portion;
and the top surface support part,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said top support part has one end connected to said frame part and the other end separated from said frame part. The shelf is
a flat part;
a resin frame attached to the side circumference of the planar portion;
an upper surface bridging portion provided on the upper surface of the flat portion;
a lower surface bridging portion provided on the lower surface of the flat portion;
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a part or substantially all of said lower surface bridging part is disposed within a vertical projection area of a part or substantially all of said upper surface bridging part. The bottom surface of the shelf is processed to be opaque,
Wiring is routed below the shelf and above the bottom of the shelf or the nearest shelf directly below the shelf,
4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein spacers protruding downward are arranged on the lower surface of said shelf.

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