JP7296285B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a vacuum insulation material inside an insulation box.

In general, a refrigerator is provided with a heat insulating box so as to cover the outer circumference of the storage space in order to insulate it from the surroundings. The heat insulating box is composed of an outer box, an inner box, and a heat insulating material filled between them. As the heat insulating material, for example, a foam heat insulating material such as a rigid urethane foam heat insulating material is used.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a tendency to use vacuum insulation materials with low thermal conductivity in addition to foam insulation materials in order to enhance the insulation performance of refrigerators. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a refrigerator in which a vacuum heat insulating material is adhered to the inner surface of the outer case of the heat insulating box body.

Japanese Patent No. 5250080

In order to further improve the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator, it is desirable to increase the size (area) of the vacuum heat insulating material. As the size of the vacuum insulation material increases, it becomes difficult to evenly attach it to the outer box. Therefore, for example, when the vacuum insulation material is attached to the back surface of the outer box, a gap may be formed between the back surface and the vacuum insulation material.

If such a gap is formed between the back part and the vacuum insulation material, gas such as gas generated when the foam insulation material is formed enters between the back part and the vacuum insulation material, and the insulation box body is damaged. It tends to remain as a gas puddle even after completion. If such gas pools are formed between the outer case and the vacuum insulation material, the irregularities on the surface of the outer case become more conspicuous, which causes poor appearance of the refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing appearance defects of the heat insulating box by facilitating the escape of gas generated in the heat insulating box during and after the formation of the foam heat insulating material. do.

A refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heat insulating box and a vacuum heat insulating material arranged on the back surface of the heat insulating box. A convex portion extending along both left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material is provided on the surface of the back surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material. The vacuum heat insulating material is arranged so as to ride on the convex portion, and a communication path is provided between the vacuum heat insulating material and the back surface portion near the convex portion so as to communicate in the vertical direction. .

According to the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to promote the release of gas generated in the heat insulating box during and after the formation of the foam heat insulating material, and to suppress the appearance of the heat insulating box.

It is a perspective view showing the composition of the back side of the refrigerator concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the back surface of the heat insulation box body of the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the back plate of the heat insulation box body of the refrigerator concerning 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lower portion on the inner surface side of the back plate shown in FIG. 3; 5 is an exploded perspective view showing each constituent member on the inner surface side of the back plate shown in FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the AA line portion of the back plate shown in FIG. 3; It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that foam insulation material flows into the back part of a heat insulation box. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a stage in the middle of forming a foamed heat insulating material inside the heat insulating box body shown in FIG. 7 ; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which a heat insulating layer is formed on the rear surface of the heat insulating box shown in FIG. 7; It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the lower end part of the back part of the heat insulation box body of the refrigerator concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a sectional view showing typically the state where the heat insulation layer was formed in the back part of the conventional heat insulation box. It is a top view which shows the structure of the back plate of the heat insulation box body of the refrigerator concerning 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the CC line portion of the back plate shown in FIG. 12; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a stage in the middle of forming a foamed heat insulating material inside the heat insulating box body of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

<First Embodiment>
(Overall configuration of refrigerator)
First, the overall configuration of refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 mainly shows the back side of the refrigerator 1 . FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the rear surface of the heat insulating box body 50 that constitutes the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the back plate 58 forming the rear surface portion 51c of the outer case 51 of the heat insulating box 50 is removed.

A door (not shown) is provided on one side surface of the refrigerator 1 . In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is the front surface (front surface) of the refrigerator. Based on the position where the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state with the front surface as a reference, each surface of the refrigerator 1 is defined as the top surface, the side surface, the back surface, and the bottom surface.

The refrigerator 1 is provided with a heat insulating box 50 as a heat insulating structure for insulating each storage space from the surroundings. The heat insulation box 50 is provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the refrigerator 1 . The heat insulating box body 50 mainly includes an outer box 51, an inner box 52, a heat insulating layer (foam heat insulating material) 53 (see FIG. 9), and a vacuum heat insulating material (VIP) 54 (see FIG. 3).

In this specification, the outer surfaces of the heat insulating box 50 are referred to as a top surface portion 51a, a bottom surface portion 51b, a back surface portion 51c, and a side surface portion 51d, respectively, along with the names of the surfaces of the refrigerator 1. FIG.

A refrigerating cycle (not shown) is provided inside the refrigerator 1 . A refrigerating cycle is configured by connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expander, a cooler, and the like via refrigerant pipes (refrigerant flow paths) through which refrigerant flows. The compressor is arranged in a machine room 30 provided on the rear side of the bottom of the refrigerator 1 .

(Description of heat insulation box)
Next, a more specific configuration of the heat insulation box 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 and the like.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the back plate 58 forming the back surface portion 51c of the heat insulating box 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the inner surface side of the back plate 58 (the side on which the heat insulating layer 53 is formed). For convenience of explanation, FIG. 3 also shows the protrusion 59 and the adhesive tape 61 provided on the back side of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 . FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower end of the back plate 58 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of each component arranged on the inner surface side of the back plate 58. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of the AA line portion of the back plate 58 shown in FIG.

The heat insulating box body 50 mainly includes an outer box 51 , an inner box 52 , a heat insulating layer 53 and a vacuum heat insulating material (VIP) 54 .

The outer box 51 forms the outer peripheral surface of the heat insulating box 50 . The outer box 51 also partially forms the outer shape of the refrigerator 1 . That is, the outer box 51 forms an upper surface portion 51a, a rear surface portion 51c, and a side surface portion 51d of the heat insulating box body 50. As shown in FIG. A rear portion 51 c of the outer casing 51 is formed of a plate-like back plate 58 .

The inner box 52 forms the inner peripheral surface of the heat insulating box 50 . In addition, the inner box 52 partitions each storage space such as a refrigerator compartment.

A space for arranging the machine room 30 is formed on the rear side of the bottom surface of the heat insulating box 50 . Devices such as a compressor are arranged in the machine room 30 . A seal member 75 is provided at the rear end of the top surface of the machine room 30 that separates the machine room 30 from the heat insulating layer 53 (see FIG. 2). The sealing member 75 is made of an elastic material having a porous structure such as sponge, and the lower end of the rear surface portion 51c of the outer case 51 abuts thereon. As a result, the foamed heat insulating material filled inside the heat insulating box 50 can be prevented from leaking into the machine room 30 .

The heat insulating layer 53 is mainly composed of foam heat insulating material. Specifically, the heat insulating layer 53 can be formed of rigid urethane foam (also referred to as rigid polyurethane foam) or the like. Rigid urethane foam is a uniform resin foam obtained by mixing two main raw materials with a catalyst, a foaming agent, a foaming agent, and the like, and causing foaming reaction and resinification reaction at the same time.

The heat insulating box 50 also includes a vacuum heat insulating material 54 in addition to the heat insulating layer 53 made of foam heat insulating material. The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is formed by covering a core material having fine voids, such as glass wool or silica powder, with an outer wrapping material (a bag-like body, such as a laminate film) having gas barrier properties, and sealing the inside of the outer wrapping material under reduced pressure. . A vacuum heat insulating material can realize a high heat insulating effect by keeping its internal space at a high vacuum and minimizing the amount of heat transmitted through the gas phase. The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is, for example, a flat member having a rectangular plane.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged on the back side of the heat insulating box 50 . That is, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is attached to the inner surface of the back plate 58 forming the back surface portion 51c of the outer casing 51. As shown in FIG. The inner surface of the back plate 58 is the surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material 54 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the back plate 58 has an upper end 58a and a lower end 58b. Side ends 58c extending in the vertical direction are provided at both left and right ends of the back plate 58. As shown in FIG. The left and right side edges 58c and 58c are slightly inclined with respect to the flat back surface 51c (see FIG. 6). A ridge portion 58d is formed between the side end portion 58c and the rear surface portion 51c. The adhesive tape 61 is arranged on the inner surface of the back plate 58 so as to straddle the ridge 58d (see FIG. 6).

On the inner surface of the back plate 58 (that is, the surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material 54), two vertically extending protrusions 59 are formed in the vicinity of the ridge 58d. The convex portion 59 has a convex shape that rises on the inner surface side of the back plate 58 (see FIG. 6, etc.). Specifically, the projections 59 extend along the left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (that is, the vertically extending ends 54a and 54b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54).

The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged between the ridges 58 d on the left and right sides of the back plate 58 . As shown in FIG. 6 , at least one end portion (end portions 54 a and 54 b in this embodiment) of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged so as to ride on the convex portion 59 . In this embodiment, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 rides on the convex portions 59 and 59 so as to entirely cover the convex portions 59 and 59 on both the left and right sides. That is, the left and right ends 54 a and 54 b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 are located outside the projections 59 and 59 of the back plate 58 .

Injection ports 55 for the foamed heat insulating material are formed in the left and right side end portions 58c of the back plate 58. As shown in FIG. A liquid foam insulation material is injected from the injection port 55 . A plurality of injection ports 55 (four in this embodiment) are provided.

A heat radiation pipe 71 is arranged below the back plate 58 (slightly above the lower end portion 58b) (see FIG. 5). Refrigerant warmed in the refrigeration cycle flows through the heat radiation pipe 71, and the heat radiation pipe 71 is provided on the inner surface of the outer case 51, so that condensation on the surface of the outer case 51 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the heat radiation pipe 71 extends from the lower end portion 58b near either the left or right side end portion 58c to the back plate 58, and extends over the back plate 58 along the lower end portion of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 in the left-right direction. , and extends from the lower end portion 58b near the other side end portion 58c toward the machine room 30 side.

Thus, in this embodiment, the heat dissipation pipe 71 is arranged only near the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 . As a result, a larger area for arranging the vacuum heat insulating material 54 can be secured in the rear surface portion 51c of the outer casing 51 . That is, the large-area vacuum heat insulating material 54 can be arranged on the rear surface portion 51c of the outer box 51, and the heat insulating performance of the heat insulating box body 50 can be enhanced. The heat radiation pipes 71 are arranged on the inner surfaces of the left and right side portions 51d of the outer casing 51, and are arranged on the left and right side portions 51d by the heat radiation pipes 71 arranged near the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58. A heat radiating pipe 71 is connected.

The heat radiation pipe 71 is fixed to the rear surface portion 51c with a sheet-like adhesive tape 61. As shown in FIG. One surface of the adhesive tape 61 is an adhesive surface, and the other surface is a release surface (release portion). A release treatment is applied to the release surface. The release treatment is performed, for example, by forming a silicone-coated surface on the surface of an adhesive tape made of a metal material such as aluminum. The release surface has a weak adhesive force between the rigid urethane foam forming the heat insulating layer 53 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 . Therefore, when the heat insulating layer 53 is formed, a slight gap can be formed between the rigid urethane foam and the release surface.

As shown in FIG. 3, the adhesive tape 61 extends upward from the lower end 58b of the back plate 58 onto the left and right ridges 58d. Specifically, the upper end 61 a of the adhesive tape 61 is positioned slightly above the upper inlet 55 among the plurality of inlets 55 formed in the side end 58 c of the back plate 58 . Also, the lower end portion 61b of the adhesive tape 61 extends to the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 . A sealing member 76 is arranged so as to overlap the lower end portion 61b and the edge portion 58d of the adhesive tape 61 . The seal member 76 is arranged so as to overlap the seal member 75 provided at the boundary portion with the machine chamber 30 .

In addition, each end of the adhesive tape 61 in the width direction (left and right direction) extends to a position where one side overlaps the end of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (either left or right end 54a or 54b), and the other end overlaps. It extends to a position where the side partly and slightly overlaps the injection port 55 of the side end 58c.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the lower right corner portion of the back plate 58 in FIG. The heat radiation pipe 71 is bent substantially vertically at the lower corner of the back plate 58 . The bent portion of the heat radiation pipe 71 is positioned so as to generally correspond to the ridge portion 58d of the back plate 58 (see FIG. 4, etc.). A viscous elastic member 65 is provided between the bent portion of the heat radiation pipe 71 and the back plate 58 . The viscoelastic member 65 can be made of, for example, a rubber material such as butyl rubber.

A lower end portion 61b of the adhesive tape 61 is arranged at a position corresponding to the viscoelastic member 65 with the heat dissipation pipe 71 interposed therebetween. In FIG. 4, the portion near the lower end portion 61b of the adhesive tape 61 is indicated by a dashed line. Since the viscoelastic member 65 has viscosity, the heat radiation pipe 71 can be fixed. The surface of the adhesive tape 61 facing the viscoelastic member 65 is an adhesive surface. Therefore, when the adhesive tape 61 is placed on the viscous elastic member 65, the viscous elastic member 65 and the adhesive tape 61 are brought into close contact with each other with the heat radiation pipe 71 sandwiched therebetween.

As a result, the radiation pipe 71 located near the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 is covered with the viscoelastic member 65 and the adhesive tape 61 and sealed. In this way, the viscoelastic member 65 can close gaps that may be formed between the back plate 58 and the adhesive tape 61 and the heat dissipation pipe 71 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the urethane foam material from leaking from the inside of the heat insulating box 50 to the outside along the periphery of the heat radiation pipe 71 . Further, the sealing member 76 can suppress leakage of urethane from the ridge 58 d of the back plate 58 .

A cover member 69 covering the injection port 55 is provided at a position corresponding to each injection port 55 (see FIG. 5). The cover member 69 is formed in a sheet shape, and as shown in FIG. 5, only one end is attached so as to open inward. As a result, a nozzle for injecting the foamed urethane material can be inserted from the outside of the heat insulating box 50, while the inside of the heat insulating box 50 has a structure that acts as a valve and does not open even if pushed from the inside. It has become. Therefore, it functions as a lid for suppressing outflow of hard foamed urethane formed in the heat insulating box 50 during urethane foaming.

(Manufacturing method of heat insulating box)
Next, a method for manufacturing the heat insulating box 50 will be described. FIG. 7 schematically shows how the foam heat insulating material flows into the back surface of the heat insulating box 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 schematically shows a stage during the formation of the heat insulating layer 53 inside the heat insulating box 50 . FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the heat insulation box 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a position corresponding to the BB line portion of the heat insulating box body 50 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the lower end portion of the back plate 58 (the boundary portion with the machine room 30).

First, the viscoelastic member 65 is attached to a predetermined position on the inner surface of the back plate 58 . Next, the heat radiating pipe 71 is placed at a predetermined position on the back plate 58 . After that, the adhesive tape 61 is attached to a predetermined position of the back plate 58 . Thereby, the heat radiating pipe 71 is fixed at a predetermined position on the back plate 58 . At this time, one end of the lid member 69 is attached to a predetermined position on the inner surface of the back plate 58 with the adhesive tape 61 .

Subsequently, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is attached to the inner surface of the back plate 58 . At this time, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged so as to cover the entire protrusions 59 and 59 of the back plate 58 and partially overlap the adhesive tape 61 . The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is formed by applying an adhesive such as hot-melt to the bonding surface, bonding the bonding surface to the inner surface of the back plate 58, and then pressing the entire surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 to the back plate 58 side. is affixed to the back plate 58 by

On the other hand, inside the inner box 52, an internal electric equipment unit, various wirings, and the like are attached. A sealing member 75 is attached to the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 at the boundary with the machine chamber 30 (see FIG. 2).

Then, each surface of the outer box 51 is attached so as to cover the outer circumference of the inner box 52 (see FIG. 2).

After that, with the back portion 51c of the heat insulating box body 50 facing upward, a liquid foam heat insulating material (urethane foam material) is injected from an injection port 55 formed in the back portion 51c. The material of the foamed heat insulating material is filled in the space between the outer box 51 and the inner box 52 while increasing the volume by foaming sequentially from the front side to the back side. The foamed insulation is then cured.

Specifically, the foamed urethane material increases in volume while performing a foaming reaction, and fills the space between the outer box 51 and the inner box 52 . At this time, the urethane foam cannot be uniformly filled unless the air in the space (and the gas generated during the foaming reaction) is discharged outside the space. Therefore, the heat insulating box 50 is provided with gas vent holes. In the heat-insulating box 50, gas vent holes are provided, for example, around the bottom inconspicuously. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , a gas vent hole 81 is provided in the area surrounded by the broken line circle near the machine room 30 .

On the other hand, the rear portion 51c of the outer box 51 that constitutes the heat insulating box 50 is mostly covered with the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and does not have a gas vent hole. Therefore, the injection amount of the foamed urethane material from the injection port 55 located on the upper side is set to be larger than the injection amount from the injection port 55 located on the lower side, and the space in the back part of the heat insulating box body 50 The urethane foam material is made to flow downward from the injection port 55 located on the upper side, so that the gas release hole provided at the bottom of the heat insulating box 50 is less likely to be blocked when the urethane foam is filled ( See Figure 7).

However, if the gas release hole is blocked with foamed urethane, the air pressure in the space between the outer box 51 and the inner box 52 increases due to the foamed gas that has no way out. At this time, since the space not filled with urethane foam is in the vicinity of the back surface portion 51c, the air pressure around the vacuum heat insulating material 54 attached to the back surface portion 51c increases.

The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is adhered to the inner surface of the back plate 58 with an adhesive as described above, but it is difficult to apply the adhesive uniformly to the adhered surface without voids. Also, the air pressure of the foaming gas around the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is not uniform and may differ depending on the position. For example, the vicinity of the injection port 55 of the foam insulation material is the place where the injected foamed urethane material reacts most violently, and the air pressure of the foaming gas increases. In addition, the air pressure of the foaming gas is high in a portion where the distance between the outer box 51 and the inner box 52 is narrow. In this way, the stress that separates the vacuum heat insulating material 54 from the inner surface of the back plate 58 acts more strongly on the ends 54a and 54b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 that are arranged at locations where the air pressure of the foaming gas is high. When the end of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is peeled off from the inner surface of the back plate 58 at one point, the generated gas concentrates and accumulates at the peeled portion, thereby further concentrating the peeling stress and expanding the peeled area in a chain reaction. do.

Therefore, in the configuration of the conventional heat insulating box body 950 shown in FIG. The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is peeled off from the inner surface of the back plate 58 starting from a point where the force is low or a point where the air pressure of the foaming gas is high. Furthermore, in the configuration of the conventional insulation box 950 , the downwardly flowing urethane foam material may peel off the adhesive surfaces between the back plate 58 and the vacuum insulation material 54 . By separating the vacuum heat insulating material 54 from the back plate 58 in this way, a gap 900 is generated between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 as shown in FIG. enters.

11 is applied to the back plate 58 by the gas having a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, which is press-fitted into the gap 900. Therefore, the heat insulating box body 950 is removed from the foaming jig after the urethane foaming process. As a result, the back plate 58 deforms in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow in FIG. After that, when the urethane reaction converges, the generation of foaming gas decreases, and the stress that separates the vacuum heat insulating material 54 from the inner surface of the back plate 58 decreases. Therefore, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is again attached to the inner surface of the back plate 58 by the adhesive applied to the vacuum heat insulating material 54, but the back plate 58 is deformed in the direction of the solid arrow in FIG. At the location where the gap 900 is generated, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 cannot adhere to the inner surface of the back plate 58, and the gas is trapped in the gap 900. FIG. Further, when the heat generated during urethane foaming subsides as the reaction of urethane decreases, the temperature of the urethane foam inside the heat insulating box decreases, causing the urethane foam to shrink. At this time, in the conventional heat insulating box body 950, the urethane foam shrinks toward the inside of the chamber (in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 11). As a result, the gap 900 tends to expand.

After that, when the refrigerator is completed, the gas trapped in the gap 900 gradually escapes to the outside, but at that time, the back plate 58 is already subjected to the stress indicated by the solid line arrow in FIG. It continues and never returns to its original shape. On the other hand, as the inner box of the refrigerator is operated for cooling, the urethane foam further shrinks toward the inside of the refrigerator, so that the gap 900 tends to expand. Such a gap 900 causes the surface of the back surface portion 51c of the outer case 51 to become uneven and distorted, and spoil the appearance of the refrigerator. In addition, since the inside of the back surface portion 51c of the outer box 51 is hollow due to the gap 900, the back surface portion 51c is in a so-called floating state, impairing the quality of the refrigerator.

On the other hand, in the heat insulation box 50 according to the present embodiment, the convex portion 59 is formed on the inner surface of the back plate 58 . The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged so as to ride on each projection 59 . Therefore, a slight gap G is formed between the inner surface of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 in the vicinity of the convex portion 59 (see FIG. 8). As will be described later, this gap G serves as a communication passage P1 that communicates air over substantially the entire area in the vertical direction of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (see FIG. 6).

Further, in the heat insulation box 50 according to the present embodiment, the adhesive tape 61 extends vertically along the ridge 58d of the back plate 58, and the lower end 61b of the adhesive tape 61 corresponds to the lower end of the back plate 58. It reaches 58b. The adhesive tape 61 and the end of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 are partially overlapped. As described above, since the surface of the adhesive tape 61 is subjected to the release treatment, the adhesive tape 61 is separated from the urethane foam (the heat insulating layer 53) and the vacuum heat insulating material 54. This separated portion becomes a communication passage P2 through which air flows (see FIG. 6). This communication path P2 communicates with an external space (outside air).

Due to the filling of the urethane foam, a certain amount of the urethane foam material enters between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (see the broken-line frame in FIG. 8). However, since the convex portion 59 is formed on the back plate 58, even if the urethane foam material gets into ), a gap G is formed between the inner surface of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (see FIG. 8).

The angle of the inclined portion forming the convex portion 59, particularly the angle of the inclined portion on the side closer to the ends 54a and 54b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (the right inclined surface forming the convex portion 59 in FIG. It is preferable to be close to a right angle with respect to This facilitates formation of a gap G between the inner surface of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 . Also, this angle is preferably less than 90 degrees, more preferably less than 80 degrees. As a result, when the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is pressurized and adhered to the back plate 58 side, the outer wrapping material of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 can be prevented from being damaged.

The adhesive tape 61 extending vertically along the ridge 58 d of the back plate 58 reaches the lower end 58 b of the back plate 58 . Since the surface of the adhesive tape 61 is a release surface, the urethane foam that has entered between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is less likely to adhere to the adhesive tape 61 . Therefore, even if foamed urethane enters, it does not adhere and flows easily, so the force for pushing the vacuum heat insulating material 54 inward (downward in FIG. 8) is reduced. Therefore, a gap G is easily formed between the inner surface of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the gap G formed between the inner surface of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 extends over substantially the entire region in which the convex portions 59 are formed, that is, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 in the vertical direction. formed. As a result, even if the pressure of the bubbling gas rises at a specific point in the vertical direction of the end portion 54 a or 54 b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 , stress is applied to separate the vacuum heat insulating material 54 from the inner surface of the back plate 58 . Even if there is, the foaming gas can be rapidly dispersed in the vertical direction by the gap G formed over substantially the entire area of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 in the vertical direction.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent chain peeling starting from one point of peeling at the end of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 . The dispersed generated gas is gradually exhausted from the urethane foam unfilled portion (in this embodiment, the area below the vacuum heat insulating material 54 tends to be the last urethane foam unfilled portion).

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, since the urethane foam is difficult to adhere to the surface of the adhesive tape 61, a slight gap G (see FIG. 8) is formed between the heat insulating layer 53 and the arrangement position of the adhesive tape 61. easier.

As shown in FIG. 8, the gap G formed near the convex portion 59 and the gap G formed between the heat insulating layer 53 and the adhesive tape 61 communicate with each other. This gap G communicates with the outside at the seal member 75 of the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 . Therefore, the position where the adhesive tape 61 and the seal member 76 are aligned on the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 functions as a gas release hole 82 (see FIG. 7).

The sealing member 76 is arranged to suppress leakage of urethane from the ridge 58d of the back plate 58 as described above. Therefore, the sealing member 76 may be made of a material (for example, a porous material) that allows the bubbling gas to pass through but does not allow the urethane material to pass through. Further, as described above, when the filling amount of the foamed urethane material is controlled for each inlet 55 so that the filling of the foamed urethane proceeds from the top to the bottom, the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 is formed. and the machine room 30 is not filled with urethane foam until the end. In such a case, gas can be vented by the seal member 75, so the air permeability of the seal member 76 may be low.

Therefore, the bubbling gas that has entered between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is discharged outside through the gap before the air pressure becomes high enough to separate the adhesive surface between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54. Therefore, peeling of the adhesive surface is suppressed. Furthermore, the foamed urethane material that has flowed between the back plate 58 and the vacuum insulation material 54 cannot adhere to the back plate 58 due to the release treatment of the surface of the adhesive tape 61 and stay there. It preferentially diffuses in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box 50 along the arrangement position of the adhesive tape 61 rather than slipping into the adhesive surface with the material 54 .

Therefore, the amount of urethane foam material that gets into between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is reduced as a result. That is, since the bubbling gas between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 can be quickly dispersed by the gap G and discharged to the outside, the gap 900 formed in the conventional heat insulating box body 950 can be formed. Suppressed. If a large gap is not formed between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 at the stage when the urethane foam is generally formed inside the heat insulating box 50, it is formed between the inner box 52 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54. The internal pressure (foaming pressure) of the foamed urethane (heat insulating layer 53) pushes the vacuum heat insulating material toward the outer case 51 (see the arrow in FIG. 9). Therefore, gas is prevented from entering the adhesive surface between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 (that is, peeling of the adhesive surface).

Further, since the back plate 58 is provided with the projections 59 , in the step of bonding the vacuum heat insulating material 54 to the inner surface of the back plate 58 , when the entire surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is pressed against the back plate 58 side, , the convex portion 59 is subjected to a greater pressure than other portions. Therefore, since the adhesive force between the projections 59 of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is increased, the stress of peeling the vacuum heat insulating material 54 from the back plate 58 is applied to the ends 54 a and 54 b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 . Even so, the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the back plate 58 are less likely to separate from each other in the region inside the convex portion 59 because the convex portion 59 is strongly bonded. That is, the invasion of gas into the bonding surface between the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the back plate 58 in the region inside the convex portion 59 is further suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 10, a sealing member 75 made of an elastic member having a porous structure such as sponge is provided at the boundary between the lower portion of the heat insulating box 50 and the machine room 30. It suppresses leakage of urethane foam. The release surface of the adhesive tape 61 attached to the back plate 58 faces the sealing member 75 with the sealing member 76 interposed therebetween. As a result, the release surface of the adhesive tape 61 inside the heat insulating box 50 communicates with the outside through the seal members 75 and 76 .

As described above, the back plate 58 in the heat insulating box 50 has a region along the release surface of the adhesive tape 61 that is not adhered to the urethane foam forming the heat insulating layer 53 . This area becomes the communication path P2. The communication path P2 extends from the overlapping portion of the adhesive tape 61 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 to the arrangement position of the sealing member 76 of the lower end portion 58b.

Further, in the vicinity of the left and right ends 54a and 54b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54, a communication path P1 is formed by a gap G formed due to the shape of the convex portion 59 formed on the back plate 58. As shown in FIG. A portion of the adhesive tape 61 and the projection 59 are both covered with the vacuum heat insulating material 54, so that the communication path P1 and the communication path P2 are in a state of communication (see FIG. 9).

As a result, the foaming gas that has entered between the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the back plate 58 can be vented to the outside from the stage during the formation of the foamed urethane to the stage where the foamed urethane is almost formed. . Therefore, gas accumulation is less likely to occur between the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the back plate 58, and peeling of the adhesive surfaces between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, a viscoelastic member 65 having a rectangular flat plate structure is used to close the gap between the heat dissipation pipe 71 fixed with the adhesive tape 61 and the back plate 58 . A rubber material such as butyl rubber is preferably used as the viscoelastic member 65 . The rubber material is softened by being warmed by an exothermic reaction during the formation of urethane foam. As a result, the viscous elastic member 65 enters the gap while being in proper contact with the sealing member 75 with the adhesive tape 61 sandwiched therebetween, and occupies the space inside the heat insulating box 50 .

(Summary of the first embodiment)
As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes the heat insulating box body 50 . A vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged on a back plate 58 (that is, a back surface portion 51 c ) forming an outer case 51 of the heat insulating box body 50 . In addition, on the surface of the back surface portion 51c facing the vacuum heat insulating material 54, convex portions 59 and 59 extending along the left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material (that is, the respective ends 54a and 54b extending in the vertical direction) are provided. is provided. The vacuum heat insulating material 54 is arranged so as to ride on each of the protrusions 59, 59, and between the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the rear surface portion 51c near the protrusion 59, a communication path P1 is provided for communication in the vertical direction. is provided.

According to this configuration, the gas flowing between the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the back plate 58 is dispersed vertically through the communication path P1, and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 is separated from the back plate 58 at specific locations. You can prevent it from starting.

The communication path P1 communicates with a communication path P2 formed between the adhesive tape 61 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54. As shown in FIG. The adhesive tape 61 extends from slightly above the arrangement position of the injection port 55 to the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58. As shown in FIG. Each end of the adhesive tape 61 in the width direction (left and right direction) extends to a position where one side overlaps the end (either left or right end) of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 .

According to this configuration, the gas generated or circulating in the gap formed between the vacuum heat insulating material 54 and the back plate 58 is dispersed downward through the communicating paths P1 and P2 and spreads downward under the back plate 58. It is possible to make it easier to get out to the machine room 30 side.

As a result, the pressure of the gas entering between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54 can be reduced during the formation of the urethane foam inside the heat insulating box 50 . At the stage when the foamed urethane is mostly formed, the side of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 facing the heat insulating layer 53 is pushed by the foaming pressure of the heat insulating layer 53, and enters between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54. The gas can be discharged through the communication path described above. Therefore, the gas can be discharged before the back plate 58 is plastically deformed by the pressure of the gas.

As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the escape of gas generated in the heat insulating box 50 during and after the foam heat insulating material is formed. Further, deformation of the back plate 58, which may occur when the urethane foam shrinks during the manufacturing process of the heat insulating box 50, is less likely to occur. As a result, occurrence of poor appearance of the heat insulating box 50 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the refrigerator in which the heat radiation pipe 71 is attached to the back plate 58 has been described as an example. However, even when the back plate 58 is not provided with the heat radiation pipe, it is preferable to arrange the adhesive tape 61 at the same position as in the present embodiment.

Also, in the present embodiment, the adhesive tape 61 plays the role of the release part, but in another aspect, the release part can be realized in a form other than the adhesive tape. For example, the release portion can be formed by applying a fluorine-based release agent to the surface of the back plate 58 .

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the arrangement position of the vacuum heat insulating material on the back plate is different from that in the first embodiment. For other configurations, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

FIG. 12 shows the inner surface side of the back plate 58 that constitutes the outer case 51 of the heat insulating box 50 according to the second embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 12 also shows the protrusion 59 and the adhesive tape 61 provided on the back side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 . A configuration similar to that of the first embodiment can be applied to the configuration of the back plate 58 .

As shown in FIG. 12, a vacuum insulation material (VIP) 154 is attached to the inner surface of the back plate 58 . FIG. 13 is a view showing the cross-sectional configuration of the CC line portion of the back plate 58 shown in FIG. 12 (that is, around the left end 154a of the vacuum heat insulating material 154).

Side end portions 58 c extending in the vertical direction are provided at both left and right end portions of the back plate 58 . The left and right side edges 58c and 58c are slightly inclined with respect to the flat back surface 51c. A ridge portion 58d is formed between the side end portion 58c and the rear surface portion 51c. The adhesive tape 61 is arranged on the inner surface of the back plate 58 so as to straddle the ridge 58d. On the inner surface of the back plate 58 (that is, the surface on the side facing the vacuum heat insulating material 154), two vertically extending protrusions 59 (specifically, the left protrusion 59a and the left protrusion 59a) are provided in the vicinity of the ridge 58d. A right convex portion 59b) is formed. The convex portion 59 has a convex shape that swells toward the inner surface side of the back plate 58 (see FIG. 13, etc.). The configuration of such a back plate 58 is similar to that of the first embodiment.

The vacuum heat insulating material 154 is arranged between the ridges 58 d on the left and right sides of the back plate 58 . As shown in FIG. 12 , at least one end portion (end portions 154 a and 154 b in this embodiment) of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is arranged so as to ride on the convex portion 59 .

More specifically, the left side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 partially rides on the convex portion 59a (for example, with a step of about 2 mm or less), and its end portion 154a is positioned on the convex portion 59a. . Also, the right side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 completely rides on the convex portion 59b, and its end portion 154b is positioned outside the convex portion 59b. The position of the right end 154b of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is the same as the position of the end 54b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54 described in the first embodiment.

Regarding the arrangement positions of the heat radiation pipe 71 and the adhesive tape 61, the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied.

In this embodiment, when manufacturing the heat insulating box 50, the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is attached to the inner surface of the back plate 58 as in the first embodiment. The vacuum heat insulating material 154 is attached to the back plate 58 with an adhesive such as hot melt. At this time, the left side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 partially rides on the convex portion 59 a of the back plate 58 and is arranged at a position away from the adhesive tape 61 . Also, the right side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is arranged so as to cover the entire convex portion 59 b of the back plate 58 and partially overlap the adhesive tape 61 .

Note that since the portion of the back plate 58 where the convex portion 59 is formed is likely to be pressurized, it can be bonded to the vacuum heat insulating material 154 more firmly than the flat portion. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the left end 154a of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 rides on the projection 59a, so that the end 154a of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 can be firmly adhered to the projection 59a.

A slight gap G is formed between the inner surface of the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 in the vicinity of the convex portion 59a (see FIG. 14). This gap G becomes a communication path P11 that communicates with the outside air (see FIG. 13).

As described above, on the left side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154, the end portion 154a is firmly adhered to the back plate 58 on the vertically extending protrusion 59a (see the dashed line frame in FIG. 14). Therefore, when the foamed urethane material is injected, the adhesive surface between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is hardly peeled off by the generated foamed urethane, and the gap between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is foamed. It becomes difficult for urethane to penetrate. That is, the convex portion 59a serves as a bank that prevents the urethane foam from entering.

Further, even if the foaming gas generated during the production of foamed urethane breaks a part of the adhesive surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 and penetrates inside the convex portion 59a, it will continue to flow along the formation position of the convex portion 59a. Since the passage P11 extends in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box, the foaming gas is dispersed and communicated with the outside air. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the foaming gas that has entered inside the convex portion 59a from locally staying and peeling off and expanding the bonding surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 in a chain.

Furthermore, since the lower end portion 59c of the projection 59a extends close to the lower end portion 58b of the back plate 58 (for example, within 5 cm from the lower end portion 58b), the communicating path P11 extending in the vertical direction The mating surfaces of the seal members 75 and 76 of the lower end portion 58b of the plate 58 communicate with the outside.

Therefore, the gas generated from the urethane foam that has entered between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is discharged to the outside through the communication path P11 before the adhesive surface between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is peeled off. Therefore, peeling of the adhesive surface is suppressed.

As a result, the amount of urethane foam material and gas entering between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is suppressed. That is, the formation of the gap 900 that is formed in the conventional heat insulating box 950 is suppressed. If a large gap is not formed between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 at the stage when the urethane foam is generally formed inside the heat insulating box 50, it is formed between the inner box 52 and the vacuum heat insulating material 54. The internal pressure (foaming pressure) of the foamed urethane (heat insulating layer 53) pushes the vacuum heat insulating material toward the outer case 51 (see the arrow in FIG. 9). Therefore, gas is prevented from entering the bonding surface between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 (that is, peeling of the bonding surface).

In addition, in the vicinity of the right end portion 154b of the vacuum heat insulating material 154, as in the first embodiment, the gap G formed due to the shape of the convex portion 59b formed on the back plate 58 causes the communication path P1 to is formed. This communication path P1 communicates with a communication path P2 formed between the adhesive tape 61 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154. As shown in FIG. As a result, even at the right end portion 154b of the vacuum heat insulating material 154, gas is prevented from entering the adhesive surface between the back plate 58 and the vacuum heat insulating material 154 (that is, peeling of the adhesive surface).

As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the escape of gas generated in the heat insulating box 50 during and after the foam heat insulating material is formed. Further, deformation of the back plate 58, which may occur when the urethane foam shrinks during the manufacturing process of the heat insulating box 50, is less likely to occur. As a result, occurrence of poor appearance of the heat insulating box 50 can be suppressed.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in the arrangement position of the vacuum heat insulating material on the back plate.

In the above-described second embodiment, the left side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 partially rides on the convex portion 59a, the end portion 154a thereof is positioned on the convex portion 59a, and the right side of the vacuum heat insulating material 154 is the convex portion 59a. It completely rides on the portion 59b. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the ends 154a and 154b are located on the convex portions 59 (that is, the convex portions 59a and 59b) on both left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material 154. As shown in FIG.

For other configurations, configurations similar to those of the second embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in the heat insulation box according to the present embodiment, communicating paths P11 as shown in FIG.

According to this configuration, it is possible to facilitate the release of gas generated in the heat insulating box 50 during and after the foam heat insulating material is formed. Further, deformation of the back plate 58, which may occur when the urethane foam shrinks during the manufacturing process of the heat insulating box 50, is less likely to occur. As a result, occurrence of poor appearance of the heat insulating box 50 can be suppressed.

(summary)
A refrigerator (eg, refrigerator 1) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heat-insulating box (eg, heat-insulating box 50) and vacuum insulation disposed on the back surface of the heat-insulating box (eg, back surface 51c). material (eg, vacuum insulation 54, 154). On the surface of the back surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material, both left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material (for example, the ends 54a and 54b of the vacuum heat insulating material 54, or the ends 154a and 154b of the vacuum heat insulating material) 154b) are provided (for example, protrusions 59, 59a, and 59b), and the vacuum heat insulating material is disposed so as to ride on the protrusions, and the back surface portion in the vicinity of the protrusions is provided. and the vacuum heat insulating material are provided communication paths (for example, communication paths P1 and P11) communicating in the vertical direction.

In the refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) according to one aspect of the present invention, the communication passages (for example, communication passages P1 and P11) may communicate with the outside air.

In the refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) according to one aspect of the present invention, at least one of the projections (for example, projections 59 and 59b) may be entirely covered with the vacuum insulation material. .

In the refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) according to one aspect of the present invention, a release portion (for example, adhesive A tape 61) is provided, and the release portion may constitute a part of the communication path (for example, the communication path P2).

In the refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the release portion may be an adhesive tape (for example, adhesive tape 61).

The refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) according to one aspect of the present invention described above further includes a heat dissipation pipe (for example, heat dissipation pipe 71), and the heat dissipation pipe is fixed to the back surface by the adhesive tape. good.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and range of equivalents of the scope of the claims. Also, configurations obtained by combining configurations of different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the present invention.

1: Refrigerator 30: Machine room 50: Insulation box body 51: Outer box 51c: Rear part (of outer box) 52: Inner box 53: Insulation layer 54: Vacuum insulation material 55: Filling port 58: Back plate (back part)
59: Convex part 61: Adhesive tape (release part)
65: Viscoelastic member 71: Radiation pipe 75: Sealing member 154: Vacuum heat insulating material P1: Communicating path P2: Communicating path

Claims (4)

a heat insulating box;
A vacuum insulation material arranged on the back surface of the insulation box,
A convex portion extending vertically along both left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material is provided on the surface of the back surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material,
The vacuum heat insulating material is arranged so as to ride on the convex portion,
Between the convex portion , the back surface portion adjacent to the convex portion , and the vacuum heat insulating material, a communicating passage is provided that communicates in the vertical direction along the extending direction of the convex portion ,
On the surface of the back surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material, a mold release processing portion is provided that partially overlaps the left and right ends of the vacuum heat insulating material and extends in the vertical direction,
The mold release processing portion extends to an end portion in the vertical direction of the back surface portion and constitutes a part of the communication passage,
The refrigerator , wherein the communication path communicates with the outside air at the vertical end of the back surface portion . 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said protrusions is entirely covered with said vacuum heat insulating material . 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein said release processing part is an adhesive tape . Further equipped with a heat dissipation pipe,
The heat dissipation pipe is fixed to the back part by the adhesive tape,
The refrigerator according to claim 3 .

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