JP7529316B2 - Refrigerator and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof, and in particular to a refrigerator having an insulated door whose outer surface is made of a metal plate, and a manufacturing method thereof.

In a typical refrigerator, various storage compartments, such as a refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, and vegetable compartment, are formed inside the insulated refrigerator body, and these storage compartments are closed from the front with an insulated door.

Patent Document 1 describes a door that is equipped in this type of refrigerator. Figure 15 shows a door 100 that is equipped in this type of refrigerator. In this figure, each component that constitutes the door 100 is shown separately. From the rear, the door 100 has an inner plate 101, an outer plate 102, and a resin panel 103. In addition, an upper cap 108 and a lower cap 109 are fitted into the upper and lower end portions of the outer plate 102.

JP 2004-278891 A

However, the door 100 configured as described above has room for improvement in terms of convenience when the refrigerator is in operation. Specifically, the outer plate 102 of the door 100 is made of a steel plate such as stainless steel, while the lower cap 109 is made of synthetic resin. Therefore, while the refrigerator is in operation, the outer plate 102 made of metal is affected by the outside air and rises in temperature, while the lower cap 109 does not rise in temperature as much. For this reason, when the atmosphere outside the refrigerator is humid, condensation occurs on the surface of the lower cap 109, which has a low temperature.

To prevent this type of condensation, aluminum tape may be applied to the inside of the lower cap 109 and the outer panel 102 to promote heat conduction. However, this increases the number of parts and the number of steps in the manufacturing process, which increases manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the mere provision of the lower cap 109 increases assembly steps and materials.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator that reduces the number of parts in the insulated door and can suppress the occurrence of condensation on the door, and a manufacturing method thereof.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises an insulated box in which a storage compartment is formed, and an insulated door that closes the storage compartment, the insulated door having an outer plate portion made of a metal plate, an inner plate portion arranged opposite the outer plate portion, an internal space formed between the outer plate portion and the inner plate portion, an insulating material arranged in the internal space, an upper cover portion that closes the internal space from above, and a lower cover portion that closes the internal space from below, the metal plate having a plurality of plate portions that are continuous with the outer plate portion and the widthwise side edges of the outer plate portion and are in contact with the front The device has a side plate portion bent at approximately a right angle to the outer plate portion, a first fold portion that is continuous with the side edge of the side plate portion and bent at approximately a right angle to the side plate portion, a lower cover portion that is continuous with the lower edge of the outer plate portion and bent at approximately a right angle to the outer plate portion, and a second fold portion that is continuous with the lower edge of the lower cover portion and bent at approximately a right angle to the lower cover portion, and is characterized in that an opening is formed by opening the first fold portion, an insert piece that is continuous with the second fold portion is formed, and the insert piece is inserted into the opening.

The refrigerator of the present invention can provide a refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof that can reduce the number of parts in the insulated door and suppress the occurrence of condensation on the door.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a side cross-sectional view. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a door of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a door of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an exploded perspective view, and (B) is a perspective view showing a fixing member. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side, and (D) is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the metal plate where a bead is formed. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, and (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side, and (D) is an oblique view showing a fixing member. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view showing a metal plate, (B) is a view of the metal plate from below, (C) is a view of the metal plate from the side, (D) is an oblique view showing a fixing member, and (E) is a cross-sectional view showing an insertion protrusion. 1 is a table showing effects achieved by the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a door of a refrigerator according to the background art.

A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms up, down, front, back, left and right will be used as appropriate, with left and right referring to the left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front. In the following description, the same reference numbers will be used for the same components as a general rule, and repeated description will be omitted.

Figure 1 shows the schematic structure of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1(A) is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of refrigerator 10, and Figure 1(B) is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator 10 as seen from the side.

As shown in FIG. 1(A), refrigerator 10 has refrigerator body 11, which is an insulated box, and storage compartments for storing food and the like are formed inside refrigerator body 11. These storage compartments are, from the top, a refrigerator compartment 15, an upper freezer compartment 17, a lower freezer compartment 18, and a vegetable compartment 19. Here, since upper freezer compartment 17 and lower freezer compartment 18 are both storage compartments in the freezing temperature range, they may be collectively referred to as freezer compartment 16.

The front of the refrigerator body 11 is open, and the front opening of each storage compartment is closed by an insulated door. Specifically, from the top, the opening of the refrigerator compartment 15 is closed by door 20, the opening of the upper freezer compartment 17 is closed by door 21, the opening of the lower freezer compartment 18 is closed by door 22, and the opening of the vegetable compartment 19 is closed by door 23.

Door 20 closes the opening of refrigerator compartment 15 from the front, and for example, the upper and lower ends at the right end are supported by refrigerator body 11 so as to be freely rotatable. On the other hand, doors 21, 22, and 23 are arranged so as to be freely pulled out in the front-to-rear direction relative to refrigerator body 11. Doors 21, 22, and 23 also have handles formed on the upper caps for pulling them out.

Referring to FIG. 1(B), the refrigerator body 11, which is the main body of the refrigerator 10, is composed of an outer box 12 made of steel plate with an open front, and an inner box 13 made of synthetic resin with an open front, which is arranged with a gap inside the outer box 12. The gap between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13 is filled with foamed polyurethane insulation material 14. The doors 20 and the like described above also have the same insulation structure as the refrigerator body 11.

The refrigerator compartment 15 is separated from the freezer compartment 16 located below by an insulating partition wall 24. In addition, an insulating partition wall 25 is formed between the freezer compartment 16 and the vegetable compartment 19 located below it. The insulating partition walls 24, 25 also have an insulating structure, similar to the refrigerator body 11 described above.

A cooling chamber is formed behind the freezer chamber 16, and inside this cooling chamber is disposed a cooler 28, which is an evaporator for cooling the air circulating inside the chamber.

The cooler 28 is connected to the compressor 27, a radiator (not shown), and an expansion valve (not shown), which is a capillary tube, via refrigerant piping, forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle circuit.

The cold air cooled by the cooler 28 circulates through the refrigerator compartment 15, the freezer compartment 16, and the vegetable compartment 19, so that the indoor temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 15 and the vegetable compartment 19 are kept in the refrigeration temperature range, and the indoor temperature of the freezer compartment 16 is kept in the freezing temperature range.

The refrigerator 10 also includes a control device (not shown), which performs predetermined calculations based on input values from sensors and controls each component such as the compressor 27.

The configuration of the door 20 provided in the above-mentioned refrigerator 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 2. Here, each member constituting the door 20 is shown separated in the front-rear direction.

The door 20 mainly comprises an outer plate section 29 which is the design surface, an inner plate section 30 which covers the outer plate section 29 from the rear, and a gasket 37 which is attached in a frame shape to the inner surface of the inner plate section 30.

The inner plate section 30 is made of a synthetic resin material vacuum-formed into a plate shape, and closes the outer plate section 29 from the rear. An internal space 33 is formed between the outer plate section 29 and the inner plate section 30, and the internal space 33 is filled with a heat insulating material 34. The heat insulating material 34 may be a foamed resin such as urethane resin or a VIP (Vacuum Insulation Panel).

An upper lid 35 made of synthetic resin is fitted into the upper end of the internal space 33. Meanwhile, the lower end of the internal space 33 is covered with a lower lid 36 made of a metal plate that is continuous with the outer plate 29. In other words, the front, left and right sides, and bottom of the door 20 are formed by bending a single metal plate.

As described below, in this embodiment, the lower cover material 36 is formed continuously with the outer plate material 29, thereby reducing the number of parts constituting the door 20 and preventing condensation from forming on the lower cover material 36 when the refrigerator 10 is in operation. This type of door 20 configuration can also be applied to the doors 21, 22, and 23 shown in FIG. 1(B).

The configuration of the door 20 in another embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3(A) is a perspective view showing the door 20, and Figure 3(B) is a perspective view showing the fixing member 38.

The basic structure of the door 20 shown in Figure 3 (A) is the same as that shown in Figure 2, and here, a fixing member 38 is placed at the lower corner of the door 20. The fixing member 38 is made of synthetic resin, and fixes each part that constitutes the outer plate material part 29, and protects the corner of the door 20 so that sharp parts made of steel plate are not exposed.

The configuration of the fixing member 38 will be described with reference to FIG. 3(B). The fixing member 38 is made of synthetic resin that is integrally injection molded, and has a first surface 381, a second surface 382, and a third surface 383. The first surface 381 and the second surface 382 are plate-shaped members having an approximately rectangular shape, and the third surface 383 is a plate-shaped member having an approximately triangular shape. The first surface 381, the second surface 382, and the third surface 383 are arranged so as to be perpendicular to each other. When the fixing member 38 is assembled to the door 20, the first surface 381 of the fixing member 38 abuts against the left and right side surfaces of the outer plate material portion 29, the second surface 382 abuts against the lower surface of the outer plate material portion 29, and the third surface 383 abuts against the rear surface of the outer plate material portion 29. Additionally, each side and corner of the fixing member 38 may be formed with rounded corners to improve safety when the refrigerator 10 is in use.

In addition, the insertion convex portion 401 protrudes to the right from the first surface portion 381, the insertion convex portion 402 protrudes upward from the second surface portion 382, and the insertion convex portion 403 and the insertion convex portion 404 are formed toward the front from the third surface portion 383. The insertion convex portion 401 to the insertion convex portion 404 protrude in a cylindrical shape, and a return portion 42 is formed at the tip portion as described later with reference to FIG. 13. The insertion convex portion 401 is inserted into a hole formed in the side surface of the outer plate material portion 29, the insertion convex portion 402 is inserted into a hole formed in the bottom portion of the door 20, and the insertion convex portion 403 and the insertion convex portion 404 are inserted into holes formed in the rear surface of the outer plate material portion 29. In this way, the relative positions of each part constituting the outer plate material portion 29 can be fixed. Furthermore, the fixing member 38 can be firmly assembled to the outer plate material portion 29. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

A method for manufacturing the door 20 shown in Figure 2 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 10.

Referring to Figure 4, a metal plate 45 is prepared as the material for the outer plate portion 29. Figure 4(A) is a plan view of the metal plate 45, Figure 4(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 4(A) from below, and Figure 4(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 4(A) from the right.

Referring to Figs. 4(A) to 4(C), the metal plate 45 has a sufficient area to constitute the metal plate 45 of the door 20 shown in Fig. 2. For example, a stainless steel plate with a thickness of about 0.5 mm can be used as the metal plate 45. The metal plate 45 is manufactured by rolling, and the rolling direction of the metal plate 45 is specified to be parallel to the left and right directions. This makes it easier for workers to bend the metal plate 45 by hand, as described below.

Referring to FIG. 5, next, the metal plate 45 is subjected to cutting processing such as pressing to form it into a predetermined shape. FIG. 5(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45 cut into a predetermined shape, FIG. 5(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in FIG. 5(A) seen from below, and FIG. 5(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in FIG. 5(A) seen from the right. Also, FIG. 5(D) shows a cross section of the metal plate 45 in the portion where the bead 54 described below is formed.

Referring to FIG. 5(A), an outer plate portion 48 is formed in the center of the metal plate 45. A side plate portion 49 is connected to the outer side of the outer plate portion 48 in the left-right direction. A fold portion 52 is connected to the outer side of the side plate portion 49 in the left-right direction. The fold portion 52 is a portion where the end of the outer plate portion 29 shown in FIG. 2 is folded inward. The lower end portion of the fold portion 52 is opened in a substantially rectangular shape to form an opening 47. An insertion piece 46, which will be described later, is inserted into the opening 47.

The lower cover member 51 is connected to the underside of the outer plate member 48. In addition, a fold-back portion 53 is formed on both the left and right sides of the lower cover member 51. A fold-back portion 55 is formed below the lower cover member 51, and rectangular insertion pieces 46 are formed extending downward from both the left and right ends of the fold-back portion 55.

Here, at the boundary between the outer plate material portion 48 and the lower cover material portion 51, the boundary between the lower cover material portion 51 and the folded back portion 53, and the boundary between the lower cover material portion 51 and the folded back portion 55, beads 54 are formed by pressing. Figure 5(D) shows the cross-sectional shape of the beads 54. In Figure 5(A), the portion where the beads 54 are formed is shown by a dashed line. The portion where the beads 54 are formed can be bent by an operator, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the door 20.

Referring to FIG. 6, next, the folded portion 53 and the folded portion 55 are bent at right angles. FIG. 6(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, FIG. 6(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in FIG. 6(A) from below, and FIG. 6(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in FIG. 6(A) from the right.

Referring to Figures 6(A) to 6(C), here, the folded portion 53 is bent at approximately a right angle toward the inside of the left and right rear. As described above, the bead 54 is formed at the boundary between the lower lid material portion 51 and the folded portion 53, so this bending operation can be performed by hand by a worker. Also, the folded portion 55 is bent at approximately a right angle to the lower lid material portion 51. Again, the bead 54 is formed at the boundary between the lower lid material portion 51 and the folded portion 55, so the bending operation can be performed easily.

Referring to Figure 7, next, the lower lid portion 51 is bent at a right angle. Figure 7(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, Figure 7(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 7(A) from below, and Figure 7(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 7(A) from the right.

Referring to Figures 7(A) to 7(C), here, the lower lid material portion 51 is bent so that it is approximately perpendicular to the outer plate material portion 48. By bending the lower lid material portion 51 in this manner, the folded portion 55 and the insertion piece 46 face upward. Since the bead 54 described above is formed at the boundary between the lower lid material portion 51 and the outer plate material portion 48, the lower lid material portion 51 can be easily bent by hand by an operator.

Referring to Figure 8, next, the folded portion 52 is bent at a right angle. Figure 8(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, Figure 8(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 8(A) from below, and Figure 8(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 8(A) from the right.

Referring to Figures 8(A) to 8(C), the fold-back portions 52 located at both the left and right ends are bent at right angles to the side panel portion 49. The fold-back portions 52 are bent by a press bending process using a press. By using a press to bend the fold-back portions 52, the bending process can be performed precisely, improving the appearance of the manufactured door 20.

Referring to Figure 9, next, the side plate material portion 49 is bent at a right angle. Figure 9(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, Figure 9(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 9(A) from below, and Figure 9(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 9(A) from the right.

Referring to Figures 9(A) to 9(C), the side plate material 49 is bent so that it is at a right angle to the outer plate material 48. When bending the side plate material 49, the same press bending process is performed using a press as described above, so that the side plate material 49 can be bent accurately and with a good appearance to the outer plate material 48.

Referring to Figure 10, next, the insertion piece 46 is engaged with the opening 47. Figure 10(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, Figure 10(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 10(A) from below, and Figure 10(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 10(A) from the right.

Referring to FIG. 10(A), as described above, the insertion piece 46, which is the end of the folded portion 55, is inserted into the opening 47 formed in the folded portion 52. Here, the portion of the insertion piece 46 that protrudes upward from the opening 47 is folded downward by approximately 180 degrees. This fixes the relative positions of the folded portion 52 and the folded portion 55, and fixes the angle of the side plate material portion 49 connected to the folded portion 52 with respect to the outer plate material portion 48 at approximately a right angle. In addition, the angle of the lower lid material portion 51 connected to the folded portion 55 with respect to the outer plate material portion 48 is fixed at approximately a right angle.

The above-mentioned process produces the outer plate material portion 29 and the lower cover material portion 36, which are part of the door 20 shown in FIG. 2. Then, the inner plate material portion 30 is attached to the rear side of the outer plate material portion 29 to form an internal space 33 between the outer plate material portion 29 and the inner plate material portion 30. A gasket 37 is also placed on the rear side of the inner plate material portion 30. Furthermore, the internal space 33 is blocked from above with the upper cover material portion 35, and the internal space 33 is filled with the insulating material 34. The door 20 is produced by these processes. The doors 21, 22, and 23 shown in FIG. 1(A) can also be produced by the same manufacturing method as above.

Refrigerator 10 is manufactured by these steps. ...

Next, a method for manufacturing the door 20 shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 11 to FIG. 13. In the following description, parts that overlap with the method for manufacturing the door 20 shown in FIG. 2 will be omitted. Here, each part that constitutes the metal plate 45 is fixed by the fixing member 38 shown in FIG. 12 (B).

The shape of the metal plate 45 that is punched into a predetermined shape to manufacture the door 20 will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, Figure 11(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 11(A) from below, and Figure 11(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 11(A) from the side.

Referring to FIG. 11(A), the metal plate 45 has side plate parts 49 and folded parts 52 formed on both the left and right sides of the outer plate part 48, and a lower cover part 51 and folded part 55 formed below the outer plate part 48. In addition, a hole part 411 is formed by opening the lower end part of the side plate part 49, and a hole part 413 is formed by opening the lower end part of the folded part 52. Furthermore, a hole part 412 is formed by opening the left and right ends of the lower cover part 51, and a hole part 414 is formed by opening the left and right ends of the folded part 55. The hole parts 411 to 414 are approximately circular openings, and in a later process, the insertion convex parts 401 to 404 shown in FIG. 3(B) are inserted into them.

Figure 12 shows the metal plate 45 after bending processing has been completed. Figure 12(A) is a plan view of the metal plate 45, Figure 12(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 12(A) from below, and Figure 12(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 12(A) from the side. Also, Figure 12(D) is a perspective view showing the fixing member 38.

Referring to Fig. 12(A) to Fig. 12(C), the side plate portion 49, the folded portion 52, the lower cover portion 51, and the folded portion 55 are folded at approximately right angles to the outer plate portion 48. By performing such folding, holes 411, 412, 413, and 414 are arranged at the end of the metal plate 45. As shown in Fig. 12(B), the hole 411 is formed in the side plate portion 49 of the metal plate 45. As shown in Fig. 12(C), the hole 412 is formed in the lower cover portion 51 of the metal plate 45. As shown in Fig. 12(A), the hole 413 and the hole 414 are formed in the folded portion 52 and the folded portion 55 that constitute the rear surface of the metal plate 45.

As described above, after the process of bending the metal plate 45 is completed, the fixing member 38 shown in FIG. 12(D) is fitted into the lower left and lower right corners of the metal plate 45. Specifically, the insertion convex portion 401, the insertion convex portion 402, the insertion convex portion 403, and the insertion convex portion 404 of the fixing member 38 are inserted into the holes 411, 412, 413, and 414 of the metal plate 45. In this way, the lower left and lower right corners of the metal plate 45 are covered with the fixing member 38, so that the sharp edges of the metal plate are not exposed to the outside at the lower left and lower right corners of the metal plate 45, improving safety during use. Furthermore, by inserting and fixing the insertion protrusions 401, etc. of the fixing member 38 into the holes 413, etc. of the metal plate 45, the relative positions of the folded portion 52, folded portion 55, lower lid material portion 51, and folded portion 55 that constitute the metal plate 45 can be firmly fixed.

Figure 13 shows the metal plate 45 into which the fixing member 38 is fitted. Figure 13(A) is a plan view showing the metal plate 45, Figure 13(B) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 13(A) from below, and Figure 13(C) is a view of the metal plate 45 shown in Figure 13(A) from the side. Figure 13(D) is a perspective view showing the fixing member 38, and Figure 13(E) is a cross-sectional view showing the insertion protrusion 401.

As shown in Figures 13(A) to 13(C), fixing members 38 are disposed at the lower left end and lower right end of metal plate 45. In this manner, the lower left and right corners of metal plate 45 are covered with fixing members 38, so that the sharp edges of the metal plate are not exposed to the outside at the lower left and right corners of metal plate 45, improving safety during use. Furthermore, by inserting and fixing the insertion convex portions 401, etc. of fixing member 38 into holes 413, etc. of metal plate 45, the relative positions of folded portion 52, folded portion 55, lower cover material portion 51, and folded portion 55 that constitute metal plate 45 can be firmly fixed.

Referring to FIG. 13(D), the fixing member 38 has an inner surface formed with an insertion convex portion 401 to an insertion convex portion 404. As shown in FIG. 13(E), the tip of the insertion convex portion 401 is protruded upward to form a return portion 42. By forming the return portion 42 on the tip side of the insertion convex portion 401, when the insertion convex portion 401 is inserted into the hole portion 411 shown in FIG. 12(C), the insertion convex portion 402 formed on the tip of the insertion convex portion 401 engages with the hole portion 411 from the inside, preventing the insertion convex portion 401 from coming off. The same shape is also applied to the other insertion convex portions 402 to 404.

The door 20 is manufactured through the above process. Also, referring to FIG. 1(B), the door 20 is arranged in the refrigerator body 11 together with other components to manufacture the refrigerator 10.

The effect of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the graph in Figure 14. Here, with reference to Figure 1 (A), the temperature difference between a comparative example in which the underside of the door 21 is made of a resin cap and this embodiment in which the underside of the door 21 is made of a metal plate is shown. Also, the temperature and humidity of the external atmosphere surrounding the refrigerator 10 are the same in the comparative example and this embodiment.

First, in the comparative example, the freezer compartment is cooled to -18.6°C, and the refrigerator compartment is cooled to 2.1°C. In this embodiment, the freezer compartment is cooled to -18.5°C, and the refrigerator compartment is cooled to 2.1°C.

Next, the temperature of the lower end of the door 21 is 27.9°C in the comparative example where the lower end of the door 21 is made of a resin cap, whereas it is 28.5°C in the present embodiment where the lower end of the door 21 is made of a metal plate. That is, the temperature of the lower end of the door 21 is 0.6°C higher in the present embodiment than in the comparative example. The reason why the temperature of the lower end of the door 21 is lower in the comparative example is that heat is not well conducted to the synthetic resin member that constitutes the lower end of the door 21. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the lower end of the door 21 is made of a metal plate, so that the temperature of the lower end of the door 21 rises well due to heat conduction from the outside air. Therefore, even if the external atmosphere surrounding the refrigerator 10 is humid, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation at the lower end of the door 21.

Next, the temperature of the lower end of the gasket 37 disposed on the door 21 shown in Figure 2 will be described. The temperature of the lower part of the gasket 37 disposed on the door 21 is 27.8°C in the comparative example, whereas it is 28.6°C in this embodiment. In other words, the temperature of the lower part of the gasket 37 disposed on the door 21 is 0.8°C higher in this embodiment than in the comparative example. This indicates that heat is well conducted from the outer plate material portion 29 of the door 21 to the gasket 37.

Next, the temperature of the lower part of the door 21 shown in Figure 2 will be described. The temperature of the lower part of the door 21 is 26.1°C in the comparative example, whereas it is 27.2°C in this embodiment. In other words, the temperature of the lower part of the door 21 is 1.1°C higher in this embodiment than in the comparative example. This shows that the temperature is raised well up to the area below the door 21 by heat being conducted to the underside of the outer plate material portion 29 of the door 21.

Next, the temperature of the upper end of the gasket 37 disposed on the door 22 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The temperature of the upper end of the gasket 37 disposed on the door 22 is 25.5°C in the comparative example, whereas it is 26.8°C in this embodiment. That is, the temperature of the upper end of the gasket 37 disposed on the door 22 is 1.3°C higher in this embodiment than in the comparative example. This shows that the heat is well conducted to the underside of the outer plate material portion 29 of the door 21, and therefore the upper end of the gasket 37 of the door 22, which is disposed directly below it, is also well heated.

Generally, the upper and lower ends of the gasket 37 are in conditions where condensation is likely to occur, but by constructing the lower end of the door 21 from a metal plate as in this embodiment, the temperature of the upper and lower ends of the gasket 37 can be increased, preventing condensation from occurring around the gasket 37.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment is described below together with its effects.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises an insulated box in which a storage chamber is formed, and an insulated door that closes the storage chamber, and the insulated door has an outer plate part made of a metal plate, an inner plate part arranged opposite the outer plate part, an internal space formed between the outer plate part and the inner plate part, an insulating material arranged in the internal space, an upper cover part that closes the internal space from above, and a lower cover part that closes the internal space from below, and the lower cover part is formed continuously with the outer plate part. As a result, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the lower cap required in the background art is not required, and the number of parts that constitute the insulated door can be reduced, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the lower cover part of the insulated door is made of a metal plate that is continuous with the outer plate part, so that heat from the outside air is conducted from the outer plate part to the lower cover part during operation of the refrigerator. Therefore, even if the outside atmosphere of the refrigerator is humid, the heat is conducted from the outer plate material, causing the temperature of the lower lid material to rise moderately, preventing water droplets from forming on the surface of the lower lid material.

The refrigerator of the present invention further includes a fixing member that fixes the outer plate material and the lower cover material to each other, and the fixing member is disposed at a lower corner of the outer plate material. As a result, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the fixing member is disposed at the lower corner of the outer plate material, which prevents a metal member from being disposed at the corner of the insulated door, thereby improving safety when the refrigerator is used.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a refrigerator having an insulated door made of a metal plate having an outer plate portion, an inner plate portion arranged opposite the outer plate portion, a side plate portion connecting the outer plate portion and the inner plate portion, an internal space formed between the outer plate portion and the inner plate portion, a heat insulating material arranged in the internal space, an upper cover portion that closes the internal space from above, and a lower cover portion that closes the internal space from below, the method comprising the steps of: The method includes the steps of: preparing a metal plate having the lower cover portion; bending the side plate portion and the lower cover portion at a substantially right angle to the outer plate portion; fixing the lower cover portion and the side plate portion at the corner of the outer plate portion; arranging the outer plate portion opposite to the inner plate portion, forming the internal space between the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion, and arranging the insulating material in the internal space. As a result, according to the manufacturing method of the refrigerator of the present invention, since the lower cover portion of the insulated door is made of a metal plate that is continuous with the outer plate portion, there is no need to prepare a separate member that will become the lower cover portion. Therefore, the number of parts that make up the insulated door can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator can be reduced.

REFRIGERATION LIST 10 Refrigerator 11 Refrigerator body 12 Outer box 13 Inner box 14 Insulation material 15 Refrigerating compartment 16 Freezing compartment 17 Upper freezing compartment 18 Lower freezing compartment 19 Vegetable compartment 20 Door 21 Door 22 Door 23 Door 24 Insulation partition wall 25 Insulation partition wall 27 Compressor 28 Cooler 29 Outer plate material portion 30 Inner plate material portion 33 Internal space 34 Insulation material 35 Upper cover material portion 36 Lower cover material portion 37 Gasket 38 Fixing member 381 First surface portion 382 Second surface portion 383 Third surface portion 401 Insertion convex portion 402 Insertion convex portion 403 Insertion convex portion 404 Insertion convex portion 411 Hole portion 412 Hole portion 413 Hole portion 414 Hole portion 42 Return portion 45 Metal plate 46 Insertion piece 47 Opening 48 Outer plate material portion 49 Side plate portion 51 Lower cover portion 52 Folded portion 53 Folded portion 54 Bead 55 Folded portion 100 Door 101 Inner plate 102 Outer plate 103 Resin panel 108 Upper cap 109 Lower cap

Claims (4)

The storage device includes an insulated box having a storage chamber and an insulated door that closes the storage chamber.
The insulated door has an outer plate portion made of a metal plate, an inner plate portion arranged opposite the outer plate portion, an internal space formed between the outer plate portion and the inner plate portion, a heat insulating material arranged in the internal space, an upper cover portion that closes the internal space from above, and a lower cover portion that closes the internal space from below,
The metal plate has a plurality of plate portions,
The plurality of plate portions include
The outer plate portion;
A side plate portion that is continuous with a width direction side edge of the outer plate portion and is bent at a substantially right angle to the outer plate portion;
A first folded portion that is continuous with a side edge of the side plate portion and is folded at a substantially right angle to the side plate portion;
The lower cover portion is continuous with a lower side of the outer plate portion and is bent at a substantially right angle to the outer plate portion;
A second folded portion is continuous with the lower side of the lower lid material portion and is folded at a substantially right angle to the lower lid material portion,
An opening is formed by opening the first folded portion,
An insertion piece is formed continuous from the second folded portion,
The insert piece is inserted into the opening. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a third folded portion that is continuous with the widthwise side edge of the lower lid material portion and is folded at a substantially right angle to the lower lid material portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a bead is formed between the plurality of plate portions. a heat-insulating box having a storage chamber formed therein, and a heat-insulating door for closing the storage chamber, the heat-insulating door having an outer plate material portion made of a metal plate, an inner plate material portion disposed opposite the outer plate material portion, an internal space formed between the outer plate material portion and the inner plate material portion, a heat-insulating material disposed in the internal space, an upper cover material portion for closing the internal space from above, and a lower cover material portion for closing the internal space from below, the metal plate having a plurality of plate material portions, the plurality of plate material portions having the outer plate material portion, a side plate material portion continuous with a widthwise side edge of the outer plate material portion, a first folded portion continuous with a side edge of the side plate material portion, the lower cover material portion continuous with a lower side edge of the outer plate material portion, and a second folded portion continuous with the lower side edge of the lower cover material portion,
bending the side plate material portion at a substantially right angle to the outer plate material portion, bending the first folded portion at a substantially right angle to the side plate material portion, bending the lower cover material portion at a substantially right angle to the outer plate material portion, and bending the second folded portion at a substantially right angle to the lower cover material portion;
inserting the insert into the opening;
a step of placing the outer plate material portion opposite the inner plate material portion, forming an internal space between the inner plate material portion and the outer plate material portion, and placing the insulation material in the internal space.

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