JP7544538B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This embodiment relates to a refrigerator.

For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a refrigerator equipped with a USB connector to which an external device can be connected is being considered. With this refrigerator, by connecting an external device to the USB connector, the external device can be operated while being powered by the refrigerator, and can be operated without having to worry about the remaining battery charge of the external device.

JP 2017-146039 A

It has been considered to provide the external device connection section to which the above-mentioned external device is connected within a recess provided on the surface of the refrigerator body, for example, within a recess provided on the surface of the door of the storage compartment. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the external device connection section from protruding from the surface of the refrigerator body, and to solve the problem of the external device connection section getting in the way. In addition to the above-mentioned external device connection section, there is also a need for various components, such as decorative components, a display section, and an operating section, to be attached to the surface of the refrigerator body.

Therefore, this embodiment provides a refrigerator that allows various components to be stably attached to the surface of the refrigerator body.

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a surface constituent part that constitutes a surface of a refrigerator body, a surface member that constitutes the surface side of the surface constituent part, a back member that constitutes the back side of the surface constituent part, a notch provided in the surface member, a recessed part provided in the back member at a position facing the notch, a gap part formed between the surface member and the back member around the notch, a special member inserted into the gap from a direction different from a direction in which the surface member and the back member overlap, and an external device connection part provided in the recessed part and to which an external device is connected. The special member comprises a lid that opens and closes the opening of the cutout, and a biasing member that biases the lid in a direction that closes the opening of the cutout, and when the lid rotates rearward to open the opening of the cutout, the external device connection portion is positioned forward of the lid, and when the external device is connected to the external device connection portion, the external device prevents the lid from rotating forward and closing the opening of the cutout, and when the external device is removed from the external device connection portion, the biasing force of the biasing member causes the lid to rotate forward and close the opening of the cutout .

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a lower part of a refrigerator compartment door according to the embodiment; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment door according to the embodiment, illustrating an example of a state in which a lid unit is inserted into a gap. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the lid unit and its surrounding area according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a lid unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the rear side of the lid unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the lid unit is inserted into the gap according to the embodiment, with the glass member removed. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the lid unit and its surroundings according to the embodiment, illustrating an example of a state in which the lid member closes the front opening of the recessed portion. FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing the bottom of the refrigerator compartment door according to the embodiment, illustrating an example of a state in which the cover member closes the front opening of the recessed portion. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the lid unit and its surroundings according to the embodiment, illustrating an example of a state in which the lid member opens the front opening of the recessed portion. FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing the bottom of the refrigerator compartment door according to the embodiment, illustrating an example of a state in which the cover member opens the front opening of the recessed portion. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of a lid unit and its surrounding parts according to the embodiment;

One embodiment of a refrigerator will be described below with reference to the drawings. A refrigerator 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a plurality of storage compartments for storing food items inside a rectangular insulated box body 11 that forms the outer shell of the refrigerator. The insulated box body 11 is configured with an insulating material such as a vacuum insulation panel or urethane foam between an inner box and an outer box. The insulated box body 11 has a refrigeration compartment 12 that is maintained at a refrigeration temperature range as a storage compartment for storing stored items such as food items.

The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is opened and closed by two refrigerator compartment doors 12R and 12L that rotate left and right like double doors.

When the refrigerator compartment door 12R is in a closed state with the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 closed, the right end of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, as viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10, is supported rotatably by a rotation support part (not shown). Therefore, when the refrigerator compartment door 12R is in a closed state with the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 closed, the right side becomes the rotation base end side, and the left side becomes the rotation tip end side.

In addition, when the refrigerator compartment door 12L is in a closed state with the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 closed, the left end of the refrigerator compartment door 12L as viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10 is supported rotatably by a rotation support part (not shown). Therefore, when the refrigerator compartment door 12L is in a closed state with the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 closed, the left side becomes the rotation base end side, and the right side becomes the rotation tip end side.

In addition, in this embodiment, the vertical, i.e., up-down, dimensions of the refrigerator compartment doors 12R, 12L are almost or completely the same. However, the horizontal, i.e., left-right, dimensions of the refrigerator compartment doors 12R, 12L are different. In this case, the horizontal dimension of the refrigerator compartment door 12R is longer than the horizontal dimension of the refrigerator compartment door 12L. As described above, the refrigerator compartment doors 12R, 12L are different in size. However, the refrigerator compartment doors 12R, 12L may be the same size.

In addition to the refrigerator compartment 12, the insulated box 11 is also provided with various storage compartments, such as a vegetable compartment 13 maintained in a refrigerator temperature range, a freezer compartment 14 maintained in a freezer temperature range, a small freezer compartment 15, and an ice-making compartment 16. The vegetable compartment 13 is opened and closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 13a. The freezer compartment 14 is opened and closed by a drawer-type freezer compartment door 14a. The small freezer compartment 15 is opened and closed by a drawer-type small freezer compartment door 15a. The ice-making compartment 16 is opened and closed by a drawer-type ice-making compartment door 16a.

Refrigerator 10 has refrigerator compartment doors 12R and 12L, vegetable compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 14a, small freezer compartment door 15a, and ice-making compartment door 16a that make up the surface of the refrigerator body, in this case the front. In other words, refrigerator compartment doors 12R and 12L, vegetable compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 14a, small freezer compartment door 15a, and ice-making compartment door 16a are all provided as examples of surface components that make up the surface of refrigerator 10.

Next, a detailed description will be given of an example of the configuration of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, one of the multiple doors of the refrigerator 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the refrigerator compartment door 12R is configured by combining a glass member 100 and a base member 200.

The glass member 100 is an example of a front member, and constitutes the front side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, in this case the front side when the refrigerator compartment door 12R closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. A notch 101 is provided at the bottom end of the glass member 100. In this case, the notch 101 is provided to the right of the center in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, that is, on the side of the rotation base end of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

The cutout 101 forms a long cutout along the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. The two upper corners of the cutout 101 are formed in a smooth arc shape. The lower part of the cutout 101 is open. In this case, the back side of the glass member 100 is decorated. Examples of this type of decorative processing include coloring, adding a pattern, and mirror finishing.

The base member 200 is an example of a rear member, and constitutes the rear side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, in this case the rear side when the refrigerator compartment door 12R closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. A recessed portion 201 is provided at the bottom end of the base member 200. The recessed portion 201 is provided at a position facing the notch 101 of the glass member 100, that is, located to the right of the center in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, that is, on the rotation base end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

The recess 201 forms a long recess along the width direction of the refrigerator door 12R. The rear surface 201a of the recess 201 is an inclined surface that slopes backward from the rotation base end side to the rotation tip end side of the refrigerator door 12R relative to the surface of the refrigerator door 12R that closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, in this case the front surface.

In addition, within the lower end of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, a USB connection part 300, which is an example of an external device connection part, is housed on the side of the recessed part 201, in this case, the part on the central side in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. This USB connection part 300 can be connected to various devices that comply with the USB standard, such as smartphones, tablet terminals, mobile terminals, small electric fans, and USB memories. Note that an external device can be directly connected to the USB connection part 300, and it is also possible to indirectly connect an external device via a cable.

A USB connection port 201c is provided on the wall surface that constitutes the recessed portion 201, in this case the wall surface 201b on the central side in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. The USB connection portion 300 is provided at the back of this USB connection port 201c, and various external devices can be connected to the USB connection portion 300 through this USB connection port 201c.

The lower end surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R is provided with a storage section 301 in which the USB connection section 300 is stored. A cover member 302 that closes this storage section 301 is attached to the lower end surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. A rotation support member 400 is attached to the lower end surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R at the rotation base end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. The rotation support member 400 supports the refrigerator compartment door 12R so that it can rotate relative to the insulating box body 11.

The surface side of the base member 200 is provided with a frame-shaped member 500 formed in a frame shape so as to fit along the edge of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. The lower end of this frame-shaped member 500 is provided with a bent portion 501 that is bent into a substantially rectangular shape toward the upper end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. The bent portion 501 is provided at a position between the notch portion 101 of the glass member 100 and the recessed portion 201 of the base member 200, that is, located to the right of the center in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, that is, on the side of the rotation base end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. A step portion 501a is provided on the inner edge of this bent portion 501.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the glass member 100 is attached to the front side of the base member 200, a gap 600 is formed around the notch 101 of the glass member 100 by the step 501a of the bent portion 501. This gap 600 forms a thin space between the base member 200 and the glass member 100 around the notch 101 of the glass member 100. As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the refrigerator compartment door 12R is in a closed state with the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 closed, as viewed from the front side, the outer edge of the gap 600 is at least larger than the outer edge of the notch 101 of the glass member 100.

A lid unit 700 is attached to this gap 600. The lid unit 700 is an example of a special member that is attached to the surface of the refrigerator body, in this case, the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. Next, an example of the configuration of the lid unit 700 will be described in detail. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the lid unit 700 includes a lid member 710 and a support member 720. The lid member 710 is a member for opening and closing the front opening of the recessed portion 201, and includes a lid main body portion 711, a lower wall portion 712, and a pivot shaft 713, which are integral with each other.

The lid body 711 is formed in a long, flat shape that is slightly smaller than the front opening of the long recess 201 along the width direction of the refrigerator door 12R. The lid body 711 also has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the notch 101 of the glass member 100. That is, the two upper corners of the lid body 711 are formed in a smooth arc shape. The two lower corners of the lid body 711 are formed in an almost or completely right angle shape.

The lower wall portion 712 is provided so as to extend rearward from the lower end of the lid main body portion 711. In this case, the lower wall portion 712 is provided so as to bend at a right angle almost or completely to the lid main body portion 711. The lower wall portion 712 is also provided so as to fit along the open surface of the lower end of the recessed portion 201. The lower wall portion 712 is also inclined so that the amount of rearward extension gradually decreases from the rotation base end side toward the rotation tip end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

The pivot shaft 713 constitutes the pivot base end of the lid member 710, and is provided outside the lid main body 711, in this case, on the pivot base end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, which is to the right of the lid main body 711. The pivot shaft 713 is also provided so as to be oriented in the vertical direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

The surface of the lid member 710 is decorated. To be more specific, a decorative member 714 made of, for example, a glass plate or an acrylic plate is attached to the surface of the lid member 710, in this case, the surface of the lid main body 711 that constitutes a part of the lid member 710. In this case, the decorative member 714 is a member that applies a decoration to the surface of the lid main body 711 that is almost or completely the same as the decoration applied to the surface of the refrigerator door 12R, in this case, the back side of the glass member 100. The refrigerator 10 may be configured to apply decoration to the surface of the lid main body 711, for example, by painting. The refrigerator 10 may also be configured to apply decoration to the surface of the lid member 710 other than the lid main body 711, for example, the surface of the lower wall 712.

The cover member 710 configured as described above is supported rotatably by the support member 720. That is, the support member 720 has an elongated shape along the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R as a whole, and is provided with a notch 721. In this case, the notch 721 is provided to the left of the center of the length of the support member 720, that is, in a position slightly shifted toward the rotation tip of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

The notch 721 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the notch 101 of the glass member 100 and the lid body 711 of the lid member 710. That is, the two upper corners of the notch 721 are formed in a smooth arc shape. The lower part of the notch 721 is also open. The notch 721 is slightly smaller than the front opening of the notch 101 and the recess 201 of the glass member 100, and is slightly larger than the lid body 711 of the lid member 710.

In addition, the support member 720 has a protrusion 722 that fits along the edge of the cutout 721. The protrusion 722 protrudes from the surface side of the support member 720, and the two upper corners are formed into a smooth arc shape to correspond to the shape of the cutout 721, and the lower part is open.

The support member 720 has a cutout 721 located slightly to the left of the longitudinal center, i.e., toward the rotation tip of the refrigerator door 12R, so that the portion to the right of the cutout 721, i.e., the portion toward the rotation base end of the refrigerator door 12R, is larger than the portion to the left of the cutout 721, i.e., the portion toward the rotation tip of the refrigerator door 12R. A support part 723 that rotatably supports the rotation shaft 713 of the cover member 710 is provided on the back side of the portion of the support member 720 to the right of the cutout 721.

As shown in FIG. 6, the support portion 723 is provided with a spring 730, which is an example of a biasing member. One end 730a of the spring 730 is an example of a lid side end, and is engaged with a protrusion 710a provided on the lid member 710 side, in this case, the back surface of the pivot shaft 713 side of the lid main body portion 711. The other end 730b of the spring 730 is an example of a support member side end, and is engaged with a protrusion 720a provided on the support member 720 side, in this case, the back surface of the right side of the notch 721 of the support member 720, that is, the pivot base end side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

The spring 730 configured in this manner biases the lid member 710 in a direction that closes the opening of the recessed portion 201, in this case, in a direction that rotates the pivot tip of the lid member 710 toward the front of the refrigerator 10 around the pivot shaft 713, which is the pivot base end. With this configuration, the lid member 710 rotates toward the back side of the refrigerator door 12R against the biasing force of the spring 730 by having its surface, in this case the surface of the lid main body 711, pressed against the back side of the refrigerator door 12R, thereby opening the notch 721. Furthermore, when the pressure on the surface of the lid member 710 is released, it rotates toward the front side of the refrigerator door 12R under the biasing force of the spring 730, closing the notch 721.

The lid unit 700 configured as described above is attached by being inserted from the bottom to the top into the gap 600 formed at the bottom end of the refrigerator door 12R, as shown by the arrow S in FIG. 3. That is, the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600 from a direction different from the direction in which the glass member 100 and the base member 200 constituting the refrigerator door 12R overlap. In this case, the direction in which the glass member 100 and the base member 200 overlap is the front-to-rear direction of the refrigerator door 12R in a closed state that closes the front opening of the refrigerator chamber 12. The lid unit 700 is also inserted into the gap 600 from the vegetable compartment door 13a side, which is an example of another surface component different from the refrigerator door 12R.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the refrigerator compartment door 12R is in a closed state with the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 closed, as viewed from the front side, the gap 600 is in a direction different from the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, in this case the dimension D1 in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R is longer than the dimension D2 in the vertical direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R in the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, in this case.

As shown in FIG. 7, the gap 600 is provided with a groove 600a. The groove 600a is an example of a fixing portion for fixing the lid unit 700 within the gap 600. In this case, the groove 600a is provided at both left and right sides of the gap 600, that is, at both ends in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

On the other hand, the lid unit 700 is provided with a claw portion 700a. In this case, the claw portion 700a is provided at both left and right ends of the support member 720 constituting the lid unit 700, that is, at both ends in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

When the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, the claw portion 700a on the lid unit 700 side elastically deforms and engages with the groove portion 600a on the gap 600 side. This fixes the lid unit 700 in the gap 600 in a state where it cannot be removed.

In addition, within the gap 600, the groove 600a is located in a portion lower than the center in the vertical direction of the refrigerator door 12R, i.e., in the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, i.e., in the outer portion of the gap 600. In addition, in the lid unit 700, the claw 700a is located in a portion lower than the center in the vertical direction of the refrigerator door 12R, i.e., in the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, i.e., in the outer portion of the gap 600, so as to correspond to the position of the groove 600a in the gap 600.

Therefore, the lid unit 700 is fixed in the gap 600 by the claw portion 700a engaging with the groove portion 600a in the portion lower than the center in the insertion direction into the gap 600, i.e., the outer portion of the gap 600. In other words, the groove portion 600a fixes the lid unit 700 in the outer portion of the gap 600.

The groove portion 600a and the claw portion 700a may be located in an area above the center in the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap portion 600, i.e., in the inner area of the gap portion 600, or may be located in the center in the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap portion 600.

As illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11, when the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600 of the refrigerator door 12R, the lid member 710 can rotate around the pivot shaft 713 relative to the recess 201. In this case, the lid member 710 rotates inside the recess 201 toward the back side, i.e., toward the rear side of the refrigerator door 12R, thereby opening the front opening of the recess 201. As illustrated in Fig. 6, a stopper 710s is provided on the back side of the tip of the rotation of the lid member 710. This stopper 710s engages with the back side of the support member 720, so that the lid member 710 does not rotate beyond the support member 720 toward the front side of the refrigerator 10.

In addition, the recess 201 has a receiving portion 201d that receives the lower wall portion 712 when the cover member 710 rotates in a direction that opens the front opening of the recess 201, in this case, toward the rear side of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. The receiving portion 201d forms a space that extends rearward in a flat shape from the lower portion of the inner surface 201a of the recess 201. As the cover member 710 rotates in a direction that opens the front opening of the recess 201, the lower wall portion 712 is accommodated, i.e., received, within the space formed by the receiving portion 201d.

As shown in FIG. 12, the USB connection unit 300 is located on an extension line L of the rotation tip of the cover member 710 that has been rotated in the direction that opens the front opening of the recessed portion 201, i.e., toward the rear. Therefore, when connecting an external device or a connector of a cable extending from an external device to the USB connection unit 300, the connector of the external device or cable is inserted so as to be aligned with the surface of the cover body portion 711 of the cover member 710, making it easier to insert the external device or connector into the USB connection unit 300 that is located at the end of the insertion direction.

The pivot base end and pivot tip end of the cover member 710 are arranged along the connection direction of the external device or connector to the USB connection unit 300. That is, the pivot tip end of the cover member 710 is provided on the USB connection unit 300 side, while the pivot base end of the cover member 710 is provided on the opposite side to the USB connection unit 300.

According to the embodiment exemplified above, the refrigerator 10 has a recessed portion 201 on the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, which is the surface of the refrigerator body, and the USB connection port 201c of the USB connection portion 300 is provided within the recessed portion 201. The refrigerator 10 also has a lid member 710 that opens and closes the opening of the recessed portion 201. With this configuration, for a refrigerator 10 in which the recessed portion 201 for providing the USB connection portion 300 is formed on the surface of the refrigerator body, the recessed portion 201 can be hidden by the lid member 710, making it less noticeable.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the cover member 710 is configured to open the front opening of the recessed portion 201 by rotating it toward the rear inside the recessed portion 201. With this configuration, the front opening of the recessed portion 201 can be opened without removing the cover member 710, eliminating concerns such as losing the cover member 710. Furthermore, since the front opening of the recessed portion 201 is not opened by rotating the cover member 710 toward the front, it is possible to eliminate concerns that the rotated cover member 710 will protrude from the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the pivot base end and the pivot tip end of the cover member 710 are arranged along the connection direction of the external device or connector to the USB connection unit 300. With this configuration, the rotated cover member 710 can be oriented in the connection direction of the external device or connector to the USB connection unit 300, and by connecting the external device or connector along the surface of the cover member 710 oriented in the connection direction of the external device or connector to the USB connection unit 300, it is possible to more easily attach and detach the external device or connector to the USB connection unit 300.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the USB connection part 300 is provided on an extension line L of the rotation tip of the cover member 710 that has been rotated in a direction that opens the front opening of the recessed part 201. With this configuration, external devices and connectors can be attached and detached to and from the USB connection part 300 more easily by aligning them with the surface of the rotated cover member 710.

In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the pivot shaft 713 constituting the pivot base end of the lid member 710 is provided outside the lid main body 711. With this configuration, when the lid member 710 is rotated, the end of the lid main body 711 on the pivot base end side can be prevented from protruding forward from the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, and, for example, it is possible to prevent the user's fingers, food, etc. from getting caught on the end of the lid main body 711 protruding forward.

According to the refrigerator 10, the lid unit 700 includes a spring 730 that biases the lid member 710 in a direction that closes the front opening of the recessed portion 201, and the spring 730 has one end 730a that is engaged with the lid main body portion 711 and the other end 730b that is engaged with the support member 720. With this configuration, the biasing force of the spring 730 can be easily transmitted to the lid member 710 using the support member 720 as a base. In addition, since the biasing force of the spring 730 is sufficiently transmitted to the lid member 710, it is possible to prevent the lid member 710 from rotating unintentionally unless a pressing force exceeding the biasing force of the spring 730 is applied to the surface of the lid member 710, which means that it is possible to prevent the front opening of the recessed portion 201 from opening unintentionally.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator 10, the lid member 710 has a lower wall portion 712 that fits along the lower end of the recessed portion 201. With this configuration, for example, the lower wall portion 712 can prevent the user's fingers from entering the recessed portion 201 from below the lid member 710, and it is possible to prevent the lid member 710 from being pulled forward by the user's fingers beyond the closing position that closes the front opening of the recessed portion 201.

In particular, according to the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, the vegetable compartment door 13a is provided directly below the refrigerator compartment door 12R, and the upper end of this vegetable compartment door 13a is provided with a handle portion (not shown) on which the user can place their fingers. Therefore, there is a concern that the user's fingers may get caught in the recessed portion 201 from below the lid member 710 when attempting to place the handle portion on the vegetable compartment door 13a. However, according to the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, even in such a case, the lower wall portion 712 can effectively prevent the user's fingers from getting caught in the recessed portion 201 from below the lid member 710.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the recessed portion 201 is provided with a receiving portion 201d that receives the lower wall portion 712 when the lid member 710 rotates in a direction that opens the front opening of the recessed portion 201. With this configuration, even though the lower wall portion 712 is provided on the lid member 710, it is possible to prevent the lower wall portion 712 from impeding the rotation of the lid member 710.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the surface of the lid member 710 is decorated. That is, by decorating the surface of the lid member 710 with the same decoration as the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, the lid member 710 can be made to blend in with the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, and the lid member 710 can be made less noticeable. Note that the refrigerator 10 may be configured to decorate the surface of the lid member 710 with a decoration different from that of the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. This configuration makes the lid member 710 more noticeable, and thus makes it easier for the user to see that the USB connection unit 300 is installed.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, a lid unit 700, which is an example of a special member, is inserted into the gap 600 formed between the glass member 100 and the base member 200 around the notch 101 of the glass member 100. With this configuration, the lid unit 700 can be stably attached to the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, which is the surface of the refrigerator body.

In this embodiment, the lid unit 700 is illustrated as an example of a special member, but the special member is not limited to the lid unit 700. As the special member, various members and units can be applied, such as various decorative members, an operation unit including various operation buttons, and a display unit including a display. In addition, the surface of the refrigerator body to which the special member is attached is not limited to the surface of the refrigerator door 12R, but may be, for example, the surface of the refrigerator door 12L, the surface of the vegetable door 13a, the surface of the freezer door 14a, the surface of the small freezer door 15a, the surface of the ice-making door 16a, or the surface of the insulated box body 11, such as the side, top, or back of the insulated box body 11.

The front member is not limited to the glass member 100, but may be made of a material other than glass, such as a metal member or a resin member. The back member is not limited to the member that constitutes the base of the door, but may be any member to which a surface member can be attached.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator 10, the outer edge of the gap 600 is larger than the outer edge of the notch 101 of the glass member 100. With this configuration, the gap 600 into which the lid unit 700 is inserted can be secured large, and the lid unit 700 can be attached stably and effortlessly.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the gap 600 is longer in a direction different from the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, in this case the dimension D1 in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, than the dimension D2 in the direction in which the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600, in this case the dimension D2 in the up-down direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. With this configuration, the insertion amount of the lid unit 700 into the gap 600 can be minimized, and the lid unit 700 can be stably attached with a small insertion amount.

In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600 from the vegetable compartment door 13a side, which is an example of another surface component different from the refrigerator compartment door 12R. With this configuration, the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R to which the lid unit 700 is attached and the surface of the vegetable compartment door 13a to which the lid unit 700 is not attached can be used to realize an appearance in which the lid unit 700 is surrounded. Therefore, by applying a decoration similar to that of the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R or the surface of the vegetable compartment door 13a to the surface of the lid unit 700, the lid unit 700 can be made less noticeable while still being provided with the lid unit 700. In addition, by applying a decoration different from that of the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12R or the surface of the vegetable compartment door 13a to the surface of the lid unit 700, the lid unit 700 can be made more noticeable, and the user can easily see that the lid unit 700 is provided, and thus that the USB connection unit 300 is provided.

In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the groove 600a for fixing the lid unit 700 in the gap 600 fixes the lid unit 700 in the outer part of the gap 600. In the lid unit 700 inserted into the gap 600, the inner part located at the tip side in the insertion direction is in contact with the notch 101 of the glass member 100, so it is unlikely to become displaced or rattle. On the other hand, in the lid unit 700 inserted into the gap 600, the outer part located at the base end side in the insertion direction is likely to become displaced or rattle because the lower end, which is the outer end, does not abut the notch 101 of the glass member 100.

According to the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, the outer portion of the lid unit 700, which is prone to misalignment and rattling, can be fixed by engaging the groove portion 600a with the claw portion 700a, and misalignment and rattling, particularly of the outer portion of the lid unit 700, can be effectively suppressed. As described above, the inner portion of the lid unit 700 is prevented from misalignment and rattling by abutting against the cutout portion 101 of the glass member 100. Therefore, according to this embodiment, misalignment and rattling can be suppressed for the entire lid unit 700.

In addition, according to refrigerator 10, the support member 720 that rotatably supports lid member 710 has a portion on the rotation base end side of lid member 710 that is larger than the portion on the rotation tip end side of lid member 710. This configuration makes it possible to easily secure space for providing various components for rotatably supporting lid member 710, such as support portion 723 and spring 730.

As shown in FIG. 12, the cover member 710 can be rotated to a position where the stopper 710s abuts against the rear surface 201a of the recessed portion 201. When the cover member 710 is rotated to the maximum rotation position where the stopper 710s abuts against the rear surface 201a of the recessed portion 201, the angle α that the surface of the cover member 710 makes with the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R is preferably greater than the angle β that the rear surface 201a of the recessed portion 201 makes with the width direction of the refrigerator compartment door 12R. This configuration ensures a larger rotation range for the cover member 710, making it easier to attach and detach external devices and connectors to and from the USB connection portion 300.

The lid unit 700 is also configured with a protrusion 722 on the support member 720. If the lid unit 700 having such a protrusion 722 is first attached to the base member 200 and then the glass member 100 is attached to the surface of the base member 200, there is a concern that the protrusion 722 of the lid unit 700 cannot be fitted into the notch 101 of the glass member 100 due to dimensional errors of each member and errors in the attachment position of the lid unit 700 relative to the base member 200, and the glass member 100 may ride up on the protrusion 722.

According to this embodiment, first, the glass member 100 is attached to the front side of the base member 200, and then the lid unit 700 is inserted into the gap 600 formed between the glass member 100 and the base member 200 around the notch 101. This makes it possible to prevent the glass member 100 from riding up onto the protrusion 722 of the lid unit 700, improving the assembly of the refrigerator compartment door 12R to which the lid unit 700, an example of a special member, is attached.

In addition, the protrusion 722 of the lid unit 700 abuts against the end of the notch 101 of the glass member 100, thereby preventing the lid unit 700 from shifting or rattling.

The end of the notch 101 of the glass member 100 can be covered by the protrusion 722 of the lid unit 700, improving safety. By arranging the protrusion 722 of the lid unit 700 at the end of the notch 101 of the glass member 100, the protrusion 722 can be used to decorate the end of the notch 101 of the glass member 100.

This embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the external device connection section to which the external device is connected is not limited to the USB connection section 300, and may be a connection section that complies with a standard other than the USB standard.

In addition, if the gap 600 is provided between the glass member 100 and the base member 200, it may be provided on the glass member 100 side, on the base member 200 side, or in a member provided between the glass member 100 and the base member 200.

The insertion direction of the lid unit 700 into the gap 600 is not limited to insertion from below the gap 600, but may be, for example, insertion from above the gap 600, insertion from the left or right of the gap 600, or insertion from diagonally above or below the gap 600, as long as it is a direction different from the direction in which the glass member 100 and the base member 200 overlap.

In addition, the position of the gap 600, in other words the lid unit 700 attached to this gap 600, is not limited to the lower end of the refrigerator compartment door 12R, but may be, for example, the upper end or side end of the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes a refrigerator, 12R denotes a refrigerator compartment door (surface component), 13a denotes a vegetable compartment door (other surface component), 100 denotes a glass member (front side member), 101 denotes a cutout portion, 200 denotes a base member (rear side member), 201 denotes a recessed portion, 201d denotes a receiving portion, 300 denotes a USB connection portion (external device connection portion), 600 denotes a gap portion, 600a denotes a groove portion (fixing portion), 700 denotes a lid unit (special member), 710 denotes a lid member (lid), 711 denotes a lid main body portion, 712 denotes a lower wall portion, 720 denotes a support member, 730 denotes a spring (biasing member), 730a denotes the lid side end of the spring, and 730b denotes the support member side end of the spring.

Claims (6)

A surface forming part that forms a surface of a refrigerator body;
A front side member that constitutes a front side of the surface constituent part;
A back side member that configures the back side of the surface constituent part;
A notch provided in the front member;
a recessed portion provided in the rear member at a position facing the notch portion;
a gap portion formed between the front member and the rear member around the notch;
A special member is inserted into the gap from a direction different from a direction in which the front member and the back member overlap;
an external device connection portion provided in the recessed portion and to which an external device is connected;
Equipped with
The special member is
a cover for opening and closing the opening of the notch;
a biasing member that biases the lid in a direction to close the opening of the notch;
Equipped with
When the lid rotates rearward to open the opening of the cutout, the external device connection portion is positioned forward of the lid, and when the external device is connected to the external device connection portion, the external device prevents the lid from rotating forward to close the opening of the cutout, and when the external device is removed from the external device connection portion, the biasing force of the biasing member causes the lid to rotate forward to close the opening of the cutout . The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the gap is larger than the notch. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dimension of the gap in a direction different from the direction in which the special member is inserted into the gap is longer than the dimension of the gap in the direction in which the special member is inserted into the gap. The refrigerator body includes another surface constituent part different from the surface constituent part having the notch,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the special member is inserted into the gap from the other surface component side. A fixing portion for fixing the special member in the gap portion is provided,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion fixes the special member at an outer portion within the gap. The special member includes a support member that rotatably supports the lid ,
A refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the support member has a portion on one side of the cutout in the left-right direction, which is a portion on the base end side of the pivoting portion of the lid, that is larger than a portion on the other side of the cutout in the left-right direction, which is a portion on the tip end side of the pivoting portion of the lid.

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