JP7561596B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This embodiment relates to a refrigerator.

Conventionally, refrigerators have been considered to be equipped with a humidity sensor for detecting "humidity" as a condition of the surrounding environment. This type of refrigerator is designed to suppress the occurrence of condensation by controlling the operation of the heater according to the humidity detected by the humidity sensor. Incidentally, a configuration has been considered in which this type of humidity sensor is provided at the lower end of a storage compartment door that opens and closes the front opening of the storage compartment. However, with this configuration, if cold air leaks out of the storage compartment, for example due to deformation of a gasket that seals between the storage compartment door and the front opening of the storage compartment, the leaked cold air may flow near the humidity sensor provided at the lower end of the storage compartment door, causing a false detection.

In recent years, therefore, it has been considered to provide a humidity sensor inside the cover of the hinge that rotatably supports the storage compartment door, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. With this configuration, even if cold air leaks out from inside the storage compartment, it is unlikely that the cold air will reach the humidity sensor, and therefore the occurrence of false detections can be suppressed.

JP 2017-40432 A

However, in a refrigerator, wiring and connectors that connect to various electrical components are housed inside the hinge cover. In other words, a large number of wirings are mixed inside the hinge cover. Therefore, if an attempt is made to connect an additional humidity sensor to such a location, the inside of the hinge cover will become even more congested with a large number of wirings.

Therefore, this embodiment provides a refrigerator in which a detection unit for detecting the surrounding environmental conditions of the refrigerator body can be placed without causing wiring congestion.

The refrigerator according to this embodiment comprises a refrigerator main body that forms an outer shell, a wiring lead-out portion that leads out wiring from within the refrigerator main body, a detection unit that detects the condition of the surrounding environment of the refrigerator main body, and a cover portion that covers the wiring lead-out portion, wherein the detection unit is arranged to the side of the wiring lead-out portion on the top surface of the refrigerator main body , and the cover portion has an opening through which air can pass on a side that is on the inside of the refrigerator main body, and a first wall portion that is higher than an upper end of the opening is provided on the opening side of the detection unit, and a second wall portion that is higher than an upper end of the opening and higher than an upper end of the first wall is provided on the opposite side of the opening of the detection unit .

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view illustrating a schematic configuration example of an upper portion of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a hinge portion and its surroundings of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front side; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of a hinge portion of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front side; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of a hinge unit of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear side; FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of a hinge portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a hinge portion of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a schematic configuration example of a hinge unit and its surrounding parts of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear side; FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing a schematic configuration example of a hinge unit and its surrounding parts of the refrigerator according to the embodiment from the rear side; FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing an example of the internal configuration of a hinge portion of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

One embodiment of a refrigerator will be described below with reference to the drawings. The refrigerator 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a rectangular insulated box 11 that forms the outer shell of the refrigerator, and has multiple storage compartments for storing food items. The insulated box 11 is an example of a refrigerator body that forms the main body of the refrigerator 10, and is configured with an insulating material such as a vacuum insulation panel or urethane foam between the inner box and the outer box. The insulated box 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 is rotatably supported by the hinge portion 100R when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10. 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 is the rotation base end side, and the left side is the rotation free end side. The hinge portion 100R is an example of a rotation support portion that rotatably supports the refrigerator compartment door 12R.

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 is rotatably supported by the hinge portion 100L when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10. 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 free end side. The hinge portion 100L is an example of a rotation support portion that rotatably supports the refrigerator compartment door 12L.

In addition, in this embodiment, the vertical, or up-down, dimensions of the refrigerator compartment doors 12R, 12L are almost or completely the same. However, the horizontal, or 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.

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.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a heat dissipation pipe 20 on the outer surface of the insulated box 11, in this case, on the top surface. The heat dissipation pipe 20 is an example of a heat dissipation section, and is made up of a part of a refrigerant pipe that constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle mechanism provided in the refrigerator 10. In this embodiment, the heat dissipation pipe 20 is arranged to extend horizontally in approximately the center in the front-to-rear direction of the top surface of the insulated box 11. The above-mentioned hinge parts 100R and 100L are both arranged in positions that avoid being directly above the heat dissipation pipe 20, in this case, forward of the heat dissipation pipe 20.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7, the refrigerator 10 is equipped with a humidity sensor 101 in the hinge section 100L. The humidity sensor 101 is an example of a detection section, and in this case is a well-known humidity detection sensor that detects "humidity" as a condition of the surrounding environment of the insulated box body 11. The refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment has been ingeniously designed in the arrangement of the humidity sensor 101. Next, the arrangement of the humidity sensor 101 will be described in detail.

As illustrated in Figures 3 to 7, the insulating box 11 has a housing case 102 at a portion where the hinge portion 100L is provided, in this case, at the left end of the front portion of the top surface of the insulating box 11. The housing case 102 is an example of a wiring lead-out portion, and in this case, is formed into a substantially rectangular box shape with an open top. Various wiring (not shown) is led out from inside the insulating box 11 into the housing case 102. The wiring led out from inside the housing case 102 is connected to various electrical components provided, for example, on the refrigerator compartment door 12L.

The various wires extending into the housing case 102 are connected to a control device (not shown) provided in the insulated box 11. The control device is mainly composed of a microcomputer, for example, and controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 10 based on a control program and setting information. The various electrical components provided on the refrigerator compartment door 12L are, for example, an operation panel provided on the front of the refrigerator compartment door 12L.

6, wiring 103 for the humidity sensor is led out from inside the housing case 102. The wiring 103 may be a single wire or a bundle of multiple wires. Meanwhile, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed on the side of the housing case 102, in this case, on the right side as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. That is, a heat dissipation pipe 20, which is a heat dissipation source, is present at the rear of the housing case 102. Therefore, in this embodiment, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed on the right side, which is different from the rear side of the housing case 102 where such a heat dissipation source is present. Also, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 10.

The humidity sensor 101 is fixed to a fixture 110 that is provided separately from the housing case 102. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the fixture 110 is integrally provided with a rectangular opening 111, a wiring support part 112 provided at the rear of the opening 111, and a sensor fixing part 113 provided on the side of the opening 111, in this case, on the right side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. The opening 111 is disposed above the housing case 102. Therefore, the wiring support part 112 located at the rear of the opening 111 is disposed on the rear side of the housing case 102, and the sensor fixing part 113 located to the right of the opening 111 is disposed to the right of the housing case 102.

The hinge portion 100L also includes a cover portion 120 that forms its outer shell. The cover portion 120 covers at least the entire housing case 102 and its surrounding parts from above. The front end of the cover portion 120 is provided with a protrusion 121 that protrudes to one side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10, in this case, to the left side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. This protrusion 121 covers the upper end of the rotation shaft 12La of the refrigerator compartment door 12L from above.

In addition, an extension 122 extending to the right is formed on the side of the cover portion 120, in this case the right side as viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10. This extension 122 covers from above the sensor fixing portion 113 to which the humidity sensor 101 is fixed, and the surrounding area, of the fixing device 110 housed within the cover portion 120. In addition, the side of the extension 122, in this case the right side as viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10, is aligned along the front-to-rear direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, the front surface of the extension 122 is inclined with respect to the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions of the refrigerator 10.

The cover portion 120 has multiple openings, in this case three openings 123a, 123b, and 123c, through which air can pass.

Openings 123a and 123b are provided on the right side of cover section 120 when viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. More specifically, openings 123a and 123b are provided on the right side of extension section 122 of cover section 120. Thus, openings 123a and 123b are arranged along the front-to-rear direction of refrigerator 10. In this case, openings 123a and 123b are elongated openings along the front-to-rear direction of refrigerator 10. Also, openings 123a and 123b are approximately trapezoidal openings with the dimension of the bottom side longer than the dimension of the top side.

The opening 123c is provided on the rear side of the cover section 120. More specifically, the opening 123c is provided on the rear side of the extension section 122 of the cover section 120. The opening 123c is a long opening that runs along the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. The opening 123c is a substantially rectangular opening whose upper and lower sides are almost or completely the same in size.

The opening areas of openings 123a and 123b are almost or completely the same size. The opening areas of openings 123a and 123b are larger than the opening area of opening 123c. As illustrated in FIG. 9, cover portion 120 does not have an opening on the left side as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. In other words, cover portion 120 does not have an opening in a portion that is on the outside of refrigerator 10 as a whole, that is, a portion that is easily visible from the outside of refrigerator 10 as a whole.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed within the cover portion 120 on a virtual connection line L1 that virtually connects the multiple openings 123a and 123c. In this case, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed almost entirely on the virtual connection line L1. The humidity sensor 101 is also disposed within the cover portion 120 on a virtual connection line L2 that virtually connects the multiple openings 123b and 123c. In this case, a part of the humidity sensor 101, in this case the rear part, is disposed on the virtual connection line L2.

The wiring 103 for the humidity sensor led out from inside the housing case 102 passes behind the housing case 102, and further extends toward the front of the housing case 102 to be connected to the humidity sensor 101. That is, the wiring 103 for the humidity sensor led out from inside the housing case 102 passes through the wiring support part 112 of the fixture 110, extends to the sensor fixing part 113, and is connected to the humidity sensor 101. The fixture 110 is provided with a plurality of hooks 114, in this case two hooks 114. These hooks 114 are an example of a wiring support part. In this case, one of the two hooks 114 is provided on the wiring support part 112, and the other is provided on the sensor fixing part 113. These hooks 114 support the wiring 103 led out from inside the housing case 102 and passing through the wiring support part 112 and the sensor fixing part 113.

As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom of the sensor fixing portion 113 is provided with a number of ribs 113a. The humidity sensor 101 is supported from below by these ribs 113a. Thus, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed at a distance from the outer surface of the insulating box 11, in this case the top surface. The bottom of the sensor fixing portion 113 is provided with a hole 113b that penetrates the bottom in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, a plurality of claws 113c are provided on the inner surface of the sensor fixing part 113. The humidity sensor 101 is firmly fixed in the sensor fixing part 113 by engaging the claws 113c.

The fixture 110 also has an outer wall 115 between the humidity sensor 101 and the openings 123a and 123b. The outer wall 115 has an upper end that is higher than the upper ends of the openings 123a and 123b. The fixture 110 also has an inner wall 116 located inside the humidity sensor 101. The inner wall 116 has an upper end that is higher than the upper ends of the openings 123a and 123b, and is also higher than the upper end of the outer wall 115.

As described above, the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment is configured such that the humidity sensor 101 is housed within the cover portion 120 that constitutes the outer shell of the hinge portion 100L. The refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment is also configured such that the humidity sensor 101 is fixed by the fixing device 110 within the cover portion 120 that constitutes the outer shell of the hinge portion 100L. As described above, the hinge portion 100L is disposed in a position that avoids being directly above the heat dissipation pipe 20, in this case, in a position forward of the heat dissipation pipe 20. Therefore, the humidity sensor 101 provided within this hinge portion 100L is also disposed in a position that avoids being directly above the heat dissipation pipe 20 and is not disposed directly above it.

In the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment illustrated above, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed on the side of the housing case 102 from which various wires are led out, in this case, on the right side as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. With this configuration, the wiring 103 for the humidity sensor can be handled separately without being mixed with other wiring. Therefore, the humidity sensor 101 can be disposed without causing congestion of wiring.

Furthermore, if the humidity sensor 101 were configured to be stacked above the housing case 102, the height dimension of the cover section 120 would need to be increased, which would result in a problem that the overall height dimension of the hinge section 100L would be large. With the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment, the humidity sensor 101 is configured to be placed to the side of the housing case 102, so there is no need to increase the height dimension of the cover section 120, and therefore no need to increase the height dimension of the hinge section 100L.

In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the humidity sensor 100 is disposed on a virtual connection line L1 that virtually connects the multiple openings 123a and 123c of the cover portion 120, and on a virtual connection line L2 that virtually connects the multiple openings 123b and 123c of the cover portion 120. Air flows into or out of the cover portion 120 through the openings 123a, 123b, and 123c with respect to the hinge portion 100L. Specifically, air flows in through the opening 123a or 123b and flows out through the opening 123c, flows in through the opening 123c and flows out through the opening 123a or 123b, flows in through the opening 123a and flows out through the opening 123b or 123c, or flows in through the opening 123b and flows out through the opening 123a or 123c. Therefore, according to the configuration example of the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment, in which the humidity sensor 101 is arranged along the virtual connection lines L1 and L2 that virtually connect at least any two of these openings 123a, 123b, and 123c, it is possible to make it easier for the air that has flowed into the cover portion 120 to come into contact with the humidity sensor 101, and the humidity sensor 101 can detect the humidity efficiently and accurately.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, since the cover portion 120 is formed with a plurality of openings 123a, 123b, 123c, air can flow in and out of the cover portion 120 through these openings 123a, 123b, 123c, and it is possible to prevent air from stagnating in the cover portion 120, and thus prevent moisture from stagnating in the cover portion 120. Therefore, humidity sensor 101 can detect humidity with high accuracy.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the wiring 103 for the humidity sensor, which is led out from within the housing case 102, passes behind the housing case 102 and then extends toward the front of the housing case 102 to be connected to the humidity sensor 101. In this way, by arranging the wiring 103 for the humidity sensor behind the humidity sensor 101, it is possible to easily arrange the humidity sensor 101 as far forward as possible, that is, as far away as possible from the heat dissipation pipe 20. This makes it possible to reduce the effect of heat generated by the heat dissipation pipe 20 on the humidity sensor 101.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator 10, the humidity sensor 101 is disposed on the outer surface of the insulated box 11, in this case, spaced apart from the top surface. This configuration allows air to easily circulate below the humidity sensor 101, creating a condition in which air is easily supplied to the entire area, including the lower part of the humidity sensor 101. This allows for further improvements in the efficiency and accuracy of humidity detection by the humidity sensor 101.

According to the refrigerator 10, the humidity sensor 101 is fixed to a fixture 110 that is provided separately from the housing case 102. With this configuration, the humidity sensor 101 can be stably arranged by the dedicated fixture 110. In addition, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation of the humidity sensor 101 with respect to the multiple openings 123a, 123b, and 123c of the cover part 120, and the air flowing in or out through the multiple openings 123a, 123b, and 123c can be appropriately brought into contact with the humidity sensor 101. This can further improve the humidity detection efficiency and detection accuracy of the humidity sensor 101. Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the humidity sensor 101 is fixed using the dedicated fixture 110, so there is no need to change the size, shape, and arrangement of surrounding components such as the housing case 102 in order to fix the humidity sensor 101, and therefore existing surrounding components can be used as they are.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the fixing device 110 is provided with a hook 114 that supports the wiring 103 for the humidity sensor that is led out from inside the housing case 102. With this configuration, the wiring 103 for the humidity sensor can be supported in a stable state, and it is possible to prevent the wiring 103 from shifting position or becoming detached from the humidity sensor 101. Furthermore, by supporting the wiring 103 in a stable state, it is possible to prevent the wiring 103 from being pinched by surrounding parts such as the cover part 120 and becoming disconnected, for example, during assembly.

The refrigerator 10 also has an outer wall 115 between the humidity sensor 101 and the openings 123a and 123b, which is higher than the upper ends of the openings 123a and 123b. With this configuration, even if liquid flows into the cover 120 through the openings 123a and 123b, the outer wall 115 can prevent the liquid from coming into contact with the humidity sensor 101.

The refrigerator 10 also includes an inner wall portion 116 that is higher than the outer wall portion 115 and is located inside the humidity sensor 101. With this configuration, the air that flows into the cover portion 120 through the openings 123a and 123b can be guided by the inner wall portion 116 to flow in a direction along the humidity sensor 101. This makes it easier for the air that flows into the cover portion 120 through the openings 123a and 123b to come into contact with the humidity sensor 101, thereby further improving the humidity detection accuracy and detection efficiency of the humidity sensor 101.

In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the humidity sensor 101 is arranged in a non-directly above position that avoids being directly above the heat dissipation pipe 20. With this configuration, the humidity sensor 101 can be less susceptible to the effects of heat generated by the heat dissipation pipe 20, and the occurrence of false detection by the humidity sensor 101 can be suppressed. Note that the non-directly above position is not limited to a position in front of the heat dissipation pipe 20, and may be, for example, a position behind the heat dissipation pipe 20, or a position to the right or left of the heat dissipation pipe 20. However, the refrigerator 10 also has a heat dissipation source other than the heat dissipation pipe 20, such as a power supply board. Therefore, the position of the humidity sensor 101 should be determined taking into consideration the positional relationship with such heat dissipation sources other than the heat dissipation pipe 20.

Note that this embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the gist of the embodiment. For example, the detection unit is not limited to a humidity sensor that detects "humidity" as the condition of the environment surrounding the insulated box 11, but may be, for example, a temperature sensor that detects "temperature" as the condition of the environment surrounding the insulated box 11. In addition, the detection unit can be various sensors as long as they are capable of detecting the condition of the environment surrounding the insulated box 11.

In addition, the position of the detection unit is not limited to the right side of the housing case 102, but may be any side of the housing case 102, for example, the front side, rear side, or left side.

The cover section 120 may have at least two or more openings, that is, an opening that serves as an air inlet and an opening that serves as an air outlet, and therefore may not have one of the openings 123a, 123b, and 123c. The cover section 120 may have four or more openings. The cover section 120 may have an opening on the left side as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. The cover section 120 may have an opening on the inclined surface that constitutes the front part of the extension section 122. The opening areas and opening shapes of the multiple openings formed in the cover section 120 may be the same for all openings or may be different. Regardless of the position, shape, number, etc. of the openings formed in the cover section 120, the detection section may be placed on a virtual connection line that virtually connects at least two of the multiple openings.

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, 10 indicates a refrigerator, 11 indicates an insulated box (refrigerator body), 20 indicates a heat dissipation pipe (heat dissipation section), 101 indicates a humidity sensor (detection section), 102 indicates a housing case (wiring lead-out section), 103 indicates wiring, 110 indicates a fixture (fixing section), 114 indicates a hook (wiring support section), 115 indicates an outer wall section (wall section), 120 indicates a cover section, and 123a, 123b, and 123c indicate openings.

Claims (7)

A refrigerator body that constitutes an outer shell;
A wiring lead-out portion for leading out wiring from inside the refrigerator main body;
A detection unit that detects the state of the surrounding environment of the refrigerator body;
A cover portion for covering the wiring lead-out portion;
Equipped with
The detection unit is disposed on a side of the wiring lead-out portion on an upper surface of the refrigerator body ,
The cover portion has an opening through which air can pass on a side surface that is an inner side of the refrigerator body,
a first wall portion that is higher than an upper end of the opening and is located closer to the opening than the detection portion;
The refrigerator is provided with a second wall portion on the opposite side of the opening from the detection portion, the second wall portion being higher than an upper end of the opening and higher than an upper end of the first wall portion . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is disposed on a virtual connection line that virtually connects the plurality of openings. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wiring led out from the wiring lead-out portion passes behind the wiring lead-out portion, and further extends toward the front of the wiring lead-out portion and is connected to the detection unit. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit is disposed away from the outer surface of the refrigerator body. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection unit is fixed to a fixing unit provided separately from the wiring lead-out unit. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the fixing portion includes a wiring support portion that supports the wiring led out from the wiring lead-out portion. The refrigerator body includes a heat dissipation unit,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is disposed in a position not directly above the heat dissipation unit.

Images