JP7612458B2 - Refrigerator door and refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a door provided on a refrigerator and a refrigerator provided with this door.

Refrigerators are equipped with doors for opening and closing each storage compartment. At one end of the door, a handle is provided for the user to grasp when opening the door. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator door that includes a door surface material 2 that forms the door body, a door cap 5 that forms the lower side of the door and is fitted to the lower edge of the opposing door surface material, and a handle member 6 that is disposed on at least one side of the inside of the door cap and has a handle recess 6a formed therein, and has an upper edge that is fitted to the door surface material.

JP 2006-194545 A

In recent years, in order to improve the aesthetics of refrigerators, it has been considered to slope the surface shape of the handle at the end of the door. The handle is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. However, when the handle has a sloped surface, the thickness of the resin material increases in some places, making it more likely that the shrinkage rate of the resin will be uneven when cooled after molding. This causes irregular depressions called "sink marks" to appear on the sloped surface of the handle, marring the aesthetics of the door.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a door and a refrigerator that can improve the aesthetic appearance of the inclined surface of the handle.

The door according to one aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator door, and includes a metal plate disposed on the front surface and a handle member attached to one edge of the metal plate. The handle member has an inclined surface portion located on the front side of the door, and the inclined surface portion has at least one recessed portion along the edge of the joint with the metal plate.

A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention is provided with a door according to one aspect of the present invention.

The present invention provides a door that can improve the aesthetic appearance of the inclined surface of the handle, and a refrigerator equipped with this door.

1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the front part of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of a front portion of a vegetable compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the vegetable compartment door shown in FIG. 2 . 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the inside (the back side of the front portion) of the vegetable compartment door shown in FIG. 2. [0023] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vegetable compartment door shown in FIG. 2 along line AA. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a reinforcing member attached to a front portion of the vegetable compartment door shown in FIG. 3 is removed. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a metal plate constituting a vegetable compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a front side of a handle member constituting a vegetable compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an inner configuration of a handle member that constitutes a vegetable compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the handle member and the metal plate at a position corresponding to the line CC of the vegetable compartment door shown in FIG. 2. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the handle member and the reinforcing member at a position corresponding to the line BB of the vegetable compartment door shown in FIG. 2. 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a freezer compartment door and an ice-making compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1.

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

First Embodiment
(Overall configuration of refrigerator)
First, the overall configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows the external appearance of the refrigerator 1 as seen from the front.

The exterior of the refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of an insulated box 90. This insulated box 90 forms the storage space of the refrigerator 1. The storage space formed by the insulated box 90 is divided by multiple partitions extending horizontally into, for example, from the top, a refrigerator compartment 11, a vegetable compartment 12, an ice-making compartment 14, a second freezer compartment 15, and a freezer compartment 13.

The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with refrigerator compartment doors 11a and 11b that open like a double door and are divided into left and right halves. The vegetable compartment 12 is provided with a pull-out vegetable compartment door 12a. The freezer compartment 13 is provided with a pull-out freezer compartment door 13a. The ice-making compartment 14 is provided with a pull-out ice-making compartment door 14a. The second freezer compartment 15 is provided with a pull-out freezer compartment door 15a.

As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is divided into multiple storage spaces, including the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12. However, the location of each storage space is not limited to this. Furthermore, the configuration of the doors provided in each storage space is not limited to the above.

In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is called the front or front surface of the refrigerator. Based on the front surface, the surfaces of the refrigerator 1 are called the top, side, back, and bottom surfaces based on the positions of the surfaces when the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state. When the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the left-right direction (horizontal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front is called the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment door 12a, etc.). When the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the up-down direction (vertical direction perpendicular to the left-right direction) of the refrigerator 1 is called the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment door 12a, etc.). The side located on the left side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is called the left side of the refrigerator 1, and the side located on the right side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is called the right side of the refrigerator 1.

In this embodiment, each of the pull-out doors (i.e., vegetable compartment door 12a, freezer compartment door 13a, ice maker door 14a, freezer compartment door 15a, etc.) has a handle 31 at its upper end. A seal member (sheet member) 61 is attached to the inclined surface around the handle 31 (see FIG. 2).

On the surface of the sealing member 61, various patterns such as wood grain and marble patterns are printed in various colors. This improves the design of the exterior of the refrigerator 1. In addition, an adhesive layer containing an adhesive is formed on the back surface of the sealing member 61. This allows the user to select a sealing member 61 with a preferred pattern from a plurality of sealing members 61 printed with different patterns, and attach it around the handle portion 31 of each door of the refrigerator 1. It is also possible to attach another sealing member 61 to the surface of a sealing member 61 that has already been attached. This allows the user to easily change the design of the front part of the refrigerator 1 to match the interior of the room in which the refrigerator 1 is installed.

(Vegetable compartment door configuration)
Next, a more detailed configuration of the vegetable compartment door (refrigerator door) 12a provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described. Figures 2 and 3 show the appearance of the vegetable compartment door 12a from the front side. Figure 2 also shows a seal member 61 that is attached to the handle member 22 of the vegetable compartment door 12a.

The vegetable compartment door 12a mainly comprises a metal plate 21, a handle member 22, a reinforcing member 23, a lower cap member 24, a rear member (not shown), and a heat insulating material (not shown). The exterior shape of the vegetable compartment door 12a is formed by the metal plate 21, the handle member 22, the reinforcing member 23, the lower cap member 24, and the rear member (not shown).

Metal plate 21 is disposed on the front of the door. Figure 7 shows the configuration of the rear side of metal plate 21. Metal plate 21 is formed, for example, by bending each edge of a single steel plate having a substantially rectangular shape. Metal plate 21 has a front portion 21a, side portions 21b and 21b provided on both the left and right sides, and bent portions 41 and 41 provided on both the top and bottom sides.

The handle member 22 is attached to the upper edge of the metal plate 21. The handle member 22 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. In this embodiment, the handle member 22 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the upper side of the metal plate 21. The handle member 22 is provided with a handle portion 31 having a recess 31a formed along its longitudinal direction.

The reinforcing member 23 is a member for reinforcing the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. As described below, the reinforcing member 23 is provided so as to cover the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door. The reinforcing member 23 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

The lower cap member 24 is attached to the lower edge of the metal plate 21. Like the handle member 22, the lower cap member 24 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. In this embodiment, the lower cap member 24 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the lower side of the metal plate 21.

The outer shape of the front side of the vegetable compartment door 12a is formed by the above-mentioned metal plate 21, handle member 22, reinforcing member 23, and lower cap member 24. Figure 4 shows the internal structure of the front side portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a formed by these members (the structure of the back side of the front portion).

The rear member is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The rear member is attached so as to cover the rear parts of each member shown in FIG. 4. This forms the outer shape of the door.

The heat insulating material is provided inside the exterior body of the door, which is formed by combining these components. The heat insulating material is formed, for example, by filling the inside of the exterior body of the door with a foamed insulating material such as urethane foam.

In this embodiment, the periphery of the handle portion 31 provided at the upper end of the vegetable compartment door 12a is an inclined surface (i.e., the inclined surface portion 32). A sealing member 61 can be attached to this inclined surface. Figure 2 shows the vegetable compartment door 12a and the sealing member 61 attached thereto in an exploded state.

In this embodiment, an inclined surface portion 32 is also provided around the handle portion 31 of the pull-out doors other than the vegetable compartment door 12a (e.g., the freezer compartment door 13a, the ice-making compartment door 14a, and the freezer compartment door 15a). A seal member (sheet member) 61 similar to that of the vegetable compartment door 12a is attached to the inclined surface portion 32 of each door (see FIG. 1).

(Configuration of joint between metal plate and handle member)
Next, a more detailed configuration of the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 will be described. Fig. 5 shows the configuration of the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the A-A line portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows the state in which the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22.

Figure 10 shows the structure of the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 at a position corresponding to line C-C of the vegetable compartment door 12a shown in Figure 2 (i.e., the position where the recess 36 is formed). Figure 11 shows the structure of the joint between the handle member 22 and the reinforcing member 23. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the handle member 22 and the reinforcing member 23 at a position corresponding to line B-B of the vegetable compartment door 12a shown in Figure 2 (i.e., the position where the recess 37 is formed).

As described above, the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. First, the individual configurations of the components that make up the joint (metal plate 21, handle member 22, and reinforcing member 23) will be described. Figure 7 shows the configuration of the back side (the side that contacts the insulating material) of the metal plate 21. Figure 8 shows the configuration of the front side of the handle member 22. Figure 9 shows the configuration of the inside of the handle member 22.

The metal plate 21 is formed, for example, by bending each edge of a substantially rectangular steel plate. The metal plate 21 is mainly composed of a front portion 21a, side portions 21b and 21b on both the left and right sides, and bent portions 41 and 41 on both the top and bottom sides.

The front portion 21a forms the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a. The side portion 21b forms the left and right side portions of the vegetable compartment door 12a. The upper bent portion 41 is formed by bending a portion of the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 toward the rear side. The lower bent portion 41 is formed by bending a portion of the lower end portion of the metal plate 21 toward the rear side.

At least one hole 42 is formed in the upper bent portion 41. In the example shown in FIG. 7, three holes 42 are formed in the upper bent portion 41.

The handle member 22 has a handle portion 31, an inclined surface portion 32, and a narrow width portion 33 on its front side.

The handle portion 31 is provided so as to extend from the center of the upper end of the vegetable compartment door 12a to both the left and right sides. The handle portion 31 has a recess 31a recessed downward (see FIG. 5). The recess 31a extends in the longitudinal direction of the handle member 22 to match the position of the handle portion 31.

The inclined surface portion 32 is provided on both the left and right sides of the handle portion 31. The inclined surface portion 32 is inclined forward from the top to the bottom. As described above, the seal member 61 is attached to the inclined surface portion 32. This can improve the design of the front side of the refrigerator 1.

The narrow width portion 33 is a part of the inclined surface portion 32. The narrow width portion 33 is narrower in the vertical direction than the inclined surface portions 32 located on both the left and right sides of the handle portion 31. The narrow width portion 33 is provided below the handle portion 31 along the formation area of the handle portion 31.

The seal member 61 attached to the vegetable compartment door 12a is shaped to match the shape of the inclined surface portion 32 and narrow width portion 33 of the handle member 22 (see Figure 2).

At least one recess (concave) 36 is provided on the inclined surface portion 32 along the edge on the joint side with the metal plate 21. The recess 36 is a portion where part of the resin forming the handle member 22 has been scraped away. In the example shown in FIG. 2, four recesses 36 are provided near the bottom edge of the inclined surface portion 32 on the left side of the vegetable compartment door 12a, and four recesses 36 are provided near the bottom edge of the inclined surface portion 32 on the right side of the vegetable compartment door 12a. Such recesses 36 can be formed by providing a protrusion equivalent to the recess in a mold used when resin molding (e.g., injection molding) the handle member 22.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the recess 36 is substantially V-shaped (see FIG. 10). This makes it easy to form the recess 36.

Moreover, multiple recesses 36 are provided. The width of each recess 36 is preferably 1 cm or less. This allows the size of the recess 36 to be smaller than the width of an average person's finger, and prevents the user from feeling uncomfortable due to the recess 36 when touching the inclined surface portion 32.

It is also preferable that the recess 36 is provided at a position slightly away from the edge of the inclined surface portion 32 on the side of the joint with the metal plate 21 (see FIG. 8). This allows an allowance for the sealing member 61 to be provided on the outside of the recess 36, and prevents the sealing member 61 from peeling off.

The handle member 22 also has a claw portion 34, a second claw portion 35, a recess (second recess) 37, a fitting groove 38, and a pressing portion 39 on the inside (see Figures 5, 9, etc.).

The claws 34 are provided on the underside of the narrow portion 33. The claws 34 engage with holes 42 provided in the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 (see FIG. 5). This allows the handle member 22 to be attached to the metal plate 21. For example, the handle member 22 is provided with three claws 34 aligned with the positions of the holes 42 provided in the metal plate 21 shown in FIG. 7.

The second claws 35 are provided on both the left and right ends of the back side of the recess 31a. The second claws 35 are fitted into openings 57 (see FIG. 6) provided on both longitudinal ends of the reinforcing member 23. This allows the reinforcing member 23 to be attached to the handle member 22.

The recess 37 is provided on the back surface portion 32b located on the back surface side of the inclined surface portion 32. That is, the recess 37 is provided on the back surface portion 32b located on both the left and right sides of the handle portion 31 (see FIG. 4). The recess 37 is a portion where a part of the resin forming the handle member 22 has been scraped off (see FIG. 11). Such a recess 37 can be formed by providing a protrusion equivalent to the recess on the mold used when resin molding (e.g., injection molding) the handle member 22. The recess 37 is provided at a position that does not overlap with the recess 36 provided on the inclined surface portion 32 side when viewed from the front.

The fitting groove 38 is provided below the inclined surface portion 32 (see Figures 10 and 11). When the handle member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21, a part of the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 is inserted into the fitting groove 38.

The retaining portion 39 is provided below the fitting groove 38. The retaining portion 39 supports the front portion 21a of the metal plate 21 from the rear side when the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 is inserted into the fitting groove 38 (see FIG. 4). This makes it possible to prevent the foam insulation material from leaking from the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22.

The reinforcing member 23 is provided to cover the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door. As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing member 23 is arranged along the formation position of the handle portion 31 (i.e., the recess 31a) of the handle member 22. The reinforcing member 23 is formed by molding (e.g., injection molding) a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

The reinforcing member 23 has a front portion 51, a top portion 52, a rear portion 53, and left and right side portions 54 (see FIG. 5). The names of these portions of the reinforcing member 23 are determined based on the positions of the reinforcing member 23 when it is attached to the vegetable compartment door 12a.

At least one recess 56 is provided on the upper surface 52 of the reinforcing member 23. The recess 56 is provided at a position corresponding to the hole 42 provided in the metal plate 21 and the claw portion 34 provided in the handle member 22. For example, the reinforcing member 23 has three recesses 56 that correspond to the positions of the holes 42 provided in the metal plate 21 shown in FIG. 7.

An opening 57 is provided in the side portion 54. The second claw portion 35 provided on the handle member 22 is fitted into this opening 57. This allows the reinforcing member 23 to be attached to the handle member 22.

The reinforcing member 23 is provided to cover the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door (see Figures 4 and 6, etc.). By providing such a reinforcing member 23, the gap formed between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 can be narrowed or blocked. This makes it possible to prevent leakage of the foam insulation material filled inside the door. It also makes it possible to prevent the metal plate 21 from shifting out of position.

When attaching the handle member 22 to the metal plate 21, the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 is inserted into the fitting groove 38 of the handle member 22. Then, the claw portion 34 of the handle member 22 is engaged with the hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 (see FIG. 5).

After the handle member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21, the reinforcing member 23 is attached. The reinforcing member 23 is attached to the handle member 22 from the lower side of the handle member 22 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the opening 57 of the reinforcing member 23 moves from the lower side of the second claw portion 35 of the handle member 22 to the arrangement position of the second claw portion 35 and engages. In other words, the second claw portion 35 is fitted into the opening 57 along the attachment direction of the reinforcing member 23 (see FIG. 11). This improves the workability when attaching the reinforcing member 23.

When the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22, each recess 56 provided on the upper surface 52 of the reinforcing member 23 is located below the claw portion 34 of the handle member 22 (see FIG. 5). The front surface 51 of the reinforcing member 23 supports the front surface 21a of the metal plate 21 from the rear side (see FIG. 5). The rear surface 53 of the reinforcing member 23 supports the front side of the recess 31a of the handle member 22 (see FIG. 5). As a result, in the region where the handle portion 31 is formed, the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 is sealed from the inside by the reinforcing member 23. This makes it possible to prevent leakage of the foam insulation filled inside the door and to prevent the metal plate 21 from shifting out of position.

The joint between the lower cap member 24 and the metal plate 21 at the lower end of the vegetable compartment door 12a can have the same structure as above. Therefore, the joint between the metal plate 21 and the lower cap member 24 may also be provided with a reinforcing member that covers the engagement between the bent portion 41 and the claw portion (not shown) of the lower cap member 24 from the inside of the door.

(Summary of the first embodiment)
As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes a door such as the vegetable compartment door 12a. The vegetable compartment door 12a includes the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. The metal plate 21 is disposed on the front surface of the door. The handle member 22 is attached to one end edge of the metal plate 21 in a state in which the one end edge is visible. The handle member 22 has an inclined surface portion 32 located on the front surface side of the door. The inclined surface portion 32 has at least one recess (recess) 36 along an edge on the joint side with the metal plate 21.

According to the above configuration, the handle member 22 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the upper side of the metal plate 21, so that the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 forming the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a can be exposed when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front. In this way, by configuring the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 not to be covered by a cap member such as a handle member, the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

In addition, in the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, an inclined surface portion 32 is provided on the front side of the handle member 22 of the vegetable compartment door 12a. A seal member 61 with various patterns printed thereon is attached to this inclined surface portion 32. This improves the design of the exterior of the refrigerator 1.

However, if an inclined surface is provided on the front portion of the handle member 22, when the handle member 22 is molded using a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS, the thickness of the resin material increases in some places, making it more likely that the amount of shrinkage of the resin will be uneven when cooled after molding. This causes irregular depressions called "sink marks" to appear on the inclined surface of the handle member, marring the aesthetic appearance of the door. Such "sink marks" are particularly likely to form near the bottom edge of the inclined surface portion 32 along the joint with the metal plate 21.

Therefore, in this embodiment, multiple recesses 36 are provided near the bottom edge of the inclined surface portion 32 of the handle member 22 along the edge on the joint side with the metal plate 21. In addition, recesses 37 are provided on the back side of the inclined surface portion 32 along the edge on the joint side with the metal plate 21. The recesses 37 are provided at positions that do not overlap with the recesses 36 provided on the inclined surface portion 32 side when viewed from the front.

This results in a recess 36 or recess 37 being provided over the entire area of the lower side of the inclined surface portion 32 of the handle member 22. This makes it possible to reduce the area where the resin is thick in the handle member 22, and to prevent the occurrence of sink marks. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the vegetable compartment door 12a.

The recesses 36 on the surface of the inclined surface portion 32 are provided near the left and right ends of the inclined surface portion 32 and near the boundary between the inclined surface portion 32 and the narrow width portion 33. The recesses 37 on the back surface portion 32b on the opposite side of the inclined surface portion 32 are provided between these recesses 36. With this configuration, the recesses 36 are not formed in the center of the surface of the inclined surface portion 32, which is likely to be touched by the user, so that the user is less likely to feel uncomfortable when touching the surface of the inclined surface portion 32. Furthermore, the recesses 37 are not provided on both ends of the back surface portion 32b on the opposite side of the inclined surface portion 32, so even if the strength is slightly reduced by the recesses 37, the recesses 37 can be reinforced at both ends and deformation can be prevented.

In addition, a seal member 61 is attached to the inclined surface portion 32 on which the recess 36 is formed, so that the recess 36 can be covered and hidden. This further improves the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the vegetable compartment door 12a is given as an example of a refrigerator door, but the refrigerator door according to this embodiment is not limited to the vegetable compartment door. The refrigerator door may be, for example, an ice compartment door 14a, a freezer compartment door 13a, or a freezer compartment door 15a.

Figure 12 shows the appearance of ice-making compartment door 14a, freezer compartment door 13a, and freezer compartment door 15a provided in refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 12 also shows a seal member (sheet member) 61 that is attached to the handle member 22 of each door 13a, 14a, 15a. In refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, vegetable compartment door 12a can have the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

Depending on the door, the position of the handle 31 may differ from that of the vegetable compartment door 12a described above. For example, in the case of the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the handle 31 of the ice compartment door 14a is positioned on the right side of the upper end of the door.

Similar to the vegetable compartment door 12a, the ice-making compartment door 14a, the freezer compartment door 13a, and the freezer compartment door 15a mainly include a metal plate 21, a handle member 22, a reinforcing member 23, a lower cap member 24, a back member (not shown), and a heat insulating material (not shown).

In addition, in each of these doors, the handle member 22 is attached to the upper folded portion 41 of the metal plate 21, similar to the vegetable compartment door 12a. This allows the upper end of the metal plate 21 forming the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a to be exposed when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front. In this way, by configuring the upper end of the metal plate 21 not to be covered by a cap member such as the handle member 22, for example, the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

The handle member 22 has an inclined surface portion 32 on the front side. The inclined surface portion 32 has at least one recess (concave) 36 along the edge on the joint side with the metal plate 21. In addition, the back side of the inclined surface portion 32 has a recess (second recess) 37 along the edge on the joint side with the metal plate 21. The recess 37 is provided at a position that does not overlap with the recess 36 provided on the inclined surface portion 32 side when viewed from the front.

As a result, the recess 36 or recess 37 is provided over the entire area of the lower side of the inclined surface portion 32 of the handle member 22. This makes it possible to prevent sink marks from occurring in the parts of the handle member 22 where the resin is likely to be thick.

(summary)
A refrigerator door (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, ice compartment door 14a, freezer compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 15a) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a metal plate (e.g., metal plate 21) disposed on the front side, and a handle member (e.g., handle member 22) attached to one edge of the metal plate. The handle member has an inclined surface portion (e.g., inclined surface portion 32) located on the front side of the door, and the inclined surface portion is provided with at least one recess (e.g., depression 36) along an edge on the joint side with the metal plate.

In the refrigerator door (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, ice compartment door 14a, freezer compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 15a) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the handle member (e.g., handle member 22) has a back surface portion (e.g., back surface portion 32b) on the opposite side of the inclined surface portion (e.g., inclined surface portion 32), and the back surface portion has a second recess (e.g., recess 37) along the edge of the joint portion with the metal plate, and the second recess may be located at a position that does not overlap with the recess in a front view.

In the refrigerator door according to another aspect of the present invention (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, ice compartment door 14a, freezer compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 15a), the metal plate (e.g., metal plate 21) may have a bent portion (e.g., bent portion 41) on one end edge, and the handle member (e.g., handle member 22) may be attached to the bent portion of the metal plate.

A refrigerator door according to any of the above aspects of the present invention (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, ice compartment door 14a, freezer compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 15a) may further include a sheet member (e.g., seal member 61) attached to the inclined surface portion (e.g., inclined surface portion 32) of the handle member (e.g., handle member 22).

A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention (e.g., refrigerator 1) is equipped with a door according to any of the above aspects of the present invention (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, ice compartment door 14a, freezer compartment door 13a, freezer compartment door 15a).

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

1: Refrigerator 12: Vegetable compartment 12a: Vegetable compartment door (refrigerator door)
21: Metal plate 21a: Front portion (of metal plate) 22: Handle member 23: Reinforcing member 31: Handle portion 32: Inclined surface portion (of handle member) 32b: Back surface portion (of handle member) 34: Claw portion (of handle member) 35: Second claw portion (of handle member) 36: Depression (recess) (of handle member)
37: (handle member) recess (second recess)
41: Bent portion (of metal plate) 42: Hole (of metal plate) 54: Opening (of reinforcing member) 61: Sealing member (sheet member)

Claims (6)

A refrigerator door,
A metal plate disposed on the front side;
and a resin handle member attached to one end side of the metal plate,
The handle member has an inclined surface portion located on the front side of the door,
a thick portion in which the thickness of the resin material is partially increased is formed on the inclined surface portion along a side of the joint portion with the metal plate,
At least one recess is provided on the surface side of the thick portion of the inclined surface portion, the recess being formed by scraping off a resin on the surface.
door. The width of the depression is 1 cm or less.
The door of claim 1. The handle member has a back surface portion on the opposite side to the inclined surface portion,
A second recess is provided on the back surface portion along a side of the joint portion with the metal plate,
The second recess is provided at a position not overlapping with the recess in a front view.
3. A door according to claim 1 or 2. The metal plate has a bent portion on the one end side,
The handle member is attached to the bent portion of the metal plate.
A door according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The handle member further includes a sheet member attached to the inclined surface portion of the handle member.
A door according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A refrigerator equipped with a door according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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