JP7780359B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Refrigerators have multiple storage compartments arranged vertically and multiple doors for opening and closing each compartment. Refrigerators are relatively large among home appliances, and as such, they are a noticeable presence in the room in which they are installed. In recent years, users have become more conscious of the design of home appliances, and refrigerators have been developed that are not only easy to use for users, but also have ingenious designs, especially for doors that are easily visible to users.

JP 2014-231974 A

In particular, it is desirable for the front and rear positions to be aligned when doors are fitted together. To that end, efforts are being made to improve the manufacturing precision of each door component and adjust their position during assembly, but even within the manufacturing tolerance range, misalignment of the front and rear positions may be noticeable to some users, depending on their sensitivity. In this case, there are limits to how much manufacturing precision can be managed, and adjustments during assembly may become an excessive burden.

Therefore, we provide a refrigerator that reduces the burden of assembly work while improving design.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a first door and another door disposed adjacent to and below the first door. The first door has, on its lower surface, a first surface portion and a first recessed portion disposed forward of the first surface portion and recessed toward the vertical center of the first door. The other door has, on its upper surface opposite the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion and a second recessed portion disposed forward of the second surface portion and recessed toward the vertical center of the other door. The rear end of the first recessed portion and the rear end of the second recessed portion are located on a single imaginary straight line extending vertically in a side view. The front end of the first surface portion and the front end of the second surface portion are positioned differently in the front-to-rear direction.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a right side view showing an appearance of an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment taken along line II of FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of an ice-making compartment door and a small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a right side view showing the appearance of a vegetable compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial side view showing a configuration near the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a further enlarged partial side view of the area within circle II in FIG. 6 for the example of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial side view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, showing the area within circle III in FIG. 5 . FIG. 8 shows a conventional refrigerator. FIG. 10 is a partial side view (corresponding to FIG. 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration of the vicinity of the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partial side view (corresponding to FIG. 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration of the vicinity of the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partial side view (corresponding to FIG. 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration of the vicinity of the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view (corresponding to FIG. 4) showing an outline of the configuration of an ice-making compartment door and a small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a fifth embodiment.

Refrigerators according to several embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that components that are essentially the same in each embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted.

(First embodiment)
First, a refrigerator 10 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the refrigerator 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 is configured with a housing 11 shaped like a vertically elongated rectangular box with an open front, and has multiple storage compartments inside. In the following description, the open side of the housing 11 will be referred to as the front side of the refrigerator 10, and the side opposite the opening will be referred to as the rear side of the refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the up-down direction of the refrigerator 10 will be the up-down direction relative to the direction of gravity when the refrigerator 10 is placed on the floor in the orientation shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the left-right direction when the refrigerator 10 in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front will be referred to as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 is mainly composed of a housing 11. The housing 11 is a rectangular box with an open front and insulating properties. In this case, although details are not shown, the housing 11 is composed of, for example, an inner box made of resin and an outer box made of metal, with insulating material between them.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal right side view of the refrigerator 10. The housing 11 has multiple storage compartments for storing stored items, such as the refrigerator compartment 12, vegetable compartment 13, ice-making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and freezer compartment 16, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The refrigerator compartment 12 and vegetable compartment 13 are storage compartments in the refrigerator temperature range. The ice-making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and freezer compartment 16 are storage compartments in the freezer temperature range. Note that the internal structure of the housing 11 is not shown in Figure 3.

In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 12 is located at the top of the housing 11. The vegetable compartment 13 is located below the refrigerator compartment 12. The ice making compartment 14 and small freezer compartment 15 are located below the vegetable compartment 13, side by side. The freezer compartment 16 is located below the ice making compartment 14 and small freezer compartment 15, i.e., at the bottom of the housing 11.

The refrigerator 10 is equipped with a left-side refrigerator compartment door 21, a right-side refrigerator compartment door 22, a vegetable compartment door 23, an ice-making compartment door 24, a small freezer compartment door 25, and a freezer compartment door 26. The left-side refrigerator compartment door 21 and the right-side refrigerator compartment door 22 are, for example, hinged double doors that open and close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The width of the left-side refrigerator compartment door 21 and the right-side refrigerator compartment door 22 may be the same or different. In this embodiment, the right-side refrigerator compartment door 22 is wider than the left-side refrigerator compartment door 21.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the refrigerator 10 also has a left hinge 191 and a right hinge 192. Each hinge 191, 192 is located above and below the opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, and rotatably supports the refrigerator compartment doors 21, 22. The vegetable compartment door 23, ice compartment door 24, small freezer compartment door 25, and freezer compartment door 26 are all drawer-type doors that are connected to containers (not shown in detail) and open and close the front openings of the vegetable compartment 13, ice compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and freezer compartment 16, respectively.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, each of the doors 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 has a door body 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261, a frame member 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262, and a plate member 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263, respectively. The left-side refrigerator door 21 also has a door body, frame member, and plate member 223 (not shown).

The door body of door 22 (not shown) and each of the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 are each formed in a roughly rectangular shape and form the main body of each of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The frame portion of door 21 (not shown) and frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262 are formed in a frame shape and form the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces of each of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. Heat-insulating members (not shown in detail) are arranged inside the door body of door 21 (not shown) and each of the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 and frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262. Plate members 213, 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263 are formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape and are attached to the frame portion of door 21 (not shown) and the front surfaces of frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262, respectively.

The door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262 can be made of, for example, metal or resin materials. In this embodiment, the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262 are made of resin materials. Furthermore, the plate members 223, 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263 are made of, for example, glass plates. In other embodiments, the plate members 223, 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263 may be made of, for example, decorative panels formed from synthetic resin or the like.

Each of the doors 21, 21, 23, 24, 25, and 26 has a lower surface portion 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a and an upper surface portion 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b, respectively. The lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a form the lower surfaces of the respective doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b form the upper surfaces of the respective doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower surfaces 21a, 22a of the refrigerator compartment doors 21, 22 and the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23 form surfaces that face each other. The lower surface 23a of the vegetable compartment door 23 and the upper surface 24b, 25b of the ice-making compartment door 24 or the small freezer compartment door 25 form surfaces that face each other. The lower surfaces 24a, 25a of the ice-making compartment door 24 or the small freezer compartment door 25 and the upper surface 26b of the freezer compartment door 26 form surfaces that face each other.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, at least one pair of vertically aligned doors among the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 has a pair of recessed portions formed facing each other on the opposing bottom surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, and 25a and the opposing top surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b.

In this embodiment, the recessed portions are formed in the front portions of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b, recessed toward the vertical center of each door 23, 24, 25, 26. The recessed portions are realized, for example, as recessed portions 30 or groove portions 40. Recessed portion 30 faces groove portion 40 and widens the insertion path of the user's fingers into groove portion 40, making insertion easier. Groove portion 40 may or may not face recessed portion 30 to accommodate the user's fingers. The front wall portion 41 of groove portion 40 can be grasped and operated by the user when pulling out or inserting each door 23, 24, 25, 26.

In this embodiment, the recesses 30 are formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. The grooves 40 are formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b. The recesses 30 formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a are referred to as recesses 303, 304, and 305, respectively. The grooves 40 formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b may be referred to as grooves 404, 405, and 406, respectively. When there is no need to distinguish between the recesses 303, 304, and 305, they may be collectively referred to as recesses 30. When there is no need to distinguish between the grooves 404, 405, and 406, they may be collectively referred to as grooves 40.

Furthermore, at least one pair of two vertically aligned doors among the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 has a first surface portion 50 and a second surface portion 60 formed facing each other on the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, and 25a and the upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b. In this embodiment, the first surface portion 50 is provided on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a, and the second surface portion 60 is provided on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b.

The first surfaces 50 provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a are referred to as first surfaces 503, 504, and 505, respectively. The second surfaces 60 provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b are referred to as 604, 605, and 606, respectively. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the first surfaces 503, 504, and 505, they may be collectively referred to as first surfaces 50. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the second surfaces 604, 605, and 606, they may be collectively referred to as second surfaces 60.

The surface portions 50, 60 are located behind the recessed portions, i.e., the depressions 30 or grooves 40, on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b, respectively, and form a generally horizontal surface. The first surface portion 50 and the second surface portion 60 form surfaces that are generally parallel to each other. On the opposing lower surface portions 24a, 25a, 26a and upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b of two doors aligned vertically among the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, the recessed portions 30, 40 and the surface portions 50, 60 are arranged facing each other, respectively.

In this embodiment, the recesses 30 and grooves 40 provided in the frame members 232, 242, 252, and 262 of the vegetable compartment door 23, ice compartment door 24, small freezer compartment door 25, and freezer compartment door 26 are formed across the entire width of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 in the left-right direction. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the ice compartment door 24 and small freezer compartment door 25. That is, the recesses 30 and grooves 40 provided in the vegetable compartment door 23, ice compartment door 24, small freezer compartment door 25, and freezer compartment door 26 expose their internal spaces toward the left-right outside of the refrigerator 10. When a user observes the refrigerator 10 from the left or right side, the recesses 30 and grooves 40 provided in the vegetable compartment door 23, ice compartment door 24, small freezer compartment door 25, and freezer compartment door 26 are visible.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the frame member (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment door 21 and the frame member 222 of the refrigerator compartment door 22 each have a groove 80. The groove 80 is formed by recessing part of the underside 21a, 22a of each door 21, 22 upward. The user can place their hand on the groove 80 when rotating each door 21, 22 around the hinges 191, 192 to open or close it. The groove 80 is located in the center of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction, spanning part of the left-right width of each door 21, 22. Therefore, the space inside the groove 80 provided in the refrigerator compartment door 21, 22 is not exposed to the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the frame member 232 of the vegetable compartment door 23 has a groove 90. The groove 90 is formed by recessing a portion of the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23 downward. The groove 90 has a front wall 91, a rear wall 92, and a bottom 93. The groove 90 is formed across the entire width of the vegetable compartment door 23 in the left-right direction. In other words, the groove 90 exposes the internal space toward the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. A surface 94 forming a horizontal surface is formed behind the rear wall 92 on the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23.

The configuration of the recessed portion 30, groove portion 40, and surface portions 50, 60 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of the area where the bottom surface 23a of the vegetable compartment door 23 and the top surface 25b of the small freezer compartment door 25 meet. Figure 7 is a further enlarged view of the area inside circle II in Figure 6. The recessed portion 30 opens forward and downward toward the opposing recessed portion 30, and has a wall portion 31. In other words, the user can see the interior of the recessed portion 30 from the front. The wall portion 31 forms the inner surface of the recessed portion 30. The depth of the recessed portion 30 is set to increase toward the opposing groove portion 40. For example, in the case of the vegetable compartment door 23, the wall portion 31 is formed so that it is positioned further rearward as it extends downward. In this embodiment, the cross section of the wall portion 31 is formed to be curved. For example, in this embodiment, the cross section of the wall portion 31 is formed to be a roughly elliptical arc. In other embodiments, the wall portion 31 may be formed so that its cross section is straight and has corners.

The groove portion 40 has a U-shaped cross section that is recessed downward. The groove portion 40 has a front wall portion 41, a rear wall portion 42, and a bottom portion 43. The front wall portion 41 forms the front surface of the groove portion 40. The rear wall portion 42 forms the rear surface of the groove portion 40. The bottom portion 43 forms the bottom surface of the groove shape of the groove portion 40 and connects the front wall portion 41 and the rear wall portion 42 to each other. The front wall portion 41 forms a surface that extends generally parallel to the door bodies 241, 251, and 261, i.e., a surface that is generally perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, or forms an inclined surface that slopes rearward as it approaches the bottom portion 43. In this embodiment, the front wall portion 41 forms an inclined surface that slopes slightly rearward as it approaches the bottom portion 43. The rear wall portion 42 forms an inclined surface that slopes slightly forward as it approaches the bottom portion 43. The rear wall 42 may also form a surface that extends parallel to the door bodies 241, 251, and 261, i.e., a surface that is generally perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction.

The front wall 41 overlaps at least a portion of the space inside the groove 40 in the front-to-rear direction. That is, the height position of the tip 411 of the front wall 41 is set to be the same as the height position of each face portion 50, 60, or closer to the bottom 43 than the height position of each face portion 50, 60, i.e., lower in this case. Therefore, when a user looks at the front wall 41 from the front, at least a portion of the groove 40 is not visible.

In this embodiment, the height position of the tip 411 of the front wall 41 is set to be the same as the height position of the second surface 60. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the tip 411 of the front wall 41 is located on an imaginary line L2 extending in the front-to-rear direction on the same plane as the second surface 60. Therefore, the interior of the groove 40 of the small freezer door 25 cannot be seen when viewed from the front. The same is true for the grooves 40 of the ice-making compartment door 24 and the freezer door 26. Note that, as shown in Figure 5, the height position of the tip 911 of the front wall 91 of the groove 90 of the vegetable compartment door 23 is set lower than the height position of the surface 94. Therefore, a portion of the upper part of the rear wall 92 of the groove 90 is visible when viewed from the front.

The pair of opposing recessed portions 30, 40 that are visible at least in a side view are set so that the rear end portions are positioned in the same front-to-rear direction. In this case, "set to be the same" means that they are identical by design, and includes a deviation of, for example, approximately plus or minus 2 mm within the range of manufacturing tolerances.

In each door 23, 24, 25, a ridge 32 is provided between the wall 31 of the recess 30 and the first surface 50. The ridge 32 connects the rear end of the wall 31 to the front end of the first surface 50. The ridge 32 forms a convex curved surface away from the vertical center of each door 23, 24, 25, 26 and toward the front. In this embodiment, the ridge 32 forms a convex curved surface downward and toward the front. A first curvature change point P1 is located at the rear end of the wall 31. That is, at the boundary between the recess 30 and the ridge 32, i.e., at the rear end of the wall 31, the contour line of the lower surface 23a, 24a, 25a in side view changes from an upward convex curve or straight line to a downward convex curve. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the recess 30 and the ridge 32, i.e., the rear end of the wall 31, the contour line of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a in side view changes from an upwardly convex curve to a downwardly convex curve.

In each door 24, 25, 26, a ridge 44 is provided between the rear wall 42 of the groove 40 and the second surface 60. The ridge 44 connects the rear end of the rear wall 42 to the front end of the second surface 60. The ridge 44 connects the end (in this case the upper end) of the rear wall 42 of each door 24, 25, 26 to the front end of the second surface 60. The ridge 44 forms a convex curved surface that extends forward and away from the vertical center of each door 24, 25, 26. In this embodiment, the ridge 44 formed on the upper surface 24b, 25b, 26b forms a convex curved surface that extends upward and forward.

A second curvature change point P2 is located at the opening end of the rear wall 42. That is, at the boundary between the groove 40 and the ridge 44 formed in the upper surface 24b, 25b, 26b, i.e., at the upper end of the rear wall 42, the contour line of the upper surface 24b, 25b, 26b in side view changes from a downward convex or straight line to an upward convex line. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the groove 40 and the ridge 44, i.e., at the upper end of the rear wall 42, the contour line of the upper surface 24b, 25b, 26b in side view changes from a straight line to an upward convex curve.

A pair of opposing recessed portions, for example, opposing recessed portion 30 and groove portion 40, are set so that the rear ends thereof are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the rear ends of opposing recessed portion 30 and groove portion 40 overlap in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a pair of opposing recessed portion 30 and groove portion 40 are set so that the position of the first curvature change point P1 and the position of the second curvature change point P2 overlap in the vertical direction. The first curvature change point P1 and the second curvature change point P2 are located on the same imaginary straight line L1 extending in the vertical direction. Note that a similar configuration may also be used when groove portion 40 and groove portion 40 are configured to face each other.

As a result, the rear end of the recess 30 is positioned on the vertical extension of the rear wall 42 of the opposing groove 40. Therefore, when a user observes the refrigerator 10 from the side, the recess 30 and groove 40 appear to be aligned, and the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 lined up vertically appear neatly aligned, giving the impression of refinement.

Furthermore, in at least one pair of opposing lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, the front-to-rear position of the front end of the first surface portion 50 is set to be different from the front-to-rear position of the front end of the second surface portion 60. In this embodiment, in the combination of lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b where the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 are visible at least in a side view, the front-to-rear position of the front end of the first surface portion 50 is set to be different from the front-to-rear position of the front end of the second surface portion 60. As a result, even if one or both of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, 26 are slightly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction within the manufacturing tolerance range, the optical illusion makes it difficult for the user to perceive the misalignment.

In this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction position of the second surface portion 60 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b is set forward of the front-to-rear direction position of the first surface portion 50 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. Note that in other embodiments, the front-to-rear direction position of the first surface portion 50 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b may be set rearward of the front-to-rear direction position of the second surface portion 60 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a.

In at least one pair of opposing lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, the radius of curvature of the ridge portion 32 and the radius of curvature of the ridge portion 44 are set to be different. In this embodiment, in the combination of lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b where the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 are visible at least in a side view, the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 and the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44 are set to be different. As a result, even if one or both of the vertically aligned doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are slightly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction within the manufacturing tolerance range, the misalignment is less perceptible due to an optical illusion.

In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portions 44 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be larger than the radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portions 32 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. For example, the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portions 44 can be set within a range of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm. The radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portions 32 can be set within a range of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portions 44 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b can be set to be smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portions 32 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, etc., in each of the drawer-type doors 23, 24, 25, 26, the position of the upper end surface of each plate member 233, 243, 253, 263 is set lower than the position of the upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b. Furthermore, in each of the doors 24, 25, 26, the height position of the upper end surface of each plate member 243, 253, 263 can be set between the upper and lower ends of the ridge portion 44 or below the ridge portion 44. In this embodiment, in each of the doors 24, 25, 26, the height position of the upper end surface of each plate member 243, 253, 263 is set between the upper and lower ends of the ridge portion 44. At least a portion of the rear of the upper end surface of each plate member 233, 243, 253, 263 of each door 23, 24, 25, 26 is covered from above by the front end portions of the frame members 232, 242, 252, 262.

In this embodiment, the vertical cross-sectional shapes of the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 are designed to be generally constant from the right end to the left end of each door 23, 24, 25, 26. In other words, in a plan view, the rear wall portion 42 of the groove portion 40 and the rear end portion of the recessed portion 30 form a straight line extending in the left-right direction. In other words, the depth of the recessed portion 30 and the depth of the groove portion 40 are each set to be constant in the left-right direction.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the edge portion 32 and the radius of curvature R2 of the edge portion 44 are designed to be approximately constant from the right end to the left end of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26.

Next, we will explain the design applied to at least one of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. In this embodiment, at least the vegetable compartment door 23 is designed. In this case, the door 23 is hot stamped, although details are not shown. Hot stamping, also known as foil stamping, is a technique in which foil is applied to a processed surface and then heated and pressurized to adhere and fix the foil to the processed surface for decoration. The foil is formed, for example, by vapor-depositing metal onto a thin resin film, and can impart a metallic luster to the processed surface. Therefore, when light hits the hot-stamped surface, the light is reflected, creating a luxurious effect. For example, the foil can be attached to the processed surface using a silicone roller.

Figure 8 is an enlarged right side view showing the configuration of the vegetable compartment door 23 inside circle III in Figure 5. The vegetable compartment door 23 has a front surface 100, multiple (in this case two) curved surface portions 101 and 102, and a top 103 at the front end (in this case tip 911) of the upper end of the frame member 232. Of the two curved surface portions 101 and 102, the curved surface portion located at the front is referred to as the first curved surface portion 101, and the curved surface portion located at the rear is referred to as the second curved surface portion 102.

The front surface portion 100 forms the front surface of the tip portion 911. The first curved surface portion 101 forms an upwardly convex curved surface and connects the upper end of the front surface portion 100 to the front end of the second curved surface portion 102. The second curved surface portion 102 forms an upwardly convex curved surface and connects the rear end of the first curved surface portion 101 to the front end of the apex portion 103. The apex portion 103 forms the upper end surface of the tip portion 911. In this embodiment, the apex portion 103 forms a horizontal surface.

The front surface 100 is generally vertical in the front-to-rear direction, and forms a surface that slopes more forward as it approaches the bottom. In other embodiments, the front surface 100 may form a surface that is substantially vertical in the front-to-rear direction. The front surface 100 is located above the upper end of the plate member 233 and is exposed to the outside, in this case, the front of the refrigerator 10. The front surface 100 can be decorated. In this embodiment, the front surface 100 is hot stamped, although details are not shown.

The radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface portion 101 is set to be larger than the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface portion 102. For example, the radius of curvature R3 can be set within a range of 20 times or less the radius of curvature R4. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface portion 101 is set to 2.0 mm, and the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface portion 102 is set to 0.2 mm. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface portion 101 can be set within a range of 0.2 mm to 2.0 mm. Furthermore, the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface portion 102 can be set within a range of 0.1 to 0.2 mm.

Here, as shown in Figure 9, for example, a step 200 can be provided between the upper end of the front face 100 and the apex 103, connecting the two in a stepped manner. In this case, the design becomes linear and flat, and light reflected from the hot-stamped front face 100 may not spread as far as the apex 103, potentially limiting the benefits of the light effect. Also, depending on the location of the mold seam for the frame member 232, there is a risk that the hot-stamped foil may become caught in the burrs that form at the seam, or that the edges of the foil may become wavy rather than straight.

According to this embodiment, when the door 23 is observed from above, the gloss due to the hot stamping of the front surface 100, i.e., the light reflected by the front surface 100, is further diffused by the surface of the first curved surface 101, which has a large radius of curvature, giving the refrigerator 10 an even more luxurious design. Furthermore, when the foil is attached with a silicone roller during the hot stamping process, the presence of the first curved surface 101 and the second curved surface 102 neatly finishes the edges of the foil, preventing the foil from becoming caught in burrs or the edges from becoming wavy.

A similar configuration in which multiple stages of curvature are set at the tip of the upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 24b, 25b, and 26b of the doors 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26 may also be employed. A similar configuration may also be employed for the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. In particular, similar effects are achieved when it is anticipated that the user will look down on the upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 24b, 25b, and 26b from above, or when the user will look up at the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a from below.

Furthermore, the above configuration is not limited to doors 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, but can be applied to any component that can be hot stamped. For example, in the case of refrigerator 10, it can be applied to various resin components such as the chilled compartment containers in refrigerator compartment 12, the shelf frames, the pockets on the inside of refrigerator compartment doors 21 and 22, and the duct installed on the back of refrigerator compartment 12.

According to the present embodiment described above, the refrigerator 10 includes first doors 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, and other doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 arranged adjacent to and below the first doors 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. The first doors 23, 24, and 25 have, on their lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a, first surface portions 50 and recessed portions 30 as first concave portions that are located forward of the first surface portions 50 and recessed toward the center of the first doors 23, 24, and 25 in the vertical direction. The other doors 24, 25, 26 have upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b facing the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, each of which has a second surface 60 facing the first surface 50, and a groove 40 as a second recessed portion located forward of the second surface 60 and recessed toward the vertical center of the other door 24, 25, 26. The rear ends of the first and second recessed portions are located on a single imaginary straight line L1 extending vertically in a side view. The front end of the first surface 50 and the front end of the second surface 60 are positioned differently in the front-to-rear direction.

That is, the rear ends of a pair of opposing recessed portions 30, 40 of vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, 26 overlap vertically, but the pair of opposing surface portions 50, 60 are not designed symmetrically. As a result, even if the front-to-back positions of vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, 26 are slightly misaligned within the manufacturing tolerance range, the misalignment is less noticeable to the user, and the alignment of doors 23, 24, 25, 26 appears to be aligned. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the burden of assembling doors 23, 24, 25, 26 during the manufacturing process is reduced, and the yield rate of refrigerators 10 is improved, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, one door 23, 24, 25 has a ridge portion 32 as a first ridge portion between the recessed portion 30 as a first concave portion and the first surface portion 50. The other doors 24, 25, 26 have a ridge portion 44 as a second ridge portion between the groove portion 40 as a second concave portion and the second surface portion 60 as a second surface portion. The ridge portions 32 and 44 each form a curved surface that is convex toward the front. The first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 is set to be different from the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44.

In other words, the opposing ridges 32 and 44 have different radii of curvature R1 and R2, which allows the opposing pair of surfaces 50 and 60 to be designed asymmetrically. This maintains a sense of unity in the overall design and makes it less noticeable that there is a slight misalignment between the front and rear positions of the upper and lower doors 23, 24, 25, and 26.

Furthermore, either the first concave portion or the second concave portion is a recessed portion 30 that opens forward. Furthermore, the other of the first concave portion or the second concave portion is a groove portion 40 having a front wall portion 41 that covers at least a portion of the first concave portion or the second concave portion in a front view.

According to this, grooves 40 are provided on the upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b or the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, into which the user can insert their fingers and place them on the front wall 41. Furthermore, recesses 30 are provided on the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, which are arranged facing each other, at positions opposite the grooves 40. As a result, when the user pulls out or pushes in the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, the recesses 30 ensure a wide finger path, making it easier to insert the hand into the grooves 40. Furthermore, the presence of the front wall 41 makes it easier for the user to operate the doors 23, 24, 25, 26.

Here, when operating the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the storage compartments 13, 14, 15, and 16, which are located from the center to the bottom of the refrigerator 10 in the vertical direction, the user will have to reach up from above. Therefore, if the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 are designed to be operated from the bottom, there is a risk that the operating burden on the user will increase.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the first recessed portion is a recessed portion 30 that is provided on the underside 23a, 24a, 25a of one of the doors 23, 24, 25 and opens forward. The second recessed portion is a groove 40 that is provided on the upper side 24b, 25b, 26b of the other door 24, 25, 26 and has a front wall 41 that covers at least a portion of the second recessed portion in a front view.

As a result, the parts that receive user operation are located on the upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, rather than on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a. This makes it easier for users to open and close the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, improving user convenience.

In this embodiment, the front end of the second surface 60 is positioned further rearward than the front end of the first surface 50. In other words, the ridge 44 between the second surface 60 and the groove 40 has a more pronounced corner than the ridge 32 between the first surface 50 and the recess 30.

When operating each door 23, 24, 25, 26, the user inserts their fingers into the groove 40 from the recess 30 side, in this case from above, to grasp the front wall 41. This reduces the discomfort caused by the user's fingers hitting the groove 40 compared to when the ridge 44 is relatively angular.

In this embodiment, the height position of the second surface portion 60 is set to be the same as or higher than the height position of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41.

Here, the closer the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a of the upper doors 23, 24, 25 are to the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, 26, the greater the insulating effect between the doors. Therefore, by making the height of the first surface 50 of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 equal to or greater than the height of the tip 411 of the front wall 41, the insulating effect can be improved.

More specifically, the height position of the second surface portion 60 is set to be the same as the height position of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41.

By making the height position of the second surface portion 60 of the lower doors 24, 25, and 26 the same as the height of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41, the refrigerator 10 has a neater appearance when viewed from the front or side, giving it a more sophisticated impression.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In this embodiment, in a set of doors 23, 24, 25, 26 aligned in the vertical direction, a slope is formed on either or both of the following: between the recessed portions formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a of the upper doors 23, 24, 25 and the first surface 50; or between the recessed portions formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 and the second surface 60. In this case, the slope is inclined toward the center of each door 23, 24, 25, 26 in the vertical direction as it extends forward.

In this embodiment, a sloped surface 70 is formed between the groove 40 formed in the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, and 26 and the second surface portion 60. The sloped surface 70 forms a surface that becomes lower toward the front, and connects the upper end of the rear wall portion 42 of the groove 40, i.e., the portion corresponding to the second curvature change point P2 in the first embodiment, to the front end of the second surface portion 60.

According to this embodiment, one of the doors 23, 24, 25 and the other doors 24, 25, 26 (in this case, the first doors 23, 24, 25) has a ridge 32, which is a curved surface that convex forward, connecting the recess 30 (as the first recessed portion) and the first surface 50, or the groove 40 (as the second recessed portion) and the second surface 60. The other of the doors 23, 24, 25 and the other doors 24, 25, 26 (in this case, the doors 24, 25, 26) has a slope 70 that connects the recess 30 (as the first recessed portion) and the first surface 50, or the groove 40 (as the second recessed portion) and the second surface 60.

In other words, in this embodiment, by forming a sloped portion 70 on one of the doors 24, 25, 26, the design of the joint between the upper and lower doors 23, 24, 25, 26 is asymmetrical in the vertical direction. As a result, even if there is a slight misalignment in the front-to-back positions of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 within the manufacturing tolerance range, the overall front-to-back positions appear to be aligned. Therefore, the same effects as the above embodiment are achieved.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In this embodiment, either or both of the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 and the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44 vary in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. In this case, the difference between the first radius of curvature R1 and the second radius of curvature R2 is set to be larger toward the left-right ends of the refrigerator 10 and smaller toward the center.

In this embodiment, the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44 varies across the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. Specifically, the second radius of curvature R2 is set to be larger toward the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 and smaller toward the center. The first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 does not vary across the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

In other words, according to this embodiment, the difference between the first radius of curvature R1 of ridge portion 32 as the first ridge portion and the second radius of curvature R2 of ridge portion 44 as the second ridge portion is set to be larger on the outer side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 than at the center in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

As a result, the degree of asymmetry in the design of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 increases toward the outside of the refrigerator 10, where the user can see it directly. This further enhances the effects described above.

In other embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridges 32 of the doors 23, 24, and 25 may be set to be smaller on the outer sides of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction than at the center of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In each of the above embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 44 of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be larger than the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 32 of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a, but in this embodiment, the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 44 of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 32 of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a.

In this case, too, the first curvature change point P1', which is the connection between the recess 30 and the ridge 32, and the second curvature change point P2', which is the connection between the groove 40 and the ridge 44, are located on the same imaginary straight line L1' extending vertically.

As a result, even if the front-to-back positions of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 are slightly misaligned within the manufacturing tolerance range, the misalignment is less noticeable to the user, and the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 appear aligned. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the burden of assembling the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 during the manufacturing process is reduced, and the yield rate of the refrigerator 10 is improved, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Fifth Embodiment
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In this embodiment, the vertical cross-sectional shapes of the recessed portions of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 change along the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

Figure 13 shows a plan view of the ice-making compartment door 24 and the small freezer compartment door 25. In this case, the depth of the groove 40 is shallower near the left-right outer sides of the refrigerator 10 and deeper toward the left-right center. In other words, the rear wall 42 is located further forward near the left-right outer sides of the refrigerator 10 and further rearward near the left-right center of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, in a plan view, the rear wall 42 of the groove 40 forms an arc with the center portion facing rearward and convex. Note that in this case, the position of the front wall 41 of the groove 40 is set to be basically the same across the left-right width of the refrigerator 10.

Although not shown in detail, the depth of the recessed portion 30 is also shallower near the outer left-right sides of the refrigerator 10 and deeper toward the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the rear end of the recessed portion 30 is located further forward near the outer left-right sides of the refrigerator 10 and further rearward in the center in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, in a plan view, the rear end of the recessed portion 30 forms an arc with the center portion facing rearward and convex.

In the present embodiment described above, the depth in the front-to-rear direction of the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 as concave portions is set to be shallower toward the outer sides in the left-to-right direction of the refrigerator 10 and deeper toward the center.

Since it is believed that users will typically operate doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 in roughly the center, increasing the depth of the central recess 30 and groove 40 makes it easier for users to insert their fingers. This improves user operability. Furthermore, when viewed from the side of the refrigerator 10, the depth of the groove 40 is not too large, giving the refrigerator 10 a clean appearance and a sophisticated impression.

In the above embodiments, the recessed portions 30 are provided on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b, and the grooves 40 are provided on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a, but this is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the grooves 40 may be provided on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b, and the recessed portions 30 may be provided on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. In still other embodiments, the grooves 40 may be provided on both the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b and the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. In this case, for example, the height of the tip of the front wall portion 41 of the groove 40 provided on at least one of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b or the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a can be set closer to the bottom 43 than the surface portions 50 and 60. This makes it easier for the user to insert their fingers into the grooves 40, even if the grooves 40 are arranged facing each other.

The above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments may be embodied in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

10...refrigerator, 11...refrigerator body, 12...refrigerator compartment, 13...vegetable compartment, 14...ice maker compartment, 15...small freezer compartment, 16...freezer compartment, 21...left refrigerator compartment door (door), 22...right refrigerator compartment door (door), 23...vegetable compartment door (door), 24...ice maker compartment door (door), 25...small freezer compartment door (door), 26...freezer compartment door (door), 21a, 22a, 23a, 2 4a, 25a, 26a... lower surface part, 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b... upper surface part, 30... hollow part (concave shaped part), 32... ridge part (first ridge part), 40... Groove (concave shaped part), 41... Front wall, 411... Tip, 43... Rear wall, 44... Ridge (second ridge), 50... First surface, 60... Second surface, 70... Slanted surface

Claims (5)

The system includes a first door and another door disposed adjacent to and below the first door,
The one door has, at a lower surface portion, a first surface portion and a first concave portion provided forward of the first surface portion and recessed toward a center portion in a vertical direction of the one door,
The other door has, on an upper surface portion facing the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion, and a second concave portion provided forward of the second surface portion and recessed toward the center of the other door in the up-down direction,
a rear end portion of the first recessed portion and a rear end portion of the second recessed portion are located on a single imaginary straight line extending in the up-down direction in a side view,
a position of a front end of the first surface portion and a position of a front end of the second surface portion are set to be different in the front-rear direction,
a plurality of drawer doors including the first door and the second door , each of the plurality of drawer doors having a handle portion on an upper surface thereof for a user to hold;
The handle portion is configured as a groove portion having a front wall portion and a rear wall portion, the groove portion being formed by recessing the upper surface portion toward the center portion in the up-down direction of the drawer door,
Each of the plurality of drawer doors is provided with, as the handle portion, either a first handle portion in which the front wall portion extends to the height of an upper portion of the rear wall portion, or a second handle portion in which the front wall portion is lower than the rear wall portion,
the first door corresponds to either the drawer door having the first handle portion or the drawer door having the second handle portion, the other door corresponds to the drawer door having the first handle portion, and the second concave portion corresponds to the groove portion,
Among the drawer doors located above the lowest one of the plurality of drawer doors, the drawer door having the longest vertical length dimension has the second handle portion, and the drawer door having the shortest vertical length dimension has the first handle portion.
refrigerator. The system includes a first door and another door disposed adjacent to and below the first door,
The one door has, at a lower surface portion, a first surface portion and a first concave portion provided forward of the first surface portion and recessed toward a center portion in a vertical direction of the one door,
The other door has, on an upper surface portion facing the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion, and a second concave portion provided forward of the second surface portion and recessed toward the center of the other door in the up-down direction,
a rear end portion of the first recessed portion and a rear end portion of the second recessed portion are located on a single imaginary straight line extending in the up-down direction in a side view,
a position of a front end of the first surface portion and a position of a front end of the second surface portion are set to be different in the front-rear direction,
a plurality of drawer doors including the first door and the second door , each of the plurality of drawer doors having a handle portion on an upper surface thereof for a user to hold;
The handle portion is configured as a groove portion having a front wall portion and a rear wall portion, the groove portion being formed by recessing the upper surface portion toward the center portion in the up-down direction of the drawer door,
Each of the plurality of drawer doors is provided with, as the handle portion, either a first handle portion in which the front wall portion extends to the height of an upper portion of the rear wall portion, or a second handle portion in which the front wall portion is lower than the rear wall portion,
the first door corresponds to either the drawer door having the first handle portion or the drawer door having the second handle portion, the other door corresponds to the drawer door having the first handle portion, and the second concave portion corresponds to the groove portion,
The drawer door having the shortest vertical length among the plurality of drawer doors has the first handle portion,
the first door has a first edge portion between the first recessed portion and the first surface portion,
the other door has a second edge portion between the second recessed portion and the second surface portion,
the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion each form a curved surface that is convex forward,
The radius of curvature of the second edge portion is set to be larger than the radius of curvature of the first edge portion.
refrigerator. One of the one door and the other door has a curved surface that connects the first concave portion and the first surface portion or the second concave portion and the second surface portion and is convex toward the front,
The other of the one door and the other door has a sloped surface portion connecting the first concave portion and the first surface portion or the second concave portion and the second surface portion.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 . The position of the front end of the second surface portion is set rearward of the position of the front end of the first surface portion.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2. The system includes a first door and another door disposed adjacent to and below the first door,
The one door has, at a lower surface portion, a first surface portion and a first concave portion provided forward of the first surface portion and recessed toward a center portion in a vertical direction of the one door,
The other door has, on an upper surface portion facing the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion, and a second concave portion provided forward of the second surface portion and recessed toward the center of the other door in the up-down direction,
a rear end portion of the first recessed portion and a rear end portion of the second recessed portion are located on a single imaginary straight line extending in the up-down direction in a side view,
a position of a front end of the first surface portion and a position of a front end of the second surface portion are set to be different in the front-rear direction,
the first door has a first edge portion between the first recessed portion and the first surface portion,
the other door has a second edge portion between the second recessed portion and the second surface portion,
the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion each form a curved surface that is convex forward,
a radius of curvature of the first edge portion is set to be different from a radius of curvature of the second edge portion;
a difference between the radius of curvature of the first edge portion and the radius of curvature of the second edge portion is set to be larger at an outer side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator than at a central part in the left-right direction of the refrigerator,
refrigerator.