JP7790705B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to refrigerators that blow cool air to containers stored in a storage compartment.

Conventionally, refrigerators with storage containers arranged inside the refrigerator compartment, such as that described in Patent Document 1, are known. In this refrigerator, a chilled container is stored at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. Cold air blown by a fan is supplied to the refrigerator compartment via an air duct formed at the rear side of the refrigerator compartment. Some of the cold air blown into the air duct is blown directly to the chilled container without passing through the refrigerator compartment. In this way, the temperature inside the chilled container is made lower than the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment, for example, to around 0°C. In this way, food such as meat stored in the chilled container can be preserved while maintaining its freshness.

JP 2018-44687 A

However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 above leaves room for improvement in terms of maintaining the freshness of food stored in chilled containers.

Specifically, in order to maintain the freshness of food stored in chilled containers for an extended period of time, it is preferable to maintain the interior temperature of the chilled container at a low temperature of around -3°C, which prevents the food inside from completely freezing. However, if cold air of around -15°C is introduced into the chilled container to lower the interior temperature, the introduced cold air is blown directly onto the food, causing it to freeze and making it difficult to maintain its freshness.

One way to address this issue is to cool the chilled container from the top side. However, if the top of the chilled container is made of a transparent material such as glass to ensure visibility, it becomes difficult to create an airflow path on the top side.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator that can maintain the freshness of food stored in storage containers for a long period of time.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a cooling chamber in which a cooler that cools cold air is housed, an air duct for blowing the cold air from the cooling chamber to a storage chamber, a storage container arranged inside the storage chamber, and an inlet for introducing the cold air into the storage container, and is characterized in that an air duct cover is arranged inside the storage container at a position opposite the inlet, and the air duct cover has a side opening for blowing the cold air out to the side and a downward opening for blowing the cold air downward.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining the freshness of food stored in a storage container for a long period of time.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view showing the exterior of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention with an insulating door open. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an air passage configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view showing an internal configuration and an air passage configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerating compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of an air duct cover and the like of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an air duct cover and the like of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the rear. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the flow of cool air blown out from an air outlet into a storage container in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a top cross-sectional view showing the flow of cool air along a heat insulating member in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a flow of cool air blown out from an air passage cover in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the flow of cool air inside a storage container in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, the same components will generally be designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. Furthermore, the following description will use the up, down, front, back, left, and right directions, but left and right refer to the left and right when viewing the refrigerator 10 from the front.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of refrigerator 10, viewed from the front left side. Refrigerator 10 has an insulated box body 11 and a storage compartment formed inside insulated box body 11. The storage compartments are, from the top, refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13. The front opening of refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by rotating insulated doors 18 and 19. The front opening of freezer compartment 13 is closed by insulated doors 20 and 21. Insulated doors 18, 19, 20, and 21 are rotating doors that can rotate around their outer left and right ends.

Figure 2 is a front view showing refrigerator 10 with insulated door 18, insulated door 19, insulated door 20, and insulated door 21 in the open position.

Storage containers 25 and 26 are located below the refrigerator compartment 12. Storage containers 25 and 26 are roughly box-shaped containers made of synthetic resin and are installed so that they can be freely pulled out in both the front and back directions. Storage container 25 is a chilled container whose interior is cooled to a temperature range of approximately -3°C. Storage container 26 is a container whose interior is cooled to approximately 2°C and is used to store vegetables and other items at low temperatures. The temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 other than storage containers 25 and 26 is in the refrigeration temperature range of, for example, 3°C to 5°C. A water supply tank 24 is located to the left of storage container 26, and stores water to be supplied to the ice maker. Storage pockets 17 are located on the interior sides of insulated doors 18 and 19 for storing beverages, seasonings, and other items.

The freezer compartment 13 houses multiple storage containers 32. Here, six storage containers 32 are arranged in a matrix. Each storage container 32 can be freely pulled out in the front-to-rear direction. The temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 is, for example, in the freezing temperature range of -20°C to -18°C. An automatic ice maker (not shown) is disposed inside the freezer compartment 13. The automatic ice maker produces ice by freezing water supplied from the water supply tank 24 mentioned above.

The cross-sectional configuration of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to the side cross-sectional view in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the flow of cold air inside the refrigerator 10 is indicated by dotted arrows.

The insulated box 11 is composed of an outer box 111 made of steel plate bent into a predetermined shape, an inner box 112 made of synthetic resin plate placed inside and spaced apart from the outer box 111, and insulating material 113 filled between the outer box 111 and inner box 112.

As mentioned above, the storage compartment inside the insulated box 11 is divided from above into a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are separated by an insulating wall 27.

The interior of the refrigerator compartment 12 is vertically divided by multiple storage shelves 15. A storage shelf 152 is located above the storage container 26, which is located at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 12. A storage container 25 is located above the storage shelf 152, and the upper opening of the storage container 25 is covered by the storage shelf 151. As mentioned above, the interior of the storage container 26 functions as a vegetable compartment, and the interior of the storage container 25 functions as a chilled compartment.

The storage shelf 151 that covers the interior top surface of the storage container 25 is made of a transparent plate material, such as a glass plate. Because the storage shelf 151 is made of a transparent plate material, the user can see through the storage shelf 151 and view the food stored in the storage container 25 without having to pull the storage container 25 forward.

A cooling compartment 115 is formed at the rear of the freezer compartment 13, and the freezer compartment 13 and cooling compartment 115 are separated by a partition wall 28. An evaporator 116, which functions as a cooler, is disposed inside the cooling compartment 115. A machine compartment 14 is defined at the rear of the lower end of the refrigerator 10, and a compressor 22 is disposed in the machine compartment 14. The evaporator 116 and compressor 22, together with a condenser and expansion means (not shown), form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. By operating the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the evaporator 116 cools the cold air inside the cooling compartment 115, and this cold air is blown into each storage compartment, thereby maintaining the internal temperature of each storage compartment within a predetermined cooling temperature range.

Inside the cooling compartment 115, a blower 29 is located above the evaporator 116. The blower 29 is an axial flow blower or centrifugal blower, and blows the cold air from inside the evaporator 116, cooled by the evaporator 116, toward the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

A defrost heater 117 is located inside and below the evaporator 116. As the vapor compression refrigeration cycle operates, thick frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 116. When this occurs, a control means (not shown) stops the compressor 22 and energizes the defrost heater 117 to heat it, thereby performing a defrosting operation to melt and remove the frost.

An air passage 118 is formed extending upward from the cooling compartment 115. An air outlet 23, which is an opening for blowing cool air into the refrigerator compartment 12, is formed in the air passage 118. Cool air is blown forward from the air outlet 23. An air passage damper 31 is installed in the air passage 118, and this configuration will be described later with reference to Figure 4A.

As will be described later, cold air is sent directly to the storage container 25 from an air duct formed separately from the air supply duct 118. This cools the interior of the storage container 25 to the chilled temperature range. This configuration will be described later with reference to Figure 8A, etc.

Some of the cold air blown out from the air outlet 33 is not introduced into the storage container 25 through the inlet 34, but instead travels forward between the storage container 25 and the storage shelf 152, before flowing downward. Furthermore, the cold air blown out from the inlet 34 into the interior of the storage container 25 cools the interior of the storage container 25, before being blown out forward from an opening formed at the front end of the storage container 25 and then flowing downward.

The storage container 26 is a semi-sealed storage container. That is, the storage container 26 does not have any openings for actively introducing or discharging cold air. Furthermore, as described above, some of the cold air blown out from the air outlet 33 flows downward inside the refrigerator compartment 12, enveloping the storage container 26 from the outside. As a result, the temperature inside the storage container 26 is maintained in a refrigeration temperature range that is lower than the typical temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12.

A portion of the cold air blown by the blower 29 is sent to the freezing chamber 13 through the air outlet 41, which is an opening formed in the partition wall 28. The cold air that has cooled the inside of each container placed in the freezing chamber 13 returns to the cooling chamber 115 through the return outlet 42. This cools the freezing chamber 13 to a predetermined freezing temperature range.

Figure 4A is a front view showing the configuration of the air duct 118, etc., and Figure 4B is a front view showing the refrigeration compartment 12 of the refrigerator 10 together with the air duct 118, etc.

Referring to Figures 4A and 4B, the air outlet 16 is formed by opening the side and upper ends of the air passage 118. Cool air passing through the insulated door 18 is blown out from the air outlet 16 into the interior of the refrigerator compartment 12.

An air duct damper 31 is attached to the lower part of the air duct 118. The temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown), and the air duct damper 31 is opened and closed to cool the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 to a predetermined refrigeration temperature range.

Air duct 119 is an air duct that branches off from the middle of air duct 118 toward the upper right. An air duct damper 30 is attached to the bottom of air duct 119. A temperature sensor that detects the indoor temperature of storage container 25 is attached to air duct 119. By opening and closing the air duct damper 30 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the indoor temperature of storage container 25 is kept within a specified chilled temperature range.

Referring to Figure 4B, an air outlet 33 and an inlet 34 are formed at the upper end of the air flow path 119. The cool air blown upward through the air flow path 119 is blown directly into the storage container 25 via the air outlet 33 and inlet 34. The configuration of the air outlet 33 and inlet 34 will be described later with reference to Figure 5, etc.

An air outlet 40 is formed in the middle of the air duct 118. The air outlet 40 is an opening above the storage shelf 151 through which cold air that has risen up the air duct 118 is blown out into the refrigerator compartment 12. When the refrigerator compartment 12 is open, condensation may form on the surface of the storage shelf 151. Even in such cases, the cold air blown out from the air outlet 40 flows over the top surface of the storage shelf 151, eliminating the condensation that has formed on the surface of the storage shelf 151.

Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the portion of the refrigerator compartment 12 where the air outlet 33 and air inlet 34 are located.

The air outlet 33 is an opening formed in the insulated box body 11 for blowing cool air circulating through the air passage 119 into the storage container 25. The air outlet 33 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and a rib 39 is disposed at its front end. The ribs 39 are plate-like members that extend generally horizontally, and multiple ribs 39 are disposed at approximately equal intervals along the vertical direction.

The inlet 34 is formed by opening a roughly rectangular shape on the rear side of the storage container 25. The inlet 34 is larger than the outlet 33. Specifically, the inlet 34 is longer than the outlet 33 in the vertical and horizontal directions. That is, when the storage container 25 is stored inside the refrigerator compartment 12, the upper end of the inlet 34 is located above the upper end of the outlet 33, the lower end of the inlet 34 is located below the lower end of the outlet 33, the left end of the inlet 34 is located to the left of the left end of the outlet 33, and the right end of the inlet 34 is located to the right of the right end of the outlet 33.

As a result, most of the cool air blown out from the air outlet 33 is introduced into the interior of the storage container 25 via the inlet 34, effectively cooling the interior of the storage container 25.

An air duct cover 35 is attached to the inlet 34 from the front side, and a rear member 38 is attached to the rear side.

The air passage cover 35 is positioned inside the storage container 25, facing the inlet 34. The air passage cover 35 is made of a synthetic resin plate formed into a roughly lid-like shape. The specific configuration of the air passage cover 35 will be described later with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

The rear member 38 is made of synthetic resin and is fitted from the rear side into the inlet 34 of the storage container 25, and has an opening for allowing cool air to circulate. The specific configuration of the rear member 38 will be described later with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

The insulating member 36 is disposed between the air passage cover 35 and the inlet 34. The insulating member 36 is made of a material with better insulating properties than the air passage cover 35, such as a foamed resin such as polystyrene foam. The specific configuration of the insulating member 36 will be described later with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

A metal plate 37 made of, for example, aluminum or stainless steel is placed on the bottom of the storage container 25. Food to be stored in the storage container 25 is placed on the top surface of the metal plate 37.

The air passage cover 35 and rear member 38 described above are fitted together via the inlet 34. The air passage cover 35 also fits together with the rear member 38 while incorporating the heat insulating member 36.

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the air duct cover 35 and other components when viewed from the front. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the air duct cover 35 and other components when viewed from the rear. Although not shown here, a filter is placed between the insulating member 36 and the rear member 38. The filter can be, for example, a bag-shaped nonwoven fabric containing deodorizing beads, or honeycomb-shaped filter paper. By placing a filter, it is possible to deodorize the cool air and also to prevent dust and other particles from entering the storage container 25.

Referring to Figure 6, the rear member 38 is a generally lid-shaped member with an opening facing forward. An outer wall portion 383 is formed around the front surface of the rear member 38. The outer wall portion 383 is a wall-like portion of the outer periphery of the rear member 38 that protrudes forward. The outer wall portion 383 is the portion that fits into the air passage cover 35.

The upper opening 381 and the lower opening 382 are openings formed approximately in the center of the rear member 38 in the left-right direction. Cool air is introduced into the storage container 25 through the upper opening 381 and the lower opening 382.

As shown in FIG. 7, the upper opening 381 is formed as multiple slits. This configuration prevents the user's hands from reaching the back of the upper opening 381 and coming into contact with the filter. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper opening 381 is surrounded by a wall-like portion. Specifically, the upper opening 381 is surrounded by opening wall portion 384, opening wall portion 385, and opening wall portion 386. Opening wall portion 384, opening wall portion 385, and opening wall portion 386 are portions that extend forward from the front surface of the rear member 38. This configuration allows a filter (not shown here) to be placed in the area surrounded by opening wall portion 384, opening wall portion 385, and opening wall portion 386.

As shown in Figure 7, the lower opening 382 is formed as a single, approximately rectangular opening. The lower opening 382 is formed below the upper opening 381.

As shown in Figure 6, the insulating member 36 is housed in the space formed by the rear member 38 and the air passage cover 35. Referring to Figure 7, the rear surface of the insulating member 36, which faces the aforementioned inlet 34, has a flat surface 364, side inclined surfaces 361, side inclined surfaces 362, and a downward inclined surface 363.

The flat surface 364 is a flat surface formed in the upper center portion of the rear surface of the insulating member 36 in the left-right direction. The flat surface 364 is approximately perpendicular to the flow of cool air introduced through the upper opening 381.

The lateral inclined surface 361 is a surface that slopes forward as it extends to the right. The lateral inclined surface 361 is formed between the right edge of the insulating member 36 and the flat surface 364. The lateral inclined surface 361 is a portion that causes the cool air introduced through the upper opening 381 to flow to the right.

The lateral inclined surface 362 is a surface that slopes forward as it moves to the left. The lateral inclined surface 362 is formed between the left edge of the insulating member 36 and the flat surface 364. The lateral inclined surface 362 is a portion that causes the cool air introduced through the upper opening 381 to flow to the left.

The downward inclined surface 363 is a portion of the surface of the insulating member 36 facing the inlet 34 that slopes forward as it extends downward. The downward inclined surface 363 is formed between the lower surface of the insulating member 36 and the flat surface 364. The downward inclined surface 363 allows the cool air introduced through the lower opening 382 to flow downward.

As shown in Figure 7, the air passage cover 35 is a generally lid-shaped member that opens to the rear. The air passage cover 35 has a side opening 351, a side opening 352, and a lower opening 353.

The side opening 351 is formed by opening the right side of the air passage cover 35. From the side opening 351, cool air flowing along the side inclined surface 361 of the insulating member 36 is blown out into the interior of the storage container 25 described above.

The side opening 352 is formed by opening the left side of the air passage cover 35. From the side opening 352, cool air flowing along the side inclined surface 362 of the insulating member 36 is blown out into the interior of the storage container 25 described above.

The lower opening 353 is formed by opening the lower surface of the air passage cover 35. From the lower opening 353, cool air flowing along the lower inclined surface 363 of the insulating member 36 is blown out into the interior of the storage container 25 described above.

Here, no openings are formed on the top surface of the air duct cover 35. In other words, cool air is not blown upward from the air duct cover 35. This prevents fogging on the storage shelf 151, which is a glass plate that covers the storage container 25 from above (see Figure 3).

Figure 8A is a side cross-sectional view showing the flow of cool air blown out from the inlet 34 into the storage container 25.

First, the cold air cooled by the evaporator 116 in the cooling chamber 115 shown in Figure 3 is blown upward through the air passage 119 by the blowing force of the blower 29. The cold air flowing through the air passage 119 is blown forward from the outlet 33. At this time, the cold air is blown out approximately horizontally by following the ribs 39.

The cool air is then blown out from the air outlet 33 into the storage container 25. As mentioned above, the inlet 34 of the storage container 25 is larger than the air outlet 33. Therefore, most of the cool air blown out from the air outlet 33 is introduced into the interior of the storage container 25 via the inlet 34. As a result, the interior temperature of the storage container 25 is cooled to a temperature range of -3°C ± 1°C.

The aforementioned opening wall portion 385 is disposed at the inlet 34. The opening wall portion 385 is inclined downward toward the front. This allows a portion of the cool air blown out from the air outlet 33 to flow downward, effectively cooling the metal plate 37, as described below.

As mentioned above, the insulating member 36 is incorporated behind the air duct cover 35. Therefore, the cold air introduced into the storage container 25 from the inlet 34 abuts against the rear surface of the insulating member 36 and is not blown onto the air duct cover 35. This prevents the air duct cover 35 from being directly cooled by the cold air, and prevents fogging and condensation from forming on the front surface of the air duct cover 35. If fogging or condensation were to form on the front surface of the air duct cover 35, it could visually create an unclean impression. In this embodiment, this fogging and condensation are suppressed, thereby improving the sense of cleanliness.

A portion of the cold air blown out from the air outlet 33 hits the downward inclined surface 363 formed on the lower front portion of the insulating member 36 and is guided downward. The cold air then travels downward and forward through the lower opening 353 of the air passage cover 35 and hits the upper surface of the metal plate 37. The cold air then travels forward along the upper surface of the metal plate 37. In this way, the internal space of the storage container 25 and the stored items can be cooled via the metal plate 37.

Figure 8B is a cross-section corresponding to the A-A cross-section line in Figure 8A, and is a top cross-sectional view showing the flow of cold air along the insulating member 36. After contacting the flat surface 364, part of the cold air introduced into the inlet 34 from the air outlet 33 travels to the right and left along the side inclined surfaces 361 and 362, and is blown out from the side of the storage container 25 into the interior of the storage container 25.

Figure 9A is a perspective view showing the flow of cool air blown out from the air passage cover 35. Figure 9B is a perspective view showing the flow of cool air inside the storage container 25. In Figure 9A, the flow of cool air is indicated by dashed arrows, and in Figure 9B, the flow of cool air is indicated by white arrows.

Referring to Figure 9A, the cool air guided to the right by the lateral inclined surface 361 shown in Figure 8B passes through the lateral opening 351 of the air passage cover 35 and is blown into the interior of the storage container 25. Furthermore, the cool air guided to the left by the lateral inclined surface 362 shown in Figure 8B passes through the lateral opening 352 of the air passage cover 35 and is blown into the interior of the storage container 25. Furthermore, the cool air guided downward by the downward inclined surface 363 shown in Figure 8A passes through the downward opening 353 and is blown into the interior of the storage container 25.

Referring to Figure 9B, cool air is blown out from the air duct cover 35 to the left and right, allowing the interior of the storage container 25 to be uniformly cooled from all sides. Cool air is also blown downward from the air duct cover 35. This directly cools the metal plate 37, effectively cooling food placed on the metal plate 37. Furthermore, cooling can be uniformly achieved all the way to the lower end of the storage container 25.

On the other hand, cold air is not blown forward from the air duct cover 35. This prevents cold air of around -15°C from being blown directly onto food stored in the storage container 25, preventing the surface of the food from drying out or freezing and preventing the food from losing its freshness. Furthermore, cold air is not blown upward from the air duct cover 35. This prevents cold air from being blown onto the storage shelf 151 shown in Figure 3, and prevents fogging and condensation from occurring without the need to install a heater or other device on the storage shelf 151.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Specifically, the volume of cold air blown into the chilled compartment formed inside storage container 25 can be controlled to keep the temperature of the chilled container at -3±1°C by providing a dedicated air duct and air duct damper separate from refrigeration compartment 12. This reduces temperature changes in food stored in storage container 25, reduces the amount of water evaporation, and enables food to stay fresh for longer.
The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with its effects.
The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a cooling chamber in which a cooler that cools cold air is housed, an air duct through which the cold air blown from the cooling chamber to a storage chamber flows, a storage container placed inside the storage chamber, and an inlet through which the cold air is introduced into the storage container, and is characterized in that an air duct cover is placed inside the storage container at a position opposite the inlet.
According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the freshness of food stored in a storage container forming a chilled compartment or the like can be maintained for a long period of time. Specifically, the air duct cover is disposed inside the storage container at a position facing the inlet, thereby preventing cold air from being blown directly into the interior of the storage container from the inlet. Therefore, cold air is not blown directly onto food such as meat stored in the storage container, and the food can be prevented from drying out.
The refrigerator of the present invention is further characterized in that it includes an insulating member, which is disposed between the air duct cover and the inlet and is made of a material having better insulating properties than the air duct cover.
According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the insulating member is arranged between the air duct cover and the inlet, thereby preventing cold air from directly hitting the air duct cover and preventing fogging on the front surface of the air duct cover.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the heat insulating member has a side inclined surface, and the side inclined surface is a portion of the surface of the heat insulating member facing the inlet that is inclined in a direction away from the inlet as it moves toward the side.
According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the side end of the heat insulating member is an inclined surface, so that the cool air introduced from the inlet can flow sideways, thereby enabling uniform cooling up to the side end of the storage container and preventing the cool air from being blown directly onto the stored items.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the heat insulating member has a downwardly inclined surface, and the downwardly inclined surface is a portion of the surface of the heat insulating member facing the inlet that is inclined in a direction away from the inlet as it goes downward.
According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the lower end of the heat insulating member is an inclined surface, which allows the cool air introduced from the inlet to flow downward, thereby enabling uniform cooling up to the lower end of the storage container and preventing the cool air from being blown directly onto the stored items.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a metal plate is placed on the bottom surface of the storage container, and a portion of the cold air introduced into the storage container is blown onto the metal plate.
According to the refrigerator of the present invention, cold air can be blown onto a metal plate placed on the bottom of the storage container, and by cooling the stored items through the metal plate, the stored items can be cooled even more effectively.

10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 111 Outer box 112 Inner box 113 Insulating material 115 Cooling compartment 116 Evaporator 117 Defrost heater 118 Air duct 119 Air duct 12 Refrigerating compartment 13 Freezer compartment 14 Machine compartment 15 Storage shelf 151 Storage shelf 152 Storage shelf 16 Air outlet 17 Storage pocket 18 Insulated door 19 Insulated door 20 Insulated door 21 Insulated door 22 Compressor 23 Air outlet 24 Water tank 25 Storage container 26 Storage container 27 Insulated wall 28 Partition wall 29 Fan 30 Air duct damper 31 Air duct damper 32 Storage container 33 Air outlet 34 Inlet 35 Air duct cover 351 Side opening 352 Side opening 353 Lower opening 36 Insulating member 361 Side inclined surface 362 Side inclined surface 363 Lower inclined surface 364 Flat surface 37 Metal plate 38 Rear surface member 381 Upper opening 382 Lower opening 383 Outer wall portion 384 Opening wall portion 385 Opening wall portion 386 Opening wall portion 39 Rib 40 Air outlet 41 Air outlet 42 Return port

Claims (4)

a cooling chamber in which a cooler that cools the cold air is housed;
an air passage for blowing the cool air from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber;
a storage container disposed inside the storage chamber;
an inlet for introducing the cool air into the storage container;
a heat insulating member,
an air passage cover is disposed inside the storage container at a position facing the inlet;
The heat insulating member is disposed between the air passage cover and the inlet, and is made of a material having better heat insulating properties than the air passage cover. The heat insulating member has a side inclined surface,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the side inclined surface is a portion of the surface of the heat insulating member facing the inlet that is inclined in a direction away from the inlet as it goes laterally. The heat insulating member has a downwardly inclined surface,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the downwardly inclined surface is a portion of the surface of the heat insulating member facing the inlet that is inclined in a direction away from the inlet as it extends downward. A metal plate is placed on the bottom surface of the container,
4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the cold air introduced into the storage container is blown onto the metal plate.