Magnetic gasket and cooling apparatus
11085692 · 2021-08-10
Assignee
Inventors
- Toru Okazaki (Osaka, JP)
- MASANORI MINAMIO (Osaka, JP)
- TERUTSUGU SEGAWA (Osaka, JP)
- Yasuhiro Asaida (Kyoto, JP)
- Fumihiko Kawai (Osaka, JP)
- FUMINORI TAKAMI (Osaka, JP)
Cpc classification
F25D21/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
E06B7/23
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
F25D23/08
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D21/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
E06B7/23
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
The cooling apparatus includes: a thermal insulation box; a door; and a magnetic gasket, the magnetic gasket having: a magnet; a magnet retaining part; and a heat insulation sheet being provided between the magnet and the magnet retaining part and being provided, in a closed state in which the opening is closed by the door, on a side portion on a side of the door on a peripheral surface of the magnet and on a side portion facing an inner side in a width direction in the closed state on the peripheral surface of the magnet.
Claims
1. A cooling apparatus, comprising: a thermal insulation box that has a housing space with an opening in front and an opening end surface enclosing the opening and facing frontward; a door capable of opening and closing the opening, the door being attached to the thermal insulation box; and a magnetic gasket attached to an inside peripheral portion of the door facing the opening end surface while the opening is closed, the magnetic gasket including: a magnet; a magnet retainer that retains the magnet; and a heat insulation sheet being provided between the magnet and the magnet retainer, wherein the magnet has a door-side flat surface which faces the door in a closed state in which the opening is closed by the door, an opening-side surface which faces the opening end surface in the closed state, and a compartment inner-side surface connecting the door-side flat surface and the opening-side surface on an inner side in a width direction of the thermal insulation box in the closed state, the compartment inner-side surface is a single curved surface which faces in a direction that gradually changes from a direction facing the door to a direction facing the opening in the closed state, the heat insulation sheet is formed from one sheet with a constant thickness, and is attached to the door-side flat surface and the opening-side surface.
2. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation box includes a heat radiator embedded therein, the heat radiator being located on an outer side in the width direction of the magnet in the closed state.
3. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the compartment inner-side surface has the largest radius of curvature on the peripheral surfaces of the magnet.
4. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulation sheet is formed of a material including xerogel or aerogel.
5. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulation sheet is bent and provided over the door-side flat surface, the compartment inner-side surface and a compartment outer-side surface, the compartment outer-side surface connecting the door-side flat surface and the opening-side surface on an outer side in the width direction in the closed state.
6. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulation sheet is bent and provided over the door-side flat surface, the compartment inner-side surface, the opening-side surface and a compartment outer-side surface, the compartment outer-side surface connecting the door-side flat surface and the opening-side surface on an outer side in the width direction in the closed state.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
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DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
(10) Hereinafter, a magnetic gasket and a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described hereinafter is merely an example, and a variety of modifications and applications of technology which are not specified in the below embodiment are not excluded. In addition, components of the embodiment can be modified to be implemented without departing from the scope of these. Further, the components of the embodiment can be selected as needed or can be appropriately combined.
(11) Note that in all of the drawings for describing the embodiment, as a matter of principle, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and signs, and the description therefor may be omitted.
(12) [1. Configuration]
(13) In the below description, a side on which doors 21 to 26 are present is defined to be the front and a side opposite to the front is defined to be the rear. In addition, with reference to a case in which the refrigerator is viewed from the front toward the rear, the right and left are defined. Both directions of a right direction and a left direction are collectively referred to as a width direction. In addition, a direction approaching center CL in the width direction is referred to as a width direction inside, and a direction away from center CL in the width direction is referred to as a width direction outside.
(14) [1-1. Configuration of Refrigerator]
(15) Hereinafter, with reference to
(16) Refrigerator 1 includes thermal insulation box 10 provided with a housing space 10d (hereinafter, also referred to as a “compartment inner side”) formed thereinside and an opening in front; a plurality of doors 21 to 26 which are attached onto this thermal insulation box 10 so as to be openable and closable; and the later-described magnetic gaskets 30 which are disposed on inside peripheral portions of these doors 21 to 26. Compartment inner side 10d is partitioned by partition plates (not shown) into refrigerating chamber 11, second freezing chamber 12, ice-making chamber 13, first freezing chamber 14, and vegetable chamber 15.
(17) The inside peripheral portions of doors 21 to 26 refer to outer peripheral borders of surfaces which face compartment inner side 10d with doors 21 to 26 closed. More specifically, the inside peripheral portions of doors 21 to 26 refer to, with doors 21 to 26 closed, portions which face an opening end surface 10A of thermal insulation box 10, the later-described refrigerating chamber 11, second freezing chamber 12, ice-making chamber 13, first freezing chamber 14, and vegetable chamber 15 (that is, a peripheral surface of an opening, refer to
(18) In the below description, when doors 21 to 26 are not particularly discriminated, doors 21 to 26 are written as door 20.
(19) Thermal insulation box 10 is configured to include refrigerating chamber 11 in an uppermost portion thereof; second freezing chamber 12 and ice-making chamber 13 which are disposed side by side in a portion below refrigerating chamber 11; first freezing chamber 14 further therebelow; and vegetable chamber 15 disposed in a lowermost portion thereof.
(20) Note that although in the present embodiment, the configuration in which refrigerating chamber 11, second freezing chamber 12, ice-making chamber 13, first freezing chamber 14, and vegetable chamber 15 are disposed as described above is employed, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described configuration. It is needless to say that the present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a refrigerator having only a refrigerating chamber, a refrigerator having only a freezing chamber, a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber and only one freezing chamber or three or more freezing chambers, and the like, and as long as a refrigerator is an apparatus which houses, refrigerates, and stores refrigerated goods, the present disclosure is applicable thereto without any limitation.
(21) Each of refrigerating chamber 11, second freezing chamber 12, ice-making chamber 13, first freezing chamber 14, and vegetable chamber 15 has an opening as described above. At each opening, door 20 is disposed. For example, refrigerating chamber 11 has rotary-type refrigerating chamber right door 21 and refrigerating chamber left door 22 and has a structure which is opened in a double-door manner. Inside refrigerating chamber 11, a refrigerating chamber shelf (not shown) and a refrigerating chamber case (not shown) are provided. Second freezing chamber 12, ice-making chamber 13, first freezing chamber 14, and vegetable chamber 15 are drawer-type housing chambers, and are provided with second freezing chamber door 24, ice-making chamber door 23, first freezing chamber door 25, and vegetable chamber door 26 in an integrated manner, respectively.
(22) A temperature in refrigerating chamber 11 is set to be in a range of approximately 1° C. to 5° C. which is a refrigerating temperature zone for refrigerating storage, in which freezing does not occur. A temperature in vegetable chamber 15 is set to be in a range of approximately 2° C. to 7° C. which is a vegetable temperature zone which is equivalent to or is slightly higher than the refrigerating temperature zone in refrigerating chamber 11. A temperature in first freezing chamber 14 is ordinarily set to be in a range of approximately −22° C. to −15° C. for freezing storage. However, when it is desired that a state in which housed goods are frozen and stored is further enhanced, the temperature therein can also be set at a lower temperature, for example, in a range of approximately −30° C. to −25° C.
(23) A temperature in second freezing chamber 12 is set to be in a range of −20° C. to −12° C. which is equivalent to or is slightly higher than the freezing temperature zone in first freezing chamber 14. Ice-making chamber 13 uses water sent from a water storage tank (not shown) inside refrigerating chamber 11, makes ice by an automatic ice-maker (not shown) provided in an upper portion of ice-making chamber 13, and stores the ice.
(24) Note that the above-mentioned set temperature ranges in refrigerating chamber 11, second freezing chamber 12, ice-making chamber 13, first freezing chamber 14, and vegetable chamber 15 are cited as exemplary ranges, and temperature ranges in the present invention are not limited thereto and are set appropriately in accordance with respective use modes.
(25) In refrigerator 1, a machine chamber (not shown) is provided. In this machine chamber, components on a high pressure side of a refrigeration cycle such as a compressor and a dryer for removing moisture are housed. The refrigeration cycle is formed by a series of refrigerant passages which include a compressor (not shown), condenser (not shown), a capillary tube (not shown) which is a decompressor, and a cooler (not shown) provided in the order mentioned. As a refrigerant, for example, isobutane which is a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant is sealed into the refrigerant passages.
(26) Note that a configuration of the refrigeration cycle in refrigerator 1 of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described configuration, and as long as a configuration thereof generates cold air in temperature rages required for refrigerating and freezing, any configuration can be employed.
(27) [1-2. Principal Part of Refrigerator and Configuration of Magnetic Gasket]
(28) Hereinafter, with reference to
(29) As shown in
(30) In refrigerator 1, when refrigerating chamber 11 (refer to
(31) Note that heat insulation member 10c is not limited to resin such as the foamed polyurethane resin. As heat insulation member 10c, as long as a material thereof has heat insulation properties, a material, for example, vacuum thermal insulation material or the like can be appropriately used.
(32) In addition, as shown in
(33) Note that as with heat insulation member 10c used in thermal insulation box 10, a material of heat insulation member 20c is not limited to resin such as foamed polyurethane. For example, as the material of heat insulation member 20c, a vacuum thermal insulation material or the like may be used.
(34) As shown in
(35) This magnetic gasket 30 includes magnet 31 having flexibility, magnet retaining part 32, attaching part 33, connecting part 34 which connects magnet retaining part 32 and attaching part 33, and heat insulation sheet 35 provided on a peripheral surface of magnet 31.
(36) Magnet retaining part 32 retains and houses magnet 31. This magnet retaining part 32 is different from magnet retaining part 61 in Patent Literature 1, which is described with reference to
(37) Attaching part 33 is engaged in fitting groove 20d provided in door 20, thereby fixing magnetic gasket 30 to door 20. Connecting part 34 has flexibility and connects magnet retaining part 32 and attaching part 33 in an extensible and contractible manner. Heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on a surface on which at least “a surface of magnet 31, which contacts opening end surface 10A of thermal insulation box 10 via magnet retaining part 32, is excluded” from a surface of magnet 31. The reason why the surface contacting opening end surface 10A is excluded from an attachment range of heat insulation sheet 35 on magnet 31 is that a magnetic force (attractive force) exerted between magnet 31 and opening end surface 10A is prevented from being decreased by presence of heat insulation sheet 35. Note that as long as requisite minimums of sealing properties and heat insulation properties attained by door 20 are ensured, heat insulation sheet 35 may be provided on a part of the surface contacting opening end surface 10A of magnet 31.
(38) Magnet retaining part 32, attaching part 33, and connecting part 34 are integrally configured by molding soft resin, for example, polyvinyl chloride or the like in long stringy form. Magnet 31 is by mixing, for example, magnet powder and synthetic rubber and being molded and has flexibility.
(39) Next, with reference to
(40) Compartment inner side end surface part 31a (hereinafter, also referred to as a “compartment inner side side surface 31a”) is a portion on an inner side in a width direction on the peripheral surface of magnet 31, with door 20 closed. Door side plane surface part 31b is a portion on a side of door 20 on the peripheral surface of magnet 31.
(41) As heat insulation sheet 35, a sheet material which includes at least one of xerogel and aerogel can be used. For example, as heat insulation sheet 35, a sheet material which includes at least one of silica xerogel and silica aerogel, with nanofibers, for example, having a fiber diameter of 50 nm or less dispersed therein can be used. A bulk density of the sheet material which supports at least one of the silica xerogel and the silica aerogel is small, being 100 to 250 kg/m.sup.3. In addition, since the above-mentioned sheet material densely has fine pores smaller than a mean free path of air of 68 nm, the sheet material has characteristics with which solid thermal conduction and thermal conduction due to convection of air are reduced. Because of this, this sheet material has a low thermal conductivity of 0.02 W/mK when a thickness thereof is approximately 0.1 mm. In addition, even when a pressing force is applied upon closing door 20, this sheet material hardly causes a reduction in thermal insulation performance, and consequently, deterioration of magnetic gasket 30 can be suppressed over a long period of time.
(42) The heat insulation sheet 35 as described above is provided, between magnet 31 and magnet retaining part 32, on compartment inner side end surface part 31a and door side plane surface part 31b of magnet 31, whereby the following effects can be obtained. It can be suppressed that heat from heat radiation pipe 40 located further outside magnetic gasket 30 in a width direction is transferred via outer box 10a of thermal insulation box 10 to magnet 31 and is transmitted to the compartment inner side. Moreover, since heat insulation sheet 35 has sufficient thermal insulation performance even when the thickness thereof is approximately 0.1 mm, it is not required to thin magnet 31 by the thickness of heat insulation sheet 35. Accordingly, without impairing an attractive force to thermal insulation box 10, close attachment of thermal insulation box 10 to the entire periphery of outer box 10a can be ensured.
(43) The above-described configuration allows the magnetic force (attractive force) exerted between magnet 31 and opening end surface 10A to be ensured and enables maximum enhancement in heat insulation properties of magnet 31 most inexpensively. With reference to
(44) Each of
(45) When heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on all of the peripheral surfaces of magnet 31 (in the second row in
(46) In addition, between when heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on three surfaces (compartment inner side side surface 31a, compartment outer side side surface 31d, and door side plane surface 31b) from which the surface contacting opening end surface 10A of thermal insulation box 10 via magnet retaining part 32 is excluded (in the third row in
(47) Note that between when the heat insulation sheet is provided on one surface (door side plane surface 31b) (in the fifth row in
(48) Note that as the material of heat insulation sheet 35, a material which is obtained by providing both surfaces of an aerogel layer, formed by binding aerogel particles with use of a rubber-based binder, with covering layers can also be used. Since in the above-mentioned heat insulation sheet, the aerogel particles are bound by the rubber-based binder, the heat insulation sheet is excellent in flexibility and can be bent at a small curvature radius. Note that as the aerogel, it is preferable that silica aerogel is used, in order to realize a low thermal conductivity. In addition, if an additive amount of the rubber-based binder is increased, although the flexibility of heat insulation sheet 35 can be enhanced, a thermal conductivity of heat insulation sheet 35 tends to increase. Therefore, it is preferable that the additive amount of the rubber-based binder is made as small as possible.
(49) As a method for disposing heat insulation sheet 35 between magnet 31 and magnet retaining part 32, as shown in
(50) [2. Operation and Effect]
(51) (1) According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on peripheral surfaces of magnet 31, thereby allowing thermal conduction from magnet 31 to magnet retaining part 32 to be suppressed without making magnet retaining part 32 and magnetic gasket 30 large. Accordingly, heat insulation properties of magnetic gasket 30 can be enhanced, and thus, entering of heat to compartment inner side 10d can be suppressed.
(52) (2) Since heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on compartment inner side end surface part 31a and door side plane surface part 31b of magnet 31, transferring of heat from a compartment outer side to magnet 31 and transmitting of the heat to compartment inner side 10d can be efficiently suppressed.
(53) (3) Since no heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on a side of opening end surface 10A of thermal insulation box 10, it does not occur that a magnetic force exerted on opening end surface 10A from magnet 31 is reduced. Accordingly, door 20 and opening end surface 10A of thermal insulation box 10 can be effectively attracted and attached to each other by magnetic gasket 30.
(54) (4) Since heat insulation sheet 35 is formed of the material including xerogel or aerogel, as compared with a case in which an air layer is provided, the magnet retaining part can be made thin and transmission of heat to a compartment inner side can be efficiently suppressed.
(55) [3. Modified Example]
(56) (1) Although in refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, heat insulation sheet 35 is provided on the two surfaces of door side plane surface part 31b and compartment inner side end surface part 31a of magnet 31, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, heat insulation sheet 35 may be further provided on compartment outer side side surface 31d of magnet 31, that is, on a portion on an outside in a width direction with door 20 closed.
(57) (2)
(58) As described above, curved surface part 311c is formed between door side plane surface part 311b and compartment inner side end surface part 311a, thereby allowing heat insulation sheet 35 to be closely attached thereto along an outer peripheral surface of magnet 311 and enabling enhancement in thermal insulation performance attained by heat insulation sheet 35.
(59) In this case, it is only required for a curvature radius of curved surface part 311c to be appropriately set based on a thickness and flexibility of heat insulation sheet 35. In general, the curvature radius thereof is set to be approximately the same as a thickness of heat insulation sheet 35, thereby allowing heat insulation sheet 35 to be bent along curved surface part 311c. For example, when the heat insulation sheet has a configuration in which silica aerogel is homogeneously embedded in voids of a fiber sheet, 0.1 mm of a thickness thereof can be realized. In the case of this thickness, it is only required to set the curvature radius of curved surface part 311c to be 0.1 mm or more. Note that curved surface part 311c may be, for example, a curved surface part which is continuous from a center position of door side plane surface part 311b in the width direction (a right and left direction in
(60) Note that when also on compartment outer side end surface part 311d, heat insulation sheet 35 is provided, a curved surface part may be provided also between door side plane surface part 311b and compartment outer side end surface part 311d.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
(61) The present disclosure can contribute to energy saving by enhancing thermal insulation performance between a thermal insulation box and a door and is applicable to a variety of refrigerator fields for storing refrigerated and frozen goods.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
(62) 1 Refrigerator (cooling apparatus) 10 Thermal insulation box 10A Opening end surface 10a Outer box 10b Inner box 10c Heat insulation member 10d Housing space 11 Refrigerating chamber 12 Second freezing chamber 13 Ice-making chamber 14 First freezing chamber 15 Vegetable chamber 20 Door 20a Door outer panel 20b Door inner plate 20c Heat insulation member 20d Fitting groove 21 Refrigerating chamber right door 22 Refrigerating chamber left door 23 Second freezing chamber door 24 Ice-making chamber door 25 First freezing chamber door 26 Vegetable chamber door 30 Magnetic gasket 31, 311 Magnet 31a Compartment inner side side surface (Compartment inner side end surface part) 311a Compartment inner side end surface part (compartment inner side part) 31b Door side plane surface 311b Door side plane surface part (door side part) 31c Compartment outer side side surface 311c Curved surface part 31d Compartment outer side side surface 311d Compartment outer side end surface part 32 Magnet retaining part 33 Attaching part 34 Connecting part 35 Heat insulation sheet 40 Heat radiation pipe C Portion where a quantity of entering heat is calculated M Magnet peripheral portion