1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a storage apparatus such as refrigerators, and more particularly to an improvement in the structure of a partition frame mounted in a front opening of the body of such a storage apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional household four-door refrigerators comprise a body including a heat-insulated housing with a front opening. The interior of the heat-insulated housing serves as storage compartments. Across-shaped partition frame is set in the front opening of the heat-insulated housing so that four access openings are defined. Four heat-insulated doors are hingedly mounted on the heat-insulated housing.
The aforesaid partition frame comprises a single vertical frame and two horizontal frames. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-17585 discloses one of the above-described partition frames. More specifically, a vertical frame extends between an upper edge and a lower edge of the front opening, and the two horizontal frames are mounted between right-hand and left-hand side edges of the opening and the vertical frame respectively. In this construction, the vertical frame serves to reinforce the front opening in the case where a machine compartment is provided on a ceiling of the body such that the ceiling is subjected to load.
Taller and heavier articles are often stored in industrial use refrigerators, which are installed in shops or stores, than in the household refrigerators. For example, when a heavy article such as a dozen encased bottles of beer is put into the storage compartment, the article is held in the operator""s arms and placed on the horizontal frame with a considerable impact. Thereafter, the article is pushed into the storage compartment. Accordingly, there is a possibility of the conventional structure being insufficient in strength relative to the applied load because the horizontal frames are mounted between the right-hand and left-hand side edges of the opening and the vertical frame respectively.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage apparatus in which the partition frame fitted in the front opening has improved strength.
The present invention provides a storage apparatus comprising a heat-insulated housing having a storage compartment defined therein by a ceiling, a bottom, two side walls, a rear wall and a front opening. A partition frame includes a horizontal frame and a vertical frame and is mounted on the heat-insulated housing so as to partition the front opening into a plurality of access openings. The access openings are provided with doors, respectively. In the apparatus, the horizontal frame is formed into a single member fixed to both side walls of the heat-insulated housing so as to extend therebetween. Further, the vertical frame is formed so as to extend between the ceiling of the heat-insulated housing and the horizontal frame and/or between the bottom of the heat-insulated housing and the horizontal frame.
According to the above-described construction, the strength of the horizontal frame is improved since it is formed as a single member. Further, the strength of the horizontal frame against the load applied thereto from above can be improved since the vertical frame is mounted on the middle of the horizontal frame.
In a preferred form, two of the vertical frames are provided so as to extend from the horizontal frame upward and downward respectively, and the storage apparatus further comprises a single back plate secured to the vertical frames so as to extend over both vertical frames. When the vertical frames are subjected to the load of a rack provided in the storage compartment, for example, the load is dispersed to both vertical frames such that the strength of each vertical frame can be improved.
In another preferred form, the storage apparatus further comprises a reinforcement member mounted on a junction between the horizontal and vertical frames. Consequently, the strength of the horizontal frame against the load applied thereto from above can further be improved.
Further, in another preferred form, the reinforcement member has a plurality of mounting holes used to mount the doors for the respective access openings. When mounted on the partition frame side, for example, the door can be mounted readily and stably since the mounting holes are formed in the reinforcement.