JP2004144449A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator with enhanced sound reduction by improving reliability of door opening and closing actions and the door opening action in a refrigerator provided with an electric door opening and closing device. <P>SOLUTION: The electric door opening and closing device 24 is provided on a door 22 upper part, and a gap is provided between a push out rod 25 and a door 22 when the door 22 is closed. Since the door 22 is opened against magnetic force of a gasket 32 of the door 22 by applying force to an energy storing means 29 while temporarily abutting the push out rod 25 on the door 22 by opening force of the energy storing means 29 by a transmitting means 28 from a driving part 27, the door opening action is made more silent, and the door 22 can be opened in a well-modulated manner. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a refrigerator having an electric door opening and closing device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An electric door opening / closing device provided in a conventional refrigerator will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0003]
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a conventional refrigerator. In the figure, a receiver 2 is provided on a door 1 for a refrigerator. An electric door unit 6 including an electromagnetic solenoid 5 having a push rod 4 for pressing the holder 2 is provided on the ceiling of the refrigerator body 3.
[0004]
The electromagnetic solenoid 5 is provided with a plunger 9, a return spring 10, and the like in a state where a cylindrical coil unit 8 including a frame-shaped yoke assembly 7 is axially penetrated, and the push rod 4 is coaxially connected to the plunger 9. You.
[0005]
When the door 1 is closed, the distal end of the push rod 4 is in contact with the receiving member 2 by the spring force of the pressing spring 11, and when the coil unit is energized, the plunger 9 is moved in the axial direction. It is pressed and released by the rod 4 (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0006]
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a conventional refrigerator door opening / closing device. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional refrigerator.
[0007]
A lock means 13a and an opening device 14 are provided at a portion where the lower surface of the door 12 contacts. When the door 12 is closed and pressed, the magnetic material and the lock pin provided at the front end of the door are attracted to and engaged with the locking means 13a to lock. When the closed door is pressed again, the locking action of the locking means 13a is performed. Is released and the operating pin 15 urged by the energy storage spring 14 is pushed out and pushes the inner surface side of the door, so that the door 12 is automatically opened.
[0008]
When the operating pin 15 starts moving in the direction of arrow A, the worm shaft 17 is rotated at a high speed via the gear train 16, and when the rotation exceeds a predetermined speed, the rotation of the shaft is braked by the friction member 18 (for example, see Patent Reference 2).
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-59379 A [Patent Document 2]
Published Japanese Utility Model Application No. 1-123188
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the user closes the door 1 due to the mounting state of the door 1 with respect to the refrigerator body 3 or the mounting error of the gasket that seals the door 1 and the refrigerator body 3, the pressing spring 11 is pressed. These forces are different, and depending on the variation, a very large force is applied, and there is a disadvantage that the pressing spring 11 is not flat and reliable.
[0011]
On the other hand, even when the door is closed, a force is applied to the push rod 4 by the pressing spring 11 in a direction to open the door 1, and the food stored in the door 1 increases the weight of the door 1, and the door 1 and the refrigerator There is a drawback that the door 1 is opened by a small pressing force due to the mounting variation of the main body 3.
[0012]
Further, in Patent Document 2, when the door 12 is closed, the door 12 is in contact with the operating pin 15, and when the lock pin 13 of the lock means 13a is released, the door 12 moves in the direction of arrow A as it is to open the door 12. . At this time, since the moving speed of the operating pin 15 is controlled by the friction member 18 without relying only on the force of the energy storage spring 14, the door 12 is opened with good moderation. However, since a force is urged in the opening direction with the locking means 13a and the opening of the door 12 is regulated, there is a disadvantage that the door is opened by itself depending on the locked state of the locking means 13a. Was.
[0013]
Further, when foods and bottles are stored in the door 12, the lock pins 13 are released by pushing the foods and bottles once in a closing direction. Further, when the door is opened, the door 12 is pushed toward the refrigerator main body, so that an extra force is applied to the gasket for sealing the opening of the refrigerator, and the gasket sticks to deteriorate the original sealing function.
[0014]
The present invention solves the conventional problem, and comprises an electric door opening and closing device that does not apply extra force when the door is closed, performs a stable operation without variation when the door is opened, and does not impair the sealing performance of the door gasket. It is intended to provide a refrigerator.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention includes energy storage means for storing the power of the driving unit as a door opening force via a transmission means, and operates the push rod to open the door. In a refrigerator provided with an electric door opening / closing device, when the door is closed, there is a gap between the push rod and the door, and the push rod is driven by an input means from the outside, and the push rod is temporarily attached to the door by the energy storage means. The contact is maintained, and the power is applied to the energy storage means by the power from the drive unit, and the door is opened when the repulsive force of the energy storage means exceeds the adhesion force between the refrigerator body and the door. There is a gap between the push rod and the door when the door is closed, so that no force is applied in the door opening direction.
[0016]
Also, when the door is opened, the push rod moves toward the door with a smaller force on the transmission means and is once kept in contact with the door, and the transmission means moves the door in the opening direction with a larger force to seal the door and the refrigerator. Since the door is opened by overcoming the magnetic force of the gasket, the force that pushes the door open at once is not applied from the initial movement of the push rod, so that there is an effect that no loud noise is generated when the push rod hits the door contact portion.
[0017]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the electric door opening / closing device is provided at an upper portion of the door, and a push rod supports the door so that the door can be rotated more than a central portion in the width direction of the door. It is arranged so as to be at a position where the opposite side is pushed, so that the pushing force can be reduced and the load on the drive unit and the transmission means can be reduced.
[0018]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the extruding rod is formed of a resin, and the extruding rod has a mechanism in which a large impact force is not applied to the movement of the extruding rod. It is not necessary to use a member having high rigidity.
[0019]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, in the door closed state, the gap between the pushing rod and the contact portion that contacts the contact portion is 1 mm to 10 mm, and the pushing rod contacts the contact portion. The contact noise at the time can be reduced, and the contact between the refrigerator main body and the push rod due to the mounting variation of the electric door opening / closing device can be prevented.
[0020]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a part of the unit of the electric door opening and closing device is embedded in a ceiling portion of the refrigerator main body, and the push rod is a member having a different diameter between the base shaft portion and the push portion. Since it is formed, the ineffective space can be reduced.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0022]
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a side view of the electric door opening and closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first embodiment.
[0023]
In FIG. 1, a door 22 is disposed at a front opening of a storage room 21 of a refrigerator body 20, and the door 22 is rotatably supported by a hinge 23. An electric door opening / closing device 24 is disposed above the refrigerator main body 20, and an extruding rod 25 formed of a resin member is disposed in the unit 26 of the electric door opening / closing device 24 toward the door 22.
[0024]
The unit 26 includes a drive unit 27 that moves the push rod 25 in the direction of the door 22, a transmission unit 28 that transmits the power of the drive unit 27, and a door opening force that causes the push bar 25 to move in the door opening direction by the transmission unit 28. Is provided.
[0025]
A rubber buffer member 30 is attached to the tip of the push rod 25, and a contact portion 31 where the push rod 25 contacts the door 22 is integrally formed of a resin member forming an outer frame (not shown) of the door 22. Have been. A rubber cushioning member may be mounted on the contact portion 31 side.
[0026]
When the door 22 is closed by the magnetic force of a magnet (not shown) in the gasket 32, the gap between the buffer member 30 at the tip of the push rod 25 and the contact portion 31 is maintained at a distance of 1 mm to 10 mm. Located in state.
[0027]
The unit 26 is partially embedded in the ceiling portion 20a of the refrigerator main body 20, and when the door is closed, the push rod 25 is connected to the large-diameter substantially cylindrical base shaft portion 25a located in the unit 26 and to the door opening direction. It is formed integrally with a small-diameter substantially cylindrical extruded portion 25b having a smaller diameter.
[0028]
The operation of the electric door opening / closing device 24 configured as described above will be described below.
[0029]
When a user operates input means (not shown) provided on the front surface of the door 22, a voltage is applied to the drive unit 27 from a control unit (not shown) related to the electric door opening / closing device 24 by the input signal, and power is transmitted. Then, a door opening force acts on the energy storage means 29 in the door opening direction by the transmission means 28, and the push rod 25 moves slowly toward the door 22.
[0030]
At this time, the buffer member 30 at the tip of the push rod 25 comes into contact with the contact portion 31 of the door 22, but the door 22 is once kept sealed with the refrigerator body 20 by the gasket 32.
[0031]
When a force is further applied to the transmission means, the force of pushing the contact portion 31 by the push rod 25 is contrary to the adhesion force by the magnet in the gasket 32, and the door 22 is opened.
[0032]
At this time, if the close contact force of the magnet of the door 22 is small, the storing means 29 for applying the door opening force to the push rod 25 can be small, and the load is not applied to the driving unit 27, but the close contact force is too small. Since the size of the door changes depending on the room temperature conditions, the state of the food put in the door 22, and the internal volume of the refrigerator body, the magnet adherence when the door is closed while repeating the normal use state due to the weight of the door itself. Deterioration deteriorates the sealing performance of the gasket 32 and affects the cooling performance of the storage room 21.
[0033]
For this reason, the adhesive force of the magnet, that is, the door opening force, basically differs depending on the internal volume of the refrigerator. The adhesive force of the refrigerator having a smaller internal volume is smaller, and the adhesive force of the magnet is larger as the refrigerator has a larger internal volume. For example, in the case of a refrigerator having an internal volume of 300 L or more, a force of about 40 N is suitable.
[0034]
Further, by performing hundreds of thousands of door opening and closing tests assuming actual use, the gasket 32 and its magnet must be suitable for all conditions such as durability. Therefore, if the magnet adhesion is too large or too small, it greatly affects the cooling performance of the refrigerator and the durability of the door.
[0035]
Therefore, it is necessary to provide an electric door opening / closing device 24 that satisfies the above conditions. For this reason, the pushing rod 25 is spaced from the contact portion 31 by a predetermined distance, and after the contact with the contact portion 31 of the door 22 by the energy storing means 29, the door opening force is further applied to the energy storing means 29. Since the door 22 is opened by overcoming the adhesion of the gasket 32 of the refrigerator, it is possible to provide the electric door opening / closing device 24 suitable for the internal volume of the refrigerator, actual use conditions, and the like.
[0036]
After the door 22 is opened, the push rod 25 is pulled back to the state when the door is closed.
[0037]
Therefore, the pushing rod 25 of the electric door opening / closing device 24 once abuts on the contact portion 31 of the door 22 and maintains the state, so that when the pushing rod 25 first moves, the energy storing means 29 by the transmission means is so large. No force is applied and the push rod 25 also moves slowly.
[0038]
Since the door 22 is opened when the pushing force of the push rod 25 becomes larger than the adhesive force of the magnet of the gasket 32, the pushing force at the time of opening the door differs depending on the storage state of the food and the installation state of the refrigerator. However, the door can be opened at an appropriate opening speed.
[0039]
In addition, the operation of the push rod 25 does not exert a large impact force when it comes into contact with the contact portion 31, so that the push rod 25 can be formed with a resin member, and there is no need to use a metal member, so there is no need to worry about rust. Deterioration of parts can be prevented.
[0040]
Further, when the door 22 is closed, the contact portion 31 and the push rod 25 are in a position where they do not contact each other by 1 mm to 10 mm. Since there is no conflicting force, the cooling performance in the refrigerator can be maintained.
[0041]
If the gap is too large, the stroke of the push rod 25 will be long, and the operation at the time of opening the door will be slow, and a sense of moderation will not be obtained.
[0042]
Further, since the push rod 25 is disposed at a position pushing the opposite side to the hinge 23, the pushing force applied to the push rod 25 by the transmission means after contacting the contact portion 31 can be reduced, so that the electric door can be opened and closed. The reliability of the device 24 can be ensured.
[0043]
Also, if the total height of the refrigerator becomes higher due to functional parts, etc. irrespective of the internal volume, it can usually be stored in the installation location, but in order to prevent the installation of the refrigerator from being adversely affected by the height dimension, the refrigerator must be installed in a warehouse etc. The unit 26 is partially embedded in the ceiling 20a in order to prevent the loading from becoming unstable when stocking.
[0044]
Therefore, the diameter of the push-out portion 25b of the push-out rod 25 that pushes the contact portion 31 of the door 22 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter than the base shaft portion 25a which receives the opening force by the energy storage means 29. The size of the unit 26 projecting upward can be made smaller, and the unit 26 can be installed at the same height as the hinge 23.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention includes the energy storing means for storing the power of the driving unit as the door opening force through the transmission means, and operates the pushing rod by the energy storing means. When the door is closed, there is a gap between the push rod and the door when the door is closed, and the push rod is driven by an input means from the outside and the pushing is performed by the energy storage means. The rod is once kept in contact with the door, and a force is applied to the energy storage means by the power from the driving unit, and when the repulsive force of the energy storage means exceeds the adhesive force between the refrigerator body and the door, the door is closed. Is opened, the close contact state when the door is closed can be maintained, the cooling performance can be ensured, and the impact sound when the door is opened can be reduced.
[0046]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the electric door opening / closing device is provided at an upper portion of the door, and a push rod supports the door so that the door can be rotated more than a central portion in the width direction of the door. It is arranged so as to be at a position where the opposite side is pushed, and the reliability of the door opening and closing device can be improved.
[0047]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the extruded rod is formed of a resin, so that the cost can be reduced and there is no deterioration.
[0048]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the door is in a closed state, the gap between the push rod and the abutting portion is 1 mm to 10 mm, and the door can be opened with good moderation. Can be.
[0049]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a part of the unit of the electric door opening and closing device is embedded in a ceiling portion of the refrigerator main body, and the push rod is a member having a different diameter between the base shaft portion and the push portion. It is formed and can be formed compactly.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric door opening / closing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same embodiment; FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional main part; FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional refrigerator.
20a Ceiling part 22 Door 23 Hinge 24 Electric door opening and closing device 25 Push rod 25a Base shaft part 25b Push part 27 Drive part 28 Transmission means 29 Energy storage means 30 Buffer member 31 Contact part 32 Gasket

Claims (5)

A refrigerator provided with a power storage means for storing the power of the drive unit as a door opening force via a transmission means, and an electric door opening / closing device for opening a door by operating a push rod by the power storage means; At the time of closing, there is a gap between the push rod and the door, the push rod is driven by an external input means, and the push rod is once kept in contact with the door by the energy storage means, and further powered by a driving unit. The refrigerator is characterized in that the door is opened when a force is applied to the energy storage means and the repulsive force of the energy storage means exceeds the adhesion between the refrigerator body and the door. The refrigerator, wherein the electric door opening / closing device is provided at an upper portion of the door, and is arranged such that the push rod pushes a side opposite to a hinge for rotatably supporting the door than a center portion in a width direction of the door. . The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion rod is formed of a resin. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the push rod and the contact portion in contact with the push rod is 1 mm to 10 mm in the door closed state. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a part of the unit of the electric door opening and closing device is embedded in a ceiling portion of the refrigerator body, and the push rod is formed of members having different diameters of the base shaft and the push portion.

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