JP2006057904A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the following problems: when opening/closing a rotary door of a refrigerator, especially in the case of a door having a small turning radius such as a double-hinged door, the door is not certainly closed unless an end user imparts strong propulsive force to the door, and there is risk of finger pinching or the like in addition to generation of large sound when closing the door because door closing speed is large in such the case. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerator is provided with a mechanism such as a spring or a gear propelling door closing force, and the door is certainly closed. At that time, the mechanism is cut off in time of the door opening for taking-in/out or the like of food to maintain a door opening state, so that the mechanism imparts the door closing propulsive force only just before the door closes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, particularly a door opening / closing technique.

  Conventionally, in a household refrigerator-freezer that opens and closes the door to the left and right, the user using the refrigerator has been able to close the door by a propulsive force generated by closing the door with a strong force. However, there are cases where the door does not close completely due to the propulsive force that closes the door, the size of the door, the amount of storage in the door pocket, etc., and the door opens halfway, leading to a rise in temperature in the refrigerator due to cold air leakage.

  In recent refrigerator-freezers, the number of doors tends to increase with an increase in food storage capacity. For example, doors with a small turning radius from the hinge portion, which is a rotating shaft that opens and closes the door, such as double doors, are particularly doors. Because a large propulsive force is required to close the door, and the door closing speed increases, a sound generated when the door is closed or a finger pinching immediately before the door is closed is generated as a user dissatisfaction.

As a door operability improvement means in opening and closing the door of such a refrigerator, a cam is inserted into a pin of a door rotation hinge fixed to the refrigerator body, and a roller to which a coil spring force provided on the door is applied is pressed against the cam. A door closing mechanism that provides a driving force to close the door by the spring force of the cam shape and coiled spring is embedded in the door (see Patent Document 1), and a convex shape is provided on the door hinge shaft. In addition, a concave shape is provided in the upper part of the door and a mechanism for connecting the concave and convex portions when the door is closed is provided, and a mechanism for completely closing the door and a guide member for guiding the door rotation is provided on the hinge, and supported by a spring built in the door. There is a structure in which a roller is pressed against the guide member (see Patent Document 2). In addition, door closures installed in houses and offices are fitted with a hydraulic device near the center at the top of the door, and this hydraulic device is connected to the fixed part of the door entrance using a deformation mechanism, depending on the position of the door rotation angle. A technique is known that adjusts the amount of leakage and changes the closing speed of the door in accordance with a position other than full opening.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 53-162951 (FIGS. 5, 8, etc.) Japanese Patent No. 2670429 (FIGS. 4, 2, 3, etc.)

However, when embedding a spring that is a door return mechanism in the door as in the conventional example, the landscape design is refreshing, but when the door opening / closing force is adjusted after installation in the door or when a problem occurs Not only is the replacement difficult, but the thickness of the door increases, causing concerns such as wearing and heat insulation. In addition, when a door closing mechanism is configured by connecting the door and the main body, the larger the refrigerator, the more difficult it will be to connect due to variations in the installation misalignment of the door and main body, the parallelism in the vertical direction of the door, and the degree of floating in the front-rear direction There was concern. In addition, when the door opening / closing mechanism integrated with the hinge shaft is used, there is a problem that the mechanism is stressed when the door is pushed up or when a heavy load such as the door is hanging, and the mechanism does not operate normally.

Furthermore, as a reduction mechanism for rotary doors, there is a system in which door outer frame parts such as entrance doors for offices and office doors and the door body are connected by an arm, etc. This is also a complicated mechanism of oil dampers and springs inside the mechanism Although a mechanism is provided, the mechanism is very large and expensive, and it is difficult to mount it as it is on a household appliance such as a refrigerator. In terms of convenience in taking in and out, there is a problem that the door is not allowed to self-close, and the entrance door mechanism cannot be diverted to the refrigerator as it is.

The door opening / closing mechanism in a conventional refrigerator / freezer has been closed by a propulsive force generated by a user such as a housewife at home closing the door with a strong force. Due to the amount of storage in the door pocket, the door did not close completely, but it opened halfway, leading to a rise in temperature in the refrigerator due to cold air leakage. In recent refrigerators and refrigerators, the number of doors tends to increase, and those with a small turning radius from the hinge, which is the rotation axis of the door, require a large driving force to close the door. There was a problem that was dissatisfied by the user, such as pinching the finger just before closing the door.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a practical refrigerator that can reliably close the door even if the door is lightly closed. Moreover, it aims at obtaining the refrigerator which can improve safety | security and can also improve quietness and a high-class feeling. Another object of the present invention is to obtain a refrigerator that is highly reliable and easy to use.

The refrigerator according to the present invention includes a sliding means for sliding a contact body provided on a refrigerator door and contacting according to a door opening / closing angle, and a door opening / closing mechanism that supports the contact body at one end and is fixed to the refrigerator body. Arm means that is supported and rotates following the rotation angle of the refrigerator door, and elastic means that is provided in the door opening and closing mechanism and transmits the rotation of the arm means according to the opening of the refrigerator door and stores the force to close the refrigerator door, It is equipped with.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with a sliding means for sliding a contact body provided on the refrigerator door and contacting according to a door opening / closing angle, and supporting the contact body at one end and connecting the other end with an elastic means to open / close the refrigerator door. The angle transmission means for transmitting the rotation angle accompanying the rotation, and the deceleration connected to the angle transmission means for canceling the force of closing the refrigerator door of the elastic means against opening of a narrow angle where the stored items cannot be taken in and out of the refrigerator compartment And a speed reduction means for applying force, and when the refrigerator door is opened, the speed of returning the door by the force closing the refrigerator door stored in the elastic means is reduced by the speed reduction means.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention is a refrigerator main body that supports a contact body that contacts an engaging means provided on a refrigerator door at one end and is connected to an elastic means at the other end to transmit a rotation angle associated with opening and closing of the refrigerator door. The angle transmission means provided and the closing force release that releases the force that closes the refrigerator door of the elastic means for opening more than a narrow angle that is provided in the angle transmission means and that can not be taken in and out of the refrigerator compartment Means.

  The refrigerator which concerns on this invention improves the operativity at the time of closing a refrigerator door, and provides the reliability which can close a door easily and reliably, without providing components in a refrigerator door.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a refrigerator-freezer provided with a door opening / closing mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view around the door opening / closing mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the mechanism part at the upper part of the door in the door opening and closing mechanism of the present invention. In addition, about the part of the same structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

 In FIG. 1, 1 is a refrigerator body having a plurality of storage rooms, 2 is a refrigerator room, 3 is an ice making room, 4 is a switching room, 5 is a vegetable room, 6 is a freezing room, and each room is a room. The food that is surrounded by the door 7 and the heat insulating wall 8 and insulated from the outside air and other storage chambers is cooled by circulating cold air. 9 is a door opening / closing mechanism, which opens both sides to the refrigerator compartment 2 provided at the top, that is, the refrigerator compartment right door 10 is opened to the left and the refrigerator compartment left door 11 is opened to the right so that food can be taken in and out of the compartment. It is. In this example, a form in which the upper door is double-opened will be described. However, a single-open door may be used. Alternatively, unlike FIG. Of course, the door opening / closing mechanism 9 may be provided on the lower surface of the refrigerator main body, or may be embedded in a heat insulating material forming the wall of the refrigerator main body 1.

2 and 3, the door that opens to the left and right rotates around the door rotation hinge shaft 29, and prevents condensation on a liquid crystal panel that is a display device provided on the door and a partition mechanism in the double door. A lead wire 13 for operating an electrical component such as a heater is connected between the refrigerator main body 1 and the door via a hinge shaft 29 provided on a hinge 12 fixed to the refrigerator main body 1. A rail mechanism 14 is provided on the refrigerator door 10 or the like in a direction along the upper door. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the rail mechanism is a concave groove provided with a groove in the vertical direction on the upper surface of the door. However, a rail structure component may be attached to an upper portion other than the upper surface of the door. An arm 15 for connecting the door rotation mechanism 9 and the door 10 is provided, and a roller 16 at the tip of the arm is inserted into and brought into contact with the concave groove as the rail mechanism to operate and retract the door to the main body side and close the door. The arm 16 is supported by the support shaft 28 of the door rotation mechanism 9 and transmits a rotation angle when the refrigerator door is opened to the door rotation mechanism 9 while rotating according to the opening and closing of the door.

In the case of a revolving door that opens and closes a refrigerator door that is opened to either the left or right, the door rotates around a rotating hinge shaft installed on the door end face to open and close the door. When closing the door, the user using the refrigerator pushes the door end surface far from the hinge shaft to give the door a propulsive force, and the door is closed by the inertial force. However, double doors, which have been increasing in recent years, have a short door width and are close to the hinge axis because the force that closes the door is close to the hinge axis. Is particularly likely to occur. Therefore, since the user closes the door with a stronger force (speed), dissatisfaction such as pinching between doors and door closing sound has occurred. In addition, when used by the elderly or the physically handicapped, it was very difficult to give the door a strong driving force especially for closing the door. The door rotation mechanism 9 that provides a closing force to the door with a structure that transmits the door can be closed quietly by anyone with a simple structure with the door structure as a standard structure with almost no parts on the refrigerator door. .

Next, the door opening / closing mechanism 9 will be described with reference to FIG. There are various means for realizing the door opening / closing mechanism, but it is effective means that it is not realized by electrical means first, and it also saves power. It is not only costly due to the configuration of motors and position sensors, and the complexity of ensuring reliability, but also the effectiveness at the time of non-energized display at the store and the operation when electrical means are not used even when moving or stopping instantaneously Can be an effective means. Therefore, it is effective as a means for realizing the door opening / closing mechanism to be constituted by a mechanism such as a gear, a spring, a speed reduction mechanism such as an oil damper. The door opening / closing mechanism 9 is a box fixed to the upper surface of the refrigerator main body 1 with a screw or the like, and is provided with a spring 19 which is an elastic body for returning the door opened inside as shown in FIG. As described above, the support shaft 28 that supports the arm 15 is provided at the end of the door opening / closing mechanism 9, and the rotation angle of the arm that rotates about the support shaft 28, that is, the opening angle of the door is transmitted to the rotation of the moving plate 31. The moving plate 31 is a rectangular flat plate, and an arm 15 and one end on the arm side are connected to each other at a connecting portion, and a rotating shaft supported by a box is provided on the other end on the arm side. Accordingly, the moving plate 31 rotates. On the other hand, one end on the side opposite to the arm is connected to a spring 19, and when the door is opened, a spring force is stored in a direction in which the spring is closed. As a result, the rotation angle of the door becomes the rotation angle of the arm, the rotation angle of the moving plate is transmitted to the spring, the door return force is stored in the direction of closing the spring according to the opening position of the door, and the door is closed. The return force is transmitted from the spring to the door via the moving plate and arm. At the other end of the moving plate 31 on the non-arm side, a speed reduction means 32 for reducing the speed at which the door is closed is provided. The connecting portion connecting the arm 15 and the moving plate 31 is provided with a combination of gears with a ratchet mechanism. The rotating angle of the moving plate is engaged, for example, from the door closed state to the opening angle of 20 degrees, and the ratchet is moved through both gears. When the door is opened at an angle larger than that, the arm 15 rotates and the arm side gear rotates, but the moving plate side gear only rotates and the movement plate is not transmitted to the moving plate. The structure stays at the stop position. That is, when the refrigerator door is opened at a certain angle or more, no further rotational force from the arm is transmitted, and the return force of the spring is not transmitted.

When the door is closed, when the rotation angle is below a certain level, the gear of the connecting portion is engaged, and the door closing propulsion force is generated by the spring force stored in the spring when the door is opened as the return propulsion force. This makes it possible to securely close the door with a small force, and a universal design structure that makes it easy for elderly people to close the door even when the door pocket contains a large amount of storage. Can be obtained. Furthermore, the double-opening of the refrigerator compartment door, which has been adopted with the increase in storage capacity, becomes even more effective because the moment from the door rotation axis is short and the moment of inertia does not easily occur even when the door closing force is applied. It is also an effective means for improving the pull-in property of the partition plate to prevent the cold air leakage interposed between the two.

Also, as a convenience in opening and closing the refrigerator door, when the door is open, food should be taken in and out of the refrigerator so that the door must not be closed. Therefore, the door opening / closing mechanism must be separated so that the door closing force does not work when the door is open, and the door closing force works only when the door is closed. It is possible to achieve both functions by setting the area where the door closing force is applied to a narrow door opening angle where food is actually not taken in and out, for example, within about 20 °. This narrow angle is a structure in which food in the door pocket provided inside the door cannot be taken in and out, and it may be a narrower angle of about 10 degrees depending on the door structure that simplifies the pocket, and it is formed by the door inner plate that supports the door pocket. Depending on the size of the bank structure, the range may be expanded to about 25 degrees. In this way, when the door is opened and the stored items are taken in and out, the door does not have a return force, and it is the first time when the opening angle is below the minimum required range such as taking out from the pocket provided in the front refrigerator door. A return force is automatically applied to the door.

In this way, as a specific separation mechanism when the door is opened, the stopper mechanism is operated to a part of the mechanism when the door is opened more than a certain set angle, and it waits while maintaining the winding of the spring that generates the door closing propulsion force. This can be realized by moving only the mechanism connected to the door as a free mechanism. The closing force release means for releasing the transmission of the stored return force for closing the door from the spring 19 has an angle and a force such as an arm and a moving plate for instructing the roller 16 to transmit the force in contact with the door. It is necessary to provide in the middle of the structure to transmit, and since it is arranged in the door opening / closing mechanism 9, the structure is collected in the box so that it is easy to handle. The range of the opening angle of the door to be released may be greater than or equal to a range in which food cannot be taken in and out of the refrigerator door pocket at the front when the refrigerator is opened and closed. In other words, avoid automatically returning with food springs when food is being taken in or out.

In the present invention, the refrigerator door is returned by the force of the spring. In contrast to the case where the propulsive force that is closed by the user's hand and the force of the spring are overlapped and fastened, the hand can be reduced by reducing the speed immediately before the deadline. It is possible to prevent troubles such as pinching. Furthermore, the refrigerator door can be opened and closed quietly. This speed reduction means 32 is also solved by a mechanical mechanism rather than a structure using electric parts. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the speed reduction mechanism includes an oil damper that adjusts the amount of leakage of the oil amount in the mechanism and adjusts the rotational speed, and a gear damper (mechanism damper) that reduces the speed by making a gear train. Further, instead of providing such a speed reduction mechanism, the mechanism may be brought into contact with the non-arm side of the moving plate with a flexible rubber or cushion material to reduce the moving speed of the moving plate and decelerate. The angle setting range for opening the door for performing the deceleration may be the same as or wider than the angle range set by the closing force releasing means for releasing the force for the elastic means such as a spring to open and close the refrigerator door. The range where effective deceleration is desired is about 20 degrees where food cannot be taken in and out of the storage room. However, when rubber materials and cushioning agents are used, a wider range is required if effective deceleration is attempted at an opening angle of about 20 degrees. It is necessary to start deceleration from this angle. In order to suppress the change speed of the rotation angle of the moving plate 31 with a soft cushion material, a thickness dimension that is a shrinkage margin of this cushion material is necessary, and the thickness dimension that further shrinks than the door is closed from a wide angle exceeding 20 degrees. is required. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the movement of the moving plate 31 is restricted at a certain angle and the door closing force is released, but the deceleration means 32 may be provided with a cushion that is already slightly contracted at this certain angular position. .

Although the door opening / closing mechanism 9 is installed in the vicinity of the door rotating hinge shaft 29 also received by the hinge 12, the mechanism for connecting the doors 10, 11 and the refrigerator main body 1 can be configured in a compact manner. This is advantageous because there is little influence of variations such as an installation shift of 10 and 11 and an inclination. However, the installation of the mechanism 9 on the door rotation hinge shaft 29 is advantageous for the mechanism configuration such as the rotation trajectory of the door. However, as shown in FIG. It is expected that the part will be stressed and will not function normally. Further, when there is a lead wire 13 or the like connecting the door and the main body on the door hinge shaft 29, it is necessary to avoid that portion. When the mechanism is installed directly above the hinge shaft 29, the product height dimension is slightly increased because the mechanism is installed after satisfying the conventional hinge mechanism. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to escape the lead wire portion 13 of the hinge shaft by slightly disposing it in the vicinity of the hinge shaft 29, and to slightly suppress the height dimension.

Further, the shape of the corner portion on the door can be ensured by the trajectory when the door is rotated, and the design of the upper part of the door can be secured as usual. Since the mechanism can be installed after the doors 10 and 11 of FIG. 1 are assembled and fixed by the hinge shaft 12 as an assembling procedure, workability is improved, and serviceability and recyclability are also improved. In addition, with this additional configuration after assembling the refrigerator, the presence or absence of this mechanism can be selected, so the division between the standard machine and the dedicated machine is only whether the parts are attached later or not. Promoted.

When this mechanism for automatically returning the door is added, it is more effective to install it on a door with a large number of door opening and closing times. Usually, refrigerator doors have the highest number of times of opening and closing the door when using a refrigerator, and many refrigerators are laid out at the top of the refrigerator so that the user can use the most frequently used refrigerator compartment. . Therefore, if this mechanism is installed on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator main body 1, the space restriction is eliminated and the margin of the mechanism configuration increases. Usually, in the installation of the refrigerator, there are restrictions in the width direction and the depth direction, but since there is an installation margin in the refrigerator height direction, it is effective means to arrange the refrigerator body 1 on the top surface. Accordingly, when the mechanism is embedded in the heat insulating wall of the door, it is difficult to ensure the heat insulating thickness and the internal volume, or a complicated door structure is required, which makes it difficult to manufacture.

However, this mechanism 9 can also be applied to a revolving door laid out below the refrigerator by embedding it in the partition heat insulating portion of each room. For example, when a storage room having a single door for storing tall items such as bottles and plastic bottles is provided below, the mechanism 9 can be stored in the heat insulating portion of the refrigerator main body or provided on the lower surface. Moreover, in the door using this mechanism 9, the mechanism part which prevents the phenomenon that the pressure in a refrigerator rises when the other door installed in the conventional door closes, the surrounding doors float and the door opens. For example, it is possible to eliminate the mechanism for fixing by opening and closing the door, thereby reducing the cost, and at the same time, it is possible to reduce the opening force required for the fixing mechanism when opening the door. . Further, the door opening / closing mechanism 9 of the present invention is provided with an angle transmission means described with reference to an arm or a moving plate that transmits force to the door when the door is opened and closed, and when the door is further opened using this structure. Assist springs for reducing the opening force required for this are not limited to this mechanism, and may be additionally installed at a position away from the door rotation shaft.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a mechanism part at the upper part of the door in the door opening and closing mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, about the part of the same structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. In order to realize with a mechanism that connects the door 10 and the refrigerator main body 1, it must be a mechanism that can withstand heavy loads such as door push-up and hanging, or a mechanism that is not affected. As a means for realizing it, when a mechanism for connecting the refrigerator main body 1 and the door 10 is used, it is desirable that the mechanism can absorb even if the door moves in the vertical and horizontal directions. Of course, when the system does not connect the door and the main body, it is not easily affected by the push-up, etc., but there are cases where the mechanism does not work properly when the door is displaced, etc. It becomes possible. In order to pull in the door, it becomes possible by applying force in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. As a specific mechanism, a rectangular concave rail shape 14 is provided at the top of the doors 10 and 11, and the inside of the door 10 and 11 is moved by a part having a roller 16 attached to the tip of the arm shape 15 protruding from the main body side mechanism. And a slider mechanism that opens and closes the door. In the case of this mechanism, when the depth dimension of the concave portion is set to a dimension A that does not hit even when the door is pushed up, for example, 7 mm or more, no stress is applied. Naturally, the upward direction is free, so there is no influence on the mechanism even when a heavy load such as a hanging door occurs. Further, by providing a larger width than the range in which the roller 16 slides in the left-right direction, it is possible to absorb a door mounting shift in the left-right direction. Thus, since the roller 16 contacts the wall surface of the groove 14 in the door opening / closing direction, a force for returning the door can be applied from the spring.

  It is also necessary to ensure safety when opening and closing the door. FIG. 4 is a shape diagram of a safety guard in the door opening / closing mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In addition, about the part of the same structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. This mechanism must pay particular attention to the pinching of the fingers in the opening / closing mechanism. Specifically, when it is installed on the refrigerator ceiling surface, the guard 17 is installed in the mechanism unit in order to prevent the user from pinching the finger from below. In addition, in consideration of insects such as cockroaches and invasion of dust, the structure and the hinge cover are used as much as possible. In consideration of foreign matter intrusion into the rail recess 16 at the upper part of the door, the upper part of the rail recess is covered to prevent this when the door is closed. The universal design is achieved by reducing the door closing force and at the same time ensuring safety. As shown in FIG. 4, the guard 17 is a fan-shaped flat plate of connected plastic plates that can be opened and closed with a support shaft 28 as a center. When the door is closed, one end on the side opposite to the support shaft is fixed to the lower surface of the arm 15. The one end on the side opposite to the support shaft is attached to the lower surface of the door opening / closing mechanism 9 and is stored on the lower surface of the arm 15. When the door is open, the square plate overlaps with the support shaft as the center, and this closes the space between the refrigerator door and the door opening / closing mechanism 9 or the arm 15 so that the human hand or object moves between the moving objects such as the arm. A structure that is not sandwiched is formed. Although the structure provided on the lower surface of the arm has been described, it may be provided on the upper surface of the arm and may be a guard sandwiched from both. Further, a single-plate guard may be used instead of the fan-shaped guard where the plates overlap each other. In this case, a storage portion for storing the guard is provided on the door opening / closing mechanism side when the door is closed.

FIG. 5 is a spring adjustment schematic diagram of the door opening / closing mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In addition, about the part of the same structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. In this mechanism, it is desirable that the door closing speed is provided with an adjustment mechanism after being incorporated in the refrigerator in order to cope with the change in the door closing speed due to the end user's preference and aging. As a specific means, a screw 18 that adjusts the winding angle of the spring 19 constituting the mechanism is configured, and the increase or decrease of the door closing speed is adjusted by closing or loosening the screw. In addition, even if no screw is used, adjustment is possible by providing several shapes for hooking the end of the spring. In the above description, the spring 19 has been described as an elastic means for accumulating the force for closing the refrigerator door. However, a moving plate 31 may be provided with two hydraulic cylinders to store the door return force when the door is opened. . In this case, the adjusting mechanism for adjusting the change in the door closing speed has a structure in which an opening for adjusting the amount of oil leakage in the cylinder is changed by the screw 18 in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a design cover of the door opening / closing mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In addition, about the part of the same structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. Since this mechanism is located on the ceiling of the refrigerator, the design must also be secured. At that time, by increasing the size of the conventional plastic hinge shaft cover and covering the hinge 12, the hinge shaft 29 and this mechanism together, the design of the refrigerator ceiling surface can be reduced at low cost and neatly. In addition, when viewed from the front of the refrigerator, a blindfold that hides the mechanism is provided at the top of the door located at the top, or the cover 20 has a narrower side or height on the side and a higher back. By means, it can be made a cleaner design. Moreover, it is good to comprise a cover by each of right and left, but it is also one method to cover in the full width of a refrigerator main body. In this case, since there are models with different width dimensions, standardization of parts is promoted by installing one cover on each of the left and right sides and a connecting cover in the center in order to absorb the width dimensions.

The present invention not only provides good design performance with almost no components on the refrigerator door, but also allows the door to be easily and reliably closed in a door opening / closing mechanism of a refrigerator that does not place a structural burden on the door. Is. In addition, since the door can be closed with a small thrust when the door is closed, the rotation speed of the door can be reduced, and fingers can be pinched immediately before the door is closed, food can be pinched, and safety can be improved. Is. Further, the present invention relates to a technology that can quietly close the door and improve the quietness and luxury. Also, in the refrigerator / freezer of the present invention, a door opening / closing mechanism composed of a gear, a spring, a speed reduction mechanism, such as an oil damper, is installed on the refrigerator ceiling surface to improve the operability when closing the door without attaching anything to the door. The door can be easily and reliably closed.

Since the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer of the present invention is configured by a mechanical mechanism that does not use electric parts such as a motor and a sensor, it can be configured to be inexpensive, easy to use and easy to recycle. The angle transmitting means for transmitting the door opening angle of the door opening / closing mechanism, the spring and the like are preferably made of a material having a required strength such as a steel plate in order to apply a force such as a return force to the door, and the parts to which no force is applied may be plastic.

In the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer according to the present invention, when the door opening angle is larger than about 20 °, by releasing the door opening / closing mechanism, the door is brought into a stationary state without being opened or closed arbitrarily. The food in the storage can be easily taken out.

The door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator-freezer of the present invention is installed on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, and the operability of the door in the temperature zone of the easy-to-use warehouse located at the top is improved and the door can be easily and reliably closed. it can.

When the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer of the present invention is installed on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, the door opening / closing mechanism is installed at a position shifted from the position of the hinge that is the rotation axis of the door in the temperature zone located at the top. In addition, the product height dimension can be suppressed as much as possible, and at the same time, the lead wire of the hinge portion can be processed. That is, if this door opening / closing mechanism is attached to the hinge 12, it becomes difficult to twist the lead wire, and there is a problem such as biting of the lead wire due to a moving part, but the hinge shaft 29 and the support shaft 28 are in a parallel state. However, the lead wire processing is simplified by changing the position and shifting the operating area of the angle transmission means and the hinge 12. Furthermore, in addition to the display unit such as the liquid crystal on the refrigerator door surface, in the case of a double door structure, the number of types of lead wires is increased. In the center of the double door, a partition mechanism that closes the partition portion and insulates in synchronization with the opening and closing operation of the double door is provided. This partition mechanism is provided on the door and is rotated and accommodated on the door side when the door is opened, and covers the vertical gap between the doors when the door is closed to prevent cold air leakage. When a heater for preventing dew condensation or the like is provided in the partition mechanism, the lead wire for supplying power is also wired to the door via the hinge shaft.

When installing the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator-freezer of the present invention on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator main body, a part of the door opening / closing mechanism is configured together with the rail structure located above the door of the temperature zone located at the top. Therefore, it is possible to absorb door position variation such as door installation dimension variation, door level difference, door push-up or door heavy load, and the door opening / closing mechanism is not affected.

In the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer according to the present invention, it is possible to enclose as much as possible with a mechanism component, a hinge cover, or the like in order to prevent a user from pinching a finger or a foreign object.

When installing the door opening and closing mechanism of the refrigerator-freezer of the present invention, an adjustment mechanism is installed to change the winding angle of the spring of the mechanism so that the door closing speed can be adjusted even after installation in the refrigerator, thus simplifying the manufacturing process This makes it possible to make adjustments at any time later as well as to make a convenient refrigerator that suits the user.

When installing the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator-freezer of the present invention on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, the design cover of the door hinge mechanism and the design cover of the door of the temperature zone located at the uppermost part are integrated in design. An excellent product is obtained. In addition, a reliable design can be obtained by covering the arm that transmits the opening / closing operation of the door with this cover.

  Since the present invention has the configuration as described above, the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / refrigerator can reliably close the door even if the door is lightly closed, and at the same time can reduce the door rotation speed when the door is closed. In addition, it is possible to prevent finger pinching or food pinching immediately before the door is closed and improve safety. In addition, the door can be closed at a low speed, and the quietness and luxury can be improved.

The door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention is a heat insulating structure with the outside air of the door without providing anything in the door by installing a mechanism such as a spring, gear, oil damper, etc. in the vicinity of the door rotation hinge shaft in the refrigerator body. Can be obtained, and an efficient door structure of the refrigerator can be obtained. In addition, a propulsive force for closing the door is provided by these mechanical mechanisms to prevent the user from forgetting to close the door. In consideration of food removal, this mechanism has a structure that separates the mechanism so that the door does not close without permission when the door is open. As a result, the food can be taken into and out of the cabinet, but the door is not normally taken in and out, for example, within 20 degrees of door opening, this mechanism works to make it easy to use and forget to close the door. It is possible to achieve both prevention.

The mechanism may be directly connected to the hinge, which is the door rotation shaft. However, the product dimension height increases slightly, and at the same time the mechanism is damaged when the door is pushed up or under heavy load. If it is arranged separately from the above, it is easy to secure the strength while suppressing the product height. In addition, since it is assumed that the installation position of the door and the refrigerator body is not aligned or the door is not level, it is desirable to have a mechanism that can absorb the dimensional variation. It is desirable that the mechanism has a structure in which a force is applied in the front-rear direction of the product in order to generate a door closing force, and no force is applied in the up-down, left-right direction of the product. It is effective in practical use if the door closing mechanism is constituted by a mechanism that absorbs such dimensional variations around the door.

  The refrigerator-freezer equipped with the door opening / closing mechanism according to the present invention improves the operability when the door opening / closing mechanism configured with a gear, a spring, a speed reduction mechanism such as an oil damper is installed on the refrigerator ceiling surface and the door is closed. The door can be easily and reliably closed.

  Further, a door opening / closing mechanism for improving the operability when the door is closed can be configured and realized without using electric parts such as a motor and a sensor. Also, if the door opening angle of the refrigerator opening / closing mechanism is larger than about 20 °, the door opening / closing mechanism is released so that the door does not open or close without permission. The food in the storage can be easily taken out.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer can be installed on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator main body to improve the operability of the door in the temperature zone located at the uppermost part, and the door can be easily closed. In addition, when installing the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, the door opening / closing mechanism should be installed at a position shifted from the position of the hinge, which is the rotational axis of the door in the temperature zone located at the top. Thus, the product height dimension can be suppressed as much as possible, and at the same time, the harness of the hinge portion can be processed.

In addition, when installing the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, by configuring a part of the door opening / closing mechanism together with the rail structure located above the door in the temperature zone located at the top It can absorb door position variations such as door installation dimension variation, door step, door push-up and door heavy load, and can open and close the door without affecting the door opening and closing mechanism.

Further, in order to prevent the end user from pinching fingers or foreign objects in the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer, it is possible to ensure safety by enclosing as much as possible with a mechanical part or a hinge cover. Further, in the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer, an adjusting mechanism for changing the winding angle of the spring of the mechanism portion is installed so that the door closing speed can be adjusted even after installation in the refrigerator, and the door closing speed can be adjusted. Moreover, when installing the door opening / closing mechanism of the refrigerator / freezer on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, the design cover of the hinge of the door in the temperature zone located at the uppermost part and the design cover of the door opening / closing mechanism can be integrated to ensure the design. Is.

  In the above description, a refrigerator provided with a plurality of doors has been particularly described with an example of a double door. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure, and a refrigerator having a plurality of single doors provided above and below or a single door. It is effective to provide the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention as a countermeasure against forgetting to close the door, which can prevent cold air leakage due to the door opening / closing gap and food spoilage due to temperature rise. In addition to food storage, vegetable storage rooms, equipment with door storage units in the home, and structures that store food and goods in cold and dark places such as outdoors in small warehouses and open and close one plate-shaped door. However, a door opening / closing mechanism can be provided as the refrigerator of the present invention. Especially for small doors and large doors that are narrower than the height with a small turning radius, or even for thin doors, the door has a clean structure with almost no mechanical parts on the door. Not only has good design properties, but also has a simple structure, an inexpensive, and safe mechanism that can prevent pests from entering through gaps and prevent the spread of unpleasant odors, resulting in a structure that can reliably close the door.

It is the schematic of the refrigerator-freezer provided with the door opening / closing mechanism of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the schematic of the door opening-and-closing mechanism periphery of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is detail drawing of the mechanism part of the door upper part in the door opening / closing mechanism of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a safety guard shape figure in the door opening and closing mechanism of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a spring adjustment schematic diagram in the door opening / closing mechanism of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a design cover schematic diagram of the door opening and closing mechanism of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body, 2 Refrigeration room, 3 Ice making room, 4 Switching room, 5 Vegetable room, 6 Freezing room, 7 Door, 8 Heat insulation wall, 9 Door opening / closing mechanism, 10 Refrigeration room right door, 11 Refrigeration room left door, 12 Door Rotating hinge, 13 lead wire, 14 rail, 15 arm, 16 roller, 17 guard, 18 adjusting screw, 19 spring, 20 hinge cover, 28 support shaft, 29 hinge shaft, 31 moving plate, 32 reduction means.

Claims (12)

Slide means for sliding a contact body provided on the refrigerator door and contacting according to a door opening / closing angle; and the other end supported by a door opening / closing mechanism that supports the contact body at one end and is fixed to the refrigerator body, and the refrigerator door. Arm means that rotates following the rotation angle, and elastic means that is provided in the door opening and closing mechanism and that transmits the rotation of the arm means in response to opening of the refrigerator door and stores a force for closing the refrigerator door. A refrigerator characterized by comprising. A sliding means for sliding a contact body provided on the refrigerator door and contacting according to a door opening / closing angle, and supporting the contact body at one end and connecting the other end to an elastic means, the rotation angle accompanying opening / closing of the refrigerator door An angle transmitting means for transmitting, and a deceleration force that is connected to the angle transmitting means and that cancels the force of closing the refrigerator door of the elastic means for opening at a narrow angle where the stored items cannot be taken in and out of the refrigerator compartment. And a speed reduction means for adding, wherein the speed reduction means slows down the door return speed due to the force of closing the refrigerator door stored in the elastic means when the refrigerator door is opened. Angle transmitting means provided on the refrigerator main body for supporting a contact body that contacts the engaging means provided on the refrigerator door at one end and connecting the other end to the elastic means and transmitting a rotation angle associated with opening and closing of the refrigerator door And a closing force release means for releasing the force of closing the refrigerator door of the elastic means for opening over a narrow angle that is provided in the angle transmission means and cannot be taken in and out of the refrigerator compartment, A refrigerator characterized by comprising. A reduction means for applying a deceleration force that is provided between the contact body and the elastic means and counteracts the force of closing the refrigerator door of the elastic body, and the storage means can be taken in and out of the refrigerator compartment. The refrigerator according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the refrigerator is operated within about 20 degrees which is a narrow angle that cannot be achieved. Rotation of the refrigerator door when the refrigerator door is opened at an angle larger than a narrow angle provided between the arm means and the elastic means or in the angle transmission means and incapable of taking in and out the stored items in the refrigerator compartment. Stopping or releasing the transmission of the angle to the elastic means so that the door can be kept stationary without taking the door open or closed, so that food in the storage can be easily taken out. The refrigerator according to claim 1, 2 or 3. 6. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 4, wherein an elastic means for storing a force for closing the refrigerator door is installed on a ceiling surface of the refrigerator main body, and the closing force is given to the door of the storage room located at the uppermost part. . An angle transmitting means for transmitting a rotation angle of the refrigerator door is installed on an elastic means for storing a force for closing the refrigerator door on a ceiling surface of the refrigerator body, and is shifted from a position of a hinge that is a rotating shaft for opening and closing the refrigerator door. The refrigerator according to claim 1, 2, or 3. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the contact body that contacts the refrigerator door is capable of changing a contact position in a direction perpendicular to an opening / closing direction of the refrigerator door. The refrigerator according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the arm means or the angle transmitting means is covered with a cover provided on the refrigerator door or the refrigerator main body. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting unit provided on the elastic body and capable of adjusting the refrigerator door return force of the elastic body. The refrigerator according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein a hinge that is a rotating shaft that opens and closes the refrigerator door and a cover that covers the elastic means are integrated. The at least two or more refrigerator doors among a plurality of refrigerator doors provided in the refrigerator main body can be closed by a door return force generated by the elastic means. refrigerator.

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