JP2008039198A - Storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems of freezing inside, dew condensation and the like caused by the intrusion of outside air from a clearance, with respect to a conventional door opening/closing detection circuit which cannot accurately detect door opening/closing since the same signal as when the door is closed is output even when the door is not completely closed (with clearance of 10 mm or less) because of detection accuracy and influence by hysteresis, and a cooling operation is performed even when the clearance exists. <P>SOLUTION: This storage is provided with a temperature detecting means on a door back side of a storage compartment to detect the change of a temperature at the door back side caused by the intrusion of outside air, to solve the conventional problem. As the temperature detecting means is disposed in a wireless state, a mounting structure having no problem on wiring and the like to the door 7 to be opened and closed, can be provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to door gap detection in a closed state of a door that opens and closes a storage chamber of a storage device.

  A refrigerator represented by a storage device is normally shielded from the outside air by a heat insulating structure, and detects opening / closing of the door in order to prevent unnecessary outside air from entering the door and leakage of cold air.

  And, by detecting the opening / closing of the door, a means is mainly used for notifying the user that the door is being opened when the door is kept open for a predetermined time or longer.

  A configuration that uses a magnet, a hall element, a switch, or the like as the opening / closing detection of the door is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 18 shows a circuit configuration for detecting opening and closing of a conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the refrigerator door open / close detection circuit is mounted at a predetermined position of the refrigerator door, and is mounted corresponding to the permanent magnet 100 for applying a magnetic field and the permanent magnet 100 at a predetermined position of the refrigerator body. , A hall sensor 101 that performs a switching operation using a Hall effect induced by a magnetic field change caused by opening and closing of the refrigerator door, and a micro that senses the opening and closing state of the refrigerator door based on a voltage input by the switching operation of the hall sensor 101 And a computer 105.

  Further, as shown in the figure, the Hall sensor 101 includes a magnetic field sensing unit 102 that generates a predetermined induced voltage by a magnetic field formed by the permanent magnet 100, and a predetermined voltage generated by the induced voltage generated from the magnetic field sensing unit 102. The Schmitt trigger 103 outputs a level voltage, and the transistor 104 is turned on / off by the output of the Schmitt trigger 103. In order to perform such operation, the base of the transistor 104 is connected to the output terminal of the Schmitt trigger 103, the collector is connected to the microcomputer 105, and the emitter is grounded.

  The door open / close detection circuit in the refrigerator using the hall sensor having the above-described configuration has the permanent magnet 100 in contact with the permanent magnet 100 when the refrigerator door is closed by installing the permanent magnet 100 at a predetermined position of the refrigerator door ( The Hall sensor 101 is installed at a position on the refrigerator housing side that is in close proximity.

  Accordingly, when the door is closed, the permanent magnet 100 is in contact (close proximity) with the Hall sensor 101, so that a magnetic field is formed in the magnetic field sensing unit 102, and a predetermined induced voltage is generated from the magnetic field sensing unit 102 by the Hall effect due to the magnetic field. Is output, the Schmitt trigger 103 is operated by the output induced voltage, and a high level voltage is output to the gate of the transistor 104 to be turned on. As a result, the power supply voltage Vcc flows to the ground side through the resistor R1 and the transistor 104, and the low level voltage is input to the microcomputer 105 constituting the control device of the refrigerator through the resistor R2, so that the door is opened. Detect that it is closed.

  On the other hand, when the door is opened, the permanent magnet 100 installed on the door is separated from the hall sensor 101, so that a magnetic field is not formed in the magnetic field sensing unit 102, and the microcomputer 105 is opposite to when the door is closed. A high-level voltage is input to detect that the door is open.

Therefore, when the permanent magnet 101 that generates a magnetic field is moved away from or in contact with (close to) the hall sensor 101 by opening and closing the door, the microcomputer 105 constituting the control device of the refrigerator is Open / close detection by output.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-200902

  However, in the conventional configuration, the signal is the same as when the door is closed even when there is a gap of about 10 mm, for example, when the door is not completely closed due to the accuracy and hysteresis of the Hall sensor 101. Therefore, accurate door opening / closing detection cannot be performed, and it has been a problem to perform a cooling operation with a gap.

  In addition to door opening / closing detection, control has also been developed to detect internal abnormalities due to rises in internal temperature. In the case of the wall surface, the temperature rise due to the intrusion of outside air from the gap that cannot be detected by the Hall sensor does not appear remarkably, so the refrigerator is operated. Especially in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, the door is not sufficiently closed. When operating in a state where a gap of several mm to 10 mm is formed, outside air enters the freezer compartment (storage compartment), which is one of the causes of freezing in the cabinet.

  Because of this problem, there has been a demand for the development of opening / closing detection or gap detection that detects even a small gap.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to control the operation of a storage device by detecting opening and closing of a door and a minute gap in the door.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the storage device of the present invention has a temperature detection means installed on the back surface of the door of the storage chamber so as to detect the temperature change of the back surface of the door due to the entrance of outside air, and further, the temperature detection By making the signal output of the means wireless, there is no problem in wiring or the like for the door that opens and closes.

  As a result, the temperature detection means provided on the back surface of the door is outside air even in the closed state in the storage room, even if there is a gap that would output a closed state signal by the door opening / closing detection by the conventional hall sensor. It is possible to increase the accuracy of detecting the presence or absence of a gap between the door and the storage chamber by detecting a temperature change after the door is closed and reacting remarkably to the entry of the door.

  The refrigerator of the present invention detects a gap that could not be detected by a conventional door open / close detection circuit by installing temperature detection means on the back surface of the door of the storage room and detecting a change in the temperature of the back surface of the door due to the entry of outside air. It is possible to prevent freezing and condensation in the cabinet due to the entry of outside air through a small gap that may occur due to the opening and closing operation of the door.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a storage body configured by a heat insulating casing with a door, which is opened and closed by the door, and stores a product, and a temperature creating means for setting the storage chamber to a predetermined temperature condition. And a temperature detection means for detecting a temperature condition in the storage chamber, and a control means for controlling the operation of the temperature creation means based on at least the temperature detected by the temperature detection means, wherein the temperature detection means comprises the storage chamber It is provided at a location close to the boundary area between the opening surface and the door when closed.

  By adopting such a configuration, temperature detection is performed at a position close to the boundary area between the door and the storage body, so that when the door is insufficient at the boundary and a gap is generated, the temperature change due to the entry of outside air from the gap Can be detected quickly. As a result, the presence or absence of a small gap that could not be detected by the conventional door open / close detection circuit is detected, and measures are taken to prevent the quality of stored items from deteriorating due to freezing and condensation in the storage room due to the flow of outside air or due to temperature changes. be able to.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the temperature detecting means is provided above the back surface of the door. With such a configuration, it is possible to detect the inflow from the outside of the storage room and the outside air having a large temperature difference, and quickly An inadequate closing state caused by non-blocking or door distortion can be detected. Such a configuration can be prominently detected particularly when the storage chamber is in an environment where it is cooled.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the back surface of the door is provided with a gasket that abuts on the peripheral edge of the opening of the storage chamber, and a protrusion that forms a throat space on the peripheral surface side of the storage chamber, and temperature is detected in the protrusion. Temperature detecting means is provided.

  By adopting such a configuration, a throat is formed to prevent the entry of outside air, and the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature is provided on the protrusion that forms the throat space, so that the door can be opened and closed without trouble, and the storage Since there is no contact with the main body, the refrigerator housing, the stored items, etc., the space temperature can be correctly detected, and the temperature change due to the entry of outside air from the gap between the door and the storage body can be accurately detected.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the temperature detection means includes a plurality of temperature detection units, and each temperature detection unit is provided at a plurality of locations on the back surface of the door.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to detect various inadequate closing states formed between the door and the storage body, and it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of the temperature change due to the entry of outside air.

  The invention according to claim 5 is provided with door state detection means for detecting opening and closing of the door in the control means, and calculates a temperature change width after a predetermined time has elapsed from detection of the closed state by the door state detection means, The presence or absence of a gap in the closed door state is determined based on the degree of the temperature change width.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the door is properly closed based on the temperature change width, and the door closing state can be detected with high accuracy and the temperature change in the storage chamber is targeted. It operates even when the indoor temperature environment is insufficient.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the temperature detection unit is a wireless type that wirelessly transmits detected temperature data, and the control unit is provided with an information reading device that receives the temperature data.

  By adopting such a configuration, the wiring for temperature detection and the routing operation thereof can be omitted or simplified, and a user-friendly storage device that does not hinder the door opening and closing can be provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, temperature data detected only when the door is closed is transmitted at a predetermined cycle, and it is determined that the door is open when the temperature data cannot be received within the predetermined time. .

  By adopting such a configuration, the temperature detection means can be used for both door opening detection and gap detection with the main body at the time of closing the door, enhancing the additional function of the temperature detection means, and reducing the number of parts. it can.

  The invention according to claim 8 is provided with notifying means that is activated by the door opening determination by the control means, thereby notifying the outside air inflow (stored air leakage) and prompting the user to close the door. In addition, it is possible to prevent freezing and dew condensation due to unintentional temperature changes in the storage room, or deterioration in quality of stored items.

  Hereinafter, although an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings by taking a refrigerator as an example, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the refrigerator in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram showing a control configuration of the wireless temperature sensor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a data structure diagram output from the wireless temperature sensor according to the first embodiment. 5A and 5B are explanatory views showing the mounting position of the wireless temperature sensor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5A is a front view of the back surface of the freezer compartment door, and FIG. 5B is a view taken along the line V-V in FIG. FIG. FIGS. 6A and 6B are main part cross-sectional views showing the closed state of the freezer compartment according to the first embodiment, where FIG. 6A is a normal closed state diagram, and FIG. 6B is a distorted closed state diagram. FIG. 7 is a change diagram of the temperature detected by the wireless temperature sensor when the door of the freezer compartment is opened and closed in the first embodiment, (a) is a change diagram in a normal closed state, and (b) is a distorted closed state. FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the door gap detection control contents in the first embodiment. In addition, the arrow X in each figure has shown the magnetic force.

  In FIG. 1, the refrigerator main body 1 which consists of a heat insulation housing | casing is corresponded to the storage main body of this invention, and the inside of the 1st refrigerator compartment 2 which functions as a storage chamber by a partition wall, respectively, and the 2nd refrigerator compartment 3 and a freezer compartment 4. The first refrigerating chamber 2 has a first refrigerating chamber door 5 that is pivotally supported by a hinge mechanism on one side, and the second refrigerating chamber 3 has a drawer-type second as is well known. The refrigerator compartment door 6 and the freezer compartment 4 are similarly provided with drawer-type freezer compartment doors 7, respectively, and are closed so that the cold air in the storage compartment does not come into contact with the outside of the storage compartment by closing each door.

  The refrigeration cycle 18 (FIG. 2) for producing cold air corresponds to the temperature creation means of the present invention, and is constituted by a closed circuit of a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube and an evaporator as is well known. It is mounted inside. Since these specific arrangement configurations are not directly related to the gist of the present invention, the description will be made assuming that they are the same as conventionally known configurations.

  In the first refrigerator compartment 2, the first wireless temperature sensor 8 is in the second refrigerator compartment 3, the second wireless temperature sensor 9 is in the freezer compartment 4, and in the third refrigerator compartment 4 The wireless temperature sensors 10 are respectively installed at arbitrary positions. Each of these wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 corresponds to the temperature detecting means of the present invention, and outputs the detected temperature value of each corresponding room as data at a cycle of about several tens of seconds to one minute.

  Further, the information reading device 14 that receives the transmission signals of the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 and reads the transmission information is installed at an arbitrary position inside the first refrigerator compartment 2. The mounting location of the information reader 14 is not limited to the first refrigerating room 2 and can be installed anywhere in the refrigerator as long as signals from the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 can be received. May be.

  Magnets 15 are embedded in the back surfaces (side surfaces of the storage chamber) of the first refrigerator compartment door 5, the second refrigerator compartment door 6, and the freezer compartment door 7, respectively. Are provided with first to third door state detecting means 11, 12, 13 that react with the magnetic field of the magnet 15 to output an ON / OFF operation or an electric signal. Each door state detection means 11, 12, 13 may have a conventionally well-known configuration such as operating by the Hall effect. Here, a contact type opening / closing mechanism switch will be described as an example for convenience.

  Next, a control circuit for controlling the indoor state of the refrigerator will be described with reference to FIG.

  Transmission contents (temperature data, etc.) from the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 are received by the information reading device 14 and output to the control means 16. The information reading device 14 and the control means 16 have a circuit configuration centered on a microprocessor.

  The control means 16 stores various operation modes determined so that each storage room in the refrigerator has an appropriate temperature, and the optimal storage condition in each storage room is compared with the data from the information reader 14. The operation pattern for maintaining the temperature is determined, and the operation of the cold air circulation means 18 for sending the cold air into the refrigeration cycle 17 and the storage chamber is controlled along the operation pattern.

  The refrigeration cycle 17 has a configuration including a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, and an evaporator (all not shown) as described above, and the cool air circulation means 18 communicates and blocks the blower fan or the ventilation path. This corresponds to a damper device to be performed.

  Further, the control means 16 controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle 17 and the cold air circulation means 18 by the opening / closing signals of the door state detection means 11, 12, and 13, and usually when one of the doors is opened, the refrigeration cycle 17 And the operation of the cold air circulation means 18 is stopped.

  Further, when the door open state by the door state detection means 11, 12, 13 continues for a predetermined time or longer, the control means 16 notifies the alarm by means such as sound or light flashing (to the notification means of the present invention). Equivalent) 16a. The alarm 16a is operated not only by the door opening by the door state detection means 11, 12, 13 but also by the control means 16 at the time of detecting a door clearance described later.

  Next, the configuration of the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Each of the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, and 10 is composed of the same constituent elements, and some of the constituent elements have different characteristics. Here, for convenience, the wireless temperature sensor 8 provided in the first refrigerator compartment 2 is used. The explanation will be focused on.

  The wireless temperature sensor 8 calculates the temperature detection unit 19 that detects the temperature in the corresponding first refrigerator compartment 2 (storage room), and the calculation process that outputs the detection data from the temperature detection unit 19 and outputs it to the wireless transmission unit 22. The power supply unit (battery or the like) 21 serving as a driving source for the unit 20, the antenna 23 that outputs the wireless transmission unit 22, the arithmetic processing unit 20, the wireless transmission unit 22, and the like.

  As described above, each of the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 detects the temperature of each storage room by the temperature detection unit 19, and, similarly to the conventional wireless temperature sensor, converts the data into data by the arithmetic processing unit 20, and the wireless transmission unit 22. Then, the data is transmitted to the information reading device 14 via the antenna 23.

  The arithmetic processing unit 20 can be specifically configured by a logic circuit centered on a known microcomputer.

  Next, data contents transmitted from the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 will be described with reference to a data structure diagram of the wireless temperature sensor shown in FIG.

  The data format transmitted from each wireless temperature sensor 8, 9, 10 identifies at least the start bit 24 indicating the start of data and the plurality of wireless temperature sensors 8 to 10, as used in general data communication. Sensor ID 25, temperature data 26 indicating the detected temperature, and stop bit 27 indicating the end of the data.

  In particular, the wireless temperature sensor 10 in the freezer compartment 4 has a protrusion 29 that forms an enclosure inside the gasket 28 on the back surface of the freezer compartment door 7 as shown in FIG. And detachably embedded in a position opposite to the left and right of the magnet 15 used for door opening / closing detection.

  More specifically, since the freezer compartment 4 is a storage compartment that has a particularly large temperature difference from the outside, a structure that enhances the sealing performance when the door is closed is employed. As one of the configurations, there is known a configuration in which the throat space 4a from the storage chamber to the gasket 28 is formed in a crank shape to increase the distance when the door is closed as shown in FIG. By extending this distance, the movement of the cold air in the storage room (freezer room 4) is suppressed, and the heat leakage is suppressed. The protrusion 29 protrudes from the back surface of the freezer compartment door 7 so as to form the crank shape.

  Then, by attaching the wireless temperature sensor 10 to the protrusion 29, the position thereof becomes a position near the opening end face in the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator main body 1 when the door is closed, and the gasket 28 and the opening end face are in the closed state. High accuracy can be obtained in detecting the inflow of outside air from a minute gap.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, door gap detection that occurs in the opening / closing operation of the door (drawer-type door) of the freezer compartment 4 will be described.

  First, the door gap accompanying door opening and closing will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a drawer-type door as viewed from above.

  The detection of the normal door opening / closing is performed using the Hall effect by the door state detection means 13 provided in the refrigerator main body 1 and the magnet 15 embedded in the door, as shown in the prior art and FIG. However, since the door state detection means 13 using the Hall effect reacts even if the distance from the magnet 15 is about 10 mm away, the door state detection means 13 may be caught as shown in FIG. Although the detection means 13 detects that the door is closed because the magnet 15 is close, there may be a so-called distorted closed state in which a small gap is formed on the opposite side. In this case, it is impossible to distinguish between the state in which the door is normally closed as shown in FIG. 6A by the door state detection means 13 and the state in which there is a door gap in FIG. 6B.

  Next, the operation of the temperature change detected by the wireless temperature sensor 10 installed as shown in FIG. 5 when there is no door gap and when there is no door gap will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 7, a solid line A indicates a change characteristic (trend) of the temperature detected by the wireless temperature sensor 10, and a one-dot chain line B indicates a change characteristic (trend) of the detection temperature due to temperature detection in the interior of the conventional interior. . Further, ΔT1 indicates the change width of the detected temperature by the wireless temperature sensor 10, and ΔT2 indicates the change width of the detected temperature by the conventional temperature detection. And the freezer compartment door 7 has shown the case where it opens at the time of t1, and closes at the time of t2. The characteristics A and B indicate that the temperature change in the warehouse is determined at time t3 after a predetermined time has elapsed. In general, the time t3 is set to a time when it can be considered that the temperature in the storage room is stable from the time of closing the door if it is normal.

  As shown in FIG. 5, since the wireless temperature sensor 10 is on the rear surface of the door and in the vicinity of the gasket 28, the temperature change caused by the door opening / closing operation compared to the temperature detection in the back of the conventional storage room (freezer room 4). As shown in FIG. 7A, the temperature rises greatly as indicated by the solid line A while the door is open. Further, even when the door is closed, by detecting the temperature at the position shown in FIG. 5, the temperature change caused by the outside air entering through the small gap in the state shown in FIG. 6B is shown in FIG. 7B. It can be detected as shown.

  That is, in the case where there is no door gap, as shown in FIG. 7, the temperature detection near the gasket 28 on the back surface of the door is more effective than the conventional temperature detection (temperature change width ΔT2) at the position. The temperature difference (temperature change width ΔT1) between the temperature Ta after the closing and the temperature Tb after the lapse of a predetermined time is greatly different. Therefore, it is possible to detect the outside air temperature flowing from the minute gap with high accuracy.

  In the above description, the wireless temperature sensor 10 in the freezer compartment 4 has been mainly described. However, the other wireless temperature sensors 8 and 9 function in the same manner.

  Next, a gap detection flow that accompanies the opening and closing of the door in the first embodiment using the change in the temperature difference (temperature change width ΔT1) will be described with reference to FIG. Here, for convenience, the operations of the freezer compartment 4 and the wireless temperature sensor 10 will be mainly described.

  The control means 16 of the refrigerator receives data from each of the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 by the information reading device 14, and each of the sensor IDs 25 for distinguishing the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, 10 is provided for each sensor ID 25. Process. FIG. 8 shows door clearance detection by receiving data from the wireless temperature sensor 10 in the freezer compartment 4 as an example of the processing.

  First, the wireless temperature sensor 10 detects the temperature at a predetermined cycle in step A-1, and transmits the temperature data 26 in the data structure shown in FIG. 4 in step A-2. , Repeat detection and transmission.

  On the other hand, the control means 16 on the refrigerator main body 1 side detects door opening / closing by the door state detection means 13 provided in the refrigerator main body 1 and the magnet 15 embedded in the freezer compartment door 27 as in the conventional case.

  First, when the freezer compartment door 7 is opened, the signal of the door state detection means 13 changes from ON to OFF in Step B-1, and the control means 16 recognizes that the freezer compartment door 7 has been opened.

  Next, in step B-2, it is monitored whether the duration of the ON signal of the door state detection means 13 is open within a predetermined time. If the door opening time is longer than the predetermined time, a door opening alarm (buzzer sound or the like) is issued to notify the user in step B-3 (b).

  Next, when the freezer compartment door 7 is closed, in step B-3 (a), the signal of the door state detection means 13 changes from ON to OFF, and the control means 16 recognizes that the freezer compartment door 7 has been opened. To do.

  Next, in step B-4, a gap determination counter provided for counting a predetermined elapsed time since the door is closed is initialized.

  Next, in step B-5, after the clearance determination counter is initialized, the first received temperature data 26 is stored in the memory as the temperature Ta when the door is closed (time t2 in FIG. 7).

  Next, the clearance determination counter is counted in step B-6, and data reception is performed while continuing the count until it reaches a predetermined number of times in step B-7. In step B-7, the temperature data 26 received when the gap determination counter has counted up to the predetermined number of times is stored in the memory as the temperature Tb after the predetermined time has elapsed (time t3 in FIG. 7) in step B-8.

  Next, in step B-9, the temperature difference (temperature drop width ΔT1) is calculated by the following equation 1.

ΔT1 = Ta−Tb (Formula 1)
Finally, in step B-10, it is determined whether the obtained ΔT1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature difference α. If it is equal to or greater than the predetermined temperature difference α, it is determined that the cooling is normally performed (step B-11 ( a)) When the temperature difference is less than the predetermined temperature α, it is determined that there is a possibility that outside air may enter due to the gap, and the process proceeds to Step B-11 (b) to notify the user of an abnormality.

  Thereafter, temperature detection and reception are continued until the door is opened, and when the door is opened, the process returns to Step B-1.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the wireless temperature sensor 10 is applied to the protrusion 29 on the inner side of the gasket 28 on the rear surface of the door, which is near the boundary region between the opening surface of the storage chamber 4 and the door 7 when the door is closed. Installed and equipped with an information reading device that receives wireless data in the refrigerator body 1, temperature detection can be easily performed without any trouble in wiring etc. for the door to be opened and closed, and conventional door state detection using the Hall effect etc. With respect to a small gap that could not be detected only by means, it is possible to detect the gap by the temperature change of the door back surface protrusion 29 (the temperature change width after a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was closed). In particular, in the freezer compartment 4, the entry of outside air from a small gap causes freezing in the drawer rail and the inside of the cabinet, so that the gap detection with high accuracy is effective.

  Note that the flow shown in FIG. 8 is also applied to the other refrigerating chambers 2 and 3, and the wireless temperature sensors 8 and 9 are placed on the back surfaces of the doors 5 and 6 near the boundary area with the storage chamber opening surface. In addition, by providing the gasket (not shown) closer to the inner periphery, the inflow of air can be detected quickly, and the door gap can be detected as in the case of the freezer compartment 4. In this case, each of the wireless temperature sensors 8 and 9 is preferably positioned as high as possible due to the nature of the low-temperature cold air that stagnates downward.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a block circuit diagram showing a control configuration of the wireless temperature sensor according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a data structure diagram output from the wireless temperature sensor according to the second embodiment. 11A and 11B are explanatory views showing the mounting position of the wireless temperature sensor in the second embodiment, where FIG. 11A is a front view of the back surface of the freezer compartment door, and FIG. FIG. FIGS. 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views of the main part showing a closed state of the freezer compartment according to the second embodiment, where FIG. 12A is a normal closed state diagram, and FIG. 12B is an unclosed state diagram. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing details of door gap detection control according to the second embodiment. Note that the same constituent elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, on the back surface of the freezer compartment door 7, the wireless temperature sensor 10 installed in the vicinity of the boundary area with the open surface of the freezer compartment 4 is made of a battery or a rechargeable battery as shown in FIG. A power supply cutoff means 30 such as a reed switch is provided in the supply path of the power supply unit 21 so that power supply and cutoff control can be performed by the proximity of the magnet 15. The door state detection means 13 provided in the first embodiment is abolished, but this door state detection means is provided at an appropriate place so that the opening / closing of the freezer compartment door 7 can be detected as necessary. May be.

  In addition to the data structure of the first embodiment, the data content transmitted from the wireless temperature sensor 10 is data indicating the order of the data before the temperature data 26 as shown in FIG. A counter 51 is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, only the wireless temperature sensor 10 is installed at the upper center of the protruding portion 29 for the attachment of the wireless temperature sensor 10. And the magnet 15 which makes a pair with the door state detection means 13 is provided in the freezer compartment 4 front opening edge of the refrigerator main body 1 so as to oppose the power cutoff means 30 of the wireless temperature sensor 10 as shown in FIG.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, door gap detection that occurs during the opening / closing operation of a freezer door (drawer-type door) will be described. First, the door gap accompanying door opening and closing will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the door 7 is closed, as shown in FIG. 12A, the power shut-off means 30 of the wireless temperature sensor 10 provided on the back side of the door is turned on by the magnetic force X of the magnet 15 provided in the refrigerator body 1. It is in. Therefore, the detection data of the wireless temperature sensor 10 is transmitted each time.

  When the door 7 is opened, as shown in FIG. 12B, the magnetic force X of the magnet 15 is not affected, and the power shut-off means 30 is turned off. As a result, the operation of the wireless temperature sensor 10 is stopped, and the data transmission to the information reading device 14 is also stopped.

  More specifically, since the wireless temperature sensor 10 outputs the detected temperature in the freezer compartment 4 at a cycle of several tens of seconds to about 1 minute, when the door 7 is opened more than that cycle, the wireless temperature sensor 10 described above. Thus, the door open state is detected.

  Next, the gap detection flow that accompanies the opening and closing of the door in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, as described in the explanation of FIG. 12, the wireless temperature sensor 10 is stopped when the door is opened because the power shut-off means 30 is turned OFF in Step A-3. As a result, the data counter 51 provided in the wireless temperature sensor 10 itself in step A-4 is initialized. At this time, the control means 16 (information reading device 14) on the refrigerator side monitors whether or not there is reception at a predetermined interval (several tens of seconds to about 1 minute) in step B-12. If there is no reception over a predetermined interval (about 2 minutes at the longest), a door opening alarm is given by sound, flashing light, etc. in step B-13 (b) to notify the user that the door is open.

  Therefore, when the freezer compartment door 7 is closed, the wireless temperature sensor 10 is activated when the power shut-off means 30 is turned on in step A-5. After starting, the wireless temperature sensor 10 counts the data counter 31 from the initial value in step A-6, detects the temperature in step A-7, and detects the temperature in the data structure shown in FIG. 10 in step A-8. Data 26 is transmitted.

  Thereafter, as for the operation of the wireless temperature sensor 10, the count of the data counter, the temperature detection and the data transmission (step A-6, step A-7, step A-8) are repeated at predetermined intervals unless the door is opened and closed. Also, a process of returning to the start once the freezer compartment door 7 is opened is programmed.

  On the other hand, when the control means 16 of the refrigerator receives data from the wireless temperature sensor 10 at step B-13 (a), it determines whether the data counter 31 in the data received at step B-14 is the initial value. to decide.

  Next, when the received data counter 31 is the initial value, in step B-15, the received temperature data 26 of the data structure is stored in the memory as the temperature Ta when the door is closed. Thereafter, the process returns to step B-13 (a), and in steps B-16 and B-17 (b), data reception monitoring and temperature data 26 are updated until the data counter 31 of the received data structure reaches a predetermined number of times. Continue to memorize repeatedly.

  When data having the data counter 31 a predetermined number of times is received in step B-16, in step B-17 (a), the temperature data 26 is stored in the memory as a temperature Tb after a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereafter, by the processing in Step B-19 and Step B-20 (a, b), similarly to Embodiment 1, the temperature difference (temperature drop width ΔT1) is obtained to determine the presence or absence of the door gap.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, a wireless temperature sensor that can shut off the power supply unit 21 is installed on the rear surface of the door (projection 29), and the refrigerator body has a magnet that turns on the power supply by opening and closing the door. By providing the means, there is no need to provide the wireless temperature sensor 10 and the door state detection means 13 as in the first embodiment, and the door opening / closing detection based on the presence / absence of data reception and the door only by the wireless temperature sensor 10 It is possible to perform both gap detection based on temperature changes from the gap.

  The flow shown in FIG. 13 can also be applied to the other refrigerating chambers 2 and 3, and the wireless temperature sensors 8 and 9 are placed on the back surface of the doors 5 and 6 and closer to the inner periphery of the gasket (not shown). By providing a magnet on the periphery of the opening of each of the refrigerator compartments 2 and 3, reception of each of the wireless temperature sensors 8 and 9 and detection of the gap between the doors can be similarly performed. In this case, similarly to the first embodiment, the wireless temperature sensors 8 and 9 are preferably positioned as high as possible due to the nature of the low-temperature cold air stagnating downward.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 14 is a block circuit diagram showing a control configuration of the wireless temperature sensor according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a data structure diagram output from the wireless temperature sensor according to the third embodiment. 16A and 16B are explanatory views showing the mounting position of the wireless temperature sensor according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16A is a front view of the back surface of the freezer compartment door, and FIG. 16B is a part taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. It is a cutaway sectional view. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing details of door gap detection control according to the third embodiment. Note that the same constituent elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the wireless temperature sensor 10 installed in the freezer compartment door 7 in the third embodiment includes a plurality of temperature detection units 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, 19 d, and 19 e, and an arithmetic processing unit 20. The configuration is the same as that of the first and second embodiments in that the power supply unit 21, the wireless transmission unit 22, the antenna 23, and the power cutoff unit 30 are provided.

  The data format transmitted from the wireless temperature sensor 10 is the same as that of the second embodiment, with the temperature data 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, and 26e of the temperature detectors 19a to 19e being collectively shown in FIG. The data counter 31 is provided.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 16, the wireless temperature sensor 10 is mounted such that one temperature detection unit 19b of a plurality of temperature detection units is provided at the same location as the main body of the wireless temperature sensor 10, and the other temperature detection units 19a, 19c, 19d, and 19e are installed at appropriate positions on the rear surface protruding portion 29 of the freezer compartment door 7 that is in the vicinity of the boundary area with the opening surface of the freezer compartment 4.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the detection control of the door gap generated by the opening / closing operation of the door 7 (drawer type door) of the freezer compartment 4 will be described.

  Since the door opening / closing detection operation of the wireless temperature sensor 10 according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment (FIG. 12), the embodiment of the gap detection flow shown in FIG. 2 will be described mainly with respect to differences from FIG.

  When the freezer compartment door 7 is closed in step A-5, the wireless temperature sensor 10 is activated, and in step A-3 and step A-4, the temperature data 26a detected at a plurality of locations according to the data structure shown in FIG. -26e is transmitted.

  On the other hand, since the received data includes a plurality of temperature data, the control device 16 of the refrigerator sets the temperature when the door is closed to Ta1, for each of the temperature detection units 19a to 19e in Step B-15 ′. Tb1, Tc1, Td1, and Te1 are stored in the memory.

  In step B-17 (a) ′, the temperature after a predetermined time has elapsed is stored in the memory as Ta2, Tb2, Tc2, Td2, and Te2.

  Next, in step B-18 ′, the corresponding temperature difference between the detected temperatures Ta1 to Te1 and the temperature Ta2 to Te2 is obtained, and in step B-19 ′, each temperature difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (ΔTa ≧ αa, ΔTb ≧ αb, ΔTc ≧ αc, ΔTd ≧ αd, ΔTe ≧ αe), and whether or not there is a door gap is determined. In this determination, if any one of the locations does not satisfy the above-described condition, it is determined that there is a door gap, and the process of step B-20 (b) is executed.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, by installing the wireless temperature sensor 10 having a plurality of temperature detection units on the back surface projection portion 29 of the freezer compartment door 7, temperature changes on the back surface of the door are captured at a plurality of locations. Therefore, it is possible to detect the entry of outside air through the door gap formed in various forms.

  In the first, second, and third embodiments, data is received by the wireless temperature sensors 8, 9, and 10 that include the power supply unit 21 and generate radio waves, and the information reading device 14 that is provided in the refrigerator. Although the method is taken as an example, it is also possible to use a tag-type wireless temperature sensor that is activated by radio wave power reception using RFID and does not have a power source.

  As described above, the storage device according to the present invention can be implemented when applied to a refrigerator for home use or business use, as well as a door such as a warm storage room or a constant temperature storage device that maintains the interior at a predetermined temperature. It can be applied to a wide range of equipment including an article storage device with a certain size.

Sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Block circuit diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the refrigerator in the first embodiment Block circuit diagram showing a control configuration of the wireless temperature sensor in the first embodiment Data structure diagram output from wireless temperature sensor in the first embodiment (A) Front view of the back of the freezer compartment door showing the mounting position of the wireless temperature sensor in the first embodiment (b) Partially cutaway sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. (A) Main part sectional view showing the normal closed state of the freezer compartment in the first embodiment (b) Main part sectional view showing the distorted closed state of the freezer compartment in the first embodiment (A) Change figure in the normal closed state of the temperature detected by the wireless temperature sensor when the door of the freezer compartment is opened and closed in the first embodiment (b) Wireless temperature sensor accompanying the door opening and closing of the freezer compartment in the first embodiment Of change in detection temperature distorted by closed door The flowchart which shows the detection control content of the door clearance in the same Embodiment 1. The block circuit diagram which shows the control structure of the wireless temperature sensor in Embodiment 2 of this invention Data structure diagram output from wireless temperature sensor in the second embodiment (A) Front view of the back of the freezer compartment door showing the mounting position of the wireless temperature sensor in the second embodiment (b) Partially cutaway sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. (A) Main part sectional view showing a normal closed state of the freezer compartment in the second embodiment (b) Main part sectional view showing an unclosed state of the freezer room in the second embodiment The flowchart which shows the detection control content of the door clearance in Embodiment 2 Block circuit diagram showing a control configuration of the wireless temperature sensor in the third embodiment Data structure diagram output from wireless temperature sensor in the third embodiment (A) Front view of the back of the freezer compartment door showing the mounting position of the wireless temperature sensor in the third embodiment (b) Partially cutaway sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. The flowchart which shows the detection control content of the door clearance in the same Embodiment 3. Configuration diagram of a door open / close detection circuit using a hall sensor showing a conventional example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 2 1st refrigerator compartment 3 2nd refrigerator compartment 4 Freezer compartment 4a Throat space 5 First refrigerator compartment door 6 Second refrigerator compartment door 7 Freezer compartment door 8 First wireless temperature sensor (temperature detection means) )
9 Second wireless temperature sensor (temperature detection means)
10 Third wireless temperature sensor (temperature detection means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 1st door state detection means 12 2nd door state detection means 13 3rd door state detection means 14 Information reader 15 Magnet 16 Control means 16a Alarm 17 Refrigeration cycle 18 Cold air circulation means 19 Temperature detection part 20 Arithmetic processing Unit 21 Power supply 22 Wireless transmission unit 23 Antenna 24 Start bit 25 Sensor ID
26 Temperature data 27 Stop bit 28 Gasket 29 Projection 30 Power shut-off means 31 Data counter

Claims (8)

  A storage body configured by a heat insulating casing with a door, a storage chamber that is opened and closed by the door, and stores articles, temperature creating means for setting the storage chamber to a predetermined temperature condition, and a temperature condition in the storage chamber A temperature detecting means for detecting, and a control means for controlling the operation of the temperature creating means based on at least the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, the temperature detecting means comprising the storage chamber opening surface and the door when closed. A storage device provided at a location close to the boundary area.   The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection means is provided above a rear surface of the door.   A gasket for abutting an opening peripheral edge of the storage chamber and a protrusion for forming a throat space on the peripheral surface side of the storage chamber are provided on the rear surface of the door, and temperature detection means for detecting temperature is provided in the protrusion. The storage device according to 1 or 2.   The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature detection unit includes a plurality of temperature detection units, and each temperature detection unit is provided at a plurality of locations on the back surface of the door.   The control means is provided with door state detection means for detecting opening and closing of the door, calculates a temperature change width after a predetermined time has elapsed from detection of the closed state by the door state detection means, and closes the door according to the degree of the temperature change width. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the presence or absence of a gap is determined.   6. The temperature detection unit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is a wireless type that wirelessly transmits the detected temperature data, and the control unit is provided with an information reading device that receives the temperature data. Storage device.   The storage device according to claim 6, wherein temperature data detected only when the door is closed is transmitted at a predetermined cycle, and the door is determined to be open when the temperature data cannot be received within the predetermined time.   The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a notification unit that is activated by a door opening determination by the control unit.

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