JP2008101896A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily open a drawer type storage vessel by light operation force. <P>SOLUTION: The refrigerator has: a pair of left and right support frames 17 supporting the storage vessel 13 provided in a drawer door 5a; a guide rail 23 connected to the support frames 17, allowing a slide of the drawer door 5a; a connection frame 21 connecting extension end part sides of the pair of the left and right support frames 17; and a drawer door drive device 29 pressing the connection frame 21 forward. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a drawer-type storage container.

  Generally, a refrigerator has a vegetable room and a freezer room in addition to a refrigerating room, the refrigerating room is an open / close door type, and the vegetable room is a drawer door type.

  The cold storage room, which is frequently used, has been devised in terms of ease of use. For example, even if both hands are occupied, the door can be opened by pressing the switch with the back of the hand.

  The general means for opening and closing the door by a switch is that the solenoid piston rod protrudes by a switch operation that presses the switch provided on the door, and the piston rod moves forward to push the door forward and open and close with the hinge as a fulcrum. The door is open.

  The open / close door of the refrigerator compartment is a hinge type that can be easily opened and closed, and most of the foodstuffs are stored in the cabinet, so even if you put things in the inner door pocket, it will lead to a large weight increase In other words, the door can be opened by a switch. On the other hand, in the drawer type, all food items go into the storage container, which leads to a large weight increase, and when it is fully closed when it is closed to the end, it is fully closed so that it does not open naturally due to vibration etc. There has been no technical means to open the drawer door by operating the switch.

  In particular, the storage container will increase in weight when it is full as described above, and the initial pulling out action of the drawer door becomes heavy due to the function of the holding means, and people who have weakened due to the aging society Or it was hoped that it could be opened easily by children.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which a drawer-type storage container can be easily opened with a light operating force.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a drawer door, a pair of left and right support frames provided on the drawer door and supporting a storage container, and the drawer door are slidable coupled to the support frame. A guide rail, a coupling frame that couples the extended end portions of the pair of left and right support frames, and a drawer door driving device that presses the coupling frame and opens the drawer door.

  According to the present invention, since the drawer door is pushed forward by the action of the drawer door driving device, it can be opened with a light operating force. As a result, foods can be easily put in and out even by elderly people, children, and other weak people. Further, since the drawer door driving device presses not the storage container but the coupling frame having a high support strength, the drawer door driving device can be pressed forward without difficulty.

  In carrying out the present invention, first, in the drawer door drive device, by pressing the central part of the coupling frame, it is possible to reliably press the left and right balance without causing a single drive device. It is desirable.

  Secondly, in the drawer door driving device, it is desirable that the drawer door driving device is arranged below the guide rail so that it does not interfere with the storage container when it is fully closed and the storage container is not adversely affected.

  Thirdly, in the coupling frame, it is desirable that a higher support strength be obtained without adversely affecting the storage volume of the storage container by being positioned lower than the storage container.

  Fourthly, the drawer door is preferably provided in a vegetable compartment or a freezer compartment so that it can be applied to a general refrigerator.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded explanatory view showing a drawer door and a storage container according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows a schematic front view of the refrigerator. The refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment 3, a vegetable compartment 5, an ice making compartment 7, a switching compartment 9, and a freezer compartment 11 in order from the top. The open / close door 3a of the refrigerator compartment 3 is a hinge type that opens and closes with a hinge as a fulcrum.

  From the vegetable compartment 5 to the freezer compartment 11 is a drawer type in which the front drawer doors 5a, 7a, 9a, 11a are drawn forward, and in this embodiment, the vegetable compartment 5 will be specifically described as a representative example of the drawer type. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vegetable compartment 5 includes a drawer door 5 a and a storage container 13, and the storage container 13 is detachably attached to the drawer door 5 a via a container support means 15.

  The container support means 15 includes a pair of left and right support frames 17 that are integrally extended from the drawer door 5a and support the bottom surface of the storage container 13, one end coupled to the drawer door 5a, and the other end coupled to the support frame 17, respectively. The pair of left and right side frames 19 restrains the movement of the container 13 in the left and right direction (arrow A in FIG. 2), and the pair of left and right support frames 17 and a coupling frame 21 that couples the extended end side of the support frame 17. ing. The support frame 17, the side frame 19, and the coupling frame 21 serving as the container support means 15 have a frame structure that securely couples the frames to each other, so that high strength and rigidity can be obtained.

  The pair of left and right support frames 17 are coupled and supported by a pull-out rail 25 of a guide rail 23 that is a bottom rail type. The drawer rail 25 is slidably supported in the front-rear direction (arrow B in FIG. 1) with respect to the fixed rail 27 fixedly supported in the cabinet. After being fixedly pressed, it is slidable between a fully drawn state and a state accommodated in the fixed rail 27.

  Although the pair of left and right support frames 17 are structured to be coupled and supported to the pull-out rail 25 of the guide rail 23, the support frame 17 serves as a means for causing the support frame 17 to function as the pull-out rail of the guide rail 23. The guide rail 23 may be configured by the fixed rail 27.

  The drawer door drive device 29 is a solenoid type in this embodiment, and when it is turned on by a drive signal, the solenoid rod 33 protrudes a predetermined amount from the device main body 31, and the central portion of the coupling frame 21 is projected by the protrusion energy at that time. It comes to press.

  The drawer door driving device 29 can be pressed in a balanced manner from the point where the central portion of the coupling frame 21 is pressed, so only one is required. In this case, it is desirable that the drawer door drive device 29 is disposed below the guide rail 23 at the same position as the coupling frame 21 as shown in FIG. Thereby, when the drawer door 5a is fully closed, interference is avoided by being below the slide position, so that the size of the storage container 13 is not restricted.

  On the other hand, the drive signal for turning on the drawer door drive device 29 is a switch signal from the touch switch 35 as shown in FIG. The touch switch 35 is provided on the handle portion 37 of the drawer door 5a where the location is clear.

  Although the touch switch 35 is not illustrated by a switch operation, a drive signal is sent to the drawer door drive device 29 via a cable, but may be sent to the drawer door drive device 29 via radio waves. Good.

  Further, as described above, the touch switch 35 is provided at the handle portion 37 of the drawer door 5a where the operation position is easy to understand. As another example, for example, as shown in FIG. There is a control panel 39 provided on the opening / closing door 3 a of the chamber 3. Alternatively, the liquid crystal display unit 41 of the control panel unit 89 may be a means to be a touch switch so that it is not necessary to provide a touch switch independently.

  The touch switch 35 is a contact switch that is turned on when the switch terminal comes into contact, but may be an electrostatic switch that is turned on when a finger directly touches the switch surface.

  Alternatively, it may be a means that is turned on by a voice input signal by voice.

  According to the refrigerator 1 configured as described above, when the touch switch 35 provided on the handle portion 37 of the drawer door 5a is switched, the drawer door driving device 29 works to press the central portion of the coupling frame 21 and push it forward. Thereby, the drawer door 5a can be opened in a predetermined amount by a single drawer door driving device 29 with a good balance.

  Therefore, since it does not require a force in the initial operation that is particularly heavy, it can be opened with a light operating force, so that even a weak person such as an elderly person or a child can easily put in and out food.

  In addition, although this embodiment demonstrated the vegetable compartment 5 as a representative example, you may apply to the freezer compartment 11. FIG.

The exploded explanatory view showing the drawer door and storage container concerning the present invention. The schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state which pulled out the drawer door to the middle from the refrigerator main body. The schematic explanatory drawing which has arrange | positioned the drawer door drive unit below the slide position where the storage container was mounted and set on the drawer door. The schematic explanatory drawing which presses the center site | part of a coupling | bond frame with a drawer door drive device. Outline explanatory drawing which looked at the refrigerator from the front.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Refrigeration room 3a ... Opening / closing door of refrigeration room 5a ... Drawer door 13 ... Storage container 15 ... Container support means 17 ... Support frame 19 ... Side frame 21 ... Coupling frame 23 ... Guide rail 29 ... Drawer door drive device 35 ... Touch switch 37 ... Handle part 39 ... Control panel part 41 ... Display part

Claims (5)

A drawer door, and a pair of left and right support frames provided on the drawer door to support the storage container;
A guide rail coupled to the support frame and capable of sliding the drawer door;
A coupling frame that couples the extended end portions of the pair of left and right support frames;
A refrigerator comprising a drawer door driving device that presses the coupling frame and opens the drawer door.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the drawer door driving device presses a central portion of the coupling frame.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the drawer door driving device is disposed below the guide rail.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 3, wherein the coupling frame is positioned below the storage container.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, wherein the drawer door is provided in a vegetable room or a freezer room.

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