JP2008196744A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator operable without hindrance when manually operating a door, and preventing negligence in a door half opened state. <P>SOLUTION: The refrigerator is provided with a refrigerator body forming a refrigeration compartment, a door driving device electrically driving opening and closing of the door, a first door state detecting means for detecting a closed state of the door, a second door state detecting means positioned within a range of closing operation of the door by the door driving device for detecting a half opened state of the door, and a control part controlling operation of the door driving device. In the control part, a half opened state of the door is determined on the basis of detected states of the door by the first door state detecting means and the second door state detecting means, and control is carried out to drive the door by the door driving device after passage of a predetermined time if it is determined that the door is in a half opened state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and is particularly suitable for a refrigerator including a door driving device that electrically opens and closes a door.

  Some conventional refrigerators have a function of automatically opening and closing a door electrically.

  In this type of conventional refrigerator, when the door is opened, the door is provided with an input means for inputting an opening request such as a switch and a door driving device for electrically opening and closing the door, and the user opens the door opening switch. By inputting, the door driving device drives the door in the opening direction to open a predetermined amount. This is effective when the user wants to open the door with his hands closed, such as when holding food.

  Also, when closing the door, the door is provided with input means for inputting a closing request such as a switch, and when the user inputs the door closing switch, the door driving device drives the door in the closing direction. Close the door. This is also effective when the user wants to close the door when his / her hand is occupied, such as holding food.

  In addition, as another method for closing the door, a detection means for detecting that the state of the door changes in the closing direction is provided, and the door is driven by detecting the operation of the user manually closing the door by the detection means. There is a method in which the door is closed by driving in the direction of closing the door. This is intended to close the door securely, and prevents the food from deteriorating when the door is left in a half-open state.

  Furthermore, when the door is automatically opened, when the door hits an obstacle and the door cannot be fully opened and is in a half-open state, a method of driving the door in the direction of closing the door with a door driving device has also been proposed. . This also prevents the door from being left in the half-open state.

  As patent documents related to a conventional refrigerator, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-174185 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-308168 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-46748 (Patent Document 3). Can be mentioned.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-174185 JP 2006-308168 A JP 2006-46748 A

  Therefore, in the conventional refrigerator, when a user tries to close the door manually with a foreign object such as a finger sandwiched for some reason, even if the user notices that the finger is pinched, the detection function detects the state of the door. If it is determined that the door is half open, the door driving device immediately starts closing the door. For this reason, the user has a fear that the finger will be caught between the refrigerator main body and the door without releasing the finger. Furthermore, when it is attempted to close the door manually while grasping the handle portion of the door, there is a problem that a sense of incongruity is generated because the drive means pulls the door halfway.

  Also, even if you have a device that can automatically open the door, if there is an obstacle such as food in front of the door and there is a possibility that it will hit if you open a predetermined amount, manually open the door There is a need. When trying to open the door manually, when the door is moved to the half-open state, it is judged that the door is half-open by the detection function for detecting the state of the door, and the drive means starts to close the door immediately. Therefore, there was a fear that the door that was trying to open would be automatically closed, which would cause an operation different from the original method of use. Especially at the beginning of the door opening, in addition to the load resistance of the door itself, the force to peel off the magnet packing adsorbed on the refrigerator body is added, so the opening force becomes particularly heavy. The opening speed is slow, and it is highly possible that the door will be closed when it is detected to be half open.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can be operated without any trouble when the door is manually operated and that the door is not left in a half-open state.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a refrigerator main body that forms a storage room, a door that opens and closes the storage room, a door driving device that electrically opens and closes the door, and a closed state of the door. First door state detecting means for detecting, second door state detecting means for detecting a half-open state of the door located within a range in which the door can be closed by the door driving device, and the door driving device A control unit that controls the operation of the door, wherein the control unit is configured to open the door halfway based on a detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit. The state is determined, and when the half-open state is determined, the door is driven by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed.

A more preferable specific configuration example of the present invention is as follows.
(1) The control unit determines the transition from the fully open state to the half open state based on the detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit, and fully opens the door. And controlling to drive the door by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed when it is determined that the state has shifted to the half-open state.
(2) The control unit determines a transition from the closed state of the door to the half-open state based on a detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit, and closes the door. And controlling to drive the door by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed when it is determined that the state has shifted to the half-open state.
(3) The control unit determines a transition from the fully open state to the half open state based on the detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit, and fully opens the door. When it is determined that the state has shifted to the half-open state, the door is driven by the door driving device after the first predetermined time has elapsed, and the first door state detection means and the first door A second predetermined time elapses when it is determined that the door has shifted from the closed state to the half-open state based on the detection state of the door by the second door state detection means, and it has been determined that the door has shifted from the closed state to the half-open state. Then, control is performed so that the door is driven by the door driving device, and the second predetermined time is made longer than the first predetermined time.
(4) Provided with setting means capable of arbitrarily setting the predetermined time.
(5) Provided with an informing means for informing with a buzzer or the like, and the control section performs control so that the door is driven by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the informing by the informing means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that can be operated without any trouble when the door is manually operated and the door is not left in a half-open state.

  Hereinafter, the refrigerator of one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated based on drawing.

  First, the whole structure of a refrigerator is demonstrated, referring FIG.1 and FIG.2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator of FIG.

  The refrigerator main body 1 has a plurality of storage rooms 2 to 6. The uppermost part of the refrigerator main body 1 is a refrigerator compartment 2, and the door 2a is, for example, a so-called French door that opens to the left and right sides. The lower side of the refrigerator compartment 2 is a storage room divided into right and left, for example, one of which is a function switching room 3, and the other is an accumulator that takes out ice produced by an automatic ice making device (not shown). It is an ice making room 4. Draw-out type doors 3a and 4a for opening and closing the front opening of the function switching chamber 3 and the ice making chamber 4 are installed. Further, the lower part is a freezing room 5 provided with a drawer door 5a that can be pulled out and opened to the front, and the lowermost stage is a vegetable room 6 provided with a drawer door 6a. The door 2a of the refrigerator compartment 2 is provided with an operation display unit 7, and the operation display unit 7 is provided with a door opening switch 8 for driving the door driving device 10 to open. This door opening switch 8 includes a door opening switch 8a for the freezer compartment and a door opening switch 8b for the vegetable compartment. Each door is provided with a handle 112 for manually opening and closing each door.

  Next, the door drive device 10 in the freezer compartment 5 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, since the door drive device in the vegetable compartment 6 is the same as the door drive device 10 in the freezer compartment 5, the overlapping description is omitted.

  The door 5a of the freezer compartment 5 is provided with a container 12 for storing food on the back surface, and the container 12 is supported by a slide rail 11 so that it can be pulled out to the front. A closer 13 is provided on the back side of the slide rail 12 as a closing biasing means for drawing the freezer compartment 5 in the closing direction. When closing the freezer compartment 5 once opened, the closer 13 gives a force of pulling inward by the force of a spring (not shown) when the opening amount becomes 50 mm or less, and assists the operation of closing the freezer compartment 5 to freezing. The door is closed until the magnet packing 14 provided on the entire circumference of the chamber 5 adsorbs to the refrigerator body 1.

  A door driving device 10 is provided in the freezer compartment 5. The door driving device 10 includes a motor 24 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that is a driving source fixedly provided on the refrigerator body 1 side, and speed reduction mechanisms 25 to 30 that reduce the rotation of the motor 24 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). 5), and a connecting plate 16 that is a connecting member provided on the lower back surface of the container 12 that is opened and closed together with the freezer compartment door 5a. The door drive device 10 is configured to open and close the freezer compartment 5 by applying a force from the drive mechanism 15 to the connecting plate 16 in the moving direction of the slide rail 11. Detailed configurations and functions of the drive mechanism 15 and the connecting plate 16 will be described later.

  A door state detection means 17 is provided on the front side of the freezer compartment 5, and the freezer compartment door 5a is closed, or the open amount of the freezer compartment door 5a is, for example, a predetermined amount of about 30 mm (closed as described later). It is detected whether or not the opening amount is 35), which is a driving amount, and a signal is sent to the control unit described later.

  Next, the structure of the door drive device 10 provided with the drive mechanism 15 and the connecting plate 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 is a plan view of the door drive device 10 including the drive mechanism 15 and the connecting plate 16 as seen from above in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the drive mechanism 15 from above, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of 15 from the downward direction.

  In the drive mechanism 15, a rotary plate 19 that is a rotary drive body is rotatably supported around a drive shaft 18 that is a rotary output shaft, and the rotary plate 19 includes a drive pin 20 that is a drive transmission unit. It has been. In the present embodiment, three drive pins 20 are provided, and according to the distance from the drive shaft 18, the first drive pin 20a is at a distance r1, the second drive pin 20b is at a distance r2, and the distance is r3. A third drive pin 20c is provided. Each drive pin 20 has a cylindrical shape. The center axis of the drive pin 20 is parallel to the rotation center axis of the drive shaft 18. Here, r1 <r2 <r3. In the present embodiment, the rotating plate 19 rotates in the arrow CCW direction when the freezer compartment door 5a is opened.

  Since the connecting plate 16 is provided on the drawer door of the freezer compartment 5 as described above, the connecting plate 16 is movable along the slide rail 11 in the direction of the arrow 23. In FIG. 3, the left direction in the drawing is the front side of the refrigerator, and the freezer compartment door 5 a is opened when the connecting plate 16 moves in the left direction. The binding plate 16 has a first receiving surface 21a with which the first driving pin 20a contacts when the freezer compartment 5 is opened, a second receiving surface 21b with which the second driving pin 20b contacts, and a third driving pin 20c. And a third receiving surface 21c in contact with each other. A detailed description of the operation of the drive pin 20 and the receiving surface 21 will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a motor pinion 25 is provided on the rotating shaft of the motor 24 and meshes with the idler 26 to be decelerated. The idler 26 and the idler pinion 27 rotate together, and the idler pinion 27 meshes with the idler 28. The idler 28 and the idler pinion 29 rotate together, and the idler pinion 29 meshes with the drive gear 30 and is decelerated. The drive shaft 18 and the drive gear 30 are connected.

  With such a gear configuration, the rotational speed of the motor 24 is reduced to about 1/100, for example, and the rotating plate 19 provided on the drive shaft 18 is rotated. In the present embodiment, torque limiting means 31 is provided between the idler 28 and the idler pinion 29. When an excessive external force is applied to the rotating plate 19, the torque limiting means 31 operates and the idler 28 and the idler pinion 29 slide with each other, so that the drive mechanism 15 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, the drive shaft 18 is provided with a rotation detection means 32 so that the rotational position of the drive shaft 18 can be detected. An example of such rotation detection means 32 is a variable resistor whose resistance value changes with the rotation of the shaft.

  Next, an operation when the freezer door 5a is opened by the door driving device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a view showing the operation when the door driving device 10 opens the freezer compartment door 5a. FIG. 6A shows a state in which the freezer compartment 5 is closed as in FIG. (C) The operation | movement which opens the freezer compartment 5 by operating in order of (d) (e) is shown.

  The rotating plate 19 is rotatable around the drive shaft 18, the connecting plate 16 is supported so as to be movable in the horizontal direction in the figure, and the connecting plate 16 is provided in the freezer compartment 5. The movement to the left indicates the opening operation of the freezer compartment 5. Here, a reference line indicating the position of the left end of the connecting plate 16 in the state in which the freezer compartment door 5a is closed is represented as a drawing position 34.

  In the state of FIG. 6B in which the rotating plate 19 rotates in the arrow CCW direction and the first drive pin 20a is in contact with the first receiving surface 21a, a force in the arrow 23a direction is generated on the connecting plate 16. At this time, since the first drive pin 20a is located at a distance r1 from the drive shaft 18, the force transmitted from the first drive pin 20a to the connecting plate 16 is T if the torque applied to the drive shaft 18 is T. T / r1. This force is larger than the resultant force of the force for peeling the magnet packing of the freezer compartment door 5a, the pulling force by the closer 13, and the force of moving the weight of the freezer compartment door 5a and the mass of the stored food. It is set. Thereby, the adsorption of the magnet packing is peeled off, the connecting plate 16 moves in the left direction in the drawing together with the freezer compartment door 5a, and the freezer compartment door 5a starts to open.

  Further, in the state of FIG. 6C in which the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the CCW direction, the second driving pin 20b is in contact with the second receiving surface 21b, and the first driving pin 20a is separated from the first receiving surface 21a. Get away. That is, the second drive pin 20b is located at a distance r2 from the drive shaft 18 and r2> r1, and the second drive pin 20b is the center of rotation rather than the first drive pin 20a. The distance from the drive shaft 18 is long. For this reason, after the second drive pin 20b comes into contact with the second receiving surface 21b, the first drive pin 20a is separated from the first receiving surface 21a. The peripheral speed of rotation of the second drive pin 20b is faster than that of the first drive pin 20a.

  In the state of FIG. 6C, the second drive pin 20b is in contact with the second receiving surface 21b and applies a force indicated by an arrow 23b. At this time, since the second drive pin 20b is located at the distance r2 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, the force transmitted from the second drive pin 20b to the connecting plate 16 via the second receiving surface 21b. Is T / r 2, where T is the torque applied to the drive shaft 18. This force is smaller than the force applied to the connecting plate 16 by the first drive pin 20a in the direction of the arrow 23a in the state shown in FIG. 6B. However, since the magnet packing has already been peeled off, the force applied at this time is greater than the combined force of the pull-in force by the closer 13 and the force that further moves the weight of the freezer compartment door 5a and the mass of the stored food. What is necessary is just to set. In this way, the connecting plate 16 moves further in the left direction in the drawing together with the door of the freezer compartment 5 and continues the opening operation of the freezer compartment door 5a.

  Further, in the state of FIG. 6D in which the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the CCW direction, the third driving pin 20c is in contact with the third receiving surface 21c, and the second driving pin 20b is from the second receiving surface 21b. Get away. That is, the third drive pin 20c is located at a distance r3 from the drive shaft 18 and r3> r2, and the third drive pin 20c is the center of rotation rather than the second drive pin 20b. The distance from the drive shaft 18 is long. Therefore, after the third drive pin 20c comes into contact with the third receiving surface 21c, the second drive pin 20b separates from the second receiving surface 21b. The peripheral speed of rotation of the third drive pin 20c is faster than that of the second drive pin 20b.

  In the state of FIG. 6D, the third driving pin 20c is in contact with the third receiving surface 21c and applies a force indicated by an arrow 23c. At this time, since the third drive pin 20c is located at the distance r3 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, the force transmitted from the third drive pin 20c to the connecting plate 16 via the third receiving surface 21c. Is T / r3, where T is the torque applied to the drive shaft 18. This force is further smaller than the force applied to the connecting plate 16 by the second drive pin 20b in the direction of the arrow 23b in the state of FIG. 6C. However, since the freezer compartment door 5a has already been opened and moved in the direction of the arrow 23c, the freezer compartment door 5a has a momentum according to its own weight and speed including the container and the stored food, The opening operation can be further continued against the pulling force by the closer 13 by the momentum and the force transmitted from the third drive pin 20c to the third receiving surface 21c of the connecting plate 16.

  Further, in the state of FIG. 6E in which the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the CCW direction, the third driving pin 20c is in a state of being substantially separated from the third receiving surface 21c. The range of the movement amount 33 of the connecting plate 16 from the state of FIG. 6A to the state of FIG. 6E is an open drive range in which the connecting plate 16 receives a force from the drive pin 20. become. Here, it is preferable that the amount of movement 33 of the connecting plate 16 is set to be larger than the closing urging range that is the amount of drawing by the closer 13. That is, if the retracting stroke by the closer, which is the closing urging range, is 40 mm and the moving amount 33 of the connecting plate 16 is 50 mm, the connecting plate 16 stops at the position shown in FIG. This is because even if the chamber door 5a is stopped, the freezer compartment door 5a just opened by the closer 13 is not closed.

  However, when the freezer compartment door 5a is opened more than the state of FIG. 6 (e) and the connecting plate 16 moves to the left in the drawing, the connecting plate 16 does not receive the driving force from the drive pin 20, but the freezer compartment door 5a. Has a speed in the direction of the arrow 23d, the opening operation is continued until it is gradually decelerated by the friction load of the slide rail 11 and stopped. Since it operates in this way, the opening amount of the freezer compartment door 5a is larger than the movement amount 33 of the connecting plate 16.

  As described above, during opening operation of the freezer compartment door 5a, the driving force in the opening direction is not continuously applied, but the driving force is applied only in a short range where the opening begins, and thereafter, the moving speed obtained in the driving force range slides. Since the operation of stopping while gradually decelerating by the frictional force of the rail can be realized, when the user stands immediately before the freezer compartment door 5a or when an object is placed, the freezer compartment door 5a hits. Even if it is, it is safe because the driving force by the door driving device 10 in the opening direction is not applied.

  As described above, when opening the freezer compartment door 5a from the closed state, the first drive pin 20a disposed closest to the drive shaft 18 pushes and drives the connecting plate 16 at a low speed. However, a large force is exerted to peel off the magnet packing, and then the second drive pin 20b provided farther than the first drive pin 20a pushes the connecting plate 16 to produce a medium force at a medium speed. By driving out and driving, the freezing chamber door 5a is accelerated against the pulling force of the closer 13 to accelerate the freezer compartment door 5a. Subsequently, the second drive pin 20b is provided farther from the drive shaft 18 than the second drive pin 20b. The third drive pin 20c pushes out the connecting plate 16, and the freezer compartment door 5a can be further accelerated by driving at a high speed but with a small force. It can be performed and quickly and reliably by using a motor 24.

  In the configuration of the present embodiment, the position where the drive pin 20 is in contact with the connecting plate 16 and applies the drive force is substantially perpendicular to the opening direction 23 of the freezer compartment door 5a when viewed from the drive shaft 18, The speed 23 of the pin 20 is proportional to the rotational speed of the rotating plate 19 and the length of the arm to the drive pin 20. As a result, it is easy to increase the speed 23 for pushing out the door 5a as compared to a structure in which the door is pushed only by a change in radius to the contact point between the cam and the door using a rotating cam. With the configuration of the present embodiment, a driving force is applied only in a short range at the beginning of opening, and thereafter, the opening speed 23 obtained in the driving force range of the door driving device 10 stops while being gradually decelerated by the frictional force of the slide rail. It is preferable because the operation can be realized.

  After the freezer compartment door 5a is opened by such an operation, the rotating plate 19 further continues to rotate in the CCW direction, reaches the state of FIG. 6A and stops rotating. At this time, the connecting plate 16 is not at the position shown in FIG. 6A, and the freezer compartment door 5a is open, so that it is moved to the left in the figure.

  In the door drive device 10 according to the present embodiment, after the rotating plate 19 performs the opening operation of the freezer compartment door 5a and continues to rotate in the same direction once, the freezer compartment door 5a is closed. It is possible to return to the state, that is, the origin range 40 described (see FIG. 8). Thereby, the rotating plate 19 can be returned to the origin range 40 at high speed. Assuming that the rotating plate 19 is not rotated in one direction, but once the freezer compartment door 5a is opened, it stops once and then rotates in the opposite direction and then returns to the origin range 40. Compared to the configuration of returning to the origin range 40 by rotation in one direction as in this embodiment, it takes extra time to return to the origin range 40.

  FIG. 7A shows a state where the freezer compartment door 5a is not closed, and the illustrated left end of the connecting plate 16 has moved by an opening amount 35 that allows the closing operation to be performed from the retracted position 34. FIG. Normally, the freezer compartment door 5a is pulled in and closed by the pulling force generated by the closer 13, but a part of the food is caught, or the operation of the slide rail 11 becomes temporarily awkward for some reason, There are cases where it is not pulled in.

  Here, when the rotary plate 19 is rotated around the drive shaft 18 in the direction of the arrow CW, the third drive pin 20c comes into contact with the return surface 22 on the left side in the figure facing the receiving surface 21 of the connecting plate 16. FIG. 7B shows a state in which the rotating plate 19 is further rotated in the direction of arrow CW, but the connecting plate 16 is pushed and moved in the direction of arrow 36 by the third drive pin 20c, so that the connecting plate 16 The left end of the figure moves to the retracted position 34. The position shown in FIG. 7B indicates that the freezer compartment door 5a is completely closed until the magnet packing 14 is attracted to the refrigerator body 1.

  Thereafter, the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the direction of the arrow CCW to be in the state of FIG. 7C, and is rotated to the same position as shown in FIG. 3 and stopped.

  By performing such an operation, even if the freezer compartment door 5a is not completely closed and is in a so-called half door state, by rotating the rotating plate 19 in the opposite direction to the case of opening the freezer compartment door 5a, Since it can close by applying the force of the direction which closes freezer compartment door 5a to connecting plate 16, a half door can be prevented.

  As described above, the force for opening the freezer compartment door 5a needs to be more than the total of the force for peeling the magnet packing 14 and the pulling force by the closer 13, but when closing the magnet packing 14 Since the peeling force is unnecessary, and the pulling force by the closer 13 is generated, the closing force applied by the door driving device 10 is sufficient as a weak force compared to the opening force. According to the present embodiment, when the freezer compartment door 5a is closed, the third drive pin 20c farthest from the drive shaft 18 pushes the return surface 22 of the connecting plate 16, so that the drive torque applied to the drive shaft 18 Is the same as when opening, it is preferable because the closing force is smaller by r1 / r3 than the opening force. This means that even when a finger or the like is sandwiched between the freezer compartment door 5a and the refrigerator main body 1, the clamping force is small and the safety is high.

  Note that it is safer to perform the closing operation slowly at a lower closing speed. Therefore, it is desirable to make the closing operation slower than the opening operation of the freezer compartment door 5a.

  Here, the closing drive range that is the opening amount 35 that can close the freezer compartment door 5a will be described with reference to FIG. The opening amount 35 is desirably smaller than the door thickness 71 that is the thickness of the door 5a that forms the front surface of the freezer compartment door 5a. This is because if the opening amount 35 is larger than the door thickness 71, the gap between the doors generated between the freezer compartment door 5a and the vegetable compartment 6 or the switching chamber 3 when the freezer compartment door 5a is started to be retracted. There is a risk that a finger or the like may be caught in 72. However, if the opening amount 35 is set to be smaller than the door thickness 71, there is no possibility that a finger or the like is pinched, so that safety can be further improved.

  Next, the suitable position of the rotating plate 19 when the freezer compartment door 5a is in a closed state will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 8, the left end of the connecting plate 16 shown by a solid line is matched with the drawing position 34, and the freezer compartment door 5a is in a closed position. Even if the refrigerator is provided with the door driving device 10 as in the present embodiment, the user may pull out the freezer compartment door 5a by hand. Alternatively, when the door driving device 10 does not operate due to a failure, it is desirable that the user can manually open and close it freely. When manually opening and closing in this way, the door driving device 10 is configured not to cause a phenomenon such as obstructing a manual operation by the user when opening or closing the freezer compartment door 5a or a heavy operation. It is desirable.

  If the user manually pulls out and opens the freezer compartment door 5a from the state in which the freezer compartment door 5a is closed, the connecting plate 16 provided on the freezer compartment door 5a moves to the left side in the figure, Become. In the position of the alternate long and short dash line, 'is added to each symbol.

  Here, the rotary plate 19 is in the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 8, and the second tip 37b, which is the tip of the second receiving surface 21b provided on the connecting plate 16 at that position, and the first drive pin 20a. If the second plate 37b and the first drive pin 20a are not in contact with each other when the connecting plate 16 moves to the left in the figure, the user manually freezes Since the connecting plate 16 and the drive pin 20 do not come into contact with each other when the chamber door 5a is pulled out, the freezer chamber door 5a can be freely pulled out and opened.

  Further, the rotary plate 19 is at a broken line position 19 ′, and there is a gap 39 between the first tip 37a provided on the connecting plate 16 and the third drive pin 20c at that position, so that the connecting plate 16 If the first tip 37a and the third drive pin 20c ′ are in a positional relationship where they do not contact when moving to the left in the figure, when the user manually pulls out the freezer compartment door 5a, the connection plate 16 and the drive are driven. Since the pin 20 does not contact, the freezer compartment door 5a can be freely pulled out and opened.

  In order for the connecting plate 16 and the drive pin 20 not to contact when the user manually opens and closes the freezer compartment door 5a, the line connecting the drive shaft 18 and the first drive pin 20a is the angle range of the origin range 40. It only has to be inside. Therefore, when the freezer compartment door 5a is closed, it is desirable to set the rotating plate 19 so as to be within the origin range 40, and it is easy to use when manually opening and closing. Such an angle range of the rotating plate 19 is referred to as being in the origin range 40.

  Next, the configuration of a control system for controlling the door driving device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the refrigerator door driving device 10 of FIG. In addition, since the door drive device 10 related to the freezer compartment door 5a and the door drive device 10 related to the vegetable compartment door 6a have the same control system and the same processing flow, the following description will be made on the freezer compartment door 5a.

  The door opening switch 8 is operated when the user opens the freezer compartment door 5a electrically, and sends a signal generated by the operation to the control unit 41. The respective motors 24 of the drive mechanism 15 provided in the freezer compartment 5, the rotation detection means 32 for detecting the rotational position of the drive shaft 18 of the drive mechanism 15, and the door state detection means 17 for detecting the open / closed state of the door. , Connected to the control unit 41. The rotation detecting means 32 is constituted by a detecting means such as a variable resistor whose resistance value changes with rotation of the shaft, or a micro switch for detecting a predetermined rotation position of the shaft.

  The door state detection means 17 includes first door state detection means 17a for detecting whether or not the freezer compartment door 5a is completely closed (that is, whether or not the freezer compartment door 5a is closed), Second door state detection means 17b for detecting whether or not the opening amount of the chamber door 5a is equal to or less than a predetermined opening amount 35 (that is, whether or not the freezing chamber door 5a is fully opened) is provided. The door state detection means 17 may be, for example, a magnet provided in the freezer compartment door 5a and a hall element provided in the refrigerator body 1, or may be detection means such as a micro switch.

  An informing means 70 is provided for informing the user that the freezer compartment door 5a is in a half-open state. This notifying means 70 gives notification by sounding a buzzer or lighting or blinking a lamp.

  The timer unit 42 controls a standby time, an operation time, and the like in each function related to a half-open state of the freezer compartment door 5a and opening and closing of the freezer compartment door 5a. The timer T1 change switch 92a is for enabling the user to increase or decrease the set value of the duration timer T1 when the freezer compartment door 5a changes from the fully open state to the half open state. The timer T2 change switch 92b is for allowing the user to increase or decrease the set value of the duration timer T2 when the freezer compartment door 5a changes from the closed state to the half-open state.

  Next, the procedure of opening control when opening the freezer compartment door 5a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of opening control when the freezer compartment door 5a is opened.

  When the opening operation is started (S001), the control unit 41 monitors the state of the rotation detecting means 32 and detects whether or not the rotating plate 19 of the drive mechanism 15 is in the origin range 40 where the operation starts (S002). . Here, the origin range 40 is a state in which the connecting plate 16 does not interfere with the drive pin 20 even when the freezer compartment 5 is manually opened and closed as described with reference to FIG. Say.

  If the rotation plate 16 is not in the origin range 40 in the detection of S002, the motor 24 is energized to rotate the rotation plate 16 to the origin range 40 (S003). Whether the motor 24 is rotated in the CW direction or the CCW direction is determined based on whether the rotation plate 16 is displaced with respect to the origin range 40 by a signal from the rotation detection means 32. 41 determines and determines the direction in which the drive voltage is applied to the motor 24.

  When it is detected that the rotating plate 19 is within the origin range 40 and the control unit 41 detects that the user has operated the door opening switch 8 (S004), the motor 24 is energized to turn the rotating plate 19 on. Rotate (S005). The rotating direction of the rotating plate 19 at this time is the arrow CCW direction in FIG. 3, and when the rotating plate 19 rotates, the connecting plate 16 is pushed by the drive pin 20 as described in FIG. The door 5a opens. When the motor 24 continues to rotate and it is confirmed that the rotational position of the rotating plate 19 detected by the rotation detecting means 32 has entered the origin range 40 (S006), the motor is stopped (S007), and a series of opening The operation is terminated (S008).

  Next, a control procedure when the freezer compartment door 5a is closed from a state where the freezer compartment door 5a is not completely closed (that is, the freezer compartment door 5a is in a half-open state) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of closing control when closing the freezer compartment door 5a.

  The operation is started (S051), the origin range is detected (S052), and the motor 24 is energized (S053). The operations are the same as S001 to S003 in FIG.

  When the origin range is detected in S052, the first door state detecting unit 17a of the door state detecting unit 17 detects the closing of the freezer compartment door 5a (S055). If it is detected by this detection that the freezer compartment door 5a is closed, it can be confirmed that the freezer compartment door 5a is not in a half-open state but is closed, and thus the door closing operation is completed (S055). If the first door state detection means 17a cannot detect the closing of the freezer compartment door 5a, whether the second door state detection means 17b has an opening amount of 35 or less between the freezer compartment door 5a and the refrigerator body 1? Is detected (S056). If the second door state detection means 17b cannot detect the freezer compartment door 5a in S056, the freezer compartment door 5a is opened with an opening amount of 35 or more and cannot be closed by the door driving device 10. In that case, the process ends (S066).

  If it is detected in S056 that the opening amount is 35 or less, the freezer compartment door 5a is opened with the opening amount 35 or less (that is, the freezer compartment door 5a is in a half-open state) and can be closed by the door driving device 10. Since it is in the possible region, the motor 24 is energized (S058). The rotation direction at this time is the CW direction in FIG. By energizing the motor 24 in the CW direction for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) (S058, S059), the rotating plate 19 reaches the state shown in FIG. 7B, and the connecting plate 16 is moved in the direction of the arrow 36 (that is, the freezer compartment door 5a). Is closed) to close the freezer compartment door 5a.

  After a predetermined time has passed, the motor 24 is energized so as to rotate in the CCW direction (S060), and the rotating plate 19 is rotated until it reaches the origin range 40 (shown in FIG. 8) as shown in FIG. 7C. When it is detected by the signal from the rotation detection means 32 that the position is within the origin range 40 (S061), the rotation of the motor 24 is stopped (S062). Next, the first door state detection means 17a detects whether the freezer compartment door 5a is closed (S063). Here, when the freezer compartment door 5a is completely closed, the process is terminated (S066).

  If the first door state detection means 17a cannot detect the closing of the freezer compartment 5 in S063, it can be determined that the half-open state continues, so the process from (S058) to (S063), that is, the motor 24 is energized. Then, the operation of rotating the rotating plate 19 in the CW direction and closing the freezer compartment 5 is repeated a plurality of times (S064). If the closing of the first door state detection means 17a cannot be detected even after repeating this closing operation a predetermined number of times, for example, three times, it is determined that, for example, something is caught and the freezer compartment 5 cannot be closed. The process is terminated.

  Next, manual control when the door is closed will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a control flow diagram that starts when the door drive device 10 is fully opened, and FIG. 13 is a timing chart of an operation that starts when the door drive device 10 is fully opened.

  After starting the operation (S100), the origin detection operation is performed (S101). This origin detection operation is the same as S001 to S003 in FIG.

  Next, the control unit 41 detects whether the freezer compartment door 5a has been fully opened from half open (S102, S104). The detection of whether or not the valve has been fully opened is performed in the following order. First, the first door state detection means 17a detects the open state of the freezer compartment door 5a (that is, the state that is not closed) and the second door state detection means 17b detects the fully open state of the freezer compartment door 5a ( S102). Since the case where both states are detected here can be confirmed as the fully open state of the freezer compartment door 5a, in that case, the open state of the freezer compartment door 5a by the first door state detecting means 17a (that is, the non-closed state). And detection of the half-open state of the freezer compartment door 5a (the closed state of the second door state detecting means 17b) by the second door state detecting means 17b (S102). Here, when both states are detected, it can be confirmed that the freezer compartment door 5a has shifted from the fully open state to the half open state.

  When shifting from the fully open state to the half open state, the half open state monitoring timer T1 is started (S105). When the half-open state continues until the half-open state monitoring timer T1 expires (S106, S107), that is, when the motor energization closing operation start condition is satisfied, the notification means 70 is sounded (S108), for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second Wait (S109). Even when a finger is sandwiched between the door gap 72 or the freezer compartment door 5a and the refrigerator main body 1 during this waiting time, it is safe because the finger can be removed after confirming that the notification means 70 has struck. .

  After waiting for a predetermined time in S109, the closing operation by the same motor 24 as shown in (S058) to (S062) in FIG. 11 is performed (S110). For this reason, even when the user does not move the door from the half-open range during the time T1, it is possible to prevent the freezer compartment door 5a from being left in the half-open state. FIG. 13A is a timing chart when the half-open state continues for the time T1.

  If the half-open state is canceled before the half-open state monitoring timer T1 ends, the motor 24 ends without performing the closing operation (S111). As a result, even if it is attempted to manually close the handle portion 112 of the freezer compartment door 5a while grasping it, it can be operated safely without any sense of incongruity. FIG. 13B is a timing chart when the half-open state is canceled during the time T1.

  Here, the fully open state means that the first door state detecting means 17a is open and the second door state detecting means 17b is open, and the half open state means that the first door state detecting means 17a is open and the second door is open. When the state detection unit 17b is closed, the closed state is a case where the first door state detection unit 17a is closed and the second door state detection unit 17b is closed.

  Next, manual control when the door is opened will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 is a control flow diagram that starts when the door drive device 10 is closed, and FIG. 15 is a timing chart of the operation that starts when the door drive device 10 is closed.

  After starting the operation (S200), the origin detection operation is performed (S201). This origin detection operation is the same as (S001) to (S003) in FIG. When the control unit 41 detects that the freezer compartment door 5a has been opened from the closed state (S204), it starts the half-open state monitoring timer T1 (S205). When the half-open state continues until the timer T2 expires (S207), that is, when the motor energization closing operation start condition is satisfied, the notification means 70 is sounded (S208) and waits for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second (S209). . For this reason, even when the freezer compartment door 5a is slowly opened, it is safe because the user can know the timing of automatic closing in advance.

  After waiting for a predetermined time in S209, the closing operation (S210) by the same motor 24 as shown in S058 to S062 of FIG. 11 is performed. For this reason, even when the user does not move the freezer compartment door 5a from the half-open range during the time T2, it is possible to prevent the freezer compartment door 5a from being left in the half-open state. FIG. 15A is a timing chart when the half-open state continues for T2 hours.

  If the half-open state is canceled before the half-open state monitoring timer T2 ends, the motor 24 is closed without performing the closing operation (S211). Thus, it is not automatically closed during the operation of opening the freezer compartment door 5a. FIG. 15B is a timing chart when the half-open state is canceled during the time T2.

  Next, the setting of the duration time of the half-open state will be described.

  There are separately a duration timer T1 when the freezer compartment door 5a changes from the open state to the half-open state, and a duration timer T2 when the freezer compartment door 5a changes from the closed state to the half-open state. By setting the timer T2 longer than T1, it is possible to manually open and close without an uncomfortable feeling even in the opening operation where a force is required, that is, the operation time is longer than in the closing operation.

  The timer T1 and the timer T2 can be set at arbitrary times by the user by the timer T1 change switch 92a and the timer T2 change switch 92b, respectively. Although details of the setting method are omitted, for example, timer T1, that is, when the door is closed, is set to 0.5 seconds, timer T2, that is, when the door is opened, is set to 1.0 seconds. When it is used mainly by people who are weak and take a long time to open and close, the timer T1, that is, when the door is closed, is changed to 0.8 seconds, and the timer T2, that is, when the door is opened, is changed to 2.0 seconds. Can be set according to the time, and can be operated safely.

  In the present embodiment, the door driving device 10 is provided on the drawer door of the freezer compartment 5 or the vegetable compartment 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the refrigerating compartment door 2 is rotatable. It goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained even if it is provided on the door.

  According to this embodiment, the door drive device that can electrically drive the door attached to the refrigerator main body is provided, and the door is closed by the first door state detecting means for detecting the closed state of the door and the door opening / closing means. Second door state detection means for detecting a half-open state of a door installed within an operable range, and both the first door state detection means and the second state detection means are in an open state. After the detection, the door drive device closes the door after a predetermined time has passed, so when the user tries to close the door manually with a finger or other foreign object in between, the finger is placed in the half-open state. If you notice that you are pinching, you can release your finger before the drive means begin to close the door. Further, since the door can be manually closed while the door is in the half-open state for a predetermined time, the door can be closed naturally without being pulled by the driving means while the door is being closed. Even if the door is not completely closed, the door can be reliably closed by the door driving device.

  In addition, a door driving device that can electrically drive a door attached to the refrigerator body is provided, and within a range in which the door can be closed by the first door state detecting means for detecting the closed state of the door and the door opening / closing means. And a second door state detecting means for detecting a half-open state of the door installed in the door, and the door driving device closes the door after a predetermined time after detecting the door closed state. Even if the door is moved to the half-open position in order to open the door, the door can be opened manually while the door is in the half-open state for a specified time. In the middle of the door, the door is not closed by the driving means. Even if the user leaves the place in the half-open state, the door is closed by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed, so that the door is not left in the half-open state.

  In addition, since the second predetermined time when the door changes from the closed state to the half-open state is set longer than the first predetermined time when the door changes from the open state to the half-open state, Even when the opening operation requires a comparative force, that is, the operation time becomes longer, it can be manually opened and closed without a sense of incompatibility.

  In addition, since the setting means that can arbitrarily set the predetermined time when the door changes from the open state to the half-open state and the predetermined time when the door changes from the closed state to the half-open state is provided, It is possible to set the time according to the time, and even elderly people such as elderly people who have weak fingers and take a long time to open and close can safely operate.

  Further, since the door is driven to close after a predetermined time has passed after the notification by the notification means such as a buzzer, the user can know the closing operation start timing and can be operated safely.

It is a perspective view of the refrigerator of one embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the drive mechanism of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 from upper direction. It is a perspective view which shows the drive mechanism of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 from the downward direction. It is a figure explaining the opening operation | movement of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a figure explaining the closing operation | movement of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a figure explaining the position at the time of the stop of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure in the case of opening operation | movement of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure in the case of closing operation of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure started from the time of door full open of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a timing chart figure of control operation started from the time of door full open of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a control flow figure which starts from the time of door closing of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG. It is a timing chart figure of control operation started from the time of door closure of the door drive device of the refrigerator of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Refrigerator main body, 2 ... Cold storage room, 3 ... Switching room, 4 ... Ice making room, 5 ... Freezing room, 5a ... Freezing room door, 6 ... Vegetable room, 7 ... Operation display part, 8 ... Door open switch, 10 ... Door drive device, 11 ... slide rail, 12 ... container, 13 ... door handle, 14 ... magnet packing, 15 ... drive mechanism, 16 ... coupling plate, 17 ... door state detection means, 17a ... first door state detection means, 17b ... second door state detection means, 18 ... drive shaft, 19 ... rotary plate, 20 ... drive pin, 20a ... first drive pin, 20b ... second drive pin, 20c ... third drive pin, 21 ... receiving surface, 21a ... first receiving surface, 21b ... second receiving surface, 21c ... third receiving surface, 22 ... return surface, 23 ... opening direction, 24 ... motor, 25 ... motor pinion, 26 ... idler , 27 ... idler pion, 28 ... idler, 29 ... eyed Pion, 30 ... drive gear, 31 ... torque limiting means, 32 ... rotation detecting means, 33 ... movement amount, 34 ... retraction position, 35 ... opening amount, 36 ... arrow, 37a ... first tip, 37b ... second Front end, 38 ... gap, 39 ... gap, 40 ... origin range, 41 ... control unit, 42 ... timer unit, 70 ... notification means, 72 ... gap between doors, 92a ... timer T1 change switch, 92b ... timer T2 change switch.

Claims (6)

A refrigerator body forming a storage room;
A door for opening and closing the storage room;
A door driving device that electrically opens and closes the door;
First door state detecting means for detecting the closed state of the door;
A second door state detecting means for detecting a half-open state of the door positioned within a range in which the door can be closed by the door driving device;
In a refrigerator comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the door drive device,
The control unit determines a half-open state of the door based on a detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit, and when it is determined as a half-open state, a predetermined time is determined. Control is performed so that the door is driven by the door driving device after a lapse of time.   The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a transition from the fully open state to the half open state based on the detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit. The refrigerator is controlled so that the door is driven by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed when it is determined that the state has shifted from the fully open state to the half open state.   The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a transition from the closed state to the half-open state of the door based on a detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit. The refrigerator is controlled so that the door is driven by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed when it is determined that the closed state is shifted to the half-open state.   The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a transition from the fully open state to the half open state based on the detection state of the door by the first door state detection unit and the second door state detection unit. And controlling to drive the door by the door driving device after a first predetermined time has elapsed when it is determined that the fully-open state has shifted to the half-open state, and the first door state detecting means and A second predetermined time when it is determined that the door has shifted from the closed state to the half-open state based on the detection state of the door by the second door state detection means, and it has been determined that the door has shifted from the closed state to the half-open state. The refrigerator is controlled so that the door is driven by the door driving device after a lapse of time, and the second predetermined time is longer than the first predetermined time.   4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising setting means capable of arbitrarily setting the predetermined time.   4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a buzzer or the like, wherein the control unit drives the door by the door driving device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the notification by the notification unit. A refrigerator characterized by control.

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