JP2013061121A - Door structure of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to perform necessary operation on an operation part without hesitation by displaying only minimum information to be recognized by the user at a time point in a refrigerator having a display part which is also used for an operation part on a surface of a door.SOLUTION: A door front sheet 20 of a door 10 of a refrigerator 1 is formed of a translucent material. A display part 40 which is also used for an operation part and provided with illumination type display parts 49a-49e and electrostatic capacity type operation switches 46a-46f is arranged at a back side of the door front sheet 20. The operation switch 46a is superposed on a constantly visually recognizable mark 20a which is formed on the door front sheet 20 from the back side of the door front sheet 20. The operation switches 46b-46f are illumination type operation switches. When the operation switch 46a accepts the operation, one of the illumination type operation switches 46b-46f, and the illumination type display parts 49a-49e which indicates the presently set state of the refrigerator 1 is switched from a turned-off state to a turned-on state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator door structure.

  The refrigerator is provided with a display unit that displays a set state such as the internal temperature. In previous refrigerators, there were many examples in which the temperature setting dial provided in the cabinet also served as a display unit as it is, but in such a configuration, it is inconvenient to open the door one by one to know the setting state In addition, every time the set state is confirmed, there is a problem that the cold air escapes and the refrigeration efficiency is lowered. Therefore, in recent refrigerators, there are an increasing number of refrigerators provided with a display unit also serving as an operation unit on the surface of the door. Examples thereof can be seen in Patent Documents 1 to 3.

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, an operation switch that senses a change in capacitance is provided in contact with or close to the door front member of the storage compartment door. The input result of the operation switch is displayed on a display unit having illumination means.

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2, an operation panel is installed on the surface of any door of the storage room. When the changeover switch is operated, part or all of the information displayed on the display unit is turned off for a predetermined time, and then the next information is displayed.

  Patent Document 3 describes a cooling storage provided with a glass door. A conductive material is disposed on the back side of the glass door. When the user's finger touches the part of the glass door corresponding to the conductive material, the light source is turned on and the operation part is illuminated uniformly.

JP 2011-58662 A JP 2011-47550 A JP 2010-230225 A

  In the refrigerator provided with a display unit which also serves as an operation unit on the surface of the door, the user can perform necessary operations without hesitation by displaying only the minimum information that should be recognized by the user at that time. The purpose is to.

  In order to achieve the above object, the door structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention is such that a door front plate is formed of a light-transmitting material, and a plurality of illuminated display units and a plurality of capacitances are provided on the back side of the door front plate. An operation unit combined display unit having a system operation switch is arranged, and one of the plurality of operation switches is overlapped from the back side of the door front plate with a mark that is always visible on the door front plate, The plurality of operation switches excluding the one are illumination operation switches, and when the operation switch overlapping the mark receives an operation, the illumination operation switch and the current display of the refrigerator among the plurality of illumination display units It is characterized in that the setting state is changed from the unlit state to the lit state.

  In the door structure of the refrigerator configured as described above, the illuminated operation switch and the illuminated display unit that have been turned on from an unlit state return to the unlit state when the switch-free state continues for a first predetermined time. Is preferred.

  In the refrigerator door structure having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the operation switch overlapping the mark is set to have a longer operation time than the illuminated operation switch.

  In the refrigerator door structure configured as described above, it is preferable that the operation switch and the illumination type operation switch that overlap the mark do not accept an operation when the door is open.

  In the refrigerator door structure configured as described above, the operation switch and the illumination type operation switch that overlap the mark have a second predetermined time shorter than the first predetermined time after the door has changed from the open state to the closed state. It is preferable that no inter-operation is accepted.

  In the refrigerator door structure configured as described above, it is preferable that the illumination type operation switch is turned off for the second predetermined time.

  In the door structure of the refrigerator configured as described above, it is preferable that the illuminated operation switch blinks for a predetermined time after the operation is accepted.

  In the refrigerator door structure having the above-described configuration, the display color of at least one of the plurality of illumination type display units changes from the open state to the closed state when the door changes from the closed state to the open state. It is preferable to change over a predetermined time at at least one time point when turning.

  According to the present invention, when starting the setting operation of the refrigerator, the user need only concentrate on operating the operation switch that overlaps the mark that can be visually recognized at all times, and is wondering which operation switch should be operated. There is no. When no operation is performed, both the illuminated display unit and the illuminated operation switch are turned off, so that only one mark that is always visible remains and the design is simple. An energy saving effect is also obtained by not performing useless lighting.

It is a front view of a refrigerator. It is a front view of the door which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at a part of component of the door of FIG. 2 from the back direction. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the door of FIG. 2. It is an enlarged view of the encircled part of FIG. FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the door of FIG. 2. It is an enlarged view of the circled part of the left side of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the circled part of the right side of FIG. It is a 1st horizontal sectional view explaining attachment of a display unit. It is the 2nd horizontal sectional view explaining attachment of a display unit. It is a 3rd horizontal sectional view explaining attachment of a display unit. It is a 4th horizontal sectional view explaining attachment of a display unit. It is a figure which shows the structure of the display part of a display unit, and an operation part. It is a partial front view of the door surface. It is a partial front view of a door surface, and shows the state which the display changed from FIG. It is a partial front view of a door surface, and shows the state which the display changed further from FIG. It is a flowchart of a display operation. It is a figure which shows different embodiment of the display part and operation part of a display unit.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a refrigerator. The left side and the right side in FIG. 1 are expressed as “left” and “right” in the following description.

  There are a total of six doors in front of the refrigerator 1. The upper left door 10 and the upper right door 11 are doors that rotate to open and close the storage chamber. The door 10 has an open / close fulcrum on the left side, and the door 11 has an open / close fulcrum on the right side. The small door 12 located under the door 10 and the small door 13 located under the door 11 are both doors of a drawer type storage room. The door 14 located under the doors 12 and 13 and the door 15 located under the door 14 are also doors of a drawer type storage room. Among these doors, the door 10 includes the door structure according to the present invention.

  The structure of the door 10 is shown in FIGS. The door 10 has a door front plate 20 (see FIG. 5) made of a material having translucency. Glass or synthetic resin can be used as the light-transmitting material. In the case of glass, it is preferable to use tempered glass having a thickness of 3 mm to 4 mm.

  The door front plate 20 has an area that occupies almost the entire front surface of the door 10, and is held by a synthetic resin border member 21 that forms the four circumferences of the door 10. An inner surface plate 22 (see FIG. 5) having a predetermined shape formed by vacuum molding a synthetic resin plate is disposed on the back side of the door front plate 20. The inner surface plate 22 forms a heat insulation layer forming space 23 (see FIG. 4) between the door front plate 20 and the edging member 21. The synthetic resin is foamed inside the heat insulation layer forming space 23 to form the heat insulation layer 24 (see FIG. 5).

  A metal backup plate 30 is stacked on the back surface of the door front plate 20. The backup plate 30 has a lateral width of about 70% to 80% of the front width of the door front plate 20 and a height of about 70% to 80% of the height of the door front plate 20. From the viewpoint of strength and cost, the backup plate 30 is preferably configured using a steel plate having a thickness of 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm.

  The lower end of the backup plate 30 is bent so as to form a recess facing the back surface of the door front plate 20. This location serves as a holding portion 31 that forms a display unit arrangement space 32 (see FIG. 5) with the door front plate 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the display unit arrangement space 32 is formed at a lower position in the door 10. The border member 22 is formed with an inlet 33 (see FIG. 8) that leads to the display unit arrangement space 32. The inlet 33 is closed by a synthetic resin lid 34.

  The holding unit 31 holds a unit base 35 which is an injection molded product of synthetic resin. The unit base 35 also forms a recess facing the back surface of the door front plate 20 and has a height that fits almost exactly in the holding portion 31 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the width of the unit base 35 is larger than the width of the holding portion 31 and is almost the same as the width of the door front plate 20.

  The front edge of the unit base 35 is in close contact with the door front plate 20 as shown in FIG. The left edge of the unit base 35 is in close contact with the edge member 22 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the right edge of the unit base 35 is in close contact with the edge member 21 in such a manner that the inlet 33 is taken into the unit base 35.

  The display unit 40 is arranged inside the display unit arrangement space 32, more specifically, inside the unit base 35. A display unit for displaying the internal temperature of the refrigerator 1 and various setting states is provided on the front surface of the display unit 40. The display unit 40 also serves as an operation unit, and electrostatic capacity type operation switches are arranged at predetermined positions. Details of the display unit and the operation unit will be described later.

  Guide rails 36U and 36D that guide the insertion of the display unit 40 into the unit base 35 and support the display unit 40 after the insertion are formed on the upper and lower inner surfaces of the unit base 35. The guide rail 36U has a groove shape opened downward, and the guide rail 36D has a groove shape opened upward.

  The guide rails 36U and 36D not only guide the display unit 40 to move in the left-right direction but also give the display unit 40 movement in the front-rear direction. As a structure for that purpose, the guide surfaces 37L, 37R (see FIG. 9). ).

  The guide surface 37L is formed at the left end of the guide rails 36U and 36D, and the guide surface 37R is formed at the right end of the guide rails 36U and 36D. 9 to 11 show only guide surfaces 37L and 37R formed on the guide rail 36D.

  The guide surfaces 37L and 37R have slopes that gradually approach the door front plate 20. The guide surface 37L includes only a slope gradually approaching the door front plate 20, but the guide surface 37R is provided with a slope gradually separating from the door front plate 20 on the left side of the slope, and the planar shape is a mountain shape.

  From the upper and lower surfaces of the display unit 40, pins 41L and 41R that fit into the grooves of the guide rails 36U and 36D protrude. The pins 41L are provided in a pair of top and bottom at the left end of the display unit 40, and the pins 41R are provided in a pair of top and bottom at the right end of the display unit 40.

  The door 10 is assembled in the following procedure.

  The backup plate 30 is stacked on the back surface of the door front plate 20 held by the edge member 21. The unit base 35 is placed in the display unit arrangement space 32, and the edge of the unit base 35 is brought into close contact with the door front plate 20 and the edging member 21. The edge of the inner surface plate 22 is applied to the rim member 21, and the whole is held from the outside with a jig (not shown), and then the space inside the door front plate 20, the rim member 21, and the inner surface plate 22 is formed, that is, a heat insulating layer is formed. The synthetic resin is foamed in the space 23. Thereby, the heat insulation layer 24 is formed. The door front plate 20, the edging member 21, the inner surface plate 22, the backup plate 30, and the unit base 35 are firmly coupled by the heat insulating layer 24.

  Thereafter, the display unit 40 is inserted from the entrance 33 as shown in FIGS. Wiring for the display unit 40 may be completed before insertion, or may be a procedure for completing wiring after insertion.

  The pins 41L and 41R protruding upward from the display unit 40 are put in the grooves of the guide rail 36U, and the pins 41L and 41R protruding downward from the display unit 40 are put in the grooves of the guide rail 36D. The guide rails 36U and 36D receive the pins 41L and 41R one by one, support the display unit 40, and guide the display unit 40 along a predetermined path.

  Until the final phase of insertion of the display unit 40, the guide rails 36U and 36D keep the display unit 40 away from the door front plate 20. Thereby, the back surface of the door front plate 20 and the front surface of the display unit 40 rub against each other, and a situation in which one or both are damaged can be avoided.

  In the final phase of insertion of the display unit 40, the pin 41L hits the guide surface 37L, and the pin 41R hits the guide surface 37R. When the display unit 40 is still pushed after the pins 41L and 41R hit the guide surfaces 37L and 37R, the display unit 40 that has been separated from the door front plate 20 until now approaches the door front plate 20 and finally Is in close contact with the back surface of the door front plate 20 as shown in FIGS. It is preferable that the display unit 40 proceeds to “close contact” where the display unit 40 comes into contact with the door front plate 20 without a gap, but there is no particular problem even if the display unit 40 and the door front plate 20 face each other with a slight gap.

  After the display unit 40 is inserted to the end, the lid 34 is fitted into the inlet 33 as shown in FIG. The lid 34 presses the display unit 40 with its own elasticity to hold the display unit 40 without rattling, and keeps the display unit 40 and the door front plate 20 in close contact with each other.

  When the display unit 40 is in close contact with the door front plate 20, the display on the display unit can be clearly recognized through the door front plate 20. Also, the capacitive operation switch operates with high sensitivity.

  In the initial stage of insertion of the display unit 40, the pin 41L must get over the guide surface 37R. At this time, the left end of the display unit 40 once approaches the door front plate 20, but most of the display unit 40 is outside the entrance 33, so that the display unit 40 comes into contact with the door front plate 20. Absent.

  The guide rails 36U and 36D are both formed on the unit base 35 and are a single component. For this reason, the trouble of positioning the guide rails 36U and 36D is unnecessary, and the display unit 40 can be smoothly and accurately guided as it is. Further, since the unit base 35 is pressed against the door front plate 20 with foaming pressure as the heat insulating layer 24 is formed, the unit base 35 and the door front plate 20 are naturally maintained at the correct relative positions. Precise guidance for bringing the display unit 40 into close contact with the door front plate 20 in the final phase of insertion can be easily realized.

  The door front plate 20 is subjected to an opacity process except where the display unit 40 is visually recognized. Thereby, parts other than the display part of the display unit 40 cannot be seen, and the design is improved. For the opacity treatment, a method of printing on the back surface of the door front plate 20 and protecting the printed layer with a protective film can be used. A portion of the door front plate 20 where the display unit 40 can be viewed is the display unit on the door 10.

  The display unit 40 is configured as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, the display sheet 43 covers the front surface of the housing 42. The display sheet 43 is transparent, and characters and figures are printed at predetermined locations. On the back side of the display sheet 43, a plurality of light guide plates 44 and a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as “LED”) that illuminate them are arranged. The LED 45 emits light from the edge of the light guide plate 44 toward the inside of the light guide plate 44 to shine the light guide plate 44, and constitutes a so-called edge light source. The arrangement and configuration of the light guide plate 44 and the LED 45 will be described later. In addition, the light emission color of LED45 which appears in the following description is only an example, and does not limit the invention.

  A capacitive operation switch 46 is arranged on the front surface of the light guide plate 44 assigned to the operation switch. The operation switch 46 has a transparent electrode specification and transmits light emitted from the light guide plate 44.

  A control board 47 for controlling the operation of the display unit 40 is disposed inside the housing 42 on the opposite side of the light guide plate 44 with a partition wall 42a therebetween. The LED 45 is attached to the control board 47.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a total of 12 light guide plates 44 and a total of 6 operation switches 46 are arranged in the display unit 40. Alphabet branch codes are added for identification, and the light guide plates are 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g, 44h, 44i, 44j, 44k, 44l. The operation switches are 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f.

  The light guide plate 44 a is a horizontally long large plate, and is disposed at a position slightly lower to the right of the display unit 40. A total of five operation switches, that is, operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f, are arranged in a horizontal row on the front surface of the light guide plate 44a. On the operation switch 46b, the “power saving mode” character printed on the display sheet 43 and a frame surrounding it are overlapped. Similarly, the character “strongly deodorized” and a frame surrounding it are superimposed on the operation switch 46c, the character “refrigerated” and the frame surrounding it are superimposed on the operation switch 46d, and “vegetable” is displayed on the operation switch 46e. "And a frame surrounding it" are overlapped, and "ice making" and a frame surrounding it are overlapped on the operation switch 46f.

  There are a total of seven LEDs 45 combined with the light guide plate 44a. Among them, the five LEDs 45 are arranged on the lower edge of the light guide plate 44a in a one-to-one correspondence with the operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f. The remaining two LEDs 45 are arranged at the left and right ends of the light guide plate 44a. All the LEDs 45 combined with the light guide plate 44a emit white light.

  By being combined with the light guide plate 44a, the operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f are respectively illuminated operation switches.

  When the display unit 40 is fully inserted into the unit base 35, the operation switch 46a overlaps the mark 20a (see FIG. 14) formed on the door front plate 20 from the back side of the door front plate 20. The mark 20a is printed on the back surface of the door front plate 20 and is always visible. The mark 20a is composed of the characters “menu” and a frame surrounding it. Therefore, hereinafter, the operation switch 46a is referred to as a “menu switch”. As shown in FIG. 14, there is no mark other than the mark 20 a in a portion overlapping the display unit 40 in the door front plate 20, that is, the display portion.

  Both of the light guide plates 44b and 44c are horizontally long rectangles, and are arranged in the form of two upper and lower layers above the operation switch 46b. One LED 45 is arranged at the right end of each of the light guide plates 44b and 44c. The LED 45 combined with the light guide plates 44b and 44c can switch the emission color between orange and green.

  A tree figure 48a printed on the display sheet 43 is superimposed on the front surface of the light guide plates 44b and 44c. A combination of the light guide plates 44b and 44c and the tree figure 48a constitutes an illumination type display unit 49a.

  The light guide plate 44d is a vertically long rectangle and is disposed above the operation switch 46c. One LED 45 is disposed at the lower end of the light guide plate 44d. The LED 45 combined with the light guide plate 44d emits blue light.

  A dot matrix graphic 48b printed on the display sheet 43 is overlaid on the front surface of the light guide plate 44d. A combination of the light guide plate 44d and the dot matrix figure 48b constitutes an illumination display unit 49b.

  The light guide plates 44e and 44f are both horizontally long rectangles, and are arranged in a form of two-tiered upper and lower positions above the operation switch 46d.

  A total of two LEDs 45, one at each end, are disposed on the light guide plate 44e. All the LEDs 45 combined with the light guide plate 44e emit white light.

  In the light guide plate 44f, a total of five LEDs 45 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the horizontal row at the lower end. The five LEDs 45 are different in shape from the other LEDs 45. Of the five LEDs 45, three LEDs 45 in total, the left end, the center, and the right end, emit blue light. The two LEDs 45 sandwiched between them emit light in orange.

  On the front surface of the light guide plate 44e, characters of “ion monitor” printed on the display sheet 43 are superimposed. A dot matrix graphic 48c printed on the display sheet 43 is overlaid on the front surface of the light guide plate 44f. The combination of the light guide plates 44e and 44f, the characters “ion monitor” and the dot matrix figure 48c constitutes the illumination type display section 49c.

  The light guide plate 44g is a vertically long rectangle and is disposed above the operation switch 46e. One LED 45 is disposed at the lower end of the light guide plate 44g. The LED 45 combined with the light guide plate 44g emits blue light.

  A dot matrix figure 48d printed on the display sheet 43 is overlaid on the front surface of the light guide plate 44g. The combination of the light guide plate 44g and the dot matrix figure 48d constitutes the illumination type display unit 49d.

  The light guide plates 44h, 44i, 44j, 44i, and 44j are all horizontally long rectangles. The light guide plates 44h, 44i, and 44j are arranged vertically above the operation switch 46f, and the light guide plate 44k is located to the right of the light guide plate 44h. The light guide plates 44l are arranged side by side on the right side of the light guide plate 44j.

  Each of the light guide plates 44h, 44i, 44j is provided with one LED 45 at the left end. Each of the light guide plates 44k and 44l is provided with one LED 45 at the right end. All the LEDs 45 combined with the light guide plates 44h, 44i, 44j, 44k, and 44l emit white light.

  On the front surface of the light guide plate 44h, characters “transparent ice” printed on the display sheet 43 are superimposed. On the front surface of the light guide plate 44i, characters “Oisori” printed on the display sheet 43 are superimposed. On the front surface of the light guide plate 44j, “normal” characters printed on the display sheet 43 are superimposed. “Large” characters printed on the display sheet 43 are superimposed on the front surface of the light guide plate 44k. On the front surface of the light guide plate 44l, a “stop” character printed on the display sheet 43 is superimposed. The combination of the light guide plates 44h, 44i, 44j, 44k, and 44l and the characters “transparent ice”, “pain”, “normal”, “large”, and “stop” constitutes the illuminated display unit 49e.

  Next, display and operation of the display unit 40 will be described.

  The LED 45 is normally off, and as shown in FIG. 14, only the characters “menu” and a frame surrounding it are clearly visible in the display unit of the door 10. Accordingly, when the user tries to operate the refrigerator 1, the user extends his / her finger to the characters “Menu” without hesitation. Since the LED 45 is turned off, an energy saving effect can also be obtained.

  When a finger touches the “Menu” character (means that the finger touches the frame surrounding the “Menu” character. The characters “Power Saving Mode”, “Strong Deodorization”, “Refrigeration”, “Vegetable”, and “Ice Making” also apply. The menu switch 46a detects a change in capacitance and enters an operation acceptance state.

  The required operation time of the menu switch 46a is set longer than the required operation time of the illumination type operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f in order to prevent erroneous operation. For example, the illumination-type operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f are in an operation acceptance state immediately when a finger touches the superimposed character even for a moment, whereas the menu switch 46a changes to the “menu” character. The operation is not accepted unless the finger contact continues for about 1 second.

  When the menu switch 46a enters the operation acceptance state, the LED 45 provided on the light guide plate 44a is turned on. As a result, the illumination operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f are turned on, and the characters "power saving mode", "strong deodorization", "refrigeration", "vegetable", and "ice making" are enclosed on the surface of the door front plate 20. A frame emerges.

  About the illumination type display part 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d, 49e, only the display showing the present setting state of the refrigerator 1 will be in a lighting state. The currently set state is stored in a storage device provided on the control board 47. In the example illustrated in FIG. 15, the characters “normal” in the illumination display unit 49 c and the illumination display unit 49 e are in a lighting state. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the characters “transparent ice” in the illumination display units 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d and the illumination display unit 49e are in a lit state.

  The illuminated operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f can be operated only when the characters “power saving mode”, “strong deodorization”, “refrigeration”, “vegetables”, and “ice making” are lit. When a finger touches one of the lighted power saving mode, strong deodorization, refrigeration, vegetable, or ice making characters, the illuminated operation switch corresponding to the touched character enters the operation acceptance state, and the refrigerator 1 operation setting changes.

  When the character “power saving mode” is touched and the illuminated operation switch 46b is set to the operation acceptance state, the refrigerator 1 enters the power saving mode, and the illuminated display portion 49a is lit.

  When the user touches the “power saving mode” character once, the first power saving mode is set and the light guide plate 44c is turned on. As a result, the lower half of the tree figure 48a emerges. At this time, the LED 45 emits orange light. The user knows that the first power saving mode has been set by seeing the lower half of the tree figure 48a appearing orange.

  When the user touches the “power saving mode” character again, the second stage power saving mode is set, and the light guide plate 44b is turned on in addition to the light guide plate 44c. As a result, the entire tree figure 48a emerges. The LED 45 of the light guide plate 44b also emits orange light. The user knows that the second power saving mode has been set by observing that the entire tree figure 48a has been highlighted in orange.

  When the user touches the “power saving mode” character again, the third power saving mode is set. In the third power saving mode, the light emission colors of the LEDs 45 of the light guide plate 44c and the light guide plate 44b change from orange to green. The user knows that the third power saving mode has been set by observing that the entire tree figure 48a has been highlighted in green.

  When the user touches the “power saving mode” character again, the power saving mode is canceled and the illumination display unit 49a is turned off.

  When the character “strong deodorization” is touched with the finger and the illumination type operation switch 46c is set to the operation acceptance state, the refrigerator 1 enters the strong deodorization mode, and the illumination type display unit 49b is lit.

  The refrigerator 1 includes a storage room assigned to the refrigerator compartment (a storage room closed by the door 10 and the door 11 and common to the door 10 and the door 11) and a storage room assigned to the vegetable room (a drawer having the door 15). Each type of ion generator is provided in a storage chamber of the type. These ion generators generate positive ions and negative ions simultaneously to perform sterilization and deodorization. When the illumination type operation switch 46c is in the operation acceptance state, at least the ion generator in the refrigerator compartment is fully operated to generate a large amount of ions and perform strong deodorization.

  When the user touches the character “strong deodorization” again, the strong deodorization mode is canceled and the illumination type display unit 49b is turned off.

  The illumination type operation switch 46d is normally ON, the ion generator in the refrigerator is in operation, and the illumination type display unit 49c is lit. Touching the word “refrigerated” with a finger can stop the ion generator in the refrigerator. At the same time, the illuminated display unit 49c is also turned off. If a finger touches the word “refrigeration” again, the ion generator in the refrigerating chamber is restarted, and the illumination display unit 49c is also lit again.

  When a finger is touched on the letter “vegetable” and the illumination operation switch 46e is set in the operation acceptance state, the ion generator in the vegetable room is in an operation state, and the illumination display unit 49d is turned on. Thereby, sterilization and deodorization in the vegetable compartment are performed.

  When the letter “vegetable” is touched again, the ion generator in the vegetable compartment is stopped, and the illumination display 49d is turned off.

  Each time the finger touches the word “ice making”, the operating state of an ice making device (not shown) in the refrigerator 1 changes sequentially. The operating state changes in the order of “normal” → “pain” → “clear ice” → “large” → “stop” → “normal”.

  “Normal” means a normal ice making operation, and the light guide plate 44j is turned on.

  “Oisori” is a rapid ice making operation, and the light guide plate 44i is turned on.

  “Transparent ice” is an operation of making transparent ice, and the light guide plate 44h is turned on.

  “Large” refers to an operation of making large-scale ice, and the light guide plate 44k is turned on.

  “Stop” is to stop the ice making device, and the light guide plate 44l is turned on.

  In other words, when the illumination type display unit 49e is turned on, any one of the characters “Normal”, “Oisori”, “Transparent ice”, “Large”, and “Stop” is displayed.

  The illumination type operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, 46f and the illumination type display units 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d, 49e should be turned off immediately after the switch operation is completed and the setting state is confirmed. Is desirable. Therefore, in the present invention, the illumination type operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, 46f and the illumination type display units 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d, 49e that are switched from the off state to the on state are in a state in which no switch operation is performed. When the predetermined time continues, the light is turned off. The operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The flow in FIG. 17 starts when the refrigerator 1 is connected to the power source. In step # 101, all of the illumination type operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f and the illumination type display units 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d, and 49e that indicate the current setting state of the refrigerator 1 are turned off. Lights up.

  In step # 102, whether or not the user's finger has touched any of the illuminated operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f during the period from when the light is turned on until the first predetermined time has elapsed (exactly In other words, whether or not the user's finger touches any of the characters “power saving mode”, “strong deodorization”, “refrigeration”, “vegetable”, and “ice-making” is checked. For example, 2 minutes 30 seconds can be set as the first predetermined time. If the finger touches within the first predetermined time, the process proceeds to step # 103, and if not, the process proceeds to step # 104.

  If the process proceeds to step # 103, the touched illuminated switch is processed. When a plurality of illuminated operation switches are touched at the same time, it is determined that the contact is not intended by the user, and no response is made. The process returns from step # 103 to step # 102, and the timing of the first predetermined time is restarted. The lighting operation switch and the lighting display unit will continue to be lit.

  When the process proceeds to step # 104, the illuminated operation switch and the illuminated display unit that are lit are turned off. Therefore, only the mark 20a stands out on the surface of the door 10.

  The process proceeds from step # 104 to step # 105. In step # 105, it is checked whether the user's finger has touched the menu switch 46a (more precisely, the mark 20a) for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second). If touched for a predetermined time, the process returns to step # 101.

  Menu switch 46a and illuminated operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f do not accept operations when door 10 is open. This is because when the door 10 is pushed to close the door 10, the menu switch 46a and the illumination operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f may touch the hands and fingers, and such an unintended contact is caused. This is to prevent misconception as a contact for switch operation.

  The menu switch 46a and the illumination operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f are shorter than the first predetermined time (2 minutes and 30 seconds are exemplified) after the door 10 changes from the open state to the closed state. No operation is accepted during the second predetermined time (about several seconds). The door 10 may continue to be pushed until after the door 10 is closed. In such a case, the contact with the menu switch 46a and the illumination operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f is referred to as the contact for the switch operation. This is to prevent misidentification.

  The illumination type operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, 46f are turned off for the second predetermined time. This is to make the user recognize that the switch operation is not accepted.

  At least one of the illuminated display portions 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d, and 49e is at least one time when the door 10 changes from the closed state to the open state and when the door 10 changes from the open state to the closed state. The display color can be changed over a predetermined time. This is to make the user clearly recognize the change in the internal state due to the opening and closing of the door 10. In the embodiment, the idea is applied to the illumination type display unit 49c.

  If the door 10 is opened while the ion generator in the refrigerator compartment is operating, ions in the refrigerator compartment will flow out of the compartment, and the ion concentration inside the compartment will decrease. When the door 10 that has been opened is closed, the ion concentration in the cabinet is restored. In order to visually represent the change in the ion concentration, the display color of the light guide plate 44f of the illumination type display unit 49c is changed.

  When the door 10 is closed, among the five LEDs 45 combined with the light guide plate 44f, three of the blue light emission have a luminance of 100% and two of the orange light emission have a luminance of 0%. Therefore, the display color of the light guide plate 44f is blue.

  When the door 10 is opened, the luminance of the blue LED 45 is changed from 100% to 0% and the luminance of the orange LED 45 is changed from 0% to 100% over about 1 minute by PWM (pulse width modulation) control. For this reason, the display color of the light guide plate 44f changes from blue to orange. Thus, by changing the display color from blue to orange over a predetermined time, the user can visually recognize that the ion concentration in the chamber is gradually decreasing.

  When the opened door 10 is closed, the luminance of the blue LED 45 is changed from 0% to 100% and the luminance of the orange LED 45 is changed from 100% to 0% over about 1 minute by PWM control. For this reason, the display color of the light guide plate 44f changes from orange to blue. In this way, the display color changes from orange to blue over a predetermined time, so that the user can visually recognize that the ion concentration in the chamber is gradually recovering.

  When the user's finger touches the menu switch 46a and the illuminated operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f are turned on, the LED 45 of the light guide plate 44a is changed from 0% luminance to 100% luminance over several seconds by PWM control. It may be changed. Thus, the user can clearly recognize which switch should be touched after the menu switch 46a.

  A second embodiment of the display unit is shown in FIG. The light guide plate 44 that is a single member in the first embodiment is divided into five parts in the second embodiment. That is, the portion corresponding to the operation switch 46b is the light guide plate 44a1, the portion corresponding to the operation switch 46c is the light guide plate 44a2, the portion corresponding to the operation switch 46d is the light guide plate 44a3, and the portion corresponding to the operation switch 46e is the light guide plate. The portion corresponding to the operation switch 46f is a light guide plate 44a5.

  In the second embodiment, the illumination operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f can be illuminated independently. Therefore, only the illuminated operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f that have been operated can be blinked for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds). This makes it possible to clearly recognize which illuminated operation switches 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f have been operated, and the refrigerator 1 is easy to use even for elderly users.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention can be widely used for refrigerator door structures.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 10 Door 20 Door front plate 20a Mark 40 Display unit 46a Operation switch 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, 46f Illuminated operation switch 49a, 49b, 49c, 49d, 49e Illuminated display part

Claims (8)

Form the door front plate of the door that closes the storage room of the refrigerator with a translucent material,
On the back side of the door front plate, an operation unit combined display unit having a plurality of illuminated display units and a plurality of capacitance type operation switches is arranged,
One of the plurality of operation switches is overlapped from the back side of the door front plate with a mark that is always visible on the door front plate,
The plurality of operation switches excluding the one are illuminated operation switches,
When the operation switch that overlaps the mark receives an operation, the illumination operation switch and the one that indicates the current setting state of the refrigerator among the plurality of illumination display units change from a light-off state to a light-on state. Refrigerator door structure.   2. The illuminated operation switch and the illuminated display unit that have been switched from a light-off state to a light-on state return to a light-off state when the switch-free state continues for a first predetermined time. Refrigerator door structure.   3. The refrigerator door structure according to claim 1, wherein the operation switch overlapping the mark is set to have a longer operation time than the illuminated operation switch.   4. The refrigerator door structure according to claim 1, wherein the operation switch and the illumination type operation switch that overlap the mark do not accept an operation when the door is open. 5.   The operation switch that overlaps the mark and the illumination type operation switch do not accept an operation for a second predetermined time shorter than the first predetermined time after the door changes from an open state to a closed state. The refrigerator door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   6. The refrigerator door structure according to claim 5, wherein the illumination operation switch is turned off for the second predetermined time.   The refrigerator door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the illumination type operation switch blinks for a predetermined time after receiving an operation.   At least one time point when the display color of at least one illumination type display unit among the plurality of illumination type display units changes from the closed state to the open state and when the door changes from the open state to the closed state. The refrigerator door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the door structure changes over a predetermined time.

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