JP2016003845A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator having safety and high convenience.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a closing direction energization unit that energizes a door in a closing direction when the door is within a fixed range from a closed position of closing a storage chamber; an opening direction energization unit that energizes the door in an opening direction so that the door moves to a position beyond the fixed range; a movement detection unit S3 that detects the movement state of the opening direction energization unit; and a movement restriction unit that restricts movement in the closing direction of the door. The refrigerator stops energization of the opening direction energization unit and restricts movement in the closing direction of the door with the movement restriction unit, when the movement detection unit S3 detects abnormality of the movement operation of the door.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with a door release mechanism.

  Many refrigerators have a plurality of storage rooms and are provided with a door for opening and closing each storage room. If the door is not completely closed in the cooler, cold air escapes from the gap between the doors (external heat flows in), making it difficult to maintain the internal temperature of the storage chamber at a predetermined temperature. . Therefore, the cooling chamber has a closing direction in which when the door is within a certain range from the closed position, the door is moved to the closed position and urged with a constant force so as to hold the door in the closed position. An urging unit is provided. By the closing direction urging portion, the door can be reliably moved to the closing position, and the temperature rise of the storage chamber due to the escape of cold air is suppressed.

  In recent years, the size of refrigerators used at home has been increasing, and the maximum capacity of a single storage room has also increased. For example, in a drawer-type storage room that pulls out the door to the front, the door and a storage case that stores stored items are integrated, and the maximum storage capacity of the storage room increases, Weight is increasing. For this reason, the force for holding the door of the closing direction urging portion in the closed position is also increased. When the door is within a certain range from the closed position, the door is urged in the closing direction by the closing direction urging portion, so that it is difficult for the elderly and children who are weak to open the door. The convenience is bad.

  Therefore, a door opening mechanism is proposed that includes a motor, a pressing member that presses the door in the opening direction in accordance with linear movement, and conversion means that converts the rotational force of the motor into linear movement of the pressing member ( For example, refer to JP2001-280827). In the door opening mechanism, the maximum projecting dimension of the pressing member to the front is set so as to be able to get over the inclined portion which is the closing direction biasing portion. As a result, the door opening mechanism moves in the opening direction within a certain range from the closed state where force is required to open the door, so that the elderly can be easily opened even by powerless elderly people and children. It is.

JP 2001-280828 A, paragraphs 0028-0034.

  In the cooler, for example, the door opening operation of the door opening mechanism may not be completed due to an obstacle or the like in front of the door. In Patent Document 1, power is continuously supplied to the motor for a time determined by a timer circuit, and then the pressing member of the door opening mechanism is returned to the original position after the motor is disconnected. Therefore, if the door opening operation is not completed within a predetermined time after the start of the door opening operation, the pressing member of the door opening mechanism returns to the origin, and the door also returns to the closed position.

  However, since it is difficult for the user to know whether the door opening operation of the door opening mechanism has been completed, the door is opened only within a certain range from the closed position within a predetermined time. However, the user may misunderstand that the door opening operation has been completed, and may put a finger in the gap between the door and the storage chamber to further open the door. If the door is closed in this state, the user's hand may be caught between the door and the storage chamber, causing an accident such as injury.

  In addition, since electric power is continuously supplied to the motor within the determined time, electric power may be supplied even when the motor cannot rotate, which may cause problems such as the motor being burned.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the safe and highly convenient refrigerator which solved the above subjects.

  In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a door for opening and closing a storage chamber, and biasing the door in a closing direction when the door is within a certain range from a closed position for closing the storage chamber. A closing direction urging portion, an opening direction urging portion that urges the door in the opening direction so that the door moves to a position beyond the certain range, and a movement state of the opening direction urging portion. A movement detecting unit that detects movement and a movement restriction unit that restricts movement of the door in the closing direction. When the movement detecting unit detects an abnormality in the moving operation of the opening direction biasing unit, The urging of the urging portion is stopped and the movement restricting portion restricts the movement of the door in the closing direction.

According to this configuration, the range in which the urging force (power) of the opening direction urging unit reaches covers the range in which the closing direction urging unit urges the force in the closing direction. Even in the range where the force is urging force in the closing direction, the door can be opened by the urging force (power) of the opening direction urging portion. And, in such a state that the urging force of the opening direction urging portion is urging, when an abnormality is detected in the moving state of the opening direction urging portion, the urging of the door in the opening direction is stopped. In addition, since the movement restricting unit that restricts the movement of the door in the closing direction is provided, the door can be stopped, and a finger or an object may be caught between the door and the object may be damaged. Accidents such as accidents can be suppressed.

  In addition, the movement state of the door may be such that the door stops, or a part of the body such as the user's hand or foot touches, and the movement speed slightly changes. It may be of the same degree. By making it possible to detect slight movements, it is possible that the door will come into contact with the hands and feet vigorously if the hands and feet are not removed from the front of the door due to shakiness or misunderstanding when operating the door. Can be suppressed.

  The said structure WHEREIN: After the said movement limitation part restrict | limits the movement of the said door in the closing direction, the said opening direction biasing part may be made to restart the biasing of the said door in the opening direction. With this configuration, even when there is a temporary abnormality in the movement of the door and the movement of the door stops, the door can be opened when the temporary abnormality is resolved. Thereby, convenience can be improved.

  In the above-described configuration, the movement detection unit detects an abnormality, and the opening direction biasing unit returns to a position when the door is in the closed position after a limit of the movement limit of the door in the closing direction has elapsed. May be. Since the door is closed after it is determined that the user's safety is sufficiently secured after a certain period of time, leakage of cold air in the storage room can be suppressed.

  In the above configuration, the apparatus further includes a door stress detection unit capable of detecting a force acting on the door, and after the movement restriction unit restricts movement of the door in the closing direction, the door stress detection unit When it is detected that a certain force or more is applied to the door in the closing direction, the movement restriction unit releases the restriction on the movement of the door in the closing direction, and the opening direction biasing unit You may make it return to the position when is in a closed position. According to this configuration, even when an attempt is made to push back the door by applying a force in the closing direction, the movement in the closing direction of the door is once limited, so that it is possible to suppress an accident that pinches a finger or an article in the gap. it can. Then, since the door is closed so that the door is closed when force is applied to the door, the door can be closed without making the user feel uncomfortable while ensuring the safety of the user.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The door contact / separation detection part which can detect the contact / separation of the said opening direction biasing part and the said door is provided, and the said door contact / separation detection part separates the said door and the said opening direction biasing part. When detecting that, the opening direction biasing portion may return to the position when the door is in the closed position. According to this configuration, when the user manually moves the door in the opening direction, the biasing or movement restriction of the door is released, and the opening direction biasing portion returns to the position when the door is in the closed position. Therefore, even if the user performs a manual door opening operation during the door opening operation, the user can open and close the door without feeling uncomfortable.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the refrigerator provided with the door opening mechanism which can open a door safely can be provided.

It is a front view of a refrigerator. It is a schematic arrangement drawing of the lower freezer compartment of the refrigerator concerning the present invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the position of the front-back direction of a storage case, and the position of a height direction when a drawer door moves from a closed state. It is a figure which shows the structure of an opening direction biasing part. It is a block diagram of the drive mechanism which drives an opening direction biasing part. It is a flowchart which shows the door opening operation | movement of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a flowchart of the door opening operation | movement of the other examples of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a block diagram of the drive mechanism which drives the opening direction biasing part of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a flowchart of the door opening operation | movement of the other examples of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a block diagram of the drive mechanism which drives the opening direction biasing part of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a flowchart of the door opening operation | movement of the other examples of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a block diagram of the drive mechanism which drives the opening direction biasing part of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a flowchart of the door opening operation | movement of the other examples of the refrigerator concerning this invention.

A cooling chamber according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator. In the following description, the top, bottom, left, and right are the top, bottom, left, and right when facing the front of the refrigerator as shown in FIG. Similarly, the front and rear sides of the refrigerator are the front side (front side in FIG. 1) and the back side (back side in FIG. 1) is the rear.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the refrigerator Rf, the refrigerator compartment 1 is arranged at the uppermost stage, and the ice making room 2 and the upper freezer compartment 3 arranged in the left and right are arranged at the lower part thereof. A lower freezer compartment 4 is arranged below the ice making chamber 2 and the upper freezer compartment 3, and a vegetable compartment 5 is arranged at the lowest level.

  As shown in FIG. 1, hinged doors 101 and 102 that rotate in the lateral direction (left or right) about a rotation axis are provided in the front of the refrigerator compartment 1. The hinge doors 101 and 102 are doors that can be opened and closed independently.

  Each of the ice making chamber 2, the upper freezing chamber 3, the lower freezing chamber 4, and the vegetable chamber 5 is a drawer-type storage chamber that opens and closes together with the storage chamber by sliding horizontally in the front-rear direction. The ice making room 2, the upper freezing room 3, the lower freezing room 4, and the vegetable room 5 are provided with drawer doors 201, 301, 401, and 501 on the front side, respectively.

  The lower freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 are box-shaped storage spaces 400 and 500, drawer doors 401 and 501 disposed on the front side of the storage spaces 400 and 500, and a storage case 402 connected to the drawer doors 401 and 501. , 502.

  When the lower freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 slide the drawer doors 401 and 501, the storage cases 402 and 502 also slide together. The lower freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 are large, and the storage cases 402 and 502 become heavy when articles are stored inside. Therefore, in the refrigerator Rf of the present invention, the lower freezing compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 are provided with an opening direction biasing portion 6 that biases the drawer doors 401 and 501 in the opening direction.

  Each of the drawer doors 401 and 501 is provided with a switch 10 operated by an operator, and the opening direction urging unit 6 is operated by the operation of the switch 10. In addition, although the switch 10 is attached to the front in the drawer doors 401 and 501 shown in FIG. 1, it is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to be provided on the handle of the drawer doors 401 and 501 and detect the operation of the handle. Further, the switch 10 may be provided at a place other than the drawer doors 401 and 501, for example, on one front surface of the hinge doors 101 and 102, and other operation switches and a display unit may be integrated into a central operation panel. it can. Furthermore, the switch 10 can be a non-contact sensor or a voice sensor.

  Although the opening direction urging | biasing part 6 which is the principal part of the refrigerator concerning this invention below is arrange | positioned in both the lower stage freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5, since all are the same structures, in the following description, The open direction urging unit 6 provided in the lower freezer compartment 4 and the lower freezer compartment 4 will be described on behalf of both.

  First, the details of the lower freezer compartment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic layout diagram of the lower freezer compartment of the refrigerator according to the present invention. In FIG. 2, the right side is the front side (front side) of the refrigerator Rf, and the left side is the back side (back side).

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the lower freezer compartment 4, the storage space 400 is a part of the housing of the refrigerator Rf, and is surrounded by a heat insulator and includes a duct (not shown) through which cool air flows. Yes. In addition, a heat insulator is also arranged inside the drawer door 401 to prevent heat from entering from the drawer door 401. The drawer door 401 has a structure in which the drawer space 401 is sealed by a magnet-containing packing or the like provided between the front side of the drawer space 400 and the back side of the drawer door 401. Suppresses escaping to the outside. A position where the drawer door 401 seals the storage space 400 is a closed position P1 of the drawer door 401.

  The drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are integrally slid back and forth in the storage space 400 by the guide portion 41. The guide unit 41 includes a fixed rail 42, a moving rail 43, a fixed roller 44, and a moving roller 45. The fixed rails 42 extend in the front-rear direction and are fixed to the inner walls on the left and right sides of the storage space 400 of the lower freezer compartment 4. The moving rail 43 is provided on the back surface of the drawer door 401 and extends in the front-rear direction, and supports the left and right sides of the storage case 402.

  The fixed roller 44 is rotatably provided at the front part of the inner wall on the left and right sides of the storage space 400. The moving roller 45 is rotatably provided at the rear part of the moving rail 43.

  The fixed rail 42 and the moving rail 43 are formed in a U-shaped cross section so that the moving roller 45 and the fixed roller 44 can be fitted to each other so as to be able to roll. The fixed roller 44 slides on the lower surface of the upper wall of the moving rail 43, and the moving roller 45 slides on the upper surface of the lower wall of the fixed rail 42 or the lower surface of the upper wall to guide the moving rail 43 and the storage case 402 back and forth. Is done. Note that the moving roller 45 changes depending on the position of the drawer door 401, in other words, depending on the position of the center of gravity of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402, whether the portion contacting the fixed rail 42 is the lower wall or the upper wall.

  That is, when the center of gravity of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 is on the rear side of the fixed roller 44, the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are lowered downward, so that the moving roller 45 is located on the upper surface of the lower wall of the fixed rail 42. Contact with. On the other hand, when the center of gravity of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 is in front of the fixed roller 44, the drawer roller 401 and the storage case 402 are lowered forward, so that the moving roller 45 is placed on the lower surface of the upper wall of the fixed rail 42. Contact.

  Further, an inclined portion 431 whose front is inclined upward is formed at the front end of the upper wall of the moving rail 43. The rear end of the fixed rail 42 is formed with an inclined portion 421 whose back is lowered. When the fixed roller 44 slides with the inclined portion 431, the moving roller 45 slides with the inclined portion 421. By the inclined portion 421 and the inclined portion 431, the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are lowered by a predetermined amount (for example, 2.5 mm) when moved to the back.

  The drawer door 401 is moved later, the fixed roller 44 slides on the inclined portion 431, and the moving roller 45 slides on the inclined portion 421, so that the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are moved downward by their own weights and rearward. The drawer door 401 moves to the closed position P1. Therefore, when the drawer door 401 (door) is in a certain range from the closed position, the sloped portion 421 and the sloped portion 431 and the moving roller 45 and the fixed roller 44 that slide respectively attach the drawer door 401 in the closing direction. A closing direction urging portion is formed.

  Further, a stopper 422 that protrudes downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall of the front end of the fixed rail 42. The stopper 422 contacts the moving roller 45 that moves forward together with the storage case 402. When the moving roller 45 comes into contact with the stopper 422, the forward movement of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 is restricted.

  In the present embodiment, as the closing direction urging portion, the one using the inclination of the rail and the weight of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 is adopted, but is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to employ one using a magnetic force, one using a spring and a hook, or the like. Moreover, it is not limited to these, What can urge the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 in the closing direction when the drawer door 401 is within a certain range from the closed position can be widely adopted.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the position in the front-rear direction and the position in the height direction of the storage case when the drawer door moves from the closed state. FIG. 3 shows the position of the drawer door 401 in the front-rear direction and the positions of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 in the vertical direction, with the origin when the drawer door 401 is in the closed position P1.

  When the drawer door 401 is moved in the opening direction from the closed position P1, the fixed roller 44 is in contact with the inclined portion 431 of the moving rail 43 and the moving roller 45 is in contact with the inclined portion 421 of the fixed rail 42. 401 and the storage case 402 are biased in the closing direction by their own weight (by the closing direction biasing portion). At this time, as the drawer door 401 is pulled out, the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 move upward.

  The fixed roller 44 reaches the boundary portion between the inclined portion 431 and the horizontal portion of the moving rail 43, and the moving roller 45 reaches the boundary portion between the inclined portion 421 and the horizontal portion of the fixed rail 42. The biasing force in the closing direction due to the weight of the storage case 402 is eliminated. That is, the biasing in the closing direction of the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 by the closing direction biasing portion is released. In addition, the boundary position of the drawer door 401 where the urging force by the closing direction urging portion acts is defined as a closing direction urging front end position P2. That is, when the drawer door 401 is between the closing position P1 and the closing direction biasing front end position P2, that is, within a certain range from the closing position, the closing direction biasing section closes the drawer door 401 (and the storage case 402). It will be energized.

  In the lower freezer 4, when the drawer door 401 is in the closing direction biasing front end position P <b> 2 from the closing position P <b> 1, it is biased in the closing direction from the closing direction biasing portion, so a large force is required to pull out the drawer door 401. There is. Therefore, in the lower freezer compartment 4, the opening direction biasing portion 6 biases the drawer door 401, and the drawer door 401 is moved from the closed state P1 to the opening direction biasing completion position P3. Next, details of the opening direction biasing portion 6 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of the opening direction urging portion.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the opening direction biasing portion 6 is disposed on the upper surface of the lower wall of the storage space 400 of the lower freezer compartment 4. And the opening direction biasing part 6 is arrange | positioned so that the lower part of the drawer door 401 can be pushed by the door biasing part 62 mentioned later. That is, in the lower freezer compartment 4, in the drawer door 401, the urging force from the opening direction urging portion 6 acts on the lower central portion of the drawer door 401, so that the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 move in the opening direction. .

  As shown in FIG. 4, the opening direction urging unit 6 includes a motor 61, a door urging unit 62, and a power transmission unit 63. The motor 61 is a rotary electric motor that rotates the output shaft 611 when electric power is supplied. The door urging portion 62 is a member that presses the drawer door 401 and pushes the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 in the opening direction when moving in the forward direction. The door urging portion 62 is provided to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The position where the door urging portion 62 has moved most rearward is the origin position, and when the door urging portion 62 is at the origin position, the drawer door 401 is in the closed position P1.

  The power transmission unit 63 transmits the power (rotation) of the output shaft 611 of the motor 61 to the door urging unit 62. The power transmission unit 63 includes a worm 630, a first gear 631, a second gear 632, a third gear 633, and a rack gear 634.

  The worm 630 is a screw gear fixed to the output shaft 611 of the motor 61 and having a spiral groove. The worm 630 rotates integrally with the output shaft 611. The first gear 631 is a worm wheel that can mesh with the worm 630, and is a helical gear here. As the output shaft 611 of the motor 61 rotates, the power (rotational force) is transmitted to the first gear 631 via the worm 630, and the first gear 631 rotates.

  The first gear 631 and the second gear 632 are in mesh with each other, and the rotation of the first gear 631 is transmitted to the second gear 632. The second gear 632 and the third gear 633 rotate integrally so as to have the same axis. The rack gear 634 is provided on the side surface of the door urging portion 62 and meshes with the third gear 633. The rotational force of the third gear 633 is transmitted as a linear force of the door urging portion 62 via the rack gear 634.

  In the opening direction urging unit 6, power (rotational force) output from the motor 61 is converted into linear movement of the door urging unit 62 using the power transmission unit 63. When the power of the motor 61 is transmitted from the worm 630 to the first gear 631, the rotational speed is reduced (decelerated), but the torque is increased (amplified).

  The rotational speed is also reduced when power is transmitted from the first gear 631 to the second gear 632. Further, since the third gear 633 that rotates integrally with the second gear 632 has a smaller radius of rotation than the second gear 632, even if the rotation angle is the same, the amount of movement on the outer periphery of the gear is reduced, resulting in deceleration. . Therefore, the power transmission unit 63 decelerates the rotation of the motor 61 and amplifies the power to transmit it to the door urging unit 62. That is, even if the torque of the motor 61 is small, the door urging portion 62 can press the drawer door 401 with a large force. The opening direction urging unit 6 uses three gears, a worm, and a rack gear for power transmission. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the drawer door is opened by the power of the motor. It is possible to widely adopt a configuration that can be energized so as to be moved.

  The opening direction biasing portion 6 may be biased to the drawer door 401 at least until the drawer door 401 reaches the closing direction biasing front end position P2. However, depending on the position accuracy of the closing direction biasing front end position P2, the state of the mounting location, the storage state in the storage case 402, and the like, when the biasing ends at the closing direction biasing front end position P2, the drawer door 401 moves in the closing direction. It may move. Therefore, the opening direction biasing portion 6 used in the refrigerator Rf according to the present invention is a position (opening direction biasing) where the drawer door 401 moved from the closing position P1 moves beyond a closing direction biasing front end position P2. The urging is performed until the urging completion position P3 (see FIG. 3).

  That is, in FIG. 3, the drawer door 401 is urged in the closing direction from the closing direction urging portion and from the opening direction urging portion 6 to the opening direction from the closing position P1 to the closing direction urging front end position P2. Is being energized. When the urging force from the opening direction urging unit 6 is larger than the urging force from the closing direction urging unit, the drawer door 401 moves in the opening direction.

  Further, the drawer door 401 is urged in the opening direction from the opening direction urging portion 6 from the closing direction urging front end position P2 to the opening direction urging completion position P3. Therefore, the drawer door 401 moves in the opening direction. And if the drawer door 401 moves ahead rather than the opening direction biasing completion position P3, the front end of the door biasing part 62 will move away from the drawer door 401. As a result, the urging force of the opening direction urging portion 6 does not act on the drawer door 401, but the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 move in the opening direction by inertial force.

  Next, the movement restriction unit that restricts the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction due to the urging of the closing direction urging unit will be described. In this embodiment, the power transmission unit 63 is decelerated using a worm gear including a worm 630 and a first gear (worm wheel) 631. Generally, as a characteristic of the worm gear, power transmission from the worm 630 to the first gear (worm wheel) 631 is performed, but power transmission from the first gear (worm wheel) 631 to the worm 630 is difficult to be performed.

  In this embodiment, this characteristic can be used to prevent the drawer door 401 from moving in the closing direction when the motor 61 is stopped. That is, in the opening direction urging unit 6, the worm 630 and the first gear 631 serve as a part of the power transmission unit 63 that transmits power from the motor 61 to the door urging unit 62, and the door urging unit 62. A movement restricting portion is also configured to prevent transmission of power in the reverse direction from the motor 61 to the motor 61 and restrict movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction.

  Note that the movement restriction unit is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, you may provide the braking part (brake) which brakes at least one part of the power transmission part 63. FIG. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which brakes the output shaft 611 of the motor 61, for example, connects an appropriate electric load to the electric power input part of the motor 61 at the time of the stop of the motor 61, and the counter electromotive force by rotation of the output shaft 611 is consumed. In this way, it is possible to obtain a braking effect by increasing the axial load. Moreover, you may provide the braking part which brakes the movement of door urging | biasing part 62 itself. Note that such a braking unit is configured to release braking in accordance with the start of operation of the motor 61.

  In the opening direction urging unit 6, it is necessary to confirm the pressing state of the drawer door 401 by the door urging unit 62. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a drive mechanism for driving the opening direction biasing portion. As shown in FIG. 5, the opening direction urging unit 6 includes a door urging unit origin detecting unit S1, a door urging completion detecting unit S2, a motor state detecting unit S3, and a control unit Cont. In addition, a switch 10 for inputting an instruction (in this case, an instruction to perform an opening operation) from the operator to the opening direction urging unit 6 is also connected to the control unit Cont.

  The controller Cont has a configuration including arithmetic circuits such as a CPU and MPU. The control part Cont performs a calculation for controlling the motor 61 based on information from the door urging part origin detecting part S1, the door urging completion detecting part S2, and the motor state detecting part S3. The control unit Cont is connected to a timer unit Tm, and includes a timer circuit that detects the time from the start of each control operation.

  The door urging unit origin detection unit S1 and the door urging completion detection unit S2 include sensors that detect the position of the door urging unit 62. The door urging portion origin detecting unit S1 is arranged so that the position of the side surface of the door urging portion 62 when the door urging portion 62 is at the origin position can be detected. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the door urging unit origin detection unit S <b> 1 is arranged to monitor the door urging unit 62 in a direction crossing the moving direction of the door urging unit 62. In the case of a device equipped with a sensor capable of measuring the above, it may be detected that the door urging portion 62 is approaching within a certain range.

  As the door urging unit origin detection unit S1, a rear end of the door urging unit 62 may be detected using a non-contact sensor such as an optical sensor, a distance measuring sensor, an electrostatic sensor, or the like. You may make it detect the origin position of the door biasing part 62 using physical switches, such as a switch. Further, the door urging portion origin detection unit S1 is not limited to these, and a wide range of devices that can detect that the position of the door urging portion 62 is at the origin position can be used.

  The door biasing completion detection unit S2 detects the position of the door biasing unit 62 from the side. The door urging completion detection unit S2 is arranged so as to detect that the door urging unit 62 has moved until the drawer door 401 moves to the opening direction urging completion position P3.

  The motor state detection unit S3 includes a sensor that detects a current value applied to the motor 61. The motor state detection unit S3 may directly detect a current flowing through the circuit, or may use a voltage detection sensor that detects the current without contact. In the motor 61, the current value also changes as the load (output power) changes. Therefore, the control unit Cont detects the state of the motor 61 such that the load of the motor 61 is increasing, the load is decreasing, or stopped based on the current information from the motor state detecting unit S3. Is possible. For example, when the movement of the door urging unit 62 is restricted, the load on the motor 61 increases. At this time, it is possible to detect that the movement of the door urging unit 62 is restricted by detecting a change in the current supplied to the motor 61 by the motor state detection unit S3.

  The drawer door 401 is pushed by the door urging unit 62, and the movement direction and movement speed (the movement state) of the drawer door 401 are the rotation direction, rotation speed (rotation speed) of the motor 61 and the power transmission unit 63. This is determined by the gear ratio (reduction ratio). That is, the moving state of the drawer door 401 can be detected by detecting the rotation direction and rotation speed of the motor 61. Therefore, in the opening direction urging unit 6, the motor state detection unit S3 is used as a movement detection unit.

  The motor state detection unit S3 is not limited to the detection unit that measures the power (current, voltage) of the motor 61. For example, a sensor that detects the rotational speed (rotational speed) of the output shaft of the motor 61, and the rotational speed (rotational speed) of any of the first gear 631, the second gear 632, and the third gear 633 of the power transmission unit 63 are detected. A configuration that can detect the rotation state of the motor 61, such as a sensor that performs the above, can be widely employed.

  Since the reduction ratio of the power transmission unit 63 is constant, the time until the drawer door 401 moves from the closing position P1 to the closing direction biasing front end position P2 by controlling the rotation speed of the motor 61 to be constant. Is constant. Utilizing this, the time until the door urging completion detecting unit S2 no longer detects the door urging unit 62 after the door urging unit origin detecting unit S1 does not detect the door urging unit 62 is measured. When measured by Tm and the time is larger than the threshold value, it can be determined that the movement of the door urging unit 62 is abnormal (for example, stopped). That is, the time measuring unit Tm, the door urging unit origin detecting unit S1, and the door urging completion detecting unit S2 can be used as the movement detecting unit.

  Based on the information from the door urging unit origin detection unit S1 and the door urging completion detection unit S2, the control unit Cont locates the drawer door 401 within the range from the closing position P1 to the opening direction urging completion position P3. Can be detected. Further, it is possible to detect the movement state of the drawer door 401 (stopped, slow movement due to a load, etc.) using the motor state detection unit S3.

  Next, the door opening operation | movement of the lower freezer 4 of the refrigerator Rf concerning this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the door opening operation of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

  As described above, the opening operation for urging the drawer door 401 by the opening direction urging unit 6 is performed when the closing direction urging unit is urged in the closing direction. Therefore, when the drawer door 401 is in front of the closing direction biasing front end position P2, no opening operation is required. The opening operation of the drawer door 401 is started when an operation (pushing operation) of the switch 10 provided on the front surface of the drawer door 401 is performed.

  Therefore, when the control part Cont confirms the operation of the switch 10 by the user (step S101), the control part Cont confirms whether or not the drawer door 401 is open based on the information from the door opening state detection part (step S101). S100). In addition, the door opening state detection part is conventionally used widely for a refrigerator, and it abbreviate | omits for details. If the drawer door 401 has already been opened (Yes in step S100), it is determined that the opening operation for urging the drawer door 401 by the opening direction urging unit 6 is unnecessary, and the opening operation is terminated. When it is determined that the drawer door 401 is closed (No in Step S100), the control unit Cont draws based on information from the door biasing part origin detection part S1 and the door biasing completion detection part S2. It is confirmed whether or not the door 401 is between the closing position P1 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3 (step S102).

  Whether or not the drawer door 401 is within the range between the closing position P1 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3 is based on information detecting the door biasing unit 62 from the door biasing completion detection unit S2. It is possible to confirm based on. When the drawer door 401 is in the closed position P1 or in the opening direction biasing completion position P3, it is determined that it is between the closing position P1 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3.

  When the drawer door 401 is not within the range between the closed position P1 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3 (No in step S102), the control part Cont reaches the position where the drawer door 401 exceeds the opening direction biasing completion position P3. It is determined that the door urging unit 62 has moved forward, and the door urging unit 62 is pulled back to the origin position by rotating the motor in reverse (step S108). At this time, the operation of the movement restriction unit is also released at the same time. And if it confirms that the door urging | biasing part 62 returned to the origin position based on the detection information from the door closed state detection part S1, opening operation will be complete | finished.

  When the drawer door 401 is in the closing position P1 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3 (Yes in Step S102), the opening direction biasing unit 6 performs an opening operation on the drawer door 401 (Step S103). That is, supply of electric power to the motor 61 is started, and the motor 61 is driven to rotate forward. When the motor 61 is driven in the forward rotation, the door urging portion 62 moves forward, and the door urging portion 62 urges the drawer door 401, so that the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 move in the opening direction (forward). To do.

  For example, when the opening direction urging unit 6 urges the drawer door 401 in the opening direction, there are parts of the body such as the user's hands and feet on the front surface of the drawer door 401, and there are heavy objects. Then, the movement operation of the drawer door 401 is hindered. As described above, when the movement operation of the drawer door 401 is hindered, an abnormality occurs in the movement operation such as the movement speed of the drawer door 401 being lowered or stopped.

  At this time, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the movement operation of the drawer door 401 by detecting a change in the operation of the motor 61 by the motor state detection unit S3. For this reason, the control unit Cont monitors the information of the motor state detection unit S3, and the control unit Cont determines whether or not the moving operation of the drawer door 401 is abnormal based on the information from the motor state detection unit S3 ( Step S104). For example, when the rotational speed of the motor 61 decreases due to an abnormality in the movement operation such as the movement speed of the drawer door 401 being lowered or stopped, the direct current component of the current supplied to the motor 61 is increased and supplied to the motor 61. It is considered that the pulsation period of the voltage or current is reduced.

  If there is no abnormality in the movement operation of the drawer door 401 (No in step S104), the control unit Cont determines that there is no problem even if the opening direction biasing section 6 biases the drawer door 401 in the opening direction, Returning to step S102, the operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 is continued. If the drawer door 401 is pushed to the opening direction biasing completion position P3 while there is no abnormality in the movement operation of the drawer door 401, the door biasing part 62 is pulled back to the origin position by reversely rotating the motor (step S108). ) When it is confirmed that the door urging unit 62 has returned to the origin position based on the detection information from the door closed state detection unit S1, the door opening operation is terminated.

  For example, suppose that the movement of the drawer door 401 in the opening direction is restricted because a part of the user's hand, foot, or the like hits the front surface of the drawer door 401. At this time, if it is further pushed by the opening direction urging unit 6, a part of the user's body such as a hand or a foot is forcibly pushed by the drawer door 401, which may cause injury. When the drawer door 401 is closer to the closing position P1 than the closing direction biasing front end position P2, the drawer door 401 is biased in the closing direction from the closing direction biasing portion. There is a risk that a part of the body may be caught in the gap between the door 401 and the storage space 400, which increases the risk.

  Further, when the drawer door 401 stops halfway, there is a case where a finger is put into the gap between the drawer door 401 and the storage space 400 to open the drawer door 401. If the case 402 is heavy, an accident in which a finger is caught occurs.

  Therefore, in the refrigerator Rf, when the moving operation of the drawer door 401 is abnormal (here, the supply current to the motor 61 fluctuates) (Yes in step S104), the control unit Cont activates the opening direction. The operation of the unit 6 (operation of the motor 61) is stopped, and the movement limiting unit (worm 630 and first gear 631) is used to limit the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction (step S105).

  As described above, when there is an abnormality in the movement operation of the drawer door 401, the urging of the drawer door 401 in the opening direction is stopped (abnormally stopped) and the movement in the closing direction is restricted. This prevents accidents caused by the drawer door 401 pressing a part of the body such as a hand or a foot on the front surface of the drawer door 401, or accidents caused by a finger or the like being caught in the gap between the drawer door 401 and the storage space 400. Is possible.

  When the movement of the drawer door 401 is stopped in step S105, the control unit Cont warns the user that the drawer door 401 is stopped during the movement by using an alarm device (not shown) (step S105). S106). Accordingly, it is possible to notify the user that the opening direction urging unit 6 has stopped abnormally and to prompt the removal of the cause of the abnormal stop.

  The warning may be issued immediately after the drawer door 401 stops abnormally. In this case, it can be expected that the cause of the abnormal stop is eliminated as soon as possible, so that the outflow of cold air from the inside of the lower freezer compartment 4 can be minimized. The warning may be issued after a predetermined time after the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped. In this case, a warning can be issued after the user has fully recognized the abnormal stop of the drawer door 401, thereby preventing the user from being panicked.

  The alarm device may be an audio notification device that makes an alarm sound, or may be a visual notification device such as a liquid crystal panel or LED that indicates the state of the refrigerator Rf. As the voice notification device, a device for notifying door release provided in the refrigerator Rf in advance may be used, or may be provided separately. Further, notification may be made by a method other than these methods, or notification may be made simultaneously by a plurality of methods.

  It is confirmed whether or not the movement limiter restricts the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction and a predetermined time (here, time t1) has elapsed (step S107). By limiting the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction by the movement restriction unit while the time t1 elapses, it is possible to provide a calm response to the user (excluding things that obstruct the movement of the drawer door 401). The time to do can be provided. However, if the state where the drawer door 401 is not closed continues, the cool air inside the lower freezer compartment 4 escapes.

  Therefore, if the time t1 has not elapsed (in the case of No in step S107), the process returns to step S105 and continues to restrict the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction, but if the time t1 has elapsed (Yes in step S107). ), The control unit Cont rotates the motor 61 in the reverse direction to move the door urging unit 62 to the origin position (step S108). At this time, the restriction on the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction by the movement restriction unit using the worm 630 and the first gear 631 is also relaxed. When the drawer door 401 is closer to the closing position P1 than the closing direction biasing front end position P2, the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are biased in the closing direction by the closing direction biasing portion. Move to.

  Since the movement of the door urging unit 62 is determined by the rotation speed of the motor 61 and the reduction ratio of the power transmission unit 63, the door urging unit 62 counters the urging force of the pulling door 401 with the closing direction urging unit. Move while supporting.

  Therefore, the control unit Cont controls the number of rotations of the motor 61 in the reverse rotation after the time t1 has elapsed, thereby closing the drawer door 401 slower than the speed at which the drawer door 401 is closed by the biasing force of the closing direction biasing unit. be able to. As a result, when the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped, the drawer door 401 is limited not to be closed during the time t1, and then the door biasing portion 62 is moved to the origin position more than when it is normally closed. It can be closed slowly. Therefore, recognition and maintenance for the user can be ensured even with respect to the operation of the drawer door 401 that is not intended by the user.

  By urging the drawer door 401 in the opening direction with the opening direction urging unit 6 as described above, and opening the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 from the closed state, the drawer door 401 is stopped halfway. In addition, it is possible to suppress damaging a part of the body such as the user's hand and foot and an article, and it is possible to suppress failure and breakage of the opening direction urging unit 6.

  In addition, by using the worm 630 and the first gear 631 as the movement restricting unit so that the movement can be restricted even when power is supplied to the motor 61, the motor 61 may be overloaded for a long time. In addition, it is possible to suppress failure, breakage, etc. of the motor 61.

  Moreover, although it is set as the conditions which return the door urging | biasing part 62 to an origin position after time t1 progress by step S107, it is not limited to this. For example, the door urging portion 62 may be returned to the origin position when an operation input of a switch for returning the drawer door 401 (may be shared with the switch 10 or provided separately) is detected.

(Second Embodiment)
Another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the door opening operation of another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention. The refrigerator Rf according to the present embodiment is a refrigerator Rf having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the lower freezer compartment 4 will be described as an example.

  The lower freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator Rf according to the present embodiment is configured to resume the opening operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 after the drawer door 401 has stopped abnormally. For this reason, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 includes a branching operation based on the number of restarts (step S201) and a count of the number of restarts (step S202). The rest is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the drawer door 401 is moved in the opening direction by the urging force of the opening direction urging unit 6, a warning is given if the drawer door 401 stops abnormally. When the warning is performed, the cause of obstructing the movement of the drawer door 401 by a user or the like may be removed. It is possible to move the drawer door 401 in the opening direction by resuming the operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 in a state where the cause that hinders the movement is removed. Therefore, in the configuration of this embodiment, the opening operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 is resumed after a certain time (here, time t2) has elapsed since the abnormal stop.

  On the other hand, even if the restarting operation is repeated a certain number of times, the abnormal stop state of the drawer door 401 may not be improved. In this case, the state where the drawer door 401 is opened continues, and the cool air inside the lower freezer compartment 4 escapes. Therefore, in the opening direction urging unit 6 of the present embodiment, when the drawer door 401 does not move in the opening direction after performing a resuming operation a certain number of times, the opening operation is stopped and the door urging unit 62 is returned to the origin position. To control. Below, operation | movement of the opening direction biasing part 6 of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 7, from the confirmation of the operation of the switch 10, it is determined whether the time t2 has elapsed since the movement restricting unit restricted the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction (step S117, step S107 of the first embodiment). Is equivalent to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that step S117 is a step for confirming the passage of time t2, and is different from step S107 of the first embodiment because the length of the elapsed time may be different, but is substantially the same. Therefore, steps up to step S117 are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Details of the time t2 will be described later.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, after the time t <b> 2 elapses after the limit on the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction (Yes in Step S <b> 117), the control unit Cont checks the number of times the opening operation has been resumed (Step S <b> 201). When the number of resumptions of the opening operation has not reached a certain number (in the case of No in step S201), the control unit Cont adds the number of resumptions once (step S202) and returns to the opening operation (step S103).

  When the opening operation is performed a plurality of times, the control unit Cont determines that it is not necessary to continue the opening operation, for example, the user is not nearby or the operation of the switch 10 is an operation not intended by the user. Therefore, when the number of resumptions of the opening operation reaches a certain number (Yes in Step S201), the control unit Cont moves the door urging unit 62 to the origin position (Step S108). The warning is repeated for the time when the restart is repeated, and the warning is continued until the door urging unit 62 returns to the home position after the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped. Therefore, it is possible to provide a time margin for performing a calm response to the user (such as not placing a hand or an article between the storage space 400 and the drawer door 401), thereby suppressing an accident. Is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the opening direction urging unit 6 stops the opening operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 (abnormally stops), and then the opening operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 is resumed, whereby the drawer door 401. Can be moved in the opening direction.

  For example, when a user's hand, foot, pet or the like touches the front surface of the drawer door 401 as an obstacle, the opening direction biasing unit 6 stops (abnormally stops) the movement of the drawer door 401 in the opening direction for safety. . When these obstacles come into contact with the drawer door 401, they are often removed from the front surface of the drawer door 401. That is, the cause of the abnormal stop is removed before the time t2 elapses from the abnormal stop. In this state, by resuming the opening operation, the drawer door 401 is located at the front side of the closing direction biasing front end position P2 at a position where the influence of the biasing of the closing direction biasing portion is eliminated. The drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are pushed to the opening direction biasing completion position P3 where the biasing of the drawer door 401 by 62 is finished. Thereby, it is possible to provide the refrigerator Rf having a safe and highly convenient door.

  In the present embodiment, the time t2 (step S117) from the abnormal stop to the restart of the opening operation is the time t1 (step S107) from the abnormal stop of the first embodiment until the door urging unit 62 is returned to the home position. It may be the same or different. In the case of the present embodiment, the opening operation is restarted every time t2 elapses, and in order to suppress an internal temperature rise, it can be set to be shorter than the time t1 of the first embodiment.

  The time t2 may be predetermined or may be freely changed by the user. It suppresses the temperature rise inside the storage space 400, and may be determined based on conditions such as outside air temperature and humidity. For example, when the outside air temperature is high, the temperature inside the storage space 400 increases rapidly, and when the outside air temperature is low, the temperature inside the lower cooling chamber 4 increases slowly. Therefore, it can be mentioned that when the outside air temperature is high, the time t2 is determined to be shorter than when it is low. At this time, as a method for determining the time t2, a method using a table provided in advance can be cited.

  Further, it may be automatically determined based on the characteristics (for example, age structure) of the user of the refrigerator Rf. For example, when a user whose movement is difficult to perform is included, the time t2 may be determined to be longer than when the user is not included. At this time, the maximum value (longest value) and / or the minimum value (shortest value) of the time t2 may be determined and determined within the range. At this time, as a method for determining the time t2, a method using a table provided in advance can be cited.

  In the present embodiment, when the number of resumptions of the opening operation of the drawer door 401 of the opening direction urging unit 6 reaches a certain number, the opening operation is stopped and the door pressing unit 62 is returned to the origin position. The number of restarts may be a predetermined number. Further, the opening operation may be continued until the drawer door 401 moves forward from the opening direction biasing completion position P3. In this case, after confirming that the time t2 has elapsed in step S117 of FIG. 6, it is sufficient to return to the opening operation restart (step S103).

(Third embodiment)
Still another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a drive mechanism that drives the opening direction urging portion of the refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the door opening operation of another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention. The refrigerator Rf according to the present embodiment is a refrigerator Rf having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the lower freezer compartment 4 will be described as an example.

  First, the drive mechanism of the opening direction urging unit 6 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the drive mechanism includes a closing direction urging front end detection unit S4 connected to the control unit Cont in addition to the configuration of the drive mechanism shown in FIG. The closing direction biasing front end detection unit S4 has the same configuration as the door biasing unit origin detection unit S1 and the door biasing completion detection unit S2, and includes a sensor that detects the position of the door biasing unit 62. The closing direction urging front end detection unit S4 is arranged so as to detect the position of the door urging unit 62 when the drawer door 401 reaches the closing direction urging front end position P2.

  The opening direction biasing portion 6 of the refrigerator Rf according to the present embodiment performs different operations depending on whether the drawer door 401 is behind or in front of the closing direction biasing front end position P2. Therefore, the configuration includes a step S301 for confirming the position of the drawer door 401 when the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction is restricted, and a step S302 for confirming the passage of time.

  When the drawer door 401 is positioned from the closed position P1 to the closing direction biasing front end position P2, the drawer door 401 is biased in the closing direction from the closing direction biasing portion. Therefore, when the drawer door 401 is in the closing direction biasing front end position P2 from the closing position P1, when the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped, the drawer door 401 is biased in the closing direction by the closing direction biasing portion. The opening direction urging unit 6 restarts the opening operation every time t2.

  When the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3, the drawer door 401 does not receive the closing direction bias from the closing direction biasing portion, and thus moves. Even if the movement in the closing direction is not restricted by the restriction unit, the drawer door 401 does not automatically move in the closing direction. Therefore, when the drawer door 401 abnormally stops between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3, the door biasing unit 62 is moved after a certain time (here, time t3) has elapsed. Control to return to the origin position. Below, operation | movement of the opening direction biasing part 6 of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 9, from the confirmation of the switch 10, the operation of the opening direction biasing unit 6 (operation of the motor 61) is stopped and a warning is issued (steps S101 to S106). Since it is the same, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, after restricting the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction (step S105) and giving a warning (step S106), the control unit Cont opens the door biasing completion detection unit S2 and the closing direction biasing front end. Based on the information from the detection unit S4, it is confirmed whether or not the drawer door 401 is between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3 (step S301).

  When the drawer door 401 is not between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3, in other words, when the drawer door 401 is between the closing position P1 and the closing direction biasing front end position P2, The opening operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 is restarted (proceeding to step S117).

  When the drawer door 401 is between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3 (Yes in step S301), the control unit Cont checks whether or not the time t3 has elapsed (step). S302). When the time t3 has not elapsed (in the case of No in step S302), the opening operation is stopped (return to step S105). When the time t3 has elapsed after the abnormal stop of the drawer door 401 (Yes in step S302), the door urging unit 62 is returned to the origin position (step S108).

  By causing the opening direction biasing portion 6 to operate as described above, until the time t3 elapses after the drawer door 401 abnormally stops between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3. The movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction is restricted. Therefore, immediately after the abnormal stop, even if the user rushes and presses the drawer door 401 in the closing direction, the drawer door 401 does not move suddenly in the closing direction, and the user falls out of balance and falls down, Accidents that collide with the refrigerator Rf can be suppressed.

  Further, when the drawer door 401 is between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3, the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are not biased in the closing direction from the closing direction biasing portion. . Even after the door stops abnormally at this position and the door urging portion 62 returns to the origin position, the drawer door 401 does not move automatically (by the urging force by the closing direction urging portion). Therefore, even if the user notices an abnormal stop of the drawer door 401 and rushes and puts a hand or an article between the drawer door 401 and the storage space 400, the hand or article is caught between the drawer door 401 and the storage space 400. Accidents can be suppressed.

  When the drawer door is between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3, the drawer door 401 is not biased by the closing direction biasing portion, so that the drawer door 401 is abnormal. There is no problem even if the door urging portion 62 is moved to the home position immediately after stopping and the movement in the closing direction being restricted. Therefore, when the drawer door 401 is between the closing direction biasing front end position P2 and the opening direction biasing completion position P3, the time t3 does not wait (time t3 is set to 0 or step S302 is omitted). ), The door urging portion 62 may be moved to the origin position.

(Fourth embodiment)
Still another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a drive mechanism for driving the opening direction biasing portion of the refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the door opening operation of another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention. The refrigerator Rf according to the present embodiment is a refrigerator Rf having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the lower freezer compartment 4 will be described as an example.

  First, the drive mechanism of the opening direction biasing part 6 will be described. The drive mechanism shown in FIG. 10 includes a stress detection unit S5 connected to the control unit Cont in addition to the configuration of the drive mechanism shown in FIG. The stress detection unit S <b> 5 includes a sensor that detects stress acting on the drawer door 401. For example, when the door urging portion 62 urges the drawer door 401 in the opening direction, if the user pushes the drawer door 401 in the closing direction, the drawer door 401 urges the door urging portion 62 in the closing direction. As a result, the stress detected by the stress detection unit S5 increases.

  By including such a stress detection unit S5, the control unit Cont can determine whether or not a closing direction stress is acting on the drawer door 401 in a state where the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped.

  The stress detection unit S5 may be attached to the contact surface between the drawer door 401 and the door urging unit 62 to directly detect the stress on the contact surface, or may be attached to a part of the door urging unit 62. The stress may be detected from the deformation (distortion) or the movement amount of the door urging unit 62. Moreover, the stress detection unit S5 may be attached to the drawer door 401.

  In addition to providing an independent sensor as the stress detection unit S5, signals from other detection units may be used. For example, the amount and direction of movement of the door urging unit 62 is detected based on the output of a sensor that detects the position of the door urging unit 62 such as the door urging unit origin detection unit S1 or the door urging completion detection unit S2. By doing so, the stress in the closing direction on the drawer door 401 can be detected. In addition, the motor state detection unit S3 may detect that the motor 61 has rotated backward beyond the holding force of the movement restriction unit. In this case, the holding force of the movement restriction unit is set to be larger than the urging force by the closing direction urging unit and smaller than the urging force when a predetermined stress that is recognized as an intentional closing operation is applied. It is preferable.

  In addition, when providing stress detection part S5 like this embodiment, a motor state detection part is included in the step (step S104) which judges whether there is any abnormality in the movement operation of the drawer door 401 including other embodiment. Not only the information from S3 but also the information from the stress detector S5 can be used. In this case, the stress detection unit S5 plays a role of a switch that closes the drawer door 401 when the drawer door 401 is abnormally stopped in step S401 while performing an abnormality detection during the moving operation of the drawer door 401 in step S104. It will be.

  Below, operation | movement of the opening direction biasing part 6 concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. In the operation of the opening direction biasing portion 6 according to the present embodiment, the stress acting on the door biasing portion 62 from the drawer door 401 is detected, and the force acting on the drawer door 401 is determined based on the stress change. And a step of determining the operation of the door urging unit 62 (motor 61) (step S401). In the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, the operation from the confirmation of the switch 10 to the operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 (operation of the motor 61) is stopped and a warning is given (steps S101 to S106) as in the first embodiment. Since it is the same, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  After abnormally stopping (step S105) and issuing a warning (step S106), the control unit Cont confirms whether or not a closing direction stress is acting on the drawer door 401 based on information from the stress detection unit S5 (step S106). S401).

  If no stress in the closing direction is applied to the drawer door 401 (No in step S401), the elapse of time t1 from the abnormal stop is confirmed (step S107), and after the time t1 elapses, the door urging unit 62 is moved to the origin position. (Step S108). Step S107 and subsequent operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  On the other hand, when a stress in the closing direction is applied to the drawer door 401 (Yes in step S401), the control unit Cont pulls the door urging unit 62 back to the origin position by rotating the motor backward (step S108). . At this time, since the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 are biased in the closing direction, they move in the closing direction.

  Since the movement of the door urging unit 62 is determined by the rotation speed of the motor 61 and the reduction ratio of the power transmission unit 63, the door urging unit 62 supports the drawer door 401 so as to oppose the urging force in the closing direction. While moving. Therefore, the drawer door 401 can be closed slowly.

  By making the opening direction urging unit 6 perform the above-described operation, it is possible to prevent the drawer door 401 from closing forcefully even when the drawer door 401 is forcibly closed during the opening operation. It is possible to suppress an accident that the user loses balance and falls or collides with the refrigerator.

  For example, when the drawer door 401 is moved in the opening direction by the urging of the opening direction urging unit 6 in the opening direction, a force in the closing direction acts on the drawer door 401 and tries to push it back. Confirms the abnormality of the moving operation of the drawer door 401, and performs an abnormal stop (step S105) and a warning (step S106). As described above, even if the drawer door 401 is forced to be pushed back, the movement in the closing direction is limited, and therefore, an accident in which a finger or an article is caught in the gap can be suppressed. And when the force of the closing direction is applied (applied) to the door after the drawer door 401 stops, the drawer door 401 operates so as to close, so that the user can be secured while ensuring the safety of the user. The drawer door 401 can be closed without feeling uncomfortable.

(Fifth embodiment)
Still another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a drive mechanism that drives the opening direction biasing portion of the refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the door opening operation of another example of the refrigerator according to the present invention. The refrigerator Rf according to the present embodiment is a refrigerator Rf having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the lower freezer compartment 4 will be described as an example.

  First, the drive mechanism of the opening direction biasing part 6 will be described. The drive mechanism shown in FIG. 12 includes a door contact / separation detection unit S6 connected to the control unit Cont in addition to the configuration of the drive mechanism shown in FIG. The door contact / separation detection unit S <b> 6 is a detection unit that detects whether the front end of the door urging unit 62 is in contact with the drawer door 401. The door contact / separation detection unit S6 may include a contact sensor such as a capacitance sensor or a pressure sensor, or may include a switch that is turned on by contact. What can detect the contact of the door urging | biasing part 62 and the drawer door 401 accurately can be employ | adopted widely. In addition, a position detection unit is provided in the drawer door 401, and the contact state is detected by calculating the distance between the door biasing part 62 and the drawer door 401 from the position of the drawer door 401 and the position of the door biasing part 62. May be.

  For example, when the user notices that the drawer door 401 has stopped abnormally, the drawer door 401 may be manually moved (drawn) in the opening direction. In the present embodiment, the operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 when the drawer door 401 is pulled out by the user after the drawer door 401 has stopped abnormally and gives a warning (step S106) will be described.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, the operation from the confirmation of the switch 10 to the operation of the opening direction urging unit 6 (operation of the motor 61) is stopped and a warning is given (steps S101 to S106) as in the first embodiment. Since it is the same, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  When the user is warned after an abnormal stop (step S106), the user recognizes that the drawer door 401 has stopped abnormally, removes the cause of the stop of the drawer door 401, and moves the drawer door 401 in the opening direction. There is. At this time, the door urging unit 62 is in a stopped state, and when the user moves the drawer door 401 in the opening direction, the door urging unit 62 moves away from the drawer door 401. Therefore, the control unit Cont determines whether or not the drawer door 401 and the door urging unit 62 are separated (step S501). The control unit Cont can determine whether or not the drawer door 401 and the door urging unit 62 are separated from each other based on information from the door contact / separation detection unit S6.

  When the drawer door 401 and the door urging unit 62 are not separated (No in step S501), the control unit Cont determines that the drawer door 401 is not moved in the opening direction, and confirms the elapse of time t1. Is performed (step S107). After the confirmation of this time t1, it is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the drawer door 401 and the door urging unit 62 are separated (in the case of Yes in step S501), the control unit Cont determines that the drawer door 401 has been pulled out by the user. And it judges that the restriction | limiting of the movement of the drawer door 401 in the closing direction is unnecessary, and returns the door urging | biasing part 62 to an origin position (step S108).

  Although the control part Cont detects that the drawer door 401 and the door urging part 62 are separated based on information from the door contact / separation detection part S6, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the drawer door 401 and the door urging portion 62 are separated from each other, the stress acting on the contact surface between the drawer door 401 and the door urging portion 62 is zero. Using this, the control unit Cont uses the drawer door 401 and the door based on information of a detection unit such as the stress detection unit S5 used in the fourth embodiment (when it is detected that the stress is 0). It may be determined that the urging unit 62 is separated. Further, similarly to the fourth embodiment, signals from other detection units can be used.

  As shown in the present embodiment, when the opening direction urging unit 6 is operated, when the user manually moves the drawer door 401 in the opening direction, the door urging unit 62 with respect to the drawer door 401. This is a case where the user performs a manual opening operation in the middle of the opening operation because the restriction of the movement in the closing direction by the urging force and the movement restricting portion is released and the door urging portion 62 returns to the origin position. However, the drawer door 401 can be opened without the user feeling uncomfortable.

  In the present embodiment, when the drawer door 401 is moved in the opening direction by the user, the door urging unit 62 is returned to the original position, but the present invention is not limited to this. Until the drawer door 401 arrives at the closing direction biasing front end position P2, the closing direction biasing portion biases the drawer door 401 and the storage case 402 in the closing direction. At this time, even if the force by which the user moves the door in the opening direction is weakened, at least the drawer door 401 is closed in the closing direction biasing front end in order to prevent the drawer door 401 from moving to the closing position P1. Until reaching P2, the door urging portion 62 may be moved in the opening direction or may not be returned to the origin position.

  In some cases, a detection unit such as the closing direction biasing front end detection unit S4 used in the third embodiment may not be provided, and in that case, even if the drawer door 401 is moved in the opening direction by the user's force, After the door urging unit 62 is moved to the position detected by the door urging completion detection unit S2, it may be returned to the origin position.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, in the refrigerator Rf according to the present invention, the opening direction biasing portion 6 can be applied to the hinge doors 101 and 102 and the drawer doors 201, 301, and 501 with the same configuration. It is. As for the hinge doors 101 and 102, the structure of the closing direction urging portion is different, but as with the drawer door, the guide portion that guides the rotation is provided with an inclination, and is urged in the closing direction by its own weight. It is possible to adopt what is. In addition to this, a configuration using magnetic force and elastic force by an elastic member may be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, a driving mechanism using a motor and gears is cited as the opening direction urging unit, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a structure that reciprocates with an electromagnetic force such as a solenoid, Further, it is possible to widely employ a configuration that can bias a biasing force that is larger than the biasing force of the closing direction biasing portion, such as a cylinder that operates by hydraulic pressure or the like. In addition, the configurations of the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this content. The embodiments of the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigeration room 101 Hinge door 102 Hinge door 2 Ice making room 201 Drawer door 3 Upper stage freezer room 301 Drawer door 4 Lower stage freezer room 400 Storage space 401 Drawer door 402 Storage case 41 Guide part 42 Fixed rail 421 Inclined part 422 Stopper 43 Moving rail 431 Inclined portion 44 Fixed roller 45 Moving roller 5 Vegetable room 500 Storage space 501 Drawer door 502 Storage case 6 Open direction biasing portion 61 Motor 62 Door biasing portion 63 Power transmission portion 630 Warm 631 First gear 632 Second gear 633 Third Gear 634 Rack gear Cont Control part S1 Door biasing part origin detection part S2 Door biasing completion detection part S3 Motor state detection part S4 Closing direction biasing front edge detection part S5 Stress detection part S6 Door contact / separation detection part Tm Timekeeping part

Claims (5)

A door for opening and closing the storage room;
A closing direction biasing portion that biases the door in a closing direction when the door is within a certain range from a closing position for closing the storage chamber;
An opening direction biasing portion that biases the door in the opening direction so that the door moves to a position beyond the certain range;
A movement detection unit that detects a movement state of the opening direction urging unit; and a movement restriction unit that restricts movement of the door in the closing direction;
When the movement detecting unit detects an abnormality in the moving operation of the opening direction urging unit, the urging of the opening direction urging unit is stopped and the movement restricting unit restricts movement of the door in the closing direction. A refrigerator characterized by.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein after the movement restriction unit restricts movement of the door in the closing direction, the opening direction urging unit resumes urging of the door in the opening direction.   The said movement detection part detects abnormality, The said opening direction biasing part returns to the position when the said door exists in a closed position after the restriction | limiting of the movement of the said door in the closing direction passes for a fixed time. 2. The refrigerator according to 2. A stress detection unit capable of detecting a force acting on the door;
After the movement restricting part restricts the movement of the door in the closing direction, when the stress detecting part detects that a certain force is applied to the door in the closing direction, the movement restricting part The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the restriction of movement in the closing direction of the door is released, and the opening-direction biasing portion returns to a position when the door is in the closing position. A door contact / separation detection unit capable of detecting contact / separation between the opening direction biasing unit and the door;
The said opening direction biasing part returns to the position when the said door exists in a closed position when the said door contact-and-separation detection part detects that the said door and the said opening direction biasing part left | separated. Item 5. The refrigerator according to any one of Items 4.

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