JP2017032264A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stabilize an opening/closing amount and an opening/closing speed of a door irrespective of a load applied on the door, in a refrigerator with a function for automatically opening/closing the door.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a housing 11 constituted by heat insulating walls; a vegetable chamber 16 provided in the housing 11; a door 16a for closing the vegetable chamber 16 in an openable/closable manner; and door opening/closing means for automatically opening/closing the door 16a. The door opening/closing means operates so that an automatic opening/closing amount of the door 16a becomes constant. Thus, irrespective of an installation condition and a use condition of the refrigerator, automatic door opening/closing with stability and high quality can be achieved, and usability of the refrigerator can be enhanced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with means for automatically opening and closing a door of a storage room.

  In recent years, the habit of daily shopping has faded due to changes in eating habits and the increase in large-scale supermarkets in the suburbs. For example, the tendency to buy food for one week at a time and store it in the refrigerator Is getting stronger. In addition, the number of elderly people who use relatively large refrigerators is increasing, and for such users, the total weight of food and doors bought together is heavy, and opening and closing of the storage room can be felt as a burden. It was.

  On the other hand, forgetting to close the refrigerator may occur unintentionally, and if the door is left open, even if it is left open, the storage performance will decrease due to the intrusion of warm air, the power consumption will increase due to the increase in the amount of cooling, and the outside Condensation and frost formation in the storage room due to intrusion of moisture occurs, and the function of the refrigerator is impaired.

Among such problems, some refrigerators that reduce the burden of opening a storage room automatically open by an actuator using a solenoid. (See Patent Document 1)
FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view around the drawer freezer compartment of the conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1.

  The refrigerator door opening unit 115 described in Patent Document 1 is driven by Hall IC and microcomputer control by a touch operation to a touch switch 116 formed of a magnetic lever formed on a handle portion 109a on the surface of the freezer compartment door 109. A solenoid 118 provided in the yoke 117, in which a coil is wound around the outer periphery of the bobbin and molded with resin, and a push rod 123 that is attracted by energizing the solenoid 118 and fixed to the tip of the pipe. The door opening unit 115 is screwed to a solenoid case attached to the front and rear of the partition wall 113 via a cushioning material such as a rubber bush.

  When the solenoid 118 is energized, the front end of the push rod 123 is extended forward by the horizontal movement of the plunger 122, and the engagement piece 127a erected at the rear of the knock member 127 is pressed to knock. The tip of the member 127 is configured to protrude toward the back side of the freezer compartment door 109.

  In this way, the door opening operation is performed by pushing forward the push rod provided at the tip of the plunger 122 by energizing the solenoid.

Japanese Patent No. 4444330

However, in the above-described configuration, the plunger is driven with a solenoid as a driving source, and the door is opened with that momentum. Since the subsequent opening is almost inertial, the plunger output when protruding, The door opening amount and the door opening speed become unstable due to the weight of food in the room or the inclination of the refrigerator body. For this reason, for example, when the refrigerator is tilted toward the front or the weight of food in the storage room is light, the door may open too much and collide with the user. Furthermore, the door opening speed is too fast, which may make the user feel uneasy.

  In addition, for example, when the refrigerator is tilted toward the front or the weight of food in the storage room is light, the door does not open well, and a sufficient opening / closing amount cannot be obtained, which may cause inconvenience to the user. Furthermore, the door opening speed may be too slow, causing the user to wait for a while.

  Furthermore, the configuration of Patent Document 1 cannot automatically close the door and cannot cope with the user forgetting to close the door.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and is a refrigerator having an automatic door opening / closing function that can stabilize the door opening amount and arbitrarily increase / decrease the opening / closing speed regardless of the load applied to the door or the storage room. For the purpose of provision.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a casing formed of a heat insulating wall, a storage chamber provided in the casing, a door that closes the storage chamber so as to be openable and closable, Door opening / closing means for automatically opening and closing the door, and the door opening / closing means operates so as to make the automatic opening / closing amount of the door related to the opening / closing operation of the door constant.

  As a result, the refrigerator is tilted toward the front or the food weight in the storage room is light, and the door opens with an appropriate size even under conditions where the amount of opening of the door tends to be large. For example, the door may collide with the user. And high-quality automatic door opening and closing is possible.

  The refrigerator of the present invention can improve the usability of the refrigerator because the door can be opened and closed stably and with high quality regardless of installation conditions and use conditions.

Front view of refrigerator in embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the state where the door of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention closed Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the automatic opening and closing of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the state where the door of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention was almost opened. Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the manual opening of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention (A) Relationship between opening amount and opening speed during automatic door opening operation of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (b) Door opening during automatic door opening operation of conventional protruding type door opening mechanism Relationship between quantity and door opening speed The relationship figure of the door opening amount and door opening speed during the automatic door closing operation of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the state where the door of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention closed AA sectional view of a vegetable room during automatic opening and closing of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the state where the door of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention was almost opened Sectional view AA of the vegetable compartment in the manual opening of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of this invention BB sectional drawing of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of this invention. Detailed view of the vicinity of the actuator of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention Side sectional view of the periphery of the conventional drawer freezer described in Patent Document 1

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a casing formed of a heat insulating wall, a storage chamber provided in the casing, a door that opens and closes the storage chamber, and door opening and closing means that automatically opens and closes the door. The door opening / closing means operates so as to make the automatic opening / closing amount of the door related to the opening / closing operation of the door constant.

  This allows the refrigerator to lean forward, or the weight of food in the storage room is light, and the door opens to an appropriate size even under conditions where the amount of door opening tends to be large. For example, the door may collide with the user. And high-quality automatic door opening and closing is possible. In addition, the amount of opening of the refrigerator is an appropriate amount for opening the storage room even under a condition where the refrigerator is inclined backward or the weight of food in the storage room is heavy and the opening amount of the storage room tends to be narrow.

  In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the door opening / closing means can arbitrarily accelerate / decelerate the automatic opening / closing speed of the door.

  This allows the refrigerator to lean forward or the weight of food in the storage room to be light and open at an appropriate speed even under conditions where the opening speed is likely to increase. High-quality automatic door opening and closing is possible. In addition, because the door opens at an appropriate speed even under conditions where the refrigerator is tilted inward or the weight of food in the storage room is heavy and the door opening speed tends to be slow, the user can wait for a long time when opening the door. Absent.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the door opening / closing means engages with the door or a portion operated by being connected to the door in a predetermined section of the movable range of the door. It is.

  Thus, when the door is opened, the speed can be reduced immediately before the door opening / closing means and the door are disengaged, so that the door can be adjusted so as not to open too much due to inertia. Further, when the door is closed, the speed is reduced immediately before the door is completely closed, so that it is possible to prevent an injury when the user puts a finger in the gap between the door and the housing.

  According to a fourth invention, in any one of the first to third inventions, the door opening / closing means is an electric actuator using a motor or a solenoid as a drive source.

  This facilitates the adjustment of the opening amount and the opening speed by adjusting the input voltage.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, a sealing maintaining means for pulling the door in a closing direction is provided, and the door opening / closing means and the door are engaged when the door is closed. And the sealed state of the storage chamber is maintained by the sealing maintenance means.

  Thus, when the door is closed, the door opening / closing means is disengaged from the door, so that the door opening / closing means does not become a load on the user and can be manually opened / closed. Further, the door can be retracted with a strength that does not hinder manual opening by the sealing maintenance means, and the sealed state can be maintained.

  According to a sixth invention, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the storage chamber is a drawer type and is always connected to the door, and is configured to open and close by sliding on a rail. The means is engaged and operated with the movable member of the rail.

As a result, the door opening / closing means can be arranged in the invalid space around the rail where food cannot be stored, so that the system can be realized without reducing the substantial storage volume for the user.

  In a seventh aspect based on the sixth aspect, the door opening / closing means is fixed on a fixing member for fixing the rail.

  Thereby, when the door opening / closing means and the rail are assembled to the fixing member, the relationship between the engagement positions of the both can be adjusted, so that the difficult process of adjusting the engagement position after assembling the refrigerator at the factory can be eliminated.

  In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the door and the door opening / closing means are engaged by a first engagement member at the lower part of the door opening / closing means and a second engagement member at the upper part of the rail. is there.

  Accordingly, since the frame of the electric actuator is positioned above the first engagement member that is the movable portion, it is possible to prevent water and dust from being applied from above.

  According to a ninth invention, in any one of the first to eighth inventions, the drive source of the door opening / closing means is disposed on the inner side of 1/3 of the depth dimension of the storage chamber.

  As a result, the mechanism around the drive source, which is relatively large in size, is located on the back side of the storage chamber, so that the reduction in the storage chamber volume due to the arrangement of the door opening / closing means can be minimized.

  In a tenth aspect based on any one of the first to ninth aspects, the door opening / closing means includes a transmission section for transmitting power to the door and a drive section including the drive source, and the transmission section and the drive section. Are combined in an L shape or a T shape.

  As a result, the volume of the transmission portion can be suppressed to the minimum and along the rail.

  In an eleventh aspect based on any one of the first to the tenth aspects, the door opening / closing means includes an impact absorbing means.

  Thus, when an external force is applied to the door, it is possible to prevent a failure of the electric actuator due to a stress transmitted to the drive source via the rail and the engaging portion.

  In a twelfth invention according to any one of the first to eleventh inventions, the door opening / closing means operates by moving a predetermined distance in a direction in which the door is closed.

  Accordingly, the user can securely close the door only by moving the door lightly in the closing direction.

  In a thirteenth aspect based on any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the door is capable of selecting an automatic opening / closing mode by the door opening / closing means and a manual opening / closing mode in which a user can manually open and close the door. Is.

  As a result, automatic opening and closing is possible, and a load by the electric actuator applied when the user manually operates the door is not applied, and the door can be opened and closed with a light force.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a vegetable room with the refrigerator door closed according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an automatic opening / closing of the refrigerator according to the embodiment 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vegetable room in a state where the refrigerator door in the embodiment is almost open, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vegetable room during manual opening of the refrigerator in the embodiment. FIG.

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the heat insulating box body that is the casing 11 includes an outer box mainly using a steel plate, an inner box formed of a resin such as ABS, and heat insulation injected between the outer box and the inner box. It is composed of materials.

  The heat insulation box which is the housing 11 is divided into a plurality of storage rooms, and is provided with a refrigerating room 12 at the top, and an ice making room 13 or a switching room 14 at the bottom of the refrigerating room 12, and its ice making. A freezing room 15 is arranged at the lower part of the chamber 13 and the switching room 14, and a vegetable room 16 is arranged at the lowermost part, and a heat insulating door for partitioning with the outside air is formed at the front opening of the housing 11 at the front of each storage room. Has been. An operation unit 17 is provided in the vicinity of the center of the refrigerator compartment door 12a, which is a heat insulating door of the refrigerator compartment 12, and the setting of the internal temperature of each compartment, ice making, and rapid cooling can be performed.

  Components in the refrigeration cycle such as a compressor and a dryer for removing moisture are housed in the machine room formed in the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 12.

  A cooling chamber for generating cold air is provided on the back of the freezer compartment 15, and in the cooling chamber, the cooler and the cooling air cooled by the cooler are refrigerated chamber 12, switching chamber 14, ice making chamber 13, A cooling fan for blowing air to the vegetable compartment 16 and the freezer compartment 15 is disposed. Further, an air volume adjusting damper for adjusting the air volume from the cooling fan is installed in the air path. Further, a radiant heater, a drain pan, a drain tube evaporating dish, and the like are configured to defrost frost and ice adhering to the cooler and its surroundings.

  The refrigerator compartment 12 is normally set to 1 ° C. to 5 ° C. at the lower limit of the temperature at which it is not frozen for refrigerated storage, and the lowermost vegetable compartment 16 is set to 2 ° C. to 7 ° C., which is the same or slightly higher temperature as the refrigerator compartment 12. In addition, the freezer compartment 15 is set in a freezing temperature zone, and is usually set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. for frozen storage. For example, in order to improve the frozen storage state, −30 ° C. or − It may be set at a low temperature of 25 ° C.

  The ice making chamber 13 creates ice with water sent from a water storage tank in the refrigerator compartment 12 by an automatic ice maker provided at the upper part of the room and stores it in an ice storage container disposed at the lower part of the room.

  The switching chamber 14 is not only refrigerated set at 1 ° C to 5 ° C, vegetables set at 2 ° C to 7 ° C, but also frozen at a temperature set at -22 ° C to -15 ° C. It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the freezing temperature ranges. The switching chamber 14 is a storage chamber provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making chamber 13, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  In the first embodiment, the switching chamber 14 is a storage room including the temperature range of refrigeration and freezing. However, the refrigeration is performed by the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 16, and the freezing is performed by the freezer compartment 15. It is also possible to use a storage room specialized for switching only the above temperature range between the refrigeration and the freezing. Moreover, the storage room fixed to freezing may be sufficient as the demand for frozen foods has increased in recent years, for example, frozen food.

A storage case 20 supported by a frame 19a is attached to the door 16a of the vegetable compartment. The drawer rail 21a is fixed to the inner wall of the vegetable compartment 16, and the frame 19a is configured to slide on the drawer rail 21a. Further, since the frame 19a and the door 16a are combined with each other, the frame 19a and the storage case 20 operate as the door 16a is opened and closed.

  Moreover, the actuator 23a which is a door opening / closing means is provided in the inner wall of the vegetable compartment 16 near the drawer rail 21a. The actuator 23a includes a motor, a gear mechanism, and the like, and transmits the power of the motor to the link 24a. The link 24a has a concave shape and operates along the guide 25a. The frame 19a is provided with a protruding portion 26a. When the protruding portion 26a enters and engages with the concave portion of the link 24a, the frame 19a operates along with the operation of the link 24a. As described above, since the frame 19a, the door 16a, and the storage case 20 are connected and operate in conjunction with each other, the door 16a can be automatically opened and closed by the actuator 23a.

  The automatic door opening operation of the door 16a is executed by using a touch operation to the door 16a or other switch system operation unit, a gesture by an optical system sensor, voice recognition, or the like as a trigger.

  Further, the guide 25a is not a simple linear shape, and is inclined slightly downward so that the link 24a and the projection 26a are disengaged when the door 16a is closed as shown in FIG. This is because when the link 24a and the protrusion 26a are always engaged, the gear mechanism or motor in the actuator 23a becomes a load when the user manually opens the door 16a instead of automatically, and the door is normally open. This is because a stronger force is required.

  After the opening operation is started, the link 24a and the projection 26a are engaged in the engagement section Xj as shown in FIG. 3, and the door 16a is opened with the operation of the link 24a. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, after the door 16a is opened by a certain amount, the guide 25a and the projection 26a are disengaged, and the door 16a is slightly opened due to inertia.

  In the case of closing, it is the reverse operation of the automatic opening operation described above, and the automatic closing is started when the user closes the door 16a to a position where the projection 26a can engage with the link 24a. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the link 24a and the projection 26a are engaged, and the door 16a is closed. After the door is closed, the link 24a and the projection 26a are disengaged as shown in FIG. 2, and the apparatus waits in a state where either automatic opening or manual opening is possible.

  In order to improve the hermeticity of the vegetable compartment 16 in a state in which the door is closed, a hermetic holding mechanism 27 using a spring or an inclination of a rail is provided, and the frame 19a is closed in a direction that does not hinder the door opening. I am drawn in. The hermetic holding mechanism 27 may be built in the actuator 23a.

  When the user manually opens and closes the door from the closed state, the link 24a and the protrusion 26a are not engaged as shown in FIG. 5, and the door 16a can be opened and closed without any load on the user. At this time, the actuator 23a does not operate and the link 24a is in the initial position.

  The power source of the actuator 23a may be another drive source such as a solenoid instead of a motor.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below using FIG. 6, FIG.

  FIG. 6A is a relationship diagram between the door opening amount and the door opening speed during the automatic door opening operation of the refrigerator in the present embodiment.

  When the actuator 23a is operated, the link 24a and the protrusion 26a are engaged at the origin position in the drawing, and the door opening speed V1 is set at the vegetable compartment 16 at a light load such that almost no food is contained in the vegetable compartment 16. The door opening speed V2 is obtained at a heavy load, for example, in which about 20 kg of food is contained. The load is not only the weight of the food but also the front and rear of the refrigerator casing, and when tilted forward, the load is easy to open, and when tilted backward, the load is difficult to open and heavy.

  However, since the actuator 23a according to the present embodiment estimates the load from the motor current at the time of startup and the time from when the motor is energized until it operates a little, V1 and V2 have substantially the same speed. Further, even if such load estimation is not performed, the pull-out rail 21a has a low friction configuration using a bearing or the like, so that the difference between V1 and V2 is small.

  Thereafter, during the engagement section Xj, the door 16a operates while being engaged with the actuator 23a, so that the door can be opened to X1 at a constant speed such as V1 or V2.

  After the door opening amount reaches X1, the link 24a and the projection 26a are disengaged and the initial speed V1 or V2 is given to the door 16a. Therefore, the door 16a is opened until it reaches X2 or X3 due to inertia. As described above, since the drawer rail 21a has a low friction configuration using a bearing or the like, the difference between X2 and X3 is small.

  It is desirable that the door 16a be opened as wide as possible within a range that does not collide with a user standing in front of the refrigerator under any load condition. Specifically, when a 1 meter tall child opens and closes the refrigerator door, the distance from the door 16a to the child's body is about 300 mm to 350 mm, so the door opening amount X2 or X3 is set according to this distance. Is good.

  In addition, according to the load estimation, it is possible to shorten the section that opens due to inertia, such as reducing the speed immediately before X1, with this configuration. Of course, it is possible to increase the speed just before X1 and extend the section that opens by inertia.

  Here, in order to explain the features of the present embodiment, a comparison with a general protruding automatic door opening mechanism as shown in Patent Document 1 will be made.

  FIG. 6B is a relationship diagram between the door opening amount and the door opening speed during the automatic door opening operation of the conventional protruding type door opening mechanism.

  In a general protruding type door opening mechanism, when the door opening device operates, the door opening speed V3 is obtained when the load is light, and the door opening speed V4 is obtained when the load is heavy. There is a large difference between V3 and V4, but this difference may be reduced if there is a load detection function.

  Thereafter, in the contact section Xp, the door opening mechanism and the door come into contact with each other for a short time to give a door opening force, and the door is protruded. When the door opening / closing amount reaches X4, the door opening / closing mechanism releases the door, and the door is opened by inertia by the initial speed V3 or V4 at this time. At this time, if the load is light, the door is wide open and reaches X5. When the load is heavy, the door is opened narrowly and stops at the opening amount of X6.

  The large difference between X5 and X6 as described above is that the general door opening mechanism protrudes by giving a faster initial speed V3 or V4, and therefore the size that opens by inertia in the section from X4 to X5 or X6 is dominant. This is because the contact section Xp where the controllable door opening mechanism and the door are in contact is as short as about 100 mm. That is, the door opening amount that opens due to inertia tends to be affected by the weight of the food and the inclination of the refrigerator casing, and cannot be directly controlled, so the door opening amount varies greatly.

The above-mentioned moderate opening amount is around 300 mm to 350 mm, but in a general configuration,
When the load is light, there is a risk that the door will be opened to about 400 mm and pushed down if the user of the refrigerator is a child. Further, when the load is heavy, there is a concern that the amount of opening of the door is insufficient and the opening speed of the door is slow, so that it cannot be used comfortably.

  On the other hand, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment has a relatively long engagement section Xj (engagement section between the link 24a and the protrusion 26a) capable of direct door opening / closing control, and the above-described moderate opening / closing amount of 300 mm to 350 mm. In contrast, it accounts for 40% to 50% or more, and the section to be opened due to inertia is shortened, and the amount of opening and closing and the opening and closing speed are not varied, and it is easy to adjust freely.

  Furthermore, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment can also perform an automatic door closing operation as described below.

  FIG. 7 is a relationship diagram between the door opening amount and the door opening speed during the automatic door closing operation of the refrigerator in the present embodiment.

  For example, it is assumed that the door opening amount is X11 in a state where the door 16a is opened. The user manually closes the door 16a slightly to close the door 16a. When the door opening amount becomes X12, the link 24a and the protrusion 26a are engaged, and the actuator 23a starts an automatic door closing operation. Thereafter, no user operation is required, and the door is automatically closed. The closing section by the actuator 23a is an engaging section from X12 to the origin, and a relatively long dimension can be automatically closed.

  After the automatic closing is started, the link 24a is closed at the speed of V11. Next, when the door is closed until the door opening amount becomes X13, the link 24a decelerates to the speed of V12 and slowly completes the door closing. The purpose of this deceleration is to avoid a danger such as a user pinching a finger between the door 16a and the housing 11, and at the same time to give a quiet and elegant impression. If the user actually squeezes his / her finger after decelerating, it can be detected from the motor current and the slow position change of the link 24a to stop the door closing.

  In addition, the actuator 23a can detect the position of the link 24a, and makes it easier to adjust the opening / closing amount and the opening / closing speed of the door 16a.

  Furthermore, since the speed of the actuator 23a can be freely adjusted in the engagement section Xj, acceleration and deceleration can be performed in an appropriate door opening state.

  Moreover, although the example was given about the door opening / closing of the vegetable compartment 16 in this Embodiment, the application to other storage rooms including a freezer compartment is also possible. Further, by devising the shape and the like of the guide 25a, it is possible to apply it to a door that looks like a refrigerator.

  Note that the relationship between the opening / closing door amount and the opening / closing door speed in FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown in a simplified manner, and therefore some actual speed fluctuations and the like are omitted.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, not only can the door be opened and closed automatically, the door opening and closing amount is stabilized regardless of the load applied to the storage chamber, and the door opening and closing speed is arbitrarily added. It can slow down and provide an elegant and easy-to-use refrigerator.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Since the basic configuration of the refrigerator is the same as that of the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted, and a configuration related to door opening and closing will be described.

FIG. 8 is an AA cross-sectional view of the vegetable room with the refrigerator door closed in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is an A- view of the vegetable room during automatic opening and closing of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. A sectional view, FIG. 10 is an AA sectional view of a vegetable room in a state where the refrigerator door in the second embodiment of the present invention is almost open, and FIG. 11 is during manual opening of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention. AA sectional view of the vegetable compartment of FIG. 12, FIG. 12 is a BB sectional view of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a detailed view of the vicinity of the actuator of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention. is there.

  A storage case 20 supported by a frame 19b is attached to the door 16a of the vegetable compartment. The drawer rail 21b is fixed to the inner wall of the vegetable compartment 16, and the frame 19b is configured to slide on the drawer rail 21b. Further, since the frame 19b and the door 16a are combined with each other, the frame 19b and the storage case 20 operate as the door 16a is opened and closed.

  Moreover, the actuator 23b which is a door opening / closing means is provided in the inner wall of the vegetable compartment 16 near the drawer rail 21b. The actuator 23b is composed of a vertically long drive mechanism portion 28 composed of a motor, a gear mechanism, and the like, and a horizontally long transmission portion 29 that transmits the power of the motor to the link 24b and drives it back and forth in the depth direction of the vegetable compartment 16. The transmission part 29 is thinner than the drive mechanism part 28 when the horizontal dimensions are compared. This is realized by concentrating thick motors and gears in the drive mechanism section 28 and configuring the transmission section 29 with parts that can be made relatively thin. Thereby, the transmission part 29 can be accommodated in the clearance space 30 between the inner wall of the vegetable compartment 16 and the storage case 20, and can be arrange | positioned along the drawer rail 21b.

  Further, a drive source such as a motor in the drive mechanism unit 28 is arranged on the back side of 1/3 of the depth D of the vegetable compartment 16 shown in FIG. For example, when a drive source and its peripheral components that tend to increase in size interfere with the storage case 20, a means for slightly denting the case to prevent contact with each other can be considered, but the storage volume of the storage case 20 is reduced. Must be minimized. At this time, the decrease in the case volume is “Dc × Wc × D (see FIGS. 8 and 12)”, but the value of “Dc” increases and the internal volume increases as the drive source is in front of the vegetable compartment 16. Decrease. However, if the drive source is installed at the back as in the second embodiment, the value of “Dc” becomes small, and the decrease in the internal volume due to the depression can be minimized. Further, since the frequency of use is generally less on the back side than 1/3 of the depth D, the user does not feel inconvenience even if the case is slightly depressed.

  The link 24b has a concave shape, is configured to face downward below the transmission portion 29, and operates along the guide 25b. Thus, since the outer shell of the transmission part 29 covers the upper part of the link 24b, it becomes possible to prevent water splashing on the link 24b from above. For this reason, for example, the water droplet adhering to the link 24b may be frozen due to the influence of cold air, so that it is possible to prevent a malfunction that does not move.

  The frame 19b is provided with a protruding portion 26b. When the protruding portion 26b enters and engages with the concave portion of the link 24b, the frame 19b operates along with the operation of the link 24b. As described above, since the frame 19b, the door 16a, and the storage case 20 are connected and operate in conjunction with each other, the door 16a can be automatically opened and closed by the actuator 23b.

  In addition, you may provide this protrusion part 26b on the drawer rail 21b instead of the flame | frame 19b.

  As in the first embodiment, the automatic door opening operation of the door 16a is executed by using a touch operation to the door 16a or other switch system operation unit, a gesture by an optical system sensor, voice recognition, or the like as a trigger. is there.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the drawer rail 21 b, the frame 19 b, and the actuator 23 b are fixed on the same fixing member 31. If the drawer rail 21b, the frame 19b, and the actuator are configured separately, and each is attached to the inner wall of the vegetable compartment 16, the displacement of each part by screwing, the heat insulating material such as urethane in the inner wall Due to the variation factors such as the distortion of the inner wall surface due to foaming, there is a possibility that problems such as the link 24b and the projection 26b not engaging with each other. At this time, it is necessary to remove the components and re-adjust the position optimally in the process of the factory for assembling the refrigerator. However, this involves a complicated operation and causes a large loss. However, in the second embodiment, since the positional relationship among the drawer rail 21b, the frame 19b, and the actuator 23b can be adjusted in advance on the fixed member 31, it is possible to greatly suppress loss in the position adjustment of each component. is there.

  Further, the guide 25b is not a simple linear shape, and is angled slightly upward so that the link 24b and the projection 26b are disengaged when the door 16a is closed as shown in FIG. This is because when the link 24b and the protrusion 26b are always engaged, the gear mechanism or motor in the actuator 23b becomes a load when the user manually opens the door 16a instead of automatically, and the door is normally opened. This is because a stronger force is required.

  After the opening operation is started, the link 24b and the protrusion 26b are engaged in the engagement section Xj as shown in FIG. 9, and the door 16a is opened with the operation of the link 24b. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, after the door 16a is opened by a certain amount, the guide 25b and the projection 26b are disengaged, and the door 16a is slightly opened due to inertia.

  In the case of closing, it is the reverse operation of the automatic opening operation described above, and the automatic closing is started when the user closes the door 16a to a position where the projection 26b can engage with the link 24b. Alternatively, the automatic door closing may be started immediately after the protruding portion 26b and the link 24b are engaged, when the door 16a is further pushed in the closing direction. After the automatic door closing is started, the door 16a is operated in the closing direction with the link 24b and the projection 26b engaged as shown in FIG. After the door is closed, the link 24b and the protrusion 26b are disengaged as shown in FIG. 8, and the apparatus waits in a state where either automatic opening or manual opening is possible.

  In order to improve the hermeticity of the vegetable compartment 16 in a state in which the door is closed, a hermetic holding mechanism 27 using a spring or an inclination of a rail is provided, and the frame 19b is closed with a force that does not prevent the door from being opened. I am drawn in. The hermetic holding mechanism 27 may be built in the actuator 23b.

  When the user manually opens and closes the door from the closed state, the link 24b and the projection 26b are not engaged as shown in FIG. 11, and the door 16a can be opened and closed without any load on the user. At this time, the actuator 23b does not operate and the link 24b is in the initial position. In this way, the user can easily select either manual operation or automatic operation.

  Note that the selection between the manual operation and the automatic operation can be realized by a mechanism using a micromotor or a solenoid instead of a configuration in which the engagement is naturally disengaged as in the second embodiment.

  In addition, since the actuator 23b of the second embodiment receives an external force applied to the door 16a when the link 24b and the protrusion 26b are engaged, for example, the user applies an impact to the door 16a during automatic opening and closing. A heavy load is applied. In order to prevent this, a mechanism that absorbs an impact, such as a gear mechanism that idles when overloaded, a cushion by a spring, or a mechanism that disengages the link 24b and the protrusion 26b by a predetermined stress is provided.

  The power source of the actuator 23b may be another drive source such as a solenoid instead of a motor.

  The characteristics of the operation of the refrigerator configured as described above are the same as the contents described in Embodiment 1 with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the opening / closing speed of the door can be arbitrarily increased / decreased, and a refrigerator equipped with an elegant and easy-to-use automatic opening / closing mechanism can be provided. Prevention, suppression of internal volume reduction by the actuator, improvement of operational feeling, and the like are possible.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention has an automatic door opening / closing function that can stabilize the amount of door opening and arbitrarily increase / decrease the opening / closing speed regardless of the load applied to the door or the storage room. It can also be applied to storages that do not require tone.

11 Housing 12 Cold room 12a Cold room door (heat insulation door)
13 Ice making room 14 Switching room 15 Freezing room 16 Vegetable room 16a Door 17 Operation part 19a, 19b Frame 20 Storage case 21a, 21b Drawer rail 23a, 23b Actuator 24a, 24b Link 25a, 25b Guide 26a, 26b Protrusion part 27 Sealing holding mechanism 28 Drive Mechanism 29 Transmission Unit 30 Gap Space 31 Fixing Member

Claims (13)

A housing constituted by a heat insulating wall; a storage chamber provided in the housing; a door that closes the storage chamber so that the storage chamber can be opened and closed; and a door opening / closing means that automatically opens and closes the door; Operates to make the automatic opening / closing amount of the door related to the opening / closing operation of the door constant. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door opening / closing means can arbitrarily accelerate / decelerate an automatic opening / closing speed of the door. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door opening / closing means engages with the door or a portion operated by being connected to the door in a predetermined section of the movable range of the door. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the door opening / closing means is an electric actuator using a motor or a solenoid as a drive source. A sealing maintaining means for pulling in the closing direction of the door is provided, and when the door is closed, the door opening / closing means and the door are disengaged, and the door and the storage chamber are sealed by the sealing maintaining means. Is maintained, The refrigerator as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The storage chamber is a drawer type and is always connected to the door, and is configured to open and close by sliding on a rail, and the door opening / closing means engages and operates with a movable member of the rail. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the door opening / closing means is fixed on a fixing member for fixing the rail. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the door and the door opening / closing means are engaged by a first engagement member at a lower part of the door opening / closing means and a second engagement member at an upper part of the rail. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a drive source of the door opening / closing means is disposed on the inner side of the depth dimension of the storage chamber. The door opening / closing means includes a transmission unit that transmits power to the door and a drive unit including the drive source, and the transmission unit and the drive unit are combined in an L shape or a T shape. Item 10. The refrigerator according to any one of Items 1 to 9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the door opening / closing means includes an impact absorbing means. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the door opening / closing means operates by moving a predetermined distance in a direction in which the door is closed. 13. The door according to claim 1, wherein an automatic opening / closing mode by the door opening / closing means and a manual opening / closing mode that allows a user to manually open / close the door can be selected. refrigerator.

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