JP2017155982A - Door structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a constitution to further improve safety in use, in a door structure of a beverage supply device disposed in a storage room of a refrigerator and the like.SOLUTION: A door structure is disposed on a storage device such as a refrigerator. The refrigerator 1 including the door structure, includes a storage room door (main body door), a rotary door (small door) 21 disposed inside of the storage room door, and a control portion 40 for controlling opening/closing of the rotary door 21. The control portion 40 stops an opening/closing motion of the rotary door 21 when abnormality is detected during the opening/closing motion of the rotary door 21. In the other embodiment, the control portion stops the opening/closing motion of the small door when the main body door is in an opened state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a door structure attached to a storage device such as a refrigerator or a heat storage.

  Conventionally, a beverage supply device (also called a water dispenser) for supplying a beverage such as water is known. Moreover, the structure which incorporates this drink supply apparatus in a refrigerator and can take out cold water from the cold water tank provided in the refrigerator, without opening the door of a refrigerator is proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator having a dispenser portion that supplies cold water at a door. Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator that includes a cooling tank that stores water cooled by cold air in a refrigerator compartment, and a water tap that supplies water in the cold water tank to a water supply member. And in the refrigerator of patent document 2, the small door which opens and closes an opening part and this opening part is provided in the refrigerator door, and the cold water tank and the water tap are arrange | positioned in the position corresponding to an opening part.

  In addition to a refrigerator incorporating a beverage supply device, for example, a refrigerator in which an openable small door is attached to a refrigerator door has been proposed. Even in such a refrigerator, when taking out the stored item from the small door, the demand for taking out the stored item more easily in consideration of the convenience of the user is increasing.

JP 2010-65962 A JP-A-10-132456

  In a configuration in which the main body door of the refrigerator is provided with small doors for beverage supply devices and small items, it is considered to adopt a method of automatically opening and closing the small doors in order to enhance the convenience for the user. ing. However, such an automatic opening / closing type door has a safety problem such as pinching a finger during use.

  Further, in a refrigerator or the like in which an automatic opening / closing small door is attached in the main body door, the main body door and the small door may be opened at the same time. For example, if one of two users opens the main unit door and the other user opens the main door automatically, the two users Separate operations will be performed. In such a case, the view of the two users is blocked by the main body door, and the operations of each other cannot be seen. Therefore, there is a possibility that the safety of the user is impaired.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a configuration that can further enhance safety during use in a door structure such as a beverage supply device provided in a refrigerator.

  A door structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes a main body door, a small door provided inside the main body door, and a control unit that controls opening and closing of the small door. And if the said control part detects abnormality during the opening / closing operation | movement of the said small door, it will stop the opening / closing operation | movement of the said small door.

  A door structure according to another aspect of the present invention includes a main body door, a small door provided inside the main body door, and a control unit that controls opening and closing of the small door. And the said control part stops the opening / closing operation | movement of the said small door, when the said main body door is an open state.

  In the door structure according to the present invention described above, the control unit may operate the small door in a direction opposite to the operation immediately before the small door stops after the opening / closing operation of the small door is stopped.

  In the door structure according to the present invention, the control unit may cause the small door to shift to a closing operation after a predetermined time has elapsed while the small door is open. Furthermore, the door structure according to the present invention may further include a notification unit that issues a warning during the operation of closing the small door. The warning can be issued using sound, light, or the like, for example.

  As described above, in the door structure of the present invention, when an abnormality is detected during the opening / closing operation of the small door provided inside the main body door, the opening / closing operation of the small door is stopped. Therefore, the safety when opening and closing the door provided in the door structure can be further improved.

  Moreover, in the door structure of this invention, when the main body door is an open state, the opening / closing operation | movement of a small door is stopped. Therefore, the safety when opening and closing the main body door can be further enhanced.

It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the refrigerator which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. (A) is a top view which shows the state at the time of use of the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 was equipped. (B) is a perspective view which shows the state at the time of use of the drink supply apparatus shown to (a). (C) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the usage method of the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 was equipped. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 was equipped. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of door opening / closing control in the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 was equipped. FIG. 5 shows the flow of control when the revolving door shifts from the closed state to the open state. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of door opening / closing control in the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 was equipped. FIG. 6 shows the flow of control when the revolving door shifts from the open state to the closed state. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of door opening / closing control in the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 was equipped. FIG. 7 shows the flow of control when a person is present around the beverage supply device. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention was equipped. (C) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the usage method of the drink supply apparatus shown in FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of door opening / closing control in the beverage supply apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows the flow of control when the revolving door shifts from the closed state to the open state. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of door opening / closing control in the beverage supply apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 11 shows the flow of control when the revolving door shifts from the open state to the closed state. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the refrigerator which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of door opening / closing control in the drink supply apparatus with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 12 was equipped. (A) is a front view which shows the state at the time of use of the drink supply apparatus which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. (B) is an upper perspective view which shows typically the internal structure of the drink supply apparatus shown to (a).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.
<First Embodiment>

<Outline of refrigerator>
In this embodiment, an example of a refrigerator provided with a door structure according to the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, as an example of the door structure of the present invention, a revolving door provided in a beverage supply device will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. First, the outline | summary of the refrigerator 1 in which the drink supply apparatus 10 concerning this Embodiment is mounted is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator 1 equipped with a beverage supply device 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 has four doors. The refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is equipped with a refrigerator compartment at the top and a freezer compartment at the bottom. A handle 3 is provided at each door of the refrigerator. And the drink supply apparatus 10 is mounted in the right door (main body door) 2 seeing from the front for refrigerator compartments of the refrigerator 1.

  However, the refrigerator 1 on which the beverage supply device 10 is mounted may have fewer than four doors, may have more than four doors, and the refrigerator compartment may be located in the lower part or the middle part. It may be arranged in.

  In FIG. 1, the state at the time of non-use of the drink supply apparatus 10 is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating door 21 of the beverage supply device 10 is located on the front side of the refrigerator 1 when not in use. That is, the water supply mechanism of the beverage supply apparatus 10 is disposed on the back side of the rotary door 21 (small door) and is not visible. An object detection sensor (detection unit) 22 is provided in the vicinity of the rotary door 21.

  A display panel 23 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator 1. The position of the display panel 23 is not particularly limited, but the display panel 23 is disposed on the surface of the door 2 in the present embodiment. The display panel 23 is a touch panel display device, and may function as an operation panel (operation unit). In this case, the user can change the operation mode of the refrigerator 1 or the operation mode of the beverage supply device 10 from the operation panel.

  The object detection sensor 22 detects that the user's hand etc. of the drink supply apparatus 10 approached the circumference | surroundings, or the hand touched the said sensor. In addition, the object detection sensor 22 is comprised with an electrostatic capacitance type non-contact sensor, for example. For example, the object detection sensor 22 may be a proximity sensor whose output voltage changes according to the distance from the object to be detected. Thereby, it can suppress that a hand and a glass contact the surface of the door 2 of the refrigerator 1, and dirt adheres. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the detection unit that detects whether or not an object exists in the vicinity of the rotary door may be configured by a contact sensor, a push button, or the like.

  Fig.2 (a) is a front view of the door 2 part on the right side for refrigerator compartments. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the right door 2 portion for the refrigerator compartment. 2A and 2B show a state when the beverage supply device 10 is used. In addition, although the water tank 30 of the drink supply apparatus 10 is arrange | positioned on the back side of the door 2 of a refrigerator compartment, and is in the state which cannot be seen from the front, in FIG. It is indicated by a broken line. Moreover, in FIG. 3, a mode that the rotation door 21 rotates at the time of use of the drink supply apparatus 10, and a water supply mechanism is exposed is shown in order from (a) to (c).

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the object detection sensor 22 detects a user's hand etc., the drink supply apparatus 10 is comprised so that the rotation door 21 may rotate in a horizontal direction and a water supply mechanism may appear in the front. . When the revolving door 21 rotates, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the water injection lever 12, the bottom portion 13 (water receiver), the back plate 14, the side plate 15, and the like constituting the beverage supply device 10 are in front. appear. Then, the water supply chamber 10a (beverage supply chamber) of the beverage supply device 10 is formed by the bottom portion 13, the back plate 14, and the side plate 15. A water supply mechanism such as a water injection lever 12 is accommodated in the water supply chamber 10a. The revolving door 21 is provided as a part of the structure of the water supply chamber 10a. Specifically, the rotary door 21 is disposed so as to overlap the back plate 14.

  And based on a user's operation, the water in the water tank 30 cooled in the refrigerator compartment is discharged from a water inlet (not shown). In the present embodiment, for example, when the user pushes the water injection lever 12 toward the back plate 14 with a container G such as a glass (see FIG. 3), water is supplied into the glass. In addition, the water supply mechanism of the beverage supply apparatus 10 may have a configuration in which water is automatically poured by a sensor.

  Although the installation location of the object detection sensor 22 is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the object detection sensor 22 is disposed on the left side of the beverage supply device 10. And if the object detection sensor 22 detects a user, the rotation door 21 of the drink supply apparatus 10 will rotate counterclockwise, and a water supply mechanism will appear from the left side (refer FIG. 3). Thus, a user holding a glass or the like can easily bring his hand close to the water supply mechanism by moving his / her hand in the lateral direction from the vicinity of the front surface of the object detection sensor 22.

  According to this structure, the convenience of a drink supply apparatus improves more. In the case of a configuration in which the water supply mechanism appears by rotating the rotary door of the beverage supply device clockwise, it is preferable to provide an object detection sensor on the right side of the beverage supply device. Thus, it is preferable that the object detection sensor is arrange | positioned according to the rotation direction of a drink supply apparatus.

  In addition, the arrangement | positioning position of the drink supply apparatus in the refrigerator of this invention is not limited to the example shown in FIG. That is, in this Embodiment, the drink supply apparatus is provided in the door on the right side of the refrigerator, However, The drink supply apparatus may be provided in the door on the left side of the refrigerator. For example, as in the present embodiment, in the case of a refrigerator having two doors that open to the left and right from the center, an object detection sensor may be provided on the side close to the center of the refrigerator, and a beverage supply device may be installed on the outside thereof. it can. In the refrigerator having such a configuration, when the user touches the handle of the refrigerator door, the handle and the object detection sensor are separated from each other to the extent that the object detection sensor of the beverage supply device does not react. Is preferred. If a beverage supply device is provided on the left door of the refrigerator, an object detection sensor is provided on the right side of the beverage supply device, and the water supply chamber is placed on the right side so that the water supply chamber is exposed from the object detection sensor side. It is better to rotate around.

  According to said structure, a user can approach a drink supply apparatus from the side near the center of a refrigerator, and can enter a water supply attitude | position. Moreover, after a water supply operation | movement is complete | finished, a water supply chamber can be rotated toward the center side of a refrigerator, and it can return to the state at the time of non-use (state in which the rotation door is facing the front). Thereby, it can suppress that rotation of a drink supply apparatus becomes the obstruction of the operation | movement of the other person who exists in the right and left sides of a refrigerator.

  The arrangement position of the beverage supply apparatus in the refrigerator described above is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. Also, the arrangement position of the object detection sensor for opening and closing the revolving door of the beverage supply device is not limited.

<Configuration of beverage supply device>
Next, the structure of the drink supply apparatus 10 concerning this Embodiment is explained in full detail. In FIG. 4, the internal structure of the drink supply apparatus 10 is shown. In FIG. 4, the structural member relevant to control of the revolving door of the drink supply apparatus 10 is mainly shown.

  The beverage supply apparatus 10 includes a drive motor 17, a current detection unit 19, a rotary door 21, an object detection sensor 22, a display panel 23, an operation panel 24, a speaker 25, a control unit 40, a timer 51, and the like. In this embodiment, the revolving door 21 is attached to the water supply chamber 10a.

  The drive motor 17 is connected to the rotary shaft of the water supply chamber 10a to which the rotary door 21 is attached. The drive motor 17 drives the rotation of the water supply chamber 10a.

  The current detection unit 19 detects the current flowing through the drive motor 17. For example, when a foreign object is caught while the revolving door 21 is opened and closed, a larger current (lock current) than normal flows through the drive motor 17. The current detection unit 19 can detect such a lock current.

  The display panel (notification unit) 23 displays the operation mode of the refrigerator 1 and the beverage supply device 10, information related to the contents in the refrigerator 1, and the like. In the present embodiment, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the rotary door 21 due to a foreign object or the like, such as when the current detection unit 19 detects a lock current, the display panel 23 is You may make it display the alarm to that effect. Thus, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the display panel 23 as a notification unit that issues a warning by light. In addition, the alerting | reporting part which issues a warning with light is not limited to a display panel, For example, it can also be implement | achieved by light emitting elements, such as LED.

  Note that a warning display by a light emitting element such as an LED may be issued when the revolving door 21 starts a closing operation after the use of the beverage supply device 10 is finished, for example, other than when an abnormality has occurred. . In particular, it is preferable to perform such a warning display on an apparatus having a configuration in which the revolving door is automatically closed after a predetermined time has elapsed after the use of the beverage supply apparatus. Thereby, the danger of pinching a finger etc. in a revolving door can be reduced.

  Further, the warning display may be continued from the start of the closing operation of the revolving door 21 to the complete closing thereof. For example, when a warning is displayed by blinking of a light emitting element such as an LED, immediately after the revolving door 21 starts the closing operation, the blinking speed is relatively slow, and blinking as the revolving door 21 approaches the closed state. You may increase the speed. Thereby, the warning display can be made more conscious to the user immediately before the revolving door 21 with a high risk of pinching fingers or glasses is completely closed.

  The operation panel 24 is provided for the user to change the operation mode of the beverage supply device 10, the sensor sensitivity of the object detection sensor 22, and the like. In the present embodiment, the operation panel 24 is disposed in the display panel 23 of the refrigerator 1 as a part of its configuration.

  The speaker (notification part) 25 alert | reports the information regarding the refrigerator 1 and the drink supply apparatus 10 to a user by emitting a sound. Further, in the present embodiment, the speaker 25 warns when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the rotary door 21 due to a foreign object or the like, for example, when the current detection unit 19 detects a lock current. You may make it emit a sound. Thus, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the speaker 25 as a notification unit that issues a warning by sound.

  Note that the warning sound from the speaker may be emitted when the revolving door 21 starts the closing operation after the use of the beverage supply device 10 is finished, for example, in addition to the case where an abnormality has occurred. In particular, it is preferable to generate such a warning sound in an apparatus having a configuration in which the revolving door is automatically closed after a predetermined time has elapsed after the use of the beverage supply apparatus. Thereby, the danger of pinching a finger etc. in a revolving door can be reduced.

  Further, the warning sound may be continuously generated from the start of the closing operation of the revolving door 21 to the complete closing thereof. In this case, for example, immediately after the revolving door 21 starts the closing operation, the volume of the warning sound may be relatively low, and the sound volume may be gradually increased as the revolving door 21 approaches the closed state. Thereby, it is possible to make the user more aware of the warning sound immediately before the revolving door 21 with a high risk of pinching fingers or glasses is completely closed.

  The control part 40 is connected with each component in the drink supply apparatus 10, and performs these control. In the control unit 40, a rotation control unit 41, a memory 43, and the like are provided. The control part 40 may be provided independently of the control part of the refrigerator 1 main body, and may be provided in the control part (not shown) of the refrigerator 1 as a part of the structure. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 40 may further include a sensor sensitivity adjusting unit for adjusting the sensor sensitivity of the object detection sensor 22.

  The rotation control unit 41 controls the opening / closing operation of the rotary door 21 of the beverage supply device 10. For example, the rotation control unit 41 starts or stops the operation of the rotary door 21 based on a signal transmitted from the object detection sensor 22. Thereby, the revolving door 21 will be in an open state or a closed state. Here, that the revolving door 21 is in an open state refers to a state in which the water supply unit located on the back side of the revolving door 21 is exposed on the front surface of the refrigerator 1. Moreover, that the revolving door 21 is in a closed state means a state in which the revolving door 21 is located on the front side of the refrigerator 1. When the revolving door 21 is in a closed state, the surface of the revolving door 21 and the surface of the door 2 of the refrigerator 1 are substantially flush with each other.

  The memory 43 includes a ROM (read only memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 43 stores an operation program and setting data of the beverage supply device 10 and temporarily stores a calculation result by the control unit 40. The timer 51 measures the time required for the opening / closing operation of the rotary door 21.

  Next, the rotation operation of the beverage supply device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3A, the user who wants to drink water holds his hand in front of the object detection sensor 22 with a glass G, for example. Then, as shown in FIG.3 (b), the drink supply apparatus 10 begins to rotate counterclockwise centering on the rotating shaft. Thereby, the water supply chamber 10a hidden behind the revolving door 21 gradually appears on the front from the left side of the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment as shown in FIGS. 3 (b) to 3 (c). In accordance with the exposure of the water supply chamber 10a, the user can slide his / her hand under the water supply port (not shown). And as shown in FIG.3 (c), when the water injection lever 12 (refer FIG.2 (a)) which comprises a water supply mechanism is located in the front, rotation operation stops.

  As described above, in the beverage supply device 10 of the present embodiment, the object detection sensor 22 is arranged on the left side of the beverage supply device 10 (see FIG. 1), and the beverage supply device 10 rotates counterclockwise. It has become. In other words, the beverage supply device 10 is configured such that the water supply chamber 10a existing inside the rotary door 21 appears from the side where the object detection sensor 22 is disposed. Therefore, the user holding the glass G in his / her hand can enter the water supply posture by sliding his / her hand to the right as it is from the front of the object detection sensor 22.

  When the water supply operation is completed, the user leaves the water supply chamber 10a. At this time, the object detection sensor 22 detects that the user and the glass are separated from the water supply chamber 10a. Then, the beverage supply apparatus 10 rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation operation described above (that is, clockwise), and finally enters the state shown in FIG. In addition, after the object detection sensor 22 detects that the user and the glass are separated from the water supply chamber 10a, the timer 51 may start counting, and the rotary door 21 may be closed after a predetermined time has elapsed. In addition to the object detection sensor 22, a sensor for detecting an object is provided on the water injection lever 12, and the revolving door 21 is automatically closed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the sensor detected the end of the water supply operation. It is good.

  As described above, the usability of the beverage supply device 10 can be improved by matching the position of the object detection sensor 22 with the rotation direction of the beverage supply device 10. The position of the object detection sensor and the rotation direction of the beverage supply device described in the present embodiment are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is good also as a structure which arrange | positions an object detection sensor on the right side of a drink supply apparatus, and rotates a drink supply apparatus clockwise.

  Furthermore, the beverage supply device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a current detection unit 19 that detects a current flowing through the drive motor 17. Then, when the current detection unit 19 detects an abnormality in the current flowing through the drive motor 17 (for example, a lock current), the rotation control unit 41 stops the drive motor 17 and opens / closes the rotary door 21. Stop operation.

<Control that stops the operation of the revolving door when an abnormality is detected>
Then, the control method of the revolving door 21 of the drink supply apparatus 10 is demonstrated, referring FIG.5 and FIG.6. FIG. 5 shows the flow of control when the revolving door 21 shifts from the closed state to the open state. FIG. 6 shows the flow of control when the revolving door 21 shifts from the open state to the closed state.

  When the revolving door 21 shifts from the closed state to the open state, first, the rotation control unit 41 has transmitted a signal (small door opening signal) indicating that the revolving door 21 is opened from the object detection sensor 22. It is determined whether or not (step S11). Here, the small door opening signal is transmitted from the object detection sensor 22 to the rotation control unit 41 when the user approaches the detection range of the object detection sensor 22.

  In step S11, when the rotation control unit 41 receives the small door opening signal (YES in step S11), the rotation control unit 41 drives the drive motor 17 to start the operation of the rotary door 21 (step S12). In the present embodiment, the rotary door 21 is rotated counterclockwise (see FIG. 3B). At this time, the timer 51 starts counting time.

  Here, the memory 43 in the control unit 40 stores a scheduled time T1 from when the revolving door 21 is normally operated until it shifts from the closed state to the open state. The control unit 40 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 exceeds the scheduled time T1 (step S13). Then, while the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 does not exceed the scheduled time (that is, in the case of NO in step S13), the rotation control unit 41 causes the current detection unit 19 to detect an abnormal current. It is determined whether or not (for example, a lock current or the like) has been detected (step S14).

  If the current detector 19 detects no current abnormality (for example, a lock current) (NO in step S14) and the elapsed time from the start of the rotary door 21 exceeds the scheduled time T1 (step S14). If YES in S13, it is determined that the revolving door 21 has been completely opened (step S15). And the rotation control part 41 stops the drive motor 17 (step S16), and complete | finishes the opening operation of the rotary door 21. FIG.

  On the other hand, if the current detector 19 detects a current abnormality (YES in step S14) before the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 exceeds the scheduled time T1 (NO in step S13), the control is performed. The unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the opening operation of the rotary door 21 (step S17). The abnormality here is, for example, a state in which a user's finger or a foreign object is caught in the revolving door 21. Then, the rotation control unit 41 stops the drive motor 17 (step S18).

  When the control unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the opening operation of the rotary door 21 (step S17), the rotation control unit 41 stops the drive motor 17 and then rotates the rotary door 21 in the reverse direction ( In the case of this embodiment, it may be rotated clockwise). That is, you may transfer to step S22 (refer FIG. 6) mentioned later from step S18. Further, in this case, when the control unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the opening operation of the rotary door 21 (step S17), the timer 51 may stop counting. And the measurement time of the timer 51 at this time is stored in the memory 43, and the rotation control unit 41 may rotate the revolving door 21 in the reverse direction for the same measurement time. Thereby, when the revolving door 21 is completely closed, the rotation control unit 41 can stop the drive motor 17.

  Next, a control method when the revolving door 21 shifts from the open state to the closed state will be described with reference to FIG. First, the rotation control unit 41 determines whether or not a signal (small door closing signal) for closing the rotary door 21 has been transmitted (step S21). Here, for example, the small door closing signal is transmitted after the timer 51 starts counting after a predetermined time has elapsed after the object detection sensor 22 detects that the user and the glass have left the water supply chamber 10a. .

  In step S21, when the rotation control unit 41 receives the small door closing signal (YES in step S21), the rotation control unit 41 drives the drive motor 17 to start the operation of the rotary door 21 (step S22). In the present embodiment, the rotary door 21 is rotated clockwise. At this time, the timer 51 starts counting time.

  Here, the memory 43 in the control unit 40 stores a scheduled time T2 from when the revolving door 21 operates normally to when the revolving door 21 moves to the closed state. In addition, when the rotation speed when opening the revolving door 21 and the rotation speed when closing the revolving door 21 are the same, the scheduled time T2 is the same as T1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The rotation speed may be changed between when the revolving door 21 is opened and when the revolving door 21 is closed.

  The control unit 40 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 exceeds the scheduled time T2 (step S23). Then, while the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 does not exceed the scheduled time (that is, in the case of NO in step S23), the rotation control unit 41 causes the current detection unit 19 to detect an abnormal current. It is determined whether or not (for example, a lock current or the like) has been detected (step S24).

  If the current detector 19 does not detect current abnormality (for example, a lock current) (NO in step S24) and the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 exceeds the scheduled time T2 (step It is determined that the revolving door 21 is completely closed (YES in S23) (step S25). Then, the rotation control unit 41 stops the drive motor 17 (step S26), and ends the closing operation of the rotary door 21.

  On the other hand, if the current detector 19 detects a current abnormality (YES in step S24) before the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 21 exceeds the scheduled time T2 (NO in step S23), the control is performed. The unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the closing operation of the rotary door 21 (step S27). The abnormality here is, for example, a state in which a user's finger or a foreign object is caught in the revolving door 21. Then, the rotation control unit 41 stops the drive motor 17 (step S28).

  When the control unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the closing operation of the rotary door 21 (step S27), the rotation control unit 41 stops the drive motor 17 and then rotates the rotary door 21 in the reverse direction ( In the case of this embodiment, it may be rotated counterclockwise). That is, you may transfer to step S12 (refer FIG. 5) from step S28. In this case, when the control unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the closing operation of the rotary door 21 (step S27), the timer 51 may stop counting. And the measurement time of the timer 51 at this time is stored in the memory 43, and the rotation control unit 41 may rotate the revolving door 21 in the reverse direction for the same measurement time. Thereby, when the revolving door 21 is completely opened, the rotation control unit 41 can stop the drive motor 17.

<Transition from the open state to the closed state of the revolving door>
Next, control for closing the revolving door 21 once opened will be described with reference to FIG. The control shown in FIG. 7 is executed after step 16 shown in FIG. 5, for example.

  As described above, the small door closing signal serving as an instruction to shift the revolving door to the closed state is transmitted, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed after detecting that the user and the glass have left the water supply chamber 10a. . However, even after the use of the beverage supply device 10 is over, if there is a person near the front of the refrigerator 1, it is possible to control the rotating door 21 to be kept open. Such control is effective, for example, in a demonstration mode in which the refrigerator 1 is displayed at a store or the like.

  Therefore, in addition to the object detection sensor 22, the beverage supply device 10 of the present embodiment may be provided with a human sensor that detects the presence of a person around the beverage supply device 10. The detection range of the human sensor is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that the presence of a wider range of people than the object detection sensor 22 can be detected. And when the drink supply apparatus 10 will be in demo mode, when the human sensor is detecting the person, regardless of whether the drink supply apparatus 10 is used, you may maintain the rotation door 21 in an open state. .

  For example, when the use of the beverage supply device 10 is finished, the user and the glass are separated from the water supply chamber 10a. Thereby, the user and the glass are not present from the detection range of the object detection sensor 22. At this time, the timer 51 starts counting time, and the control unit 40 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the user left the water supply chamber 10a as shown in FIG. 7 (step S31). .

  When the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S31), the control unit 40 next determines whether or not the human sensor has detected a person (step S32). When the human sensor detects a person (YES in step S32), the rotation control unit 41 maintains the rotary door 21 in an open state (for example, the process proceeds to step S16). On the other hand, when the human sensor does not detect a person (NO in step S32), the rotation control unit 41 starts the closing operation of the rotary door 21 (for example, the process proceeds to step S22).

  Here, the configuration in which the object detection sensor 22 and the human sensor are separate sensors has been described, but the object detection sensor 22 and the human sensor may be changed by changing the sensor sensitivity of the object detection sensor 22 or the like. It can also be realized with a single sensor. In this case, for example, when the revolving door 21 is closed, the threshold value of the sensor sensitivity of the object detection sensor 22 is set small, and when the revolving door 21 is open, the threshold value of the sensor sensitivity of the object detection sensor 22 is increased. You only have to set it. Such sensor sensitivity control can be performed by, for example, a sensor sensitivity adjustment unit in the control unit 40.

(Revolving door opens from either side)
The beverage supply device 10 according to the first embodiment rotates only from the left side to be in an open state, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, an object detection sensor may be arranged on the right side of the revolving door of the beverage supply device 10 so that the revolving door opens from the right side. Furthermore, it can also be set as the structure by which an object detection sensor is arrange | positioned at the both right and left sides of a rotary door. In this case, when the left object detection sensor detects the user, the revolving door is rotated so that the water supply chamber 10a appears from the left side, and when the right object detection sensor detects the user, the right side is detected. The revolving door is preferably rotated so that the water supply chamber 10a appears. Thereby, a more convenient beverage supply apparatus can be provided.

<Summary of First Embodiment>
As described above, when the object detection sensor 22 arranged on the left side of the rotary door 21 detects the user, the beverage supply device 10 installed in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment has the rotary door of the beverage supply device 10. 21 rotates counterclockwise and has a structure in which a water supply mechanism appears from the left side. Thus, a user holding a glass or the like can easily bring his hand close to the water supply mechanism by moving his / her hand in the lateral direction from the vicinity of the front surface of the object detection sensor 22.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, when the beverage supply device 10 is used, the revolving door 21 can be opened in accordance with the natural operation of the user. Therefore, it is not necessary to dare to perform the operation of opening the revolving door 21, and convenience when using the beverage supply device 10 can be enhanced.

  Moreover, according to the drink supply apparatus 10 which concerns on this embodiment, if an electric current detection part detects abnormality of a drive motor at the time of operation | movement of the rotation door 21, operation | movement of a rotation door can be stopped. Therefore, in a beverage supply device equipped with an automatically opening and closing type revolving door, the revolving door is operated when the rotating operation of the revolving door is restricted by accidentally touching the revolving door while the user is operating. Can be stopped. Therefore, the danger that a user may pinch a finger or the like when using the beverage supply device can be reduced.

  Thus, in the beverage supply apparatus according to this embodiment, the current detection unit functions as a detection unit that detects an abnormality in the opening / closing operation of the rotary door. In the present invention, the detection unit is not limited to the current detection unit. The detection part should just be what can detect that rotation operation | movement of the small door was restrict | limited by external force.

<Second Embodiment>
Subsequently, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In 1st Embodiment mentioned above, the rotation control part detected the lock current of the drive motor, and demonstrated the example which detects abnormality of the opening / closing operation | movement of a rotary door. However, in the door structure of the present invention, an abnormality in the opening / closing operation of the small door may be detected by another method. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an example will be described in which it is determined that there is an abnormality when the time required for opening and closing the small door exceeds a threshold value.

  In FIG. 8, the internal structure of the drink supply apparatus 110 with which the refrigerator 1 concerning this embodiment was equipped is shown. About the refrigerator 1 which concerns on this embodiment, the structure fundamentally the same as the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment is applicable. In FIG. 8, the structural member relevant to control of the revolving door of the drink supply apparatus 110 is mainly shown.

  The beverage supply device 110 includes a drive motor 17, a rotary door 121, a door open / close detection switch 118, an object detection sensor 22, a display panel 23, an operation panel 24, a speaker 25, a control unit 140, a timer 51, and the like. In the present embodiment, the revolving door 121 is attached to the water supply chamber 10a.

  The beverage supply device 110 according to the present embodiment does not include the current detection unit 19. However, in the present invention, the beverage supply device may further include the current detection unit 19. Thereby, not only when the time required for the opening / closing operation of the revolving door 121 exceeds the threshold value, but also when the current detection unit 19 detects the lock current, the control unit 140 determines that an abnormality has occurred and rotates. The opening / closing operation of the door 21 can be stopped.

  The drive motor 17, the object detection sensor 22, the display panel 23, the operation panel 24, the speaker 25, and the timer 51 can be configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  The door opening / closing detection switch 118 detects whether the revolving door 121 is in an open state or a closed state. For example, the door opening / closing detection switch 118 is provided on each of the rotary door 121 (or the water supply chamber 10a) and the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment. Whether the revolving door 121 is in an open state or a closed state can be detected based on whether or not the switches arranged at the respective positions are in the ON state. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9B, the door open / close detection switch 118 is provided near each of the four corners of the small window provided on the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment and on the outer peripheral side surface of the water supply chamber 10a. Yes. Whether the revolving door 121 is in the closed state, which is the open state, is detected based on whether the switch on the door 2 side and the switch on the water supply chamber 10a side are in contact with each other.

  The control part 140 is connected with each component in the drink supply apparatus 110, and performs these control. In the control unit 140, a rotation control unit 141, a memory 143, and the like are provided. The control unit 140 may be provided independently of the control unit of the refrigerator 1 main body, or may be provided in the control unit (not shown) of the refrigerator 1 as a part of its configuration.

  The rotation control unit 141 controls the opening / closing operation of the rotary door 121 of the beverage supply device 110. For example, the rotation control unit 141 starts or stops the operation of the rotary door 121 based on a signal transmitted from the object detection sensor 22. Thereby, the revolving door 121 will be in an open state or a closed state. The rotation control unit 141 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the operation of the revolving door when the time required for the opening / closing operation of the revolving door 121 exceeds the threshold. In this case, the rotation control unit 141 stops the operation of the drive motor 17.

  The memory 143 can have the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. The memory 143 of the present embodiment stores information on the time required for the revolving door 121 to move from the open state to the closed state when it operates normally. In addition, when the rotation speed at the time of opening operation of the revolving door 121 and the rotation speed at the time of closing operation of the revolving door 121 are different, the time required from the open state to the closed state, and the closed state to the open state. Each required time to be stored is stored.

  Next, the rotation operation of the beverage supply device 110 will be described. In FIG. 9, the rotation operation | movement of the drink supply apparatus 110 is shown. As shown in FIG. 9A, a user who wants to drink water holds his hand in front of the object detection sensor 22 with a glass G or the like, for example. Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, the beverage supply device 110 starts to rotate counterclockwise around its rotation axis. As a result, the water supply chamber 10a hidden behind the revolving door 121 gradually appears on the front side from the left side of the door 2 of the refrigerating chamber, as shown in FIGS. 9 (b) to 9 (c). In accordance with the exposure of the water supply chamber 10a, the user can slide his / her hand under the water supply port (not shown). And as shown in FIG.9 (c), when the water injection lever 12 which comprises a water supply mechanism is located in the front, rotation operation stops.

  Next, a method for controlling the revolving door 121 of the beverage supply device 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 shows the flow of control when the revolving door 121 shifts from the closed state to the open state. FIG. 11 shows the flow of control when the revolving door 121 shifts from the open state to the closed state.

  When the revolving door 121 shifts from the closed state to the open state, first, the rotation control unit 141 has transmitted a signal (small door opening signal) indicating that the revolving door 121 is opened from the object detection sensor 22. It is determined whether or not (step S41). Here, the small door opening signal is transmitted from the object detection sensor 22 to the rotation control unit 141 when the user approaches the detection range of the object detection sensor 22.

  In step S41, when the rotation control unit 141 receives the small door opening signal (YES in step S41), the rotation control unit 141 drives the drive motor 17 to start the operation of the rotary door 121 (step S42). In the present embodiment, the rotary door 121 is rotated counterclockwise (see FIG. 9B). At this time, the timer 51 starts counting time (a).

  Then, the control unit 140 determines whether or not the door opening / closing detection switch 118 is in an open state after the rotary door 121 starts rotating (step S43). Here, the memory 143 in the control unit 140 stores a scheduled time T1 from when the revolving door 121 operates normally to when the revolving door 121 moves to the open state. Then, until the door opening / closing detection switch 118 is in the open state (NO in step S43), the control unit 140 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the rotary door 121 exceeds the scheduled time T1. Is determined (step S44).

  While the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 121 does not exceed the scheduled time T1 (NO in step S44), the process returns to step S43 again, and whether or not the door open / close detection switch 118 has been opened. Make a decision. Thereafter, when the door open / close detection switch 118 detects an open state (YES in step S43), the control unit 140 compares the current count time (a) of the timer 51 with the scheduled time T1 (step S1). S45). Here, when the time (a) until the revolving door 121 is opened is approximately the same as the scheduled time T1 (NO in step S45), it is determined that the revolving door 121 is completely opened (step S46). ). Then, the rotation control unit 141 stops the drive motor 17 (step S47) and ends the opening operation of the rotary door 121.

  On the other hand, before the door open / close detection switch 118 is opened (NO in step S43), when the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 121 exceeds the scheduled time T1 (YES in step S44). The controller 140 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the opening operation of the rotary door 121 (step S48). In addition, when the door opening / closing detection switch 118 is in the open state much earlier than the scheduled time T1 (YES in step S45, T1> a), the control unit 140 is abnormal in the opening operation of the rotary door 121. Is determined to have occurred (step S48).

  Then, the timer 51 stops counting time. The abnormality here is, for example, a state in which a user's finger or a foreign object is caught in the revolving door 21. Then, the rotation control unit 141 stops the drive motor 17 (step S49).

  As in the first embodiment, when the control unit 140 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the opening operation of the rotary door 121 (step S48), after the rotation control unit 141 stops the drive motor 17, The revolving door 121 may be rotated in the reverse direction (in the case of the present embodiment, it is rotated clockwise). That is, you may transfer to step S52 (refer FIG. 11) mentioned later from step S48.

  Next, a control method when the revolving door 121 shifts from the open state to the closed state will be described with reference to FIG. First, the rotation control unit 141 determines whether or not a signal (small door closing signal) for closing the rotating door 121 has been transmitted (step S51). Here, for example, the small door closing signal is transmitted after the timer 51 starts counting after a predetermined time has elapsed after the object detection sensor 22 detects that the user and the glass have left the water supply chamber 10a. .

  In step S51, when the rotation control unit 141 receives the small door closing signal (YES in step S51), the rotation control unit 141 drives the drive motor 17 to start the operation of the rotary door 121 (step S52). In the present embodiment, the rotary door 121 is rotated clockwise. At this time, the timer 51 starts counting time (b).

  Then, the control unit 140 determines whether or not the door opening / closing detection switch 118 is in a closed state after the rotary door 121 starts rotating (step S53). Here, the memory 143 in the control unit 140 stores a scheduled time T2 from when the revolving door 121 operates normally to when it shifts from the closed state to the open state. Then, until the door opening / closing detection switch 118 is closed (NO in step S53), the control unit 140 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the rotary door 121 exceeds the scheduled time T2. Is determined (step S54).

  While the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 121 does not exceed the scheduled time T2 (NO in step S54), the process returns to step S53 again, and whether or not the door open / close detection switch 118 has been opened. Make a decision. Thereafter, when the door opening / closing detection switch 118 detects a closed state (YES in step S53), the control unit 140 compares the count time (b) of the timer 51 at the present time with the scheduled time T2 (step S2). S55). Here, when the time (b) until the revolving door 121 is opened is approximately the same as the scheduled time T2 (NO in step S55), it is determined that the revolving door 121 is completely closed (step S56). ). Then, the rotation control unit 141 stops the drive motor 17 (step S57), and ends the closing operation of the rotary door 121.

  On the other hand, before the door open / close detection switch 118 is closed (NO in step S53), when the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the revolving door 121 exceeds the scheduled time T2 (YES in step S54). The control unit 140 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the closing operation of the rotary door 121 (step S58). In addition, even when the door open / close detection switch 118 is closed much earlier than the scheduled time T2 (YES in step S55, T2> b), the control unit 140 is abnormal in the opening operation of the rotary door 121. Is determined to have occurred (step S58).

  Then, the timer 51 stops counting time. Then, the rotation control unit 141 stops the drive motor 17 (step S59).

  As in the first embodiment, when the control unit 140 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the closing operation of the rotary door 121 (step S58), the rotation control unit 141 stops the drive motor 17, The revolving door 121 may be rotated in the reverse direction (in the case of this embodiment, it rotates counterclockwise). That is, you may transfer to step S42 (refer FIG. 10) from step S59.

<Transition from the open state to the closed state of the revolving door>
In the beverage supply apparatus 110 according to the present embodiment, the same control method as that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 7) is adopted for the control for closing the revolving door 121 once opened. Can do. Here, the control shown in FIG. 7 is executed after step 47 shown in FIG. 10, for example.

  As described above, according to the beverage supply device 110 according to the present embodiment, when the time required for the opening / closing operation of the revolving door 121 is longer than the scheduled time, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred and the operation of the revolving door is stopped. Can be made. Therefore, in a beverage supply device including an automatically opening and closing type revolving door, the operation of the revolving door can be stopped when a rotating operation of the revolving door is restricted due to a foreign object being caught in the revolving door in operation. Therefore, the danger that a user may pinch a finger or the like when using the beverage supply device can be reduced.

  Thus, in the beverage supply apparatus according to the present embodiment, the timer and the control unit serve as a detection unit that detects an abnormality in the opening / closing operation of the rotary door.

<Third Embodiment>
Subsequently, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, in order to improve the safety of the user of the refrigerator, a configuration will be described in which the operation of the small door (the revolving door of the beverage supply device) is stopped when the large door (the refrigerator door) is in the open state. .

  In FIG. 12, the structure of the refrigerator 200 concerning this embodiment is shown. About the structure of the external appearance of the refrigerator 200, it is the same as that of the refrigerator 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. And the drink supply apparatus 210 is mounted in the refrigerator 200. FIG. Similar to the refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment, the beverage supply device 210 is disposed on the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment. A door open / close detection switch 8 is attached to the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment. The door open / close detection switch 8 detects whether the door 2 (main body door) is open or closed. A conventionally known configuration can be applied to the door opening / closing detection switch 8.

  The beverage supply device 210 includes a drive motor 17, a current detection unit 19, a rotary door 221, a door open / close detection switch 218, an object detection sensor 22, a display panel 23, an operation panel 24, a speaker 25, a control unit 240, a timer 51, and the like. I have. In this embodiment, the revolving door 221 is attached to the water supply chamber 10a.

  The drive motor 17, the current detection unit 19, the object detection sensor 22, the display panel 23, the operation panel 24, the speaker 25, and the timer 51 can be configured similarly to the first embodiment.

  The door open / close detection switch 218 is provided on the rotary door 221 (or the water supply chamber 10a) and the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment, respectively. Similar to the door opening / closing detection switch 118 of the second embodiment, the door opening / closing detection switch 218 detects whether the rotary door 221 is in an open state or a closed state. That is, whether the rotary door 221 is in the open state or the closed state can be detected based on whether or not the switches arranged at the positions of the rotary door 221 and the door 2 are in the ON state.

  The control part 240 is connected with each component in the drink supply apparatus 210, and performs these control. In the control unit 240, a rotation control unit 241 and a memory 243 are provided. The control part 240 may be provided independently of the control part of the refrigerator 1 main body, and may be provided in the control part (not shown) of the refrigerator 1 as a part of the structure. The memory 243 can have the same configuration as that of the first embodiment.

  The rotation control unit 241 controls the opening / closing operation of the rotary door 221 of the beverage supply device 210. For example, the rotation control unit 241 starts or stops the operation of the rotary door 221 based on a signal transmitted from the object detection sensor 22. Thereby, the revolving door 221 is opened or closed.

  The rotation control unit 241 also controls the operation of the rotating door 221 according to the open / closed state of the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment. For example, when the door opening / closing detection switch 8 detects that the door 2 is in an open state, the rotation control unit 241 may receive an instruction (small door opening signal) to open the rotating door 221 from the object detection sensor 22. The revolving door 221 is not operated. If the door opening / closing detection switch 8 detects that the door 2 is open during the opening / closing operation of the rotating door 221, the rotation control unit 241 stops the operation of the rotating door 221. Thereby, the safety | security at the time of use of the refrigerator 200 and the drink supply apparatus 210 can be improved.

  Next, a method for controlling the rotary door 221 of the beverage supply apparatus 210 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 shows the flow of control when the revolving door 221 shifts from the closed state to the open state.

  When the revolving door 221 shifts from the closed state to the open state, first, the rotation control unit 241 has transmitted a signal (small door opening signal) indicating that the revolving door 221 is opened from the object detection sensor 22. It is determined whether or not (step S61). Here, the small door opening signal is transmitted from the object detection sensor 22 to the rotation control unit 141 when the user approaches the detection range of the object detection sensor 22.

  In step S61, when rotation control unit 241 receives the small door opening signal (YES in step S61), control unit 240 next determines the open / closed state of door 2 of the refrigerator compartment (step S62). That is, the control part 240 discriminate | determines the opening / closing state of the door 2 of a refrigerator compartment based on the signal transmitted from the door opening / closing detection switch 8. FIG.

  Here, when the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment is closed (NO in step S62), the rotation control unit 241 drives the drive motor 17 to start the operation of the rotary door 221 (step S64). In the present embodiment, the rotary door 221 is rotated counterclockwise (see FIG. 3B).

  On the other hand, when the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment is in an open state (YES in step S62), the rotation control unit 241 maintains the drive motor 17 in a stopped state (step S63). And it returns to step S62 again. Thereafter, when it is determined in step S62 that the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment is closed (NO in step S62), the rotation control unit 241 drives the drive motor 17 and starts the operation of the rotary door 221. (Step S64).

  Thereafter, the rotation control unit 241 operates the drive motor 17 until the rotary door 221 is opened. While the drive motor 17 is operating, the door open / close detection switch 218 detects whether or not the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment has been opened (step S65). Here, if the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment is maintained in the closed state (NO in step S65), the rotation control unit 241 continues the opening operation of the rotary door 221.

  Then, the rotation control unit 241 operates the drive motor 17 until a signal indicating that the rotary door 221 is opened is transmitted from the door opening / closing detection switch 218 (step S66). When the door open / close detection switch 218 detects the open state of the rotary door 221 (YES in step S66), the rotation control unit 241 stops the operation of the rotary door 221 (step S67). Thereby, the rotation door 221 will be in an open state.

  On the other hand, when the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment is opened during the operation of the drive motor 17 (YES in step S65), the rotation control unit 241 stops the operation of the rotary door 221 (step S68). And it returns to step S62 again. In step S62, when it is detected that the door 2 of the refrigerator compartment is closed (YES in step S62), the rotation control unit 241 restarts the operation of the rotary door 221 (step S64).

  Note that the above-described opening / closing control of the rotary door 221 can be applied as appropriate when the rotary door 221 shifts from the open state to the closed state.

  As described above, according to the refrigerator 200 of the present embodiment, the operation of the rotary door 221 can be stopped while the refrigerator door 2 is in the open state. Therefore, for example, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an accident such that a person who tries to open the door 2 of the refrigerating room accidentally pinches his / her hand on the rotating door 221 that is rotating. Therefore, a safer refrigerator can be provided.

  In addition, the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 200 of this embodiment is provided with a refrigerator compartment door that is divided into left and right sides (see FIG. 1). In the case of the refrigerator having such a configuration, the opening / closing operation of the rotary door 221 may be controlled according to the opening / closing state of only the right door 2. That is, when the left door is opened, the revolving door 221 of the beverage supply device 210 may perform a normal opening / closing operation without stopping the operation. Further, in the case where the door of the refrigerator compartment is a single-opening type door that opens and closes from either left or right end, the above-described opening / closing control of the revolving door may be performed according to the opening / closing state of the door of the refrigerator compartment. .

<Fourth Embodiment>
Subsequently, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the 1st to 3rd embodiment mentioned above, the example of the drink supply apparatus built in the refrigerator was mentioned and demonstrated as an example of application of the door structure of the present invention. However, the door structure of the present invention can also be applied to door structures other than the beverage supply device.

  For example, the door structure of the present invention can also be applied to a small storage mounted in a large storage such as a refrigerator. About the structure of the rotary door with which the small storage was equipped, the structure similar to either of the 1st to 3rd embodiment is applicable. In addition, when the structure similar to 1st Embodiment is applied, although a small storage is rotated only from the left side and it will be in an open state, this invention is not limited to this structure. For example, an object detection sensor may be arranged on the right side of the revolving door of the small storage and the revolving door may be opened from the right side. Furthermore, it can also be set as the structure by which an object detection sensor is arrange | positioned at the right-and-left both sides of a rotary door. In this case, when the left object detection sensor detects the user, the revolving door rotates so that the storage case appears from the left side, and when the right object detection sensor detects the user, the storage is started from the right side. It is recommended that the revolving door rotate so that the warehouse appears.

  If a beverage with higher usage frequency is stored in such a small storage, the desired beverage can be taken out from the rotary door without opening the refrigerator door. Thus, by taking out a drink from a rotation door, compared with the case where a door is opened and a drink is taken out, the temperature rise in a refrigerator can be suppressed. Further, by providing the revolving door of the small storage box at a relatively low position, even a small child can easily take out the beverage from the revolving door.

  In the above, the example which applies the door structure of this invention to the revolving door of a small storage was demonstrated. In addition, the small storage demonstrated here does not necessarily need to be provided in a refrigerator, and may be attached to other storage devices, such as a heat retention box and a storeroom.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Subsequently, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above-described first to third embodiments, the example in which the beverage supply device is provided in the refrigerator and the beverage supply device is provided with the automatic opening and closing door has been described. However, the door structure of the present invention is not necessarily provided in the refrigerator, and the present invention can be applied to an automatic rotating beverage supply apparatus. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an example of a beverage supply device having a door structure according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 14A shows an external configuration of the beverage supply device 300 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14A shows a state when the beverage supply device 300 is in use. Moreover, in FIG.14 (b), the internal structure of the drink supply apparatus 300 is shown.

  The beverage supply device 300 includes a main body door 301, a water supply chamber 10a, a water tank 30, an object detection sensor (detection unit) 322, and the like. The water supply chamber 10a includes a water injection lever 12, a bottom portion 13 (water receiver), a back plate 14, a side plate, and the like. The water tank 30 is disposed on the back side of the main body door 301 of the beverage supply device 300 and is not visible from the front. In FIG. 14A, for convenience, the water tank 30 is indicated by a broken line. Yes. The object detection sensor 322 is arranged on the left side of the water supply chamber 10a.

  As shown in FIG. 14B, the rotary door 321 is provided as a part of the configuration of the water supply chamber 10a. Specifically, the rotary door 321 is disposed so as to overlap the back plate 14. The main body door 301 is opened when water is supplied to the water tank 30.

  The beverage supply device 300 is configured such that the rotating door 321 rotates in the horizontal direction when the object detection sensor 322 detects a user's hand or the like. When the revolving door 321 rotates, the water supply chamber 10a appears in the front. About the control method of the opening / closing operation | movement of the revolving door 321, the structure similar to the drink supply apparatus in any one of 1st to 3rd embodiment is applicable.

  In addition, when the structure similar to 1st Embodiment is applied, although the drink supply apparatus 300 rotates only from the left side, it will be in an open state, but this invention is not limited to this structure. For example, an object detection sensor may be arranged on the right side of the revolving door of the beverage supply device 300 so that the revolving door opens from the right side. Furthermore, it can also be set as the structure by which an object detection sensor is arrange | positioned at the right-and-left both sides of a rotary door. In this case, when the left object detection sensor detects the user, the revolving door is rotated so that the water supply chamber 10a appears from the left side, and when the right object detection sensor detects the user, the right side is detected. The revolving door is preferably rotated so that the water supply chamber 10a appears.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims. Further, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in this specification with each other are also included in the scope of the present invention.

1,200: Refrigerator 2: Door (main body door)
10, 110, 210, 300: Beverage supply device 21, 121, 221, 321: Revolving door (small door)
22,322: Object detection sensor (detection unit)
40, 140, 240: control unit 41, 141, 241: rotation control unit 8: door open / close detection switch 10a (fridge): water supply chamber 12: water injection lever 19: current detection unit 23: display panel (notification unit)
25: Speaker (notification unit)
118: Door opening / closing detection switch (of the revolving door)

Claims (5)

The body door,
A small door provided inside the main body door;
A control unit for controlling opening and closing of the small door,
The control unit stops the opening / closing operation of the small door when an abnormality is detected during the opening / closing operation of the small door. The body door,
A small door provided inside the main body door;
A control unit for controlling opening and closing of the small door,
The said control part is a door structure which stops the opening / closing operation | movement of the said small door, when the said main body door is an open state. The controller is
The door structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein after the opening and closing operation of the small door is stopped, the small door is operated in a direction opposite to an operation immediately before the small door is stopped. The controller is
The door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the small door is moved to a closing operation after a predetermined time has elapsed in the open state.   The door structure according to claim 4, further comprising a notification unit that issues a warning during the operation of closing the small door.

Images