JP2020024049A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator excellent in operability, capable of suppressing an increase in wasteful power consumption, and also capable of suppressing deterioration of a touch sensor without impairing an outer appearance of the refrigerator.SOLUTION: If a detection part 26b-31b and 47 detects a change in electrostatic capacity in a first state in which a first light source 42a and a second light source 42b are turned off, and a first operation part 26-30 and a second operation part 31 are not displayed on a door front plate 24, the state is set to a second state in which the first light source 42a is turned off and an operation to the first operation part 26-30 is made invalid, and the second light source 42b is turned on and an operation to the second operation part 31 is made valid. If the second operation part 31 is operated in the second state, the state is set to a third state in which the first light source 42a is turned on and an operation to the first operation part 26-30 is made valid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  In the refrigerator, an operation panel including an operation unit including a capacitance type touch sensor and a display unit is provided on the front surface of a door that opens and closes a front opening of the main body, and when a mode or the like is set by operating the operation unit. , And a display corresponding thereto appears on the display unit.

  In such a refrigerator, a light source for illuminating the operation unit from behind may be provided in order to make the position of the operation unit easy to understand. However, if the operation unit is constantly illuminated, power consumption increases.

  Therefore, a second operation unit that can always be operated separately from the operation unit and a second light source that constantly illuminates the second operation unit from behind are provided, and the operation unit is illuminated until the second operation unit is operated. There has been proposed a refrigerator that turns off the light source and disables the operation of the operation unit, and when the second operation unit is operated, turns on the light source to illuminate the operation unit and enables the operation of the operation unit (for example, a refrigerator). And Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2014-40960 A

  However, when the second operation unit is constantly illuminated, the second operation unit may be unnecessarily displayed on the front surface of the door, so that the second light source illuminating the second operation unit consumes unnecessary power, The appearance of the refrigerator may be impaired, or the touch sensor constituting the second operation section may be easily deteriorated.

Therefore, in a refrigerator provided with an operation unit including a capacitive touch sensor on the front of the door, the position of the operation unit is easy to understand and excellent in operability, and it is possible to suppress an increase in unnecessary power consumption.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator that can suppress deterioration of a touch sensor included in a second operation unit without impairing the beauty of the refrigerator.

  The refrigerator of the present embodiment has a main body having an opening at the front, a door having a light-transmitting door front plate at the front and opening and closing the opening, and an operation area provided at the front of the door front plate. A detection unit provided in the operation area and detecting a change in capacitance; a first operation unit and a second operation unit provided in the operation area; and a first light source illuminating the first operation unit A second light source that illuminates the second operation unit; and a control unit that controls the detection unit, the first operation unit, the second operation unit, the first light source, and the second light source, The control unit turns on the first light source and the second light source to cause the first operation unit and the second operation unit to be displayed on the door front panel, and turns off the first light source and the second light source to set the first light source and the second light source. In a refrigerator that performs control not to display the first operation unit and the second operation unit on the door front panel, In the first state in which the first light source and the second light source are turned off, when the detection unit detects a change in capacitance, the control unit turns off the first light source and operates the first operation unit. Is disabled, and the second state is set to a second state in which the second light source is turned on and the operation on the second operation unit is enabled. In the second state, when the second operation unit is operated, A third state is set in which the first light source is turned on to enable the operation on the first operation unit.

Front view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment It is an enlarged front view of an operation panel part, and shows the state where all the displays were made. Block diagram showing electrical configuration Exploded perspective view of the operation unit Exploded perspective view showing a state when the operation unit is inserted into the storage unit. The perspective view which shows the storage state of the operation unit with respect to a storage part with the door front plate removed. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the operation unit along the line AA in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the operation unit along the line BB in FIG. 6. Front view of flexible switch printed board Flow chart showing the contents of control of the operation panel unit by the operation control unit

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an external configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is configured by providing a plurality of storage rooms in a heat insulating box 2 having a vertically long rectangular box shape with an open front surface. Specifically, a refrigerator compartment 3 and a vegetable compartment 4 are provided in the heat insulating box 2 in this order from the top, and an ice making compartment 5 and a second freezing compartment (switching compartment) 6 are located below the vegetable compartment 4. , And a first freezing compartment 7 is provided at the lowermost portion.

  The refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are storage compartments in a refrigerating temperature zone in which the temperature in the refrigerator is controlled to a refrigerating temperature of about 1 ° C. to 5 ° C., for example. The ice making room 5, the second freezing room 6, and the first freezing room 7 are storage rooms in a freezing temperature zone in which the temperature in the refrigerator is controlled to, for example, a freezing temperature of −18 ° C. or less. On the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, double doors with heat insulation, that is, two hinged doors 8 and 9 are provided. As will be described later, the operation panel unit 10 is provided on the left door 8 (hereinafter, referred to as the left door 8), as shown in FIG. 2 and the like. The front surfaces of the vegetable compartment 4, the ice making compartment 5, the second freezing compartment 6, and the first freezing compartment 7 are opened and closed by drawer-type heat-insulating doors 11, 12, 13, and 14 having storage containers connected to the back.

  Refrigerator 1 incorporates a refrigeration cycle. As partially shown in FIG. 3, this refrigeration cycle cools the refrigerator compartment cooler for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, and cools the ice making compartment 5 and the first and second freezing compartments 7, 6. And a switching valve 16 for switching the flow of the refrigerant to the compressor 15 (only shown in FIG. 3), a condenser, and the two coolers. Be composed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, inside the refrigerator 1, a refrigeration blower 17 for circulating and supplying cold air from the refrigerator cooler to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, the ice making chamber 5, and the first and the second refrigerators. (2) A freezing blower 18 for circulating and supplying cool air from the freezer compartment cooler to the freezer compartments 7 and 6, a defrost heater 19 for performing defrosting of the freezer compartment cooler, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 20, a freezer. A room temperature sensor 21 and the like are provided.

  Further, a main controller 22 mainly composed of a computer and controlling the whole is provided in the refrigerator 1. The main control device 22 is also connected to an operation control unit 23 described later, and based on a signal from the operation control unit 23, a signal from the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 20, a signal from the freezer compartment temperature sensor 21, and the like, the refrigeration blower 17, The refrigerating blower 18, the compressor 15, the switching valve 16, and the defrost heater 19 are controlled to execute the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1.

  Next, the configuration of the operation panel unit 10 provided on the left door 8 of the refrigerator compartment 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  The left door 8 is provided with a heat insulating material between a glass door front plate 24 disposed on the front side and a thin plastic box before and after the front side disposed on the back side is opened. It is configured. As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the operation panel unit 10 is configured by arranging an operation unit 25 on the back surface side of the door front plate 24. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation panel section 10 is provided on the front side of the left door 8, on the opening side opposite to the hinge, that is, in a vertically long rectangular area near the right side.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the operation panel unit 10 is provided with an operation region R1 vertically long on the right side and a display region R2 vertically long on the left side of the operation region R1. The lower part of the display area R2 extends to the right and is also located below the operation area R1.

  In the operation region R1, five first operation units 26 to 30 are provided in a line in a vertical line, and one second operation unit 31 is provided below the first operation units 26 to 30. Hereinafter, the first operation units 26 to 30 and the second operation unit 31 may be collectively referred to as operation units 26 to 31.

  In the display area R2, display units 32 to 35 corresponding to the first operation units 26 to 30 are provided in a vertical line, and a display corresponding to the second operation unit 31 is provided below the display unit 35 and the second operation unit 31. A part 36 is provided.

  The first operation units 26 to 30 are configured by capacitive touch sensors, and are located on the back side of the first operation buttons 26 a to 30 a virtually set on the front surface of the door front plate 24. And first detection units 26b to 30b (see FIG. 9 and the like) for detecting a change in capacitance. Similarly to the first operation units 26 to 30, the second operation unit 31 is also configured by a capacitive touch sensor, and includes a second operation button 31 a virtually set on the front surface of the door front plate 24. And a second detection unit 31b (see FIG. 9 and the like) located on the back surface side for detecting a change in capacitance.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in order from the top, the first operation section 26 (operation button 26a) of “refrigeration”, the first operation section 27 (operation button 27a) of “freezing”, and the “freezing function” A first operation unit 28 (operation button 28a), a first operation unit 29 (operation button 29a) for "ice making", and a first operation unit 30 (operation button 30a) for "power saving". A “home” second operation unit 31 (operation button 31a) is provided. Among them, the first operation buttons 26a to 30a for “refrigeration”, “freezing”, “freezing function”, “ice making”, and “power saving” are configured by arranging those characters in a circle. The operation button 31a of the “home” second operation unit 31 is provided with a circular mark.

  On the other hand, the uppermost display section 32 is provided at an intermediate height between the first operation sections 26 and 27 of “refrigerated” and “frozen”, and the characters “strong” and “weak” are provided. And five arc-shaped marks arranged in a circle as a whole, and the number of lightings serves as an indicator indicating the intensity level. The lower display unit 33 corresponds to the operation unit 28 of the “refrigeration function”, and the characters “frozen at a glance”, “frozen with hot food”, “frozen with vegetables”, and “dry” are selectively displayed from the top. Will be displayed.

  The display section 34 below it corresponds to the first operation section 29 of "ice making", and the characters "at once ice making" and "ice making off" are selectively displayed. The lower display unit 35 corresponds to the first operation unit 30 of “power saving”, and characters of “power saving”, “outing”, and “peak shift” are selectively displayed from the top. The display unit 36 at the bottom corresponds to the second operation unit 31 of “Home”, and the characters “eco mode” and the mark of “key” are displayed on the right side of the operation area R1. The characters "key lock" and "press for 3 seconds" are displayed below the region R1.

  The operation unit 25 configuring the operation panel unit 10 is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 25 is configured by arranging a circuit board 37, a shielding plate 38, a spring member 39, a flexible switch printed board 40, and a nameplate film 41 in order from the back side. Is done.

  The circuit board 37 is configured in a slightly vertically long rectangular shape, and the first light source 42a, the second light source 42b, and the third light source 42c made of LEDs are mounted on the surface (front surface) thereof. The first light source 42a is provided corresponding to each of the first operation units 26 to 30, and illuminates the first operation units 26 to 30 from behind. The second light source 42b is provided corresponding to the second operation unit 31, and illuminates the second operation unit 31 from behind. The third light source 42c is provided corresponding to each of the display units 32-36, and illuminates the display units 32-36 from behind. Hereinafter, the first light source 42a, the second light source 42b, and the third light source 42c may be collectively referred to as light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c.

  In addition, the circuit board 37 includes a circuit for energizing the light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c, a first detection unit 26b to 30b, a second detection unit 31b, and a signal processing circuit (described later) of a third detection unit 47. An operation control unit 23 (shown only in FIG. 3) including a detection unit) is provided, and further, an external connection connector 43 and the like for external connection are provided. The circuit board 37 is also provided with a connector section 44 to which a connection section of a flexible switch printed board 40 described later is connected.

  The shielding plate 38 is made of a colored (light-impermeable) rigid plastic molded product, and has a vertically long rectangular shape as a whole. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the shielding plate 38 includes a vertically long rectangular front plate portion 38a, a peripheral wall portion 38b that falls rearward from the periphery (four sides) of the front plate portion 38a, and a front plate portion 38a. A plurality of light transmitting portions 45 provided in the portion 38a are integrally provided. At the lower end of the right side of the shielding plate 38, a notch 38c for electrically connecting a flexible switch printed board 40 described later to the circuit board 37 is formed. Further, on the left side portion of the peripheral wall portion 38b of the shielding plate 38, stopper portions 49 having a rectangular frame shape and protruding leftward and having resiliency are provided integrally at three locations arranged vertically. Have been.

  Each of the light transmitting portions 45 provided on the shielding plate 38 prevents the light emitted from each of the light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c of the circuit board 37 from leaking, while each of the front operating portions 26 to 31 and each display portion. It is for guiding to 32 to 36, respectively. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the light transmitting portion 45 corresponding to each of the operation portions 26 to 31 has a tapered shape (a mortar shape) that tapers rearward, and a shielding plate. A total of six pieces are formed in a vertical line at the center right of 38. The light transmitting portion 45 corresponding to each of the display portions 32 to 36 (each character or mark) has a frame shape having a depth in the front and rear (for example, a portion corresponding to the character is a horizontally long frame shape). 38 and are formed vertically. The shielding plate 38 is joined to the surface side of the circuit board 37 so as to be covered in a positioning state.

  The spring member 39 is made of a transparent (elastic) plastic material having flexibility (elasticity), and has a thick circular portion 39a having a circular shape (one size larger) corresponding to each of the operation portions 26 to 31 (operation buttons 26a to 31a). And a connecting portion 39b for connecting them up and down so as to form a substantially "U" shape. The spring member 39 is attached so as to fit into a recess formed in the front right portion of the front plate portion 38a of the shielding plate 38. As a result, the spring member 39 functions as a cushion material having a spring property that is disposed on the back side of the first detection units 26b to 30b and the second detection unit 31b of the flexible switch printed board 40, and performs the first detection. The function of pressing the portions 26b to 30b and the second detection portion 31b against the back surface of the door front plate 24 via the nameplate film 41 is achieved.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the flexible switch printed board 40 has a vertically elongated rectangular thin sheet shape that covers the right half of the front plate 38a of the shielding plate 38 as a whole. The flexible switch printed board 40 includes a first detection unit 26b to 30b, a second detection unit 31b, a wiring 46, and a third detection unit on a surface of a base film 40a made of a transparent film having flexibility such as PET. A configuration is provided in which the portion 47 and the like are formed by printing and the surface thereof is covered with a transparent cover film made of PET.

  Specifically, the first detection units 26b to 30b that constitute a part of the first operation units 26 to 30 respectively print, for example, conductive polymers having a certain degree of transparency on the surface of the base film 40a in a circular shape. It is configured by coating. Similarly to the first detection units 26b to 30b, the second detection unit 31b that forms a part of the second operation unit 31 also prints, for example, a conductive polymer having a certain degree of transparency on the surface of the base film 40a in a circular shape. It is configured by coating.

  The wiring 46 is formed by printing a silver paste on the surface of the base film 40a, extends rightward from the first detectors 26b to 30b and the second detector 31b, and then bends at a right angle and extends downward.

  The third detection unit 47 includes a plurality of land portions 47a and a connection portion 47b, and is formed (simultaneously) with the wiring 46 by printing silver paste on the surface of the base film 40a. The land portion 47a is provided close to a portion of the wiring 46 extending rightward from each of the first detection portions 26b to 30b and the second detection portion 31b. The connecting portion 47b is made of a wire connecting the plurality of lands 47a, is arranged so as to surround the first detecting portions 26b to 30b, and is a flexible switch integrated with the plurality of wires 46. On the right side of the printed board 40 (on the right side of the first detection units 26b to 30b and the second detection unit 31b), the printed circuit boards 40 are arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction so as to be lined up at right and left at a narrow interval.

  Such a third detection unit 47 detects a change in capacitance outside the first detection units 26b to 30b within the operation region R1 and unintentionally sends the change to the operation units 26 to 31. If the operation units 26 to 31 are not operated correctly, such as when touched, this is detected (prevention of erroneous detection).

  Specifically, when the user performs a touch operation not only on the operation units 26 to 31 but also around the operation units, the operation control unit 23 performs the third detection unit 47 together with the first detection units 26b to 30b and the second detection unit 31b. Detect changes in capacitance. In such a case, the operation control unit 23 invalidates the touch operation on the operation units 26 to 31.

  The first detection units 26b to 30b, the second detection unit 31b, and the third detection unit 47 are detection units provided in the operation region R1, and each detect a change in capacitance at a different position in the operation region R1. Thus, the first detection units 26b to 30b detect a touch operation on the first operation units 26 to 30, the second detection unit 31b detects a touch operation on the second operation unit 31, and the third detection unit 47 Detects a touch operation to the outside of the first operation units 26 to 30. Thereby, the touch operation by the user can be detected in almost the entire operation region R1.

  The flexible switch printed board 40 is located at the lower end of the right side, extends downward in a narrow width, and has an extension 40b provided with the plurality of wirings 46. , A connecting portion 48 is provided so as to bend to the left. At the tip (left side) of the connection portion 48, a plurality of carbon contacts to which the wirings 46 are connected are provided. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible switch printed board 40 is disposed on the front surface of the front plate portion 38a (spring member 39) of the shielding plate 38, but the extension portion 40b is folded back. Instead, it drops down to the surface side of the circuit board 37 through the notch 38 c of the shielding plate 38, and the connecting portion 48 is connected to the connector 44.

  The nameplate film 41 is configured by providing a light-shielding portion and a light-transmitting portion for display on the surface of a vertically long rectangular transparent film. Among them, the display translucent portion corresponds to the marks and characters for displaying the first operation buttons 26a to 30a and the second operation button 31a, and the characters and marks constituting the display portions 32 to 36 ( (Transparently pulled out).

  Then, when the first light source 42a is turned on, light passes through the display translucent portion of the nameplate film 41, and the first operation buttons 26a to 30a including characters and marks are projected on the door front plate 24, and the first operation button 26a is displayed. Sections 26 to 30 are displayed. When the first light source 42a is turned off, the first operation buttons 26a to 30a projected on the door front panel 24 disappear, and the first operation units 26 to 30 are not displayed.

  When the second light source 42b is turned on, light passes through the display translucent portion of the nameplate film 41, and the second operation button 31a formed of a mark is projected on the door front panel 24 (operation panel section 10), and the second operation is performed. The part 31 is displayed. When the second light source 42b is turned off, the second operation button 31a projected on the door front panel 24 disappears, and the second operation unit 31 is not displayed.

  When the third light source 42c is turned on, light passes through the translucent portion for display of the nameplate film 41, and characters and marks are projected on the door front plate 24 to display the display portions 32-36. When the third light source 42c is turned off, the display units 32 to 36 projected on the door front plate 24 are not displayed.

  As described above, when the light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c are turned off and the first operation units 26 to 30, the second operation unit 31, and the display units 32 to 36 are not displayed, the operation region R1 and the display region R2 are moved to the front of the door. The appearance similar to that of the other area of the face plate 24 is obtained.

  The flexible switch printed board 40 and the nameplate film 41 are mounted on the front surface of the shielding plate 38 so as to be superposed in a positioned state, whereby the unitized operation unit 25 is configured.

  The operation unit 25 configured as described above is housed so as to be able to be taken in and out of a housing 50 provided in the lower right part of the left door 8, as shown in FIGS. In the right side wall portion 8a of the left door 8, a vertically long opening portion 50a for taking the operation unit 25 in and out is provided. The storage unit 50 is formed of a space defined by a plastic storage case 51 provided inside the left door 8.

  As partially shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the storage case 51 has an open front surface and has a thin rectangular box shape in the front-rear direction in which the operation unit 25 can be stored. In this case, the storage case 51 integrally includes a vertically long rectangular plate-shaped back plate portion 51a, a peripheral wall portion 51b rising forward from the upper side, the left side, and the lower side, and a flange portion 51c located at the front end of the peripheral wall portion. Have. At this time, the front surface of the flange portion 51c is provided so as to contact the rear surface of the door front plate 24.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the operation unit 25 is slid and stored in the storage case 51 (storage unit 50) from the opening 50a. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a lid member 52 is detachably attached to the opening 50a. The lid member 52 has a function of closing the opening 50a and pressing the operation unit 25 against the storage case 51 without rattling by the two upper and lower arms 52a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, three stopper portions 49 having a spring property and projecting leftward from the operation unit 25 (the shielding plate 38) are pressed against the storage case 51.

  A connector connected to the external connection connector 43 of the circuit board 37 is provided in the housing portion 50 in a state where the connector is connected to a lead wire. The lead wire can be pulled out from the opening 50a to the outside. It is provided with a margin. Thus, after the operation of connecting the connector to the external connection connector 43 of the operation unit 25 is performed outside the left door 8, the operation of housing the storage unit 50 is performed. By the connection of the connector, the main controller 22 and the operation controller 23 (operation unit 25) shown in FIG. 3 are electrically connected.

  Next, the operation of the operation panel unit 10 in the refrigerator 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

  When there is no operation for the first operation units 26 to 30 and the second operation unit 31 for a predetermined time, the operation control unit 23 turns off all the light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c, and displays the first operation units 26 to The operation panel unit 10 is set to a first state in which none of the 30, the second operation unit 31, and the display units 32-36 are displayed (step S1).

  In the first state, all the detection units provided in the operation area R1, that is, the first detection units 26b to 30b, the second detection unit 31b, and the third detection unit 47 detect a change in capacitance, The touch operation by the user is detected in almost the entire operation region R1.

  Then, in the first state, when the user performs a touch operation on the operation region R1, at least one of the first detection units 26b to 30b, the second detection unit 31b, and the third detection unit 47 detects the capacitance. The change is detected (Yes in step S2), whereby the operation control unit 23 sets the operation panel unit 10 to the second state (step S3).

  In the second state, the operation control unit 23 turns on the second light source 42b to display the second operation button 31a on the door front panel 24, and also detects the capacitance of the second detection unit 31b and the third detection unit 47. The change is continuously detected, and the touch operation on the second operation unit 31 is validated (accepted). In the second state, the operation control unit 23 turns off the first light source 42a and the third light source 42c so that the first operation units 26 to 30 and the display units 32 to 36 are not displayed, and performs the first detection. The detection of the capacitance is interrupted in the units 26b to 30b, and the touch operation on the first operation units 26 to 30 is invalidated (not accepted).

  Then, in the second state, when the user performs a touch operation on the second operation unit 31, the second detection unit 31b detects a change in the capacitance (Yes in step S4), whereby the operation control unit 23 The operation panel unit 10 is set to the third state (Step S5).

  In the third state, the operation control unit 23 turns on the second light source 42b and the first light source 42a to display the first operation buttons 26a to 30a and the second operation button 31a on the door front panel 24, and performs the first detection. A change in capacitance is detected by the units 26b to 30b, the second detection unit 31b, and the third detection unit 47, and a touch operation on the first operation units 26 to 30, the second operation unit 31, and the third detection unit 47 is enabled. (Accept). In the third state, the operation control unit 23 turns on the third light source 42c and displays the current setting state of the refrigerator 1 on the display units 32 to 36.

  Then, in the third state, when the user touches the first operation units 26 to 30 or the second operation unit 31, the first detection units 26b to 30b and the second detection unit 31b detect a change in capacitance. (Yes in step S6). Accordingly, the operation control unit 23 changes the settings corresponding to the operation units 26 to 31 that have received the touch operation, and changes the display contents of the corresponding display units 32 to 36 (step S7). Then, returning to step S6, the touch operation is detected on the first operation units 26 to 30 and the second operation unit 31.

  In the second state, the user does not touch the second operation unit 31 (No in step S4), the second state continues for a predetermined time (No in step S8), or in the third state. If the user does not touch the first operation units 26 to 30 or the second operation unit 31 (No in step S6) and the third state continues for a predetermined time (No in step S8), the operation control unit 23 Then, all the light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c that are turned on are turned off, and the operation panel unit 10 is set to the first state (step S1).

  According to the above-described embodiment, the following operation and effect can be obtained.

  When there is no operation on the operation units 26 to 31 for a predetermined time, the operation control unit 23 enables all the detection units 26b to 31b and 47 provided in the operation region R1 to detect a change in capacitance, The operation panel unit 10 is set to the first state in which the lights 42a, 42b, and 42c are turned off. As a result, the operation units 26 to 31 are not unnecessarily illuminated by the door front panel 24, so that the operation units 26 to 31 can be controlled without reducing the unnecessary power consumption and without impairing the beauty of the refrigerator 1. It is possible to suppress deterioration of the first detectors 26b to 30b and the second detector 31b that are configured.

  In addition, in the first state, since the detection units 26b to 31b and 47 provided in the operation area R1 can detect a change in capacitance, the user simply touches a position where the operation area R1 is likely to exist. Then, this operation is detected, and the display shifts to the second state in which the touch operation on the second operation unit 31 is enabled while displaying the second operation button 31a on the door front panel 24. Therefore, even if all the light sources 42a, 42b, and 42c are turned off in the first state, it is possible to easily shift to a state in which an operation from the user can be accepted.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, in the first state, not only the first detection units 26b to 30b and the second detection unit 31b, but also the third detection unit 47 that detects the operation to the outside detects the touch operation. The touch operation can be detected in a wide range of the operation region R1, and the transition from the first state to the second state can be performed more easily.

  In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which, when the first operation units 26 to 30 and the second operation unit 31 are operated in the first state, the operation is shifted to the second state. When the second operation unit 31 is operated, the state may transition from the first state to the third state without passing through the second state. Thereby, the user can shift to the third state in which various settings of the refrigerator 1 can be made without passing through the second state, and a simple operation can be performed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the detection sensitivities of the first detection units 26b to 30b and the second detection unit 31b may be set to be constant in the first state, the second state, and the third state. The detection sensitivity may be set higher in the first state than in the second state or the third state. By setting the detection sensitivity high in the first state, a touch operation on the operation region R1 is easily detected in the first state, and the transition from the first state to the second state can be performed more easily.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Refrigerator, 2 ... Insulated box, 8 ... Left door, 9 ... Right door, 10 ... Operation panel part, 22 ... Main control unit, 23 ... Operation control part, 24 ... Front plate, 25 ... Operation unit, 26- Reference numeral 30: first operation unit, 31: second operation unit, 26a to 30a: first operation button, 31a: second operation button, 26b to 30b: first detection unit, 31b: second detection unit, 32 to 36 ... Display unit, 42a: first light source, 42b: second light source, 42c: third light source, 47: third detection unit

Claims (4)

A main body having an opening in the front,
A door that has a light-transmitting door front plate on the front surface and opens and closes the opening,
An operation area provided on the front surface of the door front plate,
A detection unit that is provided in the operation area and detects a change in capacitance;
A first operation unit and a second operation unit provided in the operation area;
A first light source that illuminates the first operation unit;
A second light source that illuminates the second operation unit;
A control unit that controls the detection unit, the first operation unit, the second operation unit, the first light source and the second light source,
The control unit turns on the first light source and the second light source, causes the first operation unit and the second operation unit to be displayed on the door front plate, and turns off the first light source and the second light source, and In a refrigerator that executes control not to display the first operation unit and the second operation unit on the door front panel,
In the first state in which the first light source and the second light source are turned off, when the detection unit detects a change in capacitance, the control unit turns off the first light source and controls the first operation unit. Disabling the operation, and setting the second state in which the second light source is turned on to enable the operation on the second operation unit, and when the second operation unit is operated in the second state, A refrigerator that turns on the first light source and sets a third state in which an operation on the first operation unit is enabled. The detection unit includes a first detection unit that detects an operation on the first operation unit, a second detection unit that detects an operation on a second operation unit, and a detection operation outside the first detection unit. A third detection unit that performs
The control section sets the second state when at least one of the first detection section, the second detection section, and the third detection section detects a change in capacitance in the first state. The refrigerator according to claim 1.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the third state when the second operation unit is operated in the first state.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit has a higher sensitivity for the detection unit to detect a change in capacitance in the first state than in the third state.

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