JP3301789B2 - Refrigerator door opening device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator door opening device capable of opening a refrigerator door with a foot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional refrigerator door opening device is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 54-26932 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 54-33639.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H10-175, there is a refrigerator body (hereinafter referred to as a main body) in which a foot lever for stepping release is swingably disposed on one side of a lower end of a front surface.

Here, a contact portion is formed at the upper portion of the foot lever so as to contact the rear surface of the door, and the foot lever is arranged such that the contact portion is located between the main body and the door. I have. When the foot lever is depressed when the door is opened, the contact portion moves forward and presses the rear surface of the door to open the door.

[0004]

By the way, there are refrigerators of a type having two doors at the front of a product storage room, and the above-mentioned conventional door opening device for a refrigerator has a lower door. Although the door can be opened but the upper door cannot be opened, there is a problem that another door opening device must be provided to open the upper door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator door opening device which can selectively open two upper and lower doors.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a refrigerator having two upper and lower doors at the front of a product storage room formed in a main body. And a foot lever provided with an abutting portion for abutting on the lower door, and an upper door abutting on the upper door at the upper end, which is arranged to rotate in conjunction with the foot lever on the side of the upper door. A link member provided with an abutting portion, wherein when the lower door is opened, the foot lever is stepped down to abut the abutting portion on the lower door, and when the upper door is opened. According to the present invention, the upper lever or the lower door is selectively opened by pulling up the foot lever and applying the contact portion of the link member to the upper door.

[0007]

With this configuration, when the foot lever provided at the lower end of the main body so as to be freely rotatable in the vertical direction is depressed, the contact portion provided at the upper end of the foot lever is provided on the front surface of the product storage room. The lower door 3 can be selectively opened by hitting the lower door of the upper and lower two doors.

When the foot lever is lifted, a contact portion provided at the upper end of a link member arranged to rotate in conjunction with the foot lever on the side of the upper door hits the upper door. The upper door can be selectively opened.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator provided with a door opening device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body. An upper door 2 and a lower door 3 are opened and closed by door hinges 4 and 5 at the front of a product storage room formed in the main body 1. Installed.

The front doors 2a and 3a of the upper door 2 and the lower door 3 are provided with a handle 6 for opening the doors 2 and 3 by hand, and the rear surfaces 2b and 3b are filled with a heat insulating agent. A frame 7 is attached. Here, this frame 7
Is for sealing the product storage room in close contact with the tip of the inner wall of the product storage room when the doors 2 and 3 are closed. Reference numeral 8 denotes a machine room in which a cooling device and the like are built.

On the other hand, a door opening device 11 composed of a foot lever 9 and a link member 10 is provided on the lower side of the main body 1.
Is arranged. Here, the foot lever 9 is attached to the lower door 3
Abutment portion 9 that abuts on the side end of handle 3 on rear surface 3b
a comprises an upper arm 9b protruding laterally from the upper end, and a pedal 9c bent at a predetermined angle toward the front of the main body 1 and operated by a foot.

On the other hand, an insertion hole (not shown) provided at the center of the foot lever 9 has a shaft 1 horizontally mounted on a lower holding bracket 12 projecting forward from the main body 1.
The foot lever 9 is swingably held by the shaft 12a so that the foot lever 9 can be operated not only in a direction in which the pedal 9c is depressed but also in a direction in which the pedal 9c is raised. Further, below the insertion hole, the other end of the spring 13 having one end fixed to the main body 1 is locked.

When the pedal 9c is depressed, the foot lever 9 rotates clockwise while compressing the spring 13 with the shaft 12a as a fulcrum,
Accordingly, the upper arm 9b moves forward, and the contact portion 9a
Thereby, the lower surface 3b of the lower door 3 is pressed to open the lower door 3.

The upper arm 9 of the foot lever 9
“b” is in contact with the front surface of a lower arm 10c of the link member 10 described later. Thereby, the pedal 9
When c is pulled up by the toe of the foot and the foot lever 9 rotates counterclockwise while extending the spring 13, the link member 10 rotates in the clockwise direction.

The lower door 3 is opened and the pedal 9
When the foot is removed from c, the pedal 9c is pushed by the spring 13 and returns to the original standby position. Also, after the pedal 9c is pulled forward with the toe of the foot,
When the foot is released from the pedal 9c, the foot lever 9 is pulled by the spring 13 and returns to the original standby position.

On the other hand, the link member 10 includes an upper arm 10b having an abutting portion 10a which abuts on a side end of the rear surface 2b of the upper door 2 on the handle 6 side, protruding laterally from the upper end, and The lower arm 10c is bent at a predetermined angle toward the lower arm 10c and abuts against the back of the upper arm 9b of the foot lever 9.
It consists of

A shaft 1 horizontally mounted on an upper holding fitting 14 projecting forward from the main body 1 is inserted into an insertion hole (not shown) provided at the center of the link member 10.
The link member 10 is swingably held by the shaft 14a. The other end of the spring 15 having one end fixed to the main body 1 is locked above the insertion hole.

Here, when the pedal 9c of the foot lever 9 is pulled forward by the toe of the foot and the foot lever 9 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 12a, the lower arm of the link member 10 10 c is pressed by the upper arm 9 b of the foot lever 9.

Thus, the link member 10 is connected to the shaft 1
While rotating the spring 15 in the clockwise direction while extending the spring 15 with the fulcrum 4a as a fulcrum, the upper arm 10b moves forward with this, and the upper door 2 is opened by pressing the upper door 2 by the contact portion 10a. It has become.

When the foot is released from the pedal 9c, the foot lever 9 is pulled by the spring 13 to return to the original standby position. In conjunction with this, the link member 10 is pulled by the spring 15 to return to the original standby position. To return to. When the pedal 9c is depressed and the foot lever 9 rotates clockwise, the link member 10 is held by the spring 15 and does not rotate.

Next, the door opening operation of the door opening apparatus for a refrigerator configured as described above will be described.

To open the lower door 3, the pedal 9c of the foot lever 9 is depressed. Thereby, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3, the foot lever 9 rotates clockwise while compressing the spring 13 with the shaft 12a as a fulcrum, whereby the upper arm 9b moves forward, and the contact portion The lower door 3 is opened by pressing the back surface 3b of the lower door 3 with 9a.

When the foot is removed from the pedal 9c after the lower door 3 is opened, the foot lever 9 is pushed by the spring 13 and returns to the original standby position.

When the upper door 2 is to be opened, the pedal 9c of the foot lever 9 is pulled forward with a toe.
4, the foot lever 9 rotates counterclockwise while extending the spring 13 with the shaft 12a as a fulcrum, and the lower arm 10c of the link member 10 is moved to the upper arm of the foot lever 9. 9b.

When the lower arm 10c is pressed, the link member 10 rotates clockwise while extending the spring 15 with the shaft 14a as a fulcrum,
Accordingly, the upper arm 10b moves forward, and the contact portion 1
0a pushes the back surface 2a of the upper door 2 to open the upper door 2.

When the foot is released from the pedal 9c, the foot lever 9 is pushed by the spring 13, and the link member 10 is pulled by the spring 15 to return to the original standby position.

As described above, the lower door 3 can be opened by depressing the pedal 9c of the foot lever 9 which is swingably provided at the lower part of the main body 1. Also, this pedal 9
c is lifted obliquely upward with a toe, thereby rotating the link member 10 interlocked with the foot lever 9 so that the upper door 2
Can be opened.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the link member for opening the upper door is linked to the foot lever for opening the lower door, the operation of one door opening device can be achieved by operating the foot lever. The upper and lower two doors of the refrigerator can be selectively opened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator provided with a door opening device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which a lower door of the refrigerator is opened.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which an upper door of the refrigerator is opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Upper door 3 Lower door 9 Foot lever 10 Link member 11 Door opening device

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A refrigerator having two upper and lower doors on a front surface of a product storage room formed in a main body, wherein the refrigerator is rotatably provided in a lower end portion of the main body in a vertical direction, and an upper end is in contact with a lower door. A foot lever provided with an abutting portion, and a link arranged on the side of the upper door so as to rotate in conjunction with the foot lever and provided with an abutting portion at the upper end for abutting on the upper door. When the lower door is opened, the foot lever is stepped down to abut on the lower door, and the upper door is opened.
A door opening device for a refrigerator, wherein the foot lever is pulled up to contact the contact portion of the link member with the upper door to selectively open the upper door or the lower door.