JP3304552B2 - Damper opening and closing 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 damper opening / closing apparatus, and more particularly to a damper opening / closing apparatus for proportionally controlling a discharge amount of air such as cold air to open / close a damper for controlling a temperature in a refrigerator, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional damper opening / closing device for controlling the temperature in a refrigerator by cold air uses a one-way rotating AC motor. The rotating torque of this motor is small, and the torque is amplified by a gear meshing mechanism. Had been taken.

[0003]

The damper opening / closing device having the above-mentioned conventional structure requires a large number of gears and a large number of gears because the rotating torque of the electric motor is small and the torque is amplified by the gear meshing mechanism. It cannot be thin in shape,
On the other hand, to increase the volumetric efficiency of the refrigerator, it is required to reduce the thickness of the heat insulating material on the wall, but the damper opening / closing device cannot be fitted on the wall of the refrigerator, and the wall of the refrigerator cannot be thinned. there were.

Further, the damper opening / closing device having the conventional structure uses an AC motor, so that the damper opening / closing device moves in one direction, so that there is a problem that the temperature in the refrigerator cannot be finely controlled.

In the damper opening / closing device having the above-mentioned conventional structure, when a worm and a worm wheel are used for a gear meshing mechanism rotated by an electric motor, a force that impedes rotation toward the worm wheel due to a fully opened or fully closed state of the opening / closing plate. , There is a problem that the engagement is locked and the operation becomes defective.

Further, the damper opening / closing device having the above-mentioned conventional structure requires a switch or a sensor for detecting the position of the opening / closing plate in a fully opened or fully closed state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can be made thinner as a whole, for example, can be fitted to a heat insulating material on a wall surface of a refrigerator, and can precisely control the temperature in the refrigerator. Locking engagement with the wheel can be prevented,
An object of the present invention is to provide a damper opening / closing device which does not necessarily require a switch or a sensor for detecting a position of the opening / closing plate in a fully open or fully closed state.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a damper opening / closing device having a housing having an opening, an opening / closing plate attached to the housing so as to be openable and closable, and an opening / closing plate for opening and closing the opening. A spring for urging the opening in the closing direction, a toothless spur gear having a cam for driving the opening / closing plate and partially having a toothless part, a DC motor capable of forward and reverse rotation drive, and this electric motor , A worm wheel that meshes with the worm, an operating gear that is rotated by the worm wheel and meshes with the toothless spur gear, and that the operating gear disengages with the teeth of the toothless spur gear. And a torsion spring for urging the toothless spur gear so that the operating gear meshes with the gear portion of the toothless spur gear.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a damper opening / closing device according to the first aspect, wherein a flat driving mechanism mounting frame protruding from one end of the housing to which the opening / closing plate is mounted is provided. A DC motor, a worm, a worm wheel, and a toothless spur gear are arranged on a flat surface of a mounting frame, and are fitted into the wall of a refrigerator as a thin shape.

[0010]

In the damper opening / closing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the toothless spur gear rotates through the engagement of the worm, the worm wheel, and the operating gear by one-way rotation of the electric motor,
By the rotation of the toothless spur gear, the cam operates the opening / closing plate in the opening direction against the spring, and the opening of the housing is opened. In the limit state of the opening and closing plate in the opening direction, the toothless portion of the toothless spur gear reaches the position of the operating gear, the toothless spur gear idles, and the opening and closing plate is held in the open state. At this time, the torsion spring that urges the toothless spur gear urges the toothless spur gear in the other direction in which the gear portion of the toothless spur gear reverses so as to mesh with the operating gear.

When the operating gear rotates in the other direction of rotation of the electric motor and meshes with the worm, the worm wheel and the operating gear, the rotation of the operating gear in the other direction causes the torsion spring to mesh with the operating gear in the other direction. The gear portion of the toothless spur gear that is urged meshes with the operating gear, and the toothless spur gear is rotated in the other direction, and the rotation of the toothless spur gear causes the cam to operate in a direction to close the opening / closing plate by a spring. Then, the opening of the housing is closed. Then, when the open / close plate is closed, the toothless portion of the toothless spur gear reaches the position of the operating gear, the toothless spur gear idles, and the open / close plate is held in the closed state. At this time, the biasing direction of the torsion spring for biasing the toothless spur gear is reversed, and the toothless spur gear is biased in one direction in which the gear portion of the toothless spur gear reverses so as to mesh with the operating gear. I have.

As described above, when the motor rotates in one direction, the gear portion of the toothless spur gear meshes with the operating gear, and the opening / closing plate is urged in the opening direction.

Further, when the opening / closing plate is in the fully opened or fully closed state, the toothless spur gear does not run idle and no force is applied to the worm wheel, and the engagement between the worm and the worm wheel is not locked.

The damper opening / closing device according to the second aspect can be made thin even when fitted to the wall surface of the refrigerator, so that the wall thickness does not need to be increased, and the wall thickness can be reduced.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a housing, in which an opening 2 communicating with the duct is formed, and an opening / closing plate 3 is rotatably supported on one side surface of the opening 2 of the housing 1 by a hinge shaft 4. The opening 2 is opened and closed by the rotation of the opening 3. The opening / closing plate 3 is provided with a damper sealer 5,
The damper sealer 5 opens the opening 2 when the opening / closing plate 3 is closed.
To prevent cold air from leaking. And
The opening / closing plate 3 is urged in a direction to close the opening 2 by a coil-shaped spring 6 having both ends locked to the edges of the opening / closing plate 3 and the opening 2.

A drive mechanism mounting frame 7 protruding from one end of the housing 1 is provided on one side of the housing 1, and a DC motor 8 capable of reversing forward / reverse drive is provided on the drive mechanism mounting frame 7. The drive shaft 9 of the electric motor 8
The worm wheel 11 meshing with the worm 10 provided on the shaft 12
Are rotatably supported by the drive mechanism mounting frame 7.
An operating gear 13 composed of a spur gear integrated with the worm wheel 11 is provided concentrically. Thus, the DC motor 8, the worm 10, the worm wheel 11,
The operating gear 13 is disposed on a plane to be thin.

A toothless spur gear meshing with the operating gear 13
14 is rotatably supported on the drive mechanism mounting frame 7 by a shaft 15, and the toothless spur gear 14 is partially formed in the gear portion 16, for example, in a range of approximately 180 °, and the remaining approximately 180 ° is formed in the gear portion 16. It is formed in the tooth gap 17. A cam 18 for driving the open / close plate 3 is formed on one side surface of the toothless spur gear 14, and a plunger 19 engaged with the cam 18 is provided on the drive mechanism mounting frame 7 with respect to the open / close plate 3. When the plunger 19 is pressed against the spring 6 by the rotation of the cam 18 in one direction, the opening / closing plate 3 is rotated about the hinge shaft 4 in the opening direction, and Plunger by rotation in the other direction
When the pressing of 19 is released, the opening / closing plate 3 is rotated about the hinge shaft 4 in the closing direction by the urging force of the spring 6.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a torsion spring, both ends of which are locked to the housing 1 and the toothless spur gear 14. When the meshing is released, the toothless spur gear 14 is urged in a direction in which the operating gear 13 and the teeth of the toothless spur gear 14 mesh.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the motor 8 rotates in one direction, the worm 1
0, the toothless spur gear 14 rotates through the meshing of the worm wheel 11 and the operating gear 13, and is engaged by the spring 6 that biases the opening and closing plate 3 against the cam 18 by the rotation of the toothless spur gear 14. The plunger 19 is pushed against the urging force of the spring 6, and the opening / closing plate 3 is moved by the plunger 19.
And the opening 2 of the housing 1 is opened. In the limit state of the opening / closing plate 3 in the opening direction, the toothless portion 17 of the toothless spur gear 14 reaches the position of the operating gear 13, and
The engagement with the gear portion 16 is released, the operating gear 13 idles, and the opening / closing plate 3 is kept open. At this time, the toothless spur gear
A torsion spring 20 for urging the toothless spur gear 14 in the other direction inverts so that the gear portion 16 of the toothless spur gear 14 meshes with the operating gear 13.

When the motor 8 rotates in the other direction and the worm 10, the worm wheel 11, and the operating gear 13 mesh with each other to rotate the operating gear 13, the rotating of the operating gear 13 in the other direction meshes with the operating gear 13. The toothless spur gear 14 urged by the torsion spring 20 in the other direction has its gear portion 16
Meshes with the operating gear 13, the toothless spur gear 14 is rotated in the other direction, and the rotation of the toothless spur gear 14 causes the cam 18 to release the pressing of the plunger 19, and the opening / closing plate 3 is moved in the closing direction by the spring 6. When activated, the opening 2 of the housing 1 is closed.

When the opening / closing plate 3 is closed, the toothless portion 17 of the toothless spur gear 14 reaches the position of the operating gear 13 and disengages with the gear 16, and the operating gear 13 idles and opens and closes. The plate 3 is kept closed. At this time, the urging direction of the torsion spring 20 for urging the toothless spur gear 14 is reversed, and the gear part 16 of the toothless spur gear 14 engages the operating gear 13 in one direction. It is energizing.

[0024]

According to the present invention, a large rotational torque can be obtained by using a DC motor, the number of gears in the gear meshing mechanism can be reduced, and the overall thickness can be reduced.
The electric motor can be fitted to the heat insulating material on the wall of the refrigerator, and the electric motor can finely control the temperature in the refrigerator by controlling the forward / reverse rotation. In addition, since the toothless spur gear is used, the gear portion of the toothless spur gear and the operating gear are disengaged when the opening / closing plate is fully opened or fully closed, so that a force that hinders rotation is not applied to the worm wheel, and the worm Locking of the engagement between the motor and the worm wheel can be prevented, and a switch or sensor for position detection for stopping driving of the electric motor when the opening / closing plate is fully opened or fully closed can be omitted without necessarily being required.

Further, it is possible to fit the apparatus by reducing the thickness of the wall without increasing the wall thickness of the refrigerator, and it is easy to mount the refrigerator on the wall.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view of a damper opening / closing device showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 2 Opening 3 Opening / closing plate 6 Spring 8 DC motor 10 Worm 11 Worm wheel 13 Operating gear 14 Missing spur gear 16 Gear part 18 Cam 20 Torsion spring

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A housing having an opening, an opening / closing plate attached to the housing to open and close, and opening and closing the opening; a spring for urging the opening / closing plate in a direction to close the opening; Toothless spur gear having a cam that drives the motor and a toothless part, a DC motor capable of forward and reverse rotation drive, a worm driven by the motor, and a worm wheel meshing with the worm, An operating gear rotated by the worm wheel and meshing with the toothless spur gear; and a gear portion of the operating gear and the toothless spur gear when the operating gear is disengaged from the teeth of the toothless spur gear. And a torsion spring for urging the toothless spur gear so that the gears mesh with each other. 2. A flat drive mechanism mounting frame protruding from one end of a housing to which an opening / closing plate is mounted, and a DC motor, a worm, a worm wheel, and a toothless spur gear are disposed on a plane in the drive mechanism mounting frame. 2. The damper opening / closing device according to claim 1, wherein the damper opening / closing device is thin and fitted into a wall surface of the refrigerator.