JP3507735B2 - Non-contact power and signal transmission 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 power and signal transmission device for supplying power from a main body to a door and transmitting signals between the main body and the door in a non-contact manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique, an electric power and signal transmission device provided in a refrigerator-freezer will be described as an example. In recent years, a freezer-refrigerator in which an information display device and an information input device are provided on a door of the refrigerator-freezer has been put into practical use. By providing the information display device, the user can know at a glance the information obtained from the main body side, that is, the temperature and humidity in the refrigerator, the residual water amount in the automatic ice making water supply tank, and the like. Further, by providing the information input device, the user can control the main body side such as adjusting the temperature and humidity inside the refrigerator without opening the door. Here, a refrigerator-freezer that can perform power supply to the information display device and the information input device provided on the door and signal transmission between the main body and the door in a non-contact manner is, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-871. Is known for. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a conventional refrigerator-freezer.

As shown in the figure, the main body 10 on the power supply side
0 is a control unit 101 for controlling the operation of the main body,
An oscillation coil 102 connected to the control unit 101 is provided. On the other hand, the door 200 on the power receiving side is provided with a power receiving coil 201 at a position facing the oscillation coil 102. Here, when the oscillating coil 102 and the power receiving coil 201 are adjacent to each other by closing the door 200, electromagnetic induction coupling occurs between both coils. The alternating current induced in the power receiving coil 201 by this phenomenon is
By rectifying by the rectification circuit 202 provided in the door 200, it can be used as a power source of the operation unit 203 provided in the door 200.

The signal transmission from the main body 100 to the door 200 is performed by the first transmission section 10 provided in the main body 100.
3 and the second receiver 204 provided on the door 200. That is, the signal transmitted from the first transmission unit 103 is received by the second reception unit 204, so that the signal transmission from the main body 100 to the door 200 can be performed without contact. Similarly, the door 200 has a second
Since the transmitter 205 and the first receiver 104 are provided in the main body 100, signal transmission from the door 200 to the main body 100 can be performed without contact. As a non-contact signal transmission means, a method using light, ultrasonic waves, or the like can be considered.

As described above, the power supply from the main body to the door,
In addition, the conventional refrigerator-freezer that performs non-contact signal transmission between the main body and the door does not require a member such as a contact-type power supply terminal or a communication terminal that is exposed to the outside. Therefore, there is no risk of contact failure due to oxidation or corrosion of the terminal surface, and it is also effective in terms of waterproofing / contamination.

[0006]

However, in the conventional power and signal transmission device, the electromagnetic induction coupling cannot be obtained between the oscillation coil 102 and the power receiving coil 201, that is, the door 200 is opened. Even when a metallic foreign object such as a coin is sandwiched between the oscillation coil 102 and the power receiving coil 201, the oscillation coil 102 continues to output electromagnetic energy, and unnecessary power is consumed. Very uneconomical. In the latter case in particular, since a magnetic field line passes through the metallic foreign matter sandwiched between the oscillation coil 102 and the power receiving coil 201 and a short current flows, if the output of the oscillation coil 102 is continued in this state, There is a problem in that the safety of the product cannot be ensured because the metallic foreign matter generates heat and becomes high temperature.

Here, as a technique for solving the above problems, Japanese Patent Application No. 11-204249 discloses a refrigerator in which power is supplied from a main body to a door and signal transmission between the main body and the door is non-contact. In the above, there is proposed a technique in which a refrigerator main body is provided with a means for detecting the open / closed state of the door, and when the open state of the door is detected, the power supply to the door is stopped.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application No. 11-283855 discloses that power and signal transmission are performed in a non-contact manner for both power supply from the first device to the second device and information communication between the first device and the second device. In the device, a technique has been proposed in which a first device is provided with a means for determining whether or not the information communication is possible, and when it is determined that the information communication cannot be performed, the power supply to the second device is stopped. Note that all of these conventional techniques are proposed by the applicant.

The use of such a conventional technique is economical because it is possible to suppress unnecessary power consumption. In particular, even if a metallic foreign substance is caught between the oscillation coil and the power receiving coil, the power supply can be stopped before the metallic foreign substance abnormally generates heat, so that the safety of the product can be ensured. However, in these conventional techniques, a state in which the main body abnormally stops the power supply to the door, that is, a state in which the main body detects that the signal cannot be transmitted although the door is closed However, there is no means for notifying the user of the abnormality. Therefore, until the user himself notices the abnormality,
Since the restoration work such as the removal of the metallic foreign matter is not performed, the power supply to the door may be stopped for a long time, and in some cases, the data stored on the door side may be lost.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides power and signal transmission that can notify an abnormality when it is detected that the signal transmission between the main body and the door cannot be performed even though the door is closed. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0010]

To achieve the above object, in a power and signal transmission device according to the present invention, a main body receives power from a commercial power source, and a non-contact power supply from the main body. A door for transmitting signals to and from the main body in a non-contact manner, the main body having means for detecting an open / closed state of the door and means for determining whether or not the signal transmission is possible. In the power and signal transmission device that controls the power supply to the door depending on whether the door is open or closed, or whether or not the signal can be transmitted, if the signal cannot be transmitted although the door is closed. The main body is provided with means for notifying an abnormality when the judgment is made.

Further, when it is detected that the door is once opened and then closed, power supply to the door is automatically started and whether or not the signal can be transmitted is determined. In the power and signal transmission device according to the present invention, the door is provided with an information display device for displaying information from the main body and an information input device for a user to input information.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A power and signal transmission device according to the present invention will be described by way of example when applied to a refrigerator-freezer. First, FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an upper part of a refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention, viewed from an oblique front side. The main body 1 is divided into compartments such as a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and a front door of each compartment is provided with a door 2 that can be opened and closed. Here, (a) in the figure shows a state in which the door 2 is closed, and (b) shows a state in which the door 2 is opened.

The main body 1 is provided with a control unit 3 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator / freezer. The control section 3 controls the temperature of the refrigerating room and the freezing room by controlling the operation of a compressor, an internal fan motor, etc. (none of which are shown). Further, as will be described later in detail, the power supply operation to the door 2 and the control related to the signal transmission with the door 2 are also performed.

On the other hand, on the front surface of the door 2, an information display / input device 4 is provided at a height that is easy for the user to operate. The information display / input device 4 includes an information display unit 4a and an information input unit 4b. The information display section 4a includes the main body 1
Information obtained from the side, for example, the temperature and humidity in the refrigerator, the remaining water amount of the cold water machine and the ice amount of the automatic ice maker installed in the main body 1, and the food type and storage period in the refrigerator can be displayed. .
On the other hand, by operating the information input unit 4b, the user can control the main body 1 side such as setting the target value of the internal temperature and setting the automatic ON / OFF timer without opening the door 2. .

Further, in the refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention, the power feeding unit 10 is provided as a means for realizing power supply from the main body 1 to the door 2 and signal transmission between the main body 1 and the door 2 in a non-contact manner. And a power receiving unit 20. The power supply unit 10 is arranged on the lower surface of the protruding member 5 provided on the main body 1, and the power reception unit 20 is arranged on the upper surface of the door 2 so as to face the power supply unit 10. Here, the lower surface of the protruding portion 5 is structured to face the upper surface of the door 2 with a slight gap. Thereby, the power feeding unit 10
A slight gap is also maintained between the power receiving unit 20 and the power receiving unit 20. However, the arrangement of the power feeding unit 10 and the power receiving unit 20 is not limited to the positions shown in the drawings, and the positions where the power feeding unit 10 and the power receiving unit 20 face each other when the door 2 is closed. If there is, it can be attached at any position.

The power feeding unit 10 is connected to the control unit 3 by a lead wire 6, and power transmission and signal transmission between the power feeding unit 10 and the control unit 3 are performed by wire. On the other hand, the power reception unit 20 is connected to the information display / input device 4 by a lead wire 7, and power transmission and signal transmission between the power reception unit 20 and the information display / input device 4 are also performed by wire. The door switch 8 shown in (b) of the figure detects the open / closed state of the door 2 by mechanical means. The operation of the door switch 8 will be described later.

Next, the power feeding section 10 and the power receiving section 20.
The internal configuration and operation of will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, the main body 1 and the door 2
A configuration in which optical communication is adopted as a signal transmitting means to and from is shown.
The power feeding unit 10 provided on the main body 1 on the power feeding side includes a power feeding oscillating unit 11, a first coil 12, a first light emitting unit 13, and a first light receiving unit 14. The control unit 3, which is supplied with electric power from a commercial power source, controls the oscillation operation of the power feeding oscillation unit 11 to supply power to the door 2 on the power receiving side, and at the same time, the first light emitting unit 13 and the first light emitting unit 13 1 light receiving unit 14
Is controlled to transmit / receive an optical signal to / from the door 2. The control unit 3 also has a function of rectifying alternating current from a commercial power source. In addition to the door switch 8 and the power supply unit 10, the control unit 3 is provided with an abnormality notification device 9. The operation of the abnormality notification device 9 will be described later.

On the other hand, the power receiving section 20 provided on the door 2 on the power receiving side has a second coil 21, a constant voltage section 22, a second light receiving section 23, and a second light emitting section 24. here,
The information display / input device 4 is driven by an output from the constant voltage unit 22 to perform an operation such as information display,
The second light receiving unit 23 and the second light emitting unit 24 are controlled to transmit / receive an optical signal to / from the main body 1. In addition,
The second coil 21, the second light receiving unit 23, and the second light emitting unit 24.
Are provided at positions facing the first coil 12, the first light emitting unit 13, and the first light receiving unit 14 provided in the power feeding unit 10, respectively.

Now, the power supply from the main body 1 to the door 2 will be described. First, when power is supplied from the control unit 3 to the power feeding oscillation unit 11 with the door 2 closed, the power feeding oscillation unit 11 oscillates at a predetermined frequency. The first coil 12 emits an AC magnetic flux to the outside of the main body 1 by receiving the high frequency oscillated here. At this time, electromagnetic inductive coupling occurs between the first coil 12 and the second coil 21. The alternating current induced in the second coil 21 by this phenomenon is rectified by the constant voltage unit 22 to obtain a constant voltage, so that the door 2 can be powered. When the information display / input device 4 detects that a constant voltage is supplied, it controls the normal operation of the information display / input device 4 such as information display and various operations.

Next, the optical signal transmission from the main body 1 to the door 2 will be described. The optical signal transmission from the main body 1 to the door 2 is performed by the first light emitting unit 13 provided in the power feeding unit 10.
And the second light receiving section 23 provided in the power receiving section 20. That is, the light energy emitted from the first light emitting unit 13 is detected by the second light receiving unit 23, and the presence / absence of the detection of the light energy is discriminated from the H / L signal, so that the main body 1 to the door 2 The optical signal transmission to and from can be performed in a contactless manner. Similarly, since the power receiving unit 20 is provided with the second light emitting unit 24 and the power feeding unit 10 is provided with the first light receiving unit 14, the optical signal transmission from the door 2 to the main body 1 can be performed without contact. it can.

As described above, since the power supply from the main body 1 to the door 2 and the optical signal transmission between the main body 1 and the door 2 are both performed in a non-contact manner, the number of components can be reduced. Therefore, cost reduction can be achieved.
Further, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to directly connect the main body 1 and the door 2 via the hinge portion (not shown) of the door 2, so that the door 2 can be opened and closed from either side. It can also be applied to a refrigerator / freezer with such a structure. Furthermore, since no externally exposed members such as contact type power supply terminals and communication terminals are required, there is no risk of contact failure due to oxidation or corrosion of the terminal surface, and it is also effective in terms of waterproofing / contamination.

Next, power supply control in the refrigerator / freezer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing power supply control of the refrigerator / freezer according to the present invention. Here, the description starts from the flow on the main body 1 side. First, when starting the power supply to the door 2,
In step # 100, it is determined whether the door 2 is closed. The open / closed state of the door 2 can be detected by the door switch 8. Here, the door switch 8
If the control unit 3 connected to the control unit 3 determines that the door 2 is closed, the process proceeds to # 105, and if it is determined that the door 2 is not closed, the control unit 3 waits until the door 2 is closed. With this configuration, the door 2 is in the open state, that is, the first
In a state where electromagnetic induction coupling is not obtained between the coil 12 and the second coil 21, high frequency oscillation to the first coil 12 is stopped, so that useless power is not consumed, which is very economical. . Further, even if a metallic foreign matter is brought close to the first coil 12 with the door 2 opened, a short-circuit current does not flow through the metallic foreign matter, which is safe.

In step # 105, the control section 3 starts supplying power to the power feeding oscillation section 11. As a result, the AC magnetic flux is emitted from the first coil 12 provided in the power feeding unit 10 to start the power feeding operation for the door 2.
Simultaneously with the start of the power feeding, the controller 3 operates in step # 110.
The timer (not shown) provided in the above is reset (t = 0),
The counting of the timer is started. Then, in # 115, the process is in a standby state until the count of the timer reaches a predetermined time t ₁ . The count of the timer is a predetermined time t
_When it reaches ₁ , the process proceeds to step # 120, and the first light emitting unit 13 is driven to emit light and an optical signal is sent to the power receiving unit 20. At the same time, the timer is reset again (t = 0).
Note that the above-mentioned predetermined time t ₁ is a value that assumes the time required from the start of power supply until the operation of the information display / input device 4 provided on the door 2 starts.

Here, the flow on the door 2 side will be described once. In # 200, the second coil 21 receives the AC magnetic flux from the first coil 12 to start the power receiving operation. In step # 205, the constant voltage unit 22 rectifies the alternating current induced in the second coil 21 and checks the output voltage. If the output voltage is normal, # 210
Then, the power receiving operation is determined to be normal and the process proceeds to # 215, but if the output voltage is abnormal, the process returns to # 205 and the voltage check is continued. Subsequently, in # 215, it is determined whether or not the second light receiving unit 23 receives the optical signal from the first light emitting unit 13. When the second light receiving unit 23 receives the optical signal, # 22
0, the information display / input device 4 displays the second light emitting unit 24.
Is driven to emit light, and an optical signal is returned to the power supply unit 10. Then, the information display / input device 4 displays at # 225 based on the information obtained from the main body 1, and transmits the input data of the user to the control unit 3 provided in the main body 1. The information display / input device 4 normally operates as described above.

However, at # 215, the second light receiving portion 23
Cannot receive the optical signal, that is, when foreign matter is sandwiched between the first light emitting unit 13 and the second light receiving unit 23 to interrupt the optical communication, or the first coil 12 and the second coil
In the case where the information display / input device 4 cannot operate because the metallic foreign matter is caught between the coil 21 and the electric power supply is disturbed, the process cannot proceed to # 220, and therefore the reply is sent to the power supply unit 10. It is not possible. In particular, in the case of the last-mentioned case where the metallic foreign matter is sandwiched and power supply is hindered, the constant voltage unit 2 can be used even if the voltage does not decrease until the information display / input device 4 stops operating.
When the output voltage of 2 is lower than a predetermined value, it may be configured to determine that the power reception is abnormal in the above-described # 210 and not perform the reply.

The flow is returned to the main body 1 side again. In the power feeding unit 10, it is determined at # 125 whether the first light receiving unit 14 receives the reply from the second light emitting unit 24. When the reply is received, the process proceeds to step # 130, and the control unit 3 determines that the communication is OK. Then # 1
Moving to 35, normal operation of the main body 1, that is, power supply to the door 2 and signal transmission with the door 2 are performed. Here, in # 140, the control unit 3 monitors the state of the door switch 8, and returns to # 135 to continue normal operation until the door 2 is opened. When the door 2 is opened, the process proceeds to # 145 to stop the power supply to the door 2. After that, it returns to # 100 again and the door 2
The power supply to the door 2 is waited until the door is closed. With such a configuration, each time the user opens and closes the door 2, power supply to the door 2 is started, and optical signals can be normally transmitted and received between the main body 1 and the door 2. Since it determines whether or not to control the power supply operation,
Since the power supply operation is frequently checked, high safety can be secured.

On the other hand, in # 125, when the first light receiving unit 14 cannot receive the reply from the second light emitting unit 24, that is, when the power supply to the door 2 is abnormal, the first light receiving unit 14 and In the case where a foreign object is caught between the second light emitting unit 24 and the optical communication is interrupted, the process proceeds to step # 150, and the count of the timer is confirmed. Here, if the count of the timer has not reached the predetermined time t ₂ , the process returns to # 125 again to continue the determination of whether or not the reply has been received. However, if the reply is not received even when the predetermined time t ₂ is reached, the control unit 3 determines that communication is not successful in # 155. After that, the process proceeds to # 160 and the power supply to the door 2 is stopped.

As described above, the main body 1 has means for judging whether or not the optical signal can be transmitted / received to / from the door 2, and when it is judged that the optical signal cannot be transmitted / received, the main body 1 is connected to the door 2. By providing the means for stopping the power supply, it is possible to prevent the power supply from being unnecessarily continued even though the optical signal cannot be transmitted between the main body 1 and the door 2. It is economical. Further, even if the metallic foreign matter is sandwiched between the first coil 12 and the second coil 21, the power supply can be stopped before the metallic foreign matter heats up abnormally. Can be secured.

Here, in the refrigerator / freezer according to the present invention, since the abnormality notification device 9 is connected to the control unit 3 as described above, it is sufficient to stop the power supply to the door 2 at # 160. Instead, by driving the abnormality notification device 9, it is possible to inform the user that the power supply is abnormally stopped. The abnormality notification device 9 may be configured by a buzzer, a lamp or the like. By providing this abnormality notification device 9, even if an abnormality in the power supply to the door 2 occurs, the user can immediately notice the abnormality. As a result, restoration work such as removal of the metallic foreign matter can be performed quickly, so that the state where the power supply to the door 2 is stopped can be resolved in a short time.

After the power supply to the door 2 is stopped in # 160, the control section 3 monitors the state of the door switch 8 in # 165. When the door 2 is opened, the process returns to step # 100 again and waits for power supply to the door 2 until the door 2 is closed. With such a configuration, even if the control unit 3 determines that communication with the door 2 cannot be performed and the power supply to the door 2 is stopped, the user recovers the abnormality. If you open and close the door 2,
The power supply to the door 2 is automatically started, and the power supply operation is controlled by determining whether the optical signal can be normally transmitted and received between the main body 1 and the door 2, so that the abnormality is recovered. The user does not have to restart the power supply afterwards, which is very convenient.

In this embodiment, the main body 1 is
Although the optical communication is used as the means for signal communication between the door and the door 2, the means for signal communication may be replaced with other non-contact communication means such as radio waves and electromagnetic waves. Further, in the above embodiment, the power and signal transmission device according to the present invention has been described as an example applied to a refrigerator-freezer, but the present invention is not limited to application to the refrigerator-freezer.

[0032]

In the power and signal transmission device according to the present invention, means for notifying an abnormality when it is determined that signal transmission cannot be performed between the main body and the door even though the door is closed. Is provided on the main body. Thus, the user can be notified that the power supply is abnormally stopped, so that even if the power supply to the door is abnormal, the user can immediately notice the abnormality. Therefore, it is possible to quickly perform the recovery work, and it is possible to eliminate the power supply stop state to the door in a short time.

Further, when it is detected that the door is once opened and then closed, power supply to the door is automatically started and whether or not the signal transmission is possible is determined. With this, every time the user opens and closes the door,
Since the power supply operation is controlled by starting the power supply to the door and determining whether the optical signal can be normally transmitted and received between the main body and the door, the power supply operation is frequently checked. Therefore, high safety can be secured.
Furthermore, even if the power supply is stopped because communication with the door is impossible, if the user opens and closes the door to recover from the abnormality, the power supply operation is automatically restarted and the power supply operation is checked. Therefore, the user does not need to bother to restart the power supply, which is very convenient.

In the power and signal transmission device according to the present invention, since the information display device is provided on the door, the user can know various information obtained from the main body side at a glance. On the other hand, if the information input device is provided on the door, the user does not need to open the door when performing control operations on the main body side, which is very convenient.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an upper portion of a refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention viewed from an oblique front side.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing power supply control of the refrigerator / freezer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a conventional refrigerator-freezer.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 body 2 doors 3 control unit 4 Information display / input device 9 Abnormality notification device 8 door switch 10 power supply 20 Power receiving unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-9-103037 (JP, A) JP-A-6-311658 (JP, A) JP-A-4-98081 (JP, A) Jikken Hei 7- 871 (JP, Y2) J. Kohei 7-47957 (JP, Y2) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H02J 7 / 00,17 / 00 F25D 11 / 10,23 / 00, 29/00 H01F 38/14

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A main body, which is supplied with power from a commercial power source, and a door which is supplied with power from the main body in a non-contact manner and transmits signals to and from the main body in a non-contact manner. Means for detecting the open / closed state of the door,
By providing means for judging whether or not the signal transmission is possible,
In the power and signal transmission device that controls the power supply to the door depending on whether the door is open or closed or whether or not the signal can be transmitted, when it is detected that the door is once opened and then closed,
Dynamically start power supply to the door and
A power and signal transmission device characterized by determining whether or not signal transmission is possible. 2. Although the door is closed, the
To notify an abnormality when it is judged that the signal cannot be transmitted
The power and signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the means is provided in the main body . 3. The electric power and signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein an information display device for displaying information from the main body is provided on the door. 4. The power and signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the door is provided with an information input device through which a user inputs information.