JP3590272B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a display device for displaying information on the refrigerator such as a refrigerator internal temperature setting display, a refrigerator internal state display, and a temperature state display.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a display device of a refrigerator, a device using a light emitting diode (hereinafter, referred to as an LED) that emits light has been mainstream.
[0003]
On the other hand, when a liquid crystal display device is used, pictures, characters, and numbers can be displayed, and the design is improved. Further, the liquid crystal display device has an advantage that its current consumption is extremely small.
[0004]
However, since the liquid crystal display device is not a self-luminous element, its display cannot be read when the surroundings are dark, such as at midnight, so that the liquid crystal display device requires an illumination device.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
However, if an illuminating device is provided in the liquid crystal display device and is always lit, the merit of extremely low current consumption cannot be utilized.
[0006]
For this reason, it is conceivable to turn on the lighting device only when necessary, but there are the following problems.
[0007]
First, when a switch for turning on and off the light is separately provided, there is a problem that the number of parts increases, which leads to an increase in cost.
[0008]
Second, there is a problem in that the user needs to operate the operation switch, thereby forcing the user to perform a complicated operation.
[0009]
In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a refrigerator having a function of lighting the display device only at a necessary timing.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The refrigerator according to claim 1 of the present invention illuminates the display means for displaying information relating to the refrigerator such as a refrigerator temperature setting display, a refrigerator state display, or an operation state display, and which does not emit light. And a lighting device, wherein a dedicated operation switch for turning on and off the lighting device is not provided, and when the door switch detects the open state of the door, or when the door switch detects the closed state, the lighting device is set to the first position. A first control for lighting or blinking until the lighting time elapses, and a lighting or blinking operation of the illuminating means when the operating means of the refrigerator is operated until a second lighting time longer than the first lighting time elapses. It has illumination control means for performing the second control .
[0011]
According to the refrigerator of the first aspect, the lighting control means turns on or blinks the lighting means when the door switch detects the open state of the door or detects the closed state of the door, so that the surroundings are dark. Also make the display means visible. The illumination control means turns on or blinks the illumination means when operating the operation means of the refrigerator so that the display means can be seen even when the surroundings are dark.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 10, and a refrigerator 12, a vegetable room 16, a switching room 18 in which the temperature in the refrigerator is switched, and a freezing room 20 are provided in the cabinet 12 of the refrigerator 10 in order from the top. . On the left side of the switching room 18, an ice making room 22 is provided.
[0015]
Doors 14a, 16a, 18a, 20a, and 22a are provided on the front of each of these rooms.
[0016]
An operation panel 28 is provided at the center of the lower end of the refrigerator compartment door 14a (see FIG. 3). A liquid crystal display device 24 is disposed at the center of the operation panel 28, and a setting switch 26 for setting the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 14, the switching compartment 18, and the freezing compartment 20 is provided around the liquid crystal display device 24. Have been. FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the operation panel 28, and the display state of the liquid crystal display device 24 shows all displays.
[0017]
Next, a control structure of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing control-related components in an easily understood manner.
[0018]
The control device 30 of the refrigerator 10 is composed of a microcomputer and is provided on the upper rear surface of the cabinet 12. The following components are connected to the control device 30.
[0019]
The control device 30 is connected to an operation panel 28 including the setting switch 26 and the liquid crystal display device 24 described above, and an LED for illuminating the liquid crystal display device 24 from behind.
[0020]
Door switches 14b, 16b, 18b, 20b, 22b for detecting the open / closed state of the doors 14a, 16a, 18a, 20a, 22a of each room are connected to the control device 30.
[0021]
A temperature sensor 34 for detecting the temperature in the refrigerator is provided inside the freezing room 14, a temperature sensor 36 is provided for the switching room 18, and a temperature sensor 38 is also provided for the freezing room 20. 30.
[0022]
The refrigeration compartment 14, the switching compartment 18, and the freezing compartment 20 are provided with lighting devices 50, 52, 54 for illuminating the inside of the refrigerator, and each is connected to the control device 30.
[0023]
A damper motor 40 of a damper for sending cool air to the refrigerator compartment 14 and a damper motor 42 of a damper for sending cool air to the switching room 18 are connected to the control device 30.
[0024]
A fan 46 for blowing cool air from the cooler 44 is also connected to the control device 30.
[0025]
The motor of the compressor 48 is connected to the control device 30.
[0026]
Here, the control state of the refrigerator 10 by the control device 30 will be briefly described.
[0027]
When the door 14a of the refrigerator compartment 14 is opened, the door switch 14b detects this and turns on the illuminating device 50, and the fan 46 is turned on in order to prevent cool air in the refrigerator from wasting outside the refrigerator. Stop. The same control is performed when the doors 18a and 20a of the switching room 18 and the freezing room 20 are opened.
[0028]
In the freezing room 20, the compressor 48 is controlled by ON / OFF so that the inside temperature of each room becomes the temperature set on the operation panel 28, and in the other rooms, the flow of cool air is controlled by the damper motors 40 and 42. I do.
[0029]
A control state of turning on / off the LED 32 of the liquid crystal display device 24 in the refrigerator 10 having the above configuration will be described.
[0030]
1. When the first control user wants to see the display state of the liquid crystal display device 24, in most cases, the refrigerator 1
The user does not have to perform the operation of turning on the lighting if the lighting is turned on when the food inside or outside the door is opened or closed and each door is opened or closed. Therefore, the control device 30 detects the open signal of the door switches 14b, 16b, 18b, 20b, 22b and turns on the LED 32.
[0031]
Since the time required for the user to confirm by looking at this display may be several seconds, the LED 32 is turned off after a lapse of a predetermined time (15 seconds to 30 seconds) to prevent unnecessary current consumption.
[0032]
The LED 32 may be turned off when the door is closed, or the LED 32 may be turned on for a predetermined time after the door is closed, in addition to turning on the door for a predetermined time as described above.
[0033]
2. Second control Next, when the user wants to see the display on the refrigerator, the user needs to perform an operation such as setting the refrigerator temperature. Therefore, even when the setting switch 26 of the operation panel 28 is operated, the LED 32 is illuminated for a predetermined time. In this case, since the time for viewing the liquid crystal display device 24 is longer than that in the first control state compared to the case of opening and closing the door, a lighting time of 15 seconds to 1 minute is appropriate.
[0034]
3. Third Control In addition to the first control and the second control, the control device 30 blinks the LED 32 when the refrigerator is abnormal, that is, when a component of the refrigerator fails or the control device 30 itself becomes uncontrollable. Then, the fact is displayed to the user.
[0035]
3. The fourth control A complaint that the refrigerator does not cool down may be sent from a user to a store or a maker. There is a so-called half-door.
[0036]
In such a case, first, the door switches 14b to 22b detect the open state, and the LED 32 is turned on.
[0037]
When the door switches 14b to 22b have detected the open state of the door for a predetermined time or more (for 5 minutes or more), the LED 32 is switched from the lighting state to the blinking state, and an alarm indicating that the door is in the half-door state is issued.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, a dedicated operation switch for turning on / off the lighting unit is not provided, and the lighting control unit turns on / off the lighting unit of the display unit only under a predetermined condition, thereby reducing the number of components. And cost increase can be prevented. Also, the user does not need to perform any special operation. Further, the power for illuminating the illumination means can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram similarly.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the liquid crystal display device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Refrigerator 12 Cabinet 14 Refrigerating room 16 Vegetable room 18 Switching room 20 Refrigerating room 22 Ice making room 24 Liquid crystal display device 26 Setting switch 28 Operation panel 30 Control device 32 LED
48 Compressor 14a-22a Door 14b-22b Door switch

Claims (1)

A display means that does not emit light by itself to display information on the refrigerator such as a refrigerator temperature setting display, a refrigerator state display, or an operation state display,
Illuminating means for illuminating the display means;
In a refrigerator having
There is no special operation switch for turning on and off the lighting means,
When the door switch detects the open state of the door or when the door switch detects the closed state, the lighting unit is turned on or blinks until the first lighting time elapses, and the first control unit for operating the refrigerator is operated. A refrigerator comprising lighting control means for performing a second control of lighting or blinking the lighting means until a second lighting time longer than the first lighting time sometimes elapses.

Images