JP4203041B2 - Storage - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage having an opening function or an opening assist function of a drawer type door.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in storages, particularly refrigerators, a storage body having storage rooms such as a refrigerator room, a freezing room, and a vegetable room has been provided with a door that opens and closes a stored product entrance of each storage room. The door for the refrigerator compartment is a pivot type with the right or left side pivoted to the storage body, and the doors for the freezer compartment and vegetable compartment are each integrated with a drawer-type storage container. In short, it is a drawer type that moves in parallel with the storage body.

Thus, in recent years, a refrigerator door, that is, a rotary door, has been provided in which a predetermined amount is opened only by a user touching a specific portion of the door. Yes. In this case, specifically, the door is provided with a contact portion that the user touches and a detector that detects the user's contact with the contact portion, while the refrigerator body receives a detection signal of the detector. A control device and an electromagnetic device that is energized and excited by the control device are provided. In particular, the detector and the control device are connected by a lead wire that passes through the pivotal support portion of the door. With this configuration, when the user touches the contact portion, the detector detects the contact and sends a detection signal to the control device with a lead wire. Based on this detection signal, the control device energizes and energizes the electromagnetic device. Thus, the electromagnetic device opens the door by a predetermined amount.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-150786 JP 2000-168559 A

  In the case of the above-mentioned conventional one, a predetermined amount of the electromagnetic device is opened by a rotary door, and this is not applied to a drawer type door.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to obtain an opening function or an opening assist function similar to that of a rotary door with a drawer-type door, and to utilize the configuration for that purpose. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage that can prevent a drawer door from being opened by closing another door in a situation where the drawer door is closed.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the storage of the present invention, a storage body having a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber communicating with the first storage chamber, and a stored item in the first storage chamber. A drawer-type first door that opens and closes the doorway, an operation detection unit that detects a user's operation for opening the first door, and the permanent magnet in response to detection by the operation detection unit An electromagnetic device for repelling and energizing the first door in the opening direction, and a second door for opening and closing a stored item entrance of the second storage chamber, and opening and closing the second door When the door opening / closing detection means detects the opening of the second door, the first door is attracted in the closing direction between the electromagnetic device and the permanent magnet. The second door is closed by the door opening / closing detection means. Characterized by a control means for controlling the duration until the knowledge (the invention of claim 1).

  According to the above means, if the user performs an operation for opening the drawer-type first door, it is detected by the operation detecting means, and the electromagnetic device is activated to open the drawer-type first door in the opening direction. Repulsively. Thus, the drawer-type first door can provide an opening function or an opening assist function similar to that of the rotary door.

  The first storage chamber in which the first door opens and closes the storage item entrance and the second storage chamber in which the second door opens and closes the storage item entrance and exit are in communication with each other, and the first door is closed. When the second door is opened and closed in the situation, the air in the first storage chamber is compressed from the second storage chamber and the air pressure is increased. When the door opening / closing detection means detects the opening of the second door, the electromagnetic device is energized to attract and urge the first door in the closing direction. Thus, the first door can be prevented from being opened by the air pressure by performing control that continues until the door opening / closing detecting means detects the closing of the second door.

Hereinafter, the present invention is applied to a refrigerator, and a first example (first embodiment) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
First, in FIG. 2, the whole refrigerator as a storage is viewed from the front, and a vegetable room door 2 is provided as a first door in the middle part of the refrigerator body 1 as a storage body, and above (topmost) Part) is provided with a refrigerator door 3 as a second door, an ice making room door 4 and a switching room door 5 are provided below the opposite vegetable room door 2, and a freezer compartment door 6 is further provided below (lowermost part). Provided.

  Therefore, in the refrigerator main body 1, the vegetable compartment 7 shown in FIG. 3 exists in the middle section as the first storage compartment, and the refrigeration compartment 8 exists as the second storage compartment above it, on the contrary, not shown below. An ice making room and a switching room exist as other storage rooms, and a freezer room also exists as another storage room below them, a vegetable room door 2, a refrigeration room door 3, an ice making room door 4, and a switching room door. 5. The freezer compartment door 6 opens and closes the storage product entrance / exit (the storage product entrance / exit 7a of the vegetable compartment 7 and the storage product entrance / exit 8a of the refrigerator compartment 8 are shown in FIG. 3) which exist in each front of those storage compartments. ing.

  The refrigerator compartment 8 communicates with the vegetable compartment 7 through a passage (not shown) for supplying cold air to the vegetable compartment 7, and the refrigerator compartment 8 has a larger volume than other storage compartments including the vegetable compartment 7. Therefore, the stored product entrance 8a of the refrigerator compartment 8 is sufficiently larger than the stored product entrance 7a of the vegetable compartment 7, and the refrigerator compartment door 3 is sufficiently larger than the vegetable compartment door 2.

  Furthermore, while the refrigerator compartment door 3 is a pivot type with one side of the right side or the left side (right side in the illustrated example) pivoted to the refrigerator body 1, the vegetable compartment door 2, the ice making compartment door 4, and the switching compartment door 5. The freezer compartment door 6 is integrally provided in each drawer-type storage container (only the storage container 9 for the vegetable compartment is shown in FIG. 3), and moves in parallel with the refrigerator main body 1. It is a drawer type.

  Here, FIG. 3 has shown the structure regarding the vegetable compartment 7 and the vegetable compartment door 2 exclusively. About the vegetable compartment 7, the rail 10 is provided in the upper part of the right-and-left both side surface part (only the left side is shown), and the receiving vehicle 11 is pivotally attached to the front part of the rail 10 so that rotation is possible.

  In addition, an electromagnetic device, in this case, an electromagnet 12 is provided at each of the lower portions on the left and right sides of the front portion of the vegetable compartment 7. In FIG. 3, a recess 13 for housing and positioning a part of the electromagnet 12, connectors 14 and 15 for connecting the power feeding unit on the refrigerator main body 1 side and the electromagnet 12, and these connectors 14 and 15 are connected. A recessed portion 16 to be stored and a cover 17 to be attached to the recessed portion 16 are shown, and these are also present on the left and right sides of the front portion of the vegetable compartment 7 together with the arrangement of the electromagnet 12 (also this Only the left one is shown).

  Further, FIG. 3 shows a front partition plate 18 for partitioning the stored product entrance / exit 7a of the vegetable compartment 7 and the stored product entrance / exit 8a of the refrigerated compartment 8, and an opening 19 is formed at the center thereof. is doing. Thus, on the back side of the opening 19, a lever 20, a torsion coil spring 21 that urges the lever 20 counterclockwise, an operation detection switch 22, a cover 23 covering them, and the power reception on the refrigerator body 1 side are provided. On the other hand, a cap 25 is mounted on the front side of the opening 19 so as to be movable back and forth. In this case, a micro switch is used as the operation detection switch 22.

  And, on each of the upper left and right sides of the back side of the vegetable compartment door 2, for example, a solid container support member 26 made of metal is attached, and the storage container 9 is accommodated and hung on the container support member 26. The chamber door 2 and the storage product container 9 are integrated through a container support member 26.

  Permanent magnets 27 are respectively attached to the lower portions on the left and right sides of the back of the vegetable compartment door 2 corresponding to the lower portions on the left and right sides of the front portion of the vegetable compartment 7 where the electromagnet 12 is disposed. Although not shown, a gasket containing a permanent magnet is attached to the peripheral edge of the back surface of the vegetable compartment door 2.

  Further, at the center of the upper side of the vegetable compartment door 2, the drawer recess 28, the handle 29, the support shaft 30 that pivotally supports the handle 29 so as to be pivotable back and forth, and the handle 29 are provided with the vegetable compartment door. A torsion coil spring 31 is provided to be biased to the second side. Also, on the rear side, a support base 32, a lever 34 pivotally supported by a shaft portion 33 on the support base 32, and a torsion coil spring 35 that urges the lever 34 clockwise are provided.

  In addition, a leg wheel 36 (only the left container support member 26 is shown) is pivotally attached to the rear end of the container support member 26, and the leg wheel 36 is attached to the vegetable compartment 7. By placing the container support member 26 on the rail 10 so that it can roll relative to the receiving vehicle 11, the container support member 26, and hence the storage container 9, can be moved by the rail 10. It is stored in the vegetable compartment 7 so as to be able to be put in and out in the front and rear in a guided form, and is the above-mentioned drawer type. As a result, the vegetable compartment door 2 is also of the aforementioned drawer type.

  FIG. 4 shows a control device 37 composed of, for example, a microcomputer. The control device 37 functions as a control means for controlling the operation of the two electromagnets 12, and only those related to the function are shown as representatives in FIG. That is, the control device 37 receives detection signals described later from the operation detection switch 22 and a door switch 39 (shown only in FIG. 4) that responds to the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 3. The control device 37 gives a drive control signal to the drive circuit 40 that drives the two electromagnets 12 based on those inputs and a previously stored control program.

  FIG. 5 specifically shows the drive circuit 40. Between the AC input terminals of the rectifier circuit 41, a relay contact 42 operated by the control device 37 and a resistor 43 of about 1 [Ω] are provided. A commercial power source E is connected in series, and between the DC output terminals of the rectifier circuit 41, a smoothing capacitor 44, a resistor 45 of about several hundreds [kΩ], and both the electromagnets 12, in particular their respective coils 12a, A series circuit with each temperature fuse 46 attached thereto is connected in parallel.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
First, when the vegetable compartment door 2 is in a closed state, the casters 36 of the container support member 26 reach the innermost part of the rail 10 of the vegetable compartment 7, and the entire storage container 9 is stored in the vegetable compartment 7. Yes. At this time, the permanent magnet 27 of the vegetable compartment door 2 is in contact with or close to the electromagnet 12 of the vegetable compartment 7, and the gasket of the vegetable compartment door 2 is connected to the stored product entrance / exit 7 a of the vegetable compartment 7. The peripheral portion (including the front partition plate 18) is in close contact with and is adsorbed in its close state by a built-in permanent magnet.

  From this state, when the user now puts his hand on the handle 29 of the vegetable compartment door 2 and pulls it, the handle 29 rotates about the support shaft 30 as shown by the arrow A in FIG. To push the lever 34 and rotate it counterclockwise as shown by arrow B in FIG. The lever 34 rotated counterclockwise pushes the cap 25 of the refrigerator main body 1 by the tip end portion 34 a and moves it backward as indicated by an arrow C in FIG. By pushing 20a, the lever 20 is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow D in the figure. Thereby, the state in which the lever 20 has pressed the operation detection switch 22 is changed to the state in which the operation detection switch 22 is released, whereby the operation detection switch 22 is activated and the vegetable compartment door 2 is opened. Is detected and a detection signal is output. That is, the operation detection switch 22 functions as an operation detection unit that detects an operation for opening the vegetable compartment door 2.

  When the operation detection switch 22 operates to detect an operation for opening the vegetable compartment door 2 and outputs the detection signal, the control device 37 activates the operation detection switch 22 (vegetable compartment). The door 2 is operated for opening) (YES in step S1), and as a result, the electromagnet 12 is energized in the forward direction (step S2). The forward energization of the electromagnet 12 represents the same pole as the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 27 facing the magnetic pole of the electromagnet 12, and a repulsive force is generated thereby. By this repulsive force, the permanent magnet 27 is urged toward the anti-refrigerator main body 1 side (front) in which the vegetable compartment door 2 with the magnet magnet 27 attached to the back surface is in the opening direction.

As a result, the vegetable compartment door 2 is pushed forward, and in particular, it is pushed forward by a distance of 5 to 10 [mm] only necessary to be released from the adsorption holding force by the permanent magnet built in the gasket.
Then, if a predetermined time of about 0.3 to 1 second elapses after the electromagnet 12 is energized (step S3), the electromagnet 12 is deenergized (step S4). At this time, the operation of a fan (not shown) that has circulated cold air in the refrigerator compartment 8 is stopped (step S5).

Then, if the user continues to pull the vegetable compartment door 2 with the hand hung on the handle 29, the vegetable compartment door 2 can be opened, and the container support member 26 is integrated with the vegetable compartment door 2. The storage container 9 can be pulled out as desired along the rail 10.
If the vegetable compartment door 2 is pushed in after the vegetable compartment door 2 is opened (the drawer of the storage container 9), the container support member 26 moves along the rail 10 and returns the storage container 9 to the storage position. It is returned to the closed state.

  When the refrigerator compartment door 3 is closed, the door switch 39 is pushed by the refrigerator compartment door 3 to detect the closure of the refrigerator compartment door 3 and outputs a detection signal. On the other hand, when the refrigerator compartment door 3 is opened, the door switch 39 is released from being pressed by the refrigerator compartment door 3, operates to detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3, and outputs a detection signal thereof. . That is, the door switch 39 functions as door opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of the refrigerator compartment door 3.

  Here, if the door switch 39 operates to detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3 and outputs the detection signal, the control device 37 operates to detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3. It is determined that the refrigerator compartment door 3 is open (YES in step S6 in FIG. 1), and as a result, the electromagnet 12 is energized in the reverse direction (step S7). The energization in the reverse direction of the electromagnet 12 represents a pole different from the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 27 facing the magnetic pole of the electromagnet 12, contrary to the above, and an attractive force is generated thereby. By this attraction force, the permanent magnet 27 and, consequently, the vegetable compartment door 2 attached to the back surface thereof is urged toward the refrigerator main body 1 side (rear) in the closing direction, and is kept closed.

Then, if a predetermined time of, for example, about 5 seconds elapses after the energization of the electromagnet 12 at this time (step S8), the operation of the fan that has circulated the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 8 is stopped (step S9).
Further, when the refrigerator door 3 is closed after that, the door switch 39 operates to detect the closure of the refrigerator door 3 and outputs a detection signal (YES in step S10). (Step 11) and the operation of the fan for circulating the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 8 is resumed (step S12).

  As described above, in this configuration, if the user performs an operation for opening the vegetable compartment door 2, which is a first drawer door, this is detected by the operation detection switch 22 which is an operation detection means. The electromagnet 12 which is an electromagnetic device works and repels the vegetable compartment door 2 in the opening direction. Thus, the drawer-type vegetable compartment door 2 can obtain an opening function or an opening assist function similar to that of the rotating door.

  In this case, the vegetable compartment door 2 in which the vegetable compartment door 2 opens and closes the storage item entrance / exit 7a and the refrigeration compartment door 8 in which the refrigerator compartment door 3 opens and closes the storage item entrance / exit 8a are in communication with each other. When the refrigerator compartment door 3 is opened in a state where the container is closed and then closed, the air in the vegetable compartment 7 is compressed from the refrigerator compartment 8 and its air pressure is increased, so that the vegetable compartment door 2 is increased by the increased air pressure. May be released. In particular, the vegetable compartment door 2 is a drawer type, and its possibility is high. On the other hand, in the present configuration, when the door switch 39 detects the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3, the electromagnet 12 is energized to attract and urge the vegetable compartment door 2 in the closing direction. The control is continued until the closing of the refrigerator compartment door 3 is detected by 39, so that the vegetable compartment door 2 is not opened by the air pressure.

  Moreover, the electromagnet 12 is originally a configuration necessary for obtaining the opening function or the opening auxiliary function similar to the rotation type door in the drawer-type vegetable compartment door 2 as desired. With a typical configuration, the vegetable compartment door 2 can be prevented from being opened by air pressure due to the closing of the refrigerator compartment door 3.

  In addition to the vegetable room door 2, the drawer-type first door may be an ice making room door 4, a switching room door 5, a freezing room door 6, etc., and the second door is other than the refrigeration room door 3. If the first door opens and closes the storage door of the storage room communicating with the storage room that opens and closes the storage door, the vegetable room door 2, the ice making room door 4, the switching room door 5, and the freezing room door It may be 6 mag.

  However, as described above, the refrigerator compartment 8 usually has a sufficiently larger volume than the vegetable compartment 7, and therefore, the stored item inlet / outlet 8 a of the refrigerator compartment 8 is sufficiently larger than the stored item inlet / outlet 7 a of the vegetable compartment 7. It is large and the refrigerator compartment door 3 exists in the situation which is sufficiently larger than the vegetable compartment door 2. Therefore, when the refrigerator compartment door 3 is opened and closed in the above-described situation where the vegetable compartment door 2 is closed, the air pressure applied to the vegetable compartment door 2 is also large, and the vegetable compartment door 2 may be opened further. However, by dealing with it as described above, the value can be further increased.

  In addition, in the case of this configuration, the operation detection switch 22 also functions (also serves as a function) to control the operation of the fan that circulates the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 8, whereby the vegetable compartment door 2 is opened. Prevention of the escape of cold air from the refrigerator compartment 8 through the vegetable compartment 7 when opened can be realized with a rational configuration.

  In addition, one electromagnet 11 and the other electromagnet 11 are connected in series. As a result, when any one of the coils 11a is disconnected, both of them are not energized, only one of them. It is possible to prevent the vegetable chamber door 3 from being unbalanced when it is energized and becoming difficult to open. In addition, in this case, since the magnetic force generated by the coil 11a of the electromagnet 11 depends on the current, the amount of copper used in each coil 11a can be reduced by the series connection in which the voltage applied to both the coils 11a can be halved. .

In contrast to this, FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention, in which the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. Only the part is described.
This is a modification of the mechanism for detecting the user's operation for opening the vegetable compartment door 2, and instead of the support base 32 described above, the shaft parts 51, 52 are respectively provided at the left front part and the right rear part. Is used. A first lever 54 is pivotally supported on the left front shaft 51 so that the first lever 54 can pivot back and forth, and a second lever 55 is pivoted on the right rear shaft 52 so that the first lever 54 can pivot back and forth. A torsion coil spring 56 that supports and biases the second lever 55 counterclockwise is provided.

  A permanent magnet 57 is attached to the tip of the second lever 55, and in this case, an operation detection switch 58 comprising a magnetic switch such as a reed switch or a Hall IC is associated therewith. The operation detection switch 58 replaces the operation detection switch 22 including the above-described microswitch, and is disposed on the back side of the opening 19 of the front partition plate 18 (not shown in FIG. 6).

  In this configuration, when the user puts the hand on the handle 29 of the vegetable compartment door 2 and pulls it, the handle 29 is rotated forward as shown by the arrow A around the support shaft 30 as described above, and the upper portion 29a The first lever 54 is pushed and rotated counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow X. The first lever 54 rotated counterclockwise pushes one end portion 55a of the second lever 55 by the tip end portion 54a to rotate the lever 55 clockwise as indicated by an arrow Y. As a result, the state in which the permanent magnet 57 has been close to the operation detection switch 58 is changed to a state in which the permanent magnet 57 is separated from the operation detection switch 58, whereby the operation detection switch 58 is activated and the vegetable compartment door 2 is opened. Detects an operation for and outputs a detection signal.

  That is, also in this case, the operation detection switch 58 functions as a detection means for detecting an operation for opening the vegetable compartment door 2, and other operations are performed in the same manner as described above. Obtainable.

In addition, opening of the vegetable compartment door 2 when the user's operation for opening of the vegetable compartment door 2 is detected may be performed by increasing distance than the above-mentioned.
Further, the electromagnetic device exemplified by the electromagnet 12 is not limited to the above-described left and right, and may be provided at the top and bottom, diagonal positions, or the like. Furthermore, only one of them may be provided on each one side thereof. .
Also as a whole storage, in addition to the refrigerator, a warm storage room, a room temperature storage, or the like may be used.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

The main part flowchart showing the first embodiment of the present invention. Front view of the entire refrigerator Exploded perspective view of main parts Block diagram of electrical configuration for electromagnet control Connection diagram of drive circuit FIG. 3 partial equivalent diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is a refrigerator body (storage body), 2 is a vegetable compartment door (first door), 3 is a refrigerator compartment door (second door), 7 is a vegetable compartment (first storage compartment), and 7a is Stored product entrance / exit, 8 is a refrigerator compartment (second storage chamber), 8a is a store / product entrance, 12 is an electromagnet (electromagnetic device), 22 is an operation detection switch (operation detection means), 27 is a permanent magnet, 29 is a handle, Reference numeral 37 denotes a control device (control means), 57 denotes a permanent magnet, and 58 denotes an operation detection switch (operation detection means).

Claims (2)

A storage body having a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber in communication with the first storage chamber;
A drawer-type first door that opens and closes a stored item entrance of the first storage chamber;
A permanent magnet provided on the first door;
Operation detecting means for detecting a user operation for opening the first door;
An electromagnetic device that repels and urges the first door in the opening direction with the permanent magnet in response to detection by the operation detection means;
A second door that opens and closes a stored item entrance of the second storage chamber;
Door opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of the second door;
When opening of the second door is detected by the door opening / closing detection means, the electromagnetic device is energized to attract and urge the first door in the closing direction with the permanent magnet. And a control means for performing control until the closing of the second door is detected by the door opening / closing detection means. The storage room according to claim 1, wherein the first storage room is a vegetable room, and the second storage room is a refrigerator room.

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