JP4342421B2 - Door opening / closing mechanism and refrigerator using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a double door opening / closing mechanism and a refrigerator using the same.

  A conventional refrigerator having a double door opening / closing mechanism is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This door opening / closing mechanism has a cam mechanism symmetrically on the left and right, which includes a hinge pin projecting on both sides of the main body and a groove cam that is engaged with the hinge pin and provided on the door. The cam mechanism is disposed at the first locking position when the door is closed, and maintains the door closed state.

  When the left side of the door is pulled, the door slides while rotating, and the left cam mechanism shifts from the first locking position to the direction in which the hinge pin and the groove cam are disengaged. The right cam mechanism is disposed at a second locking position where the groove cam relatively guides the hinge pin and holds the relative position of the hinge pin. As a result, the door pivots around the right hinge pin as a pivot and is opened from the left side. When the right side of the door is pulled, the door opening / closing mechanism operates symmetrically to the above, and the door is opened from the right side with the left hinge pin as a pivot. Thus, a double door opening / closing mechanism that can be opened by selectively pulling one of the left and right sides is configured.

  Further, there is known a door opening / closing mechanism provided with an urging means for urging the door toward the main body and closing the door itself. FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the door opening / closing mechanism. The main body 3 is provided with a door angle 51, and the door angle 51 is provided with a hinge pin 33. The door 2 is pivotally supported by a hinge pin 33 and is rotatable. The door angle 51 is formed with a locking portion 5 extending in a plane perpendicular to the hinge pin 33.

A gasket packing 6 containing a magnet is provided on the peripheral portion of the door 2 facing the main body 3. With the gasket packing 6, the door 2 can be attracted to the main body 3 and the closed state of the door 2 can be maintained. Moreover, the door 2 which approached the main-body part 3 is adsorb | sucked by the gasket packing 6, and the door 2 has self-closing property.

  One end of the door 2 is provided with a stopper spring 4 having a stopper portion 4 a that engages with the locking portion 5 at the open end. The stopper spring 4 is formed to be elastically deformable in a plane perpendicular to the hinge pin 33, and the stopper portion 4a can be displaced. Further, the contact surface 4b on the side away from the main body portion 3 of the stopper portion 4a is an inclined surface.

  When opening the door 2, the stopper spring 4 is elastically deformed and the stopper portion 4 a is retracted from the locking portion 5. When the door 2 is closed, as shown in FIG. 21, the main body 3 side of the stopper portion 4 a comes into contact with the locking portion 5, the stopper spring 4 is elastically deformed, and the stopper portion 4 a slides on the locking portion 5. .

  As shown in FIG. 20, when the contact surface 4b of the stopper portion 4a contacts the locking portion 5, the contact surface 4b is formed of an inclined surface, so that the door 2 is closed by the elastic force of the stopper spring 4. Will be added. Thereby, the self-closing property of the door 2 is improved, and the door 2 is closed as shown in FIG. 19 by assisting the closing operation of the door 2 while the contact surface 4b and the locking portion 5 slide.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the door 2 and the main body 3 due to insufficient operating force when closing the door 2. Further, when the door opening / closing mechanism is provided in a refrigerator or the like, it is possible to prevent deterioration of stored items due to intrusion of outside air. Further, by providing the stopper spring 4 in the door opening / closing mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to improve the self-closing property of the double door.
JP 2001-159268 A (page 3 to page 9, FIG. 10)

  However, when the stopper spring 4 is provided in the double door opening / closing mechanism, both sides of the door serve as pivot shafts, so a large number of the stopper springs 4 are required (four are required when provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the door), and the door opening / closing mechanism. Costs increase. Further, for example, a stopper spring 4 for self-closing a door opened on the left side is provided on the right side of the door 2. For this reason, when the right side of the door is opened, the portion to which the operating force is applied and the right stopper spring 4 approach each other, and the load due to the elastic force of the stopper spring 4 increases. As a result, there is a problem that the operability when opening the door is lowered.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a double-open door opening / closing mechanism capable of improving self-closing and reducing costs and improving operability, and a refrigerator using the same.

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, when one side part of a door whose both side parts are supported is selectively pulled by a main body part having an opening part, the door is pivotally supported by the other side part. In the double door opening / closing mechanism that is opened, one arm part is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section longer than the other , and the door is urged toward the main body part at the center part between the two side parts. A self-closing elastic member made of resin, a support provided on the main body and facing an end surface perpendicular to the pivot shaft of the door, a guide roller provided on the end surface and sliding with the support And provided with an elastic member on one side of the end surface and the support portion , and provided with the elastic member on the other, and the distance between the end surface and the support portion by sliding between the guide roller and the support portion. There is kept constant, the outer surface of the one arm of the U of the elastic member is in the locking portion The door is characterized by being urged to the main body portion by contact.

According to this configuration, for example, the pivot shaft is disposed at the left and right ends of the door disposed on the front surface, and when the left side of the door is pulled, the door pivoted on the right pivot shaft rotates. When the door is closed, the door is urged in the direction of the main body by an elastic member disposed at the center in the left-right direction, and the door is self-closed to assist the closing operation. The door opening / closing mechanism may be opened / closed from the top / bottom of the door, or may be opened / closed from the front / back or left / right of the door facing upward. In addition, for example, a locking portion protrudes from the support portion, and an elastic member is disposed on the end surface of the door. The elastic member is elastically deformed and the door is closed while sliding on the engaging portion, and the elastic member that is elastically deformed presses the engaging portion by the elastic force to which the elastic member returns, and the door is urged toward the body portion. . Further, the guide roller rides on the support portion and slides to open and close the door.

According to the present invention, in the door opening / closing mechanism configured as described above, the elastic member is arranged in a recess provided in the end face .

  According to the present invention, in the door opening / closing mechanism having the above-described configuration, the elastic member has an inclined surface on the surface that contacts the locking portion. According to this configuration, for example, the inclined surface receives a force in the direction of the main body due to the elastic force of the elastic member acting in the axial direction, and the door is biased in the direction of the main body.

  According to the present invention, in the door opening / closing mechanism configured as described above, both side portions of the door in the left-right direction are supported by the main body portion, and the end surface is composed of a lower end surface of the door. According to this configuration, the weight of the door is supported by the support portion via the guide roller, and the door is held horizontally.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention is provided with the door opening / closing mechanism of said each structure, and is characterized by opening and closing the front surface of a storage chamber.

According to the present invention, in the double door opening / closing mechanism, since the elastic member that urges the main body at the center portion of the door to self-close the door is provided, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. . Further, the distance between the side portion of the door and the elastic member is increased, and the load due to the urging force of the elastic member when the door is opened can be reduced to improve the operability.

Further, according to the present invention, the elastic member is made of resin, and elastically deforms when the door is closed, slides with the locking portion, and biases the door toward the main body portion by engagement with the locking portion . , doors and may urging to Turkey easily in the direction of the main body.

  Further, according to the present invention, the elastic member has an inclined surface that contacts the locking portion, so that the door can be easily biased toward the main body.

  According to the present invention, since the guide roller that slides with the support portion of the main body portion is provided on the end surface of the door, the distance between the elastic member and the locking portion is kept constant by sliding between the guide roller and the support portion. be able to. Therefore, damage due to the collision between the elastic member and the locking portion can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, both the left and right side portions of the door are supported by the main body portion, and the end surface is composed of the lower end surface of the door. Therefore, the door is prevented from being inclined due to its own weight by sliding between the guide roller and the support portion. Can be held horizontally, and the distance between the elastic member and the locking portion can be kept constant.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in the conventional example shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator having a door opening / closing mechanism according to an embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has an open front surface of the main body 3 and has a refrigeration room 12 at the top, and a freezing room and a vegetable room (both not shown) are provided below the refrigeration room 12. A plurality of shelves 13 on which stored items are placed are provided in the refrigerator compartment 12, and an isolation room 15 having a different room temperature is provided at the lower part.

The front surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 is covered by the door 2, and the door 2 can be opened and closed by a door opening / closing mechanism. A storage pocket 14 for storing stored items is provided on the inner surface of the door 2. A gasket packing 6 containing a magnet is provided on the peripheral portion of the door 2 facing the main body 3. With the gasket packing 6, the door 2 can be attracted to the main body 3 and the closed state of the door 2 can be maintained. Moreover, the door 2 which approached the main-body part 3 is adsorb | sucked by the gasket packing 6, and the door 2 has self-closing property.

  The main body 3 is provided with a hinge cover 44 and a lock angle 43 (supporting portion) that support the door 2 so as to face the upper and lower end faces of the door 2. A lock cam member 31 (see FIG. 2) is embedded in the hinge cover 44 and the lock angle 43 symmetrically. Further, slide cam members 32 (see FIG. 4) that engage with the lock cam member 31 are provided on the upper and lower end surfaces of the door 2 symmetrically. The lock cam member 31 and the slide cam member 32 constitute a cam mechanism that guides the door 2.

  2 and 3 are a top view and a front view showing the left lock cam member 31 provided on the hinge cover 44. FIG. The lock cam member 31 is made of a resin molded product. A through hole 31 a is provided at one end of the lock cam member 31, and a metal hinge pin 33 serving as a rotation shaft of the door 2 is press-fitted into the through hole 31 a. A rib 34 formed in an arch shape concentric with the through hole 31a is projected along the outer periphery of the through hole 31a.

  An outer lock cam 35 is formed integrally with the other end of the lock cam member 31. The lock outer cam 35 has sliding surfaces 35a and 35b that slide with a slide outer cam 41 (see FIG. 4) described later. The sliding surfaces 35a and 35b are formed in substantially cylindrical surfaces centering on the hinge pins 33 of the cam mechanisms at both ends.

  FIG. 4 is a top view showing the slide cam member 32 disposed on the upper end surface of the door 2. The slide cam member 32 is attached to the door 2 by screws 36a, 36b, and 36c. One end of the slide cam member 32 is provided with first and second groove cams 37 and 38 that are continuous in an L shape and engage with a hinge pin 33 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). A hinge pin 33 indicated by a broken line in the drawing indicates a position when the cam mechanism is disposed at a first locking position described later.

  The first groove cam 37 relatively guides the hinge pin 33 in a direction in which the cam mechanism is disengaged from the state where the cam mechanism is disposed at the first locking position. The second groove cam 38 relatively guides the hinge pin 33 so that the cam mechanism is disposed at the second locking position described later from the state where the cam mechanism is disposed at the first locking position.

  Around the second groove cam 38, a boss 39 slidably contacting the rib 34 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is projected. The boss 39 has a flat surface 39a that contacts the end surface of the rib 34 at the first locking position, and a cylindrical surface 39b that slides on the inner peripheral wall of the rib 34 at the second locking position.

  A slide outer cam 41 is integrally provided at the other end of the slide cam member 32. The outer slide cam 41 has sliding surfaces 41 a and 41 b that slide with the sliding surfaces 35 a and 35 b (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the outer lock cam 35. A groove 42 that avoids interference with the lock outer cam 35 is formed around the slide outer cam 41.

  The sliding surfaces 41a and 41b are formed on the same cylindrical surface as the sliding surfaces 35a and 35b of the outer lock cam 11, respectively. As the door 2 rotates, the slide cam member 41 is guided by sliding between the sliding surface 35a and the sliding surface 41a or sliding between the sliding surface 35b and the sliding surface 41b. ing.

  In FIG. 1, a locking portion 5 protrudes from the central portion of the lock angle 43 in the left-right direction. A stopper spring 4 (elastic member) that engages with the locking portion 5 is provided on the lower end surface of the door 2 at the center in the left-right direction. Three guide rollers 7 each sliding with the lock angle 43 are provided on the left and right sides of the locking portion 5.

  FIG. 5 is a side view showing the main parts of the door 2 and the main body 3. The lower end of the door 2 is covered with a resin door cap 16. The stopper spring 4 is made of a resin molded product, and is disposed in a recess 16 a provided in the center portion of the door cap 16. A stopper portion 4 a that engages with the locking portion 5 is provided at the rear open end of the stopper spring 4. The stopper spring 4 is formed so as to be elastically deformable in the axial direction of the hinge pin 33, and the stopper portion 4a can be displaced. Further, the contact surface 4b on the side away from the main body portion 3 of the stopper portion 4a is an inclined surface.

  Next, the operation of the door opening / closing mechanism having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a closed state of the door 2. In the closed state of the door 2, the guide roller 7 is disposed on the lock angle 43 (see FIG. 1), and the left and right cam mechanisms are disposed at symmetrical positions. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the cam mechanism in this state.

  The cam mechanism takes a first locking position in which the hinge pins 33 on both sides are disposed at the ends of the first cam grooves 37 provided in the left and right slide cam members 32. The first groove cams 37 are formed so that the back side of the door 2 is inclined obliquely toward the center. For this reason, even if the user pulls the door 2 forward from both the left and right sides, the respective slide cam members 32 are not locked off by the hinge pins 33 and fall off from the main body 3. Thereby, the closed state of the door 2 is maintained.

  When the right side of the door 2 is pulled, as shown in FIG. 8, the left and right cam mechanisms are displaced from the first locking position, and the hinge pin 33 is relatively moved in the first groove cam 37 provided in the right slide cam member 32. To do. The first groove cam 37 is inclined toward the center of the door 2, and the distance between the left and right hinge pins 33 is constant, so that the left hinge pin 33 relatively moves in the second groove cam 38. Thereby, the door 2 slides to the right while rotating.

  When the door 2 is further pulled, as shown in FIG. 9, the sliding surface 41 b of the right slide outer cam 41 slides with the sliding surface 35 b of the lock outer cam 35. Since the right slide cam member 32 is guided to the hinge pin 33 by the first cam groove 37 and the left slide cam member 32 is guided to the hinge pin 33 by the second cam groove 38, the door 2 rotates further to the right. Move to slide.

  When the door 2 is further opened, the hinge pin 33 is disposed at the end of the second groove cam 38 on the left side as shown in FIG. At this time, the boss 39 engages with the rib 34 and is guided to slide, and the left cam mechanism maintains the relative position and takes the second locking position. As a result, the door 2 is pivotally supported about the left hinge pin 33 as a rotation axis. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the door 2 and the main body 3 at this time.

  When the door 2 is further opened, as shown in FIG. 12, the engagement between the right hinge pin 33 and the first groove cam 37 is released, and the engagement between the lock outer cam 35 and the slide outer cam 41 is released. Further, the sliding surface 35a of the left lock outer cam 35 and the sliding surface 41a of the slide outer cam 41 slide around the left hinge pin 33. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the door 2 and the main body 3 at this time.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the slide cam member 32 is guided by the sliding of the boss 39 and the rib 37 and the sliding of the sliding surfaces 35a and 41a. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the door 2 and the main body 3 at this time. Thereafter, when the engagement between the lock outer cam 35 and the slide outer cam 41 is released, the pivot position is fixed by the sliding of the boss 39 and the rib 37 and the door 2 rotates.

  When opening from the left side of the door 2, the cam mechanisms on both sides operate symmetrically with the above. When the door 2 is closed, the cam mechanisms on both sides perform the reverse operation. At this time, the stopper spring 4 provided at the center of the door 2 engages with the locking portion 5.

  When the door 2 is closed after the door 2 shown in FIG. 5 is opened, the stopper portion 4a of the stopper spring 4 comes into contact with the locking portion 5 as shown in FIG. As a result, the stopper spring 4 is elastically deformed and the stopper portion 4a is displaced upward, and the stopper spring 4 and the locking portion 5 slide while applying an elastic force to the locking portion 5.

  Further, the guide roller 7 slides on the lock angle 43, and the inclination due to the weight of the door 2 is supported by the guide roller 7, so that the door 2 can be held horizontally. Thereby, the distance between the lower end surface of the door 2 and the lock angle 43 is kept constant. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the stopper spring 4 from being damaged due to the collision between the stopper portion 4a and the locking portion 5.

  When the contact surface 4b on the front side of the stopper portion 4a contacts the locking portion 5, the contact surface 4b is formed of an inclined surface, and therefore the stopper portion 4a urged downward by the elastic force of the stopper spring 4 is provided. Receives a force in the direction of the main body 3 from the locking portion 5. For this reason, the door 2 is urged | biased in the direction of the main-body part 3, and self-closing property improves in addition to the adsorption | suction by the gasket packing 6 (refer FIG. 1). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17, the closing operation of the door 2 is assisted while the contact surface 4b and the locking portion 5 slide.

  When the door 2 is closed, as shown in FIG. 18, the stopper portion 4 a engages with the locking portion 5 with the contact surface 4 b in contact with the locking portion 5. Thereby, the door 2 is urged | biased by the direction of the main-body part 3 with the elastic force of the stopper spring 4, and the closed state of the door 2 can be reliably hold | maintained in addition to the adsorption | suction by the gasket packing 6 (refer FIG. 1).

  According to the present embodiment, the stopper spring 4 is provided at the center portion of the door 2 so as to urge the door 3 toward the main body 3 side, so that it is not necessary to provide the stopper spring 4 near the hinge pins 33 on both sides. Costs can be reduced by reducing the number of parts. Further, the distance between the side portion to which the operating force is applied when the door 2 is opened and the stopper spring 4 is increased, and the load due to the urging force of the stopper spring 4 when the door 2 is opened is reduced to improve the operability. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the locking portion 5 may be provided on the hinge cover 44 (support portion), and the stopper spring 4 may be provided on the upper end surface of the door 2. Further, the locking portion 5 may be provided on the door 2 and the stopper spring 4 may be provided on the main body portion 3. Moreover, although the double-opening door opening / closing mechanism that can be opened from the left and right has been described, a double-opening door opening / closing mechanism that can be opened from above and below may be used. Alternatively, the door 2 may be a double-opening door opening / closing mechanism that can be opened from the front and rear or from the left and right by arranging the door 2 on the upper surface.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a double-opening door opening / closing mechanism that can be opened from the left, right, up, down, or both sides. Moreover, it can utilize for the refrigerator etc. which can be opened from both right and left sides, the dashboard of a car which can be opened from both upper and lower sides, a dishwasher, etc.

The perspective view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the lock cam member of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Front sectional drawing which shows the lock cam member of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the slide cam member of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The side view which shows the principal part of the state which opened the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view explaining opening / closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the cam mechanism explaining opening and closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the cam mechanism explaining opening and closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the cam mechanism explaining opening and closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the cam mechanism explaining opening and closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view explaining opening / closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the cam mechanism explaining opening and closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view explaining opening / closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the cam mechanism explaining opening and closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view explaining opening / closing operation | movement of the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The side view of the principal part explaining closing operation | movement of the refrigerator door of embodiment of this invention The side view of the principal part explaining closing operation | movement of the refrigerator door of embodiment of this invention The side view of the principal part explaining closing operation | movement of the refrigerator door of embodiment of this invention Plan view explaining the door opening and closing operation of the conventional door opening and closing mechanism Plan view explaining the door opening and closing operation of the conventional door opening and closing mechanism Plan view explaining the door opening and closing operation of the conventional door opening and closing mechanism

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Door 3 Main-body part 4 Stopper spring (elastic member)
4a Stopper part 4b Abutting surface 5 Locking part 6 Gasket packing 7 Guide roller 12 Refrigeration chamber 31 Lock cam member 32 Slide cam part 33 Hinge pin 34 Rib 35 Unlocked cam 37 First groove cam 38 Second groove cam 39 Boss 41 Outside slide Cam 43 Lock angle (support)
44 Hinge cover (support)

Claims (5)

In the double door opening and closing mechanism in which the door is pivotally supported by the other side when the one side part of the door whose both side parts are supported is selectively pulled by the main body part having the opening part,
One arm part is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section longer than the other, and the elastic member made of resin that urges the door toward the main body part at the center part between the two side parts and causes the door to self-close. ,
A support portion provided on the main body portion and facing an end surface perpendicular to the pivot shaft of the door;
A guide roller provided on the end surface and sliding with the support;
And provided with an elastic member on the other while projecting a locking part on one of the end face and the support part,
The distance between the end surface and the support portion is kept constant by sliding between the guide roller and the support portion, and the outer surface of the one arm portion of the U-shape of the elastic member becomes the locking portion. The door opening and closing mechanism is characterized in that the door is biased toward the main body by contact.   The door opening / closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is disposed in a recess provided in the end face.   The door opening / closing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic member has an inclined surface in contact with the locking portion. The door opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein both side portions of the door in the left-right direction are supported by the main body portion, and the end surface is a lower end surface of the door. A refrigerator comprising the door opening and closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and opening and closing a front surface of a storage room.

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