JP4384189B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

  Conventionally, there is a configuration described in Patent Documents 1 to 6 as an apparatus for automatically opening a refrigerator door.

  Patent Document 1 includes a short-distance operation section with a high gear ratio and a long-distance operation section with a low gear ratio. An overload prevention clutch is provided in the low gear ratio section, and a large force is applied when the packing is peeled off. A configuration is disclosed that occurs and then opens at high speed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a pressing member is linearly moved by a worm gear and a rack, the drawer door is pushed out automatically by the pressing member and automatically opened, and when the door is completely opened, the return spring returns to the retracted position. Yes.

  In Patent Document 3, a timing belt is provided in a support frame that supports a drawer door, an automatic opening unit that slides on the timing belt is provided, and the automatic opening unit operates on a timing pin and a slide pin that pushes out a drawer case. And a driving pin for driving the slide pin and the roller.

  In Patent Document 4, a cam device is provided at an output stage of a reduction gear using a worm gear, and a contact portion of the cam device with an opening / closing door has an arc shape, and a rotation operation is performed by energizing a drive motor for a certain period of time. The structure which protrudes from the refrigerator main body to the door side and opens the door is disclosed.

  Patent Document 5 discloses a combination of a circle and an ellipse, or an elliptical shape in which a cam is rotated via a drive device in response to a signal from a door opening switch so that the long diameter end surface of the cam projects forward and opens the door. The structure of the cam apparatus which makes | forms is disclosed.

  Patent Document 6 includes an electric motor provided with a cam on the output shaft behind the drawer door, pushes the frame by rotating the cam, and further includes a micro switch for detecting the cam position. A configuration for stopping at a position is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02-157581 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-280827 JP 2000-220957 A JP 2002-257466 A JP 2001-317864 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-167590

  In recent years, the eating habits have changed, and from daily eating of daily ingredients at nearby food stores, food is purchased for a week at large supermarkets in the suburbs and stored in the refrigerator. Such a style is becoming common. In response to the increase in the use of frozen foods, large refrigerators with a capacity exceeding 400 liters are generally spreading at home.

  However, as the size of the refrigerator increases, the amount of food stored increases, and for example, 20 kg or more of food is stored in the freezer compartment or vegetable compartment. Therefore, the force required to open the drawer door in the vegetable compartment or freezer compartment is increased. It gets bigger.

  In particular, the door of the refrigerator is provided with a magnet adsorption type packing over the entire circumference of the door to prevent cold air leaks, and in addition to the load resistance of the drawer rail, it is adsorbed to the refrigerator body at the beginning of the door opening. It requires a force to peel off the magnet packing. For this reason, the operation of opening the drawer door of the refrigerator is an excessive burden for a person with weak finger strength, such as an elderly person.

  In addition, when the refrigerator door is closed, if it is in a so-called half-door state where the closing method is insufficient, the cooling air is lost to the outside, the cooling function is lost, the energy saving effect is reduced, the quality of the food stored in the warehouse is deteriorated, etc. Problems arise. Furthermore, outside air outside the refrigerator enters the inside of the cabinet and causes condensation, and water droplets adhere to the inside of the cabinet. Another problem is that the cost of electricity is excessive.

Moreover, when the door of the refrigerator is closed, the opening amount remains in the vicinity of the fully closed state, for example, 50%.
A configuration provided with a closer mechanism that pulls the door in by a force of a spring or the like when closed to about mm is common.

  When the refrigerator door is opened from the fully closed state, the force against the magnetic packing adsorption force, the force against the pulling force of the closer mechanism spring, and the entire drawer (including the door, storage container, and stored food) are stopped. Acceleration force (for example, acceleration force required up to about 200 mm per second) is required. That is, it is necessary to open these combined forces on the door. Therefore, when the door is opened from the fully closed state, the greatest force is required in a series of door opening operations. This is referred to as “first force”.

  After opening the door about 10 mm, the adsorption between the magnet packing and the main body is peeled off. Therefore, the force required for the drawer operation is a resultant force of a force that resists the tension force of the spring of the closer mechanism and an acceleration force that accelerates the entire drawer in the opening direction. This is referred to as “second force”.

  When the range in which the pulling force in the door closing direction by the closer mechanism works is 50 mm from the door closed state as an example, the second force is required in that range.

  Furthermore, after the opening operation is continued and the door is opened more than 50 mm, the closer mechanism does not work, and the force applied to the drawer is the friction generated between the acceleration force in the opening direction and the slide rail for sliding the drawer. Only power. This is referred to as a “third force”. The third force is a slight force compared to the first force and the second force. Here, if the drawer reaches the opening speed when it is opened by about 50 mm, the third force is sufficient only to resist the frictional force generated with the slide rail.

  When opening the drawer door of the refrigerator, the opening is particularly heavy as described above, and after opening to a certain extent (for example, 50 mm), there is a characteristic that a slight force is sufficient.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator drawer door opening / closing device adapted to the characteristics of the force when pulling out the drawer door of the refrigerator as described above.

  Further, regarding the opening speed of the door, when the magnet packing is peeled off, the movement starts from the stop state, and therefore the speed may be very small within the range of the first force. On the other hand, when the drawer door is opened to the range of the second and third forces and the door is gradually accelerated, it is close to the action when the user manually pulls the drawer door, and it is natural. It becomes.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator drawer door opening / closing device adapted to the speed characteristics when the refrigerator drawer door is pulled out as described above.

  In addition, when opening the drawer door, if the opening force continues to be applied until the door is fully opened, if the user stands or objects are placed in front of the door, after the drawer door hits them However, it is dangerous because the opening force continues to be applied. Therefore, when the drawer door is opened, the driving force is not applied continuously, but the driving force is applied only for a short range at the beginning of opening. Thereafter, the initial speed obtained in the driving force range is gradually increased by the frictional force of the slide rail. The operation by so-called inertia which stops while decelerating is safe.

  Furthermore, in the situation where the door opening and closing device does not operate, such as a power failure, the drawer is manually opened and closed, so the refrigerator drawer door opening and closing device may be configured not to interfere with the manual opening and closing operation or to become a load. desirable.

  In Patent Document 1, a short stroke door extruding means and a long stroke door extruding means are required, resulting in a complicated configuration.

  In Patent Document 2, a configuration using a worm and a rack is disclosed. However, the opening speed of the drawer door is constant with the operation speed of the rack. Therefore, in order to be able to output the force required for peeling off the magnet packing, it is necessary to increase the reduction ratio. Therefore, the operation speed is slow and the door closing function is not provided.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which after the drawer case is opened, the driving means is reversed to disengage the gears. However, it does not describe a configuration or operation for disengaging the gears with only a part of the drawer open, and does not have a function of closing the door.

  In Patent Document 4, Patent Document 5, and Patent Document 6, a rotatable cam having an arc shape or an elliptical shape is provided, and when a signal from the door opening switch is received, the cam is rotated so that the end surface of the long diameter portion of the cam is forward. The cam apparatus which opens a door by protruding is disclosed. However, in this configuration, the opening amount of the door when the cam rotates is only the change in the cam radius accompanying the rotation of the cam. Therefore, the speed given in the door opening direction is reduced, and there is a limit to increasing the door opening amount.

  In order to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to reduce the opening force of the drawer door of the refrigerator so that the door can be opened easily, and the door is automatically closed from the so-called half-door state to improve the energy saving effect. It is to provide a drawer door opening and closing device for a refrigerator.

In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator according to an aspect of the present invention includes a storage compartment defined in a refrigerator main body, a drawer door provided in the storage compartment and openable and closable, and a drawer door provided in the storage compartment. A driving means that opens and closes, a rotating member that is rotatable by the driving means, and that is provided with a plurality of drive transmission members at positions where the distance from the rotation center is gradually changed in the rotation direction; and the drawer A connecting member that is provided on the lower surface of the storage unit that can be pulled out in the front-rear direction together with the door or the drawer door, and that transmits power from the drive transmission member and converts the rotational motion of the rotating member into linear motion; and the drawer comprising a Tobira閉detection means for detecting that the door is closed, before Kitobira閉to the detection means detects that the drawer door is closed, a predetermined number of times, the drive transmission member is the connecting Characterized by comprising a door driving device, characterized in that said rotary member is rotated so as to abut against the wood.

Further, until the door closing detection means detects that the drawer door is in a closed state, the drive transmission member is rotated for a predetermined time so that the drive transmission member abuts on the connecting member , and the drive transmission member And a door driving device that repeats a predetermined number of times to rotate the rotating member to a predetermined position so as to be separated from the connecting member .

In addition, rotation detection means for detecting the rotation position of the rotation member is provided, and the drive transmission member moves away from the connection member until the rotation detection means detects that the rotation member is at a predetermined position. A door driving device characterized in that the rotating member is driven to rotate is provided.

In addition, an informing means for informing that the door is open is provided so that the drive transmission member abuts on the connecting member until the door closing detecting means detects that the drawer door is in a closed state. And rotating the rotating member for a predetermined time to rotate the rotating member to a predetermined position so that the drive transmission member is separated from the connecting member, and repeating the predetermined number of times to operate the notifying means. A door drive device is provided.

  A concave portion provided in a concave shape on the bottom wall of the storage chamber; a lower case disposed in the concave portion and opened upward; an upper case joined to the lower case so as to close the opening of the lower case; The upper case is provided with a lead wire lead-out portion, the driving device is disposed in a space formed by the upper case and the lower case, and the joint between the upper case and the lower case is stored A door driving device is provided above the bottom wall of the chamber.

  Further, the lower case has a partition wall extending upward, and the partition wall is disposed so as to surround the driving device, thereby reducing an opening force of the drawer door of the refrigerator. It is possible to reduce the electric power and open the drawer door easily and electrically, and from the so-called half-door state, the drawer door can be automatically and electrically closed to improve the energy saving effect.

  In addition, when an object or the like is caught and the connection member is prevented from progressing, the user can avoid the half-door state by an alarm, and can provide a refrigerator that can save energy.

  Further, even if an accident occurs in which water accumulates on the bottom surface of the storage chamber, water can be prevented from entering and being damaged in the case provided with the driving means.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator that can open the door lightly by reducing the opening force of the drawer door of the refrigerator and can improve the energy saving effect and reliability by closing the door from a so-called half-door state. is there.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  (Overall structure of refrigerator) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. 1 and 2, the refrigerator main body 1 is divided into a plurality of storage rooms, the uppermost part is a refrigerator compartment 2, and a refrigerator compartment door 2a is provided on the front surface thereof. FIG. 1 shows a so-called French door that opens on both the left and right sides as an example. Below the refrigerating room 2 is a storage room divided into left and right parts, for example, one of which is a function switching room 3 and the other is an ice making room for storing ice produced by an automatic ice making device (not shown). 4 A switching chamber door 3a and an ice making chamber door are provided on the front of each. Further below that, there is a freezer compartment 5 provided with a freezer compartment door 5a that can be pulled out and opened forward. Below the freezer compartment 5 is a vegetable compartment 6 having a vegetable compartment door 6a that can be similarly drawn out on the front surface.

  An operation display section 7 is provided on the door of the refrigerator compartment, and an open switch 8a for the freezer compartment and an open switch 8b for the vegetable compartment are provided. In this configuration, the user can instruct the opening operation of the drawer by pressing the switch. Here, when the freezer compartment 5 is provided above the vegetable compartment 6, the open switch 8a of the freezer compartment is preferably provided above the open switch 8b of the vegetable compartment. That is, it is preferable to provide the same as the positional relationship of the doors because the operability of the open switch 8 is improved.

  (Automatic Door Opening / Closing Mechanism) The door opening / closing device 10 will be described below using the freezer compartment 5 as an example. In addition, the following description is the same also in the door opening / closing apparatus 10 of the vegetable compartment 6. FIG.

The door 5a in front of the freezer compartment 5 and the container 12 for storing food are supported by slide rails 11 provided on the left and right sides of the container 12 so as to be drawn out toward the front. A closer 13 (closing urging means) for pulling the freezer compartment 5 in the closing direction is provided on the back side of the slide rail 12. Thereby, when closing the freezer compartment 5 once opened, for example, when the opening amount is 40 mm or less, a magnet provided on the entire circumference of the freezer compartment 5 is energized so as to be pulled in by a spring force (not shown). The operation of closing the freezer compartment 5 is assisted until the packing 14 is adsorbed to the refrigerator body 1.

A door opening / closing mechanism 10 is provided inside the freezer compartment 5. The door opening / closing device 10 includes a drive mechanism 15 provided in the refrigerator main body 1 and a connecting plate 16 provided on the bottom side of the container 12. The drive mechanism 15 includes a motor that is a drive source and a speed reduction mechanism that reduces the rotation of the motor. By applying a force in the moving direction of the slide rail 11 to the connecting plate 16 from the drive mechanism 15, the door 5 a of the freezer compartment 5 is opened and closed. A door detection 17 is provided on the front side of the freezer compartment 5, and the freezer compartment 5 is closed or whether the open amount of the freezer compartment 5 is within a predetermined amount (opening amount 35 described later). Is detected and a signal is sent to the control circuit.

  (Drive transmission member) Next, the structure of the door opening and closing apparatus 10 provided with the drive mechanism 15 and the connecting plate 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the door opening and closing device 10 will be described as being provided in the freezer compartment 5. In addition, the door opening / closing apparatus 10 of the vegetable compartment 6 is also the same structure.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view of the door opening / closing device 10 including the drive mechanism 15 and the connecting plate 16 as viewed from above in FIG. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing an example of the internal configuration of the drive mechanism 15. FIG.

  In the drive mechanism 15, a rotary plate 19 that is a rotary member is rotatably supported around a drive shaft 18 that is a rotary output shaft, and the rotary plate 19 is provided with a drive pin that is a drive transmission member. Yes. In this embodiment, the rotary plate 19 is provided with three drive pins, which are convex members, on a substantially circumference. A first drive pin 20a is provided at a distance r1 from the drive shaft 18, a second drive pin 20b is provided at a distance r2, and a third drive pin 20c is provided at a distance r3. Each drive pin has a cylindrical shape, and is erected on the rotating plate 19 so that the center axis of the drive pin is substantially parallel to the rotation center axis of the drive shaft 18. Here, r1 <r2 <r3.

  In this embodiment, the rotating plate 19 rotates in the arrow CCW direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) when the freezer compartment 5 is opened. Since the connecting plate 16 is provided so as to be pulled out in conjunction with the drawer door of the freezer compartment 5, the connecting plate 16 is movable along the slide rail 11 in the direction of the arrow 23. In FIG. 3, the left side is the front side of the refrigerator body, and the freezer compartment 5 is opened when the connecting plate 16 moves leftward.

  The connecting plate 16 has a first receiving surface 21a with which the first driving pin 20a contacts when the freezer compartment 5 is opened, a second receiving surface 21b with which the second driving pin 20b contacts, and a third driving pin 20c. And a third receiving surface 21c in contact with each other. The receiving surfaces are each provided in a C-shape at the end of the connecting plate 16, and these receiving surfaces are configured in a staircase pattern. A detailed description of the operation of the drive pin and the receiving surface 21 will be described later.

  4 and 5, a motor pinion 25 is provided on the rotating shaft of the motor 24 and meshes with the idler 26 to be decelerated. The idler 26 and the idler pinion 27 rotate together, and the idler pinion 27 meshes with the idler 28. The idler 28 and idler pinion 29 rotate together, and the idler pinion 29 meshes with the drive gear 30 and is decelerated. The drive shaft 18 and the drive gear 30 are connected. With such a gear configuration, the rotational speed of the motor 24 is reduced to, for example, about 1/100, and the rotating plate 19 provided on the drive shaft 18 is rotated. In this embodiment, a torque limiting means 31 is provided between the idler 28 and the idler pinion 29. Thereby, when an excessive external force is applied to the rotating plate 16, the idler 28 and the idler pinion 29 slide with each other with the torque limiting means 31 interposed therebetween, so that the drive mechanism 15 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, the drive shaft 18 is provided with a rotation detection means 32 so that the rotational position of the drive shaft 18 can be detected. As such a rotation detecting means 32, there is a variable resistor whose resistance value changes with rotation of the shaft.

  (Door Opening Operation) Next, the operation when the freezer door 5a is opened by the door opening and closing device 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a view showing an operation when the door opening / closing device 10 according to the present invention opens the freezer compartment 5. (A) has shown the state which the freezer compartment 5 has closed, and has shown operation | movement which open | releases the freezer compartment door 5a by operate | moving in order of (b) (c) (d) (e). The rotary plate 19 is rotatably provided around the drive shaft 18, and the connecting plate 16 is supported so as to be movable in the horizontal direction in the figure. The connecting plate 16 is provided below the container 12 in the freezer compartment, and the leftward movement of the connecting plate 16 indicates the opening operation in the freezer compartment 5. Here, a reference line indicating the position of the connecting plate 16 in a state in which the freezer compartment 5 is closed is shown as a drawing position 34.

In the state of (b), the rotating plate 19 rotates in the direction of the arrow CCW (counterclockwise in FIG. 6), the first drive pin 20a is in contact with the first receiving surface 21a, and the arrow with respect to the connecting plate 16 is reached. Energize in the 23a direction. At this time, since the first drive pin 20a is located at the distance r1 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, the force transmitted from the first drive pin 20a to the connecting plate 16 is the torque applied to the drive shaft 18. If T, then T / r1. The resultant force of the force that resists the force that peels off the magnetic packing in the freezer compartment 5, the force that resists the pull-in force by the closer 13, and the force that accelerates the weight of the freezer compartment 5 and the mass of the stored food. By setting as described above, the adsorption of the magnet packing is peeled off, the connecting plate 16 moves in the left direction in the drawing together with the freezer compartment 5, and the freezer compartment 5 starts to open.

Further, in the state (c) in which the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the CCW direction, the second driving pin 20b is in contact with the second receiving surface 21b, and the first driving pin 20a is separated from the first receiving surface 21a. To do. That is, the second drive pin 20b is located at the distance r2 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, and r2> r1. Thereby, since the 2nd drive pin 20b is located in the distance away from the drive shaft 18 which is a rotation center rather than the 1st drive pin 20a, a circumferential speed is quick. For this reason, after the second drive pin 20b comes into contact with the second receiving surface 21b, the first drive pin 20a is separated from the first receiving surface 21a. In this state, the second drive pin 20b is in contact with the second receiving surface 21b and applies a force indicated by an arrow 23b. At this time, since the second drive pin 20b is located at the distance r2 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, the force transmitted from the second drive pin 20b to the connecting plate 16 via the second receiving surface 21b. Is T / r 2, where T is the torque applied to the drive shaft 18. This force is smaller than the force in the direction of the arrow 23a applied by the first drive pin 20a to the connecting plate 16 in the state of FIG. Since the magnet packing has already been peeled off, the force applied at this time is larger than the resultant force of the force that resists the pulling force of the closer 13 and the force that further accelerates the weight of the freezer compartment 5 and the mass of the stored food. What is necessary is just to set. The connecting plate 16 further moves in the left direction in the drawing together with the freezer compartment 5 and continues the opening operation of the freezer compartment 5.

Further, in the state (d) in which the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the CCW direction, the third drive pin 20c is in contact with the third receiving surface 21c, and the second drive pin 20b is separated from the second receiving surface 21b. . That is, the third drive pin 20c is located at the distance r3 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, and r3> r2. Thereby, since the distance from the drive shaft 18 which is the rotation center of the 3rd drive pin 20c is separated from the 2nd drive pin 20b, a peripheral speed is quick. Therefore, after the third drive pin 20c comes into contact with the third receiving surface 21c, the second drive pin 20b separates from the second receiving surface 21b. In this state, the third drive pin 20c is in contact with the third receiving surface 21c and applies a force indicated by an arrow 23c. At this time, since the third drive pin 20c is located at the distance r3 shown in FIG. 3 from the drive shaft 18, the force transmitted from the third drive pin 20c to the connecting plate 16 via the third receiving surface 21c. Is T / r3, where T is the torque applied to the drive shaft 18. This force is even smaller than the force in the direction of the arrow 23b applied to the connecting plate 16 by the second drive pin 20b in the state of FIG. Since the freezer compartment 5 has already moved in the door opening direction indicated by the arrow 23c, the freezer compartment 5 has a momentum corresponding to its own weight and speed including the container and the stored food. Due to the momentum and the force transmitted from the third drive pin 20 c to the third receiving surface 21 c of the connecting plate 16, the opening operation can be continued against the pulling force by the closer 13.

Further, in the state (e) in which the rotary plate 19 is rotated in the CCW direction, the third drive pin 20c is substantially separated from the third receiving surface 21c. The range of the movement amount 33 of the connecting plate 16 from the state of FIG. 6A to the state of FIG. 6E is a range where the connecting plate 16 receives a force from the drive pin 20, that is, an open drive range. Become. Here, it is preferable that the moving amount 33 of the connecting plate 16 is set to be larger than the closing urging range which is the pulling amount by the closer 13. That is, when the closing biasing range (retraction stroke by the closer 13) is 40 mm, if the moving amount 33 of the connecting plate 16 is 50 mm as an example, the closer 13 is activated immediately after the opening operation and the freezer compartment 5 is closed. Can be prevented.

However, if the connecting plate 16 moves more to the left than the movement amount 33 in FIG. 6E, the connecting plate 16 no longer receives the driving force from the driving pin. However, the entire freezer compartment 5 has a speed in the direction of the arrow 23d by the operations shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (e). Therefore, the opening operation is continued until it is decelerated by the friction load of the slide rail 11 and stopped. Since it operates in this way, the opening amount of the freezer compartment 5 becomes larger than the moving amount 33 of the connecting plate 16.

As described above, during the opening operation of the freezer compartment 5, the driving force in the opening direction is not continuously applied, but the driving force is applied only in a short range at the beginning of opening, and then the moving speed obtained in the driving force application range is The operation is to gradually decelerate and stop by the frictional force of the slide rail. As a result, when the user stands immediately before the door or when an object is placed, the force in the opening direction from the door opening / closing mechanism 10 is no longer applied even if the freezer compartment door 5a hits. It is safe because it is not.

  As described above, when the freezer compartment 5 starts to be opened from the closed state, the first drive pin 20a disposed closest to the drive shaft 18 pushes out the connecting plate 16, so that a large force (first Force). Thereby, the magnet packing is peeled off.

  Next, the second drive pin 20b provided farther than the first drive pin 20a pushes the connecting plate 16 to generate a medium force (second force) at a medium speed. Thereby, the opening operation | movement which resists the drawing-in force of the closer 13 is continued, and the freezer compartment 5 is accelerated.

  Further, the third drive pin 20c provided farther from the drive shaft 18 than the second drive pin 20b pushes the connecting plate 16 to generate a small force (third force) at high speed. Thereby, the freezer compartment 5 can be further accelerated and the freezer compartment 5 can be opened reliably.

  In the configuration of the present invention, a driving force is applied to the connecting plate 16 at a position where a straight line connecting the driving shaft 18 and the driving pin and a straight line in the opening direction 23 of the freezer compartment 5 are substantially orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the speed of the drive pin is proportional to the rotation speed of the rotating plate 19 and the distance from the drive shaft 18 to the drive pin.

  In the prior art, the push-out distance of the door was only the change in radius from the rotation center of the cam to the contact point of the door. However, since this configuration can increase the speed at which the door is pushed out, a driving force is applied only in the short opening range, and then the opening speed obtained in the driving force range is gradually reduced by the frictional force of the slide rail. The operation to stop can be realized.

After the freezer compartment 5 is opened by the above operation, the rotating plate 19 further continues to rotate in the CCW direction, reaches the state of FIG. 6A and stops rotating. At this time, the connecting plate 16 is shown in FIG.
Instead of the position shown in (a), the freezer compartment 5 is open so that it has moved to the left in the figure.

  In the door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention, the rotating plate 19 continues to rotate in the same direction after the opening operation of the freezer compartment 5, and is in a state when the freezer compartment 5 is closed by one rotation, that is, FIG. Return to the origin range described in. Therefore, the return to the origin range can be speeded up. If the rotating plate 19 is not rotated in one direction, but after opening the freezer compartment 5, it stops once and then rotates in the opposite direction to return to the origin range. It takes time to return to the origin range.

  (Door Opening Calculation) With reference to the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention, the opening of the freezer compartment door 5a will be described.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the relationship between the opening speed and the movement amount when the freezer compartment 5 is opened. The freezer compartment 5 is urged by the door opening / closing device 10 in the opening direction from each drive pin through each push surface, is opened to the range of the movement amount 33, and reaches the position 5 ′. Here, the freezer compartment 5 has a velocity V at the position 5 ′. Thereafter, in the range of the inertia opening amount 74, the movement continues in the opening direction due to inertia, gradually decelerates and finally moves to the position 5 ″ of the maximum opening amount 73 and stops.

Here, if the total mass of the freezer compartment 5 including the contained food is m, the kinetic energy E at the position of the movement amount 33 is
E = (m × V ^ 2) / 2 (Formula 1)
It becomes.

Here, if the friction coefficient of the slide rail 11 is μ and the gravitational acceleration is g, the frictional force F generated by the slide rail 11 is
F = μ × m × g (Formula 2)
It becomes. The energy E2 consumed by the frictional force is the product of the frictional force F and the inertia opening amount 74 (distance L moved while receiving friction).
E2 = L × F = L × μ × m × g (Formula 3)
It becomes. Here, if all of the kinetic energy that the freezer originally had was consumed by friction before stopping, E = E2,
(M × V ^ 2) / 2 = L × μ × m × g (Formula 4)
It becomes. Divide both sides by m,
(V ^ 2) / 2 = L × μ × g (Formula 5)
It becomes. Therefore, the inertia opening amount 74 (that is, L) deforms (Equation 5),
L = (V ^ 2) / (2 × μ × g) (Formula 6)
Represented as:

  According to Equation 6, the inertia opening amount 74 (that is, L) is derived from the friction coefficient μ and the speed V of the slide rail. Here, the speed V is a speed at the time when the drive pin and the pressing surface are separated from each other and start to open by inertia. The frictional resistance μ is a constant value determined by the slide rail 11.

  Therefore, if the speed V is made substantially constant, the maximum opening amount 73 can be made substantially constant. Therefore, the reduction ratio of the drive mechanism 15 is increased to reduce the load torque fluctuation applied to the motor 24. For example, it is desirable that the reduction ratio is 1/100 or more. As a result, a margin is increased in the output torque by the motor 24, and the rotational speed of the motor 24 becomes substantially constant regardless of the amount of food stored in the freezer, so that the maximum opening amount 73 can be made substantially constant.

  The speed V at the position 5 ′ is the speed in the opening direction 23d of the third drive pin 20c. Therefore, the speed V is proportional to the rotational speed of the rotating plate 19. Furthermore, it is proportional to the distance between the contact point 75d (the contact point between the third drive pin 20c and the third push surface 21c) and the drive shaft 18, that is, the rotation radius r. Here, in FIG. 6C to FIG. 6D, the contact point 75c is located at a position where a straight line passing through the drive shaft 18 and the contact point 75c and a straight line indicating the opening direction 23c are substantially orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the speed at which the connecting plate 16 moves in the opening direction 23 is substantially equal to the peripheral speed when the third drive pin 20 c rotates around the drive shaft 18.

(Automatic door closing operation) In the refrigerator, a gap is formed between the magnet packing 14 and the refrigerator main body 1, and a so-called half-door state may occur. The operation of the door opening and closing device 10 in such a half door state will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an operation when the door opening and closing device 10 according to the present invention closes the freezer compartment 5.
(A) shows a state where the freezer compartment 5 is open, and the left end of the connecting plate 16 is moved by an opening amount 35 from the retracting position 34. This is a range in which the door opening / closing device 10 can be closed and driven. Usually, since the freezer 5 is provided with the closer 13, the freezer is closed by the pulling force of the closer 13, but a part of the food is caught or the operation of the slide rail 11 becomes temporarily awkward. May not be pulled in.

Here, the connecting plate 16 is provided with a return surface 22 on the surface on the door side opposite to the receiving surface 21a. As a result, when the rotating plate 19 is rotated around the drive shaft 18 in the arrow CW direction (clockwise), the third drive pin 20 c comes into contact with the return surface 22. FIG. 7B shows a state in which the rotating plate 19 is further rotated in the arrow CW direction from FIG. The connecting plate 16 is urged in the direction of the arrow 36 (door closing direction) by the third drive pin 20 c, and the illustrated left end of the connecting plate 16 moves to the retracted position 34. Note that the position shown in FIG. 7B is a position where the magnet packing 14 is attracted to the refrigerator body 1 and completely closed.

  Thereafter, the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the direction of the arrow CCW (counterclockwise) and stopped in the state of FIG. This is the same position as shown in FIG.

  As described above, by rotating the rotating plate 19 in the direction opposite to the door opening direction, the connecting plate 16 is biased in the direction in which the freezing chamber 5 is closed even if the freezing chamber 5 is in a so-called half-door state. Can prevent half doors.

When closing the freezer compartment door 5a, a force for peeling the magnet packing 14 is not required, and a pulling force by the closer 13 is generated. Therefore, the closing force applied by the door opening / closing device 10 may be weaker than the opening force. According to the present embodiment, when the freezer compartment 5 is closed, the third drive pin 20 c farthest from the drive shaft 18 is configured to push the return surface 22 of the connecting plate 16. Therefore, even if the drive torque applied to the drive shaft 18 is the same as that at the time of opening, the closing force is preferably reduced by r1 / r3 compared to the opening force. Furthermore, when a finger or the like is sandwiched between the freezer compartment 5 and the refrigerator main body 1, the clamping force is small and safety can be improved.

  Further, since the closing operation is slower than the opening operation in the freezer compartment 5, safety can be further improved.

Here, the opening amount 35 which is a range in which the closing drive is possible will be described with reference to FIG. The opening amount 35 is desirably smaller than the door thickness 71 that forms the front surface of the freezer compartment 5. If the opening amount 35 is larger than the door thickness 71, when the freezer compartment 5 is started to be retracted, a gap 72 is generated between the freezer compartment door 5a and the vegetable compartment 6 (or the switching chamber 3), such as a finger. There is a risk of pinching. Therefore, in the present configuration in which the opening amount 35 is smaller than the door thickness 71, there is no possibility that a finger or the like is caught, and safety can be improved.

  (Manual Door Opening / Closing Operation) Next, the position of the rotating plate 19 when the freezer compartment 5 is closed will be described with reference to FIG. Even if it is a refrigerator provided with the door opening and closing apparatus 10, the case where a user wants to pull out the freezer compartment 5 by hand is assumed. Moreover, when the door opening / closing apparatus 10 does not operate | move by failure, the structure which a user can open and close manually is good. In this case, it is desirable that the manual operation of the user is not hindered or heavy due to the door opening and closing device 10.

In FIG. 8, the left end of the connecting plate 16 coincides with the retracted position 34, and the freezer compartment door 5a is closed. When the user manually pulls and opens the freezer compartment door 5a from the closed state, the connecting plate 16 provided below the container 12 moves in the opening direction of the freezer compartment door 5a (leftward in FIG. 8). To the position of the connecting plate 16 '. Here, a gap 38 is formed between the tip of the second receiving surface 21b (second tip 37b) provided on the connecting plate 16 and the first drive pin 20a. Thereby, when pulling out the freezer compartment 5 manually, a connection plate and a drive pin do not contact. That is, when the connecting plate 16 moves in the opening direction, it does not come into contact with the rotating plate 19, so there is no resistance, and the freezer compartment 5 can be opened freely.

Next, in the rotating plate 19 ′, there is a gap 39 between the tip (first tip 37a) of the first pin 20a provided on the connecting plate 16 and the third drive pin 20c. Thereby, when pulling out the freezer compartment 5 manually, since the connection plate 16 and the drive pin do not contact, the freezer compartment 5 can be pulled out freely and opened.

  As described above, when the user manually opens and closes the freezer compartment 5, the connecting plate 16 and the drive pin 20 are prevented from contacting each other. That is, the straight line connecting the drive shaft 18 and the first drive pin 20 a may be within the angle range of the origin range 40. Therefore, when the freezer compartment 5 is closed, if the rotating plate 19 is set to be within the above-described origin range 40, the usability can be improved even when manually opening and closing.

  In the present invention, such an angle range of the rotating plate 19 is referred to as being in the origin range.

  (Configuration of Control System) Next, the drive control system of the door opening / closing device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system.

  The operation display unit 7 including the open switch 8 sends a signal to the control circuit 41 when the user presses the open switch 8. The motor 24 of each drive mechanism 15 provided in the freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6, the rotation detection means 32 for detecting the rotational position of the drive shaft 18, and the door detection 17 for detecting the open / closed state of the door are controlled. The circuit 41 is connected.

  Electric power necessary for driving the door opening / closing device 10 and the control circuit 41 is supplied from a power source 42.

  The rotation detection means 32 may be a variable resistor whose resistance value changes with rotation of the shaft, a microswitch that detects a predetermined rotation position of the shaft, or the like.

  The door detection 17 detects the first door detection 17a for detecting whether or not the freezer compartment door 5a is completely closed, and detects whether or not the opening amount of the freezer compartment door 5a is a predetermined opening amount 35 or less. Second door detection 17b. For example, it may be a detection means such as a magnet provided on the door and a hall element provided on the refrigerator main body 1 or a micro switch.

  The operation display unit 7 may be provided with notification means 70 for notifying the user that the door is in a half-door state. An example of the notification means 70 is preferably one that sounds a buzzer or lights or blinks a lamp.

  (Door Open Control) Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the procedure for opening control when the freezer compartment 5 is opened will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the control when the freezer compartment 5 is opened.

  When the opening operation is started (block 43), the control circuit 41 monitors the state of the rotation detecting means 32 and detects whether or not the rotating plate 19 of the drive mechanism 15 is in the origin range 40 where the operation starts (block). 44). Here, the origin range 40 is a state in which the connecting plate 16 does not interfere with the drive pin 20 even when the freezer compartment 5 is manually opened and closed as described with reference to FIG. Say.

  If the rotating plate 16 is not in the origin range 40, the motor 24 is energized (block 45) to rotate the rotating plate 16 so that the origin range 40 is reached. Whether the motor 24 is rotated in the CW direction or the CCW direction is determined by a signal from the rotation detecting means 32. Specifically, the control circuit 41 determines in which direction the rotating plate 16 is displaced with respect to the origin range 40 and determines the direction in which the drive voltage is applied to the motor 24.

When it is detected that the rotating plate 19 is in the origin range 40 and the control circuit 41 detects that the open switch 8 is operated by the user, the motor 24 is energized (block 47) to rotate the rotating plate 19. . The rotating direction of the rotating plate 19 at this time is the CCW direction in FIG. 3, and when the rotating plate 19 rotates, the connecting plate 16 is urged by the drive pin 20 as described in FIG. 5 opens. When it is confirmed that the motor 24 continues to rotate and the rotational position of the rotating plate 19 detected by the rotation detecting means 32 has entered the origin range 40 (block 48), the motor is stopped (block 49). The opening operation is terminated (block 50).

  Next, how to apply a voltage when energizing the motor (block 47) and starting to open the freezer compartment 5 will be described. If the rated voltage is applied steeply when the motor is energized, an inrush current flows through the motor coil, so that the motor outputs maximum output torque and starts to rotate rapidly from a stopped state. Therefore, when the freezer compartment 5 starts to open, maximum acceleration is performed, and the opening operation starts sharply and vigorously.

  Therefore, when the motor 24 is energized (block 47), the rated voltage is not suddenly applied, but at the beginning of energization, a low voltage of about 1/2 of the rated voltage is applied as an example, and after the door opening / closing device 10 starts driving. As the freezer compartment 5 opens, the voltage is gradually increased. 6 (c) to 6 (d), the voltage is continuously increased or intermittently increased until the speed in the opening direction 23 transmitted from the drive pin 20 to the connecting plate 16 is maximized. It is desirable to energize the voltage change to reach the voltage. By gradually increasing the voltage in such a manner, the operation when the freezer compartment 5 starts to open becomes slow, so that it is not opened vigorously, and a high-class feeling can be given to the way of opening.

  Furthermore, after passing the state of FIG. 6E, the rotating plate 19 continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow CCW, and then rotates to the position shown in FIG. 6A and then stops. After the freezer compartment 5 is opened, the rotating plate 19 is idled without being loaded. Therefore, after passing the state of FIG. 6 (e), the voltage applied to the motor 24 may be made lower than the rated voltage, and the rotational speed of the motor 24 may be made low. By reducing the rotation of the motor 24 as described above, noise and vibration generated from the motor 24 can be reduced and a quiet operation can be realized. Furthermore, by rotating the rotating plate 19 at a low speed, the motor 24 does not go too far when stopped, and can be reliably stopped within the origin range 40 described with reference to FIG. 8, and the accuracy can be improved.

(Door Open / Close Switch Configuration) Next, the switch configuration when the user gives an opening instruction to the door open / close mechanism according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 21 is a partial cross-sectional view of a refrigerator provided with a door opening / closing mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of an S portion shown in FIG. S part has shown the vicinity of the upper edge of the door body 5a which comprises the front surface of the freezer compartment 5, and the frame body 87 by the side of the main body 1 which contact | abuts a door when a door is closed.

  A push button 88 is provided in the upper front part of the door body 5a and protrudes from the front surface of the door body 5a. A push rod 89 is provided on the back side of the push button 88, and the push button 88 and the push rod 89 are slidably supported through the door body 5a. The push button 88 and the push bar 89 are urged leftward in the drawing in FIG. 22A by the return force generated by the return spring 90, and their positions are held by a stopper or the like (not shown).

  A switch body 92 such as a micro switch is provided on the side of the frame body 87 that contacts the door body 5 a, and a wiring 94 that extends from the switch 94 to the control circuit 41 is provided inside the frame body 87.

  When the user presses the push button 88 with his / her hand, the push button 88 and the push bar 89 are configured to move to the right in the figure by a push amount 91 as shown in FIG. The push rod 89 pushes the plunger 93 provided in the switch main body 92 to close a contact (not shown) provided in the switch main body 92 and transmit a signal that the user has pressed the push button 88 to the control circuit 41. it can.

  When the user releases his / her hand from the push button 88, the push button 88 and the push bar 89 are moved to the left in the figure by the force generated from the return spring 90. Then, the plunger 93 is returned to the state shown in FIG. 22A in which the contact inside the switch body 92 is opened.

  Thereby, since the wiring which connects the switch main body 92 and the control circuit 41 can be provided inside the frame body 87 on the main body side, there is an effect that it is not necessary to provide the wiring in the door body 5a.

  Further, since the wiring 94 is not pulled out together when the freezer compartment 5 is pulled out, the wiring 94 is not tangled or caught by anything when opening and closing.

  Further, when viewed from the user, when the push button 88 is pushed, a force in a direction to close the freezer compartment 5 to the back side is applied. As soon as the user pushes the push button 88, the motor 24 is energized from the control circuit 41 and the freezer compartment 5 is electrically operated to open in the direction of the arrow 23. Since it starts to open in the opposite direction, that is, toward the user, it feels unnatural for the user.

  Therefore, when the user presses the push button 88, the motor 24 is not energized, and when the user releases the push button 88, the motor 24 is energized. The freezer compartment 5 opens forward to accompany the operation of pressing the button 88 and releasing the hand from the pushbutton 88 (pulling the hand forward of the pushbutton 88). The direction of movement (opening) is the same. Therefore, there is an effect that there is no sense of incongruity in the operation as seen from the user, and a natural feeling of operation can be obtained.

  In this operation, when the user releases the push button 88, the contact in the switch body 92 is returned to the open state. The control circuit 41 detects this and energizes the motor 24 to open the freezer compartment 5 electrically.

  (Automatic door closing control) Next, a control procedure for closing the freezer compartment 5 from a so-called half-door state in which the freezer compartment 5 is not completely closed will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of closing control when closing the freezer compartment 5. Control for energizing the motor 24 (block 53) from the start of operation (block 51) until the origin range is detected (block 52) is the same as block 43 to block 45 in FIG.

  If the first door detection 17a detects the freezer compartment door 5a, it can be confirmed that the freezer compartment door 5a is not in a half-door state but is closed, and thus the door closing operation is completed (block 55). When the first door detection 17a cannot detect the closing of the door and the second door detection 17b detects that the opening amount between the door and the refrigerator body 1 is 35 or less, the freezer compartment 5 is opened. It is in an open state with an amount of 35 or less. If the second door detection 17b does not detect the door, the freezer compartment 5 is opened to an opening amount of 35 or more, so that it cannot be closed by the door opening and closing device 10 of the present invention. In that case, the notification means 70 is ringed to notify the user that it is a half-door (block 57).

If the second door detection 17b can detect the door, the freezer compartment 5 is in a half-door state and can be closed by the door opening / closing device 10, and therefore the motor 24 is energized (block 58). The rotation direction at this time is the CW direction in FIG. Further, this reduces the voltage applied to the motor 24 to about 1/2 to 1/3 of the rated voltage, for example. Since the rotating plate 16 rotates in the CW direction at a low speed, the impact of the third drive pin 20c colliding with the third receiving surface 21c of the connecting plate 19 can be reduced.

  If the motor 24 is energized in the CW direction for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds (block 59), the rotating plate 19 reaches the state shown in FIG. 7B and the connecting plate 16 is moved in the direction of arrow 36, that is, in the direction of closing the freezer compartment 5. The freezer 5 is closed by moving. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the motor 24 is energized so as to rotate in the CCW direction (block 60), and the rotating plate 19 is rotated until it reaches the origin range 40 (shown in FIG. 8). When it is detected by the signal from the rotation detecting means 32 that the position is within the origin range 40 (block 61), the rotation of the motor 24 is stopped (block 62). Here, the first door detection 17a detects that the freezer compartment 5 is closed (block 63), confirms that the freezer compartment 5 is completely closed, and ends the process (block 66). ). If the first door detection 17a cannot detect the closing of the freezer compartment 5, it can be determined that the half-door state is continuing, so the processing from block 58 to block 63, that is, the motor 24 is energized and rotated. The operation of rotating the plate 19 in the CW direction to close the freezer compartment 5 is repeated a plurality of times (block 64). If it is not possible to detect the closing of the first door detection 17a even after repeating this closing operation a predetermined number of times, for example, three times, it is determined that, for example, something is caught and the freezer compartment 5 cannot be closed. The means 70 is sounded to notify the user of an alarm that the door is half-door (block 65).

  Further, in order to prevent a phenomenon that the user accidentally presses the door opening switch 8 to open the freezer compartment 5 and hit the user's body, the opening operation of the freezer compartment 5 described with reference to FIG. 10 is not performed. Alternatively, the operation of the open switch may be disabled and the user may select and set to perform only the closing operation shown in FIG.

  (Drive transmission member) Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment, the rotary plate 19 is provided with three drive pins. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the fourth drive pin 20 d is provided on the rotary plate 19 at a position at a distance r4 (> r3) from the drive shaft 18. The coupling plate 16 is provided with a fourth receiving surface 21d on which the fourth drive pin 20d abuts.

  In the operation of opening the freezer compartment 5, the same operation as shown in FIG. 6 is performed, and in addition, the fourth drive pin 20 d pushes the fourth receiving surface 21 d to the left in the figure, which is the door opening direction. The range of force that the plate 16 receives from the rotating plate 19 is expanded. Further, since r4> r3, if the rotational speed of the drive shaft 18 is constant, the fourth drive pin 20d pushes the fourth receiving surface 21d to the left in the figure, and the fourth drive pin 20d does not. It becomes larger by r4 / r3 than the case. Thus, since both the range and speed of force are expanded, the opening amount of the freezer compartment 5 can be expanded and a comfortable operation feeling can be obtained.

  Further, when the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the direction of arrow CW, the connecting plate 16 moves in the direction of arrow 36 in FIG. 7 to close the freezer compartment 5. Here, since r4> r3, the freezer compartment 5 can be closed even if the opening amount 35 of the connecting plate 16 is increased by approximately r4 / r3. Thereby, the opening amount 35 which can be closed from a half door state can be expanded. Therefore, even if a half door occurs, the freezer compartment door 5a can be reliably closed, energy saving can be realized, and the stored food can be prevented from being deteriorated by the intrusion of outside air.

  (Automatic Door Opening / Closing Mechanism) Next, an embodiment different from the door opening / closing device 10 shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. A drive mechanism 15 is provided on the bottom of the freezer compartment. The drive mechanism 15 is provided with a rotating plate 19 that is pivotally supported by a drive shaft 18. The rotary plate 19 includes a drive pin (first drive pin 20a, second drive pin 20b, third drive pin 20c, and fourth drive pin 20d) that is a drive transmission member that expands the stroke in a four-stage configuration. ) Is provided.

  The distance between each drive pin and the drive shaft 18 is as described above. That is, the magnitude relationship between the distances is r4> r3> r2> r1, as shown in FIG.

  Further, the height dimension H of the drive pin 20a and the drive pin 20d is formed higher than the height dimension h of the drive pin 20b and the drive pin 20c as shown in FIG. As an example, the height dimension of the drive pin 20b and the drive pin 20c is h = H / 2.

  Accordingly, since the height direction dimensions are different, the drive pin 20b and the drive pin 20c are configured not to come into contact with the receiving surface 21b and the receiving surface 21c of the connecting plate 16 with which the drive pin 20a and the drive pin 20d come into contact.

Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs between the rotating plate 19 and the connecting plate 16, the driving pin 20b is prevented from being caught in the receiving surface 21a, and the rotating plate 19 and the connecting plate 16 are prevented from being locked. it can.

  Similarly, the drive pin 20c can be prevented from biting into the receiving surface 21d due to the difference in height dimension.

  The rotating plate 19 is provided with a magnet 95, and this magnet 95 specifies the origin position of the rotating plate 19.

  That is, the rotated rotating plate 19 is always stopped at the position shown in FIG. 15 as described above. Thereby, even in the case of a power failure, the door can be manually opened and closed without interference with the connecting plate 16.

  Specifically, the rotation detecting means detects whether the Hall IC (not shown) is attached to the base plate 15a on the back side of the rotating plate 19, and the Hall 95 detects whether the magnet 95 is located in the origin range 40. The stop of the drive shaft 18 is controlled.

  The rotation detecting means 32 may be a detecting means such as a variable resistor whose resistance value changes with rotation of the shaft or a microswitch for detecting a predetermined position of the shaft.

  A guide guide 96 is provided on the base plate 15 a forming the drive mechanism 15. The guide guide 96 is provided with a convex piece 96a and a convex piece 96b side by side with the base plate 15a in order to guide the connecting plate 16 to a predetermined position. The convex piece 96a and the convex piece 96b are provided at a predetermined interval from each other, and the interval is wide at the opening on the entrance side.

  This is because the sliding portion 16 a of the connecting plate 16 can easily enter the guide guide 96. Due to dimensional errors and assembly errors on the refrigerator main body side, dimensional errors and assembly errors on the drawer door side where the connecting plate 16 is assembled, misalignment of the sliding portion 16a that moves along the guide guide 96 may occur. is there.

  Therefore, in this configuration, since the opening formed by the convex piece 96a and the convex piece 96b of the drive mechanism 15 is formed wider than other predetermined intervals, the sliding portion 16a is formed on the guide guide 96. Easy to enter.

  The convex piece 96b is provided with a Hall IC 97 and a Hall IC 98. The Hall IC 97 and the Hall IC 98 detect the approach or separation of the magnet 99 provided on the sliding portion 16a of the connecting plate 16, and drive or stop the rotating shaft 18.

  Furthermore, the Hall IC 97 detects whether or not the door of the freezer compartment 5 is completely closed. The Hall IC 98 detects whether the opening amount of the door of the freezer compartment 5 is a predetermined opening amount (for example, the closing drive range, which is 35 or less opening amount) with the magnet 99 on the connection plate 16 side.

That is, as shown in FIG. 16, when the magnet 99 faces the Hall IC 97 and the Hall IC 98, the door is completely closed (for example, the opening amount is 35 or less). Magnet 99 is Hall IC97
And the Hall IC 98 are in a half-door state.

  The rotating plate 19 and the connecting plate 16 operate in the same manner as described in the second embodiment. That is, in the half door state, as shown in FIG. 12, the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the CW direction so as to close the drawer door.

  The differences between the second embodiment and the present embodiment are the following two points.

  The first point is that only the first drive pin 20a can be brought into contact with the first receiving surface 21a. That is, since the first drive pin 20a and the second drive pin 20b have different height dimensions, the second drive pin 20b does not contact the first receiving surface 21a.

  The second point is that a guide guide 96 is provided, and a hall IC 97 and a hall IC 98 are provided on the convex piece 96b forming the guide guide 96.

  That is, the freezing chamber 5 can be opened reliably based on the positional relationship between the two Hall ICs 97 and 98 and the magnet 99 provided on the connecting plate 16 side.

  Further, even in a so-called half-door state in which the freezer compartment 5 is not completely closed, the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the opposite direction to the case where the freezer compartment 5 is opened, and the force in the direction of closing the freezer compartment 5 is applied to the connecting plate 16. In addition to preventing half-doors. Thereby, the fall prevention of cooling performance or the energy-saving effect can be acquired.

  The return surface 22 of the connecting plate 16 is pushed in the direction of closing the door by the fourth drive pin 20d as described in FIG.

  The return surface 22 is preferably an inclined surface of 45 degrees or less from an angle perpendicular to the sliding portion 16a in order to improve the movement of the drive pin 20d.

  The driving device 15 is fixed to the box side constituting the freezer compartment 5 with a screw or the like. Therefore, the rotating plate 19 naturally remains on the box side when the freezer compartment door is pulled out. On the other hand, the connecting plate 16 attached to the freezer compartment door side is pulled out together with the door. When the door is pulled out, the engagement relationship between the rotating plate 19 and the connecting plate 16 is released.

For this reason, in the present embodiment, the base plate 15a to which the rotating plate 19 is attached and the guide guide 96 are integrally formed to ensure the dimensions and between the convex pieces 96a and 96b that form the guide guide 96. For example, the guide groove width dimension is brought close to the thickness of the sliding portion 16a on the connecting plate 16 side to secure the mounting position of both the rotating plate 19 and the connecting plate 16 and stabilize the dimensional relationship.

  Next, an example in which the connecting plate 16 and the drive mechanism 15 are incorporated in the refrigerator main body 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The refrigerator body 1 is formed by a box body 105, and a storage room is provided in the box body 105. A door frame (slide rail) 101 is provided along the left and right side walls 105b in the storage chamber, and a reinforcing plate 102 is provided behind the storage chamber. A container 103 is disposed in a space formed by the bottom wall 105 a and the side wall 105 b of the storage chamber, and a container 104 is disposed above the container 103. The bottom wall 105a in the storage chamber is provided with a recess 106 formed by being recessed toward the box. In addition, the container 103 is provided with a recessed flat surface portion 107 formed by being recessed toward the storage space side.

  FIG. 17 shows a reinforcing plate structure for attaching a reinforcing plate for attaching the connecting plate 16 to the door frame, and the container 103 and the container 104 suspended from the door frame 101 are removed.

  Although not shown, the door frame 101 is accompanied by the slide rail and expands the drawer size of the freezer compartment door 5a. Further, the door frame 101 slides in a groove of a rail attached to the side wall 105 b of the freezer compartment 5. When the containers 103 and 104 are slide rails that can be drawn further forward than the freezer compartment 5, one of the slide rails is attached to the side wall 105b and the other is attached to the door frame 101 side. The slide rail is provided with the closer mechanism described above.

  The reinforcing plate 102 is suspended from the door frame 101 and supports the rear bottom portion of the container 103. Further, as shown in FIG. 18C, the reinforcing plate 102 is formed by forming a thin metal plate (as an example, 2.0 mm or less) into a U shape by pressing or the like. The width of the reinforcing plate 102 (the width in the front-rear direction with respect to the refrigerator main body 1) is a width that allows the connecting plate 16 to be fixed with screws 108.

  Further, by connecting the door frame 101 with the reinforcing plate 102, the door frame 101 is prevented from sideways.

  Next, FIG. 18A shows a state in which the freezer compartment container is attached to the door frame 101, the freezer compartment door 5a is closed, and the connecting plate 16 and the rotating plate 19 are combined. Moreover, FIG.18 (b) is a principal part enlarged view of Fig.18 (a).

  The container 103 and the container 104 are attached to the door frame 101 of the freezer compartment door 5a, and when the freezer compartment door 5a is pulled out, the container 103 and the container 104 are configured to be drawn out from the freezer compartment 5 forward.

  That is, a locking portion (not shown) provided in the container 103 and the container 104 is positioned by locking in an engagement hole 101 a provided in the door frame 101, and the rear end of the container 103 is a reinforcing plate 102. It is placed on top.

  In other words, the U-shape of the reinforcing plate 102 is formed in a shape that scoops the rear bottom portion of the container 103. Further, the container 103 is positioned by the rising flange 102a of the reinforcing plate 102.

  Then, the bottom of the container 104 is mounted on the flange of the container 103. Accordingly, the container 104 has a structure that allows the frozen food in the container 103 to be taken out by sliding backward on the flange of the container 103 when the freezer compartment door 5a is pulled out.

  Further, the rear portion of the container 103 is recessed toward the storage space, that is, upward, so that a recessed flat surface portion 107 is formed. The indentation flat surface portion 107 takes into account the attachment dimensions when attaching the connecting plate 16 to the reinforcing plate 102.

  On the other hand, a recess 106 is formed in the bottom wall 105a so as to be recessed toward the box, that is, downward. The recess 106 is designed in consideration of the mounting dimensions when the drive mechanism 15 is mounted on the bottom wall 105a.

  Thereby, the connecting plate 16 and the rotating plate 19 are disposed in a positional relationship in which they operate.

  In the present embodiment, the connecting plate 16 is attached to the indentation flat surface portion 107, and the drive mechanism 15 is provided in the concave portion 106, whereby the gap between the container 103 and the bottom wall 105a can be minimized. In other words, the inner volume of the container 103 can be secured.

  As a result, the connecting plate 16 can be positioned with respect to the guide guide 96 of the drive mechanism 15 so as to enter and exit within a predetermined range with respect to the vertical and horizontal positions.

  That is, the drive mechanism 15 can be mounted within a tolerance in consideration of parts or assembly errors by being fixed with screws or the like in the recess 106 formed in the bottom wall 105a.

  However, since the freezer compartment door 5a suspends the container 103 on the cantilever door frame 101 as described above, the right-angle parallelism of the door frame 101 to the freezer compartment door 5a is out of order, and the box 105 May tilt and close. If the connecting plate 16 is attached in such a state, the connecting plate 16 does not enter the guide guide 96 successfully. Therefore, in this configuration, the reinforcing plate 102 prevents the door frame 101 from swinging left and right, and ensures the perpendicular parallelism of the door frame 101 with respect to the freezer compartment door 5a.

  The container 103 is generally made by resin injection molding or the like and has a thickness of about 1 mm. Therefore, the bottom of the container 103 may be deformed depending on the amount of food to be stored. Specifically, the bottom wall of the container bends downward. Therefore, in this configuration, the reinforcing plate 102 supports the container 103, so that the deflection can be prevented.

  Further, the rising flange 102a of the reinforcing plate 102 serves to prevent the container 103 from jumping out rearward from the door frame 101 due to an impact when the door is opened and closed, and the connecting plate 16 is stable to the guide guide 96 of the drive mechanism 15. It also plays a role in ensuring that it enters and exits.

  Next, in FIG. 19, a lower case 109b is disposed in the concave portion 106 so as to follow the concave shape. The lower case 109b has a box shape with the upper part opened, and the upper case 109a is disposed so as to close the open part. In the space formed by the lower case 109b and the upper case 109a, the motor 24 and the gear train shown in FIG. 4 are disposed.

  The flange 109c of the lower case 109b is configured to protrude above the bottom wall 105a of the box 105. That is, the mating surface of the upper case 109a and the lower case 109b is disposed so as to be positioned above the bottom wall 105a.

  Thereby, even when water accumulates below the freezer compartment 5, it can be prevented from entering the inside of the lower case 109b. That is, it is a structure that can prevent the drive mechanism 15 from being damaged by the penetration of the water accumulated in the lower part of the freezer compartment 5 into the lower case 109b.

  The space formed by combining the lower case 109a and the upper case 109b is structured such that an inner space 110a is formed inside, and an outer space 110b is defined on the outer periphery of the inner space 110a. Specifically, the inner space 110a is formed such that a partition wall extending upward from the bottom wall of the lower case 109a surrounds the motor 24 and the gear train shown in FIG. Screw holes (not shown) are formed in the outer space so that the upper case 109a and the lower case 109b can be positioned and fixed with respect to the bottom wall 105a.

  More preferably, silicon or the like is applied to the mating surface of the upper case 109a and the lower case 109b to close the gap between the mating surfaces. Thereby, the penetration | invasion to the inside of a case can be prevented more.

  A lead wire lead-out portion for the motor is provided above the mating surface of the upper case 109a and the lower case 109b. That is, since the lead wire lead-out portion is provided above the bottom wall 105a, the intrusion into the case can be further prevented.

  Furthermore, the operation when the door opening and closing device according to the present invention is provided in both the freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the vegetable compartment 6 is in the vicinity of the bottom of the lowermost stage, and the freezer compartment 5 is provided on the upper stage.

  When the user stands in front of the refrigerator 1 and opens the freezer 5, if the freezer 5 is electrically opened for example about 15 cm to 20 cm, the inside of the freezer is looked over from the opening when opened. This is preferable. On the other hand, in the vegetable compartment 6, since the vegetable compartment 6 is in the vicinity of the floor, if it is opened in the same manner as the freezer compartment, the lower end of the door of the vegetable compartment 6 may hit the user's toe when opened.

  Therefore, it is desirable in terms of safety that the vegetable room 6 in the lower stage has a lower opening speed than the freezer room 5 in the upper stage, and further the opening amount is made smaller, for example, within 10 cm.

  In the above description, the vegetable room is described as being at the lower end of the freezer room. However, when the freezer room is at a lower stage than the vegetable room, the opening amount or opening speed of the freezer room is smaller than that of the vegetable room. It is desirable that

  According to the present invention, it is possible to open the door lightly by reducing the opening force of the drawer door of the refrigerator, and to improve the energy saving effect by automatically closing the door from a so-called half-door state. it can.

  That is, when the freezer compartment 5 starts to be opened from the closed state, the first drive pin 20a disposed closest to the drive shaft 18 pushes and drives the connecting plate 16 to generate a large force at a low speed. Remove the magnetic packing. Subsequently, the second drive pin 20b provided farther than the first drive pin 20a pushes the connecting plate 16 and drives it with a medium force at a medium speed, thereby resisting the pulling force of the closer 13. Then, the freezing chamber 5 is accelerated by continuing the opening operation. Subsequently, the third drive pin 20c provided farther from the drive shaft 18 than the second drive pin 20b pushes the connecting plate 16, and further accelerates the freezer compartment 5 by driving at a high speed with a small force. Therefore, there is an effect that it is convenient to reliably perform the opening operation of the freezer compartment 5 and can be reliably performed.

Furthermore, even if the freezer compartment 5 is not completely closed and is in a so-called half-door state, the rotating plate 19 is rotated in the opposite direction to the case where the freezer compartment 5 is opened, thereby freezing the connecting plate 16. Since the chamber 5 can be closed by applying a force in the closing direction, a half-door is prevented and an energy saving effect is obtained. By repeating the above closing operation a plurality of times, half door prevention can be further ensured and reliability can be improved.

  Furthermore, if the opening amount 35 for starting to close the freezer compartment is made smaller than the door thickness 71, there is no fear that a finger or the like is caught, and safety can be improved.

  When manually opening and closing, the door opening and closing mechanism according to the present invention does not contact the drive mechanism provided in the refrigerator body and the connecting plate provided integrally with the drawer door side, so that the user can open and close the drawer. It does not impede manual operation or increase the opening / closing operation, so that it is easy to use and does not impair the user's usability in the event of a failure.

  In addition, by providing a reinforcing plate for stably positioning the container suspended on the cantilever door frame 101 and attaching the connecting member to the reinforcing plate, the engagement state between the connecting member and the drive mechanism can be secured, and the reliability Can be improved.

  Further, in the case where the drive mechanism is arranged, the flange of the lower case 109b protrudes above the bottom wall of the freezer compartment or vegetable compartment, thereby preventing the drive mechanism from being damaged due to entering the case. Can improve reliability.

  In the present embodiment, the door opening / closing device 10 is provided on the drawer door of the freezer compartment 5 or the vegetable compartment 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the refrigerating compartment door 2 is rotatable. Even if it is provided on the door, the same effect can be obtained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the refrigerator is provided with the door opening / closing device has been described, but it is not limited to the refrigerator, for example, a file cabinet for storing documents or a sink built-in type that is pulled out and used for the front. The present invention can be applied to a drawer-type device such as a dishwasher, and in that case, the same effect as described in the present invention can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the drive mechanism 15 is configured by only a spur gear is shown, but the drive mechanism 15 is not limited to a spur gear, and may be configured by using a worm gear.

  Furthermore, the drive pin 20 may be a rotary roller instead of the cylindrical pin as in the present embodiment.

The perspective view which shows the structure of the refrigerator by this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the refrigerator by this invention. The top view which shows the structure of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The figure explaining opening operation | movement of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The figure explaining closing operation | movement of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The figure explaining the position at the time of the stop of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The flowchart which shows the control procedure in the case of opening operation | movement of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The flowchart which shows the control procedure in the case of the closing operation | movement of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The figure which shows another structure of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The perspective view of the drive mechanism explaining the attachment state of each member centering on the rotation member shown in FIG. The top view for demonstrating operation | movement of a door opening / closing apparatus. The side view of the door opening / closing apparatus of FIG. The front view of the door opening / closing apparatus of FIG. The principal part top view which shows the reinforcement board structure for attaching the reinforcement board which attaches the connection board by this invention to a door frame. The principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which attached the freezer compartment container to the door frame shown in FIG. 18, closed a freezer compartment door, and combined the connection plate and the rotating plate. The principal part enlarged view explaining the state which attached the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 19 to the freezer compartment bottom face. The figure explaining opening operation | movement of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the open switch of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention. The enlarged view which shows the structure of the open switch of the drawer door opening / closing apparatus of the refrigerator by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator body 2 Refrigeration room 2a Refrigeration room door 3 Switching room 3a Switching room door 4 Ice making room 5 Freezing room 5a Freezing room door 6 Vegetable room 6a Vegetable room door 7 Operation display part 8 Open switch 10 Door opening and closing device 11 Slide rail 12 Container 13 Closer 14 Magnet packing 15 Drive mechanism 15a Base plate 16 Connecting plate 16a Sliding part 17 Door detection 17a First door detection 17b Second door detection 18 Drive shaft 19 Rotating plate 20 Drive pin 20a First drive pin 20b First Second drive pin 20c Third drive pin 20d Fourth drive pin 21 Receiving surface 21a First receiving surface 21b Second receiving surface 21c Third receiving surface 21d Fourth receiving surface 22 Return surface 23 Opening direction 24 Motor 25 motor pinion 26 idler 27 idler pinion 28 idler 29 idler pinion 30 drive gear 31 torque limit Means 32 Rotation detection means 33 Movement amount 34 Retraction position 35 Opening amount 36 Arrow 37a First tip 37b Second tip 37c Third tip 38 Clearance 39 Clearance 40 Origin range 41 Control circuit 42 Power supply 70 Notification means 71 Door thickness 72 Door-to-door clearance 73 Maximum opening amount 74 Inertial opening amount 75 Contact point 76 Cam 77 Center of rotation 78 Cam outer periphery 79 Cam receiving plate 80 Direction of rotation 81 Arrow 82 Cam radius 83 Peripheral speed 84 Opening speed 85 Sliding speed 86 Contact 87 Frame body 88 Push Button 89 Push bar 90 Return spring 91 Push amount 92 Switch body 93 Plunger 94 Wire 95 Magnet 96 Guide guide 96a, 96b Projection piece 97 Hall IC
98 Hall IC
99 Magnet 100 Magnet 101 Door frame 101a Engagement hole 102 Reinforcement plate 102a Standing flange 103 Container (a)
104 Container (b)
105 Box 105a Bottom wall 105b Side wall 106 Recess 107 Recess flat surface 108 Screw 109 Case 109a Upper case 109b Lower case 109c Flange 110a Inner space 110b Outer space

Claims (6)

A storage compartment defined in the refrigerator body;
A drawer door provided in the storage room and capable of opening and closing;
Drive means provided in the storage chamber for opening and closing the drawer door;
A rotating member provided with a plurality of drive transmission members at a position that can be rotated by the driving means and gradually change the distance from the rotation center in the rotation direction ;
A connecting member that is provided on the lower surface of the storage portion that can be pulled out in the front-rear direction together with the drawer door or the drawer door, and that transmits power from the drive transmission member to convert the rotational motion of the rotating member into linear motion ;
Comprising door closing detection means for detecting that the drawer door is closed ;
Door previous Kitobira閉detecting means, wherein the causing the rotary member rotatably driven so as to detect that the drawer door is closed, a predetermined number of times, the drive transmission member is brought into contact with said connecting member A refrigerator equipped with a driving device. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rotation member is driven to rotate for a predetermined time so that the drive transmission member contacts the connection member until the door closing detection unit detects that the drawer door is in a closed state. A refrigerator including a door drive device that repeats a predetermined number of times to rotate the rotating member to a predetermined position so that the drive transmission member is separated from the connecting member . The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a rotation detection unit that detects a rotation position of the rotation member, wherein the drive transmission member is connected to the connection until the rotation detection unit detects that the rotation member is in a predetermined position. refrigerator having a door drive device for causing said rotary member in a direction away from the member rotationally driven. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an informing means for informing that the door is open, wherein the drive transmission member is in the state until the door closing detecting means detects that the drawer door is in a closed state. connected the rotating member causes the rotationally driven a predetermined time so as to contact the member, is repeated a predetermined number of times that the rotationally driving the rotary member such that the drive transmission member is separated and the connecting member to a predetermined position, the notification means A refrigerator provided with a door driving device. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a concave portion provided in a concave shape on the bottom wall of the storage chamber, a lower case disposed in the concave portion and opened upward, and an opening of the lower case are closed. An upper case joined to the lower case, the upper case is provided with a lead wire lead-out portion, and the driving device is disposed in a space formed by the upper case and the lower case. A refrigerator provided with a door driving device, wherein a joint between the case and the lower case is located above the bottom wall of the storage chamber.   6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a partition wall extending upward in the lower case, wherein the partition wall is configured to surround the drive device. Fridge.

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