JP4772609B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a temperature adjusting unit that adjusts the temperature in a storage room by a user's operation.

A conventional refrigerator is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This refrigerator is provided with a temperature control unit on the side wall of the storage room. The temperature adjustment unit has a control circuit for adjusting the room temperature of the storage room, and can adjust the storage room to a desired temperature by operating an operation knob integrated with the volume. Around the operation knob, there is provided a display unit for indicating an adjustment value by characters such as “strong”, “medium”, and “weak”. Each character is formed by attaching a label or engraving. A protrusion or the like provided on the operation knob indicates a character corresponding to the rotation position, and each adjustment value can be visually recognized by reflection of illumination light in the storage room or illumination light in the living room.
No. Sho 62-115293 (pages 4-8, FIG. 2)

  However, according to the conventional refrigerator, the display unit is disposed in the front part of the storage room and cannot be sufficiently illuminated by the illumination light from behind that illuminates the storage room. For this reason, there is a problem that the visibility of the display unit is deteriorated when the room is dark.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator which can improve the visibility of the display part which displays the adjustment value of temperature control.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lighting device that illuminates a storage room, a temperature control unit that has an operation unit operated by a user and adjusts the temperature of the storage room, and adjustment by the temperature control unit. A display unit for displaying values, and the display unit is transmitted and illuminated by the illumination device. According to this configuration, the temperature adjustment unit is set to a desired adjustment value by the operation of the operation unit, and the illumination light of the illumination device passes through the display unit and the adjustment value is visually recognized. Based on the set adjustment value, the temperature adjusting unit adjusts the storage chamber to a predetermined temperature.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, a back opening is provided on the back surface of the housing surrounding the temperature adjusting unit, and the light source of the lighting device is disposed opposite to the back opening, and is provided on the front wall of the housing. The display portion is formed. According to this configuration, the illuminating device is arranged behind the temperature adjusting unit, and the illumination light of the illuminating device illuminates the front display unit through the rear opening on the rear surface of the housing.

  Further, the present invention provides the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, wherein the temperature adjustment unit includes a volume that varies a temperature adjustment amount, and a relay knob that is arranged behind the front wall and connected to the volume. The operation unit is connected to the relay knob through a hole provided in the wall, and the display unit shields an opening provided around the operation unit on the front surface of the housing and a back side of the opening. And a shielding portion that rotates integrally with the relay knob, and the amount of shielding of the opening by the shielding portion is varied in accordance with the amount of rotation of the operation portion.

  According to this configuration, the illumination light of the illumination device passes through the opening from the rear. When the operation unit is rotated, the relay knob and the volume integrated with the operation unit are rotated to vary the temperature adjustment amount. Moreover, the opening part of the area according to the rotation position of the relay knob is shielded by the shielding part. As a result, the light transmitting area of the opening is variable.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the opening includes a plurality of small holes.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the display unit includes a plurality of small holes on the front surface of the housing, and the area of light transmitted through the small holes is changed by rotation of the operation unit. Yes.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the small hole is 2.8 mm or less. According to this configuration, a 3 mm diameter test pin made of metal for safety inspection cannot be inserted into the small hole.

  According to the present invention, since the display unit that displays the adjustment value by the temperature adjustment unit is transmitted and illuminated by the illumination device that illuminates the storage chamber, the visibility of the display unit can be improved. Therefore, the adjustment value can be easily visually recognized even when the living room is dark.

  Further, according to the present invention, the light source is disposed opposite to the rear opening provided on the rear surface of the housing surrounding the temperature control portion, and the display portion is formed on the front wall of the housing, so that the display portion can be easily transmitted and illuminated. it can.

  Further, according to the present invention, the relay knob connected to the volume for changing the temperature adjustment amount is arranged behind the front wall of the housing, and the operation part is connected to the relay knob. The relay knob can prevent the volume that is the charging unit from being exposed. Accordingly, it is not necessary to prevent the operation unit from being detached, and safety can be easily ensured.

  Further, since the opening is provided on the front surface of the housing, the heat generated by the lighting device can be radiated from the opening. In addition, since the shielding part that rotates integrally with the relay knob and shields the back side of the opening part is provided, the transmission area of the light transmitted through the opening part can be easily changed by the shielding part. Therefore, the adjustment value can be easily visually recognized.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the opening is composed of a plurality of small holes, exposure in the housing can be prevented and aesthetics can be improved.

  According to the present invention, the display unit has a plurality of small holes on the front surface of the housing, and the transmission area of light transmitted through the small holes is changed by rotation of the operation unit. The adjustment value can be easily visually recognized.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the small hole is 2.8 mm or less, a test pin having a diameter of 3 mm for safety inspection cannot be inserted into the small hole, which may cause an electric shock. You can get a safe refrigerator.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The refrigerator 1 includes a freezer compartment 2 at the top, and a refrigerator compartment 3 is disposed below the freezer compartment 2. In the upper right part of the refrigerating room 3, a temperature adjusting unit 10 for performing a temperature adjusting operation of the refrigerating room 3 by a user is arranged.

  FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of part A of FIG. The temperature control unit 10 is surrounded by a housing 11, and an operation knob 13 (operation unit) that is rotated by a user is provided on the front surface of the housing 11. The operation knob 13 has an arm portion 13b extending in the radial direction, and the arm portion 13b is rotatable within a rotation range E. A label 12 on which characters or the like are printed is attached to the side of the operation knob 13.

  FIG. 3 is a front view showing the housing 11. The housing 11 is made of a resin molded product, and a through hole 11c for attaching the operation knob 13 is formed in the front wall 11e. Further, the front wall 11e is provided with a recess 11a for installing the label 12, and a front opening 11b formed in an arch shape concentric with the through hole 11c is provided in the recess 11a.

  4 and 5 are a front view and a rear view showing the label 12. The label 12 is made of a transparent thin plate material, and can be visually recognized from the front surface by printing characters, graphics, or the like on the back surface. In addition, a large number of small holes 12 a are provided in a portion of the housing 11 disposed on the front opening 11 b. On the back surface of the label 12, a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 12b is stuck on the printed characters and the like. The portion of the double-sided adhesive tape 12b that is disposed on the front opening 11b is removed.

  FIG. 6 shows a view in the direction of arrow B in FIG. A lighting device 30 is integrally provided at the rear of the temperature control unit 10. The illumination device 30 has a light source 32, and the light source 32 is covered with a case 31 made of a transparent resin molded product.

  FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. The temperature adjusting unit 10 is attached to the right side wall 3 a of the refrigerator compartment 3 by a locking portion 11 g provided in the housing 11. A substrate case 17 is installed in the housing 11. The substrate case 17 is supported by ribs 16 protruding from the inner wall of the housing 11, and a space 15 is provided between the substrate case 17 and the left side wall of the housing 11.

  A circuit board 19 that controls the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is disposed in the substrate case 17. The circuit board 19 is mounted with a volume 18 for changing the temperature adjustment amount of the refrigerator compartment 3. The cooling capacity of the refrigerator compartment 3 is increased or decreased according to the adjustment value of the volume 18, and the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 is varied.

  A shaft hole 14 a on the back side of the relay knob 14 is press-fitted into the shaft portion 18 a of the volume 18. The shaft portion 14b on the front surface side of the relay knob 14 passes through a through hole 11c (see FIG. 3) provided in the front wall 11e of the housing 11, and the shaft hole 13a of the operation knob 13 is press-fitted from the front surface of the front wall 11e. . As a result, the operation knob 13, the relay knob 14, and the shaft portion 18a of the volume 18 can rotate together.

  Since the relay knob 14 is arranged behind the front wall 11e of the housing 11 and the operation knob 13 is connected to the relay knob 14, the volume knob 18 is exposed by the relay knob 14 behind the front wall 11e even if the operation knob 13 is removed. Can be prevented. Therefore, even when the shaft portion 18a of the volume 18 is a charging portion, it is not necessary to prevent the operation knob 13 from being detached, and safety can be easily ensured.

  The relay knob 14 is made of a resin molded product, and has a shielding portion 14c partially protruding in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 2 described above, the shielding portion 14 c is formed in a fan shape and shields a part or all of the arch-shaped front opening portion 11 b according to the rotation position of the operation knob 13.

  FIG. 8 shows a sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. The light source 32 of the illumination device 30 is attached to a socket 33 provided in the temperature adjustment unit 10. The socket 33 is connected to the circuit board 19 (see FIG. 7). The case 31 is attached to the housing 11 of the temperature adjustment unit 10 by a claw portion 31a. Further, a vent hole (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface of the case 31.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the illumination device 30 is removed from FIG. The housing 11 of the temperature adjusting unit 10 is formed with a rear opening 11f (indicated by hatching in the drawing) having a rear opening. Light emitted from the light source 32 passes through the case 31 and illuminates the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3. In addition, the light source 32 is cooled by the cold air flowing in from the ventilation holes on the bottom surface of the case 31. After cooling the light source 32, the cool air flows out from the front opening 11b (see FIG. 3) of the housing 11 through the rear opening 11f and the space 15 (see FIG. 7). Thereby, the heat of the light source 32 can be easily radiated.

  The light emitted from the light source 32 illuminates the front opening 11b (see FIG. 3) of the housing 11 from the back via the back opening 11f and the space 15 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 10, when the operation knob 13 is rotated to minimize the volume 18, the arm portion 13b is arranged at the lower limit of the rotation range E (see FIG. 2). Thereby, the whole front opening part 11b is shielded by the shielding part 14c, and the light emitted from the light source 32 does not pass through the small hole 12a of the label 12.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the operation knob 13 is rotated to maximize the volume 18, the arm portion 13 b is disposed at the upper limit of the rotation range E. Thereby, the emitted light of the light source 32 is transmitted through the entire front opening 11b and the small hole 12a. Further, as shown in FIG. 2 described above, when the arm portion 13b of the operation knob 13 is horizontally disposed, the upper portion of the front opening portion 11b is shielded by the shielding portion 14c. Thereby, the light of the light source 32 permeate | transmits the lower part of the front opening part 11b and the small hole 12a.

  That is, when the volume 18 is adjusted by the operation knob 13, the area of the light transmitted through the small hole 12a is changed according to the rotation angle of the operation knob 13. As a result, the user can easily visually recognize the adjustment value of the volume 18 according to the area of the transmitted light through the small hole 12a. Accordingly, the front opening portion 11b, the small hole 12a, and the shielding portion 14c constitute a display unit that displays an adjustment value by the temperature adjustment unit 10. In addition, when the heat dissipation of the light source 32 is ensured, you may block the front opening part 11b or the small hole 12a with a transparent member.

  The small hole 12a is formed in a circular shape having a diameter of 2.8 mm or less. Thereby, the test pin with a diameter of 3 mm for safety inspection cannot be inserted into the small hole 12a, and the safe refrigerator 1 without the risk of electric shock can be obtained. The small holes 12a may be formed in a shape other than a circle. At this time, the diameter of the largest circle inscribed in the small hole 12a is preferably 2.8 mm or less. Thereby, a test pin having a diameter of 3 mm cannot be inserted into the small hole 12a, and a safe refrigerator can be obtained. Moreover, you may form the front-surface opening part 11b of the housing 11 by many small holes.

  According to the present embodiment, since the display unit that displays the adjustment value by the temperature adjustment unit 10 is transmitted and illuminated by the illumination device 30 that illuminates the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3, the visibility of the display unit can be improved. Therefore, the adjustment value can be easily visually recognized even when the living room is dark.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can utilize for the refrigerator provided with the temperature control part which adjusts the temperature in a storage chamber by a user's operation.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Detailed view of part A in FIG. The front view which shows the housing of the temperature control part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the label of the temperature control part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The rear view which shows the label of the temperature control part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention B arrow view of FIG. CC sectional view of FIG. DD sectional view of FIG. The rear view which shows the temperature control part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view explaining operation | movement of the temperature control part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view explaining operation | movement of the temperature control part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Freezing room 3 Refrigerating room 10 Temperature control part 11 Housing 11b Front opening part 11e Front wall 11f Rear opening part 12 Label 12a Small hole 13 Operation knob 13b Arm part 14 Relay knob 14c Shielding part 18 Volume 19 Circuit board 20 Display part 30 Illumination Device 31 Case 32 Light Source

Claims (5)

An illumination device that illuminates the storage room, a temperature control unit that has an operation unit operated by a user and adjusts the temperature in the storage room, and a display unit that displays an adjustment value by the temperature control unit;
The temperature control unit is surrounded by a housing having a back opening formed on the back surface,
The light source of the illuminating device is disposed to face the rear opening, and the display portion is formed on the front wall of the housing.
The display unit is transmitted and illuminated by the light source ,
The refrigerator is characterized in that cold air flows through a space provided in the housing and communicating the light source and the display . The temperature adjustment unit includes a volume for changing a temperature adjustment amount, and a relay knob arranged behind the front wall and connected to the volume, and the operation is performed through a hole provided in the front wall. The display unit is connected to the relay knob, and the display unit rotates integrally with the relay knob while shielding the opening provided around the operation unit on the front surface of the housing and the back side of the opening. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a shielding portion, wherein the shielding amount of the opening portion by the shielding portion is varied according to a rotation amount of the operation portion . The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the opening includes a plurality of small holes . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit has a plurality of small holes on the front surface of the housing, and a transmission area of light transmitted through the small holes is changed by rotation of the operation unit . The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein a diameter of a maximum circle inscribed in the small hole is 2.8 mm or less .

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