JP6905379B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a door drive that closes the door.

A conventional refrigerator provided with a door driving device for closing a door is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This refrigerator is provided with a state switch that detects the open / closed state of the door, a detection unit that detects the opening degree of the door, and a drive unit such as an electromagnet that drives the door to close. When the opened door is arranged within a predetermined opening range, the drive unit is energized and the door is closed. As a result, the door that is being closed or the door that has been forgotten to be closed can be closed by the drive unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-267352 (pages 3 to 4, FIG. 3)

However, according to the conventional refrigerator, even if the door can be self-closed with the force pushed out by the user, the drive unit is energized every time it is arranged in a predetermined opening range. Therefore, there is a problem that the power consumption of the refrigerator becomes large.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of saving power.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention detects a main body forming a storage chamber, a door for opening and closing the storage chamber, a door driving device for closing and driving the door, and a closing position of the door. In a refrigerator provided with a door detection unit and a second door detection unit that detects that the door is arranged in a predetermined drive region that can be driven by the door drive device to close the door, the door is said from outside the drive region. When entering the drive region, when the closing speed of the door is smaller than a predetermined self-closing speed, the door is brought into a closed driving state in which the door is closed by the door driving device, and the closing speed of the door is higher than the self-closing speed. It is characterized in that it is in a closed drive stop state in which the door drive device is stopped when it is large.

Further, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, after the door enters the drive region from outside the drive region, the closed drive state is set when the closed position is not detected for a predetermined period in the closed drive stop state. It is characterized by.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, after detecting the closing position in the closed driving state, the operation of closing the door by the door driving device is repeated a predetermined number of times.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the door is provided, and the speed of the door is detected based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor.

Further, according to the present invention, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, the second door detection unit outputs a signal according to the distance between the door and the main body portion, and the door of the door is based on the time when the door moves within a predetermined range. It is characterized by detecting the speed.

Further, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, the second door detection switch is composed of a multi-stage push button switch, and the door covers a range from the first-stage pressing to the second-stage pressing of the second door detection switch. It is characterized in that the speed of the door is detected based on the time of movement.

Further, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, the door can be pivotally supported by the first pivot shaft and the second pivot shaft arranged at the left and right ends of the main body, and can be selectively opened and closed from the left and right. At the same time, a first detection switch arranged in the vicinity of the first pivot shaft to detect the closing position and a second detection switch arranged in the vicinity of the second pivot shaft to detect the closing position are provided. When closing the door that is pivotally supported and opened by the second pivot shaft, the first door detection unit is configured by the first detection switch, and the second door detection unit is formed by the second detection switch. The first door detection unit is configured by the second detection switch when the door opened by pivotally supported by the first pivot shaft is closed, and the second door detection unit is configured by the second detection switch. It is characterized by being composed of one detection switch.

Further, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, the door driving device is arranged on the door, a pair of symmetrical inclined surfaces which are arranged on the door and inclined with respect to the opening surface of the storage chamber, and the main body portion. It is characterized by having one rotating body and a slider arranged on the rotating body and sliding on the inclined surface.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, a plurality of the sliders are arranged rotationally symmetrically on the rotating body.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, when the door opened from the closed position is continuously arranged in the drive region for a predetermined time, the closed drive state is set.

According to the present invention, when the door enters the drive area from outside the drive area by the door drive device, the door drive device is stopped according to the closing speed of the door. As a result, the frequency with which the door drive device is driven can be reduced, and the power saving of the refrigerator can be achieved.

Front view showing the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention Side sectional view showing the refrigerator of the 1st Embodiment of this invention A perspective view showing the upper part of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view showing the cam mechanism of the refrigerator of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. AA cross-sectional view of FIG. Top view showing the refrigerator of the 1st Embodiment of this invention A block diagram showing a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing the operation of the door opening process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view explaining the operation of the door drive device at the time of opening the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The plan view explaining the operation of the cam mechanism at the time of opening the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The plan view explaining the operation of the cam mechanism at the time of opening the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Top view explaining the operation of the door drive device at the time of opening the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Top view explaining the operation of the door drive device at the time of opening the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. A flowchart showing the operation of the door closing process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view explaining the operation of the door drive device at the time of closing the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Top view explaining the operation of the door drive device at the time of closing the door of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Front view showing the refrigerator of the second embodiment of this invention Top view showing the refrigerator of the second embodiment of this invention

<First Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a front view and a side sectional view of the refrigerator of the first embodiment. In the refrigerator 1, a refrigerating chamber 3, a freezing chamber 5, and a vegetable compartment 7 are formed in this order from above the main body 2 made of a heat insulating box. A machine room 9 in which a compressor 81 is arranged is provided behind the vegetable room 7.

The opening surface 3a (see FIG. 6) on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened and closed by the rotary door 4. The door 4 of the refrigerating chamber 3 has handles 4a and handles 4b at the left and right ends, and is pivotally supported by vertical pivot shafts 4c or pivot shafts 4d arranged at both left and right ends to open and close alternately from the left and right. can do. An operation unit 88 having a plurality of operation buttons is arranged on the front surface of the door 4.

In the present embodiment, the operation units 88 are arranged at two locations at the left and right ends of the door 4. The operation unit 88 on the right side is provided with an operation button for opening the door 4 from the right side, and the operation unit 88 on the left side is provided with an operation button for opening the door 4 from the left side. Each operation button of the operation unit 88 may be formed by a touch switch.

The front surface of the freezing chamber 5 is opened and closed by a door 6 that slides integrally with the storage case 6a. The front surface of the vegetable compartment 7 is opened and closed by a door 8 that slides integrally with the storage case 8a.

A packing (not shown) for preventing cold air leakage is provided on the peripheral portion of the door 4, the door 6, and the door 8 facing the main body 2. The packing is provided with a magnet (not shown) that attracts the front surface of the main body 2.

A cold air passage 84 is arranged behind the freezing chamber 5, and a cold air passage 85 communicating with the cold air passage 84 via a damper is arranged behind the refrigerating chamber 3. The cold air passage 84 has a discharge port 84a and a return port 84b facing the freezing chamber 5, and a cooler 82 and a blower 83 are arranged. The cold air passage 85 is opened by a discharge port 85a facing the refrigerating chamber 3. The refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 7 are communicated with each other through a connecting passage (not shown), and a return passage connected to the cold air passage 84 is derived from the vegetable room 7. Further, a refrigerating room temperature sensor 86 (see FIG. 7) is arranged in the refrigerating room 3, and a freezing room temperature sensor 87 (see FIG. 7) is arranged in the freezing room 5.

When the freezing chamber 5 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature by the detection of the freezing chamber temperature sensor 87, the compressor 81 and the blower 83 are driven. The refrigeration cycle is operated by driving the compressor 81, and the cold air generated by heat exchange with the cooler 82 is discharged from the discharge port 84a to the freezing chamber 5. The cold air discharged to the freezing chamber 5 circulates in the freezing chamber 5 and returns to the cooler 82 via the return port 84b.

When the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 3 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature by the detection of the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 86, the damper is opened. As a result, the cold air flowing through the cold air passage 85 is discharged into the refrigerating chamber 3 from the discharge port 85a. The cold air discharged to the refrigerating room 3 circulates in the refrigerating room 3 and flows into the vegetable room 7 through the continuous passage. The cold air flowing through the vegetable compartment 7 returns to the cooler 82 via the return passage.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper door 4 of the refrigerator 1 is opened. A detection switch 71 composed of a push button switch and a detection switch 72 are arranged on the upper wall of the refrigerator compartment 3 so as to face the door 4. The detection switch 71 (first detection switch) is arranged in the vicinity of the pivot shaft 4d (see FIG. 1), and the detection switch 72 (second detection switch) is arranged in the vicinity of the pivot shaft 4c (see FIG. 1). .. The detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 detect the closed state of the door 4.

Further, as will be described in detail later, the detection switch 71 on the left side detects that the door 4 is arranged in the drive region within a predetermined opening range when the door 4 is opened from the right side. The detection switch 72 on the right side detects that the door 4 is arranged in the drive region within a predetermined opening range when the door 4 is opened from the left side. The detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 may be arranged on the door 4 facing the main body 2. Further, the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 may be formed by a proximity switch.

A pair of support members 10 are arranged at both left and right ends above the refrigerating chamber 3, and support members 11 extending in the left-right direction are arranged below. A pair of cam mechanisms 12 arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the door 4 are provided at both left and right ends of the upper surface of each support member 10 and the door 4. Similarly, a pair of cam mechanisms 12 arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the door 4 are provided at both left and right ends of the support member 11 and both left and right ends of the lower surface of the door 4.

A pair of left and right cam mechanisms 12 provided on the upper and lower sides of the door 4 engages and disengages the door 4 and the main body 2 to form a double door 4.

FIG. 4 is a top view showing the cam mechanism 12 above the door 4, showing a state in which the door 4 is closed. Further, FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. The cam mechanisms 12 arranged at both left and right ends include a hinge pin 21, a rib 24, a first engaging protrusion 25 (each indicated by hatching in FIG. 4) provided on the support member 10, and a groove cam 31 provided on the door 4. It includes a boss 34 and a second engaging protrusion 35.

The hinge pin 21 is made of metal insert-molded into the support member 10 and forms the pivot shaft 4c and the pivot shaft 4d (see FIG. 1) of the door 4. The rib 24 is formed in an arch shape by resin molding and is arranged around the hinge pin 21. A guide surface 24a formed of a cylindrical surface concentric with the hinge pin 21 is formed on the inner surface of the rib 24. The guide surface 24a of the rib 24 may be formed by a large number of pins or protrusions so that the envelope surface has an arc concentric with the hinge pin 21. That is, the guide surface 24a may be formed along an arc concentric with the hinge pin 21.

The first engaging protrusion 25 is arranged between the left and right hinge pins 21. The first engaging projection 25 is provided with a cylindrical surface 25a concentric with the closer hinge pin 21 and a cylindrical surface 25b concentric with the farther hinge pin 21 facing each other.

The groove cam 31, the boss 34, and the second engaging projection 35 are integrally formed of a resin-molded cam member 30, and the cam member 30 is attached to the upper surface of the door 4. The groove cam 31 has a first groove portion 32 and a second groove portion 33 which are continuous with the hinge pin 21 engaged with the groove cam 31. The first groove portion 32 is formed by opening the main body portion 2 side and inclining so that the open end faces inward in a plane perpendicular to the pivot shaft 4c and the pivot shaft 4d. The second groove 33 is continuous with the end opposite to the open end of the first groove 32, bends outward from the first groove 32, and extends in a direction away from the open end of the first groove 32.

The boss 34 has a second groove 33 recessed and has a cylindrical surface 34a that slides on the guide surface 24a of the rib 24. Further, a relief portion 34b (see FIG. 10) for avoiding interference with the rib 24 is provided on the peripheral surface of the boss 34 at the first locking position described later. When the guide surface 24a of the rib 24 is formed of a cylindrical surface, the peripheral surface of the boss 34 may be formed by a large number of pins or protrusions. That is, a large number of pins and protrusions forming the peripheral surface of the boss 34 may be formed so as to be a cylindrical surface.

The second engaging protrusion 35 has a sliding surface 35a and a sliding surface 35b that slide with the cylindrical surface 25a and the cylindrical surface 25b of the first engaging protrusion 25, respectively. The cam member 30 is provided with a relief groove 36 that avoids interference with the first engaging protrusion 25 so as to be recessed around the second engaging protrusion 35.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the refrigerator 1. A support member 51 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 2, and a door drive device 50 is installed on the support member 51. The door drive device 50 includes a slider 59 and a drive unit 58 that drives the slider 59. Further, a guide portion 60 for slidingly guiding the slider 59 is provided on the upper surface of the door 4.

In the following description, the normal direction of the opening surface 3a and the direction perpendicular to the pivot shaft 4c may be referred to as the X direction, the normal direction of the opening surface 3a may be referred to as the Y direction, and the axial direction of the pivot shaft 4c may be referred to as the Z direction. In the present embodiment, the X direction is the left-right direction, the Y direction is the front-back direction, and the Z direction is the up-down direction.

The drive unit 58 includes a motor 52, a worm 53, a worm wheel 54, a reduction gear 55, and a reduction gear 56. The worm 53 is attached to the shaft of the motor 52 and meshes with the worm wheel 54. The reduction gear 55 is attached concentrically with the worm wheel 54.

The reduction gear 56 meshes with the reduction gear 55, and a plurality of sliders 59a, 59b, 59c are arranged on the lower surface in a rotationally symmetric manner (three times symmetrical in the present embodiment). At this time, the central angle θ of the adjacent sliders 59 is set so that the plurality of sliders 59 do not interfere with the ribs 63 and 64 provided on the upper surface of the door 4 at the same time. In the present embodiment, the central angle θ of the adjacent sliders 59 is 120 °. Hereinafter, the plurality of sliders 59a, 59b, 59c may be collectively referred to as a slider 59.

The guide portions 60 are arranged on the upper surface of the door 4, and a pair of guide portions 60 are provided symmetrically with respect to the center line CL in the Y direction of the reduction gear 56. Each guide portion 60 has a rib 63 and a rib 64 that project upward. The rib 63 and the rib 64 have an inclined surface 63a and an inclined surface 64a, respectively.

The inclined surface 63a of the left guide portion 60 is inclined so as to approach the main body portion 2 as the distance from the right pivot shaft 4c increases. The rib 64 is arranged between the rib 63 and the pivot shaft 4c, and the inclined surface 64a is inclined so as to approach the main body 2 as it approaches the pivot shaft 4c. That is, the inclined surface 63a and the inclined surface 64a are inclined in the opposite direction to the normal of the opening surface 3a and arranged in a substantially V shape.

Similarly, the inclined surface 63a of the guide portion 60 on the right side is inclined so as to approach the main body portion 2 as the distance from the pivot shaft 4d on the left side increases. The rib 64 is arranged between the rib 63 and the pivot shaft 4d, and the inclined surface 64a is inclined so as to approach the main body 2 as it approaches the pivot shaft 4d.

When the door 4 is closed, the left and right ribs 64 are arranged on the inner peripheral side of the rotation locus of the slider 59 as shown in FIG. Further, the slider 59 is arranged at a retracted position retracted from the guide portion 60. That is, the sliders 59a are arranged between the left and right ribs 64, and the sliders 59b and 59c are arranged behind the door 4. Therefore, the door 4 can be manually opened without the slider 59 in the retracted position interfering with the guide portion 60 during the drive standby when the motor 52 is stopped.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 80 that controls each unit. The control unit 80 has a timer for measuring time. A compressor 81, a blower 83, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 86, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 87, an operation unit 88, a motor 52, a detection switch 71, a detection switch 72, an acceleration sensor 73, and a storage unit 89 are connected to the control unit 80. ..

The acceleration sensor 73 is provided on the door 4 and detects the acceleration when the door 4 is opened and closed. The speed of the door 4 is detected by time-integrating the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 73 by the control unit 80. The storage unit 89 is composed of a ROM and a RAM, stores the operation program of the refrigerator 1, and temporarily stores the calculation result by the control unit 80.

Next, a case where the door 4 is opened and closed from the right side will be described as an example. The same applies when the door 4 is opened and closed from the left side.

The detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 (see FIG. 3) are turned off at the closed position where the door 4 is closed, and are turned on when the door 4 is separated from the main body 2 by a predetermined amount. As a result, when the door 4 starts to open from the left, the right pivot shaft 4c rotates as a rotation shaft, so that the left detection switch 71 farther from the rotation shaft detects the right side. It turns on before switch 72. That is, it can be detected that the door 4 has started to open from the left when the detection switch 72 is off and the detection switch 71 is on.

Similarly, when the detection switch 71 is off and the detection switch 72 is on, it can be detected that the door 4 has started to open from the right side. Further, when the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 are turned on, it can be detected that the door 4 is opened more than a predetermined opening degree.

In the following description, the case where one of the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 is on and the other is off is the "half-open state of the door 4", and the case where the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 are on is the "fully open state of the door 4". In some cases.

In the present embodiment, the opening degree of the door 4 is smaller than a predetermined opening degree in the half-open state of the door 4, and the door 4 is arranged in a drive region that can be driven to close by the door driving device 50.

As a result, when closing the door 4 opened from the left side, the closing position of the door 4 can be detected by turning on / off the detection switch 71 (first door detection unit) on the left side, and the detection switch 72 (second door) on the right side can be detected. It is possible to detect that the door 4 is arranged in the drive area by turning on / off the detection unit). Similarly, when closing the door 4 opened from the right side, the closing position of the door 4 can be detected by turning on / off the detection switch 72 (first door detection unit) on the right side, and the detection switch 71 (second door) on the left side can be detected. It is possible to detect that the door 4 is arranged in the drive area by turning on / off the detection unit).

When the door 4 is arranged at the closing position, the door opening process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is started. In step # 11, it is determined whether or not the door 4 is arranged at the closed position. If the door 4 is not arranged at the closed position, it is determined that the door 4 has been manually opened and the process is terminated. If the door 4 is arranged in the closed position, the process proceeds to step # 12.

In step # 12, it is determined whether or not the operation button for opening the door 4 has been operated. If the operation button is not operated, the process proceeds to step # 11, and steps # 11 and # 12 are repeated.

When the operation button for opening the door 4 from the right side is operated, the process proceeds to step # 13, and the door driving device 50 is driven. In step # 14, the door driving device 50 drives the slider 59a and the inclined surface 63a to slide, the door 4 is opened from the right side, and the driving is continued until the slider 59 is placed in the retracted position.

When the slider 59 is arranged in the retracted position, the process proceeds to step # 15, the door driving device 50 is stopped, and the process is completed.

The operation of the cam mechanism 12 and the door driving device 50 by the door opening process of FIG. 8 will be described in detail. When the door 4 is closed, the cam mechanisms 12 on both sides are arranged at the first locking position shown in FIG. That is, the left and right hinge pins 21 are arranged at the connecting portion between the first groove portion 32 and the second groove portion 33. Further, the relief portion 34b (see FIG. 10) of the boss 34 is arranged along the guide surface 24a of the rib 24.

Since the first groove portion 32 is inclined in the front-rear direction in a plane perpendicular to the pivot shaft 4d, the hinge pin 21 does not separate from the open ends of the left and right first groove portions 32. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the door 4 from falling off.

When the door drive device 50 is driven in step # 13 by operating the operation button for opening the door 4 from the right side, the drive unit 58 drives the door 4 to open the door from the right side. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the reduction gear 56 rotates counterclockwise CCW in the drawing, and the slider 59a rotates in the X direction away from the pivot shaft 4d (to the right in the drawing). As a result, the slider 59a comes into contact with the inclined surface 63a of the rib 63 on the right side. Further, when the slider 59a rotates counterclockwise CCW in the drawing, the door 4 is opened from the right by sliding between the slider 59a and the inclined surface 63a.

At this time, in FIG. 4, the right hinge pin 21 moves relative to the open end of the first groove portion 32 by the engagement guide of the first groove portion 32. The open end of the first groove portion 32 is inclined toward the inside of the door 4, and the second groove portion 33 extends outward from the connecting portion with the first groove portion 32.

Since the distance between both hinge pins 21 is constant, when the right hinge pin 21 moves inward toward the open end, the left hinge pin 21 moves outward in the second groove 33 in the direction away from the first groove 32. do. As a result, the door 4 slides from the left pivot shaft 4d side to the right open side while rotating. At this time, since the slider 59a moves in the direction away from the pivot shaft 4d in the X direction and presses the inclined surface 63a of the guide portion 60 on the right side, the door 4 can be easily slid.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the left hinge pin 21 reaches the closed end of the second groove 33, and the cam mechanism 12 is arranged at the second locking position. At this time, the cylindrical surface 34a of the left boss 34 starts sliding with the guide surface 24a of the rib 24. As a result, the engagement of the hinge pin 21 with the second groove 33 restricts the movement of the door 4 in the substantially front-rear direction, and the engagement between the boss 34 and the rib 24 restricts the movement of the door 4 in the substantially left-right direction. NS. Therefore, the cam mechanism 12 slides and restricts the door 4 at the second locking position to rotatably support the door 4.

Further, the cylindrical surface 25b of the first engaging projection 25 on the right side and the sliding surface 35b of the second engaging projection 35 slide, and the cylindrical surface 25a and the second engaging projection of the first engaging projection 25 on the left side slide. The sliding surface 35a of 35 slides. As a result, the door 4 can be rotated more stably.

When the door 4 is further opened, the engagement between the right hinge pin 21 and the groove cam 31 is released as shown in FIG. Further, the engagement between the first engaging protrusion 25 on the right side and the second engaging protrusion 35 is released. As a result, the cam mechanism 12 on the right side is disengaged. The door 4 is slid-regulated and rotates around the hinge pin 21 on the left side.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the door 4 is opened by a predetermined amount, the slider 59 reaches the end (rear end) of the inclined surface 63a and leaves the inclined surface 63a. When the slider 59a leaves the inclined surface 63a, the door 4 is opened by a predetermined amount due to inertia, and the left guide portion 60 retracts from the rotation locus of the slider 59. As shown in FIG. 13, the reduction gear 56 continues to rotate the CCW counterclockwise in the drawing until the slider 59 is placed in the retracted position (step # 14). When the slider 59 is arranged at the retracted position as shown in FIG. 6 described above, the motor 52 is stopped and the door drive device 50 is stopped (step # 15). At this time, each slider 59 is arranged at a position rotated by a central angle θ (see FIG. 6) with respect to the retracted position before opening the door 4.

When the slider 59a leaves the inclined surface 63a, the reduction gear 56 is inverted and the slider 59 is placed in the retracted position, and the slider 59a is placed in the same position as before the door 4 is opened. May be good.

Next, the operation when the door 4 is closed will be described. When the door 4 is opened from the closing position, the door closing process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14 is started. In step # 21, it is determined whether or not the door 4 shifts from the half-open state to the fully open state and is arranged outside the drive region. If the door 4 is not arranged outside the drive area, the process proceeds to step # 22 and it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, steps # 21 and # 22 are repeated.

When a predetermined time elapses while the door 4 is arranged in the drive region, the door 4 continues to be in the half-open state, so that the process proceeds to step # 31 in which the door 4 is closed by the door drive device 50.

When the door 4 is arranged outside the drive area within a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step # 23. In step # 23, the door 4 is pushed out by the user and waits until it enters the half-opened drive area from outside the fully-opened drive area. During this time, the acceleration of the door 4 is detected by the acceleration sensor 73 (see FIG. 7), and the current rotation direction and speed of the door 4 are derived by integrating the accelerations.

When the door 4 enters the drive region, the process proceeds to step # 24. In step # 24, it is determined whether or not the speed of the door 4 derived by the detection of the acceleration sensor 73 is equal to or higher than the self-closing speed that can be self-closed without the closing drive by the door driving device 50. If the speed of the door 4 is equal to or higher than the self-closing speed, the process proceeds to step # 25, and if the speed is lower than the self-closing speed, the process proceeds to step # 31.

In step # 25, the door drive device 50 is set to the closed drive stop state, and it is determined whether or not the door 4 is self-closed with the force pushed out by the user and placed in the closed position. If the door 4 is not arranged at the closed position, it is determined in step # 26 whether or not the predetermined time has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, steps # 25 and # 26 are repeated. If the door 4 is self-closed and placed in the closed position before the elapse of the predetermined time, the process ends. If a predetermined time elapses before the door 4 is arranged in the closed position, the process proceeds to step # 31.

In step # 26, the passage of a predetermined time is monitored by the timer, but the passage of a predetermined period may be monitored by another method. For example, the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 86 may monitor the period until the refrigerating chamber 3 is heated to a predetermined temperature. Further, the period until the compressor 81 is driven by the temperature rise of the refrigerating chamber 3 may be monitored.

In step # 31, the door drive device 50 closes the door 4 in a closed drive state, and the motor 52 of the door drive device 50 is driven.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the reduction gear 56 rotates counterclockwise CCW in the drawing. The slider 59c in the retracted position rotates in the direction away from the pivot shaft 4d in the X direction (to the right in the figure) and comes into contact with the inclined surface 64a of the rib 64. Further, when the slider 59c rotates counterclockwise CCW in the drawing, the door 4 is closed by sliding the slider 59c and the inclined surface 64a.

In step # 32, the slider 59c waits until it rotates by a predetermined amount. When the slider 59c rotates by a predetermined amount and reaches the end (front end) of the inclined surface 64a, the process proceeds to step # 33 and the motor 52 reverses. As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, the reduction gear 56 rotates clockwise CW in the drawing.

In step # 34, the drive is continued until the slider 59 is placed in the retracted position. When the slider 59 is arranged in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 6 described above, the process proceeds to step # 35 and waits until the door 4 is arranged in the closed position. When the slider 59c reaches the end (front end) of the inclined surface 64a, the door 4 approaches the main body 2 and moves to the closing position by the attractive force of the magnet provided on the packing. As a result, the inclined surface 64a is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the rotation locus of the slider 59c.

When the door 4 is arranged at the closing position, it is determined whether or not the operation of moving to step # 36 and closing the door 4 by the door driving device 50 has been performed a predetermined number of times. If the operation of closing the door 4 by the door driving device 50 has not been performed a predetermined number of times, the process proceeds to step # 37, the motor 52 is inverted, and steps # 32 to # 37 are repeated. As a result, even if the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 malfunction and are turned off before the door 4 is closed, the door 4 can be reliably closed.

When the operation of closing the door 4 by the door driving device 50 is performed a predetermined number of times, the door driving device 50 is stopped to end the process.

According to the present embodiment, when the door 4 enters the drive region from outside the drive region, the closing speed of the door 4 is determined in step # 24. When the closing speed of the door 4 is smaller than the self-closing speed, the process proceeds to step # 31 to bring the door drive device 50 into the closed drive state. Further, when the closing speed of the door 4 is higher than the self-closing speed, the process proceeds to step # 25 to stop the door driving device 50 in the closed drive stop state. As a result, the frequency with which the door driving device 50 is driven can be reduced, and the power saving of the refrigerator 1 can be achieved.

Further, after the door 4 enters the drive region from outside the drive region, the door 4 shifts to step # 31 and shifts to the closed drive state when the closed drive is not detected for a predetermined period in the closed drive stop state according to the judgment of steps # 25 and # 26. I have to. Therefore, when the door 4 continues to be half-opened due to interference between the stored items in the refrigerator compartment 3 and the door 4, the door 4 is closed by the door drive device 50, and the refrigerator 1 can be further reduced in power consumption. can.

Even if the door 4 is not arranged at the closing position in step # 25, the process can be completed without shifting to step # 26. In this case, since the door 4 has not reached the closing position even though the door 4 has a self-closing speed or higher, the storage may be caught or the user's finger or the like may be in the door 4 and the main body 2. It may be caught between and. Therefore, the alarm sound may be sounded without closing the door 4 by the door driving device 50.

Further, after detecting the closing position in the closed driving state, the operation of closing the door 4 by the door driving device 50 is repeated a predetermined number of times (steps # 32 to # 37). As a result, even if the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 malfunction and are turned off before the door 4 is closed, the door 4 can be reliably closed.

It should be noted that the process may be shifted to step # 38 without performing step # 36, and the door drive device 50 may be stopped to end the process. Since the malfunction of the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 is rare, the number of operations of closing the door 4 by the door driving device 50 can be suppressed, and the power saving of the refrigerator 1 can be further improved.

Further, the speed of the door 4 can be easily detected based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 73 that detects the acceleration of the door 4.

Further, a detection switch 71 (first detection switch) is arranged in the vicinity of the pivot shaft 4d (first pivot shaft) of the door 4 that can be selectively opened and closed from the left and right, and the pivot shaft 4c (second pivot shaft) is arranged. ), A detection switch 72 (second detection switch) is arranged.

When closing the door 4 opened from the left side, the detection switch 71 constitutes a first door detection unit that detects the closing position of the door 4, and the detection switch 72 detects that the door 4 is arranged in the drive area. The second door detection unit is configured. When closing the door 4 opened from the right side, the detection switch 72 constitutes a first door detection unit that detects the closing position of the door 4, and the detection switch 71 detects that the door 4 is arranged in the drive area. The second door detection unit is configured.

As a result, the first door detection unit and the second door detection unit for the door 4 opened from one of the left and right sides are shared with the first door detection unit and the second door detection unit for the door 4 opened from the other side, and the number of parts of the refrigerator 1 is increased. Can be reduced.

Further, the door drive device 50 has a pair of symmetrical inclined surfaces 64a arranged on the door 4 and inclined with respect to the front surface of the refrigerating chamber 3, and one reduction gear 56 (rotating body) arranged on the main body 2. And a slider 59 arranged on the reduction gear 56 and sliding on the inclined surface 64a. As a result, the door 4 can be opened and closed from the left and right by the rotation of one reduction gear 56, and the number of parts of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced.

Further, since the plurality of sliders 59 are arranged rotationally symmetrically on the reduction gear 56, the sliders 59 can be quickly arranged in the retracted position after the door 4 is opened.

Further, when the door 4 opened from the closed position is continuously arranged in the drive region for a predetermined time by the judgment of step # 22, the process proceeds to step # 31 to bring the door 4 into the closed drive state. Therefore, when the half-open state of the door 4 continues, the door 4 is closed by the door driving device 50, and the power saving of the refrigerator 1 can be further improved.

In the present embodiment, the hinge pin 21 and the rib 24 may be provided on the door 4, and the groove cam 31 and the boss 34 may be provided on the main body 2. Further, the first engaging protrusion 25 may be provided on the door 4, and the second engaging protrusion 35 may be provided on the main body 2.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, FIGS. 17 and 18 show a front view and a top view of the refrigerator 1 of the second embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 16 in that the door 4 is opened on one side and the cam mechanism 12 (see FIG. 4) is omitted. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The door 4 is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 4c vertically arranged at the right end. A detection switch 71 and a detection switch 72 are arranged at the left and right ends on the upper wall of the refrigerator compartment 3. When closing the door 4 opened from the left side, the detection switch 71 constitutes a first door detection unit that detects the closing position of the door 4, and the detection switch 72 detects that the door 4 is arranged in the drive area. The second door detection unit is configured.

The door drive device 50 includes a drive unit 58 and a guide unit 60 similar to those in the first embodiment, and the guide unit 60 is arranged on only one side with respect to the center line CL.

In the refrigerator 1 having the above configuration, the door 4 arranged at the closed position is opened by the door opening process shown in FIG. 8 described above. At this time, the door drive device 50 opens the door 4 by the slider 59 in the retracted position rotating clockwise in FIG. 18 and sliding with the inclined surface 63a. Further, the opened door 4 is closed by the door closing process shown in FIG. 14 described above. At this time, the door drive device 50 closes the door 4 by the slider 59 rotating clockwise in FIG. 18 and sliding with the inclined surface 64a.

As a result, the door 4 can be opened and closed from the left as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, the third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 73 (see FIG. 7) is omitted as compared with the first embodiment, and the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 are configured by a multi-stage push button switch. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72, which are composed of multi-stage push button switches, output a signal to the control unit 80 (see FIG. 7) when the door 4 presses the first stage and the second stage. In the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72, the distance between the door 4 and the main body 2 when the first stage is pressed and the distance between the door 4 and the main body 2 when the second stage is pressed are determined, respectively. The control unit 80 detects the speed of the door 4 based on the time when the door 4 moves in the range from the first-stage pressing to the second-stage pressing of the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72.

As a result, the speed of the door 4 can be easily detected in step # 24 of FIG. 14 described above. Further, by setting the pressing state of either the first stage or the second stage to the off state in the first embodiment, it is possible to detect the closed state and the fully open / half open state of the door 4 as in the first embodiment.

Instead of the multi-stage push button switch, the two push button switches may be arranged so that the on / off positions are different from each other. Further, the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 of the present embodiment may be provided in the second embodiment.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 are configured by a distance measuring sensor instead of the multi-stage push button switch as compared with the third embodiment. Other parts are the same as those in the third embodiment.

The detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 including the distance measuring sensor output the distance between the door 4 and the main body 2 to the control unit 80 (see FIG. 7). As the distance measuring sensor, a reflective optical sensor, magnetic force detection by a Hall element, or the like can be used.

The control unit 80 detects the fully open / half open state and the closed state of the door 4 based on the distance between the door 4 and the main body 2 output from the detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72. Further, the control unit 80 detects the speed of the door 4 based on the time when the door 4 moves in a predetermined range between two points having different distances from the main body 2.

As a result, the speed of the door 4 can be easily detected in step # 24 of FIG. 14 described above.

The detection switch 71 and the detection switch 72 including the distance measuring sensor may be provided in the second embodiment.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the door 4 is opened and closed by the door driving device 50, but the door driving device that only drives the door 4 to close may be used. Further, the door 4 may be opened / closed by a slider 59 in which the door driving device 50 slides left and right, or the door 4 may be opened / closed by repulsion and suction by an electromagnet. Further, the sliding door 6 or the door 8 may be opened and closed by a similar door driving device.

According to the present invention, it can be used in a refrigerator provided with a door driving device that closes the door.

1 Refrigerator 2 Main body 3 Refrigerator room 3a Opening surface 4, 6, 8 Door 4c, 4d Axis 5 Freezer room 6a, 8a Storage case 7 Vegetable room 9 Machine room 10, 11 Support member 12 Cam mechanism 21 Hinge pin 24 Rib 25 1st engaging protrusion 30 Cam member 31 Groove cam 32 1st groove 33 2nd groove 34 Boss 35 2nd engaging protrusion 36 Relief groove 50 Door drive device 51 Support member 52 Motor 53 Warm 54 Warm wheel 55, 56 Reduction gear 58 Drive unit 59, 59a, 59b, 59c Slider 60 Guide unit 63, 64 Rib 63a, 64a Inclined surface 71, 72 Detection switch 73 Acceleration sensor 80 Control unit 81 Compressor 82 Cooler 83 Blower 84, 85 Refrigerator Room temperature sensor 87 Freezer room temperature sensor 88 Operation unit 89 Storage unit CL Center line θ Center angle

Claims (7)

A door drive that closes and drives the door by sliding a main body that forms a storage chamber, a door that opens and closes the storage chamber, a sliding portion provided on the main body portion, and a guide portion provided on the door. It includes a device, a first door detection unit that detects the closing position of the door, and a second door detection unit that detects that the door is arranged in a predetermined drive area that can be driven to close the door by the door drive device. When the door enters the drive region from outside the drive region, the door is closed by the door drive device when the closing speed of the door is smaller than a predetermined self-closing speed. When the closing speed of the door is higher than the self-closing speed, the door driving device is stopped in a closed drive stop state. In the closed drive stop state, the guide portion is moved to the sliding portion by opening and closing the door. A refrigerator characterized in that the sliding portion is arranged at a retracted position that does not interfere with the door, and in the closed drive state, the sliding portion is driven from the retracted position to close and drive the door. A main body that forms a storage chamber, a door that opens and closes the storage chamber, a door drive device that closes and drives the door, a first door detection unit that detects the closing position of the door, and the door drives the door. In a refrigerator provided with a second door detection unit that detects that the door is arranged in a predetermined drive area that can be driven by the device to close the door, the first pivot shaft that arranges the doors at both left and right ends of the main body portion. A first detection switch that can be pivotally supported by the second pivot shaft and can be selectively opened and closed from the left and right, and is arranged in the vicinity of the first pivot shaft to detect the closing position, and the second pivot. A second detection switch is provided near the shaft to detect the closing position.
Wherein when the door has entered the driving area from outside the driving area, the rate of closing of said door in a closed operating state of closing the door by the door drive device when less than a predetermined self closing speed, the door When the closing speed of the door is larger than the self-closing speed, the door driving device is stopped in the closed drive stop state .
When closing the door pivotally supported and opened by the second pivot shaft, the first door detection unit is configured by the first detection switch, and the second door detection unit is configured by the second detection switch. At the same time, when the door opened pivotally supported by the first pivot shaft is closed, the first door detection unit is configured by the second detection switch, and the second door detection unit is detected by the first detection unit. A refrigerator characterized by being composed of switches. Claim 1 or claim 2 is characterized in that, after the door enters the drive region from outside the drive region, the door is brought into the closed drive state when the closed position is not detected for a predetermined period in the closed drive stop state. The refrigerator described in. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the door driving device repeats the operation of closing the door a predetermined number of times after detecting the closing position in the closed driving state. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the door, and detecting the speed of the door based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor. The second door detecting unit outputs a signal according to the distance between the door and the main body unit, and detects the speed of the door based on the time when the door moves in a predetermined range. The refrigerator according to any one of 1 to 4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the closed drive state is set when the door opened from the closed position is continuously arranged in the drive region for a predetermined time. ..

Images