JP6924105B2 - Door opening / closing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a door opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing a door.

A conventional door opening / closing mechanism is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this door opening / closing mechanism, the door is pivotally supported by a vertical pivot shaft at one end of a main body having an opening surface on the front surface. A pressing means (coil spring) connected to the main body is attached to the lower surface of the door. The pressing means urges the door in the closing direction.

When the user opens the door and the angle between the main body and the door becomes equal to or less than a predetermined angle, the door is closed by the coil spring. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to close the door.

Jikken 07-9987 Gazette

However, according to the conventional door opening / closing mechanism, if a finger is pinched between the main body and the door when the door is closed, a strong force is applied to the finger due to the urging of the spring member. Therefore, there is a problem that the safety of the door opening / closing mechanism is low.

An object of the present invention is to provide a door opening / closing mechanism capable of improving safety.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a door opening / closing mechanism including a main body having an opening surface, a door for opening / closing the opening surface, and a door closing device for closing the door by driving a drive motor. When the drive motor is driven by a predetermined first driving force and the door is not closed within a predetermined period, the door closing operation by the door closing device is stopped and the door is urged to open. It is characterized by that.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention includes an inclined surface provided on one of the main body portion and the door and a sliding portion provided on the other side and slides on the inclined surface, and the door opening / closing mechanism is said to be provided when the closing is not completed. The sliding portion slides on the inclined surface and is urged in a direction in which the door is opened by its own weight.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention closes the door by driving the drive motor with a second driving force larger than the first driving force after urging the door in the opening direction when the closing is not completed. It is characterized by.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the drive voltage of the drive motor having the second driving force is larger than the drive voltage of the drive motor having the first driving force.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the drive motor is notified before being driven by the second driving force.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention includes a discriminating unit that determines whether or not the drive motor is continuously driven within a predetermined release time, and a case where the drive motor is continuously driven within the release time. It is characterized in that a counter is provided which is integrated into the above and is reset when the counter is not continuous within the release time, and when the counter reaches a predetermined value, the drive of the drive motor is stopped for a predetermined stop time.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the counter is reset after the lapse of the stop time.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the release time is lengthened as the number of counters increases.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the integrated amount of the counter when the closing is not completed is larger than the integrated amount of the counter when the door is closed by the door closing device.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the door can be opened by driving the drive motor, and the discrimination unit discriminates including the drive of the drive motor when the door is opened.

Further, the door opening / closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that it notifies when the counter reaches the predetermined value.

According to the present invention, when the drive motor is driven by a predetermined first driving force and the door is not closed within a predetermined period, the door closing operation by the door closing device is stopped and the door is opened. Momentum. As a result, the door can be retracted when a finger is pinched between the main body and the door. Therefore, the safety of the door opening / closing mechanism can be improved.

Front view showing the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention Side sectional view showing the main part of the refrigerator of the 1st Embodiment of this invention Front view showing the angle of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view showing the uneven portion of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door opening operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door opening operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door opening operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart illustrating a door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Front view showing the refrigerator of the third embodiment of the present invention A perspective view showing the upper part of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Side sectional view showing an angle and a roller of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Front sectional view showing an angle and a roller of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Top view showing the cam mechanism of the refrigerator of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. AA cross-sectional view of FIG. Top view showing the refrigerator of the third 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 the 3rd 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 the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. Top view for explaining the door opening operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door opening operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Top view for explaining the door closing operation of the refrigerator door opening / closing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart illustrating the opening operation of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart for explaining the stop state determination of the opening operation of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart illustrating continuous drive determination of a refrigerator door opening operation according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the refrigerator of the first embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has a main body 2 formed of a heat insulating box, and a refrigerating room 3, a freezing room 5, and a vegetable room 7 partitioned by a heat insulating wall 9 (see FIG. 2) are formed in the main body 2 in this order from above.

The opening surface 3a (see FIG. 2) on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber 3 is opened and closed by a door 4 pivotally supported by a vertical pivot shaft 4c on the main body 2. The pivot shaft 4c is formed by hinge pins 21 (see FIG. 2) that support the upper and lower ends of the door 4. The opening surface on the front surface of the freezing chamber 5 is opened and closed by a sliding door 6. The opening surface on the front surface of the vegetable compartment 7 is opened and closed by the sliding door 8.

A packing (not shown) for preventing cold air leakage is provided on the peripheral portion of each of the doors 4, 6 and 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.

An operation unit 19 is provided on the front surface of the door 4. The operation unit 19 is composed of a touch panel. Further, the operation unit 19 is provided with a notification unit 19a that notifies by display. Further, the notification unit 19a includes voice notification by a speaker (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the details of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3. The upper and lower ends of the door 4 of the refrigerator compartment 3 are supported by hinge pins 21 forming a pivot shaft 4c (see FIG. 1). An angle 11 for holding the hinge pin 21 is attached to the front surface of the heat insulating wall 9 between the refrigerating chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 5.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the angle 11. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the angle 11 is formed by bending a metal plate into an L-shaped cross section, and a vertical portion 11v is attached to the heat insulating wall 9 by a screw 16. A hinge pin 21 is projected from one end of the horizontal portion 11h of the angle 11. An annular uneven portion 22 having a plurality of inclined surfaces is formed on the seat surface of the hinge pin 21.

A bearing portion 14 fitted to the hinge pin 21 is attached to the lower surface of the door 4. A follower (not shown) sliding on the uneven portion 22 is provided on the lower surface of the bearing portion 14 so as to project downward.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the uneven portion 22. The uneven portion 22 is formed point-symmetrically, and has a pair of inclined surfaces 22a that descend clockwise and a pair of inclined surfaces 22c that rise clockwise in FIG. The upper end of the inclined surface 22a and the upper end of the inclined surface 22c may be connected by a horizontal plane.

The follower projecting from the lower end surface of the bearing portion 14 has an inclined surface that is in surface contact with the inclined surface 22a and the inclined surface 22c of the uneven portion 22, respectively. As the door 4 rotates, the top of the subsection slides on the uneven portion 22 and moves up and down.

When the follower is arranged on the inclined surface 22a, the door 4 is urged to close by its own weight. On the other hand, when the follower is arranged on the inclined surface 22c, the door 4 is urged to open by its own weight. Further, as will be described later, the door 4 is urged in the closing direction and the opening direction by driving the motor 52 (see FIG. 5).

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the refrigerator 1. A support member 51 extending above the door 4 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 2, and a door opening / closing device 50 (door closing device) is installed on the support member 51. The door opening / closing device 50 includes a slider 59, a drive unit 58 for driving the slider 59, and a guide unit 60 for slidingly guiding the slider 59. Further, the door opening / closing device 50 is provided with a detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the opening amount of the door 4.

The drive unit 58 includes a drive 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 drive 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. A slider 59 is provided on the lower surface of the reduction gear 56. As a result, the slider 59 is rotated by the drive of the drive motor 52.

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 guide portion 60 is provided on the upper surface of the door 4 and has ribs 63, ribs 73, and ribs 74 that project upward. The rib 63 has a cam surface 63a, and the rib 73 has a cam surface 73a that is symmetrical to the cam surface 63a with respect to the center line CL in the Y direction of the reduction gear 56. In the closed state of the door 4 shown in FIG. 5, the cam surface 63a inclines as it approaches the main body 2 so as to move away from the pivot shaft 4c and enter the inside of the orbital circle of the slider 59. The cam surface 73a is inclined so as to approach the pivot shaft 4c as it approaches the main body 2 and enter the inside of the orbital circle of the slider 59.

Further, the rib 74 has a cam surface 74a that inclines away from the pivot shaft 4c as it approaches the main body 2. That is, the cam surface 74a and the cam surface 73a are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the Y direction. Further, the cam surface 74a and the cam surface 73a are both arranged on one side (in the present embodiment, the pivot shaft 4c side) with respect to the center line CL in the Y direction of the reduction gear 56, and the cam surface 74a is the cam surface 73a. It is arranged closer to the main body 2 than the main body 2.

When the door 4 is in the closed drive standby state, the slider 59 is arranged at a retracted position that does not interfere with the guide portion 60 even if the door 4 is manually opened and closed. That is, the slider 59 is arranged between the rib 63 and the rib 73 at the retracted position, and the locus due to the rotation of the cam surface 63a on the outer peripheral side of the locus due to the rotation of the cam surfaces 73a and 74a accompanying the opening and closing of the door 4. It is arranged on the inner circumference side of.

When a predetermined operation is performed by the operation unit 19 (see FIG. 1) in the closed state of the door 4, the drive unit 58 drives the door 4 to open the door. As shown in FIG. 6, the reduction gear 56 rotates clockwise CW in the drawing due to the door opening drive, and the slider 59 moves away from the pivot shaft 4c in the X direction with movement in the Y direction (in the drawing, Move to the left). As a result, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 63a of the rib 63.

When the door 4 moves in the opening direction due to the sliding of the slider 59 and the cam surface 63a, the slave section rises the inclined surface 22a (see FIG. 4) against the urging force due to the weight of the door 4 and the door 4 Is opened while rising. When the door 4 is opened by a predetermined amount, the slider 59 reaches the end (rear end) of the cam surface 63a and ends the door opening drive.

When the door opening drive by the drive unit 58 is completed, the slave section slides on the inclined surface 22c (see FIG. 4), and the door 4 is urged by its own weight to open the door 4. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the slider 59 is arranged at a position away from the cam surface 63a. After that, when the door opening drive by the drive unit 58 is completed, the drive motor 52 is reversely driven, the slider 59 is arranged at the retracted position as shown in FIG. 5, and the drive motor 52 is stopped.

Next, when the door 4 is manually closed from the opened state of the door 4, the slave clause slides on the inclined surface 22c and the door 4 rises. When the detection sensor detects that the door 4 has been closed to a predetermined position, the drive unit 58 drives the door 4 to close with the first driving force.

As shown in FIG. 8, the reduction gear 56 rotates counterclockwise CCW in the drawing due to the door closing drive, and the slider 59 in the retracted position approaches the pivot shaft 4c in the X direction (to the right in the drawing). Moving. As a result, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 74a of the rib 74, and the door 4 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the door 4 is closed by a predetermined amount, the slider 59 reaches the end (front end) of the cam surface 74a. At this time, the slave clause is arranged on the inclined surface 22a (see FIG. 4) and is urged in the direction in which the door 4 is closed, and the slider 59 is separated from the cam surface 74a. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the slider 59 comes into contact with the cam surface 73a, and the sliding surface of the slider 59 is switched from the cam surface 74a to the cam surface 73a.

At this time, the slider 59 is pressed against the cam surface 73a by the weight of the door 4, and supports the door 4 against the urging force of the weight of the door 4. Then, the slider 59 is inverted and rotated clockwise CW in the drawing, so that the slave section descends on the inclined surface 22a (see FIG. 4) and is guided in the direction in which the door 4 is closed. As a result, the door 4 is closed as shown in FIG. After that, the slider 59 is arranged at the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 described above.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a detailed operation when the door 4 is closed by the door opening / closing device 50. The operation of FIG. 12 is started when the door 4 is opened by a predetermined amount. In step # 11, the flag F indicating whether or not the door 4 is normally closed is initialized. If the door 4 is normally closed, 0 is assigned to the flag F, and if the door 4 is not closed, 1 is assigned to the flag F. Further, when the door 4 is about to be closed again and the closing is not completed, 2 is assigned to the flag F.

In step # 21, the vehicle waits until the door 4 is arranged in the closed drive position for driving the drive motor 52, and when the door 4 is arranged in the closed drive position, the process proceeds to step # 22.

In step # 22, the drive motor 52 is driven by a predetermined first driving force. In step # 23, it is determined whether or not the door 4 is closed. If the door 4 is not closed, the process proceeds to step # 24, and it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the drive motor 52 was driven. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, steps # 23 and # 24 are repeated.

If the door 4 is closed at the judgment of step # 23, the process proceeds to step # 26. In step # 26, 0 is assigned to the flag F, and the process proceeds to step # 30. In step # 30, the drive of the drive motor 52 is stopped to end the process.

When the predetermined time elapses according to the determination of step # 24, it is determined that the closing has not been completed, and the process proceeds to step # 25. When the drive current of the drive motor 52 exceeds a predetermined value, it may be determined that the closing has not been completed. Further, an angle sensor for detecting the opening / closing angle of the door 4 may be provided, and when the angle change per unit time of the door 4 becomes smaller than a predetermined value, it may be determined that the door 4 has not been closed.

In step # 25, it is determined whether or not the flag F is 0. If the flag F is 0, the process proceeds to step # 27, 1 is assigned to the flag F, and the process proceeds to step # 31. When the flag F is 1, since it is in the retry mode described later, the process proceeds to step # 28, 2 is assigned to the flag F, and the process proceeds to step # 31.

In step # 31, the drive of the drive motor 52 is stopped. When the drive of the drive motor 52 is stopped, the slave section slides on the inclined surface 22c (see FIG. 4) and the door 4 is urged to open by its own weight. As a result, the reduction gear 56 is urged to the clockwise CW in FIG. 8, for example, through the slider 59, and the reduction gear 56 is slightly rotated clockwise CW in the drawing due to the play of the reduction gear 56 or the rotation of the reduction gear 56. do. Therefore, the door 4 can be slightly moved in the opening direction, and when the door 4 is not closed due to finger stuffing, the door 4 can be retracted and the fingers can be separated from the main body 2.

In step # 31, after stopping the drive of the drive motor 52, the drive motor 52 is reversely driven to rotate the reduction gear 56 clockwise CW in FIG. 8, for example, to move the slider 59 to the retracted position. You may. As a result, it is possible to prevent the slider 59 from interfering with the ribs 73 and 74 when the user who has been notified that the closing has not been completed manually closes or opens the door 4.

In step # 32, the notification unit 19a notifies, for example, "Door 4 is not closed, so please check".

In step # 34, it is determined whether or not the flag F is 1. If the flag F is 1, the process proceeds to step # 35.

In step # 35, it is determined whether the door 4 is manually opened from the closed drive position or the door 4 is manually closed. If the door 4 is not manually opened or closed, the process proceeds to step # 36. In step # 36, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after the drive motor 52 is stopped. If a predetermined time has not elapsed after the drive motor 52 is stopped, steps # 35 and # 36 are repeated.

If the door 4 is opened from the closed drive position or the door 4 is closed by the determination of step # 35, the process ends. If the predetermined time has elapsed at the judgment of step # 36, the process proceeds to step # 37.

In step # 37, it is determined whether or not the retry mode is set by the user. In the retry mode, when the load capacity of the door 4 is large and the door 4 cannot be closed, the door 4 is closed again by the door opening / closing device 50 after a predetermined time. If the retry mode is not set, the process ends, and if it is set, the process proceeds to step # 38.

In step # 38, the torque of the drive motor 52 is increased to drive the drive motor 52 with a second driving force larger than the first driving force. At this time, the second driving force of the drive motor 52 is set so that the driving voltage is larger than that of the first driving force due to the increase in the duty ratio. As a result, the door 4 can be closed when the door 4 is not closed due to the weight of the stored material or the like. Then, steps # 23 to # 34 are repeated.

If the flag F is 2 according to the determination of step # 34, the process is terminated because the door 4 is not closed even in the retry mode. At this time, the content of the notification in step # 32 may be such that the door could not be closed.

According to the present embodiment, when the drive motor 52 is driven by the first driving force and the door 4 is not closed within a predetermined period, it is determined that the door 4 has not been closed. Then, when the closing is not completed, the door closing operation by the door opening / closing device 50 (door closing device) is stopped by stopping the drive motor 52, and the inclined surface 22c urges the door 4 to open. As a result, the door 4 can be retracted when a finger is pinched between the main body 2 and the door 4. Therefore, the safety of the refrigerator 1 (door opening / closing mechanism) can be improved.

Further, since the inclined surface 22c provided on the main body 2 and the slave section (sliding portion) provided on the door 4 and sliding on the inclined surface 22c are provided, the door 4 is provided by the weight of the door 4 when the door 4 is not closed. Can be easily urged to open. The inclined surface 22c may be provided on the door 4 and the slave section may be provided on the main body 2.

Further, after urging the door 4 in the opening direction when the door 4 is not closed, the drive motor 52 is driven by a second driving force larger than the first driving force in step # 38 to close the door 4. As a result, even if the load capacity of the door 4 is large and the door 4 cannot be closed by the first driving force, the door 4 can be closed by the second driving force.

Further, the drive voltage of the drive motor 52 of the second driving force is larger than the drive voltage of the drive motor 52 of the first drive force. Thereby, a second driving force larger than the first driving force can be easily realized.

Further, in step # 32, the drive motor 52 is notified before being driven by the second driving force. As a result, the danger can be avoided by notifying the user in advance.

In the present embodiment, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 63a when the door 4 is opened. In FIG. 6, the reduction gear 56 is rotated counterclockwise CCW so that the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 73a. You may move to open the door 4.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the inclined surface 22c (see FIG. 4) is omitted, and the operation when closing the door 4 is different depending on the door opening / closing device 50. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a top view showing a state in which the door 4 is closed by the door opening / closing device 50. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 are designated by the same reference numerals. The rotation of the reduction gear 56 counterclockwise CCW causes the slider 59 to slide on the cam surface 74a and close the door 4.

At this time, if it is determined in step # 24 of FIG. 12 that the closing has not been completed, the drive motor 52 is reversed in step # 31. As a result, the door closing operation by the door opening / closing device 50 is stopped, and as shown in FIG. 14, the reduction gear 56 rotates clockwise CW, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 63a, and the door 4 moves. It is urged to open. Therefore, the door 4 can be retracted when the fingers are packed.

According to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the drive motor 52 is inverted and the slider 59 and the cam surface 63a slide when the door 4 is not closed, the door 4 can be easily urged in the opening direction, so that the inclined surface 22c is omitted. can do.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, FIG. 15 shows a front view of the refrigerator 1 of the third embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 are designated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the door 4 can be selectively opened from the left and right, and the rib 74 of the guide portion 60 and the rib 64 symmetrical with respect to the center line CL are provided. Further, an inclined surface is formed on the angle 11 by omitting the uneven portion 22, and a roller 18 is provided instead of the subordinate clause.

Further, an operation switch 19b and an operation switch 19c for opening and closing the door 4 are provided below the operation unit 19. The door 4 is pivotally supported by the pivot shaft 4c or the pivot shaft 4d, and can be opened and closed from the left side by operating the operation switch 19b, and can be opened and closed from the right side by operating the operation switch 19c. Others are the same as those in the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper door 4 of the refrigerator 1 is opened. A pair of support members 10 are arranged at both left and right ends above the refrigerating chamber 3, and an angle 11 extending in the left-right direction is 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. Similar pair of cam mechanisms 12 are provided at both left and right ends of the angle 11 and at 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. Further, a roller 18 (see FIG. 17) that rolls on the angle 11 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the door 4.

17 and 18 show a side sectional view and a front sectional view of the angle 11 and the roller 18. The rear end of the horizontal portion 11h of the angle 11 is provided with an inclined surface 11a that is inclined downward at the rear, and the front end is provided with an inclined surface 11c that is inclined downward at the front.

A support member 17 is attached to the lower surface of the door 4 (see FIG. 16) by a screw (not shown) inserted through the through hole 17a. A plurality of rollers 18 having rotating shafts arranged on the left and right are pivotally supported at the rear portion of the support member 17.

When the roller 18 is arranged on the inclined surface 11a, the door 4 is urged to close by its own weight. Further, when the roller 18 is arranged on the inclined surface 11c, the door 4 is urged in the opening direction by its own weight.

FIG. 19 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. 20 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 the figure) 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. 15) 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 continuous first groove portion 32 and a second groove portion 33 to which the hinge pin 21 is engaged. 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 shafts 4c and 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. 22) 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 sliding surfaces 35a and 35b that slide with the cylindrical surfaces 25a and 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. 21 shows a top view of the refrigerator 1. The door opening / closing device 50 has a drive motor 52, a worm 53, a worm wheel 54, a reduction gear 55, and a reduction gear 56, as in the first embodiment. A slider 59 is provided on the lower surface of the reduction gear 56.

Further, the guide portion 60 is provided symmetrically with respect to the center line CL, and has a rib 63, a rib 64, a rib 73, and a rib 74 projecting upward. The ribs 63, 73 and 74 are formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The rib 64 is formed symmetrically with respect to the center line CL and has a cam surface 64a.

When the reduction gear 56 is rotated clockwise CW in the drawing by driving the drive unit 58, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 63a on the left side in the drawing. At this time, the door 4 is pivotally supported by the right pivot shaft 4c and rotates. Further, when the reduction gear 56 is rotated counterclockwise CCW in the drawing by driving the drive unit 58, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 73a on the right side in the drawing. At this time, the door 4 is pivotally supported by the left pivot shaft 4d and rotates.

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. 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. 22) of the boss 34 is arranged along the guide surface 24a of the rib 24.

Since the first groove portion 32 is inclined with respect to 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.

In the present embodiment, the operation unit 19 is provided with an operation button for opening the door 4 from the right side and an operation button for opening the door 4 from the left side. The operation buttons do not have to be independent as long as the user can instruct the opening direction of the door 4.

When the operation button for opening the door 4 from the right side is operated, the drive unit 58 drives the door 4 to open the door 4 from the right side. That is, the reduction gear 56 rotates counterclockwise CCW in FIG. 21, and the slider 59 moves in the direction away from the pivot shaft 4d in the X direction (to the right in the figure) with movement in the Y direction. As a result, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 73a of the rib 73 and presses the door 4 to the right in the drawing.

As a result, the hinge pin 21 engaged with the groove cam 31 on the left side moves relative to the outside (left side in the drawing) in the second groove portion 33 in the direction away from the first groove portion 32. Since the distance between both hinge pins 21 is constant, when the left hinge pin 21 moves relative to the outside, the right hinge pin 21 moves inward. The open end of the first groove 32 is inclined toward the inside of the door 4, and the hinge pin 21 on the right side moves inward so that the engagement guide of the first groove 32 is directed toward the open end of the first groove 32. Move relative to each other. Therefore, the door 4 slides from the left pivot shaft 4d side to the right open side while rotating, and the door 4 is opened from the right side.

When the door 4 moves in the opening direction due to the sliding of the slider 59 and the cam surface 73a, the roller 18 raises the inclined surface 11a (see FIG. 17) against the urging force due to the weight of the door 4 and the door 4 Is opened while rising.

Then, as shown in FIG. 22, 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, as shown in FIG. 23, the engagement between the right hinge pin 21 and the groove cam 31 is released. 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. 24, the slider 59 continuously slides on the cam surface 73a even after the cam mechanism 12 on the right side is disengaged. When the door 4 is opened by a predetermined amount, the slider 59 reaches the end (rear end) of the cam surface 73a and ends the door opening drive.

When the door opening drive by the drive unit 58 is completed, the roller 18 slides on the inclined surface 11c (see FIG. 17), and the door 4 is urged and opened by its own weight. As a result, as shown in FIG. 25, the slider 59 is arranged at a position away from the cam surface 73a. After that, the door 4 is sufficiently opened, and the door 4 can be easily opened manually. When the door opening drive by the drive unit 58 is completed, the drive motor 52 is reversely driven, the slider 59 is arranged at the retracted position, and the drive motor 52 is stopped.

Next, when the door 4 is closed, the left and right cam mechanisms 12 operate in the reverse manner to the above. When the door 4 is manually closed from the opened state of the door 4, the roller 18 slides on the inclined surface 11c (see FIG. 17) and the door 4 rises. When the detection sensor detects that the door 4 has been closed to a predetermined position, the drive unit 58 drives the door 4 to close.

As shown in FIG. 26, the reduction gear 56 rotates clockwise CW in the drawing due to the door closing drive, and the slider 59 in the retracted position moves in the direction approaching the pivot shaft 4d in the X direction (to the right in the drawing). do. As a result, the slider 59 slides on the cam surface 64a of the rib 64, and the door 4 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 27, when the door 4 is closed by a predetermined amount, the slider 59 reaches the end (front end) of the cam surface 64a. At this time, the rollers 18 are arranged on the inclined surface 11a (see FIG. 17). As a result, the door 4 is urged in the closing direction, and the slider 59 is separated from the cam surface 64a. Then, as shown in FIG. 28, the door 4 is arranged at a position where the slider 59 abuts on the cam surface 63a, and the sliding surface of the slider 59 is switched from the cam surface 64a to the cam surface 63a.

At this time, the slider 59 supports the door 4 against the urging force due to the weight of the door 4, and the closing speed of the door 4 is regulated. Then, as shown in FIG. 29, in the drawing of the slider 59, the door 4 is closed by the rotation of the counterclockwise CCW.

Further, as in the first embodiment, the door 4 is closed as shown in FIG. 12 described above. The door 4 is closed by driving the drive motor 52 with the first driving force, and when it is determined that the closing is not completed, the drive motor 52 is stopped in step # 31 to stop the door closing operation by the door opening / closing device 50. As a result, the inclined surface 11c and the roller 18 slide, and the door 4 is urged in the opening direction by its own weight.

Then, when the retry mode is set, the drive motor 52 is driven by the second driving force in step # 38, and the door 4 is closed again.

According to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the door can be retracted when a finger is pinched between the main body 2 and the door 4. Therefore, the safety of the door opening / closing mechanism can be improved. Further, in step # 38, the drive motor 52 is driven by a second driving force larger than the first driving force to close the door 4. As a result, even if the load capacity of the door 4 is large and the door 4 cannot be closed by the first driving force, the door 4 can be closed by the second driving force.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, FIG. 30 shows a flowchart for explaining the closing operation of the refrigerator 1 of the third embodiment. This embodiment is partially different from the door closing operation of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 12 described above, and stops driving the drive motor 52 when the drive motor 52 is continuously driven a predetermined number of times. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, a part different from the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 will be described. When the flag F is initialized in step # 11, the stop state determination process for determining whether or not the drive motor 52 is in the stopped state is called in step # 12.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing the operation of the stop state determination process. The same stop state determination process is executed when the door 4 is opened by the door opening / closing device 50. In step # 41, it is determined whether or not the counter i for counting the number of continuous drives of the drive motor 52 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (80 in this case) smaller than the upper limit value described later. When the outside air temperature is low, the predetermined value may be larger than 80. The counter i is increased by the continuous drive discrimination process described later. If the counter i is less than 80, the process proceeds to step # 47, and if the counter i is 80 or more, the process proceeds to step # 42.

In step # 42, it is determined whether or not the counter i is equal to or higher than a predetermined upper limit value (here, 100). If the counter i is less than 100, the process proceeds to step # 43, and if the counter i is 100 or more, the process proceeds to step # 44. When the outside air temperature is low, the upper limit may be made larger than 100.

In step # 43, the notification unit 19a notifies that the number of continuous drives of the drive motor 52 has approached the upper limit value, and the process proceeds to step # 47.

In step # 44, the door 4 is in the drive-stopped state, and the operation unit 19 notifies that the reception cannot be performed.

In step # 45, it is determined whether or not a predetermined stop time (for example, 3000 sec) has elapsed since the counter i reached the upper limit value. If the stop time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step # 48, the drive motor 52 is determined to be in the drive stop state, and the process returns to step # 13 in FIG. If the stop time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step # 46 and the counter i is reset (i = 0 because the drive motor 52 has not been driven yet).

In step # 47, it is determined that the drive motor 52 can be driven, and the process returns to step # 13 in FIG.

In step # 13 of FIG. 30, it is determined whether or not the drive motor 52 is in the drive stop state based on the return value of the stop state determination process. If the drive is stopped, the process ends. As a result, the door 4 is opened and closed only manually. In the driveable state, the process proceeds to step # 21, and steps # 21 to # 32 are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

When the drive motor 52 is stopped in step # 30 or step # 31, the continuous drive determination process is called. FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the operation of the continuous drive discrimination process. The continuous drive determination process determines whether or not the drive motor 52 has been continuously driven within a predetermined release time. Further, the same continuous drive determination process is executed when the door 4 is opened by the door opening / closing device 50.

In step # 51, a predetermined release time Ti is derived. The release time Ti consists of a function of the counter i, and is set to 30 sec × i in this embodiment. As a result, the release time Ti is lengthened as the counter i increases.

In step # 52, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time T since the last drive motor 52 was driven is equal to or greater than the release time Ti. When the elapsed time T is equal to or longer than the release time Ti, it is determined that the drive motor 52 has sufficiently dissipated heat, and the process proceeds to step # 55 to reset the counter i (because the drive motor 52 has been driven, i = 1). Return to the processing of.

If the elapsed time T is less than the release time Ti, the process proceeds to step # 53. In step # 53, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time T is equal to or greater than the predetermined holding time Tx. In the present embodiment, the hold time Tx is set to 30 seconds. When the elapsed time T is equal to or longer than the holding time Tx, it is determined that a predetermined amount of heat has been dissipated, and the integration of the counter i, which will be described later, is suspended and the process returns to the process of FIG. If the elapsed time T is smaller than the holding time Tx, it is determined that heat dissipation is insufficient, and the process proceeds to step # 54.

In step # 54, it is determined whether or not the flag F is 0. When the flag F is 0, the door 4 is normally closed, the process proceeds to step # 56, and 1 is added to the counter i. If the flag F is not 0, the door 4 is not closed normally. Therefore, it is considered that the load of the drive motor 52 is large and the heat generation is large, so the process proceeds to step # 57, 9 is added to the counter i, and the process returns to FIG.

The counter i is integrated in steps # 56 and # 57, and when the counter i exceeds the upper limit value, the drive motor 52 is put into the stopped state by the stop state determination process.

According to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, it is determined by the continuous drive discrimination process (discrimination unit) whether or not the drive motor 52 is continuously driven within the release time Ti. Further, a counter i is provided which is integrated when the drive of the drive motor 52 is continuously within the release time Ti and is reset when the drive is not continuously within the release time Ti. Then, when the counter i reaches the upper limit value, the drive of the drive motor 52 is stopped for the stop time. As a result, abnormal heating of the drive motor 52 is suppressed, and failure of the drive motor 52 can be reduced.

If the drive of the drive motor 52 is not continuous within the release time Ti, the counter i is reset. Thereby, in general use, it is possible to prevent the counter i from reaching the upper limit value and the drive motor 52 from being stopped. Further, since the release time Ti is lengthened as the counter i is increased, the heat accumulated in the drive motor 52 by continuous driving can be sufficiently dissipated.

Further, the integrated amount of the counter i when the door 4 is closed by the door opening / closing device 50 is larger than the integrated amount of the counter i when the door 4 is not closed. As a result, the release time Ti can be lengthened when the drive motor 52 generates a large amount of heat and is not closed, and the drive motor 52 can be reliably dissipated when the release time Ti elapses.

Further, when the counter i reaches a predetermined value (80 in this embodiment), it is notified. This makes it possible to easily inform the user that the drive motor 52 is in a heated state.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the holding time Tx of FIG. 32 of the fourth embodiment is changed by the load of the drive motor 52. Other parts are the same as those in the fourth embodiment.

The load of the drive motor 52 is estimated from the drive time (time from the start to the end of the drive) of the drive motor 52 when the door was opened or closed last time, the motor current during the drive, and the like. Then, when the load of the drive motor 52 is smaller than the predetermined value, the holding time Tx is set to a time shorter than 30 seconds.

For example, if the previous drive time of the drive motor 52 is longer than a predetermined time, the hold time Tx is set to 30 seconds, and if it is less than the predetermined time, the hold time Tx is set to 15 seconds, which is shorter than 30 seconds. Further, in the demo mode in which the demonstration is performed at the store, the storage chamber is not cooled, so that the negative pressure does not occur, and the heavy object is not stored in the door pocket, so that the load on the drive motor 52 is small. Therefore, in the demo mode, the hold time Tx is set to 5 seconds, which is even shorter than 15 seconds.

As a result, when the load at the time of driving the drive motor 52 is small and the heat generation of the drive motor 52 is small, it is not necessary to integrate the counter i if the short holding time Tx elapses. As a result, it is possible to suppress the transition of the drive motor 52 to the drive stop state due to the integration of unnecessary counters in the demo mode or the like.

In the first to fifth embodiments, the refrigerator 1 (door opening / closing device) may be a refrigerator 1 (door opening / closing device) that closes the door 4 by driving the drive motor 52 and manually opens the door 4. At this time, the counter i of the fourth embodiment and the fifth embodiment increases when the door 4 is closed.

According to the present invention, it can be used in a device such as a refrigerator provided with a door opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing a door.

1 Refrigerator (door opening / closing mechanism)
2 Main body 3 Refrigerator room 3a Opening surface 4, 6, 8 Door 4c, 4d Pivot shaft 5 Freezing room 7 Vegetable room 9 Insulation wall 10, 17, 51 Support member 11 Angle 11a, 11c Inclined surface 12 Cam mechanism 14 Bearing part 14a, 14c Inclined surface 16 Screw 18 Roller 19 Operation unit 19a Notification unit 19b, 19c Operation switch 21 Hinge pin 22 Concavo-convex part 22a, 22c Inclined surface 24 Rib 25 First engagement protrusion 30 Cam member 31 Groove cam 32 First groove 33 2 Groove 34 Boss 35 2nd engaging protrusion 36 Relief groove 50 Door opening / closing device (door closing device)
51 Support member 52 Drive motor 53 Warm 54 Warm wheel 55, 56 Reduction gear 57 Rack 58 Drive unit 59 Slider 60 Guide unit 61, 62, 63, 64, 73, 74 Ribs 61a, 62a, 63a, 64a, 73a, 74a Cam surface CL center line

Claims (5)

In a door opening / closing mechanism including a main body having an opening surface, a door that can manually open / close the opening surface, and a door closing device that closes the door by driving a drive motor, the drive motor is driven in a predetermined first position. the door when closed without closing incompletion of the first predetermined time in between and driven by a force closure, stops the door closing operation by the door closing device, the notification unit to bias in the opening direction of the door When the completion is notified and the second predetermined time elapses without closing the door after that, the driving motor is driven by a second driving force larger than the first driving force to close the door. The characteristic door opening and closing mechanism. An inclined surface provided on one of the main body portion and the door and a sliding portion provided on the other side and sliding on the inclined surface are provided, and the sliding portion slides on the inclined surface when the closing is not completed. The door opening / closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the door slides and is urged in a direction in which the door is opened by its own weight. In a door opening / closing mechanism including a main body having an opening surface, a door that opens / closes the opening surface, and a door closing device that closes the door by driving a drive motor, the drive motor is driven and the drive motor is driven within a predetermined period of time. When the door cannot be closed and the door is not closed, the door closing operation by the door closing device is stopped and the door is urged to open.
A discriminating unit that determines whether or not the drive motor has been driven within a third predetermined time since the previous drive of the drive motor, and a case where the drive motor is driven within the third predetermined time. A counter is provided that is integrated and reset when the operation is not performed within the third predetermined time, and when the counter reaches a predetermined value, the drive of the drive motor is stopped for a predetermined stop time, and the third predetermined time door opening and closing mechanism characterized in that it is longer with increasing value of the counter. In a door opening / closing mechanism including a main body having an opening surface, a door that opens / closes the opening surface, and a door closing device that closes the door by driving a drive motor, the drive motor is driven and the drive motor is driven within a predetermined period of time. When the door cannot be closed and the door is not closed, the door closing operation by the door closing device is stopped and the door is urged to open.
A discriminating unit that determines whether or not the drive motor has been driven within a third predetermined time since the previous drive of the drive motor, and a case where the drive motor is driven within the third predetermined time. A counter is provided that is integrated and reset when the counter is not performed within the third predetermined time, and when the counter reaches a predetermined value, the drive of the drive motor is stopped for a predetermined stop time, and the door is closed. the counter of the integrated amount door opening and closing mechanism you wherein the cumulative amount of the counter at the time of the closure unfinished is greater than when the door is closed by the device. The door opening / closing according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the door can be opened by driving the drive motor, and the discriminating unit discriminates including the drive of the drive motor when the door is opened. mechanism.

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