JP6956330B2 - Door opening device and refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a door opening device and a refrigerator equipped with the door opening device.

As a door opening device that automatically opens the door with the increase in size of the refrigerator, a configuration has conventionally disclosed in which the door is automatically opened by linearly moving the pressing member by the worm gear and the rack with the motor as the drive source. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, a configuration is disclosed in which a semicircular cam member is coupled to an output stage gear of a reduction gear and presses the door outward while rotating by using a motor as a drive source (see, for example, Patent Document 2). ).

However, in such a conventional refrigerator, as the size of the refrigerator increases, the amount of food stored in the refrigerator compartment provided with a hinged refrigerator compartment door, the freezer compartment provided with a drawer door, the vegetable compartment, and the like increases. , The force required to open the door tends to increase. Further, when the door is closed, there is a magnetic force of the gasket of the door that is adsorbed to the refrigerator body, and a force for separating the gasket from the refrigerator body is also applied, so that the force for opening the door tends to increase.

Further, in the case of the door opening device of Patent Document 2, the cam member is provided at substantially the same height as the motor. Further, when the door is closed, the cam member is housed in a drive case such as a motor which is a drive source. In such a door opening device, in order to secure a cam member storage space and a rotation space of the cam member in the drive case, the motor is arranged away from the rotation locus of the cam member, and the door opening device becomes large. There is a problem to do.

Further, in the case of the door opening device of Patent Document 2, a part of the unit case is opened so that the cam member can rotate. Therefore, when the door opening device is arranged in the refrigerator, dew condensation water is generated. There is a risk of intrusion into the interior.

Further, the door opening device of Patent Document 2 is embedded in a front partition constituting a front opening between each storage chamber, and a cam member is rotated from the front surface of the partition member to the outside of the refrigerator body to open the storage chamber door. It is configured to press. When a door opening device as described in Patent Document 2 is provided in a storage room having a drawer type door, the door opening device is provided near the opening of the refrigerator body. In this case, the storage container that moves forward together with the pull-out door passes through the part where the door opening device of the refrigerator body is arranged, and the refrigerator body is pulled out. Since it is necessary to secure a space for installing the door opening device, there is a problem that the storage volume is reduced. Further, there is a problem that the storage container comes into contact with the door opening device due to deformation of the storage container or the like while the drawer type storage container that moves together with the drawer type door is moving.

Further, in a door opening device in which the cam member is provided with a plurality of stepped portions and a connecting member having a plurality of stepped portions having a shape matching the shape of the plurality of stepped portions of the cam member is provided, the rotation of the cam member is provided. During operation, there is a risk that problems such as deviation of the contact between the cam member and the connecting member may occur. Further, in such a door opening device, since the cam member and the connecting member engage with each other in a plurality of steps to open the door, there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of smooth door opening operation. be.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-033150 JP-A-2002-257466

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a compact door opening device capable of automatically opening a door, and a refrigerator provided with the compact door opening device.

Specifically, the door opening device according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a motor, a gear that converts a rotational force generated by driving the motor into a driving force, and a lever that rotates in conjunction with the gear. The lever has a base end portion that serves as a rotation axis and a free end portion that rotates and moves around the base end portion as a fulcrum. The base end is fixed above the gear.

With such a configuration, the depth dimension of the door opening device can be suppressed, and a compact door opening device can be obtained. Further, in the refrigerator provided with the door opening device configured in this way, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the internal volume while improving the usability of the refrigerator.

Further, in the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever may have a convex portion or a concave portion between the base end portion and the free end portion. With such a configuration, a strong torque can be generated at the initial stage of opening the door, and the influence of the load due to the magnetic force of the magnet of the gasket of the door can be reduced. With such a configuration, the door opening operation can be efficiently performed.

Further, the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a case having an upper case and a lower case. In this case, the motor, the gear, and the like may be housed in the lower case, the lever may be arranged on the outer upper surface of the upper case, and the lever, the motor, and the gear may be separated by the upper case. With such a configuration, the motor, gears, and the like can be housed in the case, and these can be arranged separately from the lever. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent dew condensation water and the like from entering the case. Further, with such a configuration, since only the lever can be arranged on the outer upper surface of the upper case, the invalid space of the storage chamber can be reduced and the internal volume of the storage chamber can be increased.

Further, in the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the base end portion may be fixed to the rotation center portion of the gear by a fixing member through a through hole provided in the upper case. With such a configuration, the portion communicating with the inside of the case can be made as small as possible.

Further, in the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a waterproof member may be arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the lever and between the gear to which the lever is fixed and the upper case. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent water from entering the door opening device and improve the reliability of the door opening device.

Further, in the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper case may have a lower flange portion extending downward from the upper case. In this case, the lower flange portion may be arranged so as to overlap the side wall surface in the height direction of the side wall surface of the lower case. With such a configuration, the waterproofness of the door opening device can be improved.

Further, in the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the convex portion of the lever projects from the outer circumference of the lever toward the outer circumference of the case, that is, from the outer circumference of the lever toward the outside of the door opening device. It may have a protrusion. With such a configuration, a strong torque can be generated at the initial stage of opening the door, and the influence of the load due to the magnetic force of the magnet of the gasket of the door can be reduced. Therefore, with such a configuration, the door opening operation can be efficiently performed.

Further, in the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever may have a notch portion which is a concave portion between the base end portion and the free end portion. With such a configuration, when the lever and the abutting member come into contact with each other, the abutting member is surely pressed by the lever without slipping on the surfaces of the abutting portions of the lever and the abutting member, and the pressing force of the lever is applied. It is possible to efficiently transmit to the contact member. With such a configuration, when a large door opening force is required, the power of the motor can be efficiently received, so that the load on the motor can be reduced.

Further, the door opening device according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a cam member interlocked with a gear for fixing the lever, and a position detecting unit for detecting the rotation position of the lever by the operation of the cam member. May be good. With such a configuration, when the lever rotates by a predetermined angle, the position detection unit detects the lever, the control device controls the rotation direction or rotation stop of the motor, and the operation of the lever can be controlled.

The present disclosure also provides a refrigerator provided with a door opening device having any of the above forms. By providing the door opening device according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a refrigerator with improved usability and reliability.

Further, the refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a refrigerator main body, a partition wall for partitioning the inside of the refrigerator main body into a plurality of storage chambers, a case for storing functional parts including a motor for rotating a lever, and a case. It may be further provided with a base member for storing the above. In this case, the partition wall may have a recess, the base member may be arranged in the recess provided in the partition wall, and a waterproof member may be arranged between the case and the base member. With such a configuration, it is possible to provide a refrigerator with even higher reliability.

Further, in the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of storage chambers may have a drawer type storage chamber. Further, in the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever of the door opening device may be configured to press the bottom surface of the storage case arranged in the drawer type storage chamber. With such a configuration, the door opening device can be arranged in the refrigerator while suppressing the reduction of the internal volume of the drawer type storage chamber.

Further, in the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact member may be arranged at the pressing position of the storage case pressed by the lever. Further, in the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact member may be made of a material different from that of the storage case. With such a configuration, the durability of the contact member can be improved.

Further, the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with reinforcing ribs on the bottom surface of the storage case to reinforce the case in the left-right direction of the storage case. Further, in the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact member may be arranged in contact with the reinforcing rib. With such a configuration, the contact member can be reinforced.

Further, the refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a drawer-type storage chamber, a drawer-type door provided in front of the drawer-type storage chamber, a storage case provided in the drawer-type storage chamber, and a storage case. It may be provided with a door opening device provided on the bottom surface. The storage case may have a contact member on the bottom surface. The door opening device may include a motor, a gear that converts a rotational force generated by driving the motor into a driving force, and a lever that rotates in conjunction with the gear. The lever may have a base end portion that serves as a rotation axis and a free end portion that rotates and moves around the base end portion as a fulcrum. The lever may have a notch between the base end and the free end. Further, the lever may have an arc portion that comes into contact with the contact member.

With such a configuration, a part of the contact member enters the notch during the rotation operation of the lever, and the contact surface of the contact member is pressed against the arc portion of the lever with the further rotation operation of the lever. The storage case moves smoothly in the opening direction. Further, with such a configuration, it is possible to avoid problems such as misalignment of contact that occurs when the lever and the contact member each have a plurality of stepped portions and the like, and it is possible to improve reliability.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a main part of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the door opening force of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing standby positions of the contact member of the refrigerator and the free end of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a first-stage contact position between the contact member of the refrigerator and the free end portion of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a third-stage contact position between the contact member of the refrigerator and the free end portion of the door opening device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the storage case of the refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the refrigerator door opening device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the contact position between the contact member and the free end portion of the door opening device in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment of the present disclosure. It is an exploded perspective view of the door opening device by an example. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the door opening device according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the door opening device according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. It is a top view of the main part of the door opening device according to an example of the embodiment of disclosure. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part of the refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a door opening force of the refrigerator according to the example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. 9A-9C are views showing the relationship between the contact member of the refrigerator and the door opening device according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the storage case of the refrigerator according to an example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 100 includes a plurality of storage chambers divided into upper, middle, and lower stages. Specifically, the refrigerator 100 is provided with a refrigerating chamber 2 at the upper stage. The refrigerator compartment 2 has a refrigerator compartment door 2a on the front surface. The refrigerator compartment door 2a is composed of a double door that opens and closes by a hinge type. Below the refrigerating chamber 2 in the middle of the refrigerator 100, a first freezing chamber 3 having a drawer-type first freezing chamber door 3a and a first freezing chamber 3 arranged in parallel with the first freezing chamber 3 in the horizontal direction. An ice making chamber 5 provided with a drawer type ice making chamber door 5a is provided. Below the first freezing chamber 3 and the ice making chamber 5 in the middle of the refrigerator 100, a second freezing chamber 4 provided with a drawer-type second freezing chamber door 4a is arranged. A vegetable compartment 6 provided with a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 6a is arranged at the lower stage (lowermost portion in the present embodiment) of the refrigerator 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerating chamber 2, the ice making chamber 5 and the first freezing chamber 3 arranged in parallel with each other are vertically partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 11. Similarly, the ice making chamber 5, the first freezing chamber 3, and the second freezing chamber 4 are vertically partitioned by the heat insulating compartment wall 11, and the second freezing chamber 4 and the vegetable compartment 6 are also insulated. It is partitioned vertically by the partition wall 11.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator main body 1. The refrigerator main body 1 is composed of an outer box 8, an inner box 9, and a heat insulating material 10 filled between the outer box 8 and the inner box 9. The refrigerator 100 has a lighting device 19 that illuminates the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2 provided in the upper stage. Further, the refrigerator 100 has a plurality of shelves 18 in the refrigerating chamber 2. The lighting device 19 is arranged in front of the front end of the shelves 18 arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction in the refrigerating chamber 2. Further, a changing greenhouse 7 as a storage room independent of the refrigerating room 2 is formed in a lower part of the refrigerating room 2 of the refrigerator 100. A lighting device 21 that illuminates the inside of the greenhouse 7 is arranged above the greenhouse 7. The transformation chamber 7 is configured as a switching chamber, and in the case of the present embodiment, the first temperature zone (chilled) of the refrigerating temperature zone around 0 ° C., the first temperature zone, and freezing at about -6 ° C. or lower. It can be set as a second temperature zone (partial) of about -3 ° C, which is a temperature zone between the temperature zone and the temperature zone.

Next, the configuration of the cooling system of the refrigerator 100 will be described.

A cooling chamber 14 is arranged behind the back surface of the second freezing chamber 4 of the refrigerator 100. The cooling chamber 14 has a cooler 15 inside. A defrost heater 22 is arranged below the cooler 15. An upper machine room 13 is arranged above the refrigerator 100, and a compressor 12 is installed in the upper machine room 13. The cooler 15 together with the compressor 12 constitutes a refrigeration cycle for cooling the refrigerator 100. Further, in the cooling chamber 14, a blower fan 16 for forcibly circulating the cold air heat exchanged by the cooler 15 is arranged. Above the blower fan 16, a damper device 17a for distributing the cold air flowing into the refrigerating chamber 2 and a damper device 17b for distributing the cold air flowing into the greenhouse 7 are arranged as twin dampers. The cold air is guided to the refrigerating chamber duct 20 arranged on the back surface of the refrigerating chamber 2 through these damper devices, and the cold air is discharged into the room from the discharge hole provided in the refrigerating chamber duct 20.

Further, the cooling chamber 14 is partitioned in the front-rear direction by the first freezing chamber 3 and the second freezing chamber 4 arranged in front and the partition wall 23.

In the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment, the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 2 is set to about 2 ° C. to 3 ° C., and the temperature inside the vegetable compartment 6 is set to about 2 ° C. to 5 ° C. The temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and the second freezing chamber 4 of the above is set to about -18 ° C to -20 ° C, respectively. As described above, the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment is configured so that the temperature zone of the internal temperature is set in each storage chamber and each storage chamber can be used by dividing the temperature zone. With such a configuration, it is possible to select a temperature range suitable for storing each food and store the food, and it is possible to realize higher freshness and long-term storage.

Further, each door of the refrigerator 100 is provided with a gasket 30. A magnet is arranged inside the gasket 30, and the gasket 30 is attracted to the peripheral edge of the front opening of each storage chamber.

Further, in the second freezing chamber 4 and the vegetable compartment 6, the storage case 31 is placed on the drawer rail and is supported by the drawer rail so as to be able to be pulled out forward. On the back side of the drawer rail, a pull-in device (not shown) having an urging portion for pulling in the drawer rail is provided. In the second freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 6, a part of the drawer rail is engaged with the pull-in device just before the drawer rail is attracted to the gasket during the closing operation of the door, and the urging portion of the pull-in device causes the drawer rail to be partially engaged. The drawer rail is pulled in by being urged in the closing direction. With such a configuration, it is possible to assist the closing operation of the door and prevent forgetting to close the door.

A door opening device 32 is arranged on the heat insulating partition wall 11 below the storage case 31 of the vegetable compartment 6.

Next, the configuration of the door opening device 32 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the door opening device 32 has a substantially rectangular shape in the present embodiment. The door opening device 32 includes a case 32a having an upper case 39 and a lower case 33. In FIG. 3, the front side of the paper surface is the front side of the door opening device 32, and the back side of the paper surface is the rear side of the door opening device 32. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the front side of the paper surface is the rear side of the door opening device 32, and the back side of the paper surface is the front side of the door opening device 32. The door opening device 32 has a motor 34, a worm gear 35, a worm wheel 36, and a worm wheel 36 for reducing the rotational force obtained by the motor 34 and converting the rotational force into a driving force, which are arranged in the lower case 33 having an open upper surface. It includes one gear 37 and a second gear 38. The second gear 38 transmits the rotational force generated by the motor 34 to obtain a high torque.

Further, a lever 40 that rotates is arranged on the outer upper surface of the upper case 39 of the door opening device 32. The base end portion 40a, which serves as a rotation fulcrum of the lever 40, penetrates the through hole 39a formed in the upper case 39 and is fixed to the rotation shaft portion of the second gear 38 by a fixing member 41 such as a screw. The door opening device 32 is configured such that the lever 40 is also interlocked with the rotation of the second gear 38 and the lever 40 rotates with the base end portion 40a as a fulcrum. When the motor 34 rotates in the normal direction, the lever 40 rotates in a direction protruding from the door opening device 32 to the outside of the door opening device 32 about a rotation axis described later. When the motor 34 rotates in the reverse direction, the lever 40 rotates in the direction approaching the door opening device 32.

As described above, the door opening device 32 includes a lever 40 on the outer upper surface of the upper case 39, and a motor 34, a worm gear 35, a worm wheel 36, a first gear 37, and a second gear 38 are located below the upper case 39. Have been placed. The lever 40 is divided into upper and lower parts by a motor 34, a worm gear 35, a worm wheel 36, a first gear 37 and a second gear 38, and an upper case 39.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lever 40 is formed in a substantially arc shape from the base end portion 40a toward the free end portion 40b. Between the base end portion 40a and the free end portion 40b, a protrusion protruding from the outer circumference of the continuous substantially arcuate lever 40 toward the outer circumference of the case 32a (more specifically, the outer circumference of the upper case 39). The portion 40c is partially formed in the vicinity of the base end portion 40a. The lever 40 and the motor 34 are vertically separated by an upper case 39. Regarding the arrangement relationship between the lever 40 and the motor 34, the lever 40 is arranged above the worm gear 35 attached to the shaft of the motor 34, and the motor 34 is arranged at a position close to the free end 40b of the lever 40. .. As shown in FIG. 5, the base end portion 40a, which is the rotation axis of the lever 40, is located in the direction in which the rotation axis of the worm gear 35 extends, specifically, on a substantially extension line of the rotation axis of the worm gear 35. The rotation shaft of the second gear 38 is arranged there.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a position detection switch 42 for detecting the rotational operation position of the lever 40 is arranged in the lower case 33. Further, in the lower case 33, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, a detection member 44 that detects the position detection switch 42 by a cam member 43 integrally provided with the second gear 38 is arranged. ing. As shown in FIG. 7, the cam member 43 is arranged on the lower rotation shaft of the second gear 38 on the side opposite to the side where the lever 40 is fixed (upper side in FIG. 7) (lower side in FIG. 7). NS. In FIG. 7, the left side of the paper is the front of the door opening device 32, and the right side of the paper is the rear of the door opening device 32. As shown in FIG. 6, the detection member 44 is composed of an engaging portion 44a and a detection portion 44b that engage with the cam member 43. A coil spring 44c is urged and arranged on the detection unit 44b.

When the lever 40 is opened by a maximum angle of 90 degrees from the standby position due to the forward rotation of the motor 34, the position detection switch 42 detects it, and the motor 34 is rotated in the reverse direction to return the lever 40 to the standby position.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the upper case 39 has a horizontal flange portion 39b extending substantially horizontally, a lower flange portion 39c extending vertically downward from the horizontal flange portion 39b, and one step from the horizontal flange portion 39b. It is composed of a step portion 39d formed above substantially in the horizontal direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lower flange portion 39c is arranged so as to enter the lower case 33 so as to overlap the side wall surface 33a of the lower case 33 in the height direction of the side wall surface 33a of the lower case 33. Will be done. Further, a base end portion 40a of the lever 40 is arranged on the step portion 39d. The base end portion 40a penetrates the through hole 39a and is fixedly arranged on the rotation shaft portion which is the rotation center of the second gear 38. Further, a storage portion 39e that covers the motor 34, the first gear 37, and the second gear 38 is arranged on the step portion 39d.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a rubber-like waterproof member 48 is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the lever 40. The waterproof member 48 is arranged below the through hole 39a between the upper case 39 and the second gear 38.

Next, a configuration for attaching the door opening device 32 configured as described above to the refrigerator 100 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the door opening device 32 is arranged on the heat insulating partition wall 11 which is the lower heat insulating wall of the drawer type vegetable compartment 6. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, a resin base member 45 formed of a member different from the inner plate 11a is provided as a heat insulating material in the opening formed in the inner plate 11a constituting the heat insulating partition wall 11. It is arranged from the 10 (see FIG. 2) side, and the opening is closed by the base member 45. As shown in FIG. 7, the base member 45 has a recess that is recessed in a step shape below the horizontal plane of the inner plate 11a. The door opening device 32 is arranged in the recess of the base member 45. The horizontal flange portion 39b of the upper case 39 is arranged so as to cover the inner plate 11a and overlap the inner plate 11a. A waterproof member 48 made of soft foam is arranged between the horizontal flange portion 39b and the inner plate 11a. The waterproof member 48 is provided below the horizontal flange portion 39b. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent water from entering between the lower case 33 and the base member 45 from the inner plate 11a.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the storage case 31 of the vegetable compartment 6 is located above the door opening device 32. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, POM (polyacetal) having higher slidability and abrasion resistance than the material of the storage case 31 is located on the outer bottom surface of the storage case 31 at a substantially central portion in the left-right width direction of the storage case 31. ) A contact member 46 made of a material is attached. Further, the contact member 46 is fixed at a position on the bottom surface of the storage case 31 where the lever 40 comes into contact. For example, in the present embodiment, the contact member 46 is arranged on the rear side of the bottom surface of the storage case 31 (in FIG. 10, the lower right side of the paper surface). Further, the contact member 46 has a contact surface extending downward from the reinforcing rib 31a of the storage case 31. Reinforcing ribs 31a are formed on the surface of the abutting member 46 opposite to the abutting surface so as to be in contact with the abutting member 46 and extend in the left-right direction of the storage case 31. Further, a lever 40 is arranged behind the contact member 46 (for example, on the right side of the paper surface in FIG. 9A).

The operation of the door opening device 32 of the refrigerator 100 configured as described above will be described below.

When the capacitance of the user is detected by a conductor (not shown) that detects the capacitance of a person provided in the refrigerator door 2a or the vegetable compartment door 6a, the control device (not shown) is used. The motor 34 of the door opening device 32 is rotated in the forward direction. The rotational force of the motor 34 is converted into a driving force by the worm gear 35, the worm wheel 36, the first gear 37, and the second gear 38. By this driving force, the lever 40 rotates around the base end portion 40a, and the free end portion 40b moves so as to project in the front vegetable chamber door 6a direction.

In the refrigerator 100 provided with the door opening device 32 of the present embodiment, when the vegetable room door 6a is opened, the door opening force (force required for opening the door) applied to the door opening device 32 is as shown in FIG. It can be divided into 3 stages. The first stage is the initial door opening when the door opening force is the largest. In the first stage, the gasket force required to separate the gasket 30 from the vegetable compartment door 6a, the spring force of the retracting device that retracts the pull-out type vegetable compartment door 6a in the closing direction, the weight of the storage case 31, and the drawer rail. The frictional force is applied to the door opening device as the door opening force. In the second stage, the gasket 30 is separated from the refrigerator main body 1, and in the first stage, the gasket force of the door opening force applied to the door opening device 32 is not applied. In the third stage, the spring force of the pull-in device is further released, and in the second stage, the spring force of the pull-in device is not applied from the door opening force applied to the door opening device 32.

When the vegetable compartment door 6a is closed, as shown in FIG. 9A, the lever 40 has a space between it and the contact member 46 and stands by in a state where it does not contact the contact member 46 (standby position). ing.

When the user's capacitance is detected by the conductor that detects the capacitance, the control device drives the motor 34, and the rotation of the motor 34 is transmitted to the second gear 38 via the first gear 37. , The lever 40 rotates about the base end portion 40a.

In the first stage, as shown in FIG. 9B, the protruding portion 40c of the lever 40 presses the contact member 46. While the vegetable compartment door 6a moves forward by, for example, about 10 mm, the attractive force of the magnet by the gasket 30 is applied, so that the door opening device 32 requires a large door opening force. Until the vegetable compartment door 6a moves forward by, for example, about 10 mm, the protruding portion 40c formed at a position close to the base end portion 40a of the lever 40 presses the contact member 46. It can be pulled away from 1. Further, when the lever 40 is in the standby position, the lever 40 is configured to have a space between the lever 40 and the contact member 46. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary load from being applied to the lever 40 during standby.

The second stage is when the vegetable compartment door 6a moves forward by, for example, about 10 mm or more from the closed state. In the second stage, the protruding portion 40c is separated from the contact member 46, and the pressing point of the lever 40 moves in the direction of the free end portion 40b along the arc of the lever 40. As the pressing point of the lever 40 moves in the direction of the free end portion 40b, the contact member 46 is pressed by the lever 40 and presses the storage case 31 forward.

The contact member 46 is first pressed by the protruding portion 40c of the lever 40. Then, the contact member 46 is pressed at a portion of the arc-shaped portion of the lever 40 that is separated from the protruding portion 40c. That is, since the protruding portion 40c has a height protruding from the arc-shaped portion, the contact member 46 is pressed at a portion of the arc-shaped portion of the lever 40 that is separated from the protruding portion 40c in the direction of the free end portion 40b. .. The contact member 46 is further pressed by the arc-shaped portion of the lever 40 up to the free end portion 40b of the lever 40. In this way, the pressing point of the lever 40 against the contact member 46 moves from the protruding portion 40C to the free end portion 40b, so that the pressing force of the lever 40 is transmitted to the contact member 46, and the door is opened by the contact member 46. It is pushed out in the direction of opening the door.

The pushing pressure of the lever 40 in the second stage is smaller than that in the first stage, but the storage case 31 is in a state of being moved forward from the first stage, and moves in the door opening direction while resisting the urging force of the pulling device. Extruded smoothly.

In the third stage, as shown in FIG. 9C, the rotation angle of the lever 40 reaches, for example, 90 degrees, the lever 40 presses the abutting member 46 with the free end 40b, and then the free end 40b Move away from the abutting member 46. At this time, the drawer rail is separated from the pull-in device and released from the spring force of the pull-in device. Further, the storage case 31 is also moved in the door opening direction by the surplus force of the door opening force in the second stage. Therefore, the user can touch the vegetable compartment door 6a and smoothly open the vegetable compartment door 6a.

In the door opening device 32 of the present embodiment, a protrusion 40c is formed on the lever 40. With such a configuration, the distance from the base end portion 40a, which is the rotation axis of the lever 40, to the contact member 46, which is the pressing point of the storage case 31, can be reduced. With such a configuration, the pressing force of the lever 40 against the contact member 46 becomes high. Further, the protruding portion 40c is partially formed on the lever 40. With such a configuration, the lever 40 does not become large, and a compact door opening device 32 can be obtained.

When the lever 40 rotates by a predetermined angle, for example, 90 degrees from the standby position, the position detection switch 42 detects the lever 40, the control device temporarily stops the rotation of the motor 34, and then the motor 34 rotates in the reverse direction. .. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when the lever 40 rotates by a predetermined angle, the cam member 43 interlocked with the second gear 38 rotates, and the engaging portion 44a of the detection member 44 interlocks with the cam member 43. .. The partially formed convex portion 43a of the cam member 43 rotates in the engaging portion 44a, so that the detection member 44 moves against the urging force of the coil spring 44c built in the detection member 44. The detection unit 44b presses the position detection switch 42.

When the pressure of the position detection switch 42 by the detection unit 44b is detected, the detection member 44 is pulled back by the urging force of the coil spring 44c. The lever 40 returns to the standby position with the base end portion 40a as the axis by the reverse rotation of the motor 34.

In the present embodiment, the opening / closing speed of the lever is 85 mm / sec both when the door is opened (forward rotation) and when the door is closed (reverse rotation). Although the cam member 43 is integrally formed with the second gear 38, the cam member 43 may be formed separately from the second gear 38.

As described above, in the door opening device 32 of the present embodiment, when the door opening force is in the second stage, the lever 40 is separated from the storage case 31, and the lever 40 is immediately released by the reverse rotation of the motor 34. Return to the standby position. With such a configuration, even if the vegetable compartment door 6a is closed immediately after being opened, it is possible to prevent the lever 40 from becoming an obstacle and preventing the door from closing.

Further, the door opening device 32 of the present embodiment further has a clutch mechanism provided on the first gear 37. Further, the door opening device 32 of the present embodiment is configured such that when a load due to an external force is applied to the lever 40 during the opening operation of the lever 40, the clutch is disengaged by the clutch mechanism when the predetermined load amount is exceeded. You may. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the lever 40 from being damaged due to a high load.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the door opening device 32 is configured to press the contact member 46 arranged on the rear side of the outer bottom surface of the storage case 31. With such a configuration, when the storage case 31 moves forward, the bottom surface of the storage case 31 comes into contact with the door opening device 32 due to deformation of the bottom surface of the storage case 31 due to the stored objects in the storage case 31 and other factors. Can be prevented.

Further, in the door opening device 32 of the present embodiment, the reinforcing rib 31a is provided on the surface of the contact member 46 opposite to the contact surface with the lever 40. With such a configuration, when the lever 40 presses the contact member 46 and pushes out the storage case 31 in the opening direction, the reinforcing rib 31a suppresses the lever 40 from being deformed in the direction in which the load is applied to the contact member 46. It is possible to prevent the vegetable compartment door 6a from being unable to be opened to a predetermined size.

Further, the door opening device 32 is arranged in the base member 45 provided on the heat insulating partition wall 11 which is the lower heat insulating wall of the drawer type vegetable compartment 6. The base member 45 has a recess recessed in a stepped shape below the horizontal plane of the inner plate 11a of the heat insulating partition wall 11 which is the lower heat insulating wall of the drawer type vegetable compartment 6. With such a configuration, the door opening device 32 is arranged in the recess of the base member 45, so that the storage internal volume of the vegetable compartment 6 can be secured.

Further, even when dew condensation water collects on the inner plate 11a of the heat insulating partition wall 11, the horizontal flange portion 39b of the door opening device 32 is formed one step higher than the inner plate 11a, so that the lever 40 has the horizontal flange portion 39b. It is located on the step 39d, which is one step higher than the above. Further, the through hole 39a through which the base end portion 40a of the lever 40 penetrates is sealed with a rubber-like waterproof member 48. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent dew condensation water from entering the case of the door opening device 32 through the through hole 39a.

Further, a soft foam 47 is arranged between the horizontal flange portion 39b and the inner plate 11a. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the condensed water on the inner plate 11a from entering the inside of the door opening device 32 through the gap between the horizontal flange portion 39b and the inner plate 11a. Further, in the upper case 39 and the lower case 33, the lower flange portion 39c of the upper case 39 overlaps with the side wall surface 33a of the lower case 33 in the height direction of the side wall surface 33a of the lower case 33, and the lower case 33 It is arranged so that it goes inside. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent water from entering the case 32a from the inner plate 11a through between the base member 45 and the upper case 39. Therefore, with such a configuration, the waterproof property of the door opening device 32 can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the example in which the door opening device 32 is installed on the heat insulating partition wall 11 of the vegetable compartment 6 has been described, but the door opening device 32 is a drawer-type second freezing above the vegetable compartment 6. It may be installed on the heat insulating partition wall 11 formed in the lower part of the chamber 4.

Further, by increasing the opening / closing speed of the lever 40 from that at the time of opening, it is possible to suppress the application of an external force to the lever 40 when the storage case 31 is pushed in the closing direction. Further, since no load is applied to the lever 40 when the lever 40 is closed, the motor noise can be reduced by lowering the drive voltage of the motor 34 and lowering the closing speed of the lever 40 than when the lever 40 is open. , Noise can be reduced. Further, in order to secure the strength of the gear, the reliability of the gear can be further ensured by forming the metal gear by insert molding.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the door opening device of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. 12 (a) to 12 (f) are views for explaining the contact position between the contact member and the free end portion of the door opening device in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

The second embodiment of the present disclosure differs from the first embodiment in the following points. That is, the door opening device 50 in the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment of the present disclosure has a different lever configuration from the door opening device 32 in the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the door opening device 50 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on a portion different from the door opening device 32 of the first embodiment, and the same configuration and function as the door opening device 32 of the first embodiment will be described. Uses the same names and symbols, and these explanatory descriptions are omitted here.

FIG. 11 shows a standby state of the door opening device 50 with the vegetable compartment door 6a closed. A lever 52 that rotates is arranged on the outer upper surface of the upper case 39 of the door opening device 50. The base end portion 52a, which is the center of the rotational operation of the lever 52, penetrates the through hole 39a formed in the upper case 39 and is fixed to the rotating shaft portion of the second gear 38 by a fixing member 41 such as a screw. The door opening device 50 is configured such that the lever 52 is also interlocked with the rotation of the second gear 38 and the lever 52 rotates around the base end portion 52a.

A storage case 31 of the vegetable compartment 6 is located above the door opening device 50 (see FIGS. 2 and 7). Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a POM material having higher slidability and abrasion resistance than the material of the storage case 31 is used on the outer bottom surface of the storage case 31 at a substantially central portion in the left-right width direction of the storage case 31. The formed contact member 53 is attached. Further, the contact member 53 is fixed at a position on the bottom surface of the storage case 31 where the lever 52 comes into contact. For example, in the present embodiment, the contact member 53 is fixed to the rear side of the bottom surface of the storage case 31 (in FIG. 10, the lower right side of the paper surface). Further, the contact member 53 has a contact surface 53a pressed by the lever 52 and a corner portion 53b formed at a substantially right angle to the contact surface 53a. The corner portion 53b is provided on the contact member 53 so as to be located in the vicinity of the base end portion 52a.

Next, the configuration of the lever 52 of the door opening device 50 of the present embodiment will be described.

The lever 53 has a notch 52b, which is an example of a concave portion, formed in the vicinity of the base end portion 52a. Further, the lever 53 has a free end portion 52c at an end portion opposite to the end portion provided with the base end portion 52a in the longitudinal direction. Further, the lever 52 is continuously configured with a corner portion 52d, a straight portion 52e, and an arc portion 52f that serve as a pressing portion against the contact surface 53a from the notch portion 52b toward the free end portion 52c. The corners of the corners 52d may be rounded. Further, the corner portion 52d does not necessarily have to be provided. Further, the straight portion 52e does not necessarily have to be provided on the lever 52. In this case, the straight line portion 52e may be composed of the arc portion 52f.

As shown in FIG. 12A, in the standby state in which the vegetable compartment 6 is closed, the lever 52 extends toward the rear of the vegetable compartment 6 with the base end portion 52a as a fulcrum. Waiting in the state. Further, the storage portion 39e and the contact member 53 are located at the left and right positions with the lever 52 in the standby state. The base end portion 52a of the lever 52 is located in the front-rear direction of the door opening device 50 (in FIG. 12A, the left side of the paper surface is the front side) from the contact surface 53a on the projection surface viewed from above of the contact member 53. Is also located in front, that is, on the side of the vegetable compartment door 6a.

The operation of the door opening device 50 of the refrigerator 100 configured as described above will be described below.

When the presence of a user is detected by a conductor (not shown) that detects the capacitance of a person provided in the refrigerator compartment door 2a or the vegetable compartment door 6a, the control device (not shown) opens the door. The motor 34 of the device 32 is rotated in the forward direction. The worm gear 35, the worm wheel 36, the first gear 37, and the second gear 38 convert the rotational force of the motor 34 into a driving force, and the lever 52 rotates.

FIG. 12A shows the standby state of the lever 52 and the contact member 53. FIG. 12B shows a state in which the lever 52 is in contact with the contact member 53. As shown in FIG. 12 (b), the lever 52 rotates around the base end portion 52a in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12 (b) to project the free end portion 52c toward the front vegetable compartment door 6a. (See FIG. 12 (f)). At the contact position where the lever 52 abuts on the contact member 53 (see FIG. 12B), the corner portion 53b of the contact member 53 enters the notch portion 52b. Further, the first pressing point against the contact member 53 (in the present embodiment, the corner portion 52d) presses the contact surface 53a of the contact member 53. When the door opening device 50 is in the state of FIGS. 12A and 12B, the lever 52 has a door opening force of the first stage (at the time of initial door opening having the largest door opening force) as shown in FIG. In this state, the door opening device 50 requires a large door opening force. In the door opening device 50 of the present embodiment, a corner portion 52d, which is a pressing point of the contact surface 53a, is formed in the vicinity of the base end portion 52a, which is the rotation axis of the lever 52. With such a configuration, the contact surface 53a can be pressed with a large pressing force. Further, in the door opening device 50 of the present embodiment, the lever 52 is provided with a notch 52b. With such a configuration, the distance from the base end portion 52a to the position where the lever 52 and the contact member 53 come into contact with each other at the start of operation of the lever 52, that is, when the door opening force is maximized (base end portion 52a). The radius of the center) can be reduced. With such a configuration, the load on the drive source motor can be reduced.

FIG. 12C shows a lever when the magnetic force of the gasket 30 of the vegetable compartment door 6a is separated from the refrigerator main body 1, that is, in the second stage as shown in FIG. 8, in a state where the holding force of the gasket 30 is lost. It shows the behavior of 52. At this time, the pressing point of the lever 52 with respect to the contact surface 53a of the contact member 53 continuously moves from the corner portion 52d to the straight portion 52e as the lever 52 rotates. As a result, the contact member 53 is pushed out by the lever 52 and is moved in the direction in which the storage case 31 is opened. At this time, the storage case 31 is extruded in the door opening direction while resisting the urging force of the pull-in device (not shown) provided at the rear end of the drawer rail, so that the door opening force in the second stage gradually increases. (See FIG. 8).

FIG. 12D shows the behavior of the lever 52 when the door opening force is in the second stage (see FIG. 8). In the lever 52, the pressing point of the lever 52 against the contact surface 53a continuously moves from the corner portion 52d to the straight portion 52e and then to the arc portion 52f without leaving the contact surface 53a. Rotate while pressing the contact surface 53a. As a result, the contact member 53 is pushed forward, and the contact member 53 moves in the direction of opening the storage case 31.

In FIG. 12E, the lever 52 further rotates forward, and the pressing portion of the lever 52 that presses the contact surface 53a moves from the arc portion 52f to the free end portion 52c. As a result, the drawer rail is released from the urging force of the pull-in device, and shifts to the third stage door opening force as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12 (f), the lever 52 stops in a state where the free end portion 52c of the lever 52 is in contact with the contact surface 53a, and the pressing operation on the storage case 31 is completed. As in the first embodiment, the lever 52 detects the position detection switch 42 by the operation of the cam member 43 interlocked with the gear 38 fixing the lever 52, and rotates the motor 34 in the reverse direction to put the lever 52 in the standby position. It is returned to the initial position as shown in FIG. 12 (a).

As described above, the door opening device 50 in the present embodiment has a notch portion 52b in the vicinity of the base end portion 52a which is the rotation axis of the lever 52. With such a configuration, when the lever 52 is rotated, a part of the contact member 53 enters the notch portion 52b, and the corner portion 52d comes into contact with the contact surface 53a. As a result, the distance from the base end portion 52a to the position where the lever 52 and the contact member 53 come into contact with each other at the start of operation of the lever 52, that is, when the door opening force is maximized (centered on the base end portion 52a). The radius) can be made smaller. Therefore, with such a configuration, the torque applied to the base end portion 52a, which is the rotation axis of the door opening device 50, can be reduced, and the motor load can be reduced.

Further, the pressing point at which the lever 52 presses the contact member 53 continuously moves from the corner portion 52d to the free end portion 52c with the rotational operation toward the front of the lever 52. Specifically, in the section where the urging force of the pulling device against the storage case 31 acts, the pressing point of the lever 52 moves from the corner portion 52d to the straight portion 52e while pressing the contact surface 53a, and then to the arc portion 52f. Move continuously. In the section where the storage case 31 is released from the urging force of the pulling device, the pressing point on the arc portion 52f presses the contact surface 53a of the contact member 53 while continuously moving to the free end portion 52c. As a result, the door opening force of the lever 52 is smaller than that at the start of the operation of the lever 52, so that the sudden opening speed of the storage case 31 can be reduced. Therefore, the door opening device 50 which can reduce the opening speed of the storage case 31 at the time of the user's door opening operation and secures the safety for the user, and the refrigerator 100 provided with such a door opening device 50 are obtained. Be done.

In the present embodiment, the door opening device 50 has been described as being arranged in the vegetable compartment 6 of the refrigerator 100, but the present embodiment may be arranged in another storage chamber of the refrigerator 100 such as the freezing chamber 4. A refrigerator 100 having the same effect as that of the above can be obtained.

As described above, the present disclosure provides a compact door opening device capable of automatically opening a door and a refrigerator provided with the compact door opening device. Therefore, it can be applied to any cooling device equipped with a door.

1 Refrigerator body 2 Refrigerator room 2a Refrigerator room door 3 First freezer room 3a First freezer room door 4 Second freezer room 4a Second freezer room door 5 Ice room 5a Ice room door 6 Vegetable room 6a Vegetable room door 7 Transformation greenhouse 8 Outer box 9 Inner box 10 Insulation material 11 Insulation compartment wall 11a Inner plate 12 Compressor 13 Upper machine room 14 Cooling room 15 Cooler 17a, 17b Damper device 18 Shelf 19, 21 Lighting device 20 Refrigerator room duct 22 Frost heater 23 Section wall 30 Gasket 31 Storage case 31a Reinforcing rib 32 Door opening device 32a Case 33 Lower case 33a Side wall surface 34 Motor 35 Worm gear 36 Warm wheel 37 1st gear 38 2nd gear 39 Upper case 39a Through hole 39b Horizontal flange 39c Lower flange 39d Step 39e Refrigerator 40 Lever 40a Base end 40b Free end 41 Fixed member 42 Position detection switch 43 Cam member 44 Detection member 44a Engagement 44b Detection 44c Coil spring 45 Base member 46 Contact member 48 Waterproof member 50 Door opening device 52 Lever 52a Base end 52b Notch 52c Free end 52d Square 52e Straight 52f Arc 53 Contact member 53a Contact surface 53b Corner 100 Refrigerator

Claims (7)

Drawer storage room and
A storage case provided in the drawer-type storage room and
It is equipped with a door opening device that has a lever that operates in rotation.
A refrigerator in which the lever of the door opening device directly presses the bottom surface of the storage case to open the drawer type storage chamber. A contact member is provided on the bottom surface of the storage case.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lever of the door opening device presses the contact member. The door opening device includes a motor and a gear that converts a rotational force generated by driving the motor into a driving force.
The lever is provided at a base end portion provided at the end portion of the lever, which serves as a rotation axis, and an end portion of the end portion of the lever, which is different from the base end portion, and rotates around the base end portion as a fulcrum. Has a free end to move and
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base end portion is fixed above the gear. The lever has a convex protrusion on the base end side between the base end portion and the free end portion.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the drawer-type storage chamber is opened, the refrigerator is first pressed by the protruding portion. The lever has a concave notch on the base end side between the base end portion and the free end portion.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the drawer-type storage chamber is opened, it is first pressed by the notch. Claims 3 to 5 further include a cam member provided on the opposite side of the lever and interlocking with the gear, and a position detecting unit for detecting the rotational position of the lever by the operation of the cam member. The refrigerator according to any one of the items. Refrigerator body and
A partition wall that divides the inside of the refrigerator body into a plurality of storage chambers in the vertical direction,
A case for storing functional parts including the motor that rotates the lever, and
Further provided with a base member for accommodating the case,
The partition wall has a recess and
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the base member is arranged in the recess provided in the partition wall, and a waterproof member is arranged between the case and the base member.

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