JP7305640B2 - Door opening mechanism and refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a door opening/closing mechanism and a refrigerator that allow a door to be opened and closed from both sides.

The applicant of the present application has provided the market with refrigerators whose doors can be opened and closed from both sides. Such a refrigerator has a door opening/closing mechanism that allows the door to be opened and closed from both sides. This door opening/closing mechanism includes a cam mechanism for engaging and disengaging the door and the main body, a handle to be gripped when opening the door, and a cam lever that rotates in conjunction with the handle on both sides of the door. The cam mechanism has a hinge pin, a grooved cam, an outer locking cam on the main body, and an outer sliding cam on the door.

The hinge pins and groove cams of the cam mechanisms on both sides assume the first locking position when the door is closed. The first locking position is a state in which the hinge pin is in the middle of the grooved cam and the hinge pin has not entered the end of the grooved cam.

When the handle on the door-opening side is operated, the cam lever corresponding to the operated handle rotates backward and presses the lock-out cam to move the door to the opening side, opposite to the opening side. The hinge pin and groove cam of the cam mechanism on the side assume a rotatable second locking position. The second locking position is a state in which the hinge pin has entered the end of the grooved cam.

The operation of sliding the door, which is necessary as the initial movement to open the door, is performed during the operation of opening the door by gripping the handle (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Publication "Patent No. 3761560"

The present application intends to further improve the door opening/closing mechanism that allows the door to be opened and closed from both sides. In the structure of the door opening/closing mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the cam levers are arranged in parallel to the left and right, and the pressing surface that presses the lock outer cam at the beginning of rotation in the rotation operation for opening the door is flat. is formed in

In such a configuration, the sliding movement of the door to the opening side, which is necessary as the initial movement when opening the door, is the reaction force of the cam lever pushing the outer lock cam backward, that is, the force directed to the front is the groove cam. of the force in the direction in which the grooved cam extends. Therefore, when the direction of the reaction force and the direction in which the door is to be slid are separated from each other, the reaction force cannot be effectively utilized, and the handle may become heavy.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize a door opening/closing mechanism and a refrigerator in which the door can be opened and closed from both sides with a lighter handle operation.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a door opening/closing mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention is a door opening/closing mechanism that enables opening and closing of a door from both sides, wherein engagement and disengagement of the door and the body are provided on both sides of the door. a cam mechanism for opening the door, a handle to be gripped when opening the door, and a cam lever that rotates in conjunction with the handle. and a slide outer cam arranged on the door, and when the door is closed, the hinge pins and groove cams of the cam mechanism on both sides take the first locking position, and when one handle is operated, the door is operated A cam lever corresponding to the handle rotates rearward to press the outer lock cam to move to the opening side of the door. Taking the locking position, the cam lever presses the opening side of the front end of the unlocking cam at least at the time of initial rotation in the rotating operation for opening the door, and the cam lever moves the unlocking cam. and the inclined surface on the side opposite to the opening side of the projection presses the opening side of the front tip of the lock outer cam, and the tip side of the cam lever It is characterized in that the pressing surface protrudes in the pressing direction .

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a door opening/closing mechanism and a refrigerator capable of opening and closing the door from both sides with a lighter handle operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view which shows the refrigerator provided with the door opening-and-closing mechanism of 1st Embodiment. 1. It is a front view which shows the right half of the hinge angle distribute|arranged to the lower part at the side of the main-body part of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. It is a top view which shows the right half of the hinge angle arrange|positioned in the lower part by the side of the main-body part of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. It is a top view which shows the engaging relationship of the slide cam member and hinge angle which are provided in the right side of the lower end of the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. It is side surface sectional drawing of the roller provided in the hinge angle and the lower surface of a door which are arrange|positioned at the lower part by the side of the main-body part of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. It is front sectional drawing of the roller provided in the hinge angle and the lower surface of a door which are arrange|positioned at the lower part by the side of the main-body part of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. It is the figure which showed the relative positional relationship of a hinge angle and a slide cam part when opening the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 from the right side. (a) is an enlarged view of the right end portion of FIG. 7, showing how the force is applied when the cam lever starts to press the unlocking cam (at the time of initial rotation), and (b) is a conventional door opening/closing mechanism. , shows how force is applied when the cam lever starts to press the unlocking cam. 1. It is the figure which showed the relative positional relationship of a hinge angle and a slide cam part when opening the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 from the right side. 1. It is the figure which showed the relative positional relationship of a hinge angle and a slide cam part when opening the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 from the right side. 1. It is the figure which showed the relative positional relationship of a hinge angle and a slide cam part when opening the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 from the right side. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an engagement relationship between a slide cam portion provided on the right side of the lower end of a refrigerating compartment door 2a of a refrigerator equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism of the second embodiment and a hinge angle. FIG. 10 is a view showing the relative positional relationship between the hinge angle and the slide cam portion when the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism of the second embodiment is opened from the right side; FIG. 10 is a view showing the relative positional relationship between the hinge angle and the slide cam portion when the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism of the second embodiment is opened from the right side; FIG. 10 is a view showing the relative positional relationship between the hinge angle and the slide cam portion when the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism of the second embodiment is opened from the right side; FIG. 10 is a view showing the relative positional relationship between the hinge angle and the slide cam portion when the door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism of the second embodiment is opened from the right side;

[First Embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator equipped with a door opening/closing mechanism according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerating compartment 2 on the upper level, and a vegetable compartment 3 and a freezing compartment 4 on the lower level side by side. The refrigerating chamber 2 has a door 2a that can be opened and closed from both sides, covering the opening of the main body 6 (see FIG. 4), and can be opened and closed from either the left or right by operating a handle 5 provided symmetrically on the left and right. .

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the right half of the hinge angle 10 arranged at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 2 on the side of the main body 6 (see FIG. 4), and FIG. 3 is a top view thereof. The hinge angle 10 is made of metal such as a galvanized steel plate and is symmetrically formed, and is screwed to the main body 6 . A hinge pin 11 made of stainless steel or the like and an outer lock cam 12 are symmetrically provided on the hinge angle 10 by caulking.

A hinge cover 10a is provided on the upper surface of the hinge angle 10 by insert molding. The hinge pin 11 serves as a pivot shaft for the door 2a, and an arcuate rib 13 concentric with the hinge pin 11 is integrally formed with the hinge cover 10a. The lock outer cam 12 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the hinge pin 11 and slides with the slide outer cam 22 (see FIG. 4) provided on the door 2a side to guide the door 2a.

4 is a plan view showing the engagement relationship between the slide cam portion 20 provided on the right side of the lower end of the door 2a and the hinge angle 10. FIG. The slide cam portions 20 are provided symmetrically at the left and right ends of the door 2a. A first grooved cam 24 and a second grooved cam 25 are recessed at the end of the slide cam portion 20 so as to guide the hinge pin 11 in a relatively L-shaped manner. The first grooved cam 24 guides the engagement with the hinge pin 11 in a disengaging direction. The second grooved cam 25 guides from the first locking position to the first grooved cam 24 or to the second locking position where the hinge pin 11 functions as a rotation axis.

A boss 23 that slides on the rib 13 protrudes around the second grooved cam 25 . A groove portion 21 is recessed to the left of the first grooved cam 24 and the second grooved cam 25 . A sliding outer cam 22 is provided in the groove 21 so as to face the locking outer cam 12 provided on the hinge angle 10 on the main body 6 side. As a result, the slide cam portion 20 and the hinge angle 10 are engaged with each other to constitute a cam mechanism for guiding the door 2a. In the figure, the above components of the slide cam portion 20 are provided on the lower surface, but are indicated by solid lines for the sake of convenience.

The slide cam portion 20 is also provided symmetrically on the upper surface of the door 2a.

A cam lever 31 is arranged in the groove portion 21 of the slide cam portion 20 arranged on the lower surface of the door 2a. The cam lever 31 is arranged to face the lock outer cam 12 and rotates about the shaft 32 as a rotation center. The shaft 32 is connected to the handle 5 (see FIG. 1). By pulling the handle 5 (in this case, the right handle) forward, the cam lever 31 rotates rearward (toward the main body 6). presses the lock outer cam 12 . As a result, door 2 a is separated from the periphery of the opening of refrigerator compartment 2 .

In this embodiment, as a construction to be noted, a convex portion 40 is provided on the pressing surface 31 a of the cam lever 31 that presses the unlocking cam 12 . Although the details will be described later, the convex portion 40 assists the sliding movement of the door 2a to the opening side, which is necessary as an initial movement when opening the door 2a.

A roller 18 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) that rolls on the hinge angle 10 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the door 2a. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of hinge angle 10 and roller 18 provided on the lower surface of door 2a, and FIG. 6 is a front sectional view thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rear end portion of the hinge angle 10 is provided with a sloped surface 10b that slopes rearward downward, and the front end portion is provided with a sloped surface 10c that slopes forward downward. A horizontal surface 10d is provided between the upper end of the inclined surface 10b and the upper end of the inclined surface 10c.

A plurality of rollers 18 having rotating shafts arranged on the left and right sides are pivotally supported on the lower surface of the door 2a. When the roller 18 is arranged on the inclined surface 10b, the door 2a is biased in the closing direction by its own weight. Further, when the roller 18 is arranged on the inclined surface 10c, the door 2a is biased in the opening direction by its own weight.

Next, the movement of each part when the door 2a is opened will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. FIG. 7 and 9 to 11 are diagrams showing the relative positional relationship between the hinge angle 10 and the slide cam portion 20 when the door 2a is opened from the right side. FIG. 8(a) is an enlarged view of the right end portion of FIG. 7, and shows how force is applied when the cam lever 31 begins to press the unlocking cam 12 (at the time of initial rotation). FIG. 8(b) shows how force is applied when the cam lever 100 begins to press the unlocking cam 12 in a conventional door opening/closing mechanism (the door opening/closing mechanism described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above). there is The cam lever 100 has a flat pressing surface 100a that presses the lock outer cam 12 at the time of initial rotation. In addition, in FIG. 8B, members having the same functions as those of the door opening/closing mechanism of the present embodiment are given the same reference numerals for convenience.

FIG. 7 shows the relative positional relationship in the closed state of the door 2a. The cam mechanisms on both sides composed of the hinge angle 10 and the left and right slide cam portions 20 are respectively in the first locking position. The first grooved cams 24 provided on the left and right slide cam portions 20, respectively, are formed so as to face diagonally inward of the door 2a, and the hinge pin 11 simultaneously slides on both the left and right first grooved cams 24. Not guided. Therefore, even if the door 2a in the closed state is pulled toward the front from both the left and right sides at the same time, the door 2a will not come off from the body portion 6. - 特許庁

As shown in FIG. 8A, in the closed state of the door 2a, the right side of the front tip of the lock outer cam 12 contacts or contacts the left slope 40a of the projection 40 provided on the pressing surface 31a of the cam lever 31. Close proximity. Here, the left inclined surface 40a of the convex portion 40 is an inclined surface on the opposite side (center side of the door 2a) to the side where the door 2a is opened by the rotation of the cam lever 31, and is the front tip portion of the outer lock cam 12. is the side where the door 2a is opened by the rotation of the cam lever 31. The right side of FIG.

When the right handle 5 (see FIG. 1) is slightly pulled forward from the state of FIG. The left slope 40a of 40 presses the right side of the front tip of the lock outer cam 12 rearward. The arrow X1 in FIG. 8(a) indicates the direction of the force applied to the door 2a via the lock outside cam 12 at that time.

By pressing the right side of the front tip of the outer lock cam 12 rearward using the left slope 40a of the convex portion 40 of the cam lever 31, the front of the outer lock cam 12 can be pressed obliquely from the front right side. As a reaction force, the door 2a receives a force that moves the door 2a rightward and forward (the force indicated by the arrow Y1 in FIG. 8A). Among the reaction forces, the arrow A1 indicates the force that moves the door 2a to the right side, which is the side that opens the door 2a, along the direction in which the second grooved cam 25 extends.

By obtaining the reaction force indicated by the arrow Y1, a force (arrow A1) that slides the door 2a toward the side to be opened, which is necessary as an initial movement when the door 2a is opened, is applied. As a result, the right hinge pin 11 can be easily moved to the first grooved cam 24 on the right slide cam portion 20 . At the same time, the left slide cam portion 20 is also pulled to the right, so that the left hinge pin 11 moves to the end along the left second grooved cam 25 .

On the other hand, in the case of the door opening/closing mechanism described in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. A force indicated by an arrow X2 is applied to the door 2a, and a force indicated by an arrow Y2 is obtained as the reaction force. Of the reaction forces indicated by the arrow Y2, the force for moving the door 2a to the right, which is the opening side, along the direction in which the second grooved cam 25 extends is indicated by the arrow A2.

As can be seen by comparing arrow A1 in FIG. 8A and arrow A2 in FIG. (force of arrow X1 in FIG. 8(a)) and the force received by the lock outer cam 12 from the cam lever 100 (force of arrow X2 in FIG. 8(b)) are the same. It is possible to increase the ratio of the force for moving the door 4 to the right, which is the side to open it.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the right side of the door 2a is opened by 0.5° from the closed state of the door 2a shown in FIG. 7 (FIG. 8). By pressing the right side of the front end portion of the lock outer cam 12 rearward using the left slope 40a of the convex portion 40 of the cam lever 31, the door 2a can be opened with a force smaller than that of the door opening/closing mechanism of Patent Document 1 described above. The state smoothly transitions to the state shown in FIG. In the state of FIG. 9, the first grooved cam 24 on the right slide cam portion 20 moves obliquely forward to the right along the outer circumference of the right hinge pin 11, and the second grooved cam 25 on the left slide cam portion 20 moves. , moved obliquely rearward to the right along the outer circumference of the left hinge pin 11. FIG.

FIG. 10 shows a state in which the right side of the door 2a is opened by 1.5 degrees by further pulling the handle 5 forward from the state of the door 2a shown in FIG. As the right cam lever 31 further pushes the front tip of the lock outer cam 12 rearward, the first grooved cam 24 on the right slide cam portion 20 moves obliquely forward to the right along the outer circumference of the right hinge pin 11. move further. At the same time, the second grooved cam 25 of the left slide cam portion 20 also moves obliquely rearward to the right along the outer periphery of the left hinge pin 11, and the left slide cam portion 20 assumes the second locking position. Further, the slide outer cam 22 and the lock outer cam 12 on the right slide.

FIG. 11 shows a state where the right side of the door 2a is opened by 2.0 degrees by pulling the handle 5 forward from the state of the door 2a shown in FIG. When the handle 5 is further pulled from the state shown in FIG. 10, the right cam lever 31 further pushes the front tip of the lock outer cam 12 rearward, causing the right slide outer cam 22 and the lock outer cam 12 to slide. . As a result, the door 2a rotates forward about the hinge pin 11 of the cam mechanism of the left slide cam portion 20, which assumes the second locking position.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the cam lever 31 is raised in the direction in which the pressing surface 31a on the tip side of the cam lever presses, and as a result, the tip side of the cam lever is curved so as to be positioned further rearward. are doing. With such a configuration, when the length of the cam lever from the rotation center (the center of the shaft 32) to the tip is the same, the pressing surface is flat or inclined in the direction opposite to the pressing direction. , the lock outer cam 12 can be pressed longer at the same rotation angle. As a result, the door 2a can be moved until the roller 18 provided on the lower surface of the door 2a is positioned on the horizontal surface 10d, preferably on the inclined surface 10c that is biased in the opening direction by its own weight. Even if the handle 5 is gripped and the door 2a is pulled with a small force, the door 2a can be reliably opened.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the tip side of the cam lever 31 may press the side opposite to the opening side (left side in FIG. 11) of the front tip portion of the lock outer cam 12, moving the door 2a to the right side. It may weaken. However, as shown in FIG. 11, the slide cam portion 20 on the left side of the door 2a has already taken the second locking position and is rotatable about the hinge pin 11 on the left side. to the right is no longer needed.

As described above, according to the above configuration, the cam lever 31 presses the opening side of the front end portion of the lock outer cam at the time of initial rotation in the rotation operation for opening the door 2a. . Specifically, a convex portion 40 is formed on the pressing surface 31a of the cam lever 31, and the left inclined surface 40a, which is an inclined surface on the opposite side to the opening side of the convex portion 40, is forward of the lock outer cam 12 at the time of initial rotation. Press the open side of the tip.

As a result, the front of the lock outer cam 12 can be pressed obliquely forward on the opening side, and as a reaction force, a force acts on the door 2a to move the door 2a forward on the opening side. A force is applied to slide the door 2a to the side to be opened, which is necessary for the initial movement at the time of opening. In other words, part of the force exerted on the door 2a by the pressing force of the cam lever 31 moves the hinge pin 11 of the cam mechanism on the opening side to the first grooved cam 24, It works to move the hinge pin 11 of the cam mechanism and the second grooved cam 25 to the second locking position. As a result, the sliding movement of the door 2a, which is necessary as the initial movement when the door is opened, is easily and surely performed, and a door opening/closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the door from both sides with lighter handle operation is realized. be able to.

Moreover, according to the above configuration, there is an advantage that the above effects can be obtained simply by replacing the conventional cam lever with the cam lever 31 described above.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the engagement relationship between the slide cam portion 20 and the hinge angle 10 provided on the right side of the lower end of the refrigerating compartment door 2a' of the refrigerator equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, a cam lever 42 is provided instead of the cam lever 31 . In the cam lever 42, the shaft 32, which is the center of rotation, is located on the center side of the door 2a' with respect to the lock outer cam 12. As shown in FIG. A convex portion 43 is provided at the tip portion of the pressing surface 42 a of the cam lever 42 that presses the unlocking cam 12 . Like the convex portion 40, the convex portion 43 assists the sliding movement of the door 2a' to the opening side, which is necessary as an initial movement when opening the door 2a'.

13 to 16 are diagrams showing the relative positional relationship between the hinge angle 10 and the slide cam portion 20 when the door 2a' is opened from the right side.

FIG. 13 shows the relative positional relationship in the closed state of the door 2a'. FIG. 12 is also an enlarged view of the right end portion of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the closed state of the door 2a′, the right side of the front tip of the lock outer cam 12 contacts or contacts the left slope 43a of the projection 43 provided on the pressing surface 42a of the cam lever 42. Close proximity. Here, the left inclined surface 43a of the convex portion 43 is an inclined surface on the opposite side (the center side of the door 2a') to the side where the door 2a' is opened by the rotation of the cam lever 42. The right side of the tip is the side where the door 2a' is opened by turning the cam lever 42. As shown in FIG.

From the state of FIG. 13 (FIG. 12), when the right handle 5 is pulled slightly forward, the cam lever 42 rotates rearward (toward the main body 6), and the left slope 43a of the projection 43 of the cam lever 42 moves toward the lock outside cam. Push the right side of the front tip of 12 backwards. The arrow X1 in FIG. 12 indicates the direction of the force applied to the door 2a' via the lock outside cam 12 at that time, and the second grooved cam 25 of the reaction force (arrow Y1 force in FIG. 12) An arrow A1 indicates a force for moving the door 2a' to the right side, which is the side to open the door 2a', along the extending direction.

In this way, like the cam lever 31 of the door opening/closing mechanism of the first embodiment, the cam lever 42 opens the front end portion of the lock outer cam 12 at the time of initial rotation in the rotation operation for opening the door 2a'. By pressing the side to be opened, the force to slide the door 2a' to the side to be opened, which is necessary as an initial movement when the door is opened, is given by the reaction force. As a result, the sliding movement of the door 2a, which is necessary as the initial movement when the door is opened, is easily and surely performed, and a door opening/closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the door from both sides with lighter handle operation is realized. be able to.

FIG. 14 shows a state in which the right side of the door 2a' is opened by 0.5 degrees from the closed state of the door 2a' shown in FIG. 13 (FIG. 12), and corresponds to FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. Fig. 15 shows a state in which the handle 5 is further pulled forward from the state of the door 2a' shown in Fig. 14, and the right side of the door 2a' is opened by 1.5°, which corresponds to Fig. 10 of the first embodiment. do. FIG. 16 shows a state in which the handle 5 is further pulled forward from the state of the door 2a' shown in FIG. 15, and the right side of the door 2a' is opened by 2.0°, which corresponds to FIG. 11 of the first embodiment. do.

In such a configuration, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the cam lever 42 pushes the right side of the front tip portion of the lock outer cam 12 rearward while the pressing surface 42a moves toward the tip side as the cam lever 42 rotates. do. Further, the convex portion 43 provided on the pressing surface 42a presses the right side of the front tip portion of the lock-out cam 12 rearward when the cam lever 42 is initially rotated. That is, in the initial stage of rotation of the cam lever 42, the reaction force always includes the force to move the door 2a' to the right side, which is the side to open. Therefore, the sliding movement of the door 2a', which is necessary for the initial movement of the door when the door is opened, is more easily and surely performed, and a door opening/closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the door from both sides with a light handle operation is realized. can do.

15 and 16, the top portion of the projection 43 of the pressing surface 42a presses the front tip portion of the lock outer cam 12 rearward. In the state of FIG. 15, like FIG. 10 of the first embodiment, the left side slide cam portion 20 is in the second locking position, so the force to slide the door 2a' to the right side is no longer necessary. In this way, at the tip of the pressing surface 42a of the cam lever 42, the top of the convex portion 43, not the left sloping surface 43a, is in contact with the outer lock cam 12, so that the door can be opened at each stage optimally. A directional force can be applied to the front tip of the lock out cam 12 .

In this embodiment, the mechanism for rotating the cam lever 42 in conjunction with the handle 5 is larger than in the first embodiment. Suitable for doors.

[Third Embodiment]
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the door opening/closing mechanism of the first embodiment, the initial position (door closing position) of the cam lever 31 is arranged parallel to the opening surface of the main body 6, and when the handle 5 is operated, it moves backward from that position. It is configured to rotate. Further, the location where the cam lever 31 is arranged is the front side of the door 2a. By arranging the cam lever 31 in this way, it becomes possible to fill the rear portion of the cam lever 31 with a sufficient thickness of the heat insulating material, thereby ensuring sufficient heat insulation.

However, although the heat insulation is slightly inferior, by moving the rotation shaft of the cam lever rearward (toward the main body 6) and arranging the initial position of the cam lever obliquely with respect to the opening surface of the main body 6, the cam lever 31 can be Even if the pressing surface 31a is not provided with the convex portion 40 or the like, it is possible to create an inclined surface that presses the opening side of the front end portion of the unlocking cam 12. As shown in FIG. In the door opening/closing mechanism of the present embodiment, the cam lever is obliquely arranged with the rear as the rotation axis, and has a shape in which the pressing surface is inclined from the rear to the front as it goes from the edge of the door toward the center.

With such a configuration, as in the door opening/closing mechanisms of the first and second embodiments, when the cam lever 31 starts rotating in the rotating operation for opening the door 2a, the front end portion of the unlocking cam is The side to be opened is pressed. Further, in this embodiment, as the cam lever 31 rotates, the pressing surface 31a approaches parallel to the opening surface of the main body 6. Therefore, at the initial rotation, the opening side of the front end of the lock outer cam is pressed, As the rotation progresses, the front tip of the unlocking cam 12 is pushed backward, so that the front tip of the unlocking cam 12 can be given a force in the optimum direction at each stage of opening the door.

〔summary〕
A door opening/closing mechanism according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a door opening/closing mechanism that allows a door to be opened and closed from both sides. The cam mechanism includes a hinge pin 11, grooved cams (first grooved cam, second grooved cam), and a main body ( It has an outer lock cam 12 arranged on the main body 6) and an outer slide cam 22 arranged on the door, and when the door is closed, the hinge pins and groove cams of the cam mechanism on both sides assume the first locking position. , when one of the handles is operated, the cam lever corresponding to the operated handle rotates backward and presses the lock outer cam to move to the door opening side, and the cam on the opposite side to the opening side. The hinge pin and the grooved cam of the mechanism assume a rotatable second locking position, and the cam lever opens the front tip of the lock-out cam at least at the initial rotation of the door-opening rotation. It is characterized by pressing the side.

In the door opening/closing mechanism according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the cam lever has a convex portion 40 on a pressing surface that presses the unlocking cam, and the convex portion is inclined on the side opposite to the opening side. The surface (left slope 40a) may be configured to press the opening side of the front tip of the lock-out cam.

In the door opening/closing mechanism according to mode 3 of the present invention, in mode 2, the pressing surface on the tip side of the cam lever may be raised in the pressing direction.

A door opening/closing mechanism according to aspect 4 of the present invention may be configured such that, in aspect 2, the rotation shaft of the cam lever is positioned on the center side of the door with respect to the outer lock cam to be pressed.

A refrigerator according to aspect 5 of the present invention includes the door opening/closing mechanism according to any one of aspects 1 to 4.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims, and can be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1 refrigerator 2 refrigerator compartment 3 vegetable compartment 4 freezer compartment 5 handle 6 main body (main body)
10 Hinge angle 10a Hinge cover 10b, 10c Inclined surface 10d Horizontal surface 11 Hinge pin 12 Lock outer cam 13 Rib 18 Roller 20 Slide cam portion 21 Groove portion 22 Slide outer cam 23 Boss 24 First groove cam 25 Second groove cam 31, 42 Cam lever 31a , 42a pressing surface 32 shafts 40, 43 convex portions 40a, 43a left slope (inclined surface)

Claims (3)

A door opening/closing mechanism that enables the door to be opened and closed from both sides,
on both sides of the door,
a cam mechanism for engaging and disengaging the door and the main body;
a handle to hold when opening the door;
a cam lever that rotates in conjunction with the handle,
The cam mechanism has a hinge pin and a grooved cam, and an outer lock cam provided on the main body and an outer slide cam provided on the door. 1 locking position, when one handle is operated, the cam lever corresponding to the operated handle rotates backward and pushes the lock outer cam to move the door to the opening side. The hinge pin and the grooved cam of the cam mechanism on the opposite side take a rotatable second locking position,
The cam lever presses the opening side of the front end of the lock outer cam at least at the time of initial rotation in the rotation operation for opening the door,
The cam lever has a convex portion on a pressing surface that presses the outer lock cam, and an inclined surface on the side opposite to the opening side of the convex portion presses the opening side of the front tip of the outer lock cam. ,
A door opening/closing mechanism , wherein the pressing surface on the tip side of the cam lever protrudes in the pressing direction . 2. The door opening/closing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation shaft of the cam lever is positioned on the center side of the door with respect to the outer lock cam that presses. A refrigerator comprising the door opening/closing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2 .

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