JP7407355B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator that includes an automatic opening/closing device on a storage room door, and an operating section as an operation trigger for the device.

In recent years, due to changes in eating habits and the increase in the number of large suburban supermarkets, the habit of shopping daily has been fading away. For example, there is a growing tendency to buy a week's worth of groceries in bulk and store them in the refrigerator. Additionally, an increasing number of elderly people are using relatively large refrigerators. For such users, the total weight of the food purchased in bulk and the door is heavy, and opening and closing the storage compartment feels like a burden. In response to this, refrigerators that use actuators to automatically open the door are on the market.

Refrigerator control units often use capacitive touch sensors, which can cause the door to open unintentionally if a person accidentally touches the control unit or splashes water on the control unit. There is a malfunction. In order to reliably determine whether the operation was performed by a person in response to such malfunctions, some devices use a vibration sensor in the operation section (for example, see Patent Document 1).

FIG. 11 is a front view showing the open state of the right door of the refrigerator compartment of a conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 12 is an explanation schematically showing the operation panel portion of the conventional refrigerator. It is a diagram.

In FIGS. 11 and 12, on the front side of the refrigerator compartment 3 formed in the upper space of the heat insulating box 2, there are a left door 8 and a right door 9 with double door opening, which can be opened and closed freely to close the refrigerator compartment 3. . A solenoid-type or motor-type automatic door opening device 41 is installed at the top of the heat-insulating box 2. An operation panel section 10 is arranged on the surface of the left door 8. The operation panel unit 10 includes an operation switch (general capacitance type touch sensor) that performs operations such as setting the internal temperature and switching the operation mode, and a display mechanism 26 that indicates the setting status with an LED or the like. There is. At the bottom of the operation panel section 10, an operation section 42 for operating the automatic door opening device 41 is arranged. A vibration sensor 43 is incorporated as a means for detecting vibrations on the surface of the operation unit 42 when touched by a person, and a signal from the vibration sensor 43 is input to the operation control unit 23.

When the user performs an operation such as tapping the surface of the operation unit 42, the vibration sensor 43 determines that there has been an operation and outputs a signal to the operation control unit 23, which in turn controls the automatic door opening device. 41 and causes the display mechanism 26 to display that the operation has been detected.

In the above description, the right door 9 is opened by the operating section 42 on the left door 8, but the operating section 42 is provided on both the left and right doors, and the operating section 42 is operated by the operating section 42. A common configuration is to open the door on the side where it is installed.

However, in the conventional configuration described above, since the operation section 42 is arranged on the front surface of the door, there is no problem when only the door opening operation is performed. However, if an automatic opening/closing device that also enables the door closing operation is installed, when the operating unit is placed in the user's blind spot when closing the door from the open state (the operating door and the door where the operating unit is installed) The operating door may be the same door) or may be located far from the user's position (the operating door and the door on which the operation unit is installed may be different doors), making it difficult to operate.

JP2014-234985A

The present disclosure provides a refrigerator with improved operability of door operation.

A refrigerator includes a door that closes a storage compartment, an automatic opening/closing device that opens and closes the door, a first operating section provided on the door for opening and closing the door, and a first operating section on the door. The automatic opening/closing device is equipped with a second operating section for closing the door provided at a different position, and the automatic opening/closing device opens the door based on the user's operation of the first operating section, and automatically opens/closes the door. The device closes the door based on the user's operation of the second operation part, the first operation part is provided on the front surface of the door, and the second operation part is provided on the side surface of the edge frame of the door. This is a configuration provided in

This allows the user to close the door from the front of the refrigerator.

According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the operation for automatically opening and closing the door can be performed from the same standing position in front of the refrigerator. Therefore, the inconvenience of moving or bending down for operation is reduced, and it is possible to improve the operability of the door operation and the usability for the user.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the refrigerator compartment door in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an open state of the right door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing changes in the output of the acceleration sensor of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a front view showing an open state of the right door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an open state of the freezer compartment door of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a side view showing an open state of the freezer compartment door of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a front view of a conventional refrigerator showing the right door of the refrigerator compartment in an open state. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an operation panel portion of a conventional refrigerator.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a casing configured with a heat insulating wall, a storage chamber provided in the casing, a door that opens and closes the storage chamber, and an operation provided on the side of the edge frame of the door. and an automatic opening/closing device that automatically opens and closes the door. The automatic opening/closing device is configured to close a door based on a door closing trigger generated by an operating section.

Thereby, the user can close the door at the position where the stored item is taken out without having to move to close the door. Therefore, the operability of the door operation can be improved.

Further, a second operation section that generates a door opening trigger may be provided on the front surface of the door, and the automatic opening/closing device may be configured to open the door based on the door opening trigger.

As a result, the user can open the door from the same standing position in front of the refrigerator as when closing the door. Therefore, the moving operation for performing the door opening operation is reduced.

Alternatively, the second operation section may be provided with a first multi-axis acceleration sensor.

As a result, vibrations caused by a light operating force, such as a knock by the user, become a trigger for opening and closing the door. Therefore, it can be operated with the back of the hand or the elbow, and even if the palm is dirty or both hands are occupied, the opening and closing operations can be performed easily.

Further, the first multi-axis acceleration sensor is configured to prioritize output values detected in the vertical axis direction among the three-dimensional output values from the second operation unit to make a detection judgment. It's okay.

According to this, it is further possible to distinguish between a door opening operation and a door closing operation using the multi-axis acceleration sensor of the second operation section. Therefore, the number of connection harnesses and mounting structures can be reduced by half, making it possible to reduce man-hours and costs due to significant simplification.

Further, a second multi-axis acceleration sensor may be provided in the operation section.

As a result, vibrations caused by a light operating force, such as a knock by the user, become a trigger for opening and closing the door. Therefore, it can be operated with the back of the hand or the elbow, and even if the palm is dirty or both hands are occupied, the opening and closing operations can be performed easily.

Further, the configuration may include a door opening/closing detection section that detects the opening/closing state of the door.

As a result, the open/closed state of the door can be accurately determined, so that only a door opening operation can be accepted when the door is closed, and only a door closing operation can be accepted when the door is closed, thereby preventing erroneous operations.

Alternatively, a third operation section that generates a two-step door opening trigger may be provided on the side surface of the edge frame of the door.

As a result, the second operating section can be used to first open the door half-open, and then the third operating section can be used to fully open the door. Thereby, it is possible to prevent cold air from flowing out due to the door being fully opened all at once when putting in and taking out things stored on the door side, things stored on the front side of the storage chamber, and the like. Therefore, energy saving can be improved.

Alternatively, the third operating section and the operating section may be integrated.

According to this configuration, opening/closing operations can further be performed using the hardware configuration of one operating section. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the installation space and cost of the operating section.

Further, the door may be configured as a drawer-type opening/closing door.

According to this configuration, furthermore, in a pull-out door that is disposed at a low height, the operating section for operating the closing operation can be installed at a higher position than the operating section for operating the opening operation. Therefore, the door closing operation can be performed in a comfortable posture, especially for doors that are often arranged at a position lower than the waist.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator compartment door in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a front view which shows the door open state of the room right door 102b. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing changes in the output of the acceleration sensor of the refrigerator 100, and FIG. It is an operation flowchart of the same refrigerator 100.

Refrigerator 100 includes a housing 101.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, a casing 101 that is a heat-insulating box has an outer box mainly made of a steel plate, an inner box molded from resin such as ABS, and a case injected between the outer box and the inner box. It consists of a heat insulating material.

The housing 101 is thermally divided into a plurality of storage chambers, and a refrigerating chamber 102 is provided at the top, and an ice making chamber 103 and a switching chamber 104 are provided side by side below the refrigerating chamber 102. A freezer compartment 105 is arranged below the ice making compartment 103 and the switching compartment 104, and a vegetable compartment 106 is arranged at the bottom. At the front of each storage chamber, a heat insulating door is provided at the front opening of the housing 101 to separate it from the outside air.

The refrigerator compartment left door 102a and the refrigerator compartment right door 102b, which are insulated doors of the refrigerator compartment 102, are double-opening type, and freely open and close the refrigerator compartment 102. Further, the heat insulating doors other than the refrigerator compartment 102 are of a pull-out type and move back and forth, and similarly to the refrigerator compartment 102, each storage compartment is closed off so as to be openable and closable.

On the top surface of the housing 101 above the refrigerator compartment 102, a device that automatically opens and closes the heat insulation door is arranged. A left door opening/closing device 107 is provided for the left door 102a of the refrigerator compartment, and a right door opening/closing device 108 is provided for the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment. Furthermore, an operating section that generates an operating trigger for driving these opening/closing devices is arranged on the surface of each heat-insulating door. A second left door operating section 109 is disposed for the left door of the refrigerator compartment 102a, and a second operating section 110 of the right door is disposed for the right door of the refrigerator compartment 102b.

Further, in a machine room formed in the rear region at the top of the refrigerator compartment 102, components of the refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor and a dryer that removes moisture, are housed. A cooling chamber that generates cold air is provided on the back side of the freezer compartment 105, and a cooler and a cooling fan are arranged within the cooling chamber. The cooling fan blows cold air, which is cooled by the cooler and serves as a cooling means, to the refrigerator compartment 102, the ice making compartment 103, the switching compartment 104, the freezing compartment 105, and the vegetable compartment 106 through the air passage. Furthermore, an air volume adjustment damper that adjusts the air volume from the cooling fan is installed in the air path. With these configurations, a cooling operation is performed to adjust each storage chamber to a desired temperature.

Next, the configuration of the heat insulating door will be described using the refrigerator compartment right door 102b as an example and a cross-sectional configuration of a portion near the right door operating portion in FIG. 2. Note that the insulation configurations of the insulation doors other than the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment have the same configuration.

The edge frame 111 located inside the housing 101 is made of, for example, ABS resin. A door exterior plate 112 made of a transparent front plate such as a laminated glass plate is adhesively fixed to the front so as to cover the edge frame 111. As the door exterior plate 112, a glossy tempered glass plate is generally used. A resin film 113 is attached to the inside of the door exterior plate 112. As a result, at least one of the provision of a picture pattern and coloring is performed, thereby enhancing the design and also serving to prevent scattering when the glass is broken.

The space between the resin film 113 side surface of the door exterior plate 112 and the edge frame 111 is filled with foamed urethane 119, which is a hard urethane filled and foamed. This improves heat insulation and allows the edge frame 111 and the door exterior plate 112 to be bonded and held together.

Next, the internal structure of the right door second operating section 110 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment near the second right door operating section 110 is not filled with urethane foam 119; The inside of the refrigerator compartment right door 102b is a hollow area 120. A support insertion opening 115 into which a substrate support 114 made of a resin plate is inserted is provided on the lower end surface of the edge frame 111 that forms the framework of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment. After the substrate support 114 is inserted into the support insertion opening 115, the substrate support 114 is fixed with a fixing screw 116 using a separate lid.

The board support 114 is provided with a flat part 136 that faces the inner surface of the door exterior plate 112, one surface of which is closely fixed to the back surface of the door exterior plate 112 near the operation section, and the other surface has a mounting board 117 mounted thereon. Fixed surface. An acceleration sensor 118 is mounted and fixed on the surface of the mounting board 117 opposite to the surface on the plane portion 136 side by soldering. In this embodiment, a three-axis acceleration sensor 118 of X, Y, and Z is used, and the horizontal direction is The acceleration sensor 118 detects vibration as acceleration, with the vertical direction being the Y-axis and the vertical direction (front-back direction) being the Z-axis.

Note that the second operation unit 110 on the right door only needs to have a configuration that allows the user to determine that it is the part that should be operated (to which vibration should be applied), and no new components are required. , a symbol, a line, etc., at least one of them may be displayed in a fixed manner. However, in order to improve the design, it is also possible to use an LED or the like to make at least one display of characters, symbols, linear shapes, etc. stand out through the glass.

Next, the configuration of the refrigerator compartment right door 102b in the open state will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, inside the refrigerator compartment 102, a right door open/close detector 121 is installed that can detect the open/close state of the refrigerator compartment right door 102b. Specifically, a door switch selected from a non-contact electronic door switch using a Hall IC and a magnet, and a mechanical door switch using a contact switch using a spring can be used. A right door operating section 123 is provided at the lower part of the edge frame side surface 122 of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment when the door is open.

It is preferable that the second right door operating section 110 and the right door operating section 123 are arranged at the same height from the floor, specifically, at a height about the waist level of an adult. Although the detailed configuration is not shown, the acceleration sensor 118 attached to the second right door operation section 110 can also be attached to the right door operation section 123 with a similar configuration. In that case, vibration is detected as acceleration with the horizontal direction as the Z-axis, the vertical direction as the Y-axis, and the vertical direction (back and forth direction) as the X-axis, with the surface of the right door operating section 123 as a reference.

Furthermore, the control for opening and closing the heat insulating door will be explained with reference to the block diagram in FIG. 4.

Due to the user's knocking operation, the vibrations are generated in the order of right door second operation part 110 → door exterior plate 112 → board support 114 → mounting board 117, X-axis vibration is signal S2, Y-axis vibration is signal S3, The Z-axis vibrations are each transmitted to the acceleration sensor 118 as a signal S4. The control device 124 inputs the determination signal S5 output by the acceleration sensor 118 and the signal S1 from the right door opening/closing detection section 121, performs arithmetic processing, and outputs a signal S6 to the drive device 125. The drive device 125 outputs the signal S7 to the right door opening/closing device 108. As a result, the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment is opened in this example. Further, when the right door operating section 123 is operated in the door open state, the door closing operation is performed by the same control.

Regarding the refrigerator 100 configured as described above, the door opening operation and operation will first be described using the acceleration sensor output change graph in FIG. 5 and the operation flowchart in FIG. 6.

First, when the power is turned on in step 1, the right door open/close detector 121 determines in step 2 whether or not the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment is in a closed state. If the door is closed (step 2, Yes), the logic goes to step 3; if the door is open (step 2, No), the logic goes to step 13, outputting the signal S1 to the control device 124 and proceeding. .

Next, in step 3, since the door is in the closed state, vibration in the right door operation part 123 is detected, and if the output from the acceleration sensor 118 exceeds the predefined value ±A shown in (Equation 1), then (If the absolute value exceeds A (step 3, YES)), the logic advances to step 4; otherwise (step 3, NO), the logic continues with step 3 (first knock in Figure 5). ).

Note that in (Equation 1), X, Y, and Z are outputs in each axis direction detected by the acceleration sensor 118. α, β, and γ are constants, but in the knocking operation on the second operating section 110 of the right door, vibration in the Z-axis direction is dominant, so in order to give more weight, γ is set to is also set to a sufficiently large value. As a result, the value of A, which serves as the criterion, is the sum of the values of the three axes with priority given to the Z-axis direction.

Next, in step 4, after a non-detection period (predefined time t2 in FIG. 5) in which no false detection waveform such as bouncing of the output waveform is detected, the signal S5, which is determined to be the first knock, is detected by the acceleration sensor. 118 to the control device 124. The control device 124 sets the counter N to 1 and starts the timer T1.

Next, in step 5, similarly to step 3, if the output of the acceleration sensor 118 is an output exceeding ±A (if the absolute value exceeds A or more), the logic advances to step 6; If so, the logic continues with step 5 (at the second knock in FIG. 5).

Next, in step 6, as in step 4, it is determined that there has been a knock, and the signal S5 is output from the acceleration sensor 118 to the control device 124. The control device 124 increments the counter N by 1, and sets N=2.

Subsequently, in step 7, the control device 124 determines the elapsed time of the timer T1, and if the predefined time t1 has elapsed, the logic advances to step 8; otherwise, the logic returns to step 5. The system continues to detect whether or not there is a knock operation.

Next, in step 8, the control device 124 determines the number of times the counter N is counted, and if it is 2 times, the logic advances to step 10, otherwise (1 time or 3 or more times), the timer T1 is reset ( Step 9), the logic returns to step 2 (at the time of detection number N in FIG. 5).

Next, in step 10, it is determined that a predetermined number of knocks (in this embodiment, two knocks) have occurred within the detection unit time t1, and a knock operation is determined. Subsequently, in step 11, after a predetermined time has elapsed (0.5 seconds in this embodiment), the control device 124 outputs a door opening signal S6 to the drive device 125 in one pulse (in this embodiment, it is 1 pulse). seconds). Furthermore, a signal S7 for opening the door is output to the right door opening/closing device 108, and in step 12, the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment is opened. Then, the timer T1 is reset (step 9) and the logic returns to step 2.

Next, the door closing operation will be explained from step 13 onwards, but the operation section becomes the right door operation section 123, and the operation of the right door opening/closing device 108 changes to the door closing operation, and the basic operation and operation are the same as the above-mentioned opening and closing operation. It is similar to door operation.

First, in step 13, since the door is in the open state, vibrations in the right door operating section 123 are detected, and if the output from the acceleration sensor 118 exceeds the predefined value ±B shown in (Equation 2). If so (if the absolute value exceeds B), the logic advances to step 14; otherwise, the logic continues to step 13 (at the time of the first knock in FIG. 5).

Note that in (Equation 2), X, Y, and Z are outputs in each axis direction detected by the acceleration sensor 118. δ, ε, and ζ are constants, but in the knocking operation on the right door operation part 123, vibration in the X-axis direction is dominant, so δ is set to be sufficiently larger than ε and ζ in order to give more weight. value. As a result, the value of B, which serves as the criterion, is the sum of the outputs of the three axes with priority given to the X-axis direction.

Subsequently, in step 14, after a non-detection period (predetermined time t2 in FIG. 5) in which no erroneous detection waveform such as bouncing of the output waveform is detected, the signal S5, which is determined to be the first knock, is detected by the acceleration sensor. 118 to the control device 124. The control device 124 sets the counter N to 1 and starts the timer T1.

Next, in step 15, similarly to step 13, if the output of the acceleration sensor 118 is an output exceeding ±B (if the absolute value exceeds B), the logic is advanced to step 16; otherwise, , the logic continues with step 15 (at the second knock in FIG. 5).

Next, in step 16, it is determined that there has been a knock, as in step 14, and the signal S5 is output from the acceleration sensor 118 to the control device 124. The control device 124 increments the counter N by 1, that is, N=2.

Subsequently, in step 17, the control device 124 determines the elapsed time of the timer T1, and if the predefined time t1 has elapsed, the logic advances to step 18; otherwise, the logic returns to step 15. The system continues to detect whether or not there is a knock operation.

Next, in step 18, the control device 124 determines the number of times the counter N is counted, and if it is 2 times, the logic advances to step 20, otherwise (1 time or 3 or more times), the timer T1 is reset ( Step 19), the logic returns to Step 2 (at the time of detection number N in FIG. 5).

Next, in step 20, it is determined that a predetermined number of knocks (in this embodiment, two knocks) has occurred within the detection unit time t1, and a knock operation is confirmed. Subsequently, in step 21, after a predetermined time has elapsed (0.5 seconds in this embodiment), the control device 124 outputs a closing signal S6 to the drive device 125 for 1 pulse (1 second in this embodiment). ). Further, a signal S7 for closing the door is output to the right door opening/closing device 108, and in step 22, the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment is closed. Timer T1 is then reset (step 19) and the logic returns to step 2.

The above explanation has been about the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment, but the left door 102a of the refrigerator compartment can also be opened in a similar manner using the left door second operation unit 109, left door opening/closing device 107, etc. that are involved in the left door. All you have to do is perform the door operation and door closing operation.

In addition, in the explanation 1 of the present embodiment, the number of times of knocking to confirm knocking is set to two, but by changing the number of times of determination of the counter N, it is possible to set an arbitrary number of operations. In addition, in consideration of the user's operational feeling, arbitrary values can be set for the detection unit time t1, non-detection interval t2, 0.5 seconds of operation confirmation prescribed time, and 1 second of one pulse output from the control device 124. You can set it to .

As described above, in this embodiment, the casing 101 includes a heat insulating wall, the refrigeration compartment 102 provided in the casing 101, and the refrigeration compartment right door 102b that freely opens and closes the refrigeration compartment 102. A refrigerator 100 is disclosed that includes a right door opening/closing device 108 that automatically opens and closes a right door 102b of a refrigerator compartment. Further, the refrigerator 100 has a right door operating section 123 that generates a door closing trigger on the side surface of the edge frame of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment. This eliminates the need for the unnecessary movement of moving around to the front of the open door when closing the door, which occurs in the conventional configuration in which the opening and closing operations are performed using the same operating section on the front of the refrigerator, making it possible to realize an easy-to-use operation.

Furthermore, a second right door operating section 110 that generates a door opening trigger is arranged on the front surface of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment. This allows the user to open and close the door while standing in front of the same door that they wish to open and close, reducing unnecessary movement and providing even more user-friendly operability.

Further, the second right door operation section 110 and the right door operation section 123 are equipped with a multi-axis acceleration sensor 118 as an operation detection section. As a result, the opening/closing operation can be performed with the vibration of a light operation force such as a knock from the user, and unlike conventional electrostatic touch sensors, there is no need to touch the sensor with bare hands. It becomes possible to operate the device while wearing it, or through clothing such as gloves.

In addition, the right door operation section 123 is not equipped with an acceleration sensor 118, and only the second right door operation section 110 is equipped with one acceleration sensor 118, so that the detected output value in the vertical axis direction from each operation section is detected. It is also possible to make decisions by weighting them preferentially. Thereby, the X-axis direction of the acceleration sensor 118 of the right door second operation section 110 can be detected as a door-closing operation, and the Z-axis direction as a door-opening operation can be detected with a single sensor. This makes it possible to reduce the number of connection harnesses, mounting structures, etc. by half, making it possible to significantly reduce man-hours and costs.

In addition, by providing the right door opening/closing detection unit 121 that detects the opening/closing status of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment, the opening/closing status of the door can be accurately determined. By accepting each of these, it is possible to prevent erroneous operations and provide highly reliable automatic door opening/closing operations.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a front view showing an open state of the right door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the same configurations as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and different parts will mainly be explained.

In FIG. 7, with respect to the configuration of the first embodiment, a third right door operation section 126 is newly added above the right door operation section 123 disposed on the edge frame side surface 122. In addition, in FIG. 7, the right door third operation part 126 is provided above the right door operation part 123, but the position is not particularly limited as long as it is on the edge frame side surface 122. As a specific detection unit of the operation detection unit of the third operation unit 126 of the right door, for example, the multi-axis acceleration sensor used in the first embodiment is preferable.

Next, its operation and effect will be explained.

First, when the right door second operation unit 110 detects vibration due to an operation such as a knock in a closed state, the knock operation is confirmed and the right door is closed, similar to the operation described in the first embodiment. The opening/closing device 108 operates to open the door. At this time, a signal S5 is output from the drive device 125 to the right door opening/closing device 108, the right door opening/closing device 108 operates, and when the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment reaches a predetermined half-open angle, the right door opens/closes. Device 108 ceases operation. Here, the half-open angle is the minimum necessary opening angle that allows storage items such as the door shelf inside the refrigerator compartment right door 102b and the front shelf inside the refrigerator compartment 102 to be taken in and out.

In this half-open state, when the user wants to close the door after completing the loading/unloading operation, the user vibrates the right door operating section 123 by an operation such as a knock. Then, similar to the operation described in the first embodiment, the knocking operation is confirmed, the right door opening/closing device 108 operates, and the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment closes.

On the other hand, in the half-open state, if it is necessary to take in or take out stored items to the back of the refrigerator compartment 102, the user can operate the third operation section 126 of the right door on the side frame side 122 by knocking or the like. make it vibrate. Then, the signal S5 is outputted from the drive device 125 to the right door opening/closing device 108, the right door opening/closing device 108 is operated, the refrigerator compartment right door 102b is fully opened, and the operation is stopped. Then, when the user finishes the work and wants to close the door, he/she may similarly operate the right door operating section 123.

Note that the operation of fully opening the door from the half-open state by operating the right door third operating section 126 may be made possible by the right door operating section 123 that performs the door closing operation. That is, it is also possible to integrate the third right door operating section 126 and the right door operating section 123. Specifically, when the number of knocks N is 2, the door is opened from half-open to fully open, and when N is 3, the door is closed, or vice versa. Furthermore, depending on the time interval between knocks, it is possible to distinguish between a half-opening to a fully opening operation and a door-closing operation. In any case, it is possible to cope with this by changing at least one of the number of times of detection and the time of detection through control.

In the above description of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the refrigerator compartment right door 102b has been described. However, regarding the refrigerator compartment left door 102a, the configuration related to the left door is also the same as that of the refrigerator compartment right door. If the configuration related to 102b is the same, the same operation is possible for the left door.

As described above, in this embodiment, the right door third operating section 126 that generates the two-step door opening trigger is disposed on the edge frame side surface 122 of the refrigerator compartment right door 102b. As a result, the right door second operating section 110 on the front of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment first operates to half-open the door, and then, when the door needs to be opened further, the right door third operating section 110 126 allows the operation to be fully opened. Therefore, when loading and unloading items stored inside the refrigerator compartment right door 102b and items stored in the front side of the refrigerator compartment 102, the user can do the work with the door partially open, and by fully opening the door, unnecessary cold air is removed. Outflow can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to improve energy saving performance. Furthermore, since the door opens in two steps, it is possible to provide an excellent refrigerator from the viewpoint of ensuring safety and high-quality operation.

In addition, by integrally configuring the right door third operation section 126 and the right door operation section 123 installed on the edge frame side surface 122 of the right door 102b of the refrigerator compartment, it is possible to open the door half-open with the hardware configuration of one operation section. You can open and close the door from fully open to fully open. This not only reduces installation space and cost, but also prevents erroneous operations such as knocking in the wrong position when there are two operating units nearby.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a front view of a refrigerator 300 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the freezer compartment door of the refrigerator 300 in an open state, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the freezer compartment door of the refrigerator 300 in an open state.

Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and different parts will be explained.

In FIGS. 8 to 10, a second freezer compartment door operation unit 127 that generates an operation trigger for opening the freezer compartment door 128 is arranged on the front surface of the pull-out freezer compartment door 128. Its configuration is the same as the right door second operating section 110 of the refrigerator compartment right door 102b described in the first embodiment.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 in the open state, a freezer compartment door operation section that generates an operation trigger to close the freezer compartment door 128 is provided on the upper side of the frame 129 that forms the framework of the freezer compartment door 128. 130 are arranged. Although the acceleration sensor 118 may also be mounted on the freezer compartment door operating section 130, in this embodiment, a configuration in which one acceleration sensor is mounted only on the second operating section 127 of the freezer compartment door will be described. That is, the vertical Z-axis of the acceleration sensor 118 is selectively detected as the vibration of the door opening operation, and the vertical Y-axis is selectively detected as the vibration of the door closing operation.

Further, inside the freezer compartment 105, a freezer compartment door opening/closing detection unit 131 that can detect the opening/closing state of the freezer compartment door 128 is arranged. Further, the removable freezer compartment case 133 is stored on a drawer rail 132 that can be moved back and forth, and a drawer door opening/closing device 134 is installed on the drawer rail 132. Here, since the drawer rail 132 and the freezer compartment door 128 are fixedly connected, the freezer compartment door 128 can be automatically opened and closed by the operation of the drawer door opening/closing device 134.

The operation and effect of the refrigerator 300 configured as above will be described below.

First, when the freezer compartment door second operation unit 127 detects vibration due to an operation such as a knock while the door is closed, the knock operation is confirmed and the drawer door is closed, similar to the operation described in the first embodiment. The opening/closing device 134 operates and the freezer compartment door 128 opens. Next, when the freezer compartment door operating unit 130 detects vibration due to an operation such as a knock while the door is open, the knock operation is confirmed and the drawer door opens and closes, similar to the operation described in the first embodiment. The device 134 operates and the freezer compartment door 128 closes.

At this time, the acceleration sensor 118 and the control device 124 when placed on the door side require power supply and signal transmission from the main body side. In order to ensure reliability, it is possible to configure the system not only by using an expandable harness connection but also by using a non-contact power supply method. Specifically, if the primary side of the non-contact power supply is installed on the main body side and the secondary side is installed on the door side so that they face each other, it becomes possible to supply power and transmit signals even when the door is closed. Furthermore, if a backup power source such as a battery that can be charged while the door is closed and a wireless communication device such as an infrared ray are provided on the secondary side, it becomes possible to detect a knock when the door is closed even when the door is open.

In addition, as in the second embodiment, if the third operating section 135 of the freezer compartment door is provided on the upper part 129 of the edge frame side of the freezer compartment door 128, the freezer compartment door 128 can be opened in two steps. becomes possible. As a result, when loading and unloading items stored in the front of the freezer compartment 105, work can be done in a half-open state. Therefore, as in the second embodiment, energy saving is improved, safety is ensured, and high-quality operation can be ensured.

As described above, in this embodiment, the door that automatically opens and closes is the pull-out type freezer compartment door 128, and the position of the freezer compartment door operating unit 130 that operates the door to close is set to the second freezer door that operates the door to open. It is installed at a higher position than the operating section 127. As a result, especially for doors that are often arranged below the waist, the door can be closed by knocking in the vertical direction, making it easy to use and allowing the user to operate from a comfortable posture.

In addition, in this Embodiment, although the freezer compartment was demonstrated, the same structure may be applied to the same drawer-type vegetable compartment etc.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present disclosure includes a door closing operation section on the side surface of the edge frame of the door as an operation section for operating the automatic door opening device. This improves the operability of both double-folding doors and pull-out doors. Therefore, it is useful because it can be applied to commercial refrigerators, freezer/refrigerator showcases, and storage cabinets that do not require temperature control.

100,200,300 Refrigerator 101 Case 102 Refrigerator compartment 102a Refrigerator compartment left door 102b Refrigerator compartment right door 103 Ice making compartment 104 Switching compartment 105 Freezer compartment 106 Vegetable compartment 107 Left door opening/closing device 108 Right door opening/closing device 109 Second left door Operation section 110 Second operation section of right door 111 Edge frame 112 Door exterior plate 113 Resin film 114 Board support 115 Support insertion opening 116 Fixing screw 117 Mounting board 118 Acceleration sensor 119 Urethane foam 120 Hollow area 121 Right door opening/closing detection section 122 Edge frame side surface 123 Right door operation section 124 Control device 125 Drive device 126 Right door third operation section 127 Freezer chamber door second operation section 128 Freezer chamber door 129 Edge frame side upper part 130 Freezer chamber door operation section 131 Freezer chamber Door opening/closing detection part 132 Drawer rail 133 Freezer compartment case 134 Drawer door opening/closing device 135 Freezer compartment door third operation part 136 Plane part

Claims (9)

A refrigerator including at least one storage compartment,
a door that closes off the storage chamber;
an automatic opening/closing device that opens and closes the door;
a first operation unit provided on the door for opening the door;
a second operating section for closing the door, which is provided at a different position from the first operating section on the door;
The automatic opening/closing device opens the door based on a user's operation of the first operation unit,
The automatic opening/closing device closes the door based on a user's operation of the second operation unit,
The first operation section is provided on the front surface of the door,
In the refrigerator, the second operating section is provided on a side surface of the edge frame of the door. The second operation part is provided at a lower part of a side surface of the edge frame of the door,
the first operating section and the second operating section are provided at approximately the same height ;
The refrigerator according to claim 1. The door is composed of a right door and a left door,
The second operation part is provided on a side surface of the edge frame of the door, on which the right door and the left door face each other when the door is in a closed state.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or claim 2. a first multi-axis acceleration sensor is provided in the second operation section,
The automatic opening/closing device closes the door based on the detection result of the first multi-axis acceleration sensor.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The first multi-axis acceleration sensor prioritizes output values detected in a direction perpendicular to the plane on which the second operation section is provided, among the three-dimensional output values from the second operation section. Make detection decisions by weighting
The refrigerator according to claim 4 . a second multi-axis acceleration sensor is provided in the first operation section,
The automatic opening/closing device opens the door based on the detection result of the second multi-axis acceleration sensor.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The second multi-axis acceleration sensor prioritizes output values detected in a direction perpendicular to the plane on which the first operating section is provided, among the three-dimensional output values from the first operating section. Make detection decisions by weighting
The refrigerator according to claim 6 . A third operation part is provided on the side of the edge frame of the door,
The automatic opening/closing device opens the door from a first position to a second position based on a user's operation of the first operation unit,
The automatic opening/closing device opens the door from the second position to the third position based on the user's operation of the third operation unit.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The first position is a position where the door is closed,
The second position is a position where the door is half open,
the third position is a position where the door is fully open;
The refrigerator according to claim 8 .