JP7437309B2 - Door opening/closing mechanism and refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a door opening/closing mechanism that can change the left/right opening of the door, and a refrigerator equipped with a door having this door opening/closing mechanism.

Some refrigerator door opening/closing mechanisms are configured so that the left and right opening/closing directions of the door can be changed by replacing parts. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator door opening/closing structure that can change the left and right opening of the refrigerator door.

The opening/closing structure of this refrigerator door includes a refrigerator body, a door having mounting holes at the top of each of the left and right sides, and a door that is provided on each of the left and right sides of the refrigerator body, and overlaps the mounting hole above the mounting hole. a hinge holding member having a through hole; a hinge pin that is inserted into the through hole from above the through hole and removably inserted into the mounting hole to rotatably attach the door to the refrigerator body; and the door. and a lower hinge portion which is arranged below the refrigerator body and rotatably attaches the door to the refrigerator body around the axis of the hinge pin. Then, remove the hinge pins inserted into the mounting holes on the left and right sides of the door and the through holes of the hinge holding members on the left and right sides, and insert the hinge pins into the mounting holes on the left and right sides of the door and the hinge holding members on the other side. By inserting it into the through hole of the member, you can easily change the left or right opening of the door.

Patent No. 4217674

Some refrigerator door opening/closing mechanisms include a magnet attached to the gasket of the door in order to increase the self-closing force of the door when the user closes the door. However, the self-closing force of the door may be insufficient if only the magnet provides the self-closing force. For example, if a heavy object is stored in the door, the door may not close due to insufficient self-closing force. There may be times when there is no.

Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a configuration in which the door can be opened more reliably and easily when the door is closed.

A door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention includes a main body, at least one door, and a hinge. In this door opening/closing mechanism, the hinge part is configured to be replaceable on the left and right sides of the main body part, and the hinge part includes a shaft part and a self-closing property improving member that promotes the self-closing force of the door. The arrangement of the self-closing property improving member is changed between when it is attached to the left side of the main body and when it is attached to the right side of the main body.

In the door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the self-closing property improving member may have a configuration in which the way of arrangement is changed by rotating it in a horizontal direction when changing left and right positions.

In the door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention, the self-closing property improving member may have a configuration in which the arrangement thereof is changed by inverting the self-closing property improving member in the vertical direction when replacing the left and right parts.

A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention includes at least two doors in the vertical direction. In this refrigerator, at least one of the at least two doors includes the door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention.

In the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, both of the at least two doors may have the door opening/closing mechanism. An intermediate hinge portion is disposed as the hinge portion between two adjacent doors of the at least two doors. The shaft portion of the intermediate hinge portion serves as a rotation axis when both of the two adjacent doors open and close, and the self-closing property improving member of the intermediate hinge portion is located on the upper side of the two adjacent doors. It may also be something that promotes the self-closing force of the door.

In the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a space holding part may be provided between two adjacent doors of the at least two doors to ensure a space between each door.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a door that can be opened left or right, the door can be closed more reliably and easily when the door is closed.

1 is a front view showing the external configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which each door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is opened from the left side. 3 is a perspective view showing the main body of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 3 viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is opened from the right side. 6 is a perspective view showing the main body of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 6 viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, viewed from below. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the intermediate hinge portion of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a hinge pin and a spring receiving member included in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing how a refrigerator compartment door is attached to the main body of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the intermediate hinge portion of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 11. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration around the intermediate hinge portion when the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is in a closed state. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration around the intermediate hinge portion when the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is in an open state. It is a figure which shows the structure around the intermediate hinge part when the refrigerating compartment door of the refrigerator concerning 2nd Embodiment is in the closed state. It is a figure which shows the structure of the intermediate hinge part periphery when the refrigerating compartment door of the refrigerator concerning 2nd Embodiment is in the open state. It is a perspective view showing a hinge pin and a spring receiving member with which a refrigerator concerning a 2nd embodiment is equipped. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, viewed from above. This figure shows a configuration in which each door is opened from the left side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, viewed from above. This figure shows a configuration in which each door is opened from the right side. It is a figure which shows the structure around the intermediate hinge part when the refrigerating compartment door of the refrigerator concerning 3rd Embodiment is in the closed state. This figure shows the intermediate hinge section viewed from below. It is a perspective view showing a hinge pin and a spring receiving member with which a refrigerator concerning a 3rd embodiment is equipped. It is a figure which shows the modification of the refrigerator concerning 3rd Embodiment. This figure shows the configuration around the intermediate hinge when the refrigerator compartment door is closed. This figure shows the intermediate hinge section viewed from below. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the middle hinge part of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[First embodiment]
(Overall configuration of refrigerator)
In this embodiment, a refrigerator 1 having two storage compartments (refrigerating compartment 2 and freezing compartment 3) will be described as an example. The refrigerator 1 includes a door opening/closing mechanism according to an example of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the refrigerator 1 with each door opened. The refrigerator 1 mainly includes a main body 10, a refrigerator compartment door 11, and a freezer compartment door 12. The main body portion 10 has an outer shape formed of a heat insulating box.

A refrigerator compartment 2 is arranged in the upper stage of the refrigerator 1. A refrigerator compartment door 11 is attached to the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 2. A freezer compartment 3 is arranged in the lower part of the refrigerator 1. A freezer compartment door 12 is attached to the front opening of the freezer compartment 3. The refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 have a door opening/closing mechanism as an example of the present invention. The opening and closing direction of the door can be changed from side to side by replacing the parts (specifically, the hinge pins 31, 41, 61, etc.) that make up the hinge part.

Note that the configuration and arrangement of each storage compartment in the refrigerator 1 are not limited to those described above. The configuration and arrangement of each storage compartment can be changed as appropriate depending on the capacity, purpose, etc. of the refrigerator.

In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is the front surface (front surface) of the refrigerator 1. Then, each surface of the main body 10 of the refrigerator 1 is defined as a top surface, a side surface, a back surface, and a bottom surface, based on the position that exists when the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state with the front surface as a reference. Also, when looking at the refrigerator 1 from the front, the side located on the left is called the left side of the refrigerator 1 (or refrigerator compartment door 11), and the side located on the right is called the right side of the refrigerator 1 (or refrigerator compartment door 11). It is called.

1 and 2 show a state in which the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the left side. In this state, each hinge pin (shaft) 31, 41, 61 is attached to the right end of the refrigerator 1. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the right side. In this state, each hinge pin 31, 41, 61 is attached to the left end of the refrigerator 1.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, when each door 11 and 12 is attached to the main body 10 with the hinge pins 31, 41, and 61 arranged on the right side of the main body 10, the left end Each door 11 and 12 is opened and closed from the front. Furthermore, when the doors 11 and 12 are attached to the main body 10 with the hinge pins 31, 41, and 61 arranged on the left side of the main body 10, each door 11 and 12 is opened and closed from the right end. Become.

(About the door opening/closing mechanism)
Next, the door opening/closing mechanism of the refrigerator compartment door 11 attached to the refrigerator 1 will be explained. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 show the appearance of the main body 10 with the doors 11 and 12 removed from the refrigerator 1. 3 and 4 show the configuration of the main body 10 when the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are both opened and closed from the left side. 6 and 7 show the configuration of the main body 10 when both the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the right side.

Further, FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the bottom portion of the refrigerator compartment door 11. FIG. 9 shows each component constituting the intermediate hinge portion of the refrigerator 1 in an exploded state. FIG. 10 shows a state in which a spring receiving member (self-closing property improving member) 42 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41.

The refrigerator door 11 has an upper door member 21 attached to the upper part of the door main body and a lower door member 22 attached to the lower part of the door main body. The freezer compartment door 12 has an upper door member 23 attached to the upper part of the door body, and a lower door member 24 attached to the lower part of the door body. Holes into which hinge pins 31, 41, or 61 are inserted are formed in each of the door members 21 to 24 near the ends on both the left and right sides.

Since the hinge pin 31 is attached to the upper part of the main body part 10, it is also called an upper hinge pin. The hinge pin 41 is also called an intermediate hinge pin because it is attached to the intermediate portion of the main body portion 10 (in the present embodiment, the partition portion 10a). Since the hinge pin 61 is attached to the lower part of the main body 10, it is also called a lower hinge pin. Each hinge pin 31, 41, 61 serves as a pivot for the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12.

The main body part 10 is provided with a partition part 10a that partitions the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3. Further, a cover member 32 is attached to the front of the upper surface of the main body 10. An upper member 33 is provided below the cover member 32 (see FIG. 11). The upper member 33 has holes 34 formed on both left and right sides into which the upper hinge pin 31 is inserted.

Bearing portions 40a and 40b into which the hinge pin 41 is inserted are provided in the frontage portion of the partition portion 10a. The bearing portion 40a is provided near the right end of the main body portion 10. The bearing portion 40b is provided near the left end of the main body portion 10.

Bearing portions 60a and 60b into which the hinge pin 61 is inserted are provided in the frontage portion of the lower end portion of the main body portion 10. The bearing portion 60a is provided near the right end of the main body portion 10. The bearing portion 60b is provided near the left end of the main body portion 10.

The bearing portion 40a includes a support member 44a and a cover member 45a. The bearing portion 40b includes a support member 44b and a cover member 45b. The bearing part 40a and the bearing part 40b have a laterally symmetrical structure.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, each of the bearing parts 40a and 40b has a projecting part 46 projecting toward the front side of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIGS. A hole 47 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted is formed in this projecting portion 46 . Further, a second hole 48 is formed in the projecting portion 46 on the diagonally rear side of the hole 47. A fixing pin 42d (see FIG. 10) of the spring receiving member (self-closing property improving member) 42 is inserted into the second hole 48. By inserting the fixing pin 42d into the second hole 48 of the bearing part 40a or 40b, the spring receiving member 42 and the intermediate hinge pin 41 can be fixed at a predetermined position of the bearing part 40a or 40b.

The bearing portion 60a and the bearing portion 60b have the same configuration as the bearing portion 40a and the bearing portion 40b, respectively. That is, the bearing portion 60a is composed of a support member 64a and a cover member 65a. The bearing portion 60b includes a support member 64b and a cover member 65b. The bearing portion 60a and the bearing portion 60b have a laterally symmetrical structure.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, each bearing portion 60a and 60b is formed with an overhang portion 66 that overhangs toward the front side of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIGS. A hole 67 into which the lower hinge pin 61 is inserted is formed in this projecting portion 66 . Further, a second hole 68 is formed in the projecting portion 66 on the diagonally rear side of the hole 67. A fixing pin (not shown) of the spring receiving member (self-closing property improving member) 62 is inserted into the second hole 68 . By inserting the fixing pin into the second hole 68 of the bearing part 60a or 60b, the spring receiving member 62 and the lower hinge pin 61 can be fixed at a predetermined position of the bearing part 60a or 60b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is provided with hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b. Hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b are attached to the lower door member 22. Specifically, the hinge auxiliary member 81a is attached to the right end of the lower door member 22. Further, the hinge auxiliary member 81b is attached to the left end of the lower door member 22. The hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b have a laterally symmetrical configuration.

A hole 27 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted is provided in the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b. Further, spring portions 82 are formed on the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b in order to more smoothly open and close the refrigerator compartment door 11. The spring portion 82 is formed in the shape of an elastic or flexible leaf spring. A protrusion 83 that protrudes downward is provided at the tip of the spring portion 82 . The spring portion 82 is elastically deformed upward when the projection 83 rides on the ridge shape A (see FIGS. 9 and 10, etc.) of the first rod-shaped portion 42a of the spring receiving member 42 during the opening/closing operation of the refrigerator compartment door 11. do. Then, the force of the deformed spring portion 82 to restore its original shape acts on the slope of the frontage side of the main body portion 10 in the ridge shape A of the first rod-shaped portion 42a, thereby promoting the self-closing force of the door.

Note that the lower door member 24 of the freezer compartment door 12 is also provided with a hinge auxiliary member having the same configuration as the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b.

In the case of a configuration in which the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the left side, the upper hinge pin 31 is attached to the upper right part of the main body part 10. Further, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 42, and the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring receiving member 62 are respectively attached to the bearing portion 40a and the bearing portion 60a on the right side of the main body portion 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

On the other hand, in the case of a configuration in which the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the right side, the upper hinge pin 31 is attached to the upper left part of the main body part 10. Further, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 42, and the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring receiving member 62 are attached to the bearing portion 40b and the bearing portion 60b on the left side of the main body portion 10 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the opening and closing direction of each door 11 and 12 of the refrigerator 1 can be changed by replacing the set of hinge pins 31, 41, and 61 and the spring receiving members 42 and 62 on the left and right sides. can be changed to the left or right.

FIG. 10 shows a state in which the spring receiving member 42 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41. As shown in FIG. 10, the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted into the pin insertion hole of the spring receiving member 42. The spring receiving member 42 may be fixed to and integrated with the intermediate hinge pin 41. For example, by insert molding the spring receiving member 42 into the intermediate hinge pin 41, it is possible to create a structure in which both are integrated.

When changing the hinge portion of the door opening/closing mechanism from the right side to the left side or from the left side to the right side, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 42 can be replaced in this state. That is, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 42 are removed from one bearing part 40a or 40b and attached to the other bearing part 40b or 40a.

The spring receiving member 42 has two rod-shaped parts (a first rod-shaped part 42a and a second rod-shaped part 42b) extending from a base part 42' in which a pin insertion hole is formed. The first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b extend in a positional relationship of approximately 90 degrees (substantially perpendicular) to each other with respect to the base portion 42' (see FIG. 9, etc.). Further, the upper surfaces of the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b have a ridge shape A. When the refrigerator compartment door 11 is closed, the ridge shape A acts with the spring portion 82 provided on the door side, thereby promoting the self-closing force of the door.

Further, an intermediate portion 42c is provided between the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b so as to bridge the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b. A fixing pin 42d extending downward is formed in the intermediate portion 42c. As described above, the fixing pin 42d is inserted into the second hole 48 of the bearing portion 40a or 40b. Thereby, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring bearing member 42 are fixed to the bearing part 40a or 40b of the main body part 10, and the intermediate hinge pin 41 is connected to the pivot shaft on the lower side of the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the pivot shaft on the lower side of the freezer compartment door 12. It becomes the pivot axis on the upper side.

For example, when changing the opening/closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door 11 from left-hand opening to right-hand opening, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and spring receiving member 42 attached to the right bearing part 40a are replaced with the left bearing part 40b. At this time, by rotating the spring receiving member 42 approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, the arrangement of the spring receiving member 42 is changed.

In this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened to the left, the first rod-shaped portion 42a is located on the front side of the frontage portion of the main body portion 10 (see FIG. 4). As a result, the ridge shape A of the first rod-shaped portion 42a acts with the spring portion 82 provided on the door side, promoting the self-closing force of the door. On the other hand, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened to the right, the second rod-shaped portion 42b is located on the front side of the frontage portion of the main body portion 10 (see FIG. 7). As a result, the ridge shape A of the second rod-shaped portion 42b acts with the spring portion 82 provided on the door side, thereby promoting the self-closing force of the door.

Note that the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 10 can also be applied to the configuration of the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring receiving member 62. That is, when changing the hinge part of the door opening/closing mechanism from the right side to the left side or from the left side to the right side, the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring receiving member 62 are removed from one bearing part 60a or 60b, and then removed from the other bearing part 60b or 60b. Attach to 60a. At this time, similarly to the spring receiving member 42, the arrangement of the spring receiving member 62 is changed by rotating the spring receiving member 62 approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal direction. In this way, the lower hinge pin 61 becomes a pivot shaft on the lower side of the freezer compartment door 12.

When the freezer compartment door 12 is opened to the left, the ridge shape of the first rod-shaped portion 62a acts with a spring portion (not shown) provided on the door side, promoting the self-closing force of the door. On the other hand, when the freezer compartment door 12 is opened to the right, the ridge shape of the second rod-shaped portion 62b acts with a spring portion (not shown) provided on the door side, promoting the self-closing force of the door.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a spacer member (space holding part) 43 is provided at the intermediate hinge part of the refrigerator 1. The spacer member 43 has a head portion 43a with a larger diameter and leg portions 43b with a smaller diameter. The leg portion 43b is inserted into a hole 28 formed in the upper door member 23 of the freezer compartment door 12. Further, an insertion hole 43c into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted is formed in the head 43a. The spacer member 43 functions as a bearing for the intermediate hinge pin 41. Moreover, the spacer member 43 also functions as a spacer for securing a space between the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12, which are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

In the door opening/closing mechanism having the above configuration, when changing the left and right opening/closing positions of the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12, first, the upper hinge pin 31, the refrigerator compartment door 11, the intermediate hinge pin 41, and the spring receiver are Remove the member 42 and the freezer compartment door 12 from the refrigerator 1 in this order. Next, the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring receiving member 62 are replaced from one bearing part 60a (or 60b) to the other bearing part 60b (or 60a). Next, the freezer compartment door 12 is attached to the lower hinge pin 61. At this time, the spacer member 43 is replaced in the hole 28 formed in the door upper member 23 of the freezer compartment door 12 located above the lower hinge pin 61. Thereafter, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 42 are replaced to the same side as the lower hinge pin 61.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, after attaching the refrigerator compartment door 11 to the intermediate hinge pin 41, the upper part of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is aligned with the upper member 33 of the main body part 10, and the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the upper part are aligned. The member 33 is supported and fixed by the upper hinge pin 31. Finally, the cover member 32 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 10.

When attaching the refrigerator compartment door 11 to the main body part 10, the refrigerator compartment door 11 is tilted so that the lower side of the refrigerator compartment door 11 approaches the main body part 10, as shown in FIG. In this state, the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted into the hole 27 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a or 81b provided on the lower surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11.

FIG. 12 shows an enlarged view of the configuration around the intermediate hinge pin 41 when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is attached. As shown in FIG. 12, the side surface of the hole 27 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted (specifically, the rear side surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11) has an inclined surface whose diameter increases toward the back of the hole. An inclined portion 27a is formed. Further, at the entrance portion of the hole 27 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted (specifically, the entrance portion on the front side of the refrigerator compartment door 11), there is an inclined portion 27b that is inclined so that the diameter thereof increases toward the entrance side of the hole. is formed.

Although FIG. 12 shows the shape of the hole 27 of the right hinge auxiliary member 81a, the hole 27 of the left hinge auxiliary member 81b also has a similar shape. By forming such inclined portions 27a and 27b in each hole 27 of the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b, it is possible to insert the hole 27 into the intermediate hinge pin 41 while the refrigerator compartment door 11 is tilted forward. can. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment door can be inserted into the intermediate hinge pin 41 without the upper part of the refrigerator compartment door 11 colliding with the upper member 33 of the main body part 10. After that, the refrigerator compartment door 11 is stood vertically, and the refrigerator compartment door 11 is supported and fixed by the upper hinge pin 31. By performing the work in such a procedure, the work of attaching the refrigerator compartment door 11 becomes easier to perform.

Further, a space C is formed between the support members 44a and 44b of the bearing parts 40a and 40b and the door upper member 23 of the freezer compartment door 12. This prevents the lower end of the refrigerator compartment door 11 from coming into contact with the upper end of the freezer compartment door 12 even when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is tilted during installation. By inserting the spacer member 43 into the hole 28 of the freezer compartment door 12 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted, vertical shaking of the freezer compartment door 12 due to the provision of the space C can be suppressed.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, by replacing some parts that constitute the hinge part of the door opening/closing mechanism from the right side to the left side (or from the left side to the right side), the left and right sides of each door 11 and 12 can be changed. The opening can be changed. According to this configuration, one refrigerator 1 only needs to be provided with one hinge pin 31, 41, 61, one spring receiving member 42, 62, and one spacer member 43.

If the spring receiving members 42 and 62 are attached to both the left and right sides of the door at the same time, the spring receiving members located on the opening side may interfere with the opening/closing operation of the door. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, when changing the left-right opening of the door, by replacing a set of parts, it is possible to create a state in which no parts are present on the open side of the door. Therefore, the door can be opened and closed more smoothly. By replacing a set of parts, there are no unused parts, and there is no need to store or manage unused parts.

(About door opening/closing operation)
Next, the operation of the hinge portion when opening and closing the refrigerator compartment door 11 will be explained. FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the intermediate hinge portion including the intermediate hinge pin 41 when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is closed. FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the intermediate hinge portion including the intermediate hinge pin 41 when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened approximately 30 degrees. 13 and 14, for convenience of explanation, some parts are shown in a transparent state. Moreover, although the case where the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the left side is mentioned as an example and demonstrated below, the same operation|movement is applicable also when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the right side.

When the refrigerator compartment door 11 is closed, the angle between the door and the frontage of the main body 10 gradually narrows, and the door is opened approximately 30 degrees as shown in FIG. 14. At this time, the tip portion of the spring portion 82 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a provided on the lower surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11 approaches the first rod-shaped portion 42a of the spring receiving member 42. Since a protrusion 83 is formed on the lower surface of the spring portion 82, when the spring portion 82 initially comes into contact with the first rod-shaped portion 42a, a force that resists the closing operation of the door acts.

However, when force is further applied in the direction of closing the refrigerator compartment door 11 due to the movement of the user's hand, the flexible spring portion 82 rides on the ridge shape A on the upper surface of the first rod-shaped portion 42a. . Once the spring portion 82 rides on the ridge shape A, a force acts on the spring portion 82 along the downwardly inclined surface of the ridge shape A in the direction of closing the door. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment door 11 can be closed more smoothly. Moreover, according to this configuration, since the once-closed door is prevented from separating from the main body part 10 again, the refrigerator compartment door 11 can be closed more reliably.

In this way, the spring receiving member 42, together with the spring portion 82 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a, functions as a self-closing performance improving member that is promoted by the self-closing force of the door.

When the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened, the spring portion 82 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a operates in the opposite direction to that described above. As a result, once the spring portion 82 rides on the ridge shape A when the user opens the refrigerator compartment door 11 with a certain amount of force, the spring portion 82 moves along the downwardly inclined surface of the ridge shape A. A force acts in the direction of opening the door. This allows the door to be opened more smoothly.

Note that the inclined surface of the ridge shape A may be asymmetrical in the front and rear directions. In this case, it is preferable that the slope of the slope located on the side opposite to the frontage side of the main body portion 10 is steeper than the slope of the slope on the opposite side. Thereby, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is closed, the force required for the protrusion 83 to ride on the ridge shape A of the first rod-shaped portion 42a is reduced, and after the protrusion 83 rides on the ridge shape A, can apply a stronger force in the direction of closing the door.

The above explanation is for the case where the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the left side. However, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the right side, the spring receiving member 42 (or spring receiving member 62) replaced on the right side is The self-closing force of the door is promoted by the action of the ridge shape A on the upper surface of the second rod-shaped portion 42b. That is, when closing the refrigerator compartment door 11, the ridge shape A on the upper surface of the second rod-shaped portion 42b acts with the spring portion 82 provided on the door side, thereby promoting the self-closing force of the door.

In this way, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 opens to the left, the first rod-shaped portion 42a influences the self-closing force of the door, but the shape of the second rod-shaped portion 42b does not, and the refrigerator compartment door 11 opens to the right. When the door is opened, the second rod-shaped portion 42b influences the self-closing force of the door, while the shape of the first rod-shaped portion 42a does not affect the self-closing force of the door. Therefore, for example, even if the ridge shapes formed on each rod-shaped portion 42a and 42b are asymmetrical as described above, they do not affect each other.

Note that when the freezer compartment door 12 is opened and closed, the lower hinge portion including the hinge pin 61 operates in the same manner as described above. That is, the spring receiving member 62 functions as a self-closing property improving member that is promoted by the self-closing force of the door.

(Summary of the first embodiment)
As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment has a door opening/closing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. The door opening/closing mechanism includes a main body 10, at least one door (i.e., a refrigerator compartment door 11, a freezer compartment door 12), and a hinge part (i.e., a hinge pin 41 and a spring receiving member 42, and a hinge pin 61 and a spring receiving member 62). ). The hinge portion is configured to be replaceable on the left and right sides of the main body portion 10. This hinge portion has a shaft portion (namely, hinge pins 41 and 61) and a self-closing performance improving member (namely, spring bearing members 42 and 62) that promotes the self-closing force of the door.

The arrangement of the self-closing property improving member is changed between when it is attached to the left side of the main body part 10 and when it is attached to the right side of the main body part 10. Specifically, the arrangement of the spring receiving members 42 and 62 is changed by rotating the spring receiving members 42 and 62 approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal direction when changing the left and right positions (see FIGS. 4 and 7). In addition, in this embodiment, the two rod-shaped parts that constitute the spring receiving member 42 extend in a positional relationship of about 90 degrees (approximately right angles) to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the two rod-shaped parts The positional relationship may be an acute angle, such as 60 degrees, or may be an obtuse angle, such as 120 degrees. In either case, it is preferable that the self-closing property improving member does not protrude from the bearing portion, and that the rod-shaped portion on the side that does not function as the self-closing property improving member does not interfere with the opening/closing operation of the door.

According to this configuration, by replacing the single spring receiving member 42 (or spring receiving member 62) on the left and right sides, it is possible to open and close the door from either the left or right side. Doors can be closed reliably and easily.

In addition, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the self-closing ability of both of the two doors (i.e., the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12) arranged in the vertical direction is improved by promoting the self-closing force of the door. A member is provided. Therefore, both the upper and lower doors can be closed more reliably and easily when the door is closed.

Specifically, the spring receiving member 42 constituting the intermediate hinge portion serves as a self-closing property improving member for the refrigerator compartment door 11 located above, and the spring receiving member 62 constituting the lower hinge portion is located above. It becomes a self-closing property improving member of the freezer compartment door 12. Further, the intermediate hinge pin 41 that constitutes the intermediate hinge portion serves as a pivot shaft for both the upper and lower doors (that is, the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12).

In addition, in another aspect, only one of the vertically adjacent doors may be configured to change between left and right openings, and the other door may be a pull-out type door. For example, in the case where only the upper door is configured to be able to change left and right opening, only the upper door is equipped with the door opening/closing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the spring receiving member and the spring portion that constitute the door opening/closing mechanism of the refrigerator compartment door is different from the first embodiment. For other configurations, the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration that is different from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show the configuration around the intermediate hinge portion of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state similar to FIG. 13 in the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state similar to FIG. 14 in the first embodiment.

In the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment, the structure of the spring portion 182 of the hinge auxiliary members 181a and 181b provided on the refrigerator compartment door 11 is different from that in the first embodiment. Specifically, the spring portion 182 differs from the first embodiment in that the protrusion 83 is not formed.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment, the configuration of the spring receiving member 142 is different from that in the first embodiment. FIG. 17 shows the appearance of the spring receiving member 142. FIG. 17 shows a state in which the spring receiving member 142 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41.

The spring receiving member 142 has two rod-shaped parts (a first rod-shaped part 142a and a second rod-shaped part 142b) extending from a base part 142' in which a pin insertion hole is formed. The first rod-shaped portion 142a and the second rod-shaped portion 142b extend in a positional relationship of approximately 90 degrees (substantially perpendicular) to each other with respect to the base portion 142'.

An intermediate portion 142c is provided between the first rod-shaped portion 142a and the second rod-shaped portion 142b. A fixing pin 142d extending downward is formed in the intermediate portion 142c. Similar to the first embodiment, the fixing pin 142d is inserted into the second hole 48 of the bearing portion 40a or 40b.

In the spring receiving member 42 described in the first embodiment, the upper surfaces of the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b have a ridge shape A. The spring portion 82 (specifically, the protrusion 83) and the spring receiving member 42 (specifically, the ridge shape A) are configured to abut in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the spring portion 182 and the spring receiving member 142 are configured such that their respective tips abut each other in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 16). When a force is applied in the direction of closing the refrigerator door 11 due to the movement of the user's hand, the horizontally flexible spring portion 182 bends forward and closes the first rod-shaped portion 142a (opening on the right side). In this case, the tip of the second rod-shaped portion 142b) moves to the rear side. Once the spring part 182 moves to the rear side of the first bar-shaped part 142a (the second bar-shaped part 142b in the case of right-side opening), the spring part 182 moves to the rear side of the first bar-shaped part 142a (in the case of right-sided opening, the second bar-shaped part 142b). Since the spring part 182 operates so as to bite into the second bar-shaped part 142b), a force is applied to the spring part 182 in the direction of closing the door. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment door 11 can be reliably closed.

Further, according to the above configuration, vertical movement is suppressed during the opening/closing operation of the door. Therefore, compared to the first embodiment, the vertical clearance between the doors (namely, the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12) that are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction can be made smaller. Further, since the direction in which the spring portion 182 is bent is the horizontal direction, there are few restrictions on the amount of bending of the spring portion 182. Therefore, a stronger self-closing force and a wider range of self-closing effects can be exerted.

Although not shown, the same structure as the above-described spring portion 182 and spring receiving member 142 can be applied to the spring portion and spring receiving member that constitute the lower hinge portion including the hinge pin 61.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the spring receiving member that constitutes the door opening/closing mechanism of the refrigerator compartment door is different from the first embodiment. For other configurations, the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration that is different from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show the configuration of a main body 10 of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. FIG. 18 shows the configuration of the main body 10 when the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are both opened and closed from the right side. FIG. 19 shows the configuration of the main body 10 when the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12 are both opened and closed from the left side.

Similar to the first embodiment, bearing portions 40a and 40b into which the hinge pin 41 is inserted are provided in the frontage portion of the partition portion 10a of the main body portion 10. Further, bearing portions 60a and 60b into which the hinge pin 61 is inserted are provided in the frontage portion of the lower end of the main body portion 10.

In the first embodiment, a second hole 48 into which the fixing pin 42d of the spring receiving member 42 is inserted is formed in the projecting portion 46 of each of the bearing portions 40a and 40b. In contrast, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, a convex portion 248 that is inserted into the through hole 244 of the spring receiving member 242 is formed on the projecting portion 46 of each of the bearing portions 40a and 40b. For other configurations, the same configuration as the bearing parts 40a and 40b of the first embodiment can be applied.

Similar convex portions 268 are also formed on the projecting portions 66 of each of the bearing portions 60a and 60b. The protrusion 268 is inserted into the through hole of the spring receiving member 262. For other configurations, the same configuration as the bearing parts 60a and 60b of the first embodiment can be applied.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment, the configuration of the spring receiving member 242 is different from that in the first embodiment. FIG. 21 shows the appearance of the spring receiving member 242. FIG. 21 shows a state in which the spring receiving member 242 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41.

The spring receiving member 242 has one rod-shaped portion 242a extending from a base portion 242' in which a pin insertion hole is formed. A ridge-shaped portion 242A is formed on the upper surface of the rod-shaped portion 242a. Furthermore, a ridge-like portion 242B is formed on the lower surface of the rod-like portion 242a.

Further, a support portion 243 is formed on the rear side of the rod-shaped portion 242a. A through hole 244 is formed in the support portion 243 . When attaching the spring receiving member 242 to the bearing part 40a or 40b, the protrusion 248 of the bearing part 40a or 40b is inserted into the through hole 244. As a result, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 242 are fixed to the bearing portion 40a or 40b of the main body portion 10.

The spring receiving member 242 having the above configuration is formed so that the upper surface and the lower surface are symmetrical, and can be attached to the left and right bearing portions 40a and 40b. For example, when changing the opening/closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door 11 from opening on the left to opening on the right, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring receiving member 242 attached to the bearing portion 40a on the right side are replaced with the bearing portion 40b on the left side. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the arrangement of the spring receiving member 242 is changed by vertically inverting the spring receiving member 242 (rotating it approximately 180 degrees in the vertical direction).

In this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened to the left, the ridge-shaped portion 242A of the rod-shaped portion 242a is located on the upper side (see FIG. 18). As a result, the ridge portion 242A of the rod portion 242a acts with the spring portion 82 provided on the door side, promoting the self-closing force of the door (see FIG. 20). On the other hand, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened to the right, the ridge-shaped portion 242B of the rod-shaped portion 242a is located on the upper side (see FIG. 19). As a result, the ridge-shaped portion 242B of the rod-shaped portion 242a acts with the spring portion 82 provided on the door side, thereby promoting the self-closing force of the door.

In this way, one spring receiving member 242 can be used as a member for improving self-closing properties of the left and right hinge portions.

In addition, also in this embodiment, the spring receiving member 242 and the intermediate hinge pin 41 may not be separate parts, but may have a structure in which both are integrated. In this case, it is desirable that the intermediate hinge pin 41 also have a vertically symmetrical shape. Then, the spring receiving member 242 and the intermediate hinge pin 41 are reversed in the vertical direction to change the arrangement of the spring receiving member 242.

Note that the spring receiving member 262 constituting the lower hinge portion including the hinge pin 61 can have the same configuration as the spring receiving member 242, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 22 shows a modification of the third embodiment. In this modification, the structure of the rod-shaped portion 342a of the spring receiving member 242 is different from that of the rod-shaped portion 242a described above. In this modification, the structure of the rod-shaped portion 342a has the same shape as the first rod-shaped portion 142a of the spring receiving member 142 described in the second embodiment.

The spring portion 182 and the rod-shaped portion 342a of the spring receiving member 242 are configured such that their tips abut each other in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 22). When a force is applied in the direction of closing the refrigerator compartment door 11 due to the movement of the user's hand, the horizontally flexible spring portion 182 bends forward and bends toward the rear of the tip of the rod-shaped portion 342a. Move to the side. Once the spring portion 182 moves to the rear side of the rod-shaped portion 342a, the spring portion 182 operates to bite into the rod-shaped portion 342a, so that a force acts on the spring portion 182 in the direction of closing the door. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment door 11 can be reliably closed.

In addition, in the modification, when changing the opening/closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door 11 from the left opening to the right opening, similarly to the third embodiment, the spring receiving member 242 attached to the right bearing part 40a is moved in the vertical direction. (rotate approximately 180 degrees in the vertical direction).

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fourth embodiment, a configuration example will be described in which an intermediate hinge pin 441 is used as a space retainer instead of the spacer member 43. For other configurations, the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration that is different from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

FIG. 23 shows a cross-sectional configuration around the intermediate hinge portion of the refrigerator 1 according to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the intermediate hinge pin 441 serves as a pivot shaft on the lower side of the refrigerator compartment door 11. In this embodiment, the intermediate hinge pin 441 is inserted directly into the hole 428 formed in the upper door member 23 of the freezer compartment door 12 without using the spacer member 43 .

The intermediate hinge pin 441 has an upper part 441a and a lower part 441b. The upper part 441a is located on the upper side when attached to the main body part 10 of the refrigerator 1, and is inserted into the hole 27 provided on the lower side of the refrigerator compartment door 11. Further, the lower part 441b is located on the lower side when attached to the main body part 10 of the refrigerator 1, and is inserted into the hole 428 provided on the upper side of the freezer compartment door 12.

As can be seen by comparing FIG. 23 and FIG. 12, the depth of hole 428 is shallower than the depth of hole 28. The lower part of the lower part 441b of the intermediate hinge pin 441 is located in the hole 428, and the upper part of the lower part 441b is exposed upward from the upper surface of the freezer compartment door 12. Since the upper part of the lower part 441b is exposed upward, a space C is formed between the support members 44a and 44b of the bearing parts 40a and 40b and the door upper member 23 of the freezer compartment door 12. In other words, the exposed portion of the lower part 441b functions as a spacer for securing a space between the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the freezer compartment door 12, which are arranged vertically adjacent to each other.

By providing such a spacer function, the same effect as the spacer member 43 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since a spacer member is not required, it is possible to change the left-right opening of each door 11 and 12 more easily.

Further, as shown in FIG. 23, the diameter of the lower part 441b of the intermediate hinge pin 441 may be larger than the diameter of the upper part 441a. As the depth of the hole 428 provided on the upper side of the freezer compartment door 12 becomes shallower, the area of the engagement portion between the lower part 441b of the intermediate hinge pin 441 and the hole 428 becomes smaller, but the diameter of the hinge pin and the hole is increased. By doing so, this can be compensated for and the strength of the hinge portion can be ensured. In addition, by changing the diameters of the upper part 441a and lower part 441b of the intermediate hinge pin 441, it is possible to prevent the intermediate hinge pin 441 and the spring receiving member 42 formed integrally with the intermediate hinge pin from being inserted in the opposite direction if the intermediate hinge pin 441 or the spring receiving member 42 formed integrally with the intermediate hinge pin is vertically asymmetric. can.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims are included. Furthermore, configurations obtained by combining configurations of different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention.

1: Refrigerator 10: Main body 11: Refrigerator door (door)
12: Freezer compartment door (door)
31: Upper hinge pin 40a: (Right side) bearing portion 40b: (Left side) bearing portion 41: Intermediate hinge pin (hinge portion, shaft portion)
42: Spring receiving member (hinge part, self-closing property improving member)
43: Spacer member (space holding part)
60a: Bearing portion (on the right side) 60b: Bearing portion (on the left side) 61: Lower hinge pin (hinge portion, shaft portion)
62: Spring receiving member (hinge part, self-closing property improving member)
142: Spring receiving member (hinge part, self-closing property improving member)
242: Spring receiving member (hinge part, self-closing property improving member)
441b: Lower part (of intermediate hinge pin) (space holding part)

Claims (6)

A door opening/closing mechanism comprising a main body, at least one door, and a hinge,
The hinge portion includes an upper hinge pin that is inserted above the door and serves as a rotation axis, and a lower hinge pin that is inserted below the door and serves as a rotation axis,
By removing the upper hinge pin and the door from the main body and then replacing the lower hinge pin, the hinge can be replaced on the left and right sides of the main body,
The hinge part located below the door has a shaft part that becomes the lower hinge pin, and a self-closing performance improving member that is integrated with the lower hinge pin and promotes the self-closing force of the door,
The arrangement of the self-closing property improving member is changed between when it is attached to the left side of the main body part and when it is attached to the right side of the main body part,
Door opening/closing mechanism. The self-closing property improving member has a configuration in which the way of arrangement is changed by rotating it horizontally or reversing it vertically when replacing the left and right parts,
The self-closing property improving member is formed with a positioning portion for appropriate placement when attached to the left side of the main body portion and when attached to the right side of the main body portion, respectively.
The door opening/closing mechanism according to claim 1. The door opening/closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the positioning portion is formed at a position diagonally rearward inside the lower hinge pin when the lower hinge pin is attached to the main body portion. A refrigerator comprising at least two doors in the vertical direction,
A refrigerator, wherein at least one of the at least two doors has the door opening/closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Both of the at least two doors have the door opening/closing mechanism,
An intermediate hinge portion is disposed as the hinge portion between two adjacent doors of the at least two doors,
The shaft portion of the intermediate hinge portion serves as a rotation axis when both of the two adjacent doors are opened and closed;
The self-closing property improving member provided at the intermediate hinge portion promotes the self-closing force of the upper door of the two adjacent doors.
The refrigerator according to claim 4. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a space holding section provided between two adjacent ones of the at least two doors to ensure a space between each door.

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