JPH01285772A - Door opening and closure device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a door opening and closure device which allows the door opening to either side, is simple in structure and excels in the heat insulating performance by disposing a pair of hinge pins, mounting plates, latching plates and connecting rods, etc., respectively on the door and the body proper. CONSTITUTION:When the door 11 is pulled to either side, the hinge pins 14a, 14b on the side slip out of the grooves 16a, 16b in the mounting plates 17a, 17b and latch grooves 23a, 23b in the latching plates 21a, 21b as the latching plates 21a, 21b are rotated. As the latching plates 21a, 21b are rotated, the connecting rod connected to the latching plates 21a, 21b moves to cause the lock pins 26a, 26b on the other end of the connecting rod 25 to move to the stopper of the sliding grooves 18a, 18b to stop the further rotation of the latching plates 21a, 21b by means of the locking grooves 24a, 24b in the latching plates 21a, 21b and the sliding grooves 18a, 18b in the mounting plates 17a, 17b. Since the hinge pins on the side opposite to the door opening direction are rotatably engaged with the grooves formed by the grooves 16a, 16b in the mounting plates 17a, 17b and the latch grooves 23a, 23b in the latching plates 21a, 21b, the door can be rotated with the hinge pins as its axis to allow its opening and closing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an opening/closing device for a door of a refrigerator or the like, and relates to a door opening/closing device for a refrigerator or the like, which allows the door to be opened and closed from any left or right direction.

[Prior art]

Generally, the door of a refrigerator or the like can be opened and closed only from one direction on both the left and right sides, and is determined at the time of manufacture to either open to the right or to the left.

Therefore, users have to choose between a right-hand door and a left-hand door depending on the layout of their kitchen, handedness, etc. When purchasing a refrigerator, etc., if they change the location of the refrigerator after purchasing, it may hit a wall or the like, making it difficult to open and close the door. There are inconveniences in that it becomes difficult to store or the place where it can be placed is limited. Additionally, if the device is used by many people with different handedness, it may be difficult for some people to open and close it.

In order to eliminate this inconvenience, many door opening/closing devices, so-called double doors, which can be opened and closed from any left or right direction have been proposed. However, in most of them, as shown in FIG. By operating one of the operating knobs 5 provided on the side, the hinge pin 2 on the side is pulled out from the bearing 4 to open and close the door l.

1 or as shown in FIG. 7, an intermediate frame 6 is provided between the door 1 and the main body 3, and one side of the intermediate frame 6 is pivotally connected to the main body 3, and the other side is pivotally connected to the door 1. With this configuration, the opening/closing direction can be selected by opening/closing only the door 1 or opening/closing the door 1 and the intermediate frame 6 at the same time.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the case shown in Figure 6, an operating handle is required to open and close the door, and the position and design of the door handle are limited, and if a child is trapped inside a refrigerator, etc., it must be opened and closed from the inside. As a result, there is a risk of so-called entrapment accidents occurring. Furthermore, the door is difficult to assemble due to the complex mechanism incorporated inside the door, and there is also the problem of poor insulation performance due to the influence of the heat conduction of the mechanism itself or because it is difficult to incorporate heat insulating material inside the door. There is.

In the case of Fig. 7, double gaskets (not shown) for sealing cold air are required between the door and the intermediate frame, and between the intermediate frame and the main body. However, there are problems in that the thickness of the door becomes thicker and the insulation performance deteriorates.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a structure that can be opened and closed in either the left or right direction without the need for operating knobs, handles, etc. To provide a door opening/closing device for a refrigerator, etc., which is simple and has excellent heat insulation performance. -1 [Means for solving the problem] The means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above object are as follows:
Hinge pins are provided at predetermined intervals on both left and right ends of the door or the main body to which the door is attached, and a fixing plate having an engagement groove that engages with the hinge pin is provided on the other side, and the fixing plate is provided with a fixing plate having an engagement groove that engages with the hinge pin. , attaching a latch plate having a latch groove that intersects with the engagement groove and locks the hinge pin, and which engages and disengages from the hinge pin by rotation of the latch plate, and further includes one of the left and right latch plates. A lock groove provided on the latch plate and a slide groove provided on the fixing plate are slidably engaged so that the other latch plate does not become unlocked when the latch plate is in the unlocked state. A connecting rod with a port and l pin that prevents rotation of the latch plate,
In addition to being connected to the left and right latch plates, the pair of hinge pins, fixing plates, latch plates, connecting rods, etc. are provided at the top and bottom of the door and main body, respectively.0 [Function] Structured as described above. By doing so, the door can be opened and closed by pulling the door from either the left or right side of the door, the hinge pin on the side rotates the latch plate and escapes from the engagement groove of the fixed plate and the latch groove of the latch plate. Further, a connecting rod connected to the latch plate moves as the latch plate rotates,
The lock pin at the other end of the connecting rod moves to the stopper portion of the slide groove, and the rotation of the latch plate is inhibited by the lock groove of the latch plate and the slide groove of the fixed plate. As a result, the hinge pin on the opposite side of the door is rotatably locked in the groove formed by the engagement groove of the fixed plate and the latch groove of the latch plate, and the door rotates around the hinge pin. You will be able to open and close the door.

Conversely, when closing the door, the hinge pin enters the Hoya groove of the fixed plate and engages with the latch groove of the latch plate while rotating the latch plate, and the hinge pin is closed between the engagement groove of the fixed plate and the latch groove of the latch plate. It is locked. At the same time, the rotation of the latch plate returns the connecting rod to the initial position, releases the rotation inhibited state of the other latch plate, and prepares for the next door opening/closing operation.

Next, when opening and closing the door from the opposite direction, it can be done by repeating the above operation in the same way with the left and right sides reversed.

〔Example〕

Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the opening and closing of a door according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the device, in which (a) shows the door closed, (b) shows the door opened from the right side, and (c) the left side. This shows the door open.

FIG. 2 is the same side view as FIG. 1, and corresponds to FIG. 2(a).

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the components shown in FIG.
) is a plan view of the fixing plate, (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of (a), (c) is a plan view of the right latch plate, and (d) is a plan view of the fixing plate.
) is a plan view of the left latch plate, and (e) is a plan view of the connecting rod.

In addition, in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the door is thin in the thickness direction and wide in the width direction, so it would be difficult to see the drawings if the vertical and horizontal directions were shown to scale, so some of the fixing plates, connecting rods, etc. is shown shrunk in the width direction.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator incorporating a door opening/closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, 11 is a door of the refrigerator, which is provided corresponding to the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, and 12 is the door of the refrigerator.
1 is the main body of the refrigerator to which it is attached, and 13 is a handle of the field 11. 14 is a hinge pin provided in the field 11, and 15 is a hinge pin provided in the main body 12 corresponding to the top and bottom of the field 11.
This is a fixed plate attached to the side.

In FIG. 1(a), reference numerals 16a and 16b are engagement grooves provided in the fixed plate 15, in which hinge pins 14a and 14b provided at both left and right ends of the door 11 are removably engaged. . 17a and 17b are left and right engaging grooves 16a and 1
It is a rotating shaft provided a predetermined distance inside from 6b, and 18
a, 18b are from the respective rotating shafts 17a, 17b to the rotating shafts 17a, ! These slide grooves are provided on opposite sides of the openings of the engagement grooves 16a and 16b across the straight line connecting the grooves 16a and 16b.

FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged view of the slide groove 18a,
19a is the rotating shaft 17a to both rotating shafts 17a.

It is a stopper part provided diagonally inside 17b,
Reference numeral 20a denotes a slide portion having an end portion closer to the rotating shafts 17a, 17b extending outward. Although not shown, 19b and 20b are the slide grooves 1 on the opposite side, respectively.
These are the slide part and stopper part of 8b.

FIGS. 1(c) and 1(d) show latch plates 21a and 21b.
In the figure, reference numerals 22a and 22b are rotating shaft holes, which are engaged with the rotating shafts 17a and 17b of the fixed plate 15 and are rotatably locked therein. 23a.

23b is a latch groove provided for detachably locking the hinge pins 14a, 14b;
4b is a lock groove. The lock grooves 24a, 24b are formed by intersecting the latch grooves 23a, 23b and the engagement grooves 16a, 16b of the fixing plate 15, and form the latch plates 21a, 21b.
is the slide groove 18a provided in the hinge pin fixing plate 15.
, 18b are provided at positions that coincide with the stopper portions 19a and 19b.

FIG. 1(e) shows the connecting rod 25, and in the same figure, 2
6a and 26b are lock pins provided at both ends of the connecting rod 25.

Each of these parts is constructed as shown in FIG. 1(a), FIG. 2, and FIG. 4. Hinge pins 14a, 14 are installed at the upper, lower, left, and right ends of the door I+ at predetermined intervals, that is, at the intervals between the engagement grooves 16a, 16b provided at the left and right ends of the fixing plate 15.
b, and fixing plates 15 are provided at corresponding positions above and below the door 11 of the main body 12, respectively.

The latch plates 21a, 21b are rotatably attached by fitting the rotation shafts 17a, 17bK of the fixed plate 150 into the rotation shaft holes 22a, 22b of the latch plates 21a, 21b.

A connecting rod 25 is connected between each of the latch plates 21a and 21b, and the slide grooves 18a and 18b of the fixing plate 15 and the latch plate 2
The connecting rod 25 is slidably attached by fitting the lock pins 26a, 26b of the connecting rod 25 into the (ff7 grooves 24a, 24b of 1a, 21b).

The latch plates 21a, 22b have locking positions where the 15 engagement grooves 16a, 16b of the fixed plate intersect with the latch grooves 23a, 23b of the latch plates 21a, 21b, and the openings of both grooves coincide. The hinge pins 14a, 14b are locked at the locking position, and the hinge pins 14a, 14b are released from the locking position at the release position.

Lock pins 26a are provided at both ends of the connecting rod 25.

26b is the fixed plate ! as the latch plates 21a and 21b rotate between the locking position and the release position. 5 slides in the slide grooves 18a and 18b, and both latch plates 2
1a and 21b are in the locking position, the latch plate 21a
, 21b so that the lock pins 26a, 26b provided at both ends of the connecting rod 25 connected to the slide grooves 18a, 18b are positioned in the slide portions 20a, 20b of the respective slide grooves 18a, 18b, and one of the latch plates 21a or 21b is When in the release position, the connecting rod 25 moves due to the rotation of the latch plates 21a and 21b, and the lock pin 26b or 26a at the other end engages the stopper portion 19b of the slide groove 18b and 18a.
.

19a, each part is configured to move in the middle.

Next, the operation of the embodiment configured as above will be explained.

For example, if you want to open the door 11 from the right,
), when you pull the handle 13 on the right side of the door 11,
The hinge pin 1 is engaged with the engagement groove 16a on the right side of the fixed plate 15 and the latch groove 23a of the latch plate 21a on the same side.
4a slides in the engagement groove 16a while rotating the latch plate 21a clockwise around the rotating shaft 17a, and opens both the engagement groove 16a of the fixed plate 15 and the latch groove 23a of the latch plate 21a. Hinge pin 14 in the released position where the parts match.
The bond with a is released.

At the same time, due to the rotation of the latch plate 21a, the lock pin 2 is slidably engaged with the lock groove 24a of the latch plate 21a and the slide groove 18a of the fixed plate 15.
6a moves to the right in the slide portion 20a of the slide groove 18a, and moves the connecting rod 25 to the right. The connecting rod 2
The lock pin 26b at the other end of the fixing plate 15 slides in the stopper portion 19b of the slide groove 18b on the left side of the fixed plate 15 and the lock groove 24b of the latch plate 21b on the same side in a direction away from the rotating shaft 17b. As a result, the latch plate 21
b is prevented from rotating by the lock pin 26b, and the door 11 can be opened and closed by rotating around the hinge pin 14b on the same side.

Conversely, when closing the door 11, use the hinge pin 14a on the right side.
first enters the engagement groove 16a on the right side of the fixed plate 15,
It begins to engage with the latch groove 23a of the latch plate 21a on the same side. When the door 11 is further pushed in the direction of the main body 12, the latch plate 21a rotates counterclockwise, and the latch plate 21a rotates counterclockwise.
At the locking position where the latch groove 23a of a and the engagement groove 16a of the fixed plate +5 intersect, the hinge pin 14a intersects the engagement groove 16a of the fixed plate 15 and the latch groove 2 of the latch plate 21a.
3a. At the same time, the rotation of the latch plate 21a returns the connecting rod 25 to the initial position, releases the rotation inhibited state of the other latch plate 21b, and prepares for the next door opening/closing operation.

Next, when opening and closing the door 11 from the opposite direction, as shown in Figure 1 (c
), it can be performed by repeating the above operation in the same way with the left and right sides reversed.

Also, when trying to open door II from the left and right sides at the same time, the left and right hinge pins 14a and 14b
6a, 16b, each latch plate 21a,
21b clockwise and counterclockwise, but the lock grooves 2 of the latch plates 21a and 21b
The connecting rod 25 is pulled left and right by the lock pins 26a and 26b engaged with the lock pins 4a and 24b, but the lock pins 26a and 26b cannot be moved unless the connecting rod 25 is deformed, so the latch plates 21a and 21b rotate. I can't.

For this reason, the hinge pins 14a and 14b crawl and the Sochi plate 21
The latch grooves 23a and 23b of the latch grooves 23a and 21b do not come out, so the door II does not come off from the main body 12.

In addition, for cleaning or after-sales service, etc., the door 11 may be removed from the main body 12.
When you want to remove the door, open the door 11 in one direction, for example from the right side, and insert the hinge pin 14a into the engagement groove
a and the latch plate 21a from the latch groove 23a. Then, by inserting a thin round rod or the like into the latch groove 23a on the same side and pushing the rod toward the main body 12, the latch plate 23a will rotate counterclockwise, returning the connecting rod 25 to its initial position and fixing it. Slide groove 18b on the left side of plate 15
The lock pin 26b that was engaged with the stopper portion 19b of
returns to the sliding portion, releasing the rotation inhibited state of the latch plate 21b.

By doing this, the latch plate 21b on the left side of the button becomes rotatable again. Therefore, by pulling the entire 511 toward you, the left latch plate 21b rotates counterclockwise.
The hinge pin 14b on the same side is the engagement groove 16b of the fixed plate 15.
Since the door 11 is released from the latch groove 23b of the latch plate 21b, the door 11 can be removed. Also door II
If you want to reattach it to the main body 12 of the refrigerator, you can do it in the reverse order of removing it.

In the embodiment described above, the fixing plate 15 and the like are placed on the side of the main body 12 of the refrigerator, and the pair of hinge pins 14a are placed on the side of the main body 12 of the refrigerator.

14b was placed on the "■" side of the door, but the hinge pin 1 was placed on the opposite side.
4a and 14b on the main body 12 side, and the fixing plate 15 etc. on the door lI
It may also be placed on the side.

Further, in this embodiment, the fixing plate 15 is made long, and the engagement grooves 16a and 16b are provided at both ends of the fixed plate 15, but this is divided and the engagement groove 1
A pair of fixing plates 15 formed with 6a, 16b, etc. may be provided corresponding to the left and right hinge pins 14a, 14bK, and the intermediate portion of the fixing plates 15 may be omitted.

In addition, in this embodiment, there is a latch plate 2 on one side of one fixed plate +5.
1a, 21b, etc. were arranged.

Two fixing plates 15 are used, and latch plates 21a and 2 are used between them.
A structure in which 1b etc. are sandwiched may also be used.

Further, in this embodiment, the rotating shafts 17a and 17b are provided on the fixed plate 15 side, and the rotating shaft holes 22a and 22b are formed in the latch plates 21a and 21.
Although it is provided on the 1b side, the rotating shaft may be provided on the latch plate side.

Further, in this embodiment, the slide portions 20a and 2Qb of the slide grooves 18a and 18b are provided in a straight line, but as shown in FIG. 5, they may be provided in a circular arc shape centered on the i-axis holes 22a and 22b.

Also, the stopper portions 19a of the slide grooves 18a and 18b
, 19b and O-) grooves 24a, 24b are provided on the radiation extending from the rotation shafts 17a, 17b of the latch plates 21a, 21b.
When locking the latch plates 21b, 21a from rotating, insert them into the lock pins 26a, 26b in the slide grooves 18b, 18a.
This is desirable because no force is applied in the direction of sliding inside, but due to restrictions due to the shape of Door II and other reasons, it is not possible to provide both grooves on a radial line, and even if they are provided at slightly shifted positions, the effect of the present invention will not be achieved. does not change.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
The present invention can be widely applied to general door devices other than refrigerators, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof.

〔effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the switching of the opening/closing direction of the door is automatically performed by rotating the latch plate, it is only necessary to pull any one side when opening/closing the door, and no switching is required when opening/closing the door. No operation required. Therefore, there are no restrictions on the position or design of the handle, and the handle can be freely designed, making it possible to create a door that is both functional and fashionable. Furthermore, since the door can be easily opened and closed from inside the refrigerator, there is no need to worry about getting trapped.

In addition, even if you pull both ends of the door at the same time, the connecting rod will not cause the door to come off, making it safe to use and allowing you to attach and detach the door with simple operations as needed. Therefore, it is convenient for cleaning, after-sales service, and door installation.

It is also structurally simple, requiring only individual mechanisms such as hinge pins or fixing plates at the upper and lower ends of the door, and no communication between the upper and lower mechanisms is required, so the internal structure of the door remains the same as before. Often, no special measures for insulation or cold sealing are required, resulting in a door that is easy to assemble and has good insulation properties.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a door opening/closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows the door in a closed state, and (b) shows the door from the right side. Figure (c) shows the door opened from the left side. FIG. 2 is the same side view as FIG. 1, and corresponds to FIG. 2(a). FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the components shown in FIG.
) is a plan view of the fixing plate, (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of (a), (c) is a plan view of the right latch plate, (d)
) is a plan view of the left latch plate, and (e) is a plan view of the connecting rod. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator incorporating a door opening/closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 3(b). Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional door opening/closing device;
The figure is an external perspective view showing another conventional example. [Explanation of symbols] 11...door, 12...main body 14a, 14b...hinge pin 15...fixing plate 16a, 16b=-engaging groove 17a, 17b=-rotating shaft 18a, 18b... Slide grooves 19a, 19b...stopper parts 20a, 20b...slide parts 21a, 21b...latch plates 23a, 23b...latch grooves 24a, 24b...lock groove 25...connecting rod 26a, 26b...Lock pin. Agent Patent Attorney Takeshi Sugiyama (1 other person)
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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Hinge pins 14a, 1 are provided at both left and right ends of either the door 11 or the main body 12 to which the door 11 is attached.
4b, and the other side is provided with a fixing plate 15 having engagement grooves 16a, 16b that releasably engage with the hinge pins 14a, 14b, respectively; A latch plate 2 provided with latch grooves 23a and 23b facing outward.
1a and 21b are provided on the left and right respectively, and the center of rotation is set inside the left and right engaging grooves 16a and 16b of the fixing plate 15, and the fixing plate is rotatably engaged with the fixing plate 15 by rotating shafts 17a and 17b. The latch plate 21a, 21b is configured to rotate, lock the hinge pins 14a, 14b at the locking position, and release the engagement with the hinge pins 14a, 14b at the release position, Board 1
5, slide grooves 18a and 18b are provided inward from each rotating shaft 17a and 17b and in an oblique direction on the opposite side to the openings of the engagement grooves 16a and 16b across the straight line connecting both shafts, and The ends near the rotating shafts 17a and 17b are extended toward both left and right ends of the fixed plate 15, respectively, to form a slide portion 20.
a, 20b, and the diagonally provided portions are stopper parts 19a, 19b, and the latch plates 21a, 21b are provided with latch plates 21a, 20b.
1b is in the locking position, lock grooves 24a and 24b are provided at positions corresponding to the stopper portions 19a and 19b of the slide grooves 18a and 18b of the fixed plate 15, respectively, and both ends thereof are provided between the left and right latch plates 21a and 21b. A connecting rod 25 having lock pins 26a, 26b is provided in the fixing plate 15.
a, 18b and the lock groove 2 of the latch plates 21a, 21b
4a, 24b, and when each latch plate 21a, 21b is in the locking position, lock pins 26a, 26b provided at both ends of the connecting rod 25,
Slide portion 2 of slide grooves 18a and 18b of fixed plate 15
0a, 20b, and when one latch plate 21a or 21b is in the released position, the latch plate 21a,
The lock pins 26a, 26b engaged with the lock grooves 24a, 24b due to the rotation of the slide groove 21b move into the slide grooves 18a, 18.
The connecting rod 25 moves through the sliding parts 20a and 20b of b.
, the lock pins 26b, 26a on the opposite side engage the stopper portions 19b, 19b of the other slide grooves 18a, 18b,
19a, and the pair of hinge pins 14a, 14b, each fixing plate 15, latch plates 21a, 21b, connecting rod 25, etc. are provided at the top and bottom of the door 11 and the main body 12, respectively. Door opening/closing device.