KR100598405B1 - Door switch for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door switch of a refrigerator mounted on one side wall of a main body cabinet, the outer bracket being mounted outside the one side wall of the main body cabinet; An inner casing disposed to be spaced apart from the outer bracket and accommodated inside one side wall of the main cabinet; A button part of which one end is exposed to the outer bracket and the other end is caught inside the inner casing, and is operated according to opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator; A switch unit accommodated in the inner casing and operated by the button unit; It is provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing, characterized in that it comprises a foreign matter inflow prevention unit for preventing foreign matter from flowing into the inner casing from the outer bracket.

As a result, it is possible to provide a door switch of a refrigerator which can effectively prevent foreign substances from flowing into the switch unit.

Description

Door switch for refrigerator {DOOR SWITCH FOR REFRIGERATOR}

1 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a door switch of a refrigerator according to the present invention is mounted;

2 is a perspective view illustrating a door switch of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view showing a door switch of the refrigerator according to the present invention,

Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view showing a pressing state of the button portion of the door switch of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

1: refrigerator 11: storage room

12: bulkhead 13: freezer

14: refrigerator 20: door

21: freezer door 22: cold storage door

30: door switch 31: external bracket

32: inner casing 35: button

36: pressing part 37: connecting part

38 contact portion 39 extension portion

40: freezer button button 41: refrigerator compartment button part

50: switch unit 51: freezer switch unit

52: refrigerator compartment switch unit 53: motor switch unit

60: foreign material inflow prevention unit 61: support member

The present invention relates to a door switch of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a door switch of a refrigerator having an improved structure capable of preventing foreign substances from entering the switch unit.

In general, a refrigerator is provided with a storage compartment for storing food, and includes a cold air supply unit configured to generate cold air by a refrigerant to supply cold air to the storage compartment. The refrigerator includes a main cabinet with a storage compartment and a cold air supply unit at the rear, a door installed in the main cabinet to open and close the storage compartment, a lamp provided inside the main cabinet to provide light to the storage compartment when the door is opened, and a main cabinet It is mounted on the front of the door includes a door switch for operating the lamp in accordance with the opening and closing of the door.

The door switch of the conventional refrigerator described in Korean Patent Application No. 2001-0051468 has a case provided with a button passing hole on one side; A button for entering and exiting through the button passing hole; It includes an elastic cover installed in the case to cover the button.

By such a configuration, the gap between the case and the button is covered with the elastic cover to prevent foreign matter from penetrating and to prevent contact failure between the terminals.

By the way, in the door switch of the conventional refrigerator, when the elastic cover is detached or damaged while the button is moved in accordance with the opening and closing of the door, it is troublesome to attach the elastic cover to the button again.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a door switch of a refrigerator having a structure which prevents foreign substances from flowing into the switch unit and improving convenience in use.

The object of the present invention is a door switch of a refrigerator mounted on one side wall of a main body cabinet, the outer bracket being mounted on an outer side of one side wall of the main body cabinet; An inner casing disposed to be spaced apart from the outer bracket and accommodated inside one side wall of the main cabinet; A button part of which one end is exposed to the outer bracket and the other end is caught inside the inner casing, and is operated according to opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator; A switch unit accommodated in the inner casing and operated by the button unit; It is provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing, it is achieved by the foreign matter inflow prevention unit for preventing foreign matter from flowing into the inner casing from the outer bracket.

The button part includes a pressing part exposed to the outer bracket, a connection part provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing and extending from the pressing part, and a contact part extending from the connecting part to contact the inner side of the inner casing. It is preferable.

Here, it is preferable to further include a support member provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing, and for supporting the outer bracket and the inner casing.

The support member is disposed a plurality of spaced apart, the foreign material inflow prevention portion is preferably formed between the plurality of support members.

Here, the length of the connection portion is preferably provided greater than or equal to the length of the pressing portion.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a door switch of a refrigerator according to the present invention is mounted. As shown in the figure, the refrigerator 1 generally includes a main cabinet 10 in which a storage compartment 11 is formed; It is installed in the main cabinet 10 includes a door 20 for opening and closing the storage compartment (11). The refrigerator 1 includes a cold air supply unit having an evaporator (not shown) provided in a rear region of the storage compartment 11 and a blower fan (not shown) for forcibly blowing the cold air generated from the evaporator to the storage compartment 11. (Not shown).

In the lower rear region of the main cabinet 10, a machine room equipped with a compressor (not shown) for compressing low-temperature low-pressure gas phase refrigerant into high-temperature high-pressure gas phase refrigerant, and a condenser (not shown) for condensing the refrigerant supplied from the compressor with liquid phase refrigerant. (Not shown) is provided. The refrigerant condensed from the condenser is supplied to the evaporator, and when the evaporator absorbs latent heat to cool the surrounding air, cold air may be supplied to the storage chamber 11 by the blower fan.

The freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerating compartment 14 are divided up and down by the partition 12, and the storage compartment 11 is a freezer compartment 21 and a door 20 for opening and closing the freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerating compartment 14, respectively. The refrigerator compartment door 22 is comprised. In addition, a freezer compartment lamp (not shown) and a refrigerator compartment lamp (not shown) are mounted in the freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerating compartment 14, respectively, and the freezer compartment lamp and the refrigerating compartment lamp are used when a user opens each door 21, 22. The light is provided so that the user can easily identify the food.

The partition 12 has an insertion part 15 to which the door switch 30 is mounted, and the door switch 30 is electrically connected to a freezer compartment lamp, a refrigerator compartment lamp, and a motor (not shown) of a blowing fan. That is, the door switch 30 is contacted so that the freezer compartment lamp is ON when the freezer compartment door 21 is opened, and is contacted so that the refrigerating compartment lamp is ON when the refrigerator compartment door 22 is opened. In addition, the door switch 30 operates the blower fan only when both the freezing chamber door 21 and the refrigerating chamber door 22 are closed so that the cold air is supplied to the freezing chamber 13 and the refrigerating chamber 14.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a door switch of the refrigerator according to the present invention, Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view showing a door switch of the refrigerator according to the present invention, Figure 3b is a button portion of the door switch of the refrigerator according to the present invention is pressed It is sectional drawing which shows the state. As shown in these drawings, the door switch 30 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes an outer bracket 31 mounted outside one side wall of the main cabinet 10; An inner casing 32 spaced apart from the outer bracket 31 and accommodated inside one side wall of the main cabinet 10; A button unit 35 having one end exposed to the outer bracket 31 and the other end caught inside the inner casing 32, and operated according to opening and closing of the door 20 of the refrigerator 1; A switch unit 50 accommodated in the inner casing 32 and operated by the button unit 35; It is provided between the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32, and includes a foreign matter inflow prevention unit 60 to prevent foreign substances from flowing into the inner casing 32 from the outer bracket 31. The door switch 30 is provided between the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32 and further includes a support member 61 for supporting the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32. Here, the button unit 35 is provided with the freezer compartment button unit 40 and the refrigerating compartment button unit 41 symmetrically provided to operate according to the opening and closing of the freezer compartment door 21 and the refrigerating compartment door 22.

Here, the foreign matter is made of moisture or dust that may cause the switch unit 50 to malfunction.

The outer bracket 31 is larger than the inserting portion 15 to prevent foreign matter from entering the inserting portion 15, and to be pressed later when the doors 21 and 22 are closed to the outside of the outer bracket 31. The part pressing parts 36b and 36a are exposed (refer FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B).

The inner casing 32 is accommodated inside the insertion part 15, and is accommodated in the inner casing 32 to protect the switch unit 50 operated according to whether the button part 35 is pressed from the foreign matter. The inner casing 32 is provided with springs 33 and 34 for upwardly pressing the button portions 41 and 40.

The button part 35 includes a pressing part 36 exposed to the outer bracket 31, a connection part 37 provided between the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32 and extending from the pressing part 36, It has a contact portion 38 extending from the connecting portion 37 and in contact with the inside of the inner casing 32.

The freezer compartment button part 40 is exposed between the outer bracket 31 and the pressing part 36b which is pressed when the freezing chamber door 21 is closed, and is provided between the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32 and the pressing part 36b. A connection portion 37b extending from the reference portion, a contact portion 38b extending from the connection portion 37b to be in contact with the inside of the inner casing 32, and a motor switch portion 53 to be described later, extending from an end portion of the contact portion 38b. And an extension 39b for activating it.

The refrigerator compartment button part 41 is exposed between the outer bracket 31 and the pressing part 36a which is pressed when the refrigerator compartment door 22 is closed, and is provided between the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32 and the pressing part 36a. A connecting portion 37a extending from the connecting portion 37, a contacting portion 38a extending from the connecting portion 37a and contacting the inside of the inner casing 32, and a motor switch portion 53 to be described later, extending from the end of the contacting portion 38a. And an extension 39a for activating it.

The switch unit 50 includes a freezer compartment lamp switch unit 51 connected to the freezer compartment lamp, a refrigerator compartment lamp switch unit 52 connected to the refrigerator compartment lamp, and a motor switch unit 53 connected to the motor of the blower fan. Each switch unit 51, 52, 53 is in contact with or separated from the moving parts 51a, 52a, 53a and the moving parts 51a, 52a, 53a that are moved according to whether the buttons 40, 41 are pressed. And fixing parts 51b, 52b, and 53b.

The freezer compartment lamp switch unit 51 is in contact with the contact portion 38b of the freezer compartment button part 40, and the moving part 51a is fixed by the rotating part 63 which is rotated by the linear movement of the freezer compartment button part 40. 51b) may be contacted or spaced apart.

The refrigerator compartment lamp switch unit 52 is in contact with the contact portion 38a of the refrigerator compartment button part 41, and the moving part 52a is fixed by the rotating part 62 which is rotated by the linear movement of the refrigerator compartment button part 41. 52b) or may be spaced apart.

In the motor switch unit 53, the moving unit 53a may elastically contact or be spaced apart from the fixing unit 53b by linear movement of the freezer compartment button unit 40 and the refrigerating compartment button unit 41.

The support member 61 is connected between the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32, and a plurality of spaced apart to support the outer bracket 31 with respect to the inner casing (32).

Foreign material inflow prevention unit 60 is formed between the plurality of support members (61). Therefore, when the user cleans the refrigerator 1 or performs the washing test during the PL (PRODUCT LIABILITY) test, the lather or moisture is introduced into the inner casing 32 through the pressing part 36. It can prevent. That is, the lather or moisture may flow through the foreign matter inflow prevention unit 60 to the outside of the door switch 30 without entering the inner casing 32. Therefore, since the switch unit 50 inside the inner casing 32 can be prevented from shorting or electric shock, the freezer compartment lamp and the refrigerating compartment lamp and the freezing cycle can be normally operated. In addition, unlike the conventional door switch, the door switch 30 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention, since the structure itself is prevented from entering the foreign matter into the switch unit 50 provides a convenience in use because no separate repair is required. can do.

Here, it is preferable that the length of the connection part 37 is more than the length of the pressing part 36. If the length of the connecting portion 37 is smaller than the length of the pressing portion 36, the pressing portion 36 is pressed into the inner casing 32 when the surface of the pressing portion 36 is pressed with a lather or moisture. Since it is inserted into the foreign matter may eventually flow into the inner casing (32). Therefore, it is preferable that the length of the connection part 37 is made equal to or greater than the length of the pressing part 36 to effectively prevent foreign matter from flowing into the inner casing 32.

The operation of the door switch 30 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention having such a configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

First, when the refrigerator compartment button part 41 operates the refrigerator compartment switch part 52, the refrigerator compartment button part 41 is connected to the outer bracket 31 and the inner casing 32 when the refrigerator compartment door 22 is closed. Press the spring 33 while moving downward. At this time, the contact portion 38a of the refrigerator compartment button part 41 is spaced apart from the fixing part 52b by rotating the rotation part 62 to push the moving part 52a of the refrigerator compartment switch part 52. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment lamp in the refrigerator compartment 14 can be turned off.

The operation of the freezer compartment button unit 40 to operate the freezer compartment switch unit 51 is the same as that of the refrigerator compartment button unit 41 to operate the refrigerator compartment switch unit 52, and thus will be omitted.

When the freezer compartment button unit 40 and the refrigerator compartment button unit 41 are both pressed, the moving unit 53a and the fixing unit 53b of the motor switch unit 53 are in contact with each other. Therefore, only when both the freezing chamber door 21 and the refrigerating chamber door 22 are closed, the motor of the blowing fan may be driven to supply cold air to the freezing chamber 13 and the refrigerating chamber 14.

In the above-described embodiment, the foreign matter inflow prevention part is formed as a space between the outer bracket and the inner casing, but it is a product of various forms that can remove the foreign matter according to the kind of foreign matter (moisture, dust, etc.) between the outer bracket and the inner casing. Of course, it can be mounted on.

In the above-described embodiment, the door switch is mounted on the partition wall, but it may be irrelevant as long as the door switch is operable by opening and closing the door of the refrigerator.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a door switch of a refrigerator that can effectively prevent foreign matters from entering the switch unit.

Claims (5)

In the door switch of the refrigerator mounted on one side wall of the cabinet, An outer bracket mounted to an outer side of one side wall of the main cabinet; An inner casing disposed to be spaced apart from the outer bracket and accommodated inside one side wall of the main cabinet; A button part of which one end is exposed to the outer bracket and the other end is caught inside the inner casing, and is operated according to opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator; A switch unit accommodated in the inner casing and operated by the button unit; The door switch of the refrigerator provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing, the foreign matter entering prevention portion to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the inner casing. The method of claim 1, The button part includes a pressing part exposed to the outer bracket, a connection part provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing and extending from the pressing part, and a contact part extending from the connecting part to contact the inner side of the inner casing. Door switch of the refrigerator, characterized in that. The method of claim 2, The door switch of the refrigerator provided between the outer bracket and the inner casing, the support member for supporting the outer bracket and the inner casing. The method of claim 3, The support member is disposed a plurality of spaced apart, the foreign material inflow prevention unit door switch of the refrigerator, characterized in that formed between the plurality of support members. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The length of the connection portion is a door switch of the refrigerator, characterized in that the greater than or equal to the length of the pressing portion.

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