KR20020029506A - Refrigerator equipped monitor apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A refrigerator with monitor is provided to improve convenience for use by installing a display panel on a front surface of a door to be capable to pivot. CONSTITUTION: A monitor(10) includes a display panel(11); a case(12); a locking device(20); and an actuator(30). The case is installed on a door(3) and is where the display panel is joined to be capable to pivot. The locking device is placed between the case and the display panel and comprises a fixing protrusion; a housing; and a holding member(23) to lock or release the display panel. The fixing protrusion is placed on a back surface of the display panel. The housing is installed on the case corresponding with the fixing protrusion. The holding member is installed on the housing to lock or release the fixing protrusion. The actuator includes an elastic member(31) to make the display panel pivot at a certain angle to place the display panel slantingly when the locking device is released. The elastic member has one end(31a) placed on the back surface of the display panel and the other end(31c) contacting with the case to elastically support the display panel to a front side of the door.

Description

Refrigerator with monitor device

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a monitor device capable of displaying various information and the state of the refrigerator on the front of a door.

Generally, a refrigerator is an electronic product that supplies cold air generated from an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle to a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment to maintain the freshness of a stored food for a long time. Or various forms such as a parallel type partitioned to the left and right, the effective content is larger is commercially available.

In addition, in recent years, a refrigerator having various additional functions has been developed. An example is a refrigerator having a monitor device. The monitor device is typically installed on the front of the door with a display panel implemented as a thin and light liquid crystal display, thereby displaying the status information of the refrigerator, such as the amount and type of food stored, as well as watching TV, Internet home You can perform various functions such as shopping, memo function and image chat.

However, in the conventional refrigerator, since the monitor device is fixed to the front door of the built-in type, its use is inconvenient.

In other words, the monitor device with a display panel is fixed to maintain the same surface on the center of the front of the door. Accordingly, when looking at the display panel at a short distance, the vividness of the screen is lowered due to the influence of the viewing angle between the screen and the user, and the user has to bend his / her knees when he or she manipulates it for memo or internet shopping. There is a ham.

The present invention is to solve such a problem, an object of the present invention is to pivotally mount a predetermined angle on the front of the door to operate in a state in which the display panel of the monitor device is inclined, thereby improving the convenience of use more It is to provide a refrigerator equipped with a monitor device.

1 is a perspective view of the overall structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

2 is a perspective view showing an extract of a door equipped with a monitor device according to the present invention.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting structure of the monitor device according to the present invention.

4 and 5 are cross-sectional views taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2, showing an operating state of the display panel.

6 and 7 are cross-sectional views taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3, showing the restrained state and released state of the locking means employed in the display panel according to the present invention, respectively.

8 to 11 are rear views of the gripping member sequentially showing a moving process of the step pins employed in the display panel according to the present invention.

12 is an exploded perspective view showing an extract of the operation means employed in the display panel according to the present invention.

13 is a schematic view showing an extract of the deceleration means employed in the display panel according to the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

1. Cabinet 3. Sub-door 10. Monitor unit

11. Display panel 12. Case 20. Locking means

21. Jamming 22. Housing 23. Holding member

23a.elastic piece 24.compression spring 25.step pin

27. Induction groove 30. Operation means 31. Elastic member

32. Cover 40. Reduction means 41. Sector gear

42. Oil damper 42a Gearbox 42b Reduction gear

42c .. rotary shaft 42d .. impeller

The present invention for achieving this object is;

A refrigerator having a cabinet in which a storage compartment is formed, a door hinged to the cabinet to open and close the storage compartment, and a monitor device for displaying various information, the refrigerator comprising:

The monitor device includes a display panel for displaying various information, a case mounted on a door, and a case in which the display panel is pivotably coupled, a locking means provided between the case and the display panel to restrain or release the display panel, and a release state of the locking means. Pivoting the display panel at a predetermined angle is characterized in that it comprises an operating means for positioning inclined.

In addition, the locking means is characterized in that it comprises a locking projection provided on the back of the display panel, a housing mounted on the case side corresponding to the locking projection, and a holding member installed on the housing to restrain or release the locking projection.

In addition, the holding member is embedded in the housing so as to protrude and retract,

The front end of the holding member is a configuration characterized in that a pair of elastic pieces for restraining or releasing the engaging projection is provided whenever a predetermined force is applied to the display panel.

In addition, the operation means is characterized in that the one end is located on the back side of the display panel and the other end is provided with an elastic member for elastically supporting the display panel toward the front door in contact with the case.

In addition, the operation means is mounted to the back of the display panel and the central portion of the elastic member is fixed to the medium through the fixing pin and at the same time the other end of the elastic member penetrates the contact grooves are formed so that the opening groove is formed so as to contact the case to be.

In addition, the at least one end of the display panel is characterized in that the deceleration means for further reducing the pivot speed of the display panel by the operating means is provided.

The deceleration means may include a sector gear provided at the side end of the display panel, and a reduction gear axially coupled to the side end of the case corresponding to the sector gear so as to be rotated by the sector gear.

In addition, the oil damper is installed at the side end of the case,

The shaft of the reduction gear is coupled to the oil damper and the rotation speed is reduced.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes a cabinet 1 in which a freezing compartment (not shown) and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) whose front surfaces are opened to store food are partitioned from side to side, and the cabinet 1. Is hinged to the front of the door is provided with a door (2) for opening and closing the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

And the rear of the door (2) is provided with a shelf (not shown) for storing liquor, soft drinks, etc., the front of the door 2, the sub-door that can take out the stored drinks and the like without opening it (3) ) Is rotatably coupled via a link (not shown). In addition, the sub-door 3 is provided with a monitor device 10 having a display panel 11 that can perform various functions such as displaying status information of the refrigerator, watching TV and shopping on the Internet.

2 and 3, the monitor apparatus 10 includes a display panel 11 implemented as a liquid crystal display on a rectangular plate, and a case 12 in which the display panel 11 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ. ) Is installed in front of the sub-door (3). To this end, a recessed portion (not shown) is provided on the front surface of the sub-door 3 to concave, and the case 12 on the enclosure is mounted so that the display panel 11 is seated and coupled. Case 12 is made of a plastic injection molding, the upper side of both sides of the hinge shaft (11c) to be described later is inserted into the shaft support hole (12a) and the cover 12b screwed to cover the shaft support hole (12a) ) Is provided.

The display panel 11 of the monitor device 10 includes a liquid crystal display portion 11a formed in a rectangular plate shape and a monitor body 11b coupled to surround the liquid crystal display portion 11a. Inside the monitor main body 11b, various electrical equipments, such as a circuit board (not shown) for driving the liquid crystal display part 11a, are provided. In addition, the display panel 11 is mounted to the case 12 so as to be rotated by a predetermined angle. To this end, hinge shafts 11c are provided symmetrically on both upper sides of the monitor body 11b. Accordingly, when the hinge shaft 11c is fitted into the shaft support hole 12a of the case 12 and then the cover 12b is covered, the display panel 11 can pivot to the front side of the sub-door 3 through the cover 12b. To be mounted.

The display panel 11 has a locking means 20 which is repeatedly restrained and released from the case 12 whenever a predetermined force is applied to the front surface, and the display panel 11 when the locking means 20 is released. Operating means 30 to rotate the front side to rotate, and a deceleration means 40 for reducing the rotational speed of the display panel 11, which is normally kept in a flat state with the sub-door 3 and in use. It is mounted so that it can be tilted by a predetermined angle (θ), the detailed structure of each component for this is as follows.

First, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the locking means 20 includes a hook-shaped locking protrusion 21 and a locking protrusion 21 protruding to the rear side at a lower central portion of the rear surface of the display panel 11. The housing 22 includes a holding member 23 for restraining or releasing. The housing 22 is formed in a case in which the front is open and is fixed to the case 12 facing the locking protrusion 21. The gripping member 23 is provided to protrude and retract into the housing 22 and includes a pair of elastic pieces 23a formed in a hook shape to grip the locking protrusion 21.

That is, in the state in which the holding member 23 is retracted, the elastic piece 23a is pressed by the housing 22 to hold the catching protrusion 21, and is protruded from the housing 22, and thus the elastic piece 23 23a) is restored to release the gripping. The protrusion of the holding member 23 is made elastic, for this purpose, a compression spring 24 is installed between the housing 22 and the holding member 23. Accordingly, the compression spring 24 is compressed while the gripping member 23 is retracted, and when the gripping of the gripping member 23 is released, the compression spring 24 is elastically restored to elastically hold the gripping member 23 in the protruding direction. The biasing member 23 automatically protrudes.

In addition, the step pin 25 is disposed in the housing 22 to maintain the inlet and protruding state of the holding member 23. One end of the stepping pin 25 is fixed to the housing 22, and the other end is formed of an annular free end, which always holds the gripping member 23. To this end, a guide groove 27 for guiding the movement of the step pin 25 is formed on the rear surface 23b of the gripping member 23.

8 to 11, the guide groove 27 is a protrusion holding groove 27a in which the free end of the stepping pin 25 is positioned in the state in which the holding member 23 protrudes, and the protrusion holding groove 27a. It is spaced apart from the gripping member 23 is provided with a retracting holding groove (27b) in which the free end of the stepping pin (25) is located. In addition, the guide groove 27 starts at the protruding holding groove 27a and ends at the holding holding groove 27b to guide the movement of the free end of the step pin 25 when the holding member 23 is pulled in. Increasingly higher from the groove (27a) to move the free end of the guide pin (25c) and the stepping pin (25) during the protruding of the holding member 23 and stepped in the guide guide groove (27c) formed stepped higher than the pull-in holding groove (27b) And a protruding guide groove 27d starting at the inlet holding groove 27b and ending at the protruding holding groove 27a to guide. At this time, the boundary between the inlet guide groove 27c and the inlet holding groove 27b, the inlet holding groove 27b and the protruding guide groove 27d, the protruding guide groove 27d and the protruding holding groove 27a is formed stepwise. S1, S2 and S3 represent these stepped lines, respectively. That is, the inlet guide groove 27c is higher than the inlet holding groove 27b in step line S1, and the inlet holding groove 27b is higher than the protruding holding groove 27a in step line S2. And there is no step between the protruding holding groove (27a) and the retraction guide groove (27c), as described above, is formed inclined upward from the protruding holding groove (27a). The inlet holding groove 27b and the protruding guide groove 27d are substantially symmetrical, so that the induction groove 27 has a heart shape as a whole. In addition, the housing 22 is provided with a pressing piece 26 for suppressing the step pin 25 so that the step pin 25 is always located in the guide groove 27. As described above, each of the grooves is formed to be stepped with each other, and the step pin 25 is always suppressed by the pressing piece 26, so that each time the front of the display panel 11 is pressed, the free end of the step pin 25 is shown in FIG. As shown by an arrow at 8, it always starts from a constant direction, i.e., the inlet holding groove 27b, passes through the protruding guide groove 27d and the protruding holding groove 27a in order to reach the inlet guide groove 27c.

On the other hand, in the locking means 20, the housing 22 in which the gripping member 23 is built may be installed on the rear side of the display panel 11, and the locking protrusion 21 may be installed on the bottom surface of the case 12. .

Next, with reference to Figures 3 and 12 will be described the operating means 30 for automatically rotating the predetermined angle when the display panel 11 starts to release. The operation means 30 is disposed on both sides of the display panel 11, respectively positioned on both sides of the rear surface of the monitor main body 11b, the elastic member 31 for elastically supporting the display panel 11 to the front side, and the elastic member ( 31 is installed and includes a bracket 32 fixed to the rear surface of the monitor body (11b) through a screw (34). The elastic member 31 is composed of a kind of torsion spring, the center portion 31b and one end 31a of which is wound in a coil shape to exert an elastic force is fixed through the fixing pin 33 inside the bracket 32. The other end 31c of the elastic member 31 extends through the opening groove 32a formed in the bracket 32 to be in contact with the bottom surface of the case 12. Since the display panel 11 is always elastically supported toward the front side by the elastic member 31, when the restraining force of the locking means 20 is released, the display panel 11 is pivoted toward the front side by a predetermined angle θ.

As such, the display panel 11 emerging from the case 12 is positioned inclined to the sub-door 3, and its inclination angle θ is preferably set within 35 ° so that the user can easily operate it.

Next, the deceleration means 40 for decelerating the rotational speed of the display panel 11 by the operation means 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 13. The deceleration means 40 comprises a sector gear 41 provided at each side end of the display panel 11, i.e., both side ends of the monitor main body 11b adjacent to the hinge axis 11c, and the sector gear 41 and the foreign material. And an oil damper 42 having a reduction gear 42b to rotate. The sector gear 41 is a fan-shaped gear, and is provided at a predetermined length on the lower side adjacent to the hinge shaft 11c. The oil damper 42 includes a gear box 42a fixed to the side end of the case 12 corresponding to the sector gear 41 and a reduction gear 42b disposed to be rotatable and exposed to the outside of the gear box 42a. It is provided. The reduction gear 42a is engaged with the gearbox 42a and the rotation shaft 42c so as to be separated from the sector gear 41 and driven according to the rotation of the display panel 11. The gear box 42a of the oil damper 42 is for reducing the rapid rotational movement of the reduction gear 42b by using hydraulic pressure, and is usually filled with oil. The reduction gear 42b is coupled to one end of the rotation shaft 42c, and a wheel-shaped impeller 42d having a plurality of wings is installed at the other end of the rotation shaft 42c located in the gearbox 42a. As a result, the other end of the rotary shaft 42c rotates in the oil, whereby the rotational speed of the reduction gear 42b decreases with the rotary shaft 42c due to frictional resistance with the oil.

Meanwhile, the oil damper 42 may be installed at the side end of the display panel 11 and the sector gear 41 may be installed at the side end of the case 12 in the reduction means 40.

Next, the operation of the monitor device according to the present invention configured as described above and the effects thereof will be described.

First, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the display panel 11 is completely seated on the case 12 and is kept in a flat state with the sub-door 3, the locking protrusion 21 is locked. The elastic member 31 of the actuating means 30 is compressed while being received and restrained by the housing 22 of the 20. That is, in this state, the gripping member 23 of the locking means 20 is drawn in to grasp the locking protrusion 21 provided on the display panel 11, and as shown in FIG. 8, the step pin 25 is free. The stage is located in the inlet holding groove 27b of the guide groove 46 and the compression spring 24 is in a compressed state.

In this state, when the user presses the front surface of the display panel 11 with a predetermined force, the force pressing the front surface of the display panel 11 compresses the compression spring 24 so that the free end of the step pin 25 is drawn in and retained. Out of (27b), as shown in Figure 9, the free end of the step pin 25 is guided to the projection guide groove (27d) while the projection of the holding member 23 by the elastic restoring force of the compression spring (24) Proceed.

Subsequently, when the progress of the holding member 23 is completed, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the free end of the step pin 25 is positioned in the protruding holding groove 27a. On the other hand, as the protrusion of the holding member 23 proceeds, the state of holding the locking protrusion 21 is released, and the release state of the display panel 11 is started. That is, the display panel 11 is inclined forward by a predetermined angle θ toward the front of the hinge axis 11c by the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 31 that is elastically deformed at the moment the gripping member 23 is released. . At this time, the sector gear 41 provided in the rotating display panel 11 rotates the deceleration gear 42b of the oil damper 42, which is rotated in the gearbox 42a. It is decelerated by the frictional force between the impeller 42d and the oil installed in the) and proceeds smoothly.

By this operation, as shown in FIG. 5, the display panel 11 is inclined about 35 ° from the sub-door 30, so that the user can move the display panel 11 without bending his / her back in a standing state. The equipped monitor apparatus 10 can be operated more easily.

Then, when the user presses the display panel 11 again, it returns to the locked state in the case 12. That is, when the locking projection 21 reaches the gripping member 23 by pressing the front surface of the display panel 11, as shown in FIG. 11, the free end of the walking pin 25 opens the guide guide groove 27c. Accordingly, when the holding member 23 is moved to the inlet holding groove 27b, the holding member 23 starts to be pulled in. The elastic piece 23a of the holding member 23 is pressed by the housing 22, thereby causing the catching protrusion 21 to be removed. Is constrained.

Accordingly, the display panel 11 is pivoted to the rear side around the hinge shaft 11c and is fixed to the case 12 while being held in the same plane as the sub-door 3 (see FIG. 4), thereby facilitating viewing thereof. It can be done.

On the other hand, this technical idea has been described in the embodiment in which the monitor device 10 is mounted on the sub-door (3) to pivot the lower end of the display panel 11 to the front side by manual operation during use thereof, but is not limited thereto. The freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment may be installed in the door 2 directly opening and closing, and also the pivoting angle of the present invention can be achieved even by pivoting the upper end of the display panel 11 to the rear side.

As described above in detail, according to the refrigerator equipped with the monitor device according to the present invention, the display panel of the monitor device is normally kept in plane with the door, but in the use thereof, the display panel is pivoted from the door by a predetermined angle. It can be inclined forward. Accordingly, the user can easily manipulate the display panel of the monitor device without bending the waist or the knee, and thus there is an effect of improving product reliability.

Claims (8)

A refrigerator having a cabinet in which a storage compartment is formed, a door hinged to the cabinet to open and close the storage compartment, and a monitor device for displaying various information, the refrigerator comprising: The monitor device, A display panel 11 for displaying various types of information, a case 12 mounted to the door 3 and pivotally coupled to the display panel 11, the case 12 and the display panel 11; Locking means 20 provided between the locking means for restraining or releasing the display panel 11, and the operating means for pivoting the display panel 11 at a predetermined angle θ when the locking means 20 is released Refrigerator with a monitor device, characterized in that it comprises a (30). The method of claim 1, The locking means 20, The locking protrusion 21 provided on the rear surface of the display panel 11, the housing 22 mounted on the case 12 side in correspondence with the locking protrusion 21, and installed on the housing 22. And a gripping member (23) for restraining or releasing the locking protrusion (21). The method of claim 2, The holding member 23 is embedded in the housing 22 to protrude and retract, A monitor, characterized in that a pair of elastic pieces (23a) is provided at the front end of the holding member 23 for restraining or releasing the locking projection 21 whenever a predetermined force is applied to the display panel (11). Refrigerator with device. The method of claim 1, The operating means 30, One end 31a is positioned at the rear side of the display panel 11 and the other end 31c is in contact with the case 12 so that the elastic member 31 elastically supports the display panel 11 toward the front side of the door 3. Refrigerator with a monitor device characterized in that it comprises a). The method of claim 4, wherein The operating means 30, It is mounted on the back of the display panel 11 and the central portion 31b of the elastic member 31 is fixed via the fixing pin 33 and the other end 31c of the elastic member 31 penetrates the case And a bracket (32) formed with an opening groove (32a) in contact with (11). The method of claim 1, Refrigerator having a monitor device, characterized in that at least one side end of the display panel 11 is further provided with a deceleration means for reducing the pivot speed of the display panel 11 by the operating means (30). The method of claim 6, The deceleration means 40, A shaft 42c at the side end of the sector gear 41 provided at the side end of the display panel 11 and the case 12 corresponding to the sector gear 41 so as to be engaged with the sector gear 41 to rotate. A refrigerator having a monitor device, characterized in that it comprises a combined reduction gear (42b). The method of claim 7, wherein An oil damper 42 is installed at the side end of the case 12, And a shaft (42c) of the reduction gear (42b) is coupled to the oil damper (42) to reduce the rotation speed.