WO2016000465A1

WO2016000465A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2016000465A1
Application number: PCT/CN2015/075149
Authority: WO
Inventors: 尾花范昭; 丰嶋昌志
Original assignee: 海尔亚洲国际株式会社; 青岛海尔股份有限公司
Priority date: 2014-06-30
Filing date: 2015-03-26
Publication date: 2016-01-07
Also published as: JP2016011797A; JP6385733B2

Abstract

A refrigerator (10) includes: a refrigerator body having a front surface open part, and defining a storage chamber therein; a door (24) capable of being opened and closed, pivotally supported on the front surface open part of the refrigerator body for covering the front surface open part; and an opening and closing device (32) set in the refrigerator body for opening and closing the door (24). The opening and closing device (32) includes: connecting plates (48, 50, 52, 54), and part of the connecting plates is connected with the door (24); a power transmission mechanism (35) used for operating the connecting plates (48, 50, 52, 54); a motor(36) capable of rotating in positive and negative directions to drive the power transmission mechanism (35); and a clutch mechanism (56) intermittently connecting the power transmission mechanism (35) and the motor (36).

Description

refrigerator

Technical field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a front surface opening portion pivotally supported by a refrigerator main body and an opening for covering a front surface opening portion.

Background technique

In the prior art, the door of such a refrigerator is usually manually opened and closed to access food or the like in the storage compartment. However, in the case of a large-sized refrigerator, there is a problem that the door opening operation is laborious for children and the elderly who are less powerful because of the increased weight of the door and the food and the like stored in the storage rack inside the door.

Therefore, there is known a refrigerator having an automatic opening and closing device that automatically opens and closes a door with respect to a refrigerator main body by operating an operation member such as a switch (for example, see Patent Document 1: Japanese Invention Patent Fair 8-23249) No., page 1-2, Figure 1 - Figure 3).

In the above-described prior art refrigerator, the door can be automatically opened by rotating the motor of the automatic opening and closing device in the forward and reverse directions by using the operating member while transmitting the rotation of the motor output to the pivoting mechanism of the door via the reduction transmission mechanism. close. In addition, by providing a clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the motor output, the door can be manually opened and closed even in the event of a power failure.

However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that an automatic opening and closing device composed of a motor, a reduction transmission mechanism, a clutch mechanism, and the like is installed in the door, so that the weight of the door becomes heavier, thereby causing manual opening. The force required for closing is greater. Further, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 has a drawback in that the structure of the door is complicated and the production cost is high.

Further, in the above-described refrigerator, the shaft portion of the support door is rotated by the driving force of the motor, and therefore, if there is not sufficient driving force to rotate the shaft portion, the door may not be smoothly opened and closed.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which does not affect the opening and closing operation when the door is manually opened and closed, and which can automatically open and close the door smoothly, thereby improving the convenience of use thereof.

The refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body having a front surface opening portion and a storage compartment defined therein, and a door pivotally supported by the front surface opening portion of the refrigerator main body to cover the front surface opening portion And an opening and closing device, disposed in the refrigerator body for opening and closing the door; Wherein the opening and closing device comprises: a connecting plate, a part of which is connected with the door; a power transmission mechanism for operating the connecting plate; and a motor that can rotate in forward and reverse directions to drive the power transmitting mechanism; A clutch mechanism that intermittently connects (ie, controllably connects or disconnects) the power transmitting mechanism and the motor.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, since the opening and closing device that opens and closes the door is provided on the refrigerator main body, it is possible to avoid increasing the weight of the door itself. Further, since the door is opened and closed via the connecting plate, the door can be automatically opened and closed smoothly, which improves the convenience of use.

Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, since the clutch mechanism is provided in the opening and closing device that opens and closes the door, the opening and closing device does not interlock with the door in the event of a power failure or the like, and the user can manually open and close the door. .

DRAWINGS

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a refrigerator of the present invention, wherein (A) is a perspective view showing the entire refrigerator, and (B) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an upper end portion of the refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a refrigerator of the present invention, wherein (A) is a plan view showing the opening and closing device, and (B) is a perspective view showing the opening and closing device.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the refrigerator of the present invention, wherein (A) and (B) are perspective views showing gears in the opening and closing device, and (C) to (E) are perspective views showing the gears in a combined state.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the refrigerator of the present invention, wherein (A) to (F) are plan views showing a process of opening and closing the door by the opening and closing device.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a refrigerator of the present invention, showing a block diagram of a control device for controlling an opening and closing device.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the refrigerator of the present invention, showing a flow chart of an operation of opening and closing the door by the opening and closing device.

Fig. 7 is a view showing the refrigerator of the present invention, showing a speed graph in which the door is opened and closed by the opening and closing device.

Figure 8 is a view showing the refrigerator of the present invention, showing a perspective view of a resistor for measuring the opening angle of the door.

The reference numerals used in the figure are as follows:

10-Fridge, 12-insulation box, 14-refrigerator, 18-upper freezer, 20-lower freezer

22-vegetable room, 24-door, 26-door, 28-door, 30-door, 32-opening device, 34-opening device

35-power transmission mechanism, 36-motor, 37-spring, 38-first gear, 40-second gear,

42-third gear, 44-fourth gear, 46-fifth gear, 48-first connecting plate, 49-abutment,

50-second connecting plate, 51-butting portion, 52-third connecting plate, 53-butting portion,

54-fourth connecting plate, 55-abutment, 56-clutch mechanism, 57-pushing portion, 58-concave portion,

60-concave meshing portion, 62-convex engaging portion, 64-inclined surface, 66-inclined surface, 68-inclined surface,

70-inclined surface, 72-support plate, 74-switch, 76-microphone, 78-camera,

80-position sensor, 82-control unit, 84-load sensor, 86-electromagnetic coil,

88-resistor, V0, V1, V2, V3-speed.

detailed description

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(A) in Fig. 1 is a perspective view integrally showing the refrigerator 10, and (B) in Fig. 1 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an upper end portion of the refrigerator 10.

In the following description, the structure and action of each component will be described using the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, wherein the X direction represents the width direction of the refrigerator 10, and the Y direction represents the front and rear direction (depth direction) of the refrigerator, and the Z direction. The up and down direction of the refrigerator 10 is indicated.

Referring to (A) of FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 has a heat insulating box 12 as a refrigerator main body, and a storage compartment for storing foods and the like is formed in the heat insulating box 12. The interior of the storage compartment can be divided into a plurality of storage compartments depending on the storage temperature and the use. The uppermost layer is the refrigerating compartment 14, the lower layer is the upper freezing compartment 18, the lower layer is the lower freezing compartment 20, and the lowermost layer is the vegetable compartment 22.

The front surface of the heat insulating box 12 is opened, and an openable door 24 or the like is provided in each opening corresponding to each storage chamber. The door 24 is for closing the front surface of the refrigerating chamber 14, and the upper and lower sides of the +X side end portion of the door 24 are rotatably supported by the heat insulating box 12 by a pair of upper and lower pivot mechanisms.

Further, the door 26, the door 28, and the door 30 are drawer type doors that are respectively supported by the heat insulating box 12 so as to be able to be pulled in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 10.

The heat insulation box 12 is composed of an outer box, an inner box and a heat insulating material, wherein the outer box is made of steel plate, the inner box is made of synthetic resin and has a gap with the inner side of the outer box, and the heat insulating material is foamed. A polyurethane which is filled in a gap between the outer box and the inner box by a foaming process. The door 24 or the like can also adopt the same heat insulating structure as the heat insulating box 12.

Referring to (B) of Fig. 1, an opening and closing device 32 is provided on the side of the pivoting mechanism of the door 24 at the upper portion of the heat insulating box 12, and an opening device 34 is provided on the opening end side of the door 24.

As will be described later in detail, the opening and closing device 32 has a function of opening and closing the door 24 in accordance with the needs of the user, and the opening device 34 has a function of assisting the initial operation of the opening operation of the door 24 in accordance with the needs of the user. In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the door 24 can be manually opened and closed by operating the handle; and the door 24 can be automatically opened and closed by using the opening and closing device 32 and the opening device 34. Further, if the opening and closing operation of the door 24 can be realized only by the opening and closing device 32, the opening device 34 can be omitted. Here, the opening and closing device 32 is covered by a cover which is molded into a box shape by a plastic material or the like.

The above-described opening and closing device 32 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a view showing the opening and closing device 32, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a part of the members constituting the opening and closing device 32.

Referring to (A) of FIG. 2, the opening and closing device 32 includes a power transmission mechanism 35 mounted to the refrigerator main body, a motor 36 rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, which applies a driving force to the power transmission mechanism 35, and a clutch mechanism 56. The motor 36 and the power transmission mechanism 35 are connected or disconnected in a controlled manner; and the first connecting plate 48 and the like are connected at one end to the door 24 (see (B) in FIG. 1) and at the other end to the power transmission mechanism.

The power transmission mechanism 35 is constituted by a plurality of gears such as the first gear 38, and is used for decelerating the rotation of the output of the motor 36, and transmits the rotation to the first connecting plate 48 or the like.

The first gear 38 is coupled to a motor that is formed with helical teeth on the surface of the drive shaft whose axis extends in the Y direction. That is, the first gear 38 is a so-called screw in this embodiment; as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the screw can also be considered as a special gear. The second gear 40 (movable gear) has teeth on its outer circumference that mesh with the first gear 38. The third gear 42 rotates in synchronization with the second gear 40 in the operating state, and has a tooth on the outer circumference and a portion that meshes with the second gear 40 in the inside. The outer circumference of the fourth gear 44 has teeth that mesh with the teeth of the third gear 42. Further, the lower portion of the fourth gear 44 further has teeth not shown, and the teeth (not shown) mesh with the teeth of the fifth gear 46. The fifth gear 46 has a larger diameter than the fourth gear 44, and the outer circumference thereof is formed with teeth for meshing with the fourth gear 44. In addition, one end of the first connecting plate 48 is fixed near the center portion of the upper surface of the fifth gear 46 to rotate the first connecting plate 48 together with the fifth gear 46.

The connecting plate of this embodiment is composed of a first connecting plate 48 to a fourth connecting plate 54.

The end of the first connecting plate 48 on the +X side is fixed to the center of the fifth gear 46, and the end on the -X side is rotatably coupled to the second connecting plate 50. Further, an abutting portion 49 for restricting the rotation of the first connecting plate 48 and the second connecting plate 50 is formed at an end portion on the -X side of the first connecting plate 48.

The end on the -Y side of the second connecting plate 50 is rotatably coupled to the first connecting plate 48. Further, an end portion on the -Y side of the second connecting plate 50 is formed with an abutting portion 51 for restricting rotation. Thereby, as the opening and closing device 32 starts to operate, the first connecting plate 48 rotates counterclockwise, and when it is rotated to a certain angle, the abutting portion 49 comes into contact with the abutting portion 51, the first connecting plate 48 and the second connecting plate The angle between the 50 at the joint is limited to a specified angle. This will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 4.

The end on the -X side of the third connecting plate 52 is rotatably coupled to the end of the second connecting plate 50. The end of the third connecting plate 52 on the +X side is rotatably coupled to the fourth connecting plate 54. Further, an end portion of the third connecting plate 52 on the +X side is formed with an abutting portion 53, and an end portion on the -X side of the fourth connecting plate 54 is formed with an abutting portion 55. Thereby, at the time of operation, by the contact of the abutting portion 53 and the abutting portion 55, the rotation of the connecting portion between the third connecting plate 52 and the fourth connecting plate 54 is restricted within a predetermined angle.

The end on the -X side of the fourth link plate 54 is rotatably coupled to the third link plate 52, and is also rotatably coupled to the upper surface of the door 24 (see (B) in Fig. 1). The end of the fourth connecting plate 54 on the +X side is fixed to the door 24.

Referring to (B) of FIG. 2, the second gear 40 and the third gear 42 are coaxially disposed, and the third gear 42 is disposed below the second gear 40. Further, a spring 37 as a pressing member is provided between the second gear 40 and the third gear 42. The spring 37 is, for example, a coil spring. In the use state, the second gear 40 is biased by the spring 37 toward the +Z direction side.

The clutch mechanism 56 has, for example, an electromagnetic coil having a function of moving the second gear 40 in the +Z direction in accordance with the condition to release the connection state of the power transmission mechanism 35. Specifically, the second gear 40 is moved upward by the clutch mechanism 56, and the meshing of the second gear 40 with the third gear 42 can be released, and the meshing of the second gear 40 with the first gear 38 is also released. Conversely, the second gear 40 is moved downward by the clutch mechanism 56, and the gears are brought into an engaged state. The details of the clutch mechanism 56 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The related structure of the second gear 40 and the like included in the above-described opening and closing device 32 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3 . (A) in Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the third gear 42, and (B) in Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the second gear 40, and (C) and (D) in Fig. 3 are the second gears. A cross-sectional perspective view of the connection structure of 40 and the third gear 42, and (E) in Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the clutch mechanism 56 and the like.

Referring to (A) of FIG. 3, a plurality of teeth are formed on the outer circumference of the third gear 42. Further, an annular engagement portion 60 that is recessed in the -Z direction is formed inside the third gear 42. Further, a plurality of inclined faces 64 and inclined faces 66 are alternately formed in the circumferential direction on the bottom surface of the concave engaging portion 60, which The intermediate inclined surface 64 is a surface inclined from the X-Y plane, and the inclined surface 66 is a surface inclined from the X-Y plane and opposite to the inclined surface 64.

Referring to (B) of FIG. 3, a plurality of teeth are formed on the outer circumference of the second gear 40. Further, the second gear 40 is further formed with a convex engaging portion 62 that protrudes in a substantially cylindrical shape in the -Z direction. An inclined surface 70 and an inclined surface 68 are alternately formed in the circumferential direction at the end portion on the -Z side of the male engaging portion 62. Here, the inclined surface 64 and the inclined surface 66 formed on the third gear 42 coincide with the number, size, shape, and the like of the inclined surface 68 and the inclined surface 70 formed on the second gear 40.

Referring to (C) of FIG. 3, when the transmission of the driving force is interrupted, the lower end portion of the convex engaging portion 62 of the second gear 40 is separated from the bottom surface of the concave engaging portion 60 of the third gear 42. Thereby, the meshing between the two gears is released.

Referring to (D) of FIG. 3, when the driving force is transmitted, the second gear 40 is moved in the -Z direction, so that the lower end of the male engaging portion 62 is in contact with the bottom surface of the concave engaging portion 60 of the third gear 42. . Thereby, the contact between the surface between the inclined surfaces formed on the two gears and the surface can efficiently transmit the driving force of the second gear 40 to the third gear 42.

Referring to (E) of FIG. 3, the movement of the second gear 40 described above is achieved by the clutch mechanism 56 and the support plate 72. Specifically, the support plate 72 may be a metal plate whose main surface is parallel to the X-Y plane, which meshes with the concave portion 58 of the second gear 40 (refer to (B) of FIG. 3) near the end on the -X side. The clutch mechanism 56 has, for example, an electromagnetic coil that moves in the vertical direction, and moves the second gear 40 in the -Z direction via the support plate 72 during operation. Therefore, without applying an operation signal to the clutch mechanism 56, the second gear 40 is biased to the +Z direction side by the action of the spring 37, and the driving force is not transmitted from the second gear 40 to the third gear 42. On the other hand, if an operation signal is applied to the clutch mechanism 56, the second gear 40 is urged by the support plate 72 to move in the -Z direction. Thereby, as shown in (D) of FIG. 3, the second gear 40 and the third gear 42 become in an engaged state, and the driving force is transmitted from the second gear 40 to the third gear 42.

The operation of the above-described opening and closing device 32 and the like will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 4 . Each of the drawings in Fig. 4 is a plan view of the refrigerator of this embodiment as viewed from above. Specifically, (A) and (B) in FIG. 4 show a state in which the door 24 is slightly opened, and (C) and (D) in FIG. 4 show a state in which the opening angle of the door 24 reaches 45 degrees, (E) and (F) of 4 show a state in which the opening angle reaches 135 degrees (full open).

Referring to (A) and (B) of Fig. 4, when the door 24 is closed, if the user performs an operation to open the door 24, the opening device 34 pushes the open end of the door 24 in the +Y direction. Specifically, the rod-shaped pressing portion 57 is moved in the +Y direction by the driving member such as a motor housed in the opening device 34, and the front end portion of the pressing portion 57 pushes the vicinity of the opening end of the door 24, thereby The door 24 is separated from the heat insulating box 12. Since the door 24 and the heat insulating box 12 are in close contact with each other by magnetic force, a certain degree of driving force is required to separate the two, and by using the opening device 34 having such a configuration, the two can be easily separated.

Here, in the case where the instruction of the above-described opening operation is not performed, referring to (B) of FIG. 2, since the second gear 40 is positioned above the third gear 42, it does not mesh with the third gear 42, and thus the power transmission mechanism 35 and motor 36 are not linked. Therefore, in this case, the user can manually perform the opening and closing operation of the door 24 without being affected by the opening and closing device 32.

Referring to (B) of Fig. 4, basically, the opening and closing device 32 disposed at the support end of the door 24 also operates while the opening device 34 is operating. Specifically, referring to (B) of FIG. 2, by operating the clutch mechanism 56, the second gear 40 moves downward and meshes with the third gear 42. Then, the motor 36 is rotated in a predetermined direction. The driving force generated by the motor 36 is transmitted to the first connecting plate 48 via the power transmitting mechanism 35. Specifically, in the order of the first gear 38, the second gear 40, the third gear 42, the fourth gear 44, and the fifth gear 46, the gears mesh and rotate to transmit the rotational force to the first connection while decelerating Board 48.

The first connecting plate 48 fixed to the fifth gear 46 is rotated counterclockwise such that the driving force in the counterclockwise direction is transmitted to the door via the second connecting plate 50, the third connecting plate 52, and the fourth connecting plate 54 constituting the link mechanism. twenty four.

Next, referring to (C) and (D) of FIG. 4, the first connecting plate 48 is rotated counterclockwise by the power transmitting mechanism 35 by further continuously operating the motor 36 shown in (B) of FIG. Accordingly, the door 24 is pressed by the fourth connecting plate 54 attached to the front end to further perform the opening operation.

When the above opening operation is continued, the fully open state shown in (E) and (F) of Fig. 4 is obtained. Here, the fully open state means that the door 24 has reached a state in which the door 24 cannot be further opened even by the operation of the user or the operation of the opening and closing device 32.

Referring to (F) of FIG. 4, when each of the connecting plates is rotated to a predetermined angle by the above opening operation, contact is formed between the abutting portions formed at the end portions of the respective connecting plates, so that the operation of the opening and closing device 32 is The limit, the position in the fully open state is determined accordingly. Specifically, referring to (A) of FIG. 2, the above opening operation is continued, and the abutting portion 49 of the first connecting plate 48 is in contact with the abutting portion 51 of the second connecting plate 50, so that the connecting portions of the two cannot be Further open. In addition, the contact between the abutting portion 53 of the third connecting plate 52 and the abutting portion 55 of the fourth connecting plate 54 causes the two The connection part cannot be opened further. The position at the time of the fully open state is defined by the above-described related structure.

Here, when the door 24 is caused to perform the closing operation, the operation opposite to that described above is performed. That is, if the user performs an operation to instruct the closing operation, referring to (B) in Fig. 2, the motor 36 is rotated in the opposite direction to that described above, and the fifth gear 46 is rotated clockwise. Thus, the first web 48 will also be rotated clockwise to perform the closing operation in the order of (F), (D) and (B) in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a related structure of a control device 82 for controlling an opening and closing device. The control device 82 controls the opening and closing operation of the door 24. A switch 74, a position sensor 80, a motor 36, and an electromagnetic coil 86 are connected to the control unit 82.

The switch 74 receives an instruction from the user to open and close the door, which is disposed, for example, at the front surface of the door 24. As the switch 74, for example, a button or a touch panel can be employed. When the user operates the switch 74 to instruct opening and closing of the door 24, the control device 82 drives the motor 36 and energizes the electromagnetic coil 86. Thereby, the motor 36 is rotated, and the clutch mechanism 56 is connected, thereby opening and closing the door 24.

Further, a microphone 76 that inputs a user's voice or the like may be provided instead of the switch 74 or additionally. Thereby, the opening and closing of the door 24 can be instructed by the sound from the user. By having such a function, the user can open and close the door 24 even when it is difficult to carry out the operation by hand when the hands are held by the hands.

Further, the above-described components may be replaced or the image pickup device 78 may be additionally provided. Further, the control device 82 can analyze the image information input from the imaging device 78, and can open and close the door 24 based on the predetermined image analysis information. For example, when the user performs a predetermined operation, the user can recognize the operation and open and close the door 24.

Further, as a means for instructing the above-described opening operation, a remote controller or the like (not shown) may be used.

The position sensor 80 is a position detecting member for detecting the position of the door 24. The control device 82 controls the rotation of the motor 36 based on the position information of the door 24 detected by the position sensor 80. Specifically, the control device 82 calculates the moving speed of the door 24 or the like based on the position information detected by the position sensor 80, thereby determining the rotational speed of the motor 36 and the like.

Further, the control device 82 has a load sensor 84 serving as a power load detecting means for detecting the electric load of the motor 36. Specifically, the load sensor 84 detects the voltage and current of the motor 36. Further, the control device 82 determines whether or not the motor 36 is overloaded based on the electric load information of the motor 36 detected by the load sensor 84, thereby determining whether or not to stop the rotation of the motor 36.

A refrigerator 10 having the above structure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 and with reference to the above respective drawings. Actions. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing the related operation, and Fig. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the opening angle of the door 24 and the speed.

First, during the operation of the refrigerator 10 (step S11), the user performs an operation of opening the door 24 by pressing a button or the like (step S12), and the clutch mechanism 56 is brought into a connected state (step S13). Specifically, referring to (B) of FIG. 2, as described above, the electromagnetic coils constituting the clutch mechanism 56 are energized to connect the second gear 40 and the third gear 42. Thereby, the driving force of the motor 36 is transmitted to the first connecting plate 48 via the power transmission mechanism 35.

Thereafter, by rotating the motor 36, the opening operation of the door 24 is started (step S14), and the opening operation of the door 24 is continued at the speed V0. When the opening angle θ of the door 24 is smaller than the predetermined angle θ1 (YES in step S16), the opening operation of the door 24 is continued at the predetermined speed V1 (step S18). Here, the speed V1 is faster than the speed V0.

On the other hand, when the opening angle θ of the door 24 is equal to or larger than θ1 and smaller than θ2 (θ2 is larger than θ1) (the determination result in step S16 is "NO", the determination result in step S17 is "YES"), the predetermined speed V2 is made. The door 24 performs an opening operation (step S19). Here, the speed V2 is faster than the speed V1.

Further, when the opening angle θ of the door 24 is above θ2 (the determination result of the step S17 is "NO"), the door 24 is opened at the speed V3. Here, the speed V3 is slower than the speed V2 and is equal to the speed V1.

Here, referring to (B) of FIG. 2, when an abnormality (or an emergency) occurs during the opening operation by the opening and closing device 32, the conduction in the electromagnetic coil is turned off to release the clutch mechanism 56. State (or disconnected state). The second gear 40 is moved upward by the action of the spring 37, thereby releasing the connection with the third gear 42 (steps S21, S22, S23). Here, the "abnormality" refers to, for example, a case where the door 24 that performs the opening operation comes into contact with the user or the like, or the power is turned off. Thus, when an abnormality occurs, the user can manually perform the opening and closing operation of the door 24.

The opening operation of the door 24 is performed until the door 24 is in the fully open state as shown in (E) of FIG. 4 (steps S24, S25). As described above, when the door 24 is opened, the door 24 can be smoothly opened by the slower speed V1 at which the door 24 is opened at the beginning of the opening operation. Further, by slowing down the opening speed V3 of the door 24 at the end of the opening operation, the door 24 can be smoothly brought to the fully open state.

Here, the operation of closing the door 24 is also basically the same as the above-described operation, and the closing speed of the door 24 is also changed according to the opening angle θ of the door 24.

One of the components for measuring the opening angle θ of the above-described door 24 will be described below with reference to FIG. Example. This figure is a perspective view of the opening and closing device 32 as viewed from below, in which a resistor 88 serving as an angle measuring member is shown. Specifically, a resistor 88 is fitted to a central portion of the lower surface of the fifth gear 46 to which the first connecting plate 48 is connected. A rotating portion (not shown) provided on the resistor 88 is mounted at the center of the fifth gear 46 and is rotatable together with the fifth gear 46. Since the resistance value of the resistor 88 has a certain correlation with the rotation angle of the fifth gear 46, the rotation angle of the fifth gear 46 can be calculated by measuring the resistance value of the resistor 88. Further, since the fifth gear 46 controls the opening operation of the door 24 via the respective connecting plates, the opening angle of the door 24 can be calculated from the change in the resistance value of the resistor 88.

The refrigerators according to some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator main body having a front surface opening portion and a storage compartment defined therein;

a door pivotally supported by the front surface opening portion of the refrigerator main body to cover the front surface opening portion;

An opening and closing device is disposed on the refrigerator body for opening and closing the door; wherein

The opening and closing device includes:

a connecting plate, a portion of which is connected to the door;

a power transmission mechanism for operating the connecting plate;

a motor that is rotatable in a forward and reverse direction to drive the power transmission mechanism; and

A clutch mechanism that intermittently connects the power transmission mechanism and the motor.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein

The power transmission mechanism includes a movable gear that is biased in one direction by an elastic member, and the power transmission mechanism is configured to move the movable gear in a direction opposite to the one direction Thereby, the power transmission mechanism is in a connected state.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein

The clutch mechanism is configured to move the movable gear in the one direction by a biasing force of the elastic member, thereby releasing a connection state of the power transmission mechanism, so that the clutch mechanism is disconnected in a power failure status.
A refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein

The end of the movable gear has an inclined shape that meshes with other gears.