CN112219078A - Door opening and closing mechanism, storage cabinet and handle structure - Google Patents

Door opening and closing mechanism, storage cabinet and handle structure Download PDF

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Publication number
CN112219078A
CN112219078A CN201980036188.6A CN201980036188A CN112219078A CN 112219078 A CN112219078 A CN 112219078A CN 201980036188 A CN201980036188 A CN 201980036188A CN 112219078 A CN112219078 A CN 112219078A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
door
opening
cam
handle
refrigerating chamber
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
CN201980036188.6A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
长谷川勇也
中村英介
森田洋平
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Sharp Corp
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Sharp Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP2018110628A external-priority patent/JP7122165B2/en
Priority claimed from JP2019023236A external-priority patent/JP7324587B2/en
Application filed by Sharp Corp filed Critical Sharp Corp
Publication of CN112219078A publication Critical patent/CN112219078A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
    • E05D15/00—Suspension arrangements for wings
    • E05D15/48—Suspension arrangements for wings allowing alternative movements
    • E05D15/50—Suspension arrangements for wings allowing alternative movements for opening at either of two opposite edges
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
    • E05D3/00—Hinges with pins
    • E05D3/02—Hinges with pins with one pin
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/02—Doors; Covers

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
  • Walking Sticks, Umbrellas, And Fans (AREA)
  • Driving Mechanisms And Operating Circuits Of Arc-Extinguishing High-Tension Switches (AREA)
  • Drawers Of Furniture (AREA)

Abstract

A refrigerating chamber door (11) of a refrigerator (1) is provided with a door opening and closing mechanism which is opened in a left-right manner. The door opening/closing mechanism is provided with handle portions (34a, 34b) respectively disposed at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door (11), and two cam mechanisms (20a, 20b) symmetrically provided on both left and right sides of the refrigerating chamber door (11) and engaging and disengaging the refrigerating chamber door (11) and the main body portion (2). The handle portions (34a, 34b) have an opening portion (32) provided at an end portion of the refrigerating chamber door (11) and a recessed portion (43) recessed from the opening portion (32).

Description

Door opening and closing mechanism, storage cabinet and handle structure
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a door opening/closing mechanism that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right sides, and a storage cabinet including a door having the door opening/closing mechanism. The present invention also relates to a handle structure of a door that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right sides.
Background
As a mechanism for opening and closing a door of a refrigerator, there is a mechanism that can be opened and closed from both the left and right sides. For example, patent document 1 discloses a door opening and closing mechanism that opens left and right, and that includes a pair of sliding cam members provided symmetrically with respect to a center line of a door at both left and right end portions of a door side or a main body side to which the door is attached, a pair of locking cam members provided symmetrically at portions corresponding to the respective sliding cam members on the main body side or the door side, and a hinge pin attached in a state of being inserted through a shaft hole provided in the locking cam members. The slide cam member includes a first groove cam which is continuous with the first groove cam when the door is closed and is locked with the hinge pin guided to the first groove cam, a first cam protrusion which is provided on an outer periphery of the second groove cam, and a second cam protrusion which is provided at the 1 st locking position and is in an engagement relationship with the 1 st cam protrusion, and a second groove cam which is continuous with the first groove cam when the door is closed and is locked with the hinge pin guided to the first groove cam and is movable from a first locking position to a second locking position which becomes a rotation shaft of the slide cam member when the door is opened.
The door opening/closing mechanism of patent document 1 is configured in such a positional relationship that when the door is opened from the right side, the door is slid to the open side (for example, the right side), and the hinge pin on the shaft support side (for example, the left side) is moved to the 2 nd locking position by sliding the 2 nd groove cam, so that the door does not fall off from the left rotation shaft. Thus, even if the user pulls the door to the front, the door is not separated from the main body.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 3479410
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
In such a door opening/closing mechanism, when a user wants to open the door, the user needs to slide the door to the side to be opened. However, it is natural for the user to pull the door forward when opening the door, and the user tends to have difficulty in the movement of sliding the door to the left and right.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a handle portion for a door that can be opened and closed on either left or right side, and that allows a user to open the door more easily.
Means for solving the problems
A door opening/closing mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention is a mechanism for opening/closing a door attached to a main body. The door opening/closing mechanism includes a handle portion disposed at each of left and right end portions of the door, and two cam mechanisms symmetrically disposed on both left and right sides of the door to engage and disengage the door with and from the main body portion. The door opening/closing mechanism may be configured such that: when the door is in a closed state, the cam mechanisms arranged on the left side and the right side are in symmetrical first clamping positions; when one of the left and right ends of the door is opened, the door slides outward of the one end, and is moved to a second locking position by the other cam mechanism on the opposite side of the one end, and the door is pivotally supported at the other end. In the door opening/closing mechanism, the handle portion has an opening provided at an end portion of the door and a recess recessed from the opening, and the recess is provided with a finger contact portion having an inclined surface inclined from a side surface side of the door toward a center side from a rear side of the door toward the front side.
In the door opening and closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the cam mechanism may include a pair of slide cam members provided symmetrically with respect to a center line of the door at both left and right end portions of either one of the door and the main body portion, a pair of lock cam members provided symmetrically at portions corresponding to the slide cam members of the other one of the door and the main body portion, and hinge pins provided on the pair of lock cam members. In this configuration, the slide cam member has a first grooved cam and a second grooved cam that slidably guide the hinge pin. In this configuration, when the door is in the closed state, each hinge pin is configured to be in the first locking position of the second grooved cam, and when one of the left and right ends of the door is opened, the door slides toward the one outer side, and the hinge pin located on the side opposite to the one outer side moves in the second grooved cam, and moves to the second locking position, thereby being pivoted. Further, an angle of a normal line of the inclined surface of the finger contact portion may be defined so as to be an angle between an extension angle of the first slot cam and an extension angle of the second slot cam.
In the door opening/closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the opening may be provided on a side surface of the door.
In the door opening and closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the finger contact portion may have a recessed portion recessed further forward from the inclined surface.
In the door opening and closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the opening may be provided in a front surface of the door.
In the door opening and closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the inclined surface is formed by a substantially plate-shaped member, and the thickness of the substantially plate-shaped member is at least partially thicker on the rear side than on the front side of the door.
In the door opening and closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the inclined surface may be formed by an inner surface of the opening, and a surface facing the inclined surface may be inclined at an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to a front surface of the door.
A storage cabinet according to another aspect of the present invention includes the door opening/closing mechanism configured as described above.
In the storage cabinet according to another aspect of the present invention, an upper end of the handle may be located at a height of 130cm or less from a lower end of the storage cabinet.
In the storage case according to another aspect of the present invention, a surface of the inclined surface may be directed downward.
A handle structure according to another aspect of the present invention is a handle structure of a door that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right sides. The handle structure has handle parts respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the door; the handle portion is configured to be gripped from a front side of the door; the handle portion has an inclined surface inclined toward a central portion of the door from a rear side toward a front side of the door.
The handle structure according to another aspect of the present invention may be configured to be attachable to and detachable from the door of a storage cabinet including a main body and a door attached to the main body and openable and closable from either of right and left sides.
Advantageous effects
In the door opening and closing mechanism according to the aspect of the present invention, the finger contact portions having the inclined surfaces inclined from the side surface side to the center side of the door from the rear side toward the front side of the door are provided in the left and right grip portions, so that the user can slide the door to a desired opening side by the natural opening operation of the door. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, in a door that is openable and closable from either of the left and right sides, it is possible to provide a configuration of a handle portion that a user can open the door more easily.
In the handle structure of the door according to the aspect of the present invention, the handle portion having the inclined surface is provided, so that the user can slide the door to a desired opening side by a natural movement when opening the door. Therefore, according to an aspect of the present invention, in the door that is openable and closable from either of the left and right sides, it is possible to provide a structure of the handle portion that the user can open the door more easily.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a front view showing an external appearance configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a portion a-a of a refrigerating compartment door portion provided in the refrigerator shown in fig. 1. In fig. 2A to 2C, a case where the refrigerating compartment door is opened from the left side is shown.
Fig. 2B is a sectional view showing a structure of a portion a-a of a refrigerating compartment door section provided in the refrigerator shown in fig. 1. In fig. 2A to 2C, a case where the refrigerating compartment door is opened from the left side is shown.
Fig. 2C is a sectional view showing a structure of a portion a-a of a refrigerating compartment door section provided in the refrigerator shown in fig. 1. In fig. 2A to 2C, a case where the refrigerating compartment door is opened from the left side is shown.
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating constituent components around a handle portion of a refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing constituent components around a handle portion of a refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a positional relationship between each slot cam and the handle portion provided in the refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a positional relationship between each slot cam and the handle portion provided in the refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a door opening and closing device for electrically opening and closing a refrigerating chamber door.
Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining arrangement positions of a handle portion and a touch sensor in a refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing the operation of the cam mechanism when the refrigerating compartment door is opened.
Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing the operation of the cam mechanism when the refrigerating compartment door is opened.
Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing the operation of the cam mechanism when the refrigerating compartment door is opened.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the operation of the cam mechanism when the refrigerating compartment door is opened.
Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a handle portion of a refrigerating chamber door of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment.
Fig. 14 is a sectional view showing a structure of a handle portion of a refrigerating chamber door of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment.
Fig. 15 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a handle portion of a refrigerating chamber door of a refrigerator according to a modification of the second embodiment.
Fig. 16 is a front view showing an external configuration of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a refrigerating chamber door according to the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 18 is a front view showing an external configuration of a refrigerating chamber door according to the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 19 is a sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerating chamber door according to the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 20 is an enlarged sectional view showing the periphery of the handle portion on the left side of the refrigerating compartment door shown in fig. 19.
Fig. 21 is a sectional view showing a structure of a handle portion of the refrigerating compartment door according to the fifth embodiment.
Fig. 22 is a sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion on the left side of the refrigerating compartment door according to embodiment 6.
Fig. 23 is a sectional view showing a structure of a handle portion of the refrigerating compartment door according to the seventh embodiment.
Fig. 24 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a refrigerating chamber door and a handle member attached to the door provided in the refrigerator according to the eighth embodiment.
Fig. 25 is a front view showing an external configuration of the refrigerator according to the eighth embodiment. In the figure, a state in which the handle member is detached from the refrigerator is shown.
Fig. 26(a) is a front view showing an external configuration of a refrigerating chamber door provided in the refrigerator according to embodiment 8. (b) Is a sectional view showing the structure of the part A-A of the refrigerating chamber door shown in (a).
Fig. 27(a) is a front view showing an external configuration of a refrigerating chamber door provided in the refrigerator according to embodiment 9. (b) Is a sectional view showing the structure of the part A-A of the refrigerating chamber door shown in (a).
Fig. 28 is a perspective view showing a handle part mounted on the refrigerating chamber door shown in fig. 27 (a).
Fig. 29(a) is a front view showing an external configuration of a refrigerating chamber door provided in the refrigerator according to embodiment 10. (b) Is a sectional view showing the structure of the part A-A of the refrigerating chamber door shown in (a).
Fig. 30 is a perspective view showing a handle part mounted on the refrigerating chamber door shown in fig. 29 (a).
Detailed Description
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.
[ first embodiment ]
In the present embodiment, a refrigerator will be described as an example of a storage cabinet including a door opening/closing mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention. However, the door opening/closing mechanism described below is applicable not only to refrigerators but also to storage cabinets and thermal cabinets having doors that are horizontally opened.
(integral constitution of refrigerator)
In the present embodiment, a refrigerator 1 including a refrigerating chamber door that opens in both left and right directions will be described as an example. The refrigerator 1 includes a door opening/closing mechanism 10 according to an example of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows an external appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is mainly configured by various doors such as a main body portion 2 and a refrigerating chamber door 11. The main body 2 is formed in an outer shape by a heat insulating box. The upper layer of the refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerating chamber. A refrigerating chamber door 11 is installed at an opening portion of the front surface of the refrigerating chamber.
The refrigerator 1 includes a second refrigerating compartment (vegetable compartment), a freezing compartment, a second freezing compartment, an ice making compartment, and the like in addition to the refrigerating compartment. The second refrigerating chamber (vegetable chamber) in the middle stage is provided with a pull-out refrigerating chamber door 13. The lower first freezer compartment is provided with a drawer freezer door 14. In addition, the ice making chamber and the second freezing chamber in the middle section are respectively provided with a pull-out ice making chamber door 15 or a pull-out freezing chamber door 16.
In addition, the configuration and arrangement of the respective storage compartments in the refrigerator 1 are not limited to the above. The configuration and arrangement of each storage room may be appropriately changed according to the capacity, use, and the like of the refrigerator.
In the present embodiment, the face provided with the door is the front face (front face) of the refrigerator 1. The main body 2 of the refrigerator 1 has an upper surface, a side surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface, based on the front surface, depending on the position where the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state. In addition, in a state where the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front side, the side located on the left side is referred to as the left side of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerating chamber door 11), and the side located on the right side is referred to as the right side of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerating chamber door 11).
The refrigerating chamber door 11 is a double door that can be opened and closed from either of the right and left ends. Therefore, handle portions 34 that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerating chamber door 11 are provided at both right and left end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Specifically, the left handle portion 34a is provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11. In addition, a right handle portion 34b is provided on the right side end portion 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11. When the user opens the refrigerating chamber door 11 from the left side, the user inserts his or her hand into the recess of the handle portion 34a and pulls the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11 forward. Similarly, when the user opens the refrigerating chamber door 11 from the right side, the user inserts his or her hand into the recess of the handle portion 34b and pulls the right end portion 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11 forward.
Further, the refrigerating compartment door 11 is provided with touch sensors (contact detecting portions) 91 (specifically, a left touch sensor 91a and a right touch sensor 91 b). The left touch sensor 91a is disposed near the left end of the front face 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11. The right touch sensor 91b is disposed near the right end of the front face 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11. The touch sensor 91 detects contact of a human body or the like. And, when the user's hand or the like contacts the left side touch sensor 91a, the refrigerating compartment door 11 is controlled to be opened from the left side end portion 11 a. In addition, when the user's hand or the like contacts the right touch sensor 91b, the refrigerating chamber door 11 is controlled to be opened from the right end portion 11 b.
A display device 50 is provided on the left side of the front face 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 11. The display device 50 may be constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display device 50 can display, for example, operation information and control information of the refrigerator, indoor stock information, calendar information, recipe information, message information, and the like.
(mechanism for opening and closing door)
Next, the door opening/closing mechanism 10 of the refrigerating chamber door 11 mounted on the refrigerator 1 will be described. Fig. 2A to 2C show the actions of the respective components when the refrigerating chamber door 11 mounted on the main body portion 2 (specifically, the opening portion of the refrigerating chamber) is opened from the left side. These drawings show the cam mechanism 20 (specifically, the left cam mechanism 20a and the right cam mechanism 20b) provided on the bottom surface portion (i.e., the portion a-a in fig. 1) of the refrigerating chamber door 11. The cam mechanisms 20a and 20b may be configured by a conventionally known cam mechanism disclosed in, for example, patent document 1 or another patent document (patent No. 3761410).
The cam mechanisms 20a and 20b are symmetrically provided on both left and right sides of the refrigerating chamber door 11, and engage and disengage the refrigerating chamber door 11 with and from the main body 2. The cam mechanisms 20a and 20b have a sliding cam member provided on the side of the refrigerating chamber door 11 and a locking cam member provided on the side of the main body portion 2. In another embodiment, a sliding cam member may be provided on the main body 2 side and a locking cam member may be provided on the refrigerating compartment door 11 side.
The sliding cam members are provided at the left and right end portions of the bottom of the refrigerating chamber door 11, respectively. The slide cam member is constituted by a first slot cam 21, a second slot cam 22, a slide outer cam 25, and the like. These respective components are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center line X of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
The first slot cam 21 and the second slot cam 22 are disposed near both right and left end portions of the bottom of the refrigerating compartment door 11. The first grooved cam 21 and the second grooved cam 22 guide a hinge pin 38 provided on the main body 2 side so as to slide relative to each other. The first and second grooved cams 21 and 22 have a concave shape that is substantially continuous in an L-shape.
The slide outer cam 25 is disposed in a groove portion 27 formed slightly inside the first and second grooved cams 21 and 22. The slide outer cam 25 is disposed at a position corresponding to the lock outer cam 37 provided on the main body 2 side, and regulates the movement of the lock outer cam 37 during the door opening and closing operation.
The refrigerating chamber door 11 is provided with a guide roller 28 as a member for assisting the opening and closing operation. The guide rollers 28 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the center line X of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Each guide roller 28 is disposed slightly inside the slide outer cam 25.
The guide roller 28 is rotated at a hinge angle 3 provided at the front end of a partition wall that partitions the upper refrigerating room and the middle second refrigerating room (vegetable room), and assists the opening and closing operation of the refrigerating room door 11. Further, inclined surfaces inclined downward toward the rear are provided on the left and right sides of the hinge angle 3, and the guide roller 28 is lowered along the inclined surfaces to form a self-closing mechanism (self-closing mechanism using gravity) for biasing the refrigerating chamber door 11 in the closing direction.
The locking cam member is provided on the body portion 2 side. The lock cam members are disposed at positions corresponding to the respective slide cam members. In the present embodiment, the locking cam member is provided on the hinge angle 3. The locking cam member is constituted by a hinge pin 38, a locking outer cam 37, a rib 39, and the like.
The hinge pin 38 constitutes a pivot of the refrigerating chamber door 11. The rib 39 is an arc-shaped member concentric with the hinge pin 38. The locking outer cam 37 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the hinge pin 38, and slides on the sliding outer cam 25 on the side of the refrigerating chamber door 11 to guide the refrigerating chamber door 11.
The sliding cam member and the locking cam member configured as described above are engaged with each other to constitute a cam mechanism 20 that guides opening and closing of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
Next, referring to fig. 2A to 2C, and fig. 9 to 12, the action of the cam mechanism 20 when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened is described. In fig. 2A to 2C, a state in which the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened from the left side end 11a is sequentially shown. Fig. 9 to 12 sequentially show the operation of the cam mechanisms 20a and 20b when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened from the left end 11 a.
When the refrigerating compartment door 11 is in the closed state, as shown in fig. 2A and 9, the hinge pin 38 is located in the vicinity of the inner end of the second slot cam 22 of the left and right cam mechanisms 20a and 20b (in the vicinity of the boundary with the first slot cam 21). At this time, the positional relationship between the left and right cam mechanisms 20a and 20b and the hinge pins 38 is substantially symmetrical. This state is set as the first locking position. Since the first slot cam 21 is inclined toward the center side of the refrigerating chamber door 11 as it goes toward the rear of the refrigerator 1, it is possible to prevent the falling-off caused by pulling both sides of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
Next, if the user puts his or her hand on the handle portion 34a of the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating compartment door 11 and pulls the handle portion 34a forward, a stress in an outward direction (in this case, a left direction) is applied to the handle portion 34a as described later. At this time, since the hinge pin 38 is restricted in track by the second slot cam 22, the hinge pin 38 is relatively guided to the first slot cam 21 in the left cam mechanism 20a, and the hinge pin 38 is relatively guided in the end direction (in this case, the right direction) by the second slot cam 22 in the right cam mechanism 20 b. Further, the lock outer cam 37 and the slide outer cam 25 slide (see fig. 2B and 10). Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 is slid in the left direction.
If the handle portion 34a is further pulled, in the cam mechanism 20a on the left side, the hinge pin 38 is relatively guided by the 1 st groove cam 21, and the lock outer cam 37 and the slide outer cam 25 slide. In the right cam mechanism 20b, the hinge pin 38 is disposed at the end of the second grooved cam 22, and the first cam projection provided on the outer periphery of the second grooved cam 22 and the rib 39 of the lock cam member start sliding. This regulates the relative sliding movement of the hinge pin 38, and rotatably supports the hinge pin (see fig. 11). The state of the cam mechanism 20b at this time is set to the second locking position.
When the handle portion 34a is further pulled, the left cam mechanism 20a is disengaged (see fig. 2C and 12). In the right cam mechanism 20b, the first cam projection slides to the rib 39 at the second locking position, and the slide outer cam 25 slidably guides the lock outer cam 37. The right cam mechanism 20b pivotally supports the refrigerating chamber door 11 while maintaining the 2 nd locking position, and opens the refrigerating chamber door 11 from the left side.
As described above, in the refrigerator 1, when the refrigerating chamber door 11 opened in both right and left directions is opened, the refrigerating chamber door 11 slides outward toward the opening side. In the present embodiment, the structure of the grip portions 34a and 34b is devised to facilitate the sliding movement.
(constitution of handle portion)
Hereinafter, a more specific configuration of the grip portions 34a and 34b will be described. Fig. 3 and 4 show the end member 31 and the handle portion forming member 41 constituting the left end 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11 in an exploded state.
End parts 31 are installed at both right and left ends of the refrigerating chamber door 11, respectively. Fig. 3 shows an end member 31 mounted on the left side end 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11. The end member 31 is formed with an opening 32 for attaching the grip forming member 41. In addition, an opening 33 into which the display device 50 is inserted is formed in the end member 31. That is, the opening portion 33 is provided on both right and left side surfaces of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Although not shown, only the opening 32 for mounting the handle forming member 41 is formed in the end member 31 attached to the right end 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11, and the opening 33 for inserting the display device 50 is not formed. The handle portion forming member 41 attached to the right side end portion 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11 has a left-right symmetrical configuration with respect to the handle portion forming member 41 attached to the left side end portion 11 a.
As shown in fig. 4, a recess 36 and an engaging portion 35 for fixing the grip forming member 41 are formed at the mounting position of the grip forming member 41 inside the end member 31. Further, a plate-like portion 36a is formed on the rear side of the opening portion 32. The plate-like portion 36a is inclined inward in the forward direction and partially overlaps with the second inclined surface 46 on the rear side of the recess 43 of the grip portion forming member 41 (see fig. 5).
The grip portion forming member 41 has a frame portion 42 and a recess portion 43.
The frame 42 is fitted into the recess 36 of the end member 31 at the rear side thereof, and the engagement portion 35 of the end member 31 is engaged at the front side thereof. Thereby, the grip forming member 41 is fixed to the opening 32 of the end member 31.
As shown in fig. 4, the recess 43 has a concave shape inclined from the opening 32 toward the front side. The recess 43 constitutes a grip portion 34 a. The recess 43 is mainly constituted by a first inclined surface 44, a front contact surface 45, and a second inclined surface 46.
The first inclined surface 44 is located on the front side of the recess 43. The first inclined surface 44 is inclined forward from the opening 32 toward the depth of the recess 43. The first inclined surface 44 is provided at a position which a user's finger is supposed to touch when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11. That is, the first inclined surface 44 serves as a finger contact portion of the grip portion 34 a.
The front contact surface 45 is formed continuously from the first inclined surface 44 and is located innermost of the recess 43. The front contact surface 45 contacts the rear surface of the front surface 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 11. That is, the front contact surface 45 is formed substantially parallel to the front surface 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11.
The second inclined surface 46 is located on the rear side of the recess 43. The second inclined surface 46 is inclined substantially parallel to the first inclined surface 44. The second inclined surface 46 is formed continuously on the front contact surface 45 at the innermost portion of the recessed portion 43.
The right grip portion 34b of the refrigerating compartment door 11 is formed to be bilaterally symmetrical to the left grip portion 34 a.
Next, a more preferable inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 and 6 schematically show the positional relationship between the respective slot cams 21 and 22 provided on the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the respective constituent members of the handle portion 34 a. Fig. 5 and 6 show a part of the cam mechanism 20a on the left end 11a side of the refrigerator 1. Although not shown, the cam mechanism 20b on the right end 11b side of the refrigerator 1 is bilaterally symmetrical to the cam mechanism 20 a.
As described above, in the door opening/closing mechanism provided in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the first inclined surface 44 as the finger contact portion is formed in the recess 43 of the handle portion 34 a. Since the first inclined surface 44 faces outward of the refrigerator 1, when a user presses a finger forward on the handle portion 34a, outward stress naturally acts. Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 can be slid outward even if the user is unaware of it.
Here, a direction perpendicular to the extending direction Y (left-right direction) of the front face portion 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11 in the closed state is defined as an X direction. Then, the X direction is set as a reference (0 degree). Note that the extending direction of the 1 st groove cam 21 is a, and the extending direction of the 2 nd groove cam 22 is B (see fig. 5). At this time, the extension angle of the first groove cam 21 with respect to the reference position X is Ad, and the extension angle of the second groove cam 22 is Bd.
At this time, as shown in fig. 6, if Cd is an extension angle of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 44 with respect to the reference position X, the extension angle Cd preferably satisfies the following condition.
Ad≦Cd≦Bd
Since the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 is defined such that the normal line C becomes such an angle, when the door is opened, both the force to first move the hinge pin 38 along the second slot cam 22 and the force to thereafter move the hinge pin 38 along the first slot cam 21 can be effectively obtained from the stress applied to the handle portion 34.
More specifically, the extension angle Ad of the first groove cam 21 may be set to 10 degrees, for example. For example, the extension angle Bd of the second slot cam 22 may be 72 degrees. In this case, the extension angle Cd of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 44 may be defined as any one of angles in a range of 10 degrees or more and 72 degrees or less.
In addition, when the self-closing mechanism of the door (for example, the self-closing mechanism using gravity) is an effective area in a stage where the hinge pin 38 is moved on the 1 st slot cam 21 apart from the 2 nd slot cam 22, a force from the user's finger is also required to move the hinge pin 38 along the first slot cam 21. Further, when the distance that the first slot cam 21 moves to exceed the self-closing mechanism is longer than the distance that the hinge pin 38 moves on the second slot cam 22 to reach the first slot cam 21 from the state of the first locking position, if the orientation (angle toward the outside, specifically, the extension angle Cd) of the first inclined surface 44 is made closer to the extension direction of the 1 st slot cam 21 than the extension direction of the 2 nd slot cam 22, the door can be rotated forward after the sliding movement to exceed the self-closing mechanism with a small force as a whole.
Therefore, the inclination angle of the 1 st inclined surface 44 is preferably defined as: the extension angle Cd is closer to the extension angle Ad of the 1 st slot cam 21 than the extension angle Bd of the 2 nd slot cam 22. For example, the extension angle Cd of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 44 is preferably 35 degrees. Accordingly, after either of the left and right cam mechanisms 20a or 20b is at the second locking position, the main pivoting operation of the refrigerating compartment door 11 can be performed more smoothly.
Further, the surface of the first inclined surface 44 provided on the grip portion 34a is preferably directed downward. Here, the surface of the first inclined surface 44 facing downward means that the lower side of the first inclined surface 44 is located further forward than the upper side of the first inclined surface 44. Since the surface of the first inclined surface 44 faces downward, when the user bends his or her arm and pulls the refrigerating chamber door 11 forward, stress that lifts the refrigerating chamber door 11 upward may be generated.
The pivot (hinge pin 38, etc.) of the refrigerating chamber door 11 exists above and below the door, but if the handle portion 34 is located on the lower side of the door, the movement of the hinge pin on the upper side is slower than that on the lower side. According to the above configuration, when the user puts his or her hand on the handle portion 34a or 34b to open the refrigerating chamber door 11, the stress for lifting the refrigerating chamber door 11 upward is generated, and thereby the hinge pin on the upper side can be moved more smoothly. In addition, as described above, when a mechanism using gravity is used as the self-closing mechanism of the door, since a stress for lifting the refrigerating chamber door 11 upward is generated, a force against the self-closing mechanism is directly applied to the door, and thus the door can be opened more lightly.
(electric door opening/closing control)
Next, the operation in the refrigerator 1 when the cooling chamber door 11 is opened and closed by the touch operation of the touch sensor 91 will be described. Fig. 7 shows a structure of an electric door opening/closing device 90 provided inside the refrigerator 1. The automatic opening/closing control of the refrigerating chamber door using the touch sensor can be performed by a conventionally known method. Therefore, detailed description will be omitted.
As shown in fig. 7, the electric door opening/closing device 90 is mainly composed of a controller 92, a door opening/closing mechanism 10, a left touch sensor 91a, and a right touch sensor 91 b. The door opening/closing mechanism 10, the left touch sensor 91a, and the right touch sensor 91b are configured as described above.
The control unit 92 may be provided inside the refrigerating chamber door 11 or may be provided in the main body 2 of the refrigerator 1. The controller 92 controls the opening and closing operation of the door opening and closing mechanism 10 based on the detection results of the left touch sensor 91a and the right touch sensor 91 b. Specifically, when the user's hand or the like comes into contact with the left touch sensor 91a, the control unit 92 sends a command to the door opening/closing mechanism 10 to start the operation as shown in fig. 2A to 2C. Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened from the left side end 11 a. When the user's hand or the like comes into contact with the right touch sensor 91b, the control unit 92 controls the door opening/closing mechanism 10 so that the cam mechanisms 20a and 20b perform the reverse operation to that of fig. 2A to 2C, thereby opening the refrigerating compartment door 11 from the right end 11 b.
Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 can be easily opened even in the case of a user who has difficulty in applying a sufficient force to the handle portion 34a or 34b, such as a child having a height below the standard.
(position of handle and touch sensor)
Next, the arrangement positions of the handle portions 34a and 34b in the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to fig. 8. The positions of the touch sensors 91a and 91b will also be described.
In fig. 8, the position of the recess 43 in the left handle portion 34a is shown by a broken line. Although not shown, the concave portion 43 of the right grip portion 34b is provided at a position bilaterally symmetrical thereto.
Here, the height from the lower end of the refrigerator 1 to the upper end of the handle portion 34a is H1. The height H1 is preferably 130cm or less, more preferably 120cm or less. By setting the height H1 to 130cm or less, stress is likely to be generated to lift the refrigerating chamber door 11 upward when an adult of standard height bends the arm while holding the handle portion 34a to open the refrigerating chamber door 11. Further, by setting the height H1 to 120cm or less, stress that lifts the refrigerating compartment door 11 upward can be more easily generated when a relatively short woman or child puts the handle portion 34a on the handle portion 34a and bends the arm in order to open the refrigerating compartment door 11.
In addition, fig. 8 shows a contact detection range in the left touch sensor 91a with a broken line. Although not shown, the right touch sensor 91b also has the same contact detection range. Here, a distance from a left end (a right end in the case of the right touch sensor 91b) of the contact detection range to an end of the refrigerating chamber door 11 in the left-right direction is L1. Further, L2 represents the distance from the lower end of the contact detection range to the upper end of the grip portion 34 a. The distances L1 and L21 are preferably 5cm or less.
Thus, the touch sensor 91 and the grip portion 34 can be set to a range that can be reached by fingers of one side of the same user at the same time. By disposing the touch sensor 91 and the grip portion 34 in such a positional relationship, for example, when the user holds his or her hand on the grip portion 34 and manually opens and closes the refrigerating compartment door 11, the user feels that it is difficult to open the refrigerating compartment door 11 when a heavy object is stored therein, and the like, and the user can bring his or her thumb or the like into contact with the touch sensor 91 even in a state where his or her hand is held on the grip portion 34. Therefore, the user can electrically open the door without replacing the hand held by the handle portion 34, and can quickly shift the door to the open state.
(summary of the first embodiment)
As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes the door opening/closing mechanism 10. The door opening/closing mechanism 10 includes at least two handle portions 34 disposed at both left and right ends of the refrigerating chamber door 11, and two cam mechanisms 20a and 20b symmetrically provided on both left and right sides of the refrigerating chamber door 11 and engaging and disengaging the refrigerating chamber door 11 and the main body 2.
The handle portion 34 is provided with a first inclined surface 44 inclined toward the front side of the door as a finger contact portion. When the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11, the user can push the first inclined surface 44 with his or her finger by putting his or her hand into the concave portion 43 of the handle portion 34, thereby directing the door outward in the opening direction and applying a force. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the refrigerating chamber door 11 can be more easily slid and moved in the outward direction, and a door opening/closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained. In addition, according to the above configuration, it is possible to obtain a door opening/closing mechanism having a simpler structure and improved operability without providing a handle or a lever member for sliding the refrigerating chamber door 11.
[ second embodiment ]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of the door opening and closing mechanism provided in the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the first embodiment. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle portion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given mainly on a configuration of a handle portion different from that of the first embodiment.
Fig. 1 shows an external appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to a second embodiment. A refrigerating chamber door 11 is installed in an opening portion on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber. As in the first embodiment, the door opening/closing mechanism 10 of the refrigerating compartment door 11 includes cam mechanisms 20 (specifically, a left cam mechanism 20a and a right cam mechanism 20 b).
Therefore, handle portions 34 that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerating chamber door are provided at both right and left end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Specifically, the left handle portion 34a is provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11. In addition, a right handle portion 34b is provided at the right end portion 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
Fig. 13 shows the shape of a handle portion 34a provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating compartment door 11 of the second embodiment. The handle portion 34a is formed of a handle portion forming member 141 mounted to the opening portion 32 of the end member 31 constituting the left side end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
The grip portion forming member 141 has a frame portion 142 and a recess 143.
The frame portion 142 is fitted into the recess 36 (see fig. 4) of the end member 31 on the rear side thereof, and is engaged with the engaging portion 35 (see fig. 4) of the end member 31 on the front side thereof. Thereby, the grip forming member 141 is fixed to the opening 32 of the end member 31.
The recess 143 has a concave shape inclined forward from the opening 32. That is, the recess 143 has a shape that enters forward from a horizontal extension Y of the front end of the opening 32.
The recess 143 is mainly constituted by a first inclined surface 144a, a recessed portion 144b, a front contact surface 145, and a second inclined surface 146.
The first inclined surface 144a is located on the front side of the recess 143. The first inclined surface 144a is inclined forward from the opening 32 toward the rear surface of the recess 143. The inclination angle of the first inclined surface 144a can be defined as the same as the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 described in the first embodiment. The first inclined surface 144a is provided at a position which is assumed to be touched by the fingers of the user's hand when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11. That is, the first inclined surface 144a serves as a finger contact portion for the grip portions 34a and 34 b.
The recess 144b is provided further to the rear side of the recess 143 than the first inclined surface 144 a. The recessed portion 144b has a shape recessed further to the front side from the first inclined surface 144 a.
The front contact surface 145 is formed continuously from the recessed portion 144b and is positioned on the innermost surface of the recessed portion 143. The front contact surface 145 contacts the rear surface of the front surface 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11. That is, the front contact surface 145 is formed to be substantially parallel to the front surface 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11.
The second inclined surface 146 is located on the rear side of the recess 143. The second inclined surface 146 is inclined to be substantially parallel to the first inclined surface 144 a. The second inclined surface 146 is formed continuously with the front contact surface 145 at the innermost surface of the recess 143.
In the recess 143 configured as described above, since the recess 144b is provided on the inner side of the recess 143 with respect to the first inclined surface 144a, a user who intends to open the refrigerating compartment door 11 can put the tip of a finger on the recess 144 b.
The angle of the normal line of the surface forming the recessed portion 144b is closer to the extension angle Bd of the second grooved cam 22 with respect to the extension angle Ad of the first grooved cam 21 than the angle of the normal line of the first inclined surface 144 a. That is, when the angle of the normal line of the surface forming the recessed portion 144b is Dd, the relationship Cd < Dd holds.
When a person places a finger on the handle portion 34 and applies a force, the force first enters the front end of the finger. At this time, if the angle of the normal is set to the recessed portion 144b which is closer to the extending direction of the second slot cam 22 than the extending angle Ad of the first slot cam 21, the user can naturally bring the finger into contact with the first inclined surface 144a and the recessed portion 144b along the joint of the finger. Then, a force larger than the recessed portion 144b against which the tip end portion of the finger hits is applied.
Therefore, when the user applies a force to the grip portion 34, a large force is first applied in the normal direction of the surface of the recess portion 144 b. Since the direction of the normal line of the surface of the recessed portion 144b (i.e., the direction of the face of the recessed portion 144 b) is close according to the extending direction of the second slot cam 22, the hinge pin 38 can efficiently provide a force moving onto the second slot cam 22. This allows the hinge pin 38 to be moved to the first slot cam 21 by sliding the refrigerating compartment door 11 with less force and with good efficiency.
Fig. 15 shows a shape of a grip portion 34a according to a modification of the present embodiment. The grip portion 34a of the modification is formed of a grip portion forming member 141A attached to the opening portion 32 of the end member 31. The handle forming member 141A includes a frame portion 142 and a recess 143.
The recess 143 is mainly constituted by a first inclined surface 144a, a recessed portion 144c, a front contact surface 145, and a second inclined surface 146.
The grip portion forming member 141A according to the modification is different in shape from the recess 144c of the grip portion forming member 141. Except for this point, the same as the grip portion forming member 141 is applied.
The recessed portion 144c is recessed outward (toward the end of the refrigerating compartment door 11) of the recessed portion 144 b. With this configuration, when a person puts fingers on the grip portion 34, the tips of the fingers can be inserted into the recessed portions 144c, and the grip portion 34 can be grasped more reliably. Therefore, when a finger is put on the grip portion 34 and a force is applied, the finger can be prevented from sliding from the grip portion 34, and the force from the tip of the finger can be more surely directed outward of the door.
[ third embodiment ]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of the door opening and closing mechanism provided in the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the first embodiment. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle portion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given mainly on a configuration of a handle portion different from that of the first embodiment.
Fig. 1 shows an external appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to a third embodiment. A refrigerating chamber door 11 is installed in an opening portion on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber. As in the first embodiment, the door opening/closing mechanism 10 of the refrigerating compartment door 11 includes cam mechanisms 20 (specifically, a left cam mechanism 20a and a right cam mechanism 20 b).
Therefore, handle portions 34 that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerating chamber door are provided at both right and left end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Specifically, the left handle portion 34a is provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11. In addition, a right handle portion 34b is provided at the right end portion 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
Fig. 14 shows the shape of a handle portion 34a provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating compartment door 11 of the third embodiment. The grip portion 34a is formed of a grip portion forming member 241 mounted to the opening portion 32 of the end member 31 constituting the left side end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
The grip portion forming member 241 has a frame portion 242 and a recessed portion 243. The frame portion 242 has the same configuration as the frame portion 42 described in the first embodiment.
The concave portion 243 is mainly constituted by a first inclined curved surface 244, a front contact surface 245, and a second inclined surface 246. The front contact surface 145 and the second inclined surface 246 have the same configurations as the front contact surface 45 and the second inclined surface 46 described in the first embodiment.
The first inclined surface 44 described in the first embodiment is a flat inclined surface. In contrast, the first inclined curved surface 244 has a curved surface shape that is inclined toward the front side of the door and slightly curved toward the rear side. That is, the first inclined curved surface 244 is inclined toward the outside of the refrigerating compartment door 11 with respect to the direction of the inclined surface on the opening portion 32 side, with respect to the direction of the inclined surface on the back side of the concave portion 243.
The inclination angle of the first inclined curved surface 244 can be defined as the same as the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 described in the first embodiment. The first inclined curved surface 244 is provided at a position which is assumed to be touched by the fingers of the user's hand when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11. That is, the first inclined curved surface 244 serves as a finger contact portion of the grip portions 34a and 34 b.
In the first inclined curved surface 244, the angle of the normal to the inclined surface on the opening 32 side and the angle of the normal to the inclined surface on the back side of the recessed portion 243 can be defined to have the same relationship as the angle (Cd) of the normal to the first inclined surface 144a and the angle (Dd) of the normal to the surface forming the recessed portion 144b described in the second embodiment.
With the above configuration, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained. In the present embodiment, since the first inclined curved surface 244 has a curved surface shape that is gently curved, the user can easily apply a force to the first inclined curved surface 244 without depending on the size of the user's finger or the depth of insertion of the finger into the grip portion 34 a. In addition, since the first inclined curved surface 244 does not have a steep angle change surface, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity when the user applies a force to the first inclined curved surface 244.
[ fourth embodiment ]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the fourth embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of the door opening and closing mechanism provided in the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the first embodiment. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle portion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given mainly on a configuration of a handle portion different from that of the first embodiment.
(integral constitution of refrigerator)
In the present embodiment, a refrigerator 301 including a refrigerating chamber door that opens in both left and right directions is taken as an example and described. The refrigerator 301 includes a door opening/closing mechanism 10. Fig. 16 shows an external appearance of a refrigerator 301 according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator 301 is mainly configured by various doors such as the main body portion 2, the refrigerating chamber door 311, and the like. The main body 2 is formed in an insulated box shape. A refrigerating chamber is disposed in an upper section of the refrigerator 301. A refrigerating chamber door 311 is attached to an opening portion of the front surface of the refrigerating chamber.
The refrigerating chamber door 311 is a double door that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right ends. Therefore, handle portions that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerating chamber door 311 are provided at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 311. Specifically, the left handle portion 334a is provided at the left end 11a of the refrigeration door 311. The right grip portion 334b is provided at the right end 11b of the refrigerating door 311. When the user opens the refrigerating chamber door 311 from the left side, the user puts his or her hand on the handle portion 334a to open the left end 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 311. Similarly, when the user opens the refrigerating chamber door 311 from the right side, the user puts his hand on the handle portion 334b and opens the right end 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 311.
(constitution of handle portion)
A more specific configuration of the grip portions 334a and 334b will be described below. Fig. 17 and 18 show an external appearance of the refrigerating chamber door 311. Fig. 19 shows a sectional structure of a line a-a of the refrigerating chamber door 311 shown in fig. 18.
The handle portion 334a is provided below the left end portion 11a of the refrigeration door 311. The handle portion 334b is provided below the right end portion 11b of the refrigeration door 311.
When the user manually opens the refrigerating chamber door 311 from the left side, a hand is caught at the handle portion 334a provided at the left side end portion 11 a. Then, a force is applied in a leftward direction with respect to the refrigerating chamber door 311 (i.e., outward in a direction in which the door is opened). This allows the refrigerating chamber door 311 to slide outward, thereby facilitating smooth opening and closing operation of the door opening and closing mechanism 10.
In addition, when the user manually opens the refrigerating chamber door 311 from the right side, the user puts his hand on the handle portion 334b provided at the right side end portion 11 b. Then, a force is applied in a rightward direction (i.e., outward in a direction in which the door is opened) with respect to the refrigerating chamber door 311. This allows the refrigerating chamber door 311 to slide outward, thereby facilitating smooth opening and closing operation of the door opening and closing mechanism 10.
The handle portion 334a has an opening portion 335a formed in the front face 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 311. The handle portion 334b has an opening portion 335b formed in the front face 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 311. By forming the openings 335a and 335b in this manner, a user who intends to open the refrigerating chamber door 311 can put his or her hand on the refrigerator 301 from the front side.
The concave space inside the opening 335a is defined by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. Similarly, the concave space inside the opening 335b is defined mainly by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. As shown in fig. 19, the opening 335a and the opening 335b are bilaterally symmetrical.
The first inclined surface 344 of the opening portion 335a is located on the left end portion 11a side of the refrigerating compartment door 311. The first inclined surface 344 of the opening portion 335b is located on the right side end portion 11b side of the refrigerating compartment door 311. In any of the handle portions 334a and 334b, the first inclined surface 344 is inclined toward the center portion (i.e., the center line O) of the door from the rear side toward the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 311.
The first inclined surface 344 is provided at a position which a finger of a user's hand hits when the user is supposed to open the refrigerating compartment door 311. That is, the first inclined surface 344 serves as a finger contact portion of the grip portions 334a and 334 b.
The first inclined surface 344 is formed of a plate-like member. Thus, when the user puts his or her hand into the opening 335a or 335b and touches the first inclined surface 344 with fingers (e.g., index finger and middle finger), the remaining fingers (e.g., thumb) can be touched with the surface opposite to the first inclined surface 344, and the plate-like member can be sandwiched.
The surface of the rear surface 345 on the innermost side of the concave space formed in the opening 335a is formed such that the rear surface 345 is substantially parallel to the front surface 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 311 in the present embodiment, but is not limited thereto in other embodiments.
The second inclined surface 346 is formed at a position opposite to the first inclined surface 344. In order to smoothly perform the door opening and closing operation, when the user puts the hand into the opening portion 335a or 335b by opening the refrigerating compartment door 311, it is preferable that the user's finger is not in contact with the second inclined surface 346 side but in contact with the first inclined surface 344 side. Therefore, it is preferable that the user's fingers are not caught by the second inclined surface 346 when the user puts his/her hand into the opening 335a or 335 b. That is, the surface of the second inclined surface 346 is preferably processed to facilitate sliding.
Hereinafter, a preferred inclination angle of the first inclined surface 344 and the second inclined surface 346 will be described with reference to fig. 20. Fig. 20 schematically shows the positional relationship between the slot cams 21 and 22 provided on the refrigerating compartment door 311 and the components of the handle portion 334 a. Fig. 20 shows a part of the cam mechanism 20a on the left end 11a side of the refrigerator 301. The cam mechanism 20b on the right end 11b side of the refrigerator 301 has a bilaterally symmetrical structure with respect to the cam mechanism 20 a.
As described above, in the door opening/closing mechanism 10 provided in the refrigerator 301 according to the present embodiment, the first inclined surface 344 against which the user's fingers are pressed is formed in the concave space in the opening portion 335a of the handle portion 334 a. Since the first inclined surface 344 is inclined toward the front side of the refrigerating compartment door 311 toward the center portion of the door, when a user puts fingers into the concave space from the opening portion 335a and puts the fingers on the first inclined surface 344, stress naturally acts in an outward direction as shown by an arrow in fig. 20. Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 311 can be slid in an outward direction even if the user is not aware of it.
Here, a direction perpendicular to the extending direction Y (left-right direction) of the front face portion 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 311 in the closed state is defined as an X direction. Then, this X direction is set as a reference (0 degree). Note that the extending direction of the first grooved cam 21 is denoted by a, and the extending direction of the second grooved cam 22 is denoted by B (see fig. 20). At this time, the extension angle of the first grooved cam 21 with respect to the reference position X is θ 1, and the extension angle of the second grooved cam 22 is θ 2.
The extension angle of the reference position X with respect to the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 is θ 3. The extension angle θ 3 preferably satisfies the following condition.
θ1≦θ3≦θ2
By defining the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 344 at such an angle by the normal line C, both the force for moving the hinge pin 38 along the second grooved cam 22 first and the force for moving the hinge pin 38 along the first grooved cam 21 after that can be obtained efficiently from the stress applied to the handle portion 334a when the door is opened. Note that, in fig. 20, for convenience, the normal line C is illustrated at a position offset from the actual normal line position of the first inclined surface 344.
More specifically, the extension angle θ 1 of the first slot cam 21 can be set to, for example, 10 degrees. The extension angle θ 2 of the second grooved cam 22 can be set to 72 degrees, for example. In this case, the extension angle θ 3 of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 may be defined to be any angle within a range of 10 degrees to 72 degrees.
In the present embodiment, the extension angle θ 3 of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 may be set to be closer to the extension angle θ 2 of the second grooved cam 22 than the extension angle θ 1 of the first grooved cam 21. For example, the extension angle θ 3 of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 may be 65 degrees. This can increase the force for moving the hinge pin 38 along the second grooved cam 22. Therefore, the refrigerating chamber door 311 can be slid and moved with a smaller force until it becomes rotatable, and the user can open the door more easily. In addition, since the width of the first inclined surface 344 in the left-right direction is reduced, the opening portion 335a can be brought close to the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 311. This can easily ensure the heat insulating performance of the refrigerating chamber door 311, and improve the design of the refrigerating chamber door 311.
The second inclined surface 346 located at a position facing the first inclined surface 344 is preferably inclined at an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the extending direction (left-right direction) of the front surface portion 11 c. That is, the inclination angle θ 4 of the second inclined surface 346 with respect to the front surface portion 11c is preferably an obtuse angle. With this configuration, when the user puts his or her hand into the opening 335a, it is possible to make it difficult to put his or her finger on the second inclined surface 346 side. Therefore, the user who puts his or her hand into the opening 335a can positively bring his or her finger into contact with the first inclined surface 344 side, and as described above, the refrigerating compartment door 311 is slid outward in a natural motion.
(electric door opening/closing control)
In addition, the refrigerator 301 according to the present embodiment may electrically control the opening and closing of the refrigerating chamber door 311 by a touch operation based on the touch sensor 91. The automatic opening and closing control of the refrigerating chamber door using the touch sensor can be performed by a conventional method. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.
[ conclusion of the fourth embodiment ]
As described above, the refrigerator 301 of the present embodiment includes the door opening/closing mechanism 10. The door opening/closing mechanism 10 includes at least two handle portions 334a and 334b disposed at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 311, respectively, and two cam mechanisms 20a and 20b symmetrically provided at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 311 and configured to engage and disengage the refrigerating chamber door 311 with and from the main body portion 2.
The handles 334a and 334 are provided with openings 335a and 335b formed in the front surface portion 11c so that hands can be placed on the front surface portion 11c of the door. In addition, the first inclined surface 344 is provided in the space in the openings 335a and 335 b. The first inclined surface 344 is also inclined toward the center portion of the door (i.e., the center line O) from the rear side toward the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 311.
With this configuration, when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 311, the user can push the first inclined surface 344 with his or her finger by putting his or her hand into the space in the opening portion 335a (or 335b) of the handle portion 334a (or 344b), thereby causing the door to be opened outward and applying a force. Therefore, the refrigerating chamber door 311 can be more easily slid outward, and a door opening/closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained.
[ fifth embodiment ]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of the door opening and closing mechanism provided in the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the fourth embodiment. The same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle portion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given mainly of a configuration of a handle portion different from that of the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 21 shows a structure of a refrigerating compartment door 411 according to a fifth embodiment. Fig. 21 is a view showing a sectional structure of the refrigerating compartment door 411 at a position corresponding to a line a-a in fig. 18.
The refrigerating chamber door 411 is a double door that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right ends, as in the fourth embodiment. Therefore, handle portions (specifically, a left handle portion 434a and a right handle portion 434b) that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerating chamber door 411 are provided at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 411, respectively.
The handle portion 434a has an opening portion 335a formed in the front face 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 411. The handle portion 434b has an opening portion 335b formed in the front face 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 411.
The concave space inside the opening 335a is defined by the first inclined surface 444, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. Similarly, the concave space inside the opening 335b is defined by the first inclined surface 444, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346.
The first inclined surface 444 is formed as a plate-like member. The plate-like member is thicker on the rear side than on the front side of the door. With such a configuration, it becomes difficult for a user who puts his or her hand into the opening portion 335a or 335b to grasp the plate-like member at the rear side where the plate thickness is larger. Therefore, when the door opening operation is started, the operation of pulling the door to the front inner side (the direction in which the plate-like member extends) can be made difficult. Therefore, when a finger is applied to the first inclined surface 444, the pressing force of the finger can be more reliably directed outward of the door.
In the plate-like member, the surface of the first inclined surface 444 may be provided with a processing or structure for preventing slippage, such as ridges and grooves extending in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the surface (facing surface) opposite to the first inclined surface 444 is more likely to slide than the first inclined surface 444 by processing and structure without slip prevention. This makes it difficult to direct the pressing force of the finger toward the inside of the door, and makes it possible to direct the pressing force of the finger more reliably toward the outside of the door.
The rear surface 345 and the second inclined surface 346 forming the concave spaces in the openings 335a and 335b have the same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment.
[ sixth embodiment ]
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the sixth embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of the door opening and closing mechanism provided in the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the fourth embodiment. The same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle portion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given mainly of a configuration of a handle portion different from that of the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 22 shows a structure of a handle portion 634a on the left side of the cooling chamber door 611 according to the sixth embodiment.
As in the fourth embodiment, the refrigerating chamber door 611 is a double door that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right ends. Therefore, at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 611, handle portions (specifically, a left handle portion 634a and a right handle portion 634b, not shown) that function as handles when the refrigerating chamber door 611 is opened and closed are provided, respectively.
The handle portion 634a has an opening portion 335a formed in the front face portion 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 611. Although not shown, the right grip portion 634b has the same configuration.
The concave space inside the opening 335a is defined by the first inclined surface 644, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346.
As shown in fig. 22, the first inclined surface 644 has a curved surface that is raised in a convex shape in the space in the opening portion 335 a. With such a configuration, when a user who places his or her hand in the opening 335a starts the door opening operation, the finger pad of the finger is easily fixed to the first inclined surface 644. This makes it easier to change the force of the finger grip in the direction of pressing the first inclined surface 644. Therefore, when a finger is pressed against the first inclined surface 644, the pressing force of the finger can be more reliably directed outward of the door.
The rear surface 345 and the second inclined surface 346 forming the concave space in the opening 335a have the same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment.
[ seventh embodiment ]
Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the seventh embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of the door opening and closing mechanism provided in the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the fourth embodiment. The same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle portion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given mainly of a configuration of a handle portion different from that of the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 23 shows a structure of a refrigerating compartment door 511 according to a seventh embodiment. Fig. 23 is a view showing a sectional structure of the refrigerating compartment door 511 at a position corresponding to a line a-a in fig. 18.
As in the fourth embodiment, the refrigerating chamber door 511 is a double door that can be opened and closed from either of the left and right ends. Therefore, handle portions (specifically, a left handle portion 534a and a right handle portion 534b) that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerating chamber door 511 are provided at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 511, respectively.
The handle portion 534a has an opening portion 335a formed in the front face portion 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 511. The handle portion 534b has an opening portion 335b formed in the front face portion 11c of the refrigerating chamber door 511.
The concave space inside the opening 335a is defined by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. Similarly, the concave space inside the opening 335b is defined mainly by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. The configuration of the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346 forming the concave space is substantially the same as that of the fourth embodiment.
However, in the present embodiment, the boundary between the second inclined surface 346 and the front surface portion 11c is a smooth curved surface 546R. Accordingly, when a user who intends to open the door puts his or her hand into the opening 335a and puts his or her finger on the second inclined surface 346 side without putting the finger on the first inclined surface 344, the user can slide his or her finger on the curved surface 546R, and thus it is difficult to put his or her hand on the second inclined surface 346 side. Therefore, the user who puts his or her hand into the opening 335a can positively bring his or her finger into contact with the first inclined surface 344 side, and as described above, the refrigerating compartment door 311 is slid outward in a natural motion.
[ eighth embodiment ]
Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the eighth embodiment, an example in which a handle member (handle structure) is configured to be attachable to and detachable from a door of a refrigerator will be described.
Fig. 24 shows a state in which the refrigerating chamber door 11 of the refrigerator 1 according to the eighth embodiment and a handle member (handle structure) 700 attached to the refrigerating chamber door 11 are disassembled. Fig. 25 shows an external appearance of the refrigerator 1 in a state where the handle member 700 is not attached. The refrigerator 1 shown in fig. 25 may have the same configuration as the refrigerator 1 shown in fig. 1.
The refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerating chamber door 11 opened in both right and left directions. The basic configuration of the refrigerator 1 is the same as that of the refrigerator 301 described in the fourth embodiment. In addition, in the refrigerator 1, the handle portions (i.e., the handle portions 34a and 34b) provided at the refrigerating chamber door 11 are different in configuration from the refrigerator 301.
The left handle portion 34a is provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11. In addition, a right handle portion 34b is provided at the right end portion 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11. The handle portion 34a is formed of a handle portion forming member mounted to the opening portion 32 of the end member 31 constituting the left side end portion 11a of the refrigerating chamber door 11. The grip portion forming member has a recess 43 (see fig. 26 (b)). The right grip portion 34b also has the same configuration as the left grip portion 34 a.
The handle member 700 is formed of a material having a certain degree of flexibility, such as a resin material. The handle member 700 includes, as main components, a center support member 710, a left handle portion 734a, and a right handle portion 734 b.
The center support member 710 is a plate-like member that connects the left grip portion 734a and the right grip portion 734 b. The left handle portion 734a is located at the left end when attached to the refrigerator 1, and serves as a handle portion when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened from the left side. The right handle portion 734b is positioned at the right end when attached to the refrigerator 1, and serves as a handle when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened from the right side.
The left grip portion 734a and the right grip portion 734b have a bilaterally symmetrical configuration. The left handle portion 734a and the right handle portion 734b have a slope forming portion 744, a rear plate-like portion 751, a fixing portion 752, and the like, respectively.
The inclined surface formation portion 744 is formed in a substantially plate shape and has an inclined surface 744a on the inner side. The inclined surface 744a is provided at a position which is assumed to be touched by the finger of the user's hand when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11. That is, the inclined surface 744a serves as a finger contact portion of the grip portions 734a and 734 b.
The inclined surface 744 is inclined toward the center of the door from the rear side toward the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 11 in a state of being attached to the refrigerating chamber door 11, similarly to the first inclined surface 344 and the like described in the fourth embodiment.
The rear plate portion 751 is a substantially plate-shaped member extending rearward from the inclined surface formation portion 744. The fixing portion 752 has a convex portion protruding from the inner surface of the rear plate-like portion 751 toward the center support member 710.
Fig. 26(a) and (b) show the refrigerating chamber door 11 with the handle member 700 attached.
In a state where the handle member 700 is mounted to the refrigerating chamber door 11, the convex portion of the fixing portion 752 is fitted into the concave portion 43 of the handle portion forming member of the refrigerating chamber door 11. That is, the handle member 700 can be mounted in a state of being fixed to the refrigerating chamber door 11 by fitting the fixing portion 752 of the handle member 700 into the recess 43 formed at each end 11a and 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
As described above, the handle member 700 is attached to the refrigerating chamber door 11 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. By attaching the handle member 700, a left handle portion 734a or a right handle portion 734b is disposed at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 11. These handle portions 734a and 734b function as handles for opening and closing the door, instead of the handle portions 34a and 34b provided in the refrigerator 1 main body.
The grip portions 734a and 734b are provided with inclined surface forming portions 744 that project forward from the front surface portion 11 c. Thus, a user who intends to open the door can put his or her hands on the handle portions 734a and 734b from the front face portion 11c side of the door. Further, an inclined surface 744a is formed inside the inclined surface formation portion 744. The inclined surface 744 is inclined from the rear side to the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 11 toward the center of the door.
According to this configuration, when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11, the user can press the inclined surface 744a with his or her finger by putting the hand on the inclined surface 744a from the front inside of the handle portion 734a or 744b, thereby directing the door to the outside in the opening direction and applying a force. Therefore, the refrigerating chamber door 11 can be more easily slid outward, and a door opening/closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained.
The handle member 700 may be attached to the refrigerator 1 when the positions, shapes, and the like of the handle portions 34a and 34b provided in the refrigerator are difficult to use according to the physique, preference, and the like of the user. Thus, the handle portions 734a and 734b of the handle member 700 function as handles for opening and closing the door, instead of the handle portions 34a and 34b provided in the main body of the refrigerator 1. Therefore, the positions and shapes of the handle portions 734a and 734b of the handle member 700 may be variously changed, and the product may be developed as a variety of modified structures. Thus, the user can select the handle member 700 according to his/her preference. Therefore, the structure of the handle portion with high convenience for the user can be provided.
[ ninth embodiment ]
Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the ninth embodiment, the configuration of a handle member (handle structure) mounted on the refrigerating chamber door is different from that of the eighth embodiment. The same configuration as that of the eighth embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle member. Therefore, the present embodiment will be mainly described with respect to a configuration different from that of the eighth embodiment.
Fig. 27(a) shows an external appearance of a refrigerating chamber door 11 of a refrigerator 1 according to a ninth embodiment. In this figure, the refrigerating chamber door 11 in a state where the handle member 800 is attached is shown. Fig. 27(b) shows a cross-sectional structure of a part a-a of the refrigerating compartment door 11 shown in fig. 27 (a). Fig. 28 shows the appearance of the handle member 800 alone.
The handle member 800 is formed of a material having a certain degree of flexibility, such as a resin material. The handle member 800 includes, as main components, a central plate member 810, a left handle portion 834a, and a right handle portion 834 b. In the eighth embodiment, the handle attachment member 700 is an integrally molded resin member, and in the present embodiment, the central plate member 810, the left handle portion 834a, and the right handle portion 834b constituting the handle member 800 are formed of other members.
The central plate-like member 810 is a plate-like member that connects the left grip 834a and the right grip 834 b. Coupling shaft portions 811 are provided at the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the central plate-like member 810. A left grip portion 834a is coupled to a left end of the coupling shaft portion 811. A right grip portion 834b is coupled to a right end portion of the coupling shaft portion 811.
The left handle part 834a is positioned at the left end when mounted in the refrigerator 1, and serves as a handle part when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened from the left side. The right handle part 834b is positioned at the right end when mounted in the refrigerator 1, and serves as a handle part when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened from the right side.
The left grip 834a and the right grip 834b have a bilaterally symmetrical structure. The left grip portion 834a and the right grip portion 834b have an inclined surface forming portion 844, a rear plate-shaped portion 851, a fixing portion 852, a coupling portion 853, and the like, respectively.
The inclined surface formation portion 844 is formed in a substantially plate shape, and has an inclined surface 844a on the inner side. The inclined surface 844a is provided at a position which a finger of a user's hand hits when the user is supposed to open the refrigerating compartment door 11.
The inclined surface 844a is inclined toward the center of the door from the rear side toward the front side of the refrigerating compartment door 11 in a state of being attached to the refrigerating compartment door 11, similarly to the first inclined surface 344 and the like described in the fourth embodiment.
The rear plate portion 851 is a substantially plate-shaped member extending rearward from the inclined surface forming portion 844. The fixing portion 852 has a convex portion protruding from the inner surface of the rear plate-like portion 851 toward the central plate-like member 810.
The coupling portion 853 constitutes a connection portion with the central plate member 810. The handle portions 834a and 834b can be fixed to the central plate-like member 810 by inserting the coupling portion 853 into the coupling shaft portion 811 of the central plate-like member 810 and fixing the same with screws 854 or the like.
In a state where the handle member 800 is mounted on the refrigerating chamber door 11, the convex portion of the fixing portion 852 is fitted into the concave portion 43 of the handle portion forming member of the refrigerating chamber door 11. That is, the handle member 800 can be attached in a state of being fixed to the refrigerating chamber door 11 by fitting the fixing portion 852 of the handle member 800 into the recess 43 formed at each end portion 11a and 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
As described above, the handle member 800 is attached to the refrigerating chamber door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment. The handle member 800 is attached, and a left handle portion 834a or a right handle portion 834b is disposed at both left and right end portions of the refrigerating chamber door 11. These handle portions 834a and 834b function as handles for opening and closing the door, instead of the handle portions 34a and 34b provided in the refrigerator 1 main body.
[ tenth embodiment ]
Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the tenth embodiment, the configuration of a handle member (handle structure) mounted on the refrigerating chamber door is different from that of the eighth embodiment. The same configuration as that of the eighth embodiment can be applied to configurations other than the handle member. Therefore, the present embodiment will be mainly described with respect to a configuration different from that of the eighth embodiment.
Fig. 29(a) shows an external appearance of a refrigerating chamber door 11 of a refrigerator 1 according to a tenth embodiment. In this figure, the refrigerating chamber door 11 in a state where the handle member 900 is attached is shown. Fig. 29(b) shows a cross-sectional structure of a part a-a of the refrigerating compartment door 11 shown in fig. 29 (a). Fig. 30 shows the appearance of the handle member 900 alone.
In the eighth embodiment, a configuration in which one handle member 700 has two handle portions 734a and 734b will be described. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the grip member 900 forming the left grip portion 934a and the grip member 900 forming the right grip portion 934b are formed of other members.
The grip member 900 forming the left grip portion 934a has the same shape as the grip member 900 forming the right grip portion 934 b. The refrigerator compartment door 11 is attached so as to be in a bilaterally symmetrical positional relationship with each other.
As shown in fig. 30, the handle member 900 is mainly configured by an inclined surface forming member 944 and a fixing portion forming member 950. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface forming member 944 and the fixing portion forming member 950 are configured as separate members, and one component member (i.e., the handle member 900) connected to each other is formed by a connecting member such as a screw 954.
The inclined surface forming member 944 has a main portion forming an inclined surface 944a, and a rib 945. The inclined surface 944a is provided at a position which is assumed to be touched by the fingers of the user's hand when the user opens the refrigerating chamber door 11. That is, the inclined surface 944a serves as a finger contact portion for the grip portions 934a and 934 b.
The inclined surface 944a is inclined toward the center of the door from the rear side toward the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 11 in the state of being attached to the refrigerating chamber door 11, similarly to the first inclined surface 344 and the like described in the fourth embodiment.
The fixing portion forming member 950 includes a plate portion 951 and a protrusion portion 952. The plate 951 extends rearward from the inclined surface forming portion 944. The protrusion 952 is formed to protrude from an inner surface of the plate 951.
In a state where the handle member 900 is mounted to the refrigerating chamber door 11, the protrusion 952 is fitted into the recess 43 of the handle portion forming member of the refrigerating chamber door 11. That is, the handle members 900 can be attached in a fixed state to the refrigerating chamber door 11 by fitting the protruding portions 952 of the two handle members 900 into the recessed portions 43 formed at the respective end portions 11a and 11b of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
As described above, two handle members 900 are attached to the refrigerating chamber door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment. The two handle members 900 are attached to form a handle portion 934a and a handle portion 934b at the left and right ends of the refrigerating chamber door 11. These handle portions 934a and 934b function as handles for opening and closing the door, instead of the handle portions 34a and 34b provided in the refrigerator 1 main body.
The handle portions 934a and 934b are provided with inclined surface forming members 944 projecting forward from the front surface portion 11c of the refrigerating compartment door 11. Thus, a user who intends to open the door can put his or her hands on the handle portions 934a and 934b from the front surface portion 11c side of the door. Further, an inclined surface 944a is formed inside the inclined surface forming member 944. The inclined surface 944a is inclined toward the center of the door from the rear side toward the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
According to this configuration, when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11, the user can apply a force to the door outward in the opening direction by placing a hand on the inclined surface 944a from the front inner side of the handle portion 934a or 944b and pressing the inclined surface 944a with a finger. Therefore, the refrigerating chamber door 11 can be more easily slid outward, and a door opening/closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained.
In addition, according to this configuration, the handle member 900 can be attached to the left and right handle portions 34a and 34b of the refrigerating chamber door 11 only on the side where the user often uses or feels inconvenient. Therefore, it is easy to combine the design of the refrigerator 1 and the convenience of the refrigerating chamber door 11.
[ other embodiments ]
In this specification, an example in which the door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to a door of a refrigerator will be described. However, the door structure described in the present specification is applicable not only to refrigerators but also to storage cabinets and thermal cabinets having doors that are horizontally opened.
The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. In addition, a configuration obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in the present specification is also included in the scope of the present invention.
Description of the reference numerals
1 refrigerator
2 main body part
10 door opening and closing mechanism
11 refrigerating chamber door
20a cam mechanism
20b cam mechanism
21 first grooved cam (sliding cam component)
22 second grooved cam (sliding cam component)
32 opening part
34 handle part
37 locking outer cam (locking cam component)
38 hinge pin (locking cam component)
41 handle part forming member
44 first inclined plane (inclined plane, finger contact part)
90 electric door opening and closing device
91 touch sensor (touch detector)
92 control part
141 handle part forming member
141A handle part forming member
144a first inclined plane (inclined plane, finger contact part)
144b recess (finger contact part)
144c recess (finger contact part)
241 handle part forming component
244 first inclined curved surface (inclined surface, finger contact part)
301 refrigerator
311 refrigerating chamber door (door)
334a handle part
334b handle part
335a opening part
335b opening part
344 first inclined plane (inclined plane inclined to the central part of the door)
346 second inclined surface (surface opposite to inclined surface)
411 refrigerating chamber door (door)
434a handle part
434b handle part
511 cold storage chamber door (door)
534a handle part
534b handle part
611 cold storage room door (door)
634a handle part
700 handle parts (handle structure)
734a handle part
734b handle part
744a inclined plane (inclined plane toward the center of the door)
800 handle parts (handle structure)
834a handle part
834b handle part
900 handle parts (handle structure)
934a handle part
934b handle part

Claims (12)

1. A door opening/closing mechanism for opening/closing a door attached to a main body, comprising:
handle portions respectively disposed at both left and right end portions of the door; and
two cam mechanisms symmetrically provided on both left and right sides of the door for engaging and disengaging the door with and from the main body;
when the door is in a closed state, the cam mechanisms arranged on the left side and the right side are in symmetrical first clamping positions;
when one of the left and right ends of the door is opened, the other cam mechanism on the opposite side of the one side is moved to a second locking position by the sliding movement of the door toward the outside of the one side, and the door is configured to be in a state of being axially supported at the other end;
the handle portion has an opening portion provided at an end portion of the door and a recessed portion recessed from the opening portion, and the recessed portion is provided with a finger contact portion having an inclined surface inclined from a side surface side of the door toward a center side from a rear side of the door toward the front side.
2. The door opening/closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cam mechanism includes:
a pair of slide cam members provided symmetrically with respect to a center line of the door at both right and left end portions of either one of the door and the body;
a pair of locking cam members symmetrically provided at portions corresponding to the respective sliding cam members of the other of the door and the body portion; and
each hinge pin provided on the pair of locking cam members;
the slide cam member has a first slot cam and a second slot cam that slidably guide the hinge pin;
when the door is in a closed state, each hinge pin is positioned at a first clamping position of the second groove cam;
when one of the left and right ends of the door is opened, the door is configured to be slid toward the outside of the one side, and the hinge pin located on the opposite side of the one side is configured to be moved to a second locking position by moving in the second grooved cam, and is configured to be in a state of being pivotally supported;
an angle of a normal line of the inclined surface of the finger contact portion is defined so as to be an angle between an extension angle of the first slot cam and an extension angle of the second slot cam.
3. The door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening portion is provided at a side surface of the door.
4. The door opening/closing mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the finger abutting portion has a recessed portion recessed further to the front side from the inclined surface.
5. The door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening portion is provided in a front face of the door.
6. The door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 5,
the inclined surface is formed by a substantially plate-shaped member,
the thickness of the substantially plate-like member is at least partially thicker on the rear side than on the front side of the door.
7. The door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 5 or 6,
the inclined surface is formed by the inner surface of the opening part,
a face opposite to the inclined face is inclined at an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to a front face of the door.
8. A storage cabinet comprising the door opening/closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. The cabinet according to claim 8, wherein an upper end portion of the handle portion is located at a height of 130cm or less from a lower end portion of the cabinet.
10. A cabinet according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the inclined surface faces downwardly.
11. A handle structure of a door which can be opened and closed from any one of the left and right sides, characterized by comprising handle parts respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the door;
the handle portion is configured to be gripped from a front side of the door;
the handle portion has an inclined surface that is inclined from the rear side to the front side of the door toward the center portion of the door.
12. The handle structure according to claim 11, wherein the handle structure is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the door of a storage cabinet including a main body and a door attached to the main body and openable and closable from either of right and left sides.
CN201980036188.6A 2018-06-08 2019-06-03 Door opening and closing mechanism, storage cabinet and handle structure Pending CN112219078A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2018-110628 2018-06-08
JP2018110628A JP7122165B2 (en) 2018-06-08 2018-06-08 Door opening mechanism and refrigerator
JP2019023236A JP7324587B2 (en) 2019-02-13 2019-02-13 Door handle structure and refrigerator
JP2019-023236 2019-02-13
PCT/JP2019/021902 WO2019235401A1 (en) 2018-06-08 2019-06-03 Door opening/closing mechanism, storage container, and handle structure

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN112219078A true CN112219078A (en) 2021-01-12

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
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CN (1) CN112219078A (en)
TW (1) TWI838376B (en)
WO (1) WO2019235401A1 (en)

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CN1170077A (en) * 1996-05-14 1998-01-14 夏普公司 Double swing door opening/closing mechanism
CN1459610A (en) * 1999-10-25 2003-12-03 夏普公司 Door opening/closing mechanism and its mfg. method
CN101052849A (en) * 2004-11-01 2007-10-10 夏普株式会社 Door opening and closing mechanism
CN101231115A (en) * 2007-01-23 2008-07-30 三星电子株式会社 Bidirectional opening/closing door unit and refrigerator having the same
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TWI838376B (en) 2024-04-11
TW202001170A (en) 2020-01-01

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