CN105486008A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator whose surface does not impair the detection sensitivity of a human detection sensor even if the surface is made of glass. The refrigerator has: a refrigerator main body with a freezer door (21), a refrigerator door (22) and a vegetable door (23) on the front; The outside of the freezer door (21) and the dispenser (30) that supplies water and/or ice, the surfaces of the freezer door (21), the refrigerator door (22) and the vegetable door (23) are made of glass plates (21a, 22a, 23a), the human sensor (3) is located in the supply space (S) for the dispenser (30) to be configured.

Description

refrigerator

technical field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a human detection sensor.

Background technique

As a switch device such as a refrigerator, a device has been proposed in which a covering material is provided so that the switch cannot be seen from the surface, and the operation area cannot be visually observed from the surface when the light source is turned off. signal to turn on the light source (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

prior art literature

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-149580

However, in the switch device described in Patent Document 1, for example, there is a problem that, if the surface of the door is made of glass, and the human sensor is placed on the back of the glass, the irradiated light from the human sensor will be reflected by the glass, causing errors. Detection of presence or absence degrades detection sensitivity.

Contents of the invention

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the detection sensitivity of a human detection sensor is not impaired even if the surface of the door is made of glass.

The present invention is characterized in that it includes a refrigerator main body having a door on the front and a human detection sensor for detecting whether there is a person on the front of the refrigerator main body, the surface of the door is made of glass, and the human detection sensor is installed on the front side when viewed from the front. The offset position of the glass.

The effects of the present invention are as follows.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator in which the detection sensitivity of the human detection sensor is not impaired even if the surface of the door is made of glass.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a human sensor.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of human detection sensors.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a touch switch.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view before the touch switch is assembled on the freezer door.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a human detection sensor is attached to the dispenser.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a refrigerator.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing operations until the establishment of the first operation mode in the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing operations in the first energy-saving mode of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing operations in the second energy-saving mode of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

Symbol Description

1—refrigerator, 2—refrigerator body, 3—human sensor, 21—freezer door (door), 21a, 22a, 23a—glass plate (glass), 22—refrigerator door (door), 23—vegetable door (door), 30—dispenser, 30b—top surface (top surface), 33—discharge port (part for discharging ice), 34—discharge nozzle (part for discharging water), 46—control device (control part), S - Provide space (area, space that becomes a concave shape).

detailed description

Hereinafter, modes for implementing the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In addition, below, as a front-back, up-down, left-right direction, it demonstrates based on the up-down, left-right direction shown in FIG. 1, and the up-down, front-back direction shown in FIG.

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is of a so-called side-by-side type having a structure in which a storage room is roughly divided into left and right, and is configured to include a refrigerator main body 2 , a human detection sensor 3 , and the like.

Refrigerator main body 2 includes heat insulating box 10 (see FIG. 2 ), freezer compartment door 21 (door), refrigerator compartment door 22 (door), and vegetable compartment door 23 (door). In this embodiment, three insulating doors are provided.

Freezer compartment door 21 is a door for opening and closing freezer compartment 20 (see FIG. 2 ), is arranged from the upper part to the lower part on the left side, and is constituted by a single door. The refrigerating compartment door 22 is a door for opening and closing a refrigerating compartment (not shown), and is disposed on the upper right side. The vegetable compartment door 23 is a door for opening and closing a vegetable compartment (not shown), and is disposed at the lower right side. Moreover, each door 21-23 is comprised by filling the foam heat insulating material, such as rigid urethane foam, inside.

In addition, the freezer compartment door 21 is provided with a dispenser 30 substantially in the center of the vertical direction, and almost the entire front surface of the area except the dispenser 30 is constituted by a glass plate (glass) 21a made of Made of tempered glass. The whole surface (front surface) of the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the vegetable compartment door 23 is comprised by glass plate (glass) 22a, 23a which consists of tempered glass. In this way, by making the front surfaces of freezer compartment door 21, refrigerator compartment door 22, and vegetable compartment door 23 made of glass, it is possible to improve the three-dimensional feeling compared to forming the front surfaces with steel plates. In addition, even when the refrigerator 1 is enlarged, the sense of three-dimensionality can be improved over the entire front surface, thereby expressing a sense of luxury.

Moreover, the dispenser 30 which supplies cold water (water) and ice is provided in the outer side 21b of the freezer compartment door 21. As shown in FIG. The dispenser 30 can supply two types of ice, for example, block-like ice (so-called ice cubes) and finely crushed ice (so-called crushed ice). In this way, cold water and ice can be supplied to containers such as glasses without opening any of the freezer compartment door 21 , the refrigerator compartment door 22 , and the vegetable compartment door 23 .

The dispenser 30 has a substantially quadrangular opening when viewed from the front, and is formed with a supply space S (a region where the dispenser 30 is placed is a recessed space) that is recessed toward the inside (rear side). A distributor rod 31 having a rectangular shape in plan view is provided on a rear surface portion 30a on the rear side of the center of the provision space S. As shown in FIG.

The distributor lever 31 is rotatably supported in the front-rear direction with a shaft provided at the upper end as a fulcrum. As a result, the hand-held container is pressed against the dispenser lever 31, and ice is supplied into the container from the outlet 33 provided at the top of the dispenser lever 31, and cold water is supplied from the discharge nozzle 34 (see FIG. 3 ). In addition, cold water is supplied via piping (not shown) from the water supply tank installed in a refrigerator.

Human detection sensor 3 is provided at a position deviated from glass plate 21 a of freezer compartment door 21 , glass plate 22 a of refrigerator compartment door 22 , and glass plate 23 a of vegetable compartment door 23 when viewed from the front of refrigerator 1 . In other words, the human detection sensor 3 is provided in a position that does not overlap the glass plates 21a, 22a, and 23a in the front-rear direction (depth direction) (the same goes for the up-down direction and the left-right direction). Moreover, the human detection sensor 3 is provided in the front of the refrigerator 1 so that the human detection sensor 3 can be directly observed from the front direction, without interposing the glass plate 21a.

In addition, in the dispenser 30 of this embodiment, although the case where cold water and ice can be supplied was demonstrated as an example, only cold water and only ice may be supplied. In addition, the types of ice are not limited to two, and only one type of ice, such as ice cubes (or only crushed ice), may be provided.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 1 . However, in FIG. 2 , the inside of refrigerator 1 is shown in simplified form.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the heat insulating box 10 of the refrigerator 1 is configured by filling a foam heat insulating material such as rigid polyurethane foam inside, thereby separating the outside of the refrigerator from the inside of the refrigerator. In addition, the heat insulating box 10 is also equipped with a plurality of vacuum heat insulating materials in addition to the foam heat insulating material.

In addition, the refrigerator 1 includes a cold air duct 41, a compressor 42, a cooler 43, a defrosting heater 44, a fan 45 in the refrigerator, a control device 46, and the like. In refrigerator 1, compressor 42, cooler 43, and the like are combined to constitute a refrigeration cycle. A refrigerator fan 45 is provided in the cold air duct 41, and the cold air generated by heat exchange in the cooler 43 is sent to each storage room such as the freezer room 20 to cool the inside of the refrigerator.

The dispenser 30 is provided on the outer side of the refrigerator of the freezer compartment door 21, and the ice dispenser 50 is provided on the inner side of the refrigerator. The ice dispenser 50 can be comprised by a well-known method (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-32909).

A touch switch 70 for operating the dispenser 30 is provided on the freezer door 21 . The touch switch 70 includes touch buttons corresponding to offerings such as "cold water", "ice cubes", and "crushed ice".

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a human sensor.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the human detection sensor 3 is, for example, an infrared reflective type, and is composed of a sensor main body 61 and a sensor cover 62 . In addition, the human detection sensor 3 is not limited to an infrared reflection type, and a pyroelectric sensor may be used. Also, the sensor cover 62 is made of a resin material (for example, an acrylic plate or a polycarbonate plate) that can transmit infrared rays of a specific wavelength.

The sensor main body 61 has a light emitting part 61 a for emitting infrared rays, a light receiving part 61 b for receiving reflected infrared rays, and a connector part 61 c connected to the control device 46 . In addition, although not shown, a sensor substrate is provided in the sensor main body 61 . The light emitting unit 61a and the light receiving unit 61b are arranged so as to be separated from each other in the left-right direction toward the front. The connector part 61c protrudes upward from the upper surfaces of the light emitting part 61a and the light receiving part 61b.

The sensor cover 62 has a rectangular box-shaped housing portion 62a with an open upper surface, and locking claws 62b, 62b, 62c, 62c for attaching the housing portion 62a to the dispenser 30 . In addition, positioning plates 62d and 62e for positioning the sensor main body 61 are integrally formed in the housing portion 62a. Also, the plate thickness T1 of the front plate 62f of the accommodating portion 62a is thinner than the plate thickness T2 of the other plates (side plates 62g, 62g, and back plate 62h) to easily transmit infrared rays. In addition, although illustration is omitted, a fixing portion (for example, a locking claw) for locking and fixing the sensor main body 61 is formed in the accommodating portion 62 a. In this way, since no hole penetrating the sensor cover 62 is formed on the lower surface or the side surface of the sensor cover 62 , cold water splashed when the dispenser 30 is operated can be prevented from entering the sensor cover 62 .

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of human detection sensors. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the dispenser 30 and the human detection sensor 3 are viewed from below.

As shown in FIG. 4 , human detection sensor 3 is provided in a region (provided space S) where dispenser 30 is arranged on freezer door 21 . The space S is provided with a back surface 30a curved so as to deepen from the left and right ends toward the center, a top surface 30b (top surface) arranged on the top side, and a bottom surface (placement surface) 30c arranged on the bottom side. (refer to Fig. 6) structure.

In addition, the human detection sensor 3 is arranged on the right side (the central side of the refrigerator main body 2 ) with respect to the cold water and ice discharge portion (discharge port 33 ) of the dispenser 30 . In this way, the dispenser 30 is arranged on the side close to the central part in the left-right direction (width direction) of the refrigerator 1 , so even if a person is positioned to the right or left with respect to the front of the refrigerator 1 , stable detection can be performed.

Moreover, the human detection sensor 3 is located in the back side (rear) rather than the surface of the glass plate 21a of the freezer compartment door 21. As shown in FIG. Thereby, when a person stands in front of the refrigerator 1, it is difficult to see the human sensor 3, and the irradiation light of the line can be suppressed by the top surface portion 30b so that it can be diffused upward.

In addition, the irradiation range of the infrared rays of the human detection sensor 3 is set almost only on the front, and a range up to a predetermined distance (for example, one meter) is set as the detection range. Therefore, it is not detected that the refrigerator 1 passes a predetermined distance from the front, and the like.

Moreover, the illuminating device 60 is provided on the side opposite to the human detection sensor 3 across the cold water and ice supply part (discharge port 33 ) of the dispenser 30 . The lighting device 60 is illuminated, for example, when the dispenser lever 31 is actuated. Thereby, cold water and ice can be reliably supplied into a container in a dark place.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a touch switch.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the touch switch 70 is a capacitive type, and is constituted by laminating a diaphragm member 71 , a wiring board 72 , a mask member 73 , a lens member 74 , and a frame 75 .

The diaphragm member 71 is printed with icons (printed parts) 71a, 71b, 71c corresponding to "cold water", "ice cubes" and "crushed ice", an icon (printed part) 71d for opening the door, etc., and is formed with transparent electrodes. The wiring board 72 is mounted with a light-emitting element and the like for making the icons 71a to 71d emit light. The mask member 73 is constituted by a light-shielding sheet that blocks areas other than the icons 71a to 71d. The lens member 74 is composed of a sheet-shaped member that diffuses light from the light emitting element. The frame 75 is made of a synthetic resin member, and holds the wiring board 72 , the mask member 73 , and the lens member 74 between the diaphragm member 71 .

In addition, in this embodiment, freezer compartment door 21 can be opened by touching and operating icon 71d for door opening. In addition, this opening mechanism consists of a motor, a gear, an arm which pushes out the freezer door 21, etc., and is installed on the top plate of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. In this way, the glass area can be increased by not providing a resin-made handle (grip) for opening the door 21 on the freezer compartment door 21 , and the flat surface can be further enlarged.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view before the touch switch is assembled to the freezer door.

As shown in FIG. 6 , touch switch 70 is inserted through insertion hole 21c provided on the inner (right side) side of freezer door 21 and is arranged on the back (back) of glass plate 21a of freezer door 21 . Then, the insertion hole 21c is plugged by the cap member 21d.

However, in the human sensor 3, since the depth dimension is relatively long (refer to FIG. 3 ), if the touch switch 70 and the human sensor 3 are to be integrally assembled on the freezer door 21, and if the human sensor is not to be felt When the sensor 3 is separated from the glass, the human sensor 3 becomes a shape that protrudes from the touch switch 70, so the touch switch 70 (diaphragm member 71 (electrode)) is far away from the glass surface (glass plate 21a), so that the detection of the touch switch 70 Sensitivity is greatly impaired. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the touch switch 70 and the human sensor 3 are separately formed so that the touch switch 70 (membrane member 71) can be closely attached to the glass plate 21a (the back surface of the glass), so that the touch switch 70 can be prevented from being touched. The detection sensitivity of 70 was compromised.

In addition, although not shown in the figure, an operation part for opening the door made of a touch switch is also provided on the refrigerating compartment door 22 and the vegetable compartment door 23, so that the entire surface of the refrigerating compartment door 22 and the vegetable compartment door 23 can be flattened. change.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a human detection sensor is attached to the dispenser.

As shown in FIG. 7, the touch switch accommodating part 21e which accommodates the touch switch 70 is provided adjacently above the dispenser 30 (provision space S) in the freezer compartment door 21. As shown in FIG. 21 g of locking holes into which the locking claws 62 b of the sensor cover 62 are inserted are formed in the bottom plate 21 f of the touch switch accommodating portion 21 e.

Moreover, the recessed part 21h which becomes a recessed shape is formed in the top surface part 30b of the rear of the touch switch housing part 21e. Locking holes 21i in which the locking claws 62c of the sensor cover 62 are locked are formed in the recessed portion 21h.

When the human detection sensor 3 is attached to the top surface part 30b of the dispenser 30, it arrange|positions so that the concave surface of the sensor cover 62 may oppose the concave surface of the recessed part 21h. In addition, the connector part 61c of the sensor main body 61 is arrange|positioned so that it may be inserted into the recessed part 21h. That is, the position of the human-sensing sensor 3 can be shifted rearward, and a part of the human-sensing sensor 3 (sensor body 61) can be arranged on the upper side than the top surface portion 30b, so that downward protrusion from the top surface portion 30b can be suppressed. . Thereby, when operating the dispenser 30, it can suppress that a container (glass) etc. contact the human detection sensor 3 (sensor cover 62).

In addition, the human detection sensor 3 is connected to the touch switch 70 via the wiring 63 from the connector portion 61c. Furthermore, the touch switch 70 is connected to the control device 46 (see FIG. 2 ). In this way, the human detection sensor 3 is connected to the control device 46 via the wiring board 72 (see FIG. 6 ) of the touch switch 70 .

Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a refrigerator.

As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 46 is provided on the upper surface of the top plate of the heat-insulating box 10 (refer to FIG. 2), and is provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, an interface circuit, and the like. The control program executes the control of the refrigeration cycle and the air supply system.

In addition, the control device 46 is electrically connected to the human sensor 3 , the dispenser 30 , the touch switch 70 , the door sensor 76 , and the timer 80 . The detection signal when a person is detected by the human sensor 3, the operation signal indicating that the dispenser 30 is operated, the operation signal indicating that the touch switch 70 is operated, and the opening (opening) of the freezer compartment by the door sensor 76 are respectively input to the control device 46. The time counted by the timer 80 (elapsed time) of any one of the door opening signal of the door 21, the refrigerator compartment door 22, and the vegetable compartment door 23. In addition, the timer 80 is used to count the time required for shifting to the first energy-saving mode and the second energy-saving mode described later.

Moreover, the control device 46 is electrically connected to the compressor 42, the defrosting heater 44, the fan 45 in the refrigerator, and the like. Moreover, the control device 46 controls the rotation speed of the motor of the compressor 42, the output of the defrost heater 44, and the rotation speed of the motor of the fan 45 in a refrigerator, respectively. By reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 42, reducing the output of the defrosting heater 44, and reducing the rotation speed of the refrigerator fan 45, the power consumption of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced, and energy-saving operation can be performed (power-saving operation).

In addition, the block diagram shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and various other sensors, other various touch switches, and other various heaters are connected to the control device 46 . In addition, other various sensors are the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the freezer compartment 20, a refrigerator compartment, and a vegetable compartment, for example. In addition, the so-called other various switches are, for example, switches for setting quick freezing, temperature levels in the refrigerator, and child locks. In addition, the so-called other various heaters are, for example, heaters for preventing condensation between the freezer compartment 20 and the refrigerator compartment, and between the freezer compartment 20 and the vegetable compartment, and water supply pipes for supplying water to the distributor 30 from freezing. A heater for preventing freezing and a heater for freezing attached to a motor of the ice supply device 50 .

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment from normal operation to establishment of the first energy-saving mode. In addition, refrigerator 1 operates in a normal mode (rated output) before entering the flow shown in FIG. 9 .

As shown in FIG. 9 , in step S10 , control device 46 determines whether or not human sensor 3 detects, in other words, whether or not a person is detected in front of refrigerator 1 . When there is detection by the human detection sensor 3 (S10, YES), the control apparatus 46 progresses to step S15, resets the timer 80, and returns to step S10. In addition, the control device 46 proceeds to step S11 when there is no detection by the human detection sensor 3 (S10, No). For example, when there is detection by the human detection sensor 3 (S10, YES), the icon set in the touch switch 70 lights up.

In step S11, control device 46 determines whether door sensor 76 detects a door opening operation, in other words, whether any one of freezer compartment door 21, refrigerator compartment door 22, and vegetable compartment door 23 is opened. When the control device 46 determines that there is a door opening operation (S11, Yes), it proceeds to step S15 to reset the timer 80, and when it determines that there is no door opening operation (S11, No), it proceeds to step S12. In addition, when there is no detection by the human detection sensor 3 (S10, No) and there is a door opening operation (S11, Yes), for example, the user reaches out from the side of the refrigerator 1 to open the door without being located in front of the refrigerator 1 .

In step S12 , the control device 46 determines whether or not various switches (SW) including the touch switch 70 have been operated. The control device 46 proceeds to step S15 to reset the timer 80 when determining that there is a SW operation (S12, Yes), and proceeds to step S13 when determining that there is no SW operation (S12, No). In addition, when there is no detection by the human detection sensor 3 (S10, No) and there is a SW operation (S12, Yes), for example, the user reaches out from the side of the refrigerator 1 to perform the SW operation without being located in front of the refrigerator 1 .

In step S13, the control device 46 determines whether the dispenser 30 is used, in other words, determines whether the dispenser lever 31 is operated to provide any one of "cold water", "ice cubes" and "crushed ice". When the control device 46 is judged to have the use of the dispenser 30 (S13, Yes), it proceeds to step S15 to reset the timer 80, and when it is judged to not have the use of the dispenser 30 (S13, No), it proceeds to step S15. Step S14. In addition, when there is no detection by the human detection sensor 3 (S10, No) and there is an operation of the dispenser 30 (S13, Yes), for example, the user is not located in the front of the refrigerator 1 and reaches out from the side of the refrigerator 1 to dispense the dispenser. 30 Operational Cases.

In step 14, the control device 46 determines whether or not the time counted by the timer 80 has passed a first predetermined time. In addition, the first predetermined time is set to one hour, for example. When the control device 46 determines that the first predetermined time has elapsed (S14, Yes), in other words, the detection of the human sensor 3, the door opening operation, the SW operation, and the use of the dispenser 30 have not continued until the first predetermined time has elapsed. In the case of , the normal mode is shifted to the first energy-saving mode (first power-saving mode). In addition, when the control device 46 determines that the first predetermined time has not passed (S14, No), the process returns to step S10.

In this way, when the detection by the human detection sensor 3 , the door opening operation, the SW operation, and the operation of the dispenser 30 are not performed for the first predetermined time, the refrigerator 1 can save energy by shifting to the first energy saving mode. In addition, even if it cannot be detected for some reason other than the failure of the human detection sensor 3, the failure of the door sensor 76, the failure of the SW, and the failure of the dispenser 30, it is possible to move to the second position. An energy saving mode can realize energy saving of the refrigerator 1 .

The first energy-saving mode is an operation in which power consumption is reduced compared to the normal mode, for example, the temperature inside the refrigerator 1 is set higher than the temperature inside the refrigerator in the normal mode. For example, the temperature inside the freezer compartment 20 is set to be 0.9°C higher than the temperature inside the refrigerator in the normal mode, and the temperature inside the refrigerator is set to be 1.2°C higher than the temperature inside the refrigerator in the normal mode. To increase the temperature in the refrigerator, for example, decrease the rotation speed of the compressor 42, increase the temperature setting in the refrigerator to switch ON/OFF of the compressor, and decrease the rotation speed of the fan 45 in the refrigerator.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing operations in the first energy-saving mode of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

As shown in Figure 10, in step S20, control device 46 judges whether there is the detection of human sensor 3, under the situation that judges as the detection of human sensor 3 (Yes), enters step S21 and resets timer 80, When it is determined that there is no detection by the human detection sensor 3 (No), the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, the control device 46 determines whether there is a door opening operation, and if it is determined that there is a door opening operation (Yes), proceed to step S26, and if it is determined that there is no door opening operation (No), proceed to step S23.

In step S23, the control device 46 determines whether there is a SW operation, and if it is determined that there is a SW operation (Yes), it proceeds to Step S26, and if it determines that there is no SW operation (No), it proceeds to Step S24.

In step S24, the control device 46 judges whether there is the use of the dispenser 30, and when it is determined that the use of the dispenser 30 exists (Yes), it proceeds to step S26, and if it is determined that the use of the dispenser 30 does not exist (No), go to step S25.

In step S25, the control device 46 determines whether or not the time counted by the timer 80 has passed a second predetermined time. In addition, the second predetermined time is set to be longer than the first predetermined time, for example, one day (24 hours). When the control device 46 determines that the second predetermined time has passed (S25, YES), in other words, until the second predetermined time passes, the detection of the human sensor 3, the door opening operation, the SW operation, the operation of the dispenser 30, etc. In the case that none of the usage continues, the first energy-saving mode is shifted to the second energy-saving mode (second energy-saving mode). In addition, the control device 46 returns to step S20 when it is determined that the second predetermined time has not passed (S25, No).

The second energy-saving mode is an operation in which power consumption is further reduced compared to the first energy-saving mode. For example, the temperature inside the refrigerator 1 is set higher than that in the first energy-saving mode. For example, the temperature inside the freezer compartment 20 is set to be 1.8°C higher than that in the normal mode, and the temperature inside the refrigerator is set to be 2.4°C higher than the temperature in the normal mode. In order to increase the temperature in the refrigerator, as in the first energy-saving mode, for example, by reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 42, or increasing the temperature setting in the refrigerator for switching ON/OFF of the compressor, or by increasing the rotation speed of the fan 45 in the refrigerator, descend to proceed.

In addition, regarding the compressor 42, it is performed by setting the rotational speed of the compressor 42 to an upper limit value. This is because the temperature in the refrigerator does not rise because the door is not opened, and therefore there is no need to increase the rotational speed of the compressor 42 to a high level. In addition, the defrosting heater 44 is performed by lowering the output. This is because it is also possible not to cool the inside of the refrigerator excessively. The defrosting of the heat exchanger (cooler 43) is performed by increasing the defrosting interval or shortening the defrosting time. This is because the door is not opened, so that fresh air does not enter the refrigerator, so that frost is difficult to adhere to.

In the case of the door opening operation (S22, Yes), in the case of the SW operation (S23, Yes), in the case of the use of the dispenser 30 (S24, Yes), the control device 46 in step S26 uses After the timer 80 is reset, the process proceeds to step S27.

In step S27, the control device 46 releases the first energy-saving mode, proceeds to step S28, and returns to the flow of FIG. 9 . That is, the setting of the temperature in the refrigerator is returned to the setting of the temperature in the refrigerator in the normal mode.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing operations in the second energy-saving mode of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11 , in step S30, the control device 46 determines whether there is a detection of the human sensor 3, and if it is determined that there is a detection of the human sensor 3 (Yes), it proceeds to step S38, and when it is determined that there is no detection In the case of detection by the human detection sensor 3 (NO), it progresses to step S32.

In step S32, the control device 46 determines whether there is a door opening operation. If it is determined that there is a door opening operation (Yes), it proceeds to step S35. If it is determined that there is no door opening operation (No), it proceeds to step S33.

In step S38, the control device 46 resets the timer 80, proceeds to step 39, cancels the second energy-saving mode, and returns to the flow of FIG. 10 in step S40. That is, the setting of the temperature in the refrigerator is returned to the setting of the temperature in the refrigerator in the first energy-saving mode, the setting of the upper limit value of the rotational speed of the compressor 42 is canceled, the output drop of the defrosting heater 44 is canceled, and the defrosting heater 44 is released. The frosting interval and defrosting time return to the setting in the normal mode.

In step S33, the control device 46 determines whether there is a SW operation, and if it is determined that there is a SW operation (Yes), it proceeds to Step S35, and if it determines that there is no SW operation (No), it proceeds to Step S34.

In step S34, the control device 46 determines whether there is use of the dispenser 30, and if it is determined that the use of the dispenser 30 exists (Yes), it proceeds to step S35, and if it is determined that the use of the dispenser 30 does not exist (No), return to step S30.

Under the situation that there is door-opening operation (S32, yes), under the situation that there is SW operation (S33, yes), under the situation that there is the use of dispenser 30 (S34, yes), control device 46 is in step S35, After resetting the timer 80, it progresses to step S36.

In step S36, the control device 46 releases the first energy-saving mode and the second energy-saving mode, proceeds to step S37, and returns to the flow of FIG. 9 . That is, the setting of the temperature in the refrigerator is returned to the setting of the temperature in the refrigerator, the setting of the upper limit value of the rotational speed of the compressor 42 is canceled, the output reduction of the defrosting heater 44 is canceled, and the defrosting interval, defrosting The time returns to the setting in the normal mode.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, each surface of the freezer compartment door 21, the refrigerator compartment door 22, and the vegetable compartment door 23 is composed of the glass plates 21a, 22a, and 23a, and the human sensor 3 is viewed from the front. It is installed in a position deviated from the glass plate 21a (see FIG. 1 ). Accordingly, even if the surfaces of freezer compartment door 21 , refrigerator compartment door 22 , and vegetable compartment door 23 are made of glass, human presence can be reliably detected by human detection sensor 3 without impairing detection sensitivity.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the human detection sensor 3 is arrange|positioned in the supply space S of the dispenser 30 provided outside the freezer compartment door 21 (refer FIG. 1, FIG. 4). Thus, the human sensor 3 can be reliably arranged, and almost the entire front surface of the freezer compartment door 21 except the dispenser 30 can be constituted by the glass plate 21a. In addition, the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the refrigerator compartment door 22 can be constituted by the glass plates 22a, 23a. The whole front surface of vegetable compartment door 23. In other words, on the front of the refrigerator 1, the portion other than the dispenser 30 can be made substantially flat.

In addition, in the present embodiment, dispenser 30 has supply space S formed in a recessed shape with respect to the surface of freezer compartment door 21, and human detection sensor 3 is arranged on top surface portion 30b of the supply space. According to this, the human detection sensor 3 can be hardly seen and confirmed, and the upper diffusion of the irradiation light of infrared rays can be suppressed by the top surface part 30b.

In addition, in this embodiment, the human detection sensor 3 is arranged on the center side of the refrigerator main body 2 rather than the discharge port 33 (discharge nozzle 34). Thereby, even if a person is positioned to the right or to the left with respect to the front of the refrigerator 1, it is possible to stably detect the person.

In addition, in this embodiment, a control device 46 is provided to control the operation mode (normal mode, first energy-saving mode, and second energy-saving mode) of the refrigerator main body, and the control device 46 controls the operation mode based on the detection value of the human detection sensor 3 (refer to Figure 9, Figure 10). Thereby, the presence or absence of a person (user) can be determined using the human detection sensor 3 , in other words, whether the refrigerator 1 is in use can be determined, and thus it is possible to shift to a mode considering energy saving (power saving mode).

In addition, in the present embodiment, there is provided an operation mode including a first energy-saving mode in which the refrigerator main body 2 is operated in a state in which the power consumption of the refrigerator main body 2 is reduced compared with the normal mode, and the power consumption of the refrigerator body 2 is further reduced compared to the first energy-saving mode. The second energy-saving mode (refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 ) operates in a state where the power consumption is reduced. Thereby, a second energy saving mode that saves more power than the first energy saving mode is provided, and further energy saving can be achieved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 46 operates in the normal mode, and the detection of the human sensor 3, the operation of opening the freezer compartment door 21, the refrigerator compartment door 22, and the vegetable compartment door 23 (hereinafter, abbreviated as door opening operation) ), the operation of the dispenser 30, and the switch operation of the touch switch 70 including the refrigerator main body 2 are not detected for the first predetermined time, and the normal mode is shifted to the first energy-saving mode (see FIG. 9 ). Thereby, not only detecting the human detection sensor 3, but also detecting at least one of the door opening operation, the operation of the dispenser 30, and the switch operation of the touch switch 70 including the refrigerator main body 2 to determine whether to move to the first energy-saving mode, so that it can reliably It is determined that the refrigerator 1 is not used. In other words, it is also assumed that a person just passes in front of the refrigerator 1 without using the refrigerator 1 , so it is detected by a sensor different from the human detection sensor 3 to reliably determine whether the refrigerator 1 is operated. In addition, it is also assumed that the refrigerator 1 is operated without being detected by the human detection sensor 3 . Therefore, in the above case, it is also detected by a sensor other than the human detection sensor 3 to reliably determine that the refrigerator 1 is operated.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 46 detects that at least one of the door opening operation, the operation of the dispenser 30, and the switching operation of the touch switch 70 including the refrigerator main body 2 is performed during the operation of the first energy-saving mode. In the case of the operation, the first energy-saving mode (refer to FIG. 10 ) is released. Thus, when only detection by the human detection sensor 3 is performed, it cannot be determined that the refrigerator 1 has been reliably operated. In addition, there are cases where the refrigerator 1 is operated without being detected by the human detection sensor 3 . Even in this case, it can be reliably detected, so that the first energy-saving mode can be appropriately released.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 46 is in the operation process of the first energy-saving mode, in the detection of the human sensor 3, the operation of opening the door, the operation of the dispenser 30, and the switching operation of the touch switch 70 including the refrigerator main body 2. When the state in which neither is detected continues for a second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time, the first energy-saving mode is shifted to the second energy-saving mode (see FIG. 10 ). Thereby, the second energy-saving mode in which power consumption is further suppressed compared with the first energy-saving mode is set, and further energy saving can be realized. In addition, when the second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time has elapsed, the second energy-saving mode is set, in other words, it can be determined that the refrigerator 1 has not been used for a long time such as when the user goes out or sleeps. , and therefore it is possible to perform operation with further reduced power consumption.

In addition, in the present embodiment, when the control device 46 detects the human sensor 3 during the operation of the second energy saving mode, the second energy saving mode is canceled and the mode shifts to the first energy saving mode. (Refer to Figure 11). As a result, it is possible to predict that a person is moving around the refrigerator and using the refrigerator based on the detection of the human detection sensor 3 , so that the second energy-saving mode can be released in advance before the person actually uses the refrigerator. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a person from feeling that the refrigerator is not well cooled when using the refrigerator. In addition, when it is detected that at least one of the door opening operation, the operation of the dispenser 30, and the switch operation of the touch switch 70 of the refrigerator main body 2 is performed, the first energy-saving mode and the second energy-saving mode are canceled (see FIG. 11 ). ). Thereby, there is a case where the refrigerator 1 is operated without being detected by the human detection sensor 3, and even in this case, it can be reliably detected, and the 1st energy-saving mode and the 2nd energy-saving mode can be cancelled|released appropriately.

In addition, this invention is not limited to above-mentioned embodiment, Various changes are possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, in this embodiment, the case where the human detection sensor 3 is applied to the refrigerator 1 with the dispenser 30 is described as an example, but the human detection sensor 3 may be applied to a refrigerator without the dispenser 30 . In this case, the human detection sensor 3 may be installed on the upper part of the refrigerator main body 2, on a hinge portion between doors, or on a resin frame around the door. In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the light-emitting part 61a and the light-receiving part 61b (see FIG. 3 ) of the human detection sensor 3 are arranged side by side (see FIG. On the other hand, when it is difficult to secure the lateral width, the light emitting portion 61 a and the light receiving portion 61 b may be arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, in the second energy-saving mode, the case where the output of the defrosting heater 44 is lowered has been described as an example. The dew condensation prevention heater for preventing dew condensation by partitioning the vegetable compartment, the dew condensation and freeze prevention heater for preventing dew condensation and freezing in the water supply path in the dispenser 30, and the dew condensation prevention heater installed in the ice supply device 50 for freezing the motor The output of the heater and the like is lowered to achieve energy saving (power saving). The reason why the outputs of these heaters can be reduced is that the temperature inside the refrigerator of the freezer compartment 20 and the refrigerator compartment can be raised.

In addition, in this embodiment, although the case where the first energy-saving mode and the second energy-saving mode are provided has been described as an example, it is also possible to switch to three or more energy-saving modes.

Claims (10)

1. a refrigerator, is characterized in that, possesses:

Refrigerator main body, it has door in front; And

Force-feeling sensor, whether its detection has people in the above-mentioned front of above-mentioned refrigerator main body,

The surface of above-mentioned door is made up of glass,

Above-mentioned force-feeling sensor is arranged at the position of departing from from above-mentioned glass when observing in front.

2. refrigerator according to claim 1, is characterized in that,

The distributor for feedwater and/or ice is had in the outer setting of above-mentioned door,

Above-mentioned force-feeling sensor is positioned at the region configuring above-mentioned distributor.

3. refrigerator according to claim 2, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned distributor has the space becoming concave shape relative to the surface of above-mentioned door,

Above-mentioned force-feeling sensor is configured at the end face in above-mentioned space.

4. the refrigerator according to Claims 2 or 3, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned force-feeling sensor is configured at than discharging the part of above-mentioned water and/or ice more by the center side of above-mentioned refrigerator main body.

5. the refrigerator according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, is characterized in that,

Possess the control part of the operation mode controlling above-mentioned refrigerator main body,

Above-mentioned control part, based on the detected value of above-mentioned force-feeling sensor, controls above-mentioned operation mode.

6. refrigerator according to claim 5, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned operation mode has:

First energy saver mode, makes above-mentioned refrigerator main body operate with the state reducing consumes power than normal mode in the first energy saver mode; And

Second energy saver mode, reduce further the state running of consumes power than above-mentioned first energy saver mode in the second energy saver mode.

7. refrigerator according to claim 6, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned control part is in above-mentioned normal mode course of action, when the state that the detection of above-mentioned force-feeling sensor, the operation of opening above-mentioned door, the operation of above-mentioned distributor, the switching manipulation of above-mentioned refrigerator main body are not all detected continued for the first stipulated time, move to above-mentioned first energy saver mode from above-mentioned normal mode.

8. refrigerator according to claim 7, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned control part in the course of action of above-mentioned first energy saver mode, when detect the operation of having carried out opening above-mentioned door, the operation of above-mentioned distributor, the switching manipulation of above-mentioned refrigerator main body at least one operation, remove above-mentioned first energy saver mode.

9. refrigerator according to claim 7, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned control part is in the course of action of above-mentioned first energy saver mode, when the state that the detection of above-mentioned force-feeling sensor, the operation of opening above-mentioned door, the operation of above-mentioned distributor, the switching manipulation of above-mentioned refrigerator main body are not all detected continues second stipulated time longer than above-mentioned first stipulated time, move to above-mentioned second energy saver mode from above-mentioned first energy saver mode.

10. refrigerator according to claim 9, is characterized in that,

Above-mentioned control part in the course of action of above-mentioned second energy saver mode, when detect the operation of having carried out opening above-mentioned door, the operation of above-mentioned distributor, the switching manipulation of above-mentioned refrigerator main body at least one operation, remove above-mentioned second energy saver mode.