KR20100062674A - Refrigerator including assistant equiment for opening the door - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerator including a door opening device includes a signal input unit including a body frame and a door and receiving a door opening signal from a user to generate a control signal; And a door opening device receiving the control signal from the signal input unit to help open the door of the refrigerator by separating the door of the refrigerator from the main body of the refrigerator by a predetermined distance.

According to the present invention, the convenience of the user of the refrigerator can easily open the door of the refrigerator, and the simple design makes it possible to add a door opening aid while maintaining the design of the existing refrigerator. In addition, even if the door is more closely adhered to increase the refrigerating power of the refrigerator, the door of the refrigerator can be easily opened by the door opening device, so there is no inconvenience in using the refrigerator.

Description

Refrigerator including door opening aids {Refrigerator including assistant equiment for opening the door}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator including a door opening auxiliary device, and more particularly, to a refrigerator including an auxiliary device which helps to easily open the refrigerator door by separating the sealed door from the refrigerator body at a predetermined interval. It is about.

The refrigerator's refrigerating compartment (which naturally includes the freezer compartment) operates in a closed state when the door of the refrigerator is closed. When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment is lowered by the cold air supplied by the cooler, a pressure difference occurs between the space inside the refrigerating compartment and the external space. This pressure difference is one factor that makes it difficult to open the door of the refrigerator.

Another factor that makes it difficult to open the door of the refrigerator is that the door of the refrigerator and the body of the refrigerator are tightly attached by a magnet. That is, the door of the refrigerator and the main body of the refrigerator are kept closed by using a gasket, and the magnet is included in the gasket to maintain a close state by magnetic force.

In addition, another factor that makes it difficult to open the door of the refrigerator is that the refrigerator door is enlarged due to the recent trend of enlargement of the refrigerator. The door of a large sized refrigerator is not only heavy, but also the door of the refrigerator is used as a storage space, and thus, when various foods are stored, it is additionally difficult to open the door of the refrigerator due to its weight.

In particular, it is not only difficult for children or the elderly to open the door of the refrigerator, but also if the door of the refrigerator does not open well and the door of the refrigerator is pulled with too strong force, the door of the refrigerator opens at a high speed, which may lead to an accident. have.

This problem is equally present in a drawer type kimchi refrigerator, a mixed type (if both a case opening type and a drawer type) stand type kimchi refrigerator as well as a sliding type household refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having an auxiliary device for easily opening a door of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator including a door opening assistance device includes a body frame and a door and receives a door opening signal from a user to generate a control signal; And a door opening device receiving the control signal from the signal input unit to help open the door of the refrigerator by separating the door of the refrigerator from the main body of the refrigerator by a predetermined distance.

The signal input unit may be any one of a touch switch, a button, and a touch sensing center, and the signal input unit may further include a timer for generating the control signal only when it is longer than a predetermined time by measuring the duration of the door opening signal. It may include.

In addition, the signal input unit may be located on a door handle of the refrigerator.

The door opening device spaces the door of the refrigerator at predetermined intervals, and then returns to its original position after a predetermined time elapses.

In addition, the door opening device may be installed in the body of the refrigerator, the cylinder; A piston inserted into the cylinder to protrude outwardly from the cylinder to space the main body of the refrigerator and the door at predetermined intervals; And a linear motor connected to the piston to move the piston.

The piston further includes a first shock absorbing member that prevents mechanical scratches upon contact with the door of the refrigerator, and the door further includes a second shock absorbing member, wherein the second shock absorbing member is a first shock absorbing member of the piston. Is located at the point of contact with the door of the refrigerator.

The linear motor moves the piston to space the door of the refrigerator at a predetermined interval and then returns the piston to its original position before the door of the refrigerator is closed again.

The door opening device may be installed in the door or the main body of the refrigerator, and a plurality of the door opening devices may exist in the main body of the refrigerator, and may correspond to the upper and lower positions of the door of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator may be any one of a case-type refrigerator, a drawer-type refrigerator, and a hybrid refrigerator in which both case-cases and drawers are present.

The door opening device comprises a cam; And when the control signal is input from the signal input unit may include a rotating motor to rotate the cam to space the door of the refrigerator from the main body of the refrigerator at a predetermined interval.

The refrigerator including the door opening aid according to the present embodiment provides a convenience that a user of the refrigerator can easily open the door of the refrigerator. The simple design also allows the addition of door opening aids while maintaining the design of existing refrigerators. In addition, even if the door is more closely adhered to increase the refrigerating power of the refrigerator, the door of the refrigerator can be easily opened by the door opening device, so there is no inconvenience in using the refrigerator.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. In the description of the present invention, the names of the elements defined are defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, and should not be understood as meanings that limit the technical elements of the present invention. May be referred to by other names in the art.

In addition, the code added to each component is described for convenience of description, and the contents shown in the drawings in which these codes are described do not limit each component to the range in the drawing. In addition, as long as the functional similarity and identity thereof, even if the modified embodiment is adopted, it can be seen as an equivalent configuration, and even if the embodiment in which the modified part of the configuration is employed, it can be seen as an equivalent configuration.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a sliding refrigerator including a door opening assistance device according to the present embodiment. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a drawer type refrigerator including a door opening assistance device according to another embodiment. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator including each door opening assistance device includes a door opening device 110 and a signal input unit 120. Here, the door opening assistance device is to include the door opening device 110 and the signal input unit 120.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the opening and closing refrigerators and the drawer-type refrigerators include the refrigerator bodies 140 and 240 and the doors 130 and 230 of the refrigerator.

The door opening device 110 is a device that separates the main body 140 and 240 of the refrigerator from the doors 130 and 230 of the refrigerator at predetermined intervals, and may be installed in the main body 140 and 240 of the refrigerator or the doors 130 and 230 of the refrigerator. have. The structure of the door opening device 110 is mentioned later.

The signal input unit 120 may receive a door opening signal from a user of the refrigerator, and may be implemented in various ways such as a touch switch, a button, and a touch detection sensor. The signal input unit 120 is preferably provided at a handle located on the door of the refrigerator, and preferably a position where the user automatically touches the door when the user grabs the door of the refrigerator by hand.

3 is a diagram illustrating a position where a signal input unit is provided according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, a signal input unit 120 is provided at a place where a finger is positioned on a handle of the refrigerator door (see 120-1) or at a place where a finger is automatically touched (see 120-2).

The signal input unit 120 may include a timer (not shown). The timer checks the duration of the door open signal input through the signal input unit 120 to generate a control signal only when the signal continues for a predetermined time or more. Such a timer may serve to prevent a case where the door of the refrigerator is inadvertently opened when the user of the refrigerator inputs a signal to the signal input unit 120 inadvertently or inadvertently. The timer is an element that can be selectively included in view of the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator.

4 is a view showing the configuration of a door opening device according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, the door opening device 110 includes a motor 410, a connecting shaft 420, a piston 430, a cylinder 440, and a first shock absorbing member 450.

The motor 410 serves as a power source for the linear motion of the piston, and a moving magnetic field motor suitable for the linear motor is preferable. The moving magnetic field motor includes a reluctance synchronous motor, a VR type stepping motor, a DC brushless motor, a PM type or an HB type stepping motor, a timing motor (inductor type synchronous motor), a permanent magnet synchronous motor, an electromagnet rotor type motor, an induction motor. And hysteresis motors. What is necessary is just to select suitably in consideration of the manufacturing cost of a refrigerator among these motors, ie, a linear motor.

The cylinder 440 forms a space for the reciprocating motion of the piston 430, and may be made of, for example, a cylindrical metal material or a plastic material. The piston 430 is provided in the inner space formed by the cylinder 440.

The piston 430 includes a first shock absorbing member 450 at one end which comes into contact with the refrigerator door, and a connecting shaft 420 which is connected to the motor 410 is connected at one end of the piston 430. The connecting shaft 420 may be configured in various forms. The first shock absorbing member 450 is to prevent mechanical flaws from occurring when the piston 430 and the refrigerator door contact each other, and may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. The second buffer member 610 may be present at the point where the first buffer member 450 contacts the door 130 of the refrigerator (see FIG. 6). The second shock absorbing member 610 is located at the door 130 of the refrigerator, and the material may be the same as the first shock absorbing member 450.

The door opening device 110 is preferably configured in a module form so that it can be easily mounted on the main body of the refrigerator, and a plurality of door opening devices 110 may be disposed and used at various positions according to the size of the refrigerator door.

5 is a view showing the configuration of a door opening device according to another embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, the door opening device includes a cam 510, a rotation motor 520, and a rotation shaft 530.

The cam 510 is a device for converting a rotational motion into a reciprocating motion, and is connected to the rotational motor 520 through the rotation shaft 530. Since the shape of the cam is not a perfect circle and a portion of the cam is protruding from the arc, the protruding portion may contact the door of the refrigerator to separate the door of the refrigerator from the main body of the refrigerator by a predetermined distance.

The rotation motor 520 rotates the cam 510 once when a control signal is input from the signal input unit 120. The rotary motor may use, for example, a commutator-type motor such as a DC motor, a universal motor.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a sliding refrigerator installed with a door opening assistance device according to the present embodiment. 7 is a perspective view of a drawer-type refrigerator with a door opening aid according to another embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the drawer-type refrigerator with a door opening aid according to another embodiment.

6 to 8, in the case of a sliding refrigerator, a plurality of door opening devices 110 may be installed above and below the refrigerator door (see FIG. 6). The plurality of door opening devices 110 may be operated at the same time. In addition, the drawer-type refrigerator may be installed and used at a position corresponding to the rear edge of the drawer (see FIG. 7) or the front edge of the drawer for storing the refrigerated product (see FIG. 8).

9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the refrigerator including the door opening assistance device according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, first, a door opening signal is received from a user of a refrigerator through a signal input unit 120 (S91). That is, when the user of the refrigerator touches the signal input unit 120 (eg, a touch switch), the door open signal is input, and the signal input unit 120 sends the door open signal to the timer.

The door opening signal is input to a timer, and the timer checks the duration of the door opening signal (S92). If the door opening signal continues for a predetermined time, the timer generates a control signal for operating the linear motor 410 of the door opening device 110 and provides it to the linear motor 410 (S93).

When the control signal is input from the timer of the signal input unit 120, the linear motor 410 of the door opening device 110 pushes the piston 430 enough to space the door of the refrigerator (S94). Once the door of the refrigerator is spaced apart from the main body of the refrigerator at a slight interval, the air flows into the refrigerator, so that the pressure inside the refrigerator is equal to the pressure outside the refrigerator, so that the door of the refrigerator is easily opened.

When the first shock absorbing member attached to the piston 430 pushes the second shock absorbing member attached to the door of the refrigerator and the door of the refrigerator opens at a predetermined interval, the linear motor 410 returns the piston after a predetermined time elapses. 430 to pull back to the original position (S95). It is preferable that the predetermined time is a short time so as not to interfere with closing the door of the refrigerator.

When the timer is not included in the door opening device 110, the signal input unit 120 functions as a simple switch, and the door opening device 110 operates by only one touch of the user, so that the door of the refrigerator is opened in the main body of the refrigerator. Will be opened. Then, after a predetermined time passes, the door opening device 110 returns to its original position so that the door of the refrigerator is not blocked.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a sliding refrigerator including a door opening assistance device according to the present embodiment.

2 is a perspective view schematically showing a drawer type refrigerator including a door opening assistance device according to another embodiment.

3 is a diagram illustrating a position where a signal input unit is provided according to the present embodiment.

4 is a view showing the configuration of a door opening device according to the present embodiment.

5 is a view showing the configuration of a door opening device according to another embodiment.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a sliding refrigerator installed with a door opening assistance device according to the present embodiment.

7 is a perspective view of a drawer-type refrigerator with a door opening assistance device according to another embodiment.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a drawer-type refrigerator with a door opening assistance device according to another embodiment.

9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the refrigerator including the door opening assistance device according to the present embodiment.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

110: door opening device 120: signal input unit

130: door of the refrigerator 140: the body of the refrigerator

Claims (12)

A refrigerator having a body frame and a door, A signal input unit configured to receive a door open signal from a user and generate a control signal; And And a door opening assistance device including a door opening device for receiving the control signal from the signal input unit to facilitate opening of the door of the refrigerator by separating the door of the refrigerator from the main body of the refrigerator by a predetermined distance. The method of claim 1, And the signal input unit is provided at a handle located at a door of the refrigerator, and includes a touch switch, a button, and a touch detection sensor. The method of claim 1, And the signal input unit further includes a timer measuring the duration of the door opening signal to generate the control signal only when the signal is longer than a predetermined time. The method of claim 1, And the door opening device spaces the doors of the refrigerator at predetermined intervals, and returns to its original position after a predetermined time has elapsed. According to claim 4, The door opening device is installed in the body of the refrigerator, cylinder; A piston inserted into the cylinder to protrude outwardly from the cylinder to space the main body and the door of the upper refrigerator at predetermined intervals; And And a linear motor connected to the piston to move the piston. The method of claim 5, And the piston further comprises a first cushioning member for preventing mechanical scratches upon contact with the door of the refrigerator. The method of claim 6, A refrigerator further comprising a second cushioning member in the door of the refrigerator, wherein the second buffer member is located at a point where the first buffer member of the piston is in contact with the door of the refrigerator. . The method of claim 7, wherein And the linear motor moves the piston to space the door of the refrigerator at a predetermined interval, and then returns the piston to its original position after a predetermined time has elapsed. The method of claim 1, And the door opening device is installed on the door or the main body. The method of claim 1, A plurality of door opening device is present in the main body of the refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a door opening auxiliary device, characterized in that present corresponding to the upper and lower positions of the door of the refrigerator. The method of claim 1, The refrigerator includes a door-opening refrigerator, a drawer-type refrigerator and any one of a combination refrigerator including both a case and a drawer. The method of claim 1, wherein the door opening device cam; And And a rotation motor which rotates the cam so that the door of the refrigerator is spaced apart from the main body of the refrigerator by a predetermined interval when the control signal is input from the signal input unit.

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