WO2015029521A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator (1) is provided with: a body section (2) having a storage compartment open at the front; a heat insulating door (15) supported pivotally on a vertical pivot support axis (C) by the body section (2) and opening and closing the front face of the storage compartment (5); and a lock mechanism (40) having a lever member (43), which is pivotable in a vertical plane, and mounted to either the body section (2) or the heat insulating door (15). The refrigerator (1) is configured so that, when the lock mechanism (40) vibrates, the front end of the lever member (43) moves vertically and locks the closed state of the heat insulating door (15). The lock mechanism (40) is disposed near the pivot support axis (C).

Description

refrigerator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a lock mechanism that locks a door when vibration such as an earthquake occurs.

A conventional lock mechanism that locks a door by vibration when an earthquake occurs to prevent the door from being opened is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This locking mechanism is attached to a storage shelf that is opened and closed by a door. The door is pivotally supported by vertical pivot shafts at the left and right ends of the storage shelf, and is formed in a one-end support type pivoting type. A lock mechanism is disposed at the open end of the door.

The lock mechanism has a housing that opens on the front surface, a sphere housed in the housing, and a lever member that is arranged in the housing and protrudes from the front surface of the housing. The lever member is pivotally supported by a horizontal rotation shaft on the housing and is disposed so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane. A protrusion (hook) bent downward is formed at the front end. The sphere is installed on the rear end of the lever member. The door is provided with an engaging portion (hook receiver) that can be engaged with the protruding portion.

When the sphere in the housing rolls due to the vibration of the earthquake and falls off the lever member, the front end of the lever member drops. Thereby, a protrusion part engages with an engaging part and a door is locked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the storage item from falling or colliding with the door when an earthquake occurs, and to improve the safety of the storage shelf.

Also, Patent Document 2 describes that a similar locking mechanism is provided in the refrigerator, and the safety of the refrigerator can be improved by locking the refrigerator door when an earthquake occurs.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-266664 (pages 3 to 7, FIGS. 1 and 9) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-349123 (2nd page, FIG. 5) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-250582 (pages 2 to 7, FIGS. 1 and 21)

A one-sided support-type rotary insulated door that opens and closes the front of the refrigerator storage room is filled with heat insulating material or stored in a storage pocket on the storage room side (for example, plastic bottles for beverages, dressing containers, milk, etc.) The weight increases due to the holding of the paper pack. For this reason, due to the use of the refrigerator over time, the heat insulation door is deformed by its own weight, and the heat insulation door is inclined due to wear of the hinge pins and bearings that form the pivot shaft, and the open end of the heat insulation door is lowered.

For this reason, according to the refrigerator provided with the conventional lock mechanism, the protrusion may not engage with the engaging portion when the front end of the lever member is lowered due to vibration. Therefore, when the earthquake occurs, the heat insulation door is opened without being locked, and there is a possibility that the stored item or the heat insulation door dropped from the storage chamber or the storage pocket collides with the human body.

This invention aims at providing the refrigerator which can lock a heat insulation door reliably at the time of an earthquake occurrence, and can improve safety | security.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a main body having a storage chamber having an open front surface, a heat insulating door that is pivotally supported by the main body with a vertical pivot shaft to open and close the front surface of the storage chamber, A lock mechanism that has a lever member that can rotate in a plane and is attached to one of the main body and the heat insulating door, and the front end of the lever member moves up and down when the lock mechanism vibrates. In the refrigerator that locks the closed state of the heat insulating door, the lock mechanism is arranged in the vicinity of the pivot shaft.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator having the above configuration, the lock mechanism is attached to the main body.

Further, according to the present invention, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, an engagement portion that extends in the left-right direction and engages with the front end of the lever member is provided at the upper end portion or the lower end portion of the heat insulating door.

In the refrigerator configured as described above, when the heat insulating door is opposed to the main body via a packing, the lock mechanism is disposed outside the pivot shaft, and the main body vibrates. A front end of the lever member enters a gap between the main body portion and the heat insulating door formed by the packing.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator configured as described above, a holding member that holds a hinge pin that forms the pivot shaft is provided, and the lock mechanism is attached to the holding member.

The refrigerator of the present invention is the refrigerator configured as described above, wherein the storage chamber is opened and closed by a plurality of the heat insulating doors arranged side by side, and the heat insulating doors are respectively supported by the pivot shafts at the left and right ends of the main body. The width of one of the heat insulating doors is pivotally larger than that of the other heat insulating door, the lock mechanism is disposed in the vicinity of the pivot shaft with respect to one of the heat insulating doors, and the other heat insulating door On the other hand, the lock mechanism is arranged at the end on the open side.

The present invention also includes a main body having a storage chamber having an upper front opening, a heat insulating door pivotally supported on the main body by a vertical pivot shaft to open and close the front of the storage chamber, and rotatable in a horizontal plane. And a lock mechanism attached to a side wall of the storage chamber or a side surface of the heat insulation door. The heat insulation door is moved by a front end of the lever member moving in the left-right direction when the lock mechanism vibrates. It is characterized by locking the closed state.

According to the present invention, since the front end of the lever member that is rotatable in the vertical plane moves up and down to lock the closed state of the heat insulating door, the lock mechanism is disposed in the vicinity of the pivot shaft of the heat insulating door. Even if the open end of the door is lowered, it is possible to reliably prevent the heat insulating door from opening. Therefore, the safety of the refrigerator can be improved.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing on the right side showing the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The right view of the upper part of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention The top view of the right part of the refrigerator of a 1st embodiment of the present invention. Side surface sectional view which shows the locking mechanism of the heat insulation door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the locking mechanism of the heat insulation door of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Cross section on the right side showing the normal state of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention Cross section on the right side showing the state of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention at the time of earthquake occurrence The front view which shows the refrigerator of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The top view of the right part of the refrigerator of 3rd Embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows operation | movement of the locking mechanism of the normal time of the refrigerator of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows operation | movement of the locking mechanism at the time of the earthquake occurrence of the refrigerator of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The front view which shows the refrigerator of 4th Embodiment of this invention. Top sectional drawing which shows the locking mechanism of the heat insulation door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator of 4th Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the locking mechanism of the heat insulation door of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator of 4th Embodiment of this invention.

<First Embodiment>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a front view and a right side sectional view showing the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has a main body 2 formed by a heat insulating box 3 filled with a foam heat insulating material. A refrigerator compartment 5 is provided at the upper part of the main body 2. Below the refrigerating room 5, an ice making room 6 and a freezing room 7 are juxtaposed side by side through a partition wall 11 filled with a heat insulating material. Between the ice making chamber 6 and the freezing chamber 7, there is provided a vertical partition (not shown) extending in the vertical direction and disposed at the front of the main body 2.

A freezer compartment 8 is provided below the ice making chamber 6 and the freezer compartment 7 through a partition 13 extending in the left and right directions disposed in the front part of the main body 2. Below the freezer compartment 8, a vegetable compartment 9 is provided via a partition wall 12 filled with a heat insulating material. A machine room 20 is provided at the lower rear of the heat insulating box 3.

Refrigerated room 5 stores stored items refrigerated, and vegetable room 9 maintains a higher temperature than refrigerated room 5 to store stored items such as vegetables refrigerated. The ice making room 6, the freezing room 7, and the freezing room 8 communicate with each other, and ice making and ice storage are performed in the ice making room 6, and stored items are stored frozen in the freezing rooms 7 and 8. A compressor 21 that operates the refrigeration cycle is disposed in the machine room 20.

The refrigerator compartment 5 is opened and closed by double-split heat-insulating doors 14 and 15 pivoted at the left and right ends, respectively. The width of the heat insulating door 15 covering the right side of the refrigerator compartment 5 is formed larger than the width of the heat insulating door 14 covering the left side (for example, 1.5 to 2 times). In addition, door pockets 14a and 15a (14a is not shown) are provided on the rear surfaces of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15, respectively. A configuration in which the left and right heat insulating doors 14 and 15 have the same lateral width is also possible.

The ice making chamber 6 is opened and closed by a drawer-type heat insulating door 16 integrated with an ice storage container (not shown). The freezer compartments 7 and 8 are opened and closed by drawer-type heat insulating doors 17 and 18 integrated with stored cases 17a and 18a, respectively. The vegetable compartment 9 is opened and closed by a drawer-type heat insulating door 19 integral with the storage case 19a.

The drawer type heat insulating doors 16 to 19 are provided with holding members (not shown) extending rearward from the left and right ends. The ice storage container and the storage cases 17a, 18a, and 19a are held by the left and right holding members. The holding member is provided with a roller and a sliding portion having a curved lower surface such as an arc. A rail member (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the inner wall of the heat insulating box 3, and the holding member is slid and guided on the rail member via the sliding portion. The sliding heat insulating doors 16 to 19 can be smoothly opened and closed by the sliding portion.

Further, the rail member is provided with a step portion for guiding the sliding portion obliquely downward in front of the position where the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 are closed. As a result, when the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 are closed, the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 are guided downward by descending on the stepped portion by their own weight. Therefore, the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 have a self-closing property, and the sealing properties of the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 can be improved.

The inside of the heat insulating doors 14 to 19 is filled with a foam heat insulating material, and a glass plate 37 (see FIG. 7) is arranged on the front surface for improving aesthetics and cleanability. Further, a packing 26 (see FIG. 3) that is in close contact with the front surface of the heat insulating box 3 is provided on the rear peripheral portions of the heat insulating doors 14 to 19.

A cold air passage 24 is provided in the back of the freezer compartments 7 and 8, and a cold air passage 25 communicating with the cold air passage 24 via a damper (not shown) is provided in the back of the refrigerator compartment 5. A cooler 22 and a blower 23 are arranged in the cool air passage 24, and a discharge port 24 a facing the freezer compartment 7 and a return port 24 b for returning cool air to the cooler 22 are opened. The cooler 22 is connected to the compressor 21 and generates cool air.

In the cold air passage 25, a discharge port 25a facing the refrigerator compartment 5 is opened, and a communication passage (not shown) communicating with the vegetable compartment 9 is led out from the refrigerator compartment 5. The vegetable compartment 9 is provided with a return port (not shown) for returning cool air to the cooler 22.

The air that flows through the cool air passage 24 by the drive of the compressor 21 and the blower 23 exchanges heat with the cooler 22 to generate cool air, which is discharged from the discharge port 24 a to the freezer compartment 7. The inside of the ice making chamber 6, the freezing chamber 7 and the freezing chamber 8 is cooled by the cold air discharged to the freezing chamber 7, and returns to the cooler 22 through the return port 24b. Thereby, the inside of the ice making room 6, the freezing room 7, and the freezing room 8 is maintained at a temperature lower than the freezing point.

Further, when the damper is opened, a part of the cold air flowing through the cold air passage 24 flows into the cold air passage 25 and is discharged to the refrigerator compartment 5 from the discharge port 25a. The inside of the refrigerator compartment 5 is cooled by the cold air discharged to the refrigerator compartment 5, and the inside of the refrigerator compartment 5 is maintained at a temperature higher than the freezing point. The cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment 5 flows into the vegetable compartment 9 through the communication path, and the vegetable compartment 9 is maintained at a higher temperature than the refrigerator compartment 5. The cold air that has circulated through the vegetable compartment 9 returns to the cooler 22 through the return port.

A holding member 30 is attached to the left and right ends of the top surface of the heat insulating box 3, and a holding member 31 is attached to the left and right ends of the front surface of the partition wall 11. The holding members 30 and 31 hold a hinge pin 32 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) that forms a pivot shaft C as will be described in detail later.

A lock mechanism 40 is attached to the upper surfaces of the left and right holding members 30 to lock the heat insulation doors 14 and 15 in a closed state by vibration and prevent them from being opened. A lock mechanism 50 that locks the closed state of the heat insulating doors 16 and 17 by vibration and prevents the opening is attached to the upper surface of the partition portion 13. The same locking mechanism 50 as that on the partition portion 13 is attached to the upper surface of the partition wall 12 and locks the closed state of the heat insulating door 18 by vibration. The same locking mechanism 50 as that on the partition portion 13 is attached to the upper surface of the bottom wall of the heat insulating box 3, and the closed state of the heat insulating door 19 is locked by vibration.

3 and 4 show a right side view of the upper part of the refrigerator 1 and a top view of the right part. The holding member 30 is formed of a metal plate and is screwed to the upper surface of the heat insulating box 3. The holding member 31 (see FIG. 1) is similarly formed of a metal plate and is screwed to the front surface of the partition wall 11 (see FIG. 1).

The holding members 30 and 31 protrude forward from the heat insulating box 3 and hold a metal hinge pin 32 extending in the vertical direction. Bearing portions 33 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the heat insulating door 15, and the hinge pin 32 is pivotally supported by the bearing portion 33 to form a vertical pivot shaft C (see FIG. 1) of the heat insulating door 15. The heat insulating door 14 also has a vertical pivot shaft C formed by the hinge pin 32 with the same configuration.

The lock mechanism 40 is displaced to the open end side of the heat insulating door 15 with respect to the hinge pin 32 and screwed onto the holding member 30. Accordingly, the lock mechanism 40 is disposed in the vicinity of the hinge pin 32 that forms the pivot shaft C.

A bar-shaped engaging portion 35 extending in the left-right direction is provided on the upper surface of the heat insulating door 15 so as to face the lock mechanism 40. The bearing portion 33 and the engaging portion 35 are integrally formed by an upper surface cover 36 (see FIG. 7) of a resin molded product that covers the upper surface of the heat insulating door 15.

The lock mechanism 40 is positioned on the holding member 30 by positioning pins (not shown). Since the holding member 30 is formed of a metal plate, the lock mechanism 40 is accurately positioned at a predetermined position on the main body 2. Since the engaging portion 35 is disposed in the vicinity of the bearing portion 33 and is integrally formed, the engaging portion 35 is accurately arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the bearing portion 33. For this reason, the relative positional accuracy of the lock mechanism 40 and the engaging part 35 can be maintained high.

In addition, the locking mechanism 40 is similarly screwed on the holding member 30 that pivotally supports the heat insulating door 14 and is disposed in the vicinity of the hinge pin 32 that forms the pivot shaft C. Further, a bar-shaped engagement portion 35 extending in the left-right direction is provided on the upper surface of the heat insulating door 14 so as to face the lock mechanism 40.

FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view of the lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 of the refrigerator compartment 5. The lock mechanism 40 has a hollow housing 41 made of a resin molded product disposed on the holding member 30. The housing 41 has an opening 41 a on the front surface, and an inner bottom surface 41 b is formed in a conical surface having a lower end at the front of the housing 41. A lever member 43 that protrudes from the opening 41a and extends in the front-rear direction to the housing 41 is pivotally supported by a shaft portion 43a that forms a horizontal rotation shaft. Thereby, the lever member 43 can be rotated in the vertical plane. At the front end of the lever member 43, a hook-like protrusion 43b bent downward is provided.

A sphere 42 made of metal or the like is disposed on the bottom surface 41 b in the housing 41. The sphere 42 is normally disposed at the lower end of the bottom surface 41b of the conical surface. At this time, the lever member 43 is disposed so that the rear part is lowered by its own weight.

When the lock mechanism 40 vibrates, the sphere 42 rolls on the bottom surface 41b of the housing 41, moves in a direction away from the shaft portion 43a as shown by a one-dot chain line 42 ', and is arranged at the rear portion of the housing 41. As a result, the lever member 43 is lifted at the rear by the sphere 42 as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line 43 ', and the front end is lowered. When the vibration is finished, the spherical body 42 is arranged at the lower end of the bottom surface 41 b by gravity, and the front end of the lever member 43 is raised by the weight of the lever member 43.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the lock mechanism 50 of the heat insulating doors 16 to 19. The lock mechanism 50 has a hollow casing 51 made of a resin molded product disposed on the upper surface of the partition wall 12 and the like. The housing 51 has an opening 51 a on the front surface, and an inner bottom surface 51 b is formed in a conical surface having a lower end at the rear of the housing 51. A lever member 53 that protrudes forward from the opening 51a and extends forward and backward is pivotally supported on the housing 51 by a shaft portion 53a that forms a horizontal rotation shaft. Thereby, the lever member 53 can be rotated in a vertical plane. At the front end of the lever member 53, a hook-like protrusion 53b bent upward is provided.

A sphere 52 made of metal or the like is disposed on the bottom surface 51 b in the housing 51. The sphere 52 is normally disposed at the lower end of the conical bottom surface 51b. At this time, the lever member 53 is arranged so that the front part is lowered by its own weight.

When the lock mechanism 50 vibrates, the sphere 52 rolls on the bottom surface 51b of the housing 51, moves in a direction away from the shaft portion 53a as shown by a one-dot chain line 52 ', and is arranged at the front portion of the housing 51. As a result, the front end of the lever member 53 is lifted by the sphere 52 as shown by a one-dot chain line 53 '. When the vibration is finished, the sphere 52 is arranged at the lower end of the bottom surface 51 b by gravity, and the front end of the lever member 53 is lowered by the weight of the lever member 53.

7 and 8 are right side cross-sectional views of the upper portion of the refrigerator 1 and show a cross section passing through the lock mechanism 40. As shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 43 b provided at the front end of the lever member 43 of the lock mechanism 40 is disposed above the engagement portion 35 in a normal state. Thereby, the heat insulation doors 14 and 15 can be opened and closed.

When an earthquake occurs, the vibration of the main body 2 is transmitted to the lock mechanism 40, the lock mechanism 40 vibrates, and the front end of the lever member 43 is lowered. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, even if the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 start to open, the closed state is locked by the engagement between the protruding portion 43 b and the engaging portion 35, and the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 are prevented from being opened.

Also, the lock mechanism 50 operates in the same manner as the lock mechanism 40. That is, a bar-shaped engaging portion (not shown) extending in the left-right direction similar to the engaging portion 35 is provided on the back surface of the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 so as to face the lock mechanism 50. In normal times, the protruding portion 53b provided at the front end of the lever member 53 of the lock mechanism 50 is disposed below the engaging portion. Thereby, the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 can be opened and closed.

When an earthquake occurs, the vibration of the main body 2 is transmitted to the lock mechanism 50, the lock mechanism 50 vibrates, and the front end of the lever member 53 rises. As a result, even when the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 start to open, the closed state is locked by the engagement between the protruding portion 53b and the engaging portion, and the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 are prevented from being opened.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from colliding with the opened heat insulating doors 14 to 19 or the stored items dropped by opening the heat insulating doors 14 and 15, and the user. At this time, the lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 is disposed in the vicinity of the hinge pin 32 that forms the pivot shaft C. For this reason, even if the open ends of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 are lowered due to use over time, the protruding portion 43 b can be engaged with the engaging portion 35. Thereby, opening of the heat insulation doors 14 and 15 can be prevented reliably.

Especially, since the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 have the glass plate 37, the weight is large, and the amount of lowering of the open end due to aging is large. However, by disposing the lock mechanism 40 in the vicinity of the pivot shaft C, it is possible to reliably prevent the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 from being opened.

Further, the lock mechanism 50 of the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 is covered with an ice storage case or storage cases 17a to 19a. Thereby, the beauty | look of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

According to this embodiment, the lock mechanism 40 that locks the closed state of the heat-insulating doors 14 and 15 by lowering the front end of the lever member 43 that can rotate in the vertical plane is located near the pivot shaft C of the heat-insulating doors 14 and 15. Is arranged. For this reason, even if the open ends of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 are lowered due to aging, the protruding portion 43b can be engaged with the engaging portion 35. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 from being opened and improve the safety of the refrigerator 1.

Moreover, since the engaging part 35 extended in the left-right direction and engaged with the protrusion part 43b of the front end of the lever member 43 was provided in the upper end part of the heat insulation doors 14 and 15, engagement with the protrusion part 43b and the engagement part 35 is provided. Can easily prevent the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 from being opened.

Further, since the lock mechanism 40 is attached to the holding member 30 that holds the hinge pin 32, the lock mechanism 40 can be easily arranged in the vicinity of the pivot shaft C.

In this embodiment, the lock mechanism 50 of the heat insulating doors 16 to 19 may be provided on the holding member 31 in place of the lock mechanism 40, and the engaging portion 35 may be provided at the lower end of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15. Alternatively, the protrusions 43b and 53b of the lever members 43 and 53 may be formed in a bar shape extending left and right, and the engaging portion (35 etc.) may be formed in a hook shape.

Second Embodiment
Next, FIG. 9 has shown the front view of the refrigerator 1 of 2nd Embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulating door 14 is different from that of the first embodiment. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Since the locking mechanism 40 of the heat insulating door 15 is disposed in the vicinity of the pivot shaft C as in the first embodiment, the heat insulating door 15 can be reliably locked even if the open end is lowered due to aging.

The lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulation door 14 is attached to the ceiling surface of the main body 2 and is disposed at the end of the heat insulation door 14 on the open side. Since the heat insulation door 14 having a narrower width than the heat insulation door 15 is less likely to be deformed by its own weight or inclined due to wear of the hinge pin 32 (see FIG. 6), the fall of the open end due to use over time is small. For this reason, even if it arrange | positions the locking mechanism 40 in the edge part of the open side of the heat insulation door 14, the heat insulation door 14 can be reliably locked at the time of the occurrence of an earthquake.

At this time, since the locking mechanism 40 of the heat insulating door 14 is separated from the pivot shaft C, the force received from the heat insulating door 14 to be opened is small. Therefore, the lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulating door 14 can be downsized to reduce the cost of the refrigerator 1.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, FIG. 10 has shown the top view of the right part of the refrigerator 1 of 3rd Embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 and the shape of the lever member 43 are different from those of the first embodiment. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulation door 15 is attached to the holding member 30 and is arranged outside the pivot shaft C (see FIG. 1) formed by the hinge pins 32. Similarly, the lock mechanism 40 of the heat insulating door 14 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the holding member 30 and arranged outside the pivot shaft C.

FIG. 11 shows a right side cross-sectional view through the lock mechanism 40 at the top of the refrigerator 1. A gap S is formed by the packing 26 between the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 and the front surface of the heat insulating box 3. The protrusion 43 b provided at the front end of the lever member 43 of the lock mechanism 40 is formed in a flat plate shape and has a width in the front-rear direction that can enter the gap S.

As shown in the figure, the protrusion 43b provided at the front end of the lever member 43 of the lock mechanism 40 is disposed above the upper surfaces of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 in the normal state. Thereby, the heat insulation doors 14 and 15 can be opened and closed.

When an earthquake occurs, the vibration of the main body 2 is transmitted to the lock mechanism 40 and the lock mechanism 40 vibrates, and the front end of the lever member 43 is lowered as shown in FIG. Thereby, the protrusion 43b enters the gap S outside the pivot shaft C, the closed state of the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 is locked, and the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 are prevented from being opened. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

The locking mechanism 50 shown in FIG. 6 is formed with a protruding portion 53b in the same manner as the protruding portion 43b of the present embodiment, and the holding member 31 below the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 is replaced with the locking mechanism 40 (see FIG. 1). ).

In the first to third embodiments, the heat insulating doors 14 and 15 may be provided with the holding members 30 and 31 of the hinge pin 32, and the main body 2 may be provided with the bearing portion 33. At this time, the lock mechanism 40 can be disposed in the vicinity of the pivot shaft C by attaching the lock mechanism 40 to the bearing portion 33.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, FIG. 13 has shown the front view of the refrigerator 1 of 4th Embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, the heat insulation door 15 is formed in a single opening without the heat insulation door 14 (see FIG. 1) of the refrigerator compartment 5. Further, a lock mechanism 60 is provided for the heat insulating door 15 instead of the lock mechanism 40 (see FIG. 1). Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerator compartment 5, a freezer compartment 8, and a vegetable compartment 9 in order from the top of the main body 2, and is opened and closed by heat insulating doors 15, 18, and 19, respectively. The heat insulating door 15 has a pivot shaft C formed by hinge pins 32 held by holding members 30 and 31 provided at the right end of the main body 2.

The lock mechanism 60 is attached to the upper part of the left side wall of the refrigerator compartment 5 which is the open end of the heat insulating door 15. A bar-shaped engaging portion 35 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) extending in the vertical direction is provided on the left side surface of the heat insulating door 15.

14 and 15 show a top sectional view and a side sectional view of the locking mechanism 60. FIG. The lock mechanism 60 has a hollow casing 61 made of a resin molded product disposed on the side wall of the refrigerator compartment 5. The housing 61 has an opening 61 a at the front surface, and an inner bottom surface 61 b is formed in a conical surface having a lower end at the front of the housing 61. Further, the right side surface 61c inside the housing 61 is formed as an inclined surface whose rear side is inclined leftward.

A lever member 63 that projects from the opening 61a and extends forward and backward is pivotally supported on the housing 61 by a shaft portion 63a that forms a vertical rotation shaft. Thereby, the lever member 63 is rotatable in a horizontal plane. At the front end of the lever member 63, a hook-shaped protrusion 63b bent rightward is provided.

A sphere 62 made of metal or the like is disposed on the bottom surface 61 b in the housing 61. The sphere 62 is normally disposed at the lower end of the bottom surface 61b of the conical surface. At this time, the protruding portion 63b of the lever member 53 is arranged on the left side of the engaging portion 35 by the biasing of an elastic member (not shown). Thereby, the heat insulation door 15 can be opened and closed.

When the vibration of the main body 2 is transmitted to the lock mechanism 60 due to the occurrence of an earthquake and the lock mechanism 60 vibrates, the sphere 62 rolls on the bottom surface 61 b of the housing 61. As a result, the sphere 62 moves in the direction away from the shaft portion 63a as shown by the alternate long and short dash line 62 'and is arranged at the rear portion of the housing 61. At this time, the sphere 62 moves to the left along the right side surface 61c, and the lever member 63 rotates the front end to the right as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line 63 '. As a result, the protruding portion 63 b engages with the engaging portion 35. Thereby, even if the heat insulation door 15 begins to open, a closed state is locked by engagement with the protrusion part 63b and the engaging part 35, and opening | release of the heat insulation door 15 is blocked | prevented.

When the vibration is finished, the sphere 62 is arranged at the lower end of the bottom surface 61b by gravity, and the front end of the lever member 63 is moved to the left by the elastic member.

According to the present embodiment, the lock mechanism 60 is provided in which the front end of the lever member 63 that is rotatable in a horizontal plane moves in the left-right direction to lock the closed state of the heat insulating door 15. For this reason, even if the open end of the heat insulation door 15 descends due to use over time, the protrusion 63b can engage with the engagement portion 35 and the heat insulation door 15 can be locked. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the heat insulating door 15 from being opened and to improve the safety of the refrigerator 1.

Further, since the engaging portion 35 that extends in the vertical direction and engages with the protruding portion 63b at the front end of the lever member 63 is provided on the side surface of the heat insulating door 15, it is easy to engage with the protruding portion 63b and the engaging portion 35. Opening of the heat insulating door 15 can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the protrusion 63b is formed in the same manner as the protrusion 43b of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 11 described above, and the lock mechanism 60 is attached to the right side wall of the refrigerator compartment 5 which is the pivot side of the heat insulating door 15. May be. Further, the protruding portion 63b of the lever member 63 may be formed in a bar shape, and the engaging portion 35 may be formed in a hook shape.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the lever members 43, 53, 63 of the lock mechanisms 40, 50, 60 are rotated by the rolling of the spherical bodies 42, 52, 62. You may rotate by rocking | fluctuating the weight which supported one end.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the lock mechanisms 40, 50, 60 are provided on the upper and lower ends and side surfaces of the heat insulating doors 14-19 in place of the main body 2, and the lever members 43, 53, 63 are provided when vibration is generated. May engage the main body 2.

The present invention can be used for a refrigerator provided with a lock mechanism for locking a door when an earthquake occurs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Main body part 3 Heat insulation box 4, 10 Heat insulation material 5 Refrigeration room 6 Ice making room 7, 8 Freezing room 9 Vegetable room 11, 12 Partition wall 13 Partition part 14-19 Heat insulation door 15a Door pocket 17a-19a Storage case 20 Machine room 21 Compressor 22 Cooler 23 Blower 24, 25 Cooling air passage 26 Packing 30, 31 Holding member 32 Hinge pin 33 Bearing portion 35 Engaging portion 36 Top cover 40, 50, 60 Lock mechanism 41, 51, 61 Housing 42, 52, 62 Sphere 43, 53, 63 Lever member 43b, 53b, 63b Projection

Claims (6)

A main body having a storage chamber with an open front surface, a heat insulating door pivotally supported by the main body with a vertical pivot shaft to open and close the front surface of the storage chamber, and a lever member that can be rotated in a vertical plane. And a lock mechanism attached to one of the main body and the heat insulating door, and when the lock mechanism vibrates, the front end of the lever member moves up and down to lock the closed state of the heat insulating door. A refrigerator, wherein the lock mechanism is disposed in the vicinity of the pivot shaft. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism is attached to the main body. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein an engagement portion that extends in a left-right direction and engages with a front end of the lever member is provided at an upper end portion or a lower end portion of the heat insulating door. The heat insulating door is opposed to the main body through a packing, the lock mechanism is disposed outside the pivot shaft, and the front end of the lever member is formed by the packing when the main body vibrates. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerator enters a gap between the main body and the heat insulating door. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a holding member holding a hinge pin that forms the pivot shaft, wherein the lock mechanism is attached to the holding member. The storage chamber is opened and closed by a plurality of the heat insulating doors arranged side by side, and the heat insulating doors are pivotally supported by the pivot shafts at the left and right ends of the main body, respectively. The lock mechanism is disposed in the vicinity of the pivot shaft with respect to one of the heat insulation doors, and the lock mechanism is disposed at an open end with respect to the other heat insulation door. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the refrigerator is characterized.

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