Touch module for realizing function of controlling automatic door opening of refrigerator

Abstract

The invention discloses a touch module for realizing a function of controlling a refrigerator to automatically open a door, which comprises a refrigerator body and a touch module body, the touch module body is embedded in a groove on the side wall of a refrigerator door on the outer side of the refrigerator body, and a first touch area and a second touch area are arranged on the outer side of the touch module body. According to the refrigerator, the touch module body is embedded in the groove in the side wall of the refrigerator door on the outer side of the refrigerator body, the two hands are liberated, when the door is inconvenient to open by holding objects with the two hands, only the back of the hand or other parts need to touch the touch module slightly, and the touch module can be conveniently opened. When food materials are prepared, the refrigerator door can be automatically opened, cross contamination can be avoided, when the food materials are prepared, raw fish meat juice or bacteria are possibly held by hands, the hands do not directly make contact with the refrigerator door, the refrigerator can be prevented from being contaminated by dirt, and the refrigerator is kept clean.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigerator door opening touch module technology, specifically a touch module for controlling the automatic opening function of a refrigerator door. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of people's living standards, refrigerators have become an indispensable household appliance for countless families. Currently, the vast majority of refrigerators on the market use a traditional manual door opening method for food access. Manual opening can be inconvenient in some situations, such as when the user is holding items, has dirty or wet hands, making it difficult to open the door. Furthermore, the magnetic seals and hinges (more pronounced in built-in refrigerators) of traditional manual refrigerators make opening the door difficult, resulting in a poor user experience. In these situations, automatic door refrigerators effectively solve these problems. They enable "non-contact" or "touch" opening, overcome the resistance of manual opening, and enhance the intelligence of the appliance.

[0003] A prior art application with application number 202010392049.1 describes a knock-activated automatic door refrigerator, which includes a refrigerator body and a door pivotally connected to the refrigerator body. A knocking module installed on the door senses vibration signals on the door and sends them to a control board electrically connected to the knocking module. The control board determines whether it is a preset knocking vibration. If it is a preset knocking vibration, it controls the automatic door opening device to automatically open the door. The knock-activated automatic door refrigerator of this invention has an automated door opening mechanism, which is convenient for users to open the door. However, it requires a certain amount of force to knock, which is inconvenient to operate, and the sensing area cannot be covered for protection when not in use. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a touch module for controlling the automatic opening function of a refrigerator, so as to solve the problems of existing technologies that require a certain amount of force to strike, are inconvenient to operate, and cannot cover and protect the sensing area when not in use.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a touch module for controlling the automatic opening function of a refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body and a touch module body, wherein the touch module body is embedded in a groove in the side wall of the refrigerator door on the outside of the refrigerator body, and a first touch area and a second touch area are provided on the outside of the touch module body, and a protective cover is elastically slidably provided in the groove by a support rod and a spring, and the protective cover can completely cover the outside of the touch module body.

[0006] Furthermore, the touch module body includes an outer shell, and a PCB control board is provided inside the outer shell. The PCB control board has a touch-enabled MCU, a power input socket, an LDO power module, and a touch panel soldering pad on one side.

[0007] Furthermore, a small touch panel is provided on one side of the touch panel welding plate. The small touch panel is configured as a T-shaped plate, and a first touch surface and a second touch surface are provided on the outer side of the small touch panel.

[0008] Furthermore, an electromagnet is provided on the top wall of the groove, and a metal plate is provided on the upper side of the protective cover.

[0009] Furthermore, one end of the support rod slides through the side wall of the groove, and one end of the support rod is provided with a limiting end plate, and the spring is provided at one end of the limiting end plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the outer side of the protective cover is coated with a layer of paint that matches the color of the refrigerator door, and the inner wall of the protective cover is provided with a cleaning brush layer.

[0011] Furthermore, the PCB control board is also equipped with four LED lighting modules, which are electrically connected to the LDO power module, and the illumination range of the LED lighting modules covers the first touch area and the second touch area; the MCU has a built-in accidental touch recognition algorithm, which determines that an accidental touch is detected when the duration of the trigger signal of the same touch area is less than 0.1s and refuses to send the door opening signal to the refrigerator main control board.

[0012] Furthermore, the first touch area and the second touch area are independent triggering units, and their touch sensitivity can be adjusted separately by the MCU program, with an adjustment range of 0.1s-0.5s trigger response time.

[0013] Furthermore, the first and second touch surfaces of the touch panel are provided with an oil-resistant coating, which is a fluorocarbon coating or a ceramic coating with a thickness of 5μm-20μm; the T-shaped corner of the touch panel is provided with a rounded transition section.

[0014] Furthermore, the electromagnet has a holding force of 5N-15N, and the electromagnet is electrically linked to the refrigerator's main control board. When the refrigerator door is closed, the electromagnet remains energized to hold the protective cover; when the refrigerator door is opened, the electromagnet is de-energized, and the protective cover resets under the action of the spring force to cover the touch module body; the inner wall of the groove is provided with a waterproof sealing gasket, which surrounds the touch module body, and the waterproof sealing gasket is made of silicone or EPDM rubber.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This invention utilizes a touch module embedded in a groove on the side wall of the refrigerator door on the outside of the refrigerator body. The touch module has a first touch area and a second touch area on its outer side, which can free up the hands. When it is inconvenient to open the door with both hands holding items, the refrigerator can be opened automatically by simply touching the touch module with the back of the hand or other parts of the hand. It can also avoid cross-contamination. When preparing food, hands may be carrying raw fish or meat juices or bacteria. By not directly touching the refrigerator door with hands, it is possible to avoid contaminating the refrigerator and keeping it clean. At the same time, it can realize the optional operation of automatic door opening and manual door opening, and the two operations do not affect each other.

[0016] 2. The present invention utilizes a protective cover that is elastically slidable within the groove via a support rod and a spring. When the touch module is not in use, the protective cover can completely cover the outside of the touch module for protection, preventing children from accidentally touching the touch module to open the refrigerator door, thus improving the safety of using the touch module.

[0017] 3. The LED lighting module is electrically connected to the LDO power module, providing stable illumination after power-on. The illumination range accurately covers the first and second touch areas, allowing users to quickly locate the touch position even at night or in dimly lit kitchens, avoiding fumbling and improving ease of use. Thanks to the voltage regulation characteristics of the LDO power module, the LED lighting module receives stable power, preventing flickering illumination and ensuring the touch area is always clearly visible. At the same time, the LED module has low power consumption and long lifespan, without adding extra energy burden to the refrigerator.

[0018] 4. The first and second touch areas are independent trigger units, and their sensitivity can be adjusted separately within the range of 0.1s-0.5s via the MCU program. For example, elderly people can adjust to low sensitivity (long response time) to avoid accidental touches, while young people can choose high sensitivity (short response time) to improve operating efficiency, adapting to the needs of different people and different usage scenarios.

[0019] 5. The electromagnet holding force is controlled between 5N and 15N, which can stably hold the protective cover (avoiding accidental displacement) and ensure that the spring can easily drive the protective cover to reset after power failure. It is also electrically linked with the refrigerator's main control board to realize the automated logic of "the protective cover opens and stands ready when the door is closed, and automatically resets and protects when the door is opened", eliminating the need for manual operation of the protective cover by the user, thus balancing convenience and protection. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the touch module body structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the PCB control board structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point A of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the protective cover structure of the present invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Refrigerator body; 2. Refrigerator door; 3. Touch module body; 4. First touch area; 5. Second touch area; 6. PCB control board; 7. MCU; 8. Power input socket; 9. LDO power module; 10. Touch panel soldering plate; 11. Touch board; 12. First touch surface; 13. Second touch surface; 14. Groove; 15. Protective cover; 16. Support rod; 17. Spring; 18. Limiting end plate; 19. Electromagnet; 20. Cleaning brush layer. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5In this embodiment of the invention, a touch module for controlling the automatic opening function of a refrigerator includes a refrigerator body 1 and a touch module body 3. The touch module body 3 is embedded in a groove 14 on the side wall of the refrigerator door 2 on the outer side of the refrigerator body 1. The outer side of the touch module body 3 is provided with a first touch area 4 and a second touch area 5, and the first touch area 4 and the second touch area 5 are arranged vertically. The touch module body 3 includes an outer shell, and a PCB control board 6 is provided inside the outer shell. One side of the PCB control board 6 is provided with a touch-enabled MCU 7, a power input socket 8, an LDO power module 9, and a touch panel soldering pad 10. The touch panel soldering pad 10 is also provided with a touch board 11 on one side. The touch panel 11 is designed as a T-shaped panel, and the outer side of the touch panel 11 is provided with a first touch surface 12 and a second touch surface 13. The first touch surface 12 is electrically connected to the first touch area 4, and the second touch surface 13 is electrically connected to the second touch area 5. This design frees up the hands. When it is inconvenient to open the door with both hands, the refrigerator door can be opened automatically by simply touching the touch module with the back of the hand or other parts of the body. It also avoids cross-contamination. When preparing food, hands may be covered with raw fish juices or bacteria. Avoiding direct contact with the refrigerator door can prevent contamination of the refrigerator and keep it clean. At the same time, it can achieve both automatic and manual door opening options without affecting each other.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, to improve the safety of the touch module 3, a protective cover 15 is elastically slidably provided in the groove 14 via a support rod 16 and a spring 17. The protective cover 15 can completely cover the outside of the touch module 3. An electromagnet 19 is provided on the top wall of the groove 14, and a metal plate is provided on the upper side of the protective cover 15 for holding and positioning one end of the protective cover 15, which facilitates the operation of the touch module 3. One end of the support rod 16 slides through the side wall of the groove 14, and a limiting end plate 18 is provided at one end of the support rod 16. The spring 17 is provided at one end of the limiting end plate 18. When the touch module 3 is not in use, the protective cover 15 can completely cover the outside of the touch module 3 for protection, which can prevent children from accidentally touching the touch module 3 to open the refrigerator door 2, and at the same time prevent dust from adhering to the touch area, thus improving the safety of the touch module 3.

[0025] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the protective cover 15 is also provided with a coating of the same color as the paint on the refrigerator door 2 on the outside. The inner wall of the protective cover 15 is provided with a cleaning brush layer 20. The cleaning brush layer 20 can clean the touch area outside the touch module 3 when the protective cover 15 moves and adjusts relative to the touch module 3.

[0026] The PCB control board 6 is also equipped with four LED lighting modules, which are electrically connected to the LDO power module 9. The illumination range of the LED lighting modules covers the first touch area 4 and the second touch area 5. The LED lighting modules are electrically connected to the LDO power module and can provide stable illumination after being powered on. The illumination range accurately covers the first and second touch areas. Even in scenarios such as nighttime or dimly lit kitchens, users can quickly locate the touch position, avoiding fumbling and improving ease of use. Relying on the voltage regulation characteristics of the LDO power module, the LED lighting modules can obtain stable power supply, avoiding flickering illumination and ensuring that the touch area is always clearly visible. At the same time, the LED modules have low power consumption and long lifespan, without adding extra energy burden to the refrigerator.

[0027] The MCU7 incorporates a built-in accidental touch detection algorithm. When the duration of a trigger signal continuously detected in the same touch area is less than 0.1 seconds, it is determined to be an accidental touch, and the MCU refuses to send an open signal to the refrigerator's main control board. By judging the duration of the trigger signal (less than 0.1 seconds is considered an accidental touch), the MCU's built-in accidental touch detection algorithm can effectively filter out invalid signals such as unintentional touches and brief contact with foreign objects, avoiding problems such as food spoilage and accidental operation by children due to accidental opening of the refrigerator door, thus improving safety and reliability.

[0028] The first touch area 4 and the second touch area 5 are independent trigger units, and their touch sensitivity can be adjusted separately via the MCU7 program, with an adjustment range of 0.1s-0.5s trigger response time. For example, elderly users can adjust to low sensitivity (long response time) to avoid accidental touches, while younger users can choose high sensitivity (short response time) to improve operational efficiency, adapting to the needs of different users and different usage scenarios.

[0029] The first touch surface 12 and the second touch surface 13 of the touch panel 11 are coated with an anti-oil coating, which is a fluorocarbon coating or a ceramic coating with a thickness of 5μm-20μm. The T-shaped corner of the touch panel 11 has a rounded transition section. The fluorocarbon or ceramic anti-oil coating on the touch surface has extremely strong resistance to oil and water stains, effectively preventing oil and food juices from adhering during kitchen cooking. The coating is smooth and easy to wipe, requiring only simple cleaning to keep the touch surface clean, preventing stains from affecting touch sensitivity and extending the module's lifespan. The rounded transition section at the T-shaped corner prevents sharp edges from scratching the user's hands or scraping other components, improving safety during use and assembly. Simultaneously, the rounded corner design reduces structural stress concentration, enhancing the structural stability of the touch panel and reducing the risk of deformation.

[0030] The electromagnet 19 has a holding force of 5N-15N and is electrically linked to the refrigerator's main control board. When the refrigerator door 2 is closed, the electromagnet 19 remains energized to hold the protective cover 15. When the refrigerator door 2 is opened, the electromagnet 19 is de-energized, and the protective cover 15 resets under the elastic force of the spring 17. The electromagnet's holding force is controlled at 5N-15N, which can stably hold the protective cover (avoiding accidental displacement) and ensure that the spring can easily drive the protective cover to reset after power failure. Furthermore, it is electrically linked to the refrigerator's main control board to realize the automated logic of "the protective cover opens and stands ready when the door is closed, and automatically resets for protection after the door is opened," eliminating the need for manual operation of the protective cover by the user and balancing ease of use and protection. The inner wall of the groove 14 is provided with a waterproof sealing gasket. The waterproof sealing gasket is arranged around the touch module body 3 and is made of silicone or EPDM rubber. It can effectively prevent water stains and steam from seeping into the module when washing vegetables or mopping the floor in the kitchen, avoid short circuit damage to core components such as PCB control board and MCU, and improve the service life and working stability of the module in humid environments.

[0031] The working principle and usage process of this invention are as follows: In use, the touch module 3 is embedded in the groove 14 on the side wall of the refrigerator door 2 on the outer side of the refrigerator body 1. The touch module 3 has a first touch area 4 and a second touch area 5 on its outer side, and the first touch area 4 and the second touch area 5 are arranged vertically, which can free up the hands. When it is inconvenient to open the door with both hands holding items, the refrigerator can be opened automatically by simply touching the touch module with the back of the hand or other parts of the hand. It can also avoid cross-contamination. When preparing food, the hands may be holding raw fish juice or bacteria. By not touching the refrigerator door directly with the hands, it is possible to avoid contaminating the refrigerator with dirt and keep the refrigerator clean. At the same time, automatic door opening and manual door opening can be selected, and the two operations do not affect each other.

[0032] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body (1) and a touch module body (3), characterized in that: The touch module body (3) is embedded in the recess (14) of the side wall of the refrigerator door (2) outside the refrigerator body (1), the first touch area (4) and the second touch area (5) are arranged outside the touch module body (3), the protective cover (15) is elastically slidably arranged in the recess (14) through the support rod (16) and the spring (17), and the protective cover (15) can be completely covered outside the touch module body (3). 2.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The touch module body (3) comprises an outer shell, and a PCB control board (6) is arranged in the outer shell, one side of the PCB control board (6) is provided with a touch function MCU (7), a power input socket (8), an LDO power module (9) and a touch plate welding pad (10). 3.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: One side of the touch plate welding pad (10) is also provided with a touch small plate (11), the touch small plate (11) is arranged in a T-shaped plate, and the first touch surface (12) and the second touch surface (13) are arranged outside the touch small plate (11). 4.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The top wall of the recess (14) is provided with an electromagnet (19), and the upper side of the protective cover (15) is provided with a metal plate. 5.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: One end of the support rod (16) slidably penetrates the side wall of the recess (14), and one end of the support rod (16) is provided with a limiting end plate (18), and the spring (17) is arranged at one end of the limiting end plate (18). 6.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The outer side of the protective cover (15) is provided with a coating which is the same as the paint color of the refrigerator door (2), and the inner wall of the protective cover (15) is provided with a cleaning brush layer (20). 7.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: Four LED lighting modules are further arranged on the PCB control board (6), the LED lighting modules are electrically connected with the LDO power module (9), the illumination range of the LED lighting modules covers the first touch area (4) and the second touch area (5), the MCU (7) is provided with a false touch identification algorithm, when the duration of the trigger signal of the same touch area continuously detected is less than 0.1s, it is determined that the touch is false and the opening door signal is refused to be sent to the refrigerator main control board. 8.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The first touch area (4) and the second touch area (5) are independent trigger units, and the touch sensitivity of the two can be adjusted individually through the program of the MCU (7), and the adjustment range is 0.1s-0.5s trigger response time. 9.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first touch surface (12) and the second touch surface (13) of the touch small plate (11) are provided with an oil stain resistant coating, the oil stain resistant coating is a fluorocarbon coating or a ceramic coating, and the thickness of the coating is 5-20 microns; the T-shaped structure corner of the touch small plate (11) is provided with a circular arc transition part. 10.The touch module for implementing an automatic door opening function of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The holding force of the electromagnet (19) is 5-15N, the electromagnet (19) is electrically connected with the refrigerator main control board, when the refrigerator door (2) is in a closed state, the electromagnet (19) is kept powered to hold the protective cover (15); when the refrigerator door (2) is opened, the electromagnet (19) is powered off, and the protective cover (15) is reset to cover the touch module body (3) under the elastic force of the spring (17); the inner side wall of the recess (14) is provided with a waterproof sealing gasket, the waterproof sealing gasket surrounds the touch module body (3), and the material of the waterproof sealing gasket is silica gel or EPDM rubber.

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