Refrigerator

Abstract

In an existing refrigerator, a capturing part collides with a heat insulation box body when a heat insulation door is closed, and the heat insulation door is in a door non-closed state. The refrigerator (10) is provided with an automatic closing mechanism (41) which enables the first heat insulation door (14) and the second heat insulation door (15) to be automatically closed. The automatic closing mechanism (41) is provided with: a catch part (42) disposed in the heat-insulating box (11); a striking part (44) which is disposed on the first insulated door (14) or the like and which is detachably connected to the catching part (42); and a protruding part (46) formed on the capturing part (42). Through the structure, at least one part of the protruding part (62) is positioned on the top surface (11A) of the heat insulation box body (11), so that the capturing part (42) can be prevented from drooping from the top surface (11A) during the closing action of the first heat insulation door (14) and the like, and the first heat insulation door (14) can be prevented from being in an unclosed state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a refrigerator, in particular to a refrigerator which can prevent a door of an insulating door from being loosely closed during closing, thereby improving the convenience of users. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises a refrigerator main body serving as a storage compartment and an insulated door that closes the front opening of the refrigerator main body. Furthermore, the insulated door is a double-opening type that opens approximately in the center of the refrigerator main body. The left upper end of the insulated door on the left side, when viewed from the front of the refrigerator, is pivotally supported to the refrigerator main body via an upper hinge. Similarly, the right upper end of the insulated door on the right side, when viewed from the front of the refrigerator, is pivotally supported to the refrigerator main body via an upper hinge.

[0003] Furthermore, a door opening / closing unit is installed on the top surface of the refrigerator body to reduce the torque required to open and close the insulated door. The door opening / closing unit is located on each side of the insulated door. Furthermore, a pair of door opening / closing units are arranged approximately in the center of the refrigerator body.

[0004] The door opening and closing unit includes: a bracket, which is arranged on the side of the heat-insulating door and has an introduction pin; a rotating plate, which is arranged on the side of the refrigerator body and connected to the introduction pin; an actuator, which limits the rotation of the rotating plate in the closing direction via a connecting component; and a spring, which assists the rotation of the rotating plate in the closing direction.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3864948

[0006] In the above-mentioned conventional refrigerator, the bracket with the introduction pin of the door opening and closing unit is arranged on the side of the heat-insulating door, and the rotating plate of the door opening and closing unit is arranged on the side of the refrigerator body. Moreover, when the heat-insulating door is closed, the introduction pin on the side of the heat-insulating door penetrates into the spiral groove of the rotating plate on the side of the refrigerator body, thereby becoming a connected state. In this connected state, the load and rotational force of the heat-insulating door are applied to the rotating plate via the introduction pin, thereby moving the heat-insulating door to a fully closed state in the connected state of the door opening and closing unit. At this time, the rotating plate moves from the outside of the heat-insulating box to the top surface, but when the rotating plate sags due to the load of the heat-insulating door and collides with the front surface of the heat-insulating box, there is a problem that the rotation of the rotating plate stops, and the heat-insulating door becomes the door of the open state.

[0007] In addition, in the case of an existing refrigerator with double doors, since the left and right insulation doors are closed in the center of the insulation box body when fully closed and are arranged along the horizontal width direction, it is difficult for the user to visually confirm the fully closed state of the insulation door. Utility Model Content

[0008] The present invention is completed in view of the above situation, and its object is to provide a refrigerator which prevents the door from being loosely closed during the closing action of the heat insulation door and improves the convenience of the user.

[0009] In a first embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention, it is characterized by comprising: an insulated housing forming a storage chamber; an insulated door that can be opened and closed to seal the front opening of the storage chamber; and an automatic closing mechanism that automatically closes the insulated door relative to the insulated housing, the automatic closing mechanism comprising: a catch portion rotatably disposed relative to the insulated housing; a striker disposed on the insulated door that connects to or detaches from the catch portion in conjunction with the opening and closing of the insulated door; a rotation limiting portion that slows down the rotation speed of the catch portion; and a protrusion that protrudes from the catch portion toward the top surface of the insulated housing, wherein at least a portion of the protrusion is located above the top surface within the rotation range of the catch portion. With this structure, at least a portion of the protrusion is located on the top surface of the insulated housing, thereby preventing the catch portion from drooping from the top surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the catch portion from colliding with the front surface of the insulated housing during the closing operation of the insulated door, thereby preventing the insulated door from being opened or closed.

[0010] Furthermore, in a second embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention, a protruding piece is formed on the rear surface of the protruding portion, which faces the top surface, and the protruding piece contacts the top surface. With this structure, when the protruding portion contacts the top surface of the heat-insulating box, the protruding piece contacts the top surface, reducing the contact area and thereby lowering the resistance caused by the contact between the two components. As a result, the rotational speed of the capture portion can be prevented from being reduced more than necessary.

[0011] Furthermore, in a third aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, a locking groove is formed in the catch portion into which the locking pin of the striking portion can penetrate, and the protrusion is formed laterally from the catch portion in the region where the locking groove is formed. When the heat insulating door is closed, the locking pin penetrates into the locking groove in conjunction with the rotation of the catch portion. With this structure, when the heat insulating door is closed, the catch portion and the striking portion become connected, and the striking portion rotates while being pulled by the catch portion, thereby preventing the heat insulating door from being opened.

[0012] In a fourth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the protruding piece is formed along the outer peripheral end of the protruding portion. With this structure, the protruding piece is formed in the area that first contacts the top surface of the heat-insulating box body, thereby preventing the capture portion from sagging from the top surface.

[0013] In the fifth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the protrusion inside the protruding piece is formed thinner than the area where the protruding piece is formed. This structure reduces the contact area between the protruding piece and the top surface, thereby reducing the resistance caused by the contact between the protruding piece and the top surface during the rotation of the capture unit. As a result, the rotation speed of the capture unit can be prevented from decreasing below the designed value.

[0014] In a sixth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the protruding piece is formed to have a generally semicircular shape when viewed in cross-section. This structure allows the protruding piece to make curved point contact with the top surface of the heat-insulating box, allowing it to smoothly move along the top surface during rotation of the capture unit. This prevents degradation of the protruding piece due to sliding movement against the top surface.

[0015] In a seventh aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the protruding piece is formed into a substantially hemispherical shape, with a plurality of protruding pieces dispersed across the rear surface of the protruding portion. This structure reduces the contact area between the protruding piece and the top surface, and the protruding piece makes curved point contact with the top surface of the heat-insulating box. As a result, during rotation of the capture portion, the protruding piece moves smoothly on the top surface, preventing degradation of the protruding piece due to sliding movement against the top surface.

[0016] In the refrigerator of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the door from being loosely closed during the closing operation of the heat-insulating door, thereby improving the convenience of the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view explaining the refrigerator related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a front view explaining the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a side sectional view explaining the refrigerator concerning embodiment of this invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5A It is a plan view explaining an open state of the heat-insulating door of the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5B It is a plan view explaining a fully closed state of the heat-insulating door of the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6AIt is a perspective view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6B It is a perspective view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6C It is a perspective view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7A It is a perspective view illustrating a capture portion of an automatic closing mechanism of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7B It is a perspective view illustrating a capture portion of an automatic closing mechanism of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8A It is a bottom view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator involved in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8B It is a cross-sectional view illustrating the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 9A It is a bottom view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator involved in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9B It is a bottom view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator involved in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 10A It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0033] Figure 10B It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0034] Figure 11A It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0035] Figure 11B It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0036] Figure 12AIt is a bottom view explaining the open state of the heat-insulating door of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 12B It is a bottom view explaining the fully closed state of the heat-insulating door of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 13A It is a perspective view explaining the recovery part formed in the capture part of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

[0039] Figure 13B It is a cross-sectional view explaining the recovery portion formed in the capture portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 14 It is a perspective view explaining the refrigerator related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 15A It is a top view explaining the capture part of the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 15B It is a top view explaining the capture part of the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 16A It is a perspective view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 16B It is a perspective view explaining the automatic closing mechanism of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 17A It is a perspective view illustrating a capture portion of an automatic closing mechanism of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 17B It is a perspective view illustrating a capture portion of an automatic closing mechanism of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 17C It is a cross-sectional view illustrating a capture portion of an automatic closing mechanism of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 18A It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0049] Figure 18BIt is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0050] Figure 19A It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0051] Figure 19B It is a plan view for explaining the operation of the automatic closing mechanism when the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

[0052] Description of Reference Numerals

[0053] 10...Refrigerator; 11...Insulated cabinet; 11A...Top; 11B...Front; 11C...Bottom; 12...Refrigerator; 13...Freezer; 14...First insulated door; 14A...Top; 15...Second insulated door; 16...Center column; 17...Partitioning wall; 18...Third insulated door; 19...Fourth insulated door; 20...Defrost heater; 21...Outer box; 22...Inner box; 23...Insulation; 24...Cooling compartment; 25...Cooler; 26...Machinery compartment; 27...Compressor; 28... Blower; 29...Air duct; 30...Control unit; 31...Hinged mechanism; 31A...Upper hinge; 33, 68...Hood; 34...Storage rack; 35...Inner surface plate; 35A...Bulging portion; 36...Gasket; 38...Detection device; 39...Front end opening; 40...Notification unit; 41...Automatic closing mechanism; 42...Capturing unit; 42A...Lock groove; 44...Impacting unit; 44A...Lock pin; 45...Soft closing unit; 46...Frame; 46A...Lid; 47...Screw fixing Hole; 51...rotating axis; 52...first guide groove; 52A...longitudinal groove; 52B...oblique groove; 53...rotating axis; 54...rotation limiting portion; 54A...buffer portion; 54B...connecting portion; 54C...flat surface; 54D...inclined surface; 55...rotation driving portion; 55A...compression coil spring; 55B...connecting portion; 57...front end portion; 61...main body; 61A...first base portion; 61B...second base portion; 62...protruding portion; 63...second guide groove; 64...roller portion; 65...support Plate; 71...Restoration portion; 71A...Inclined surface; 80...Refrigerator; 81...First insulated door; 82...Second insulated door; 83...Refrigerator compartment; 84...Freezer compartment; 85...Insulated box body; 101...Automatic closing mechanism; 102...Capture portion; 103...Pressing member; 104...Rotating shaft; 105...Roller portion; 106...Main body; 107...Through hole; 109...Stop wall portion; 110...Rail recess; 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D...Inner side surface; 112...Through hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following describes the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the vertical direction represents the height of the refrigerator 10, the horizontal direction represents the width of the refrigerator 10 as viewed from the front, and the front-back direction represents the depth of the refrigerator 10. In describing this embodiment, identical components are generally denoted by identical reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0055] Figure 1 It is a perspective view illustrating the external appearance structure of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front side. Figure 2 It is a front view explaining the internal structure of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front side. Figure 3 It is a side cross-sectional view explaining the structure of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 4 This is a block diagram for explaining control for detecting whether or not the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment is in the fully closed state.

[0056] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the refrigerator 10 includes a heat-insulating box body 11 and a storage room formed inside the heat-insulating box body 11. In addition, as the storage room, a refrigerator room 12 and two freezer rooms 13 are formed from the upper side. Figure 1 In the figure, for the convenience of explanation, the reference numerals of the storage rooms are shown.

[0057] The cold storage room 12 is an area located above the center of the heat-insulating box body 11 and is formed by using approximately half of the internal space in the box. The front opening 12A of the cold storage room 12 is closed by a first heat-insulating door 14 and a second heat-insulating door 15 that are double-opened from approximately the center of the heat-insulating box body 11 so as to be opened and closed freely. The first heat-insulating door 14 is a rotating door, and the upper and lower ends on the left side of the paper are rotatably supported on the heat-insulating box body 11 via a hinge mechanism 31. In addition, the second heat-insulating door 15 is a rotating door, and the upper and lower ends on the right side of the paper are rotatably supported on the heat-insulating box body 11 via a hinge mechanism 31. In addition, the lower hinged portion of the hinged mechanism 31 on the lower end side of the first heat-insulating door 14 and the second heat-insulating door 15 is a well-known structure and is omitted in the drawings.

[0058] A center column 16 is provided at the end portion of the center side of the first heat insulating door 14 and inside the box of the first heat insulating door 14. In addition, the details will be described later, but it is provided with the capture portion 42 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 of the heat insulating box body 11 (see Figure 5A) is provided on top surface 14A of first insulated door 14, corresponding to the mounting position of catcher portion 42 of automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on insulated box 11. Similarly, striker portion 44 is provided on top surface 15A of second insulated door 15, corresponding to the mounting position of catcher portion 42 of automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on insulated box body 11. Refrigerating compartment 12 is partitioned into multiple layers in the vertical direction of the drawing, for example, by partition plate members (not shown).

[0059] The freezer compartment 13 is an area located below the center of the heat-insulating box body 11 and is formed by using approximately half of the internal space in the box. The freezer compartment 13 is divided in the left-right direction of the paper by a partition wall 17 that is a part of the heat-insulating box body 11. In addition, the third heat-insulating door 18 is a revolving door, and the upper and lower ends on the left side of the paper are rotatably supported on the heat-insulating box body 11 via a hinge mechanism 31. In addition, the fourth heat-insulating door 19 is a revolving door, and the upper and lower ends on the right side of the paper are rotatably supported on the heat-insulating box body 11 via a hinge mechanism 31. In addition, the upper hinged portion of the hinged mechanism 31 on the upper end side of the third heat-insulating door 18 and the fourth heat-insulating door 19 is a well-known structure and is omitted in the drawings.

[0060] When the freezer compartment 13 is fully closed by the double-open third and fourth heat-insulating doors 18 and 19, the third and fourth heat-insulating doors 18 and 19 are in contact with and magnetically attracted to the partition wall 17. Figure 12A ) is provided on bottom surface 18A of third insulated door 18, corresponding to the installation position of catch portion 42 of automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on insulated box body 11. Similarly, a striker 44 is provided on bottom surface 19A of fourth insulated door 19, corresponding to the installation position of catch portion 42 of automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on insulated box body 11. Furthermore, freezer compartment 13 is partitioned into multiple layers in the vertical direction of the drawing, for example, by a drawer-type storage case (not shown).

[0061] As shown in the figure, a gasket 36 is provided in an annular shape along the outer peripheral end of the inner surface plate 35 of the first and second insulated doors 14, 15. Furthermore, a bulged portion 35A is formed inside the gasket 36 on the inner side of the first and second insulated doors 14, 15. The bulged portion 35A supports the storage shelf 34, thereby forming a storage area on the door side.

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, the heat-insulating box body 11 mainly includes an outer box 21 made of steel plates that forms the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 22 formed of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 21, and a heat-insulating member 23 disposed between the outer box 21 and the inner box 22. As the heat-insulating member 23, for example, polyurethane foam is used.

[0063] A cooling chamber 24 is defined behind the freezer compartment 13. A cooler 25 is provided in the cooling chamber 24. Furthermore, a machine room 26 is defined behind the lowermost portion of the heat-insulating box 11. A compressor 27 and other components are provided in the machine room 26. The cooler 25 and compressor 27 are connected to an expansion unit and a condenser (not shown) via refrigerant piping, forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, the various components of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle are interconnected via refrigerant piping (not shown).

[0064] By operating the refrigeration cycle, the air inside the cooling chamber 24 is cooled by the cooler 25. A blower 28 is provided above the cooler 25 in the cooling chamber 24. The blower 28, for example, is an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the cold air inside the cooling chamber 24 toward the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13. This cold air is then blown to the various storage chambers via various air ducts 29, thereby maintaining the refrigerating temperature range in the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing temperature range in the freezing chamber 13.

[0065] A defrost heater 20 is provided below the cooler 25 of the cooling chamber 24. As the refrigeration cycle operates, thick frost forms on the surface of the cooler 25. Figure 4 ) The compressor 27 is stopped, and a defrosting operation is performed in which the defrosting heater 20 is energized and heated to melt and remove the frost. In addition, as the defrosting heater 20, a resistance heating type heater, a sheath heater, a hot gas defroster, etc. are adopted.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the control unit 30 of the refrigerator 10 detects input signals from a detection device 38 within a hinge mechanism 31 provided with respect to each of the first to fourth insulated doors 14, 19, to determine whether the first to fourth insulated doors 14, 19 are in a fully closed state. The detection device 38 may be, for example, a well-known door switch mechanism having a Hall element substrate (not shown) on the side of the heat-insulating housing 11 and a magnet (not shown) on the side of the first to fourth insulated doors 14, 19. The detection device 38 detects a desired voltage using the current of the Hall element substrate and the magnetic field of the magnet, thereby transmitting an input signal indicating the fully closed state of the first to fourth insulated doors 14, 19 to the control unit 30.

[0067] If the control unit 30 does not detect the input signal from the detection device 38 within a certain period of time, it determines that any of the first to fourth insulated doors 14 to 19 is in an open state, including a door not tightly closed. The control unit 30 then controls the notification unit 40, for example, to emit a sound, to notify the user of the refrigerator 10 that any of the first to fourth insulated doors 14 to 19 is open. The user closes any of the first to fourth insulated doors 14 to 19 in response to the notification sound, thereby eliminating the door not tightly closed state. The notification unit 40 of this embodiment is, for example, a device for emitting sound, light, or the like to the user of the refrigerator 10.

[0068] Next, use Figures 5A to 11B , with respect to the refrigerator compartment 12 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment (refer to Figure 2 The automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on the first and second heat-insulating doors 14, 15 on the heat-insulating door 14 side will be described below. In the following description, the automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on the first heat-insulating door 14 will be described, and the description of the automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on the second heat-insulating door 15 side will refer to the description on the first heat-insulating door 14 side, and its description will be omitted here.

[0069] Figure 5A This is a plan view illustrating a state in which the first insulating door 14 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment is opened relative to the insulating box body 11 . Figure 5B This is a plan view illustrating a state in which the first insulating door 14 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment is completely closed relative to the insulating box body 11 . Figure 6A It is a perspective view illustrating the frame portion 46 and the capture portion 42 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 6B and Figure 6C It is a perspective view explaining the internal mechanism of the automatic closing mechanism 41 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 7A and Figure 7B It is a perspective view illustrating the capture portion 42 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 8A 、 Figure 9A as well as Figure 9B It is a bottom view illustrating the catch portion 42 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 8B This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the capture portion 42 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 of the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 8A The cross section along line AA is shown. Figures 10A to 11B This is a top view illustrating the operation of the automatic closing mechanism 41 when the first insulating door 14 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment is closed. Figures 10A to 11BIn the description, the operations of the catch portion 42 and the soft close portion 45 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 during the closing operation of the first heat insulating door 14 will be mainly described.

[0070] like Figure 5A As shown, the upper and lower ends of the first insulating door 14 on the left side of the paper are rotatably supported on the insulating box body 11 via a hinge mechanism 31. The upper hinge portion 31A of the hinge mechanism 31 is arranged on the top surface 11A of the insulating box body 11, and its upper surface is covered by a cover portion 33. In addition, the detailed structure of the upper hinge portion 31A of the hinge mechanism 31 is not shown in the figure, but it is a well-known structure. The upper hinge portion 31A includes, for example, a main frame fixed to the insulating box body 11 and extending to the side of the first insulating door 14, a hinge pin arranged on the main frame on the side of the first insulating door 14, and a hinge mounting hole of the first insulating door 14 for inserting the hinge pin.

[0071] The automatic closing mechanism 41 mainly includes a catch portion 42, a striking portion 44, a soft-closing portion 45, and a frame portion 46 that supports the catch portion 42 and the soft-closing portion 45. Details will be described later, but the rotation of the catch portion 42 is performed by the soft-closing portion 45. Furthermore, the automatic closing mechanism 41 is a mechanism that automatically closes the first insulating door 14 while adjusting the rotation speed of the first insulating door 14 in multiple stages.

[0072] The frame portion 46 is located next to the upper hinge portion 31A of the hinge mechanism 31 and is fixed relative to the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box body 11. Moreover, the frame portion 46 is housed inside the cover portion 33 together with the hinge mechanism 31. As shown in the figure, the capture portion 42 is located on the top surface 11A side of the heat-insulating box body 11 and is rotatably supported on the frame portion 46. When the first heat-insulating door 14 is in the open state, a portion of the capture portion 42 is in a state of being led out from the cover portion 33. Furthermore, a snap-fit ​​groove 42A is formed in the capture portion 42, and a front end opening portion 39 is formed on the front end side of the snap-fit ​​groove 42A.

[0073] The striking portion 44 is located on the top surface 14A side of the first insulating door 14 and is positioned toward the interior of the door. A locking pin 44A is positioned at the front end of the striking portion 44, which extends into the engaging groove 42A of the capturing portion 42. Furthermore, the locking pin 44A is guided downward from the first insulating door 14. When the first insulating door 14 is closed, the locking pin 44A enters the engaging groove 42A, connecting the capturing portion 42 and the striking portion 44. The locking pin 44A then moves within the engaging groove 42A toward the base of the capturing portion 42, while being pulled by the capturing portion 42.

[0074] In the present embodiment, the capture portion 42 is provided on the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box body 11, and is configured to be rotatable to about 20 degrees from the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box body 11 toward the outside of the box. Furthermore, when the first heat-insulating door 14 is in the open state, the front end side of the capture portion 42, where the engagement groove 42A is formed, is in a state of protruding from the front surface 11B toward the outside of the box. The details will be described later, but the capture portion 42 is formed with a protrusion 62 extending laterally thereof, and at least a portion of the protrusion 62 is always located above the top surface 11A. Furthermore, in order to prevent the capture portion 42 from colliding with the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box body 11 during the closing action of the first heat-insulating door 14, the rotation of the capture portion 42 stops, and the first heat-insulating door 14 becomes an unclosed door state.

[0075] In addition, when the first insulating door 14 is in the open state, the capture portion 42 is located at a position higher than the user's line of sight and protrudes from the front surface 11B of the insulating box body 11 by the minimum required amount, thereby forming an inconspicuous structure and the appearance design of the refrigerator 10 is not easily damaged.

[0076] like Figure 5B As shown, when first insulating door 14 is fully closed, catch portion 42 rotates to be substantially parallel to front surface 11B of insulating box 11. Catch portion 42 is housed in cover 33 while being coupled to striker 44.

[0077] On the other hand, the first insulating door 14 is Figure 5B The fully closed state shown is moved to Figure 5A In the open state shown, the user opens the first insulating door 14 toward the outside of the box. The engaging pin 44A presses the catch portion 42 toward the outside of the box while moving toward the front end of the engaging groove 42A. The catch portion 42 then disengages from the engaging groove 42A through the front end opening 39. Furthermore, the catch portion 42 rotates due to the pressure of the engaging pin 44A, and a portion of the catch portion 42 is guided outward from the cover 33.

[0078] Furthermore, when the first heat-insulating door 14 is in the open state and the capture portion 42 and the impact portion 44 are in the disengaged state, the capture portion 42 stops, for example, at a position 20 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box body 11. Furthermore, the recessed portion (not shown) on the bottom surface of the capture portion 42 engages with the protruding portion (not shown) of the frame portion 46, thereby maintaining the above-mentioned stopped state. As a result, when the first heat-insulating door 14 is in the open state, the above-mentioned stopped state can be maintained to the extent that the capture portion 42 is in light contact with the user of the refrigerator 10. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned standby state of the capture portion 42, as described above, a portion of the front end side of the protrusion 62 is located above the top surface 11A.

[0079] like Figure 6AAs shown, the frame portion 46 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 is a box-shaped body, and is screwed to the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box body 11 via a plurality of screw fixing holes 47. The capture portion 42 is rotatably supported on the frame portion 46 via a rotating shaft 51. Figure 5A ) is pressed, and the rotation starts, and then the rotation drive unit 55 (refer to Figure 6B ) is directly subjected to a rotational force, thereby rotating relative to the frame portion 46 with the rotation axis 51 as a rotation fulcrum.

[0080] A first guide groove 52 is formed in the cover portion 46A of the frame portion 46. When the frame portion 46 is fixed to the top surface 11A, the first guide groove 52 comprises a longitudinal groove 52A extending linearly in the depth direction of the thermal insulation box 11 (the front-to-back direction in the drawing); and an oblique groove 52B extending linearly and obliquely in the depth direction of the thermal insulation box 11. A pair of first guide grooves 52 are formed on the front and back sides of the frame portion 46.

[0081] As shown in the figure, the first guide groove 52 is axially supported by the roller portion 64 of the capture portion 42 (see Figure 7B ) is inserted through the rotating shaft 53. A pair of rotating shafts 53 are formed in the vertical direction of the roller portion 64, each inserted into the first guide groove 52. Furthermore, the width W1 of the first guide groove 52 in the short-side direction is approximately equal to or slightly wider than the diameter of the rotating shaft 53. As a result, the frame portion 46 rotatably supports the roller portion 64 via the first guide groove 52. While details will be described later, when the roller portion 64 rotates relative to the frame portion 46 along with the capture portion 42, the rotating shaft 53 is forcibly guided by the first guide groove 52, thereby adjusting the movement trajectory of the roller portion 64.

[0082] like Figure 6B As shown, the frame portion 46 accommodates a rotation limiting portion 54 and a rotation driving portion 55 constituting the soft closing portion 45. Moreover, the rotation limiting portion 54 has, for example, two buffer portions 54A and a connecting portion 54B that connects the shaft ends of the two buffer portions 54A. During the closing action of the first heat insulating door 14, the rotation limiting portion 54 limits the rotation of the capture portion 42. As shown by the arrow 56, during the opening and closing action of the first heat insulating door 14, in conjunction with the rotation action of the capture portion 42, the connecting portion 54B is pressed by the roller portion 64 or presses the roller portion 64, whereby the buffer portion 54A expands and contracts in the depth direction of the heat insulating box body 11. At this time, the connecting portion 54B reciprocates in the depth direction along the storage wall 49 of the rotation limiting portion 54, whereby the pressing force from the roller portion 64 is effectively transmitted to the buffer portion 54A. As a result, during the closing action of the first heat insulating door 14, the reaction force F1 (refer to Figure 10A ) becomes a resistance force that limits the rotation of the capture portion 42, and the reaction force F1 is also effectively transmitted.

[0083] The rotary drive unit 55 also includes, for example, two compression coil springs 55A and a connecting portion 55B on the front end side that accommodates the compression coil springs 55A. When the first insulating door 14 is closed, the rotary drive unit 55 rotates the capture unit 42. As indicated by arrow 56, when the first insulating door 14 is opened or closed, the connecting portion 55B presses the rear end of the capture unit 42 or is pressed by the rear end of the capture unit 42, causing the compression coil springs 55A to expand and contract in the depth direction of the insulating box body 11. At this time, the connecting portion 55B reciprocates in the depth direction along the housing wall 50 of the rotary drive unit 55, effectively transmitting the force of the connecting portion 55B pressing and rotating the capture unit 42 to the capture unit 42.

[0084] With this structure, when the first insulating door 14 is closed, the buffer portion 54A of the rotation restricting portion 54 in the soft-closing portion 45 is pressed by the roller portion 64 via the connecting portion 54B, causing it to contract. This restricts the rotation of the catch portion 42 and adjusts the rotation speed of the catch portion 42. Meanwhile, the compression coil spring 55A of the rotation driving portion 55 presses the rear end of the catch portion 42 via the connecting portion 55B, causing the catch portion 42 to rotate. In other words, when the first insulating door 14 is closed, the rotation driving portion 55 serves as the drive source for rotating the catch portion 42.

[0085] like Figure 6C As shown, a flat surface 54C in contact with the roller portion 64 and an inclined surface 54D inclined inwardly in the depth direction of the frame portion 46 relative to the flat surface 54C are formed on the surface of the front end portion 57 of the connecting portion 54B that is opposite to the roller portion 64. Furthermore, when the frame portion 46 is fixed to the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box body 11, the flat surface 54C is formed to extend along the lateral width direction of the heat-insulating box body 11 in a manner that is substantially parallel to the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box body 11. The details will be described later, but during the closing action of the first heat-insulating door 14, the roller portion 64 axially supported on the capture portion 42 rolls on the flat surface 54C and the inclined surface 54D while pressing the connecting portion 54B toward the buffer portion 54A side, thereby adjusting the rotation speed of the first heat-insulating door 14. In addition, the front end portion 57 of the connecting portion 54B is inserted into the support plate 65 (refer to Figure 7B ), the roller portion 64 is supported between the support plates 65 in a substantially vertical state and can roll stably on the flat surface 54C.

[0086] like Figure 7A As shown, the capture portion 42 includes a main body 61 , an engagement groove 42A formed in the main body 61 , a protrusion 62 protruding from the main body 61 in the width direction, and a second guide groove 63 formed in the main body 61 .

[0087] The main body 61 of the capture portion 42 includes a first base portion 61A and a second base portion 61B, sandwiching an engagement groove 42A. As indicated by the circular mark 59, the second base portion 61B extends longer than the first base portion 61A. Furthermore, the engagement groove 42A is formed as a recessed portion recessed from the surface of the main body 61, thereby forming an integral structure of the first base portion 61A and the second base portion 61B. This structure ensures that the second base portion 61B repeatedly collides with the engagement pin 44A, particularly during the closing operation of the first insulating door 14. However, the rigidity required as a component is maintained.

[0088] Furthermore, the second base portion 61B is formed with a protrusion 62 that protrudes toward the side opposite the engagement groove 42A. In other words, when the automatic closing mechanism 41 is fixed to the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box 11, the protrusion 62 protrudes toward the top surface 11A. Furthermore, the protrusion 62 is, for example, integrally formed with the second base portion 61B and has a shape that gradually narrows toward its distal end.

[0089] like Figure 7B As shown, a second guide groove 63 is formed in the main body 61. The second guide groove 63 is for the rotation shaft 53 of the roller portion 64 to be inserted, so that the roller portion 64 is inserted from the first guide groove 52 (see Figure 6A ) and second guide grooves 63. The second guide grooves 63 are elongated holes formed along the longitudinal direction of the main body 61, and form a pair with the support plates 65 on the front and back sides of the main body 61. The width W2 of the second guide grooves 63 in the transverse direction is approximately equal to or slightly wider than the diameter of the rotation shaft 53. As a result, the main body 61 rotatably supports the roller portion 64 via the second guide grooves 63.

[0090] In addition, the diameter of the roller portion 64 between the vertical rotation shafts 53 is wider than the width W2 of the second guide groove 63, and the roller portion 64 is arranged to be rotatably embedded between the pair of support plates 65. With this structure, the roller portion 64 is axially supported by the main body 61 so as to be able to rotate and can move along the longitudinal direction of the second guide groove 63. Furthermore, the front end portion 57 of the connecting portion 54B (see Figure 6C ) is assembled in a state of being inserted between the support plates 65, whereby the roller portion 64 can be positioned on the flat surface 54C (refer to Figure 6C ) scrolls steadily on the

[0091] Detailed content usage Figures 10A to 11B As will be described later, when the first insulating door 14 is closed, the capture portion 42 is connected to the impact portion 44 and rotates toward the insulating box body 11, but the roller portion 64 presses the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B in the depth direction while rolling toward the inclined surface 54D.

[0092] At this time, roller portion 64 is in line contact with flat surface 54C of connecting portion 54B, pressing connecting portion 54B. However, the location of this line contact changes relative to flat surface 54C as roller portion 64 moves while rotating. With this structure, the location of line contact of roller portion 64 with flat surface 54C changes even as first insulating door 14 is repeatedly opened and closed, significantly reducing the amount of wear on roller portion 64 and flat surface 54C due to abrasion.

[0093] As a result, the contact position between roller portion 64 and connecting portion 54B can be prevented from changing from the initially set position due to aging corresponding to actual years of use. Furthermore, the rotational speed of first insulating door 14 can be prevented from changing from the initially set rotational speed due to fluctuations in the resistance value during the aforementioned contact between roller portion 64 and connecting portion 54B. Furthermore, users of refrigerator 10 can use the refrigerator for many years without feeling any discomfort with the automatic closing action of first insulating door 14, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, the frequency of repairs to automatic closing mechanism 41 is reduced, thereby preventing an increase in maintenance costs for users.

[0094] like Figure 8A and Figure 8B As shown, a protruding piece 62B is formed along the outer peripheral end 62C of the protruding portion 62 on the back surface 62A side of the protruding portion 62. The protruding piece 62B is formed integrally with the protruding portion 62 and protrudes downward from the back surface 62A. Specifically, as shown in the figure, the protruding piece 62B is formed, for example, into a roughly semicircular shape when viewed in cross-section, with the formed area R1 of the protruding piece 62B protruding from the non-formed area R2 of the protruding piece 62B. Due to this structure, when the capture portion 42 rotates, even if the protruding piece 62B comes into contact with the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box body 11, the front end of the protruding piece 62B contacts the top surface 11A, reducing the contact area with the top surface 11A. This reduces the resistance value during sliding. As a result, the rotation speed of the capture portion 42 can be prevented from becoming slower than the designed value. Furthermore, the protruding piece 62B makes point contact with the top surface 11A due to the curved surface, thereby reducing the amount of wear caused by the aforementioned sliding wear and reducing the frequency of component replacement due to degradation of the capture portion 42. This also prevents an increase in maintenance costs for the user.

[0095] like Figure 9A As shown, the protrusion piece 62B may be formed along the outer peripheral end portion 62C of the protrusion 62 with the outer side of the front end side of the protrusion 62 as the center. As described above, the front end portion of the protrusion 62 is located within the rotation range W3 (refer to FIG. Figure 10A) is always located on the top surface 11A and becomes the area that first contacts the top surface 11A. Therefore, the protruding piece 62B is formed at least in the area shown in the figure, thereby reducing the contact area between the protruding piece 62B and the top surface 11A. Through this structure, Figure 9A In the structure shown, the above Figure 8A and Figure 8B The same effect as shown in the construction.

[0096] like Figure 9B As shown, the protrusion piece 62B may be, for example, hemispherical and may be formed in a plurality of scattered patterns relative to the back surface 62A of the protrusion 62. In the illustrated structure, the contact area between the protrusion piece 62B and the top surface 11A can be reduced, and the same contact area as the above-mentioned can be obtained. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The same effect as shown in the construction.

[0097] In addition, although not shown in the figure, Figure 8A and Figure 8B Providing an opening in the region R2 where the protruding piece 62B is not formed reduces material usage and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the placement and shape of the protruding piece 62B can be modified as desired, as long as the resistance between the protruding piece 62B of the protrusion 62 and the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box 11 is reduced.

[0098] like Figures 10A to 11B As shown, when the frame portion 46 is fixed to the top surface 11A, a portion of the protrusion 62 is always located above the top surface 11A, regardless of the rotational position of the capture portion 42. Furthermore, during the initial setting, the protruding piece 62B of the protrusion 62 is separated from the top surface 11A. Alternatively, the protruding piece 62B of the protrusion 62 may be in contact with the top surface 11A from the initial setting.

[0099] As described above, the front end of catch portion 42 may sometimes droop downward toward the bottom of insulated housing 11 due to repeated opening and closing of first insulated door 14 or due to aging of refrigerator 10. In such cases, protruding piece 62B of protrusion 62 contacts top surface 11A, supporting at least a portion of protrusion 62 on top surface 11A. This prevents the front end of catch portion 42 from drooping from top surface 11A of insulated housing 11. Furthermore, this prevents catch portion 42 from colliding with front surface 11B of insulated housing 11 during closing of first insulated door 14, preventing its rotation from stopping and causing first insulated door 14 to enter an unlocked state.

[0100] Next, use Figures 10A to 11B, the operation of the automatic closing mechanism 41 when the first insulating door 14 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment moves from the open state to the fully closed state is described. In addition, in the following description, the first insulating door 14 is used for description. Moreover, the description of the operations related to the second insulating door 15 to the fourth insulating door 19 refers to the description related to the first insulating door 14, and their description is omitted here. In addition, the dotted line 58 schematically represents the line of the front surface 11B of the insulating box body 11. In addition, for the convenience of description, the cover portion 46A of the frame portion 46 (refer to Figure 6A ) The description is omitted, but the first guide groove 52 and its longitudinal groove 52A and oblique groove 52B formed in the cover portion 64A are illustrated and described.

[0101] First, the first guide groove 52 is a groove for adjusting the movement trajectory of the roller portion 64. The rotation axis 53 of the roller portion 64 receives a reaction force F2 from the inner side surface of the first guide groove 52 as the capture portion 42 rotates. In addition, the second guide groove 63 is a groove for applying a rotation force F3 to the roller portion 64. The rotation axis 53 of the roller portion 64 receives a rotation force F3 from the inner side surface of the second guide groove 63 as the capture portion 42 rotates. Figures 10A to 11B In the figure, the reaction force received by the roller portion 64 from the connecting portion 54B of the rotation limiting portion 54 is illustrated as F1, the reaction force received by the rotating shaft 53 from the inner surface of the first guide groove 52 is illustrated as F2, and the rotational force received by the rotating shaft 53 from the inner surface of the second guide groove 63 is illustrated as F3.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reaction forces F1 and F2 and the rotational force F3 are used to illustrate the forces acting on the rotating shaft 53 of the roller portion 64. However, in reality, the force that rotates the capture portion 42 is not limited to the rotational force F3. For example, the force that rotates the capture portion 42 also includes the force directly applied to the capture portion 42 by the rotation drive portion 55 of the soft-close portion 45, the reaction force applied to the rotational shaft 53 by contact with the inner surface of the first guide groove 52 according to the rotation angle of the capture portion 42, and the like. Furthermore, the reaction forces F1 and F2 also act as forces that rotate the capture portion 42 according to the rotation angle of the capture portion 42. Furthermore, the reaction forces F1, F2, and the rotational force F3 vary according to the rotation angle of the capture portion 42. The lengths of the reaction forces F1, F2, and the rotational force F3 shown in the figure are schematic and do not represent the actual magnitudes of the forces.

[0103] exist Figure 10AIn the embodiment, first insulated door 14 is open, and engaging pin 44A of striking portion 44 is disengaged from engaging groove 42A of catch portion 42. Catch portion 42 is stopped, for example, at a position 20 degrees relative to front surface 11B of insulated housing 11. Subsequently, to close first insulated door 14, the user of refrigerator 10 presses first insulated door 14 toward front surface 11B of insulated housing 11, applying a rotational force to first insulated door 14. This closing action by the user utilizes the aforementioned rotational force and the load of first insulated door 14, causing first insulated door 14 to rotate toward front surface 11B of insulated housing 11.

[0104] As described above, the rotating shaft 53 of the roller portion 64 is inserted into the first guide groove 52 and the second guide groove 63 on the front and back sides of the frame portion 46, respectively. The rotating shaft 53 is then supported in different directions by at least the first guide groove 52 and the second guide groove 63, receiving a reaction force F2 and a rotational force F3. This structure supports the roller portion 64 in a stable upright position approximately perpendicular to the top surface 11A of the heat-insulating box 11. Furthermore, the roller portion 64 contacts the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B, receiving a reaction force F1, thereby achieving a more stable upright position.

[0105] As shown in the figure, the coupling portion 54B of the rotation restricting portion 54 is in a state where it presses the roller portion 64 toward the outside of the box by the reaction force F1. As a result, the rotating shaft 53 is located at the front end side of the first guide groove 52 and contacts the inner surface of the first guide groove 52. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 53 is subjected to a reaction force F2 from the inner surface of the first guide groove 52.

[0106] Meanwhile, in the capture portion 42, for example, a recessed portion (not shown) on its bottom surface engages with a protruding portion (not shown) on the frame portion 46, thereby maintaining the stopped state. Furthermore, while the rear end of the capture portion 42 receives a force from the coupling portion 55B of the rotation drive unit 55, which rotates the capture portion 42, the stopped state maintains a balanced state. As a result, the rotating shaft 53 is not subjected to the rotational force F3 from the inner surface of the second guide groove 63.

[0107] In addition, arrow W3 indicates the rotation range of the capture portion 42. Figure 10A In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the catch portion 42 is located at the outermost portion of the housing within its rotational range. Furthermore, a portion of the front end of the protrusion 62 is also located above the top surface 11A when the catch portion 42 is in the aforementioned stopped state. Furthermore, although not shown, a protruding piece 62B is formed on the back surface 62A of the protrusion 62 located on the top surface 11A.

[0108] exist Figure 10BWhen first insulating door 14 is closed, engaging pin 44A of striking portion 44 enters engaging groove 42A of catch portion 42, connecting striking portion 44 and catch portion 42. Furthermore, catch portion 42 is rotated, for example, 10 degrees relative to front surface 11B of insulating box 11. Furthermore, a portion of protrusion 62 is positioned above top surface 11A.

[0109] First, in Figure 10A In the illustrated standby state of the capture unit 42, the engaging pin 44A of the striking unit 44 collides with the front end of the second base portion 61B, as indicated by the circular mark 59, thereby canceling the standby state. The capture unit 42 then receives a rotational force from the connecting portion 55B of the rotation drive unit 55, thereby starting a rotational motion.

[0110] As shown in the figure, the rotating shaft 53 receives a rotational force F3 from the inner surface of the second guide groove 63, thereby moving the rotating shaft 53 integrally with the capturing portion 42 toward the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 53 contacts the inner surface of the longitudinal groove 52A of the first guide groove 52, thereby adjusting its movement trajectory. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 53 receives a reaction force F2 from the inner surface of the first guide groove 52. Furthermore, the roller portion 64 receives a reaction force F1 from the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B.

[0111] This structure supports the rotating shaft 53 and roller 64 while they are subjected to reaction force F1, reaction force F2, and rotational force F3 from at least three directions. As a result, the roller 64 is supported by the catch 42 in a stable upright position approximately perpendicular to the top surface 11A of the heat insulating box 11.

[0112] At this time, in conjunction with the rotation of the capture portion 42, the roller portion 64 rolls on the flat surface 54C of the connection portion 54B while pressing the connection portion 54B toward the inside of the box, thereby moving the rotation shaft 53 toward the center side of the longitudinal groove 52A of the first guide groove 52. On the other hand, the rotation shaft 53 moves from the center portion of the second guide groove 63 toward the right end. As described above, the longitudinal groove 52A of the first guide groove 52 extends linearly in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box body 11 (the front-to-back direction of the paper). As a result, the rotation shaft 53 describes a linear trajectory in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box body 11, thereby pressing the connection portion 54B as evenly as possible by the roller portion 64, thereby making the rotation speed of the capture portion 42 uniform.

[0113] In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 53 is designed to move in the longitudinal groove 52A of the first guide groove 52 until the capture portion 42 rotates to a position 3 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat insulating box 11. At this time, the roller portion 64 is designed to contact the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B of the rotation restricting portion 54 (see Figure 6C ) and toward the inclined surface 54D (refer to Figure 6C ) side. Furthermore, the engaging pin 44A of the striking portion 44 is pulled by the first base portion 61A of the catching portion 42 while moving toward its base within the engaging groove 42A. This structure evens out the rotational speed of the catching portion 42, and thus evens out the rotational speed of the first insulating door 14.

[0114] exist Figure 11A When the first insulating door 14 is in the closing action, the striking part 44 and the capturing part 42 continue to Figure 10B Then, the connection state is achieved. The capture portion 42 is rotated, for example, 3 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. The protrusion 62 is located above the top surface 11A.

[0115] As shown in the figure, the rotating shaft 53 receives a rotational force F3 from the inner surface of the second guide groove 63, causing the roller portion 64 and the capture portion 42 to move integrally toward the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 53 contacts the inner surface of the oblique groove 52B of the first guide groove 52, thereby adjusting its movement trajectory. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 53 receives a reaction force F2 from the inner surface of the first guide groove 52. Furthermore, the roller portion 64 receives a reaction force F1 from the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B.

[0116] This structure supports the rotating shaft 53 and the roller 64 while receiving reaction force F1, reaction force F2, and rotation force F3 from at least three directions. As a result, the roller 64 is stably supported in an upright position substantially perpendicular to the top surface 11A of the heat insulating box 11.

[0117] As shown in the figure, in conjunction with the rotation of first insulating door 14, the rolling area of ​​roller portion 64 shifts from flat surface 54C of connecting portion 54B to inclined surface 54D, thereby moving rotational shaft 53 from longitudinal groove 52A to inclined groove 52B of first guide groove 52. As described above, inclined groove 52B of first guide groove 52 is inclined in the oblique depth direction of insulating box body 11 and extends linearly.

[0118] With this structure, the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B is inclined downward relative to the direction of travel of the roller portion 64, thereby dispersing and reducing the reaction force F1 received by the roller portion 64 from the rotation restricting portion 54. As a result, in the capture portion 42, the rotational force received from the rotation driving portion 55 is less likely to be offset by the reaction force F1, thereby reducing the rotational force F1 received by the roller portion 64. Figure 10A and Figure 10B Compared with the rotation state of FIG, the capture portion 42 rotates violently.

[0119] exist Figure 11B In the embodiment, the first insulating door 14 is in a fully closed state. Figure 11AThe state is followed by the connected state, and the capture portion 42 is stopped at a position of 0 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat insulating box 11. In addition, the protrusion 62 is located above the top surface 11A.

[0120] As shown in the figure, the connecting portion 55B of the rotation drive portion 55 is in a state of pressing the rear end side of the capture portion 42, thereby positioning the rotation shaft 53 at the rear end side of the first guide groove 52. On the other hand, the rotation shaft 53 is positioned at the left end relative to the second guide groove 63. Moreover, the rotation shaft 53 is positioned at the rear end of the first guide groove 52, thereby restricting further rotation of the capture portion 42 toward the inside of the box. In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 62 of the capture portion 42 abuts against the side surface of the frame portion 46, thereby also restricting further rotation of the capture portion 42 toward the inside of the box.

[0121] In addition, Figure 11B In the fully closed state of first insulating door 14 shown, the magnet enclosed within gasket 36 of first insulating door 14 abuts and is magnetically attracted to outer box 21 and center column 16 on front surface 11B of insulating box body 11. As a result, as shown in the figure, reaction force F2 and rotational force F3 are applied to rotating shaft 53, while reaction force F1 is applied to roller portion 64. However, the magnetic attraction force of first insulating door 14 is stronger, and capture portion 42 maintains the aforementioned stopped state.

[0122] As described above, in this embodiment, during the closing operation of first insulating door 14, the running surface of connecting portion 54B, on which roller portion 64 rolls, changes from flat surface 54C to inclined surface 54D. As a result, the reaction force F1 applied to roller portion 64 from rotation restrictor 54 changes, causing the rotational speed of catch portion 42 to vary in at least two stages. Furthermore, if first insulating door 14 is a double-door, the rotational speed immediately before full closure is faster than the rotational speed during the closing phase. This allows first insulating door 14 to firmly impact against insulating box body 11, preventing the first insulating door 14 from becoming open.

[0123] Furthermore, if the first insulated door 14 is a double-door, it is closed in the center of the insulated housing 11 when fully closed, and is arranged side by side with the second insulated door 15. Furthermore, it is difficult for the user to visually confirm that the first insulated door 14 is fully closed. However, by providing the aforementioned staged speed difference in the capture unit 42, a collision sound is generated when the first insulated door 14 is fully closed against the insulated housing 11, making it easier for the user to determine whether the first insulated door 14 is fully closed based on the collision sound. Furthermore, the collision sound is set within a range that does not impair the user's comfort when using the refrigerator 10.

[0124] Furthermore, even when a user firmly presses first insulated door 14 to close it, the rotational speed of first insulated door 14 is reduced while the rotating shaft 53 moves within longitudinal groove 52A of first guide slot 52. Furthermore, the magnets within gasket 36 contained within first insulated door 14 gradually magnetically attract to front surface 11B of thermal insulation box 11. As a result, the first insulated door 14 remains stable when fully closed. For example, the sound generated by the fully closed first insulated door 14 and the noise caused by vibrations of first insulated door 14 and the collision of stored items with surrounding objects are reduced, thereby improving user comfort.

[0125] Next, use FIG. 12A to FIG. 12B , with respect to the freezer compartment 13 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment (see Figure 2 ) side of the third and fourth insulated doors 18, 19 will be described. In the following description, the automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on the third insulated door 18 will be described, and the description of the automatic closing mechanism 41 provided on the fourth insulated door 19 will refer to the description on the third insulated door 18, and its description will be omitted here.

[0126] Figure 12A It is a bottom view illustrating a state in which third insulating door 18 of refrigerator 10 is opened relative to insulating box body 11 . Figure 12B It is a bottom view illustrating a state in which third insulating door 18 of refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment is completely closed relative to heat insulating box body 11 .

[0127] like Figure 12A As shown, the automatic closing mechanism 41 is located next to the hinge mechanism 31 and is fixedly disposed on the bottom surface 11C of the heat-insulating box body 11. Furthermore, when the third heat-insulating door 18 is open, a portion of the capture portion 42 is guided out from the cover portion 68 covering the frame portion 46 of the automatic closing mechanism 41.

[0128] Here, the automatic closing mechanism 41 is used Figure 5A and Figure 5B The structure described above is fixed to the bottom surface 11C of the heat-insulating box body 11, so that the capture portion 42 is rotated toward the hinge mechanism 31. The operation of the soft closing portion 45 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 is described above and its description is omitted here.

[0129] As shown in the figure, the striking portion 44 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 is located on the bottom surface 18A side of the third insulating door 18 and is arranged toward the inside of the door. A locking pin 44A is provided at the front end of the striking portion 44, which penetrates into the engaging groove 42A of the capture portion 42. Furthermore, when the third insulating door 18 is closed, the engaging pin 44A penetrates into the engaging groove 42A, connecting the capture portion 42 and the striking portion 44. The engaging pin 44A then moves within the engaging groove 42A toward the base of the capture portion 42 while being pulled by the capture portion 42.

[0130] Furthermore, the frame portion 46 of the automatic closing mechanism 41 is flipped from its fixed position on the refrigerator compartment 12 side and fixed to the bottom surface 11C of the heat-insulating box body 11. This causes the engaging groove 42A of the catch portion 42 to face the installation surface of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, the engaging pin 44A of the striking portion 44 is arranged to extend upward from the third heat-insulating door 18.

[0131] like Figure 12B As shown, in the fully closed state of the third heat insulating door 18, the catch portion 42 rotates via the soft closing portion 45. The catch portion 42 is housed in the cover portion 68 in a state connected to the striker portion 44.

[0132] On the other hand, the third insulating door 18 is Figure 12B The fully closed state shown is moved to Figure 12A In the open state shown, the user opens third insulating door 18 toward the outside of the cabinet. Engaging pin 44A, while pressing catch portion 42 toward the outside of the cabinet, moves toward the front end of engagement groove 42A and then disengages engagement groove 42A through front end opening 39. Furthermore, catch portion 42 rotates due to the pressure of engaging pin 44A, and a portion of catch portion 42 is guided outward from cover portion 68.

[0133] As described above, in automatic closing mechanism 41, catch portion 42 rotates toward hinge mechanism 31. Consequently, when third insulated door 18 is open, the front end of catch portion 42 protrudes near hinge mechanism 31 of insulated box 11. In other words, when third insulated door 18 and fourth insulated door 19 are open, the pair of catch portions 42 protrude toward front surface 11B of insulated box 11 and spread outward to the left and right, forming a generally "ハ" (Katakana) shape when viewed from top surface 11A of refrigerator 10.

[0134] With this structure, when a user approaches freezer compartment 13, for example, to search for food in freezer compartment 13 or to store food in freezer compartment 13, catch portion 42 is less likely to come into contact with the user's feet, slippers, etc. of refrigerator 10. As a result, catch portion 42 remains in a predetermined position, allowing engagement pin 44A to enter engagement groove 42A when third insulating door 18 is closed.

[0135] Next, use Figure 13A and Figure 13B The structure of the capture portion 42 will be described. Figure 13A and Figure 13B The following describes a state in which the capture portion 42 and the striking portion 44 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment are connected via the restoration portion 71. Figure 13A It is its stereogram, Figure 13B It is its cross-sectional view.

[0136] like Figure 13A As shown, the capture portion 42 includes a first base portion 61A and a second base portion 61B separated by a locking groove 42A. Furthermore, as indicated by the circular mark 59, the front end portion of the second base portion 61B is longer than the front end portion of the first base portion 61A. With this structure, the opening width of the front end opening 39 in the locking groove 42A is widened, and the second base portion 61B on the inside of the box is lengthened, thereby making it easier for the locking pin 44A to collide with the second base portion 61B. Furthermore, when the locking pin 44A intrudes into the locking groove 42A, the locking pin 44A collides with the second base portion 61B and is guided into the locking groove 42A, thereby easily achieving a connected state between the capture portion 42 and the impact portion 44.

[0137] Furthermore, a return portion 71 may be formed in the first base portion 61A, located on the outside of the box, in the region where the engagement groove 42A of the catch portion 42 is formed. Furthermore, the return portion 71 is used to return the engagement pin 44A from the side of the catch portion 42 to the inclined surface 71A of the engagement groove 42A after the engagement pin 44A fails to penetrate the engagement groove 42A during the closing operation of the first insulating door 14. The return portion 71 may be formed entirely on the first base portion 61A or partially on the first base portion 61A.

[0138] like Figure 13B As shown, the restoring portion 71 is, for example, an inclined surface 71A formed on the surface side of the catch portion 42, and is inclined upward from the side surface outside the box toward the engagement groove 42A. Meanwhile, the engagement pin 44A is biased by, for example, an elastic spring and is configured to slide vertically relative to the frame portion of the striking portion 44.

[0139] Here, as Figure 5A As shown, due to the structure in which a portion of the catch portion 42 protrudes toward the front of the refrigerator compartment 12, the catch portion 42 comes into contact with the user, whereby the catch portion 42 rotates independently via the soft closing portion 45. Then, the catch portion 42 rotates to a fully closed state and is stored inside the cover portion 33.

[0140] In this case, since the catch portion 42 is not in the normal stop position, the engagement pin 44A cannot enter the engagement groove 42A through the front end opening 39. Furthermore, just before the first insulating door 14 is fully closed, the engagement pin 44A collides with the inclined surface 71A of the return portion 71 of the catch portion 42 housed in the cover portion 33 and moves along the inclined surface 71A of the return portion 71.

[0141] As described above, when engaging pin 44A contacts and moves along inclined surface 71A of restoring portion 71, it slides upwardly toward the frame portion of catch portion 42, thereby passing over restoring portion 71 and entering engaging groove 42A. Consequently, catch portion 42 and striking portion 44 are connected.

[0142] On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the inclined surface 71A of the return portion 71 is configured to be discontinuous with the engagement groove 42A. This configuration prevents the capture portion 42 from pressing upward from its lower front end portion when the engagement pin 44A enters the engagement groove 42A from the front opening 39 during normal operation of the soft-close portion 45. This prevents the engagement pin 44A from falling out of the engagement groove 42A. Furthermore, the operation of the engagement pin 44A after returning to the engagement groove 42A is as described above.

[0143] In the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, the front opening 12A of the refrigerator compartment 12 is openably and closably sealed by the double-opening first and second heat-insulating doors 14 and 15, and similarly, the front opening 13A of the freezer compartment 13 is openably and closably sealed by the double-opening third and fourth heat-insulating doors 18 and 19, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, Figure 14 A refrigerator 80 having a single door is shown. However, by providing the automatic closing mechanism 41 in the refrigerator 80 , the first and second heat-insulating doors 81 and 82 in the refrigerator 80 can also be opened and closed by automatic closing.

[0144] like Figure 14 As shown, the single-door refrigerator 80, like the first insulated door 14 of the double-door refrigerator 10, includes a right-opening first insulated door 81 and a second insulated door 82. The first insulated door 81 is a door that freely opens and closes the front opening (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment 83. The second insulated door 82 is a door that freely opens and closes the front opening (not shown) of the freezer compartment 84. Furthermore, like the third insulated door 18 described above, the second insulated door 82 is equipped with an automatic closing mechanism 41 on the bottom side of the insulated box body 85.

[0145] As described above, in the refrigerator 80, when the first heat-insulating door 81 is closed, the first heat-insulating door 81 rotates at a first speed from the aforementioned 20-degree open state to the aforementioned 3-degree open state. Then, the first heat-insulating door 81 rotates at a second speed from the aforementioned 3-degree open state to the aforementioned fully closed state. At this time, Figure 6C As shown, by setting the inclination angle of the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B of the rotation restricting portion 54 to a reverse slope, i.e., an upward slope, the rotation speed of the first insulating door 81 immediately before it is fully closed can be slowed down. That is, in the refrigerator 80, the rotation speed of the first insulating door 81 immediately before it is fully closed is set to be slower than the rotation speed of the refrigerator 10 immediately before it is fully closed.

[0146] With this structure, in the case of a single-door refrigerator 80, the user can visually see the edge of the front opening of the refrigerating chamber 83, compared to a double-door refrigerator 10, making it easier to visually confirm that the first insulated door 81 is fully closed. Furthermore, if the user, for example, removes or places food from or into the storage rack 34 just before the first insulated door 81 is fully closed, even if the user's fingers or the like are caught between the first insulated door 81 and the insulated box body 85, the rotation speed of the first insulated door 81 is slowed just before it is fully closed. This significantly reduces the impact of the first insulated door 81 and the insulated box body 85 when they are fully closed, thus preventing injury to the user's fingers or the like.

[0147] In addition, in this embodiment, Figure 6C As shown in FIG, the case where the inclination angle of the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B is set to a relatively gentle angle of 80 degrees or less is described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. Figure 15A The diagram shows a case where the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B is designed to have a steep inclination angle of, for example, 80 to 90 degrees.

[0148] In this case, after the roller portion 64 moves from the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B to the inclined surface 54D, the roller portion 64 is no longer in contact with the inclined surface 54D and does not receive the reaction force F1 from the rotation restricting portion 54. As a result, in the capture portion 42, the rotational force received from the rotation driving portion 55 is not offset by the reaction force F1, and the rotational force F1 is not offset by the rotational force F1. Figure 10A and Figure 10B Compared with the rotation state of the first insulating door 14, the capture portion 42 rotates violently. Then, the first insulating door 14 is violently fully closed, so that the user can easily judge the fully closed state of the first insulating door 14 based on the sound when it is fully closed.

[0149] In addition, for example, Figure 15BThe connection portion 54B does not have the inclined surface 54D but is designed with only the flat surface 54C. Although not shown, in this case, it is preferable that the first guide groove 52 is formed only by the longitudinal groove 52A.

[0150] In this case, the roller 64 continues to press the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B as evenly as possible, thereby uniformizing the rotation speed of the capture portion 42. As a result, the first insulating door 14 can also move from the open state to the fully closed state at a substantially constant speed.

[0151] Next, use Figures 16A to 19B The automatic closing mechanism 101 is described. The automatic closing mechanism 101 is a modified example of the automatic closing mechanism 41, and the main difference from the automatic closing mechanism 41 is the structure of the capture part 102. In the following description, the capture part 102 is the center of the description, and the same reference numerals are used in principle for the components that are the same as the structure of the capture part 42 and the components used in the automatic closing mechanism 41, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, refer to the above description as appropriate. Figures 1 to 15B Description.

[0152] Figure 16A It is a perspective view illustrating the frame portion 46 and the capture portion 102 of the automatic closing mechanism 101 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 16B It is a perspective view illustrating the internal mechanism of the automatic closing mechanism 101 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 17A and Figure 17B It is a perspective view illustrating the capture portion 102 of the automatic closing mechanism 101 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 17C This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the capture portion 102 of the automatic closing mechanism 101 of the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 17A The cross section along line BB is shown. Figures 18A to 19B This is a top view illustrating the operation of the automatic closing mechanism 101 when the first insulating door 14 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment is closed. Figures 18A to 19B In the description, the operations of the catch portion 102 and the soft closing portion 145 of the automatic closing mechanism 101 during the closing operation of the first heat insulating door 14 will be mainly described.

[0153] like Figure 16A As shown, the frame portion 46 of the automatic closing mechanism 101 is a box-shaped body, which is fixed to the heat-insulating box body 11 (see FIG. Figure 5A ) of the top surface 11A (refer to Figure 5A ) screws. The capture portion 102 is rotatably supported on the frame portion 46 via the rotation shaft 51. The capture portion 102 is secured to the striking portion 44 (see Figure 5A) is pressed to start the rotation. Then, the capture portion 102 is rotated from the rotation drive portion 55 (refer to Figure 16B ) is subjected to a rotational force and rotates relative to the frame portion 46 with the rotation axis 51 as a rotation fulcrum.

[0154] A guide groove 52 is formed in the cover portion 46A of the frame portion 46. When the frame portion 46 is fixed to the top surface 11A, the guide groove 52 includes a longitudinal groove 52A extending linearly in the depth direction of the thermal insulation box 11 (the front-back direction in the drawing), and an oblique groove 52B extending linearly and obliquely in the depth direction of the thermal insulation box 11.

[0155] As shown in the figure, the guide groove 52 is supported by the pressing member 103 (see Figure 16B ) of the roller portion 105 (see Figure 17A ) is inserted through the rotating shaft 104. The rotating shaft 104 is formed integrally with the roller portion 105, for example, by resin molding, and is formed in the upper and lower directions of the roller portion 105. Furthermore, the width W1 of the guide groove 52 in the short-side direction is approximately equal to or slightly wider than the diameter of the rotating shaft 104. Details will be described later, but when the pressing member 103 and the capture portion 102 rotate relative to the frame portion 46, the rotating shaft 104 is forcibly guided by the guide groove 52, thereby adjusting the movement trajectory of the pressing member 103 and the roller portion 105.

[0156] like Figure 16B As shown, during the closing operation of the first insulating door 14, in the soft-closing portion 45, the buffer portion 54A of the rotation restricting portion 54 is pressed by the roller portion 105 via the connecting portion 54B, causing it to contract. This restricts the rotation of the catch portion 102 and adjusts the rotation speed of the catch portion 102. Meanwhile, the compression coil spring 55A of the rotation driving portion 55 presses the rear end of the catch portion 102 via the connecting portion 55B, causing the catch portion 102 to rotate. In other words, during the closing operation of the first insulating door 14, the rotation driving portion 55 serves as the driving source for the rotation of the catch portion 102.

[0157] like Figure 17A As shown, the capture portion 102 includes a main body 61, an engagement groove 42A formed in the main body 61, a protrusion 62 protruding from the main body 61 in the lateral direction, a pair of guide rails 63 formed on the side of the main body 61, and a rotating shaft 51 (see FIG. Figure 16B ), and a through hole 65 that pivotally supports the rotating shaft 51 so that it can rotate. The details will be described later, but a pressing member 103 is inserted through the main body 61. The pressing member 103 slides relative to the main body 61 of the capture part 102.

[0158] like Figure 17BAs shown, the pressing member 103 includes a hollow main body 106, a roller 105 rotatably supported on the main body 106, and a pair of insertion holes 107 that pivotally support the roller 105. The roller 105 is formed with a pair of rotating shafts 104 extending in the vertical direction. The roller 105 and the rotating shafts 104 are formed, for example, by integral molding of a resin material. The rotating shafts 104 of the roller 105 are inserted through the insertion holes 107 of the main body 106, thereby rotatably supporting the roller 105 on the main body 106. The inner diameter of the insertion holes 107 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the rotating shafts 104.

[0159] The rotating shaft 104 is cylindrical in shape and has a diameter substantially equal to the width W1 of the short side of the guide groove 52. Although the details will be described later, the rotating shaft 104 of the roller portion 105 passes through the insertion hole 107 and is inserted into the guide groove 52 of the frame portion 46. When the first heat insulating door 14 is closed, the rotating shaft 104 receives a reaction force F2 (see FIG. 1 ) from the inner side surface of the guide groove 52. Figure 18B ), and is forcibly guided by the guide groove 52, and the movement trajectory of the roller portion 105 is adjusted.

[0160] On the other hand, the rotating shaft 104 receives the reaction force F2, and thus the rotating shaft 104 is rotated as shown by the arrow 108 (see FIG. Figure 17A ), the pressing member 103 slides in the longitudinal direction of the main body 61 of the capture portion 102. Specifically, as shown in FIG. Figure 16B As shown, the pressing member 103 slides between the stopper wall 109 of the main body 61 and the rotating shaft 51. That is, the pressing member 103 comes into contact with the stopper wall 109 and the rotating shaft 51, whereby the sliding movement stops.

[0161] With this structure, the pressing member 103 rotates integrally with the capturing portion 102 toward the front surface 11B of the heat insulating box 11 while sliding relative to the main body 61 in the direction of arrow 108. Furthermore, the roller portion 105 is extended outward from the main body 106, thereby pressing the connecting portion 54B of the rotation restricting portion 54 while rolling on the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B.

[0162] As a result, roller portion 105 comes into line contact with flat surface 54C of connecting portion 54B, pressing connecting portion 54B. However, the location of this line contact changes relative to flat surface 54C as roller portion 105 moves while rotating. Furthermore, as first insulating door 14 is repeatedly opened and closed, the location of the line contact of roller portion 105 with flat surface 54C changes, significantly reducing the amount of wear caused by abrasion on roller portion 105 and flat surface 54C.

[0163] Furthermore, the contact position between roller portion 105 and connecting portion 54B can be prevented from changing from the initially set position due to aging corresponding to actual years of use. Furthermore, the rotational speed of first insulating door 14 can be prevented from changing from the initially set rotational speed due to changes in the resistance value during the aforementioned contact between roller portion 105 and connecting portion 54B. Furthermore, users of refrigerator 10 can use the refrigerator for many years without feeling any discomfort with the automatic closing action of first insulating door 14, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, the frequency of repairs to automatic closing mechanism 101 is reduced, thereby preventing an increase in maintenance costs for users.

[0164] like Figure 17C As shown, the main body 106 of the pressing member 103 is formed into a hollow structure. The main body 106 is formed with an insertion hole 112 (see FIG. 112 ) having a shape substantially the same as that of the main body 61 of the capture portion 102. Figure 17B ) Moreover, the pressing member 103 is slidably embedded in the main body 61 from the rear end side of the capture portion 102.

[0165] As shown in the figure, four inner side surfaces 111A, 111B, 111C, and 111D are formed on the main body 106 to surround the insertion hole 112. Furthermore, a pair of rail recesses 110 are formed on the inner side surfaces 111B and 111D, which are opposite in the transverse direction, to accommodate the guide rail portion 63 of the main body 61 of the capture unit 102. The rail recesses 110 are formed, for example, in a vertically offset manner with respect to the main body 106. This prevents errors such as the insertion hole 112 being reversed in the left-right direction during assembly of the capture unit 102. Furthermore, the guide rail portion 63 is also formed in the main body 61 in a vertically offset manner.

[0166] In addition, the inner side surfaces 111A and 111C of the main body 106, which are opposed in the height direction, are formed as substantially flat surfaces. Furthermore, when the pressing member 103 is attached to the main body 61 of the capture unit 102, the inner side surfaces 111A and 111C abut against the upper surface 61C and lower surface 61D of the main body 61. Meanwhile, as described above, the track recess 110 is embedded in and supported by the guide rail portion 63, so that the inner side surfaces 111B and 111D can abut against the left and right side surfaces 61E and 61F of the main body 61, or can be slightly separated.

[0167] With this structure, the pressing member 103 is supported by the guide rail portion 63 of the main body 61, and the inner side surfaces 111A and 111C abut against the upper surface 61C and the lower surface 61D of the main body 61. As a result, when the pressing member 103 slides relative to the capture portion 102, it is difficult for it to shake relative to the capture portion 102. Therefore, the roller portion 105 axially supported by the pressing member 103 is also difficult to shake relative to the capture portion 102. The roller portion 105 is on the flat surface 54C (see Figure 6C ) slides stably on the door, thereby preventing the capture portion 102 from shaking. Furthermore, the first insulating door 14 is also less likely to shake during closing, achieving static stability. Furthermore, the sound generated by the stored items within the first insulating door 14 colliding with the surrounding environment is reduced, improving user comfort.

[0168] Furthermore, although not shown, a plurality of slits extending in the direction of arrow 108 may be formed on the inner side surfaces 111A and 111C of the pressing member 103. In this case, by filling the slit regions with a lubricant such as grease, the sliding resistance between the pressing member 103 and the main body 61 of the capture portion 102 can be reduced. As a result, even though the pressing member 103 and the main body 61 repeatedly slide, the amount of wear on both components due to abrasion is significantly reduced.

[0169] Next, use Figures 18A to 19B , the operation of the automatic closing mechanism 101 when the first insulating door 14 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment moves from the open state to the fully closed state is described. In addition, in the following description, the first insulating door 14 is used for description. Moreover, the description of the operations related to the second insulating door 15 to the fourth insulating door 19 refers to the description related to the first insulating door 14, and the description thereof is omitted here. In addition, the dotted line 58 schematically represents the line of the front surface 11B of the insulating box body 11. In addition, for the convenience of description, the cover portion 46A of the frame portion 46 (refer to Figure 16A ) The description is omitted, but the guide groove 52 and its longitudinal groove 52A and oblique groove 52B formed in the cover portion 46A are illustrated and described.

[0170] In addition, in this embodiment, the reaction forces F1 and F2 and the rotational force F3 are used to illustrate the forces acting on the rotating shaft 104 of the roller portion 105. However, in reality, the force that rotates the capture portion 102 is not limited to the rotational force F3. For example, the force that rotates the capture portion 102 also includes the force directly applied to the capture portion 102 by the rotation drive portion 55 of the soft-close portion 45. In addition, depending on the rotation angle of the capture portion 102, the reaction forces F1 and F2 also act as forces that rotate the capture portion 102. Moreover, the reaction forces F1, F2, and the rotational force F3 vary depending on the rotation angle of the capture portion 102. The lengths of the reaction forces F1, F2, and the rotational force F3 shown in the figure are schematic and do not represent the actual magnitude of the forces.

[0171] First, the guide groove 52 is a groove for adjusting the movement trajectory of the pressing member 103. As the capture part 102 rotates, the rotating shaft 104 of the roller portion 105 of the pressing member 103 receives a reaction force F2 from the inner side surface of the guide groove 52. In addition, the guide groove 52 is also a groove for applying a rotational force F3 to the roller portion 105. As the capture part 102 rotates, the rotating shaft 104 receives a rotational force F3 from the inner side surface of the guide groove 52. Figures 18A to 19B In the figure, the reaction force received by the roller portion 105 of the pressing component 103 from the connecting portion 54B of the rotation limiting portion 54 is illustrated as F1, the reaction force received by the rotating shaft 104 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52 is illustrated as F2, and the rotational force received by the rotating shaft 104 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52 is illustrated as F3.

[0172] exist Figure 18A In the embodiment, the first insulating door 14 is in the open state, and the impact part 44 (refer to Figure 5A ) of the engagement pin 44A (see Figure 5A ) disengages from the engaging groove 42A of the capture portion 102. The capture portion 102 is stopped, for example, at a position 20 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating housing 11. Then, to close the first heat-insulating door 14, the user of the refrigerator 10 presses the first heat-insulating door 14 toward the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating housing 11, applying a rotational force to the first heat-insulating door 14. The user's closing action causes the first heat-insulating door 14 to rotate toward the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating housing 11 using the rotational force and the load of the first heat-insulating door 14.

[0173] As described above, the rotating shaft 104 of the roller portion 105 is inserted into the guide groove 52 on the front side of the frame portion 46. As described above, the pressing member 103 supporting the roller portion 105 is slidably fitted into the main body 61 of the capture portion 102, thereby preventing it from shaking relative to the capture portion 102. With this structure, the pressing member 103, like the capture portion 102, is supported in a substantially horizontal position relative to the top surface 11A of the heat insulating box 11, while the rotating shaft 104 is stably upright in a direction perpendicular to the top surface 11A.

[0174] As shown in the figure, the coupling portion 54B of the rotation restricting portion 54 is in a state where it presses the roller portion 105 of the pressing member 103 toward the outside of the box by the reaction force F1. As a result, the rotating shaft 104 is located at the front end side of the guide groove 52 and contacts the inner surface of the guide groove 52. In addition, the rotating shaft 104 is subjected to a reaction force F2 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52.

[0175] Meanwhile, in the capture portion 102, for example, a recessed portion (not shown) on its bottom surface engages with a protruding portion (not shown) on the frame portion 46, thereby maintaining a stationary state. Furthermore, while the rear end of the capture portion 102 is directly subjected to the force of the coupling portion 55B of the rotation drive unit 55, which rotates the capture portion 102, the stationary state maintains a balanced state. As a result, the rotating shaft 104 is not subjected to the rotational force F3 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52.

[0176] In addition, arrow W3 indicates the rotation range of the capture portion 102. Figure 18A In the embodiment, the capture portion 102 is located at the outermost side of the box within the rotation range. Moreover, a portion of the front end side of the protrusion 62 is also located above the top surface 11A when the capture portion 102 is in the above-mentioned stopped state. Figure 8A As shown, a protruding piece 62B is formed on the back surface 62A of the protruding portion 62 located on the top surface 11A.

[0177] exist Figure 18B When first insulating door 14 is closed, engaging pin 44A of striking portion 44 enters engaging groove 42A of catch portion 102, connecting striking portion 44 and catch portion 102. Furthermore, catch portion 102 is rotated, for example, 10 degrees relative to front surface 11B of insulating box 11. Furthermore, a portion of protrusion 62 is positioned above top surface 11A.

[0178] First, in Figure 18AIn the illustrated standby state of the capture unit 102, as indicated by the circular mark 59, the engaging pin 44A of the striking portion 44 collides with the front end of the second base portion 61B, thereby eliminating the standby state. The capture unit 102 then receives a rotational force from the connecting portion 55B of the rotary drive unit 55, thereby initiating rotation. The rotating shaft 104 moves toward the center of the longitudinal groove 52A of the guide groove 52.

[0179] As shown in the figure, the rotating shaft 104 receives a rotational force F3 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52, causing the pressing member 103 and the capturing portion 102 to move integrally toward the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 104 contacts the inner surface of the longitudinal groove 52A of the guide groove 52, thereby adjusting its movement trajectory. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 104 receives a reaction force F2 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52. Furthermore, the roller portion 105 of the pressing member 103 receives a reaction force F1 from the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B.

[0180] This structure allows the roller portion 105 of the pressing member 103 to roll on the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B in conjunction with the rotation of the catch portion 102, pressing the connecting portion 54B toward the inside of the case. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 104 is subjected to a rotational force F3 and a reaction force F2 from the inner side of the guide groove 52, while the roller portion 105 is subjected to a reaction force F1 from the flat surface 54C. At this point, the rotational force F3 becomes the maximum force, causing the pressing member 103 to slide relative to the main body 61 toward the stopper wall 109.

[0181] As described above, the longitudinal groove 52A of the guide groove 52 extends linearly in the depth direction (front-back direction in the drawing) of the heat-insulating box 11. As a result, the rotational shaft 104 describes a linear trajectory in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box 11. This allows the roller 105 of the pressing member 103 to press the connecting portion 54B as evenly as possible, thereby uniformizing the rotational speed of the capture unit 102.

[0182] In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 104 is designed to move in the longitudinal groove 52A of the guide groove 52 until the capture portion 102 is rotated to a position 3 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. At this time, the pressing member 103 is designed to contact the flat surface 54C of the connecting portion 54B of the rotation limiting portion 54 (see Figure 6C ) and toward the inclined surface 54D (refer to Figure 6C ) side. Furthermore, the engaging pin 44A of the striking portion 44 is pulled by the first base portion 61A of the catching portion 102 while moving toward its base within the engaging groove 42A. This structure evens out the rotational speed of the catching portion 102, and thus evens out the rotational speed of the first insulating door 14.

[0183] exist Figure 19AWhen the first insulating door 14 is in the closing action, the striking part 44 and the capturing part 102 continue to Figure 18B Then, the connection state is established. Furthermore, the capture portion 102 is rotated, for example, 3 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. Furthermore, the protrusion 62 is located above the top surface 11A.

[0184] As shown in the figure, the rotating shaft 104 receives a rotational force F3 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52, causing the pressing member 103 and the capturing portion 102 to move integrally toward the front surface 11B of the heat-insulating box 11. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 104 contacts the inner surface of the oblique groove 52B of the guide groove 52, thereby adjusting its movement trajectory. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 104 receives a reaction force F2 from the inner surface of the guide groove 52. Furthermore, the roller portion 105 receives a reaction force F1 from the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B.

[0185] As shown in the figure, in conjunction with the rotation of first insulating door 14, the pressing area of ​​roller portion 105 shifts from flat surface 54C of connecting portion 54B to inclined surface 54D. Furthermore, rotational shaft 104 moves from longitudinal groove 52A of guide groove 52 to inclined groove 52B. As described above, inclined groove 52B of guide groove 52 is inclined in the oblique depth direction of insulating box body 11 and extends linearly.

[0186] With this structure, the inclined surface 54D of the connecting portion 54B is inclined downward relative to the direction of travel of the roller portion 105, thereby dispersing and reducing the reaction force F1 received by the roller portion 105 from the rotation restricting portion 54. As a result, in the capture portion 102, the rotational force received from the rotation driving portion 55 is less likely to be offset by the reaction force F1, thereby reducing the rotational force F1 received by the roller portion 105. Figure 18A and Figure 18B In addition, in conjunction with the rotation of the capture unit 102, the direction of the rotational force F3 applied to the rotating shaft 104 and the direction of the reaction force F1 applied to the roller portion 105 change, thereby causing the pressing member 103 to slide relative to the main body 61 toward the rotating shaft 51.

[0187] exist Figure 19B In the embodiment, the first insulating door 14 is in a fully closed state. Figure 19A The state is followed by the connected state, and the capture portion 102 is stopped at a position of 0 degrees relative to the front surface 11B of the heat insulating box 11. In addition, the protrusion 62 is located above the top surface 11A.

[0188] As shown in the figure, the connecting portion 55B of the rotation drive portion 55 is in a state of pressing the rear end side of the capture portion 102, thereby positioning the rotation shaft 104 at the rear end side of the guide groove 52. Furthermore, the rotation shaft 104 is positioned at the rear end of the guide groove 52, thereby restricting further rotation of the capture portion 102 toward the interior of the box. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protrusion 62 of the capture portion 102 abuts against the side surface of the frame portion 46, thereby also restricting further rotation of the capture portion 102 toward the interior of the box.

[0189] In addition, Figure 19B In the fully closed state of first insulating door 14 shown, the magnet enclosed within gasket 36 of first insulating door 14 abuts and is magnetically attracted to outer case 21 and center column 16 of front surface 11B of insulating box 11. As a result, as shown in the figure, reaction force F2 and rotational force F3 are applied to rotating shaft 104, while reaction force F1 is applied to roller portion 105. However, the magnetic attraction force of first insulating door 14 is stronger, and capture portion 102 remains in the aforementioned stopped state.

[0190] As described above, in this embodiment, the angles of the catch portions 42 and 102 are shown as an example of a location where the rotational speed of the first insulating door 14 and 81 is changed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The angles of the catch portions 42 and 102 described above can be arbitrarily modified. Furthermore, the angles of the inclined grooves 52B of the first guide grooves 52 can also be arbitrarily modified depending on the characteristics of the buffer portion 54A of the rotation restricting portion 54 and the characteristics of the compression coil spring 55A of the rotation driving portion 55. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: have: A heat-insulating box body is formed with a storage chamber; an insulating door that can be opened and closed to seal the front opening of the storage chamber; and An automatic closing mechanism enables the heat-insulating door to automatically close relative to the heat-insulating box body. The automatic closing mechanism has: a capture portion rotatably disposed relative to the heat-insulating box body; a striking portion, disposed on the heat-insulating door, and coupled to or detached from the capturing portion in conjunction with the opening and closing motion of the heat-insulating door; a rotation limiting portion for reducing the rotation speed of the capture portion; as well as a protrusion protruding from the capture portion toward the top surface of the heat insulating box body, At least a portion of the protrusion is located above the top surface within a rotation range of the capture portion.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: A protruding piece is formed on the back surface of the protruding portion facing the top surface. The protruding piece is in contact with the top surface.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The catch portion is formed with an engagement groove into which the engagement pin of the strike portion can enter, and the protrusion is formed on the side of the catch portion in the area where the engagement groove is formed. When the heat-insulating door is closed, the engaging pin penetrates into the engaging groove in conjunction with the rotation of the catch portion.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The protruding piece is formed along an outer peripheral end portion of the protruding portion.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that The protrusion inside the protruding piece is formed to be thinner than a region where the protruding piece is formed.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The protruding piece is formed in a semicircular shape in cross-sectional view.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The protruding piece portion is formed in a hemispherical shape, and a plurality of protruding pieces are formed dispersedly on the rear surface of the protruding portion.

Images