refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can automatically close a door, can quickly open the door, and has good operability.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to an embodiment comprises a case including a storage chamber, a door attached to an opening of the case, a door opening device for opening the door, and a door closing device provided separately from the door opening device, and for closing the door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a refrigerator having a contact opening function in which the door of the refrigerating chamber opens when the user lightly touches the door opening operation unit. In such a refrigerator, since the user himself / herself has to close the door, a function capable of automatically closing the door has been demanded.

[0003] Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which the rotation speed of a rotary drive mechanism (hereinafter, a motor) is transmitted by a rack and pinion mechanism to open and close the door.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the case of a configuration in which the door is opened and closed using a rack and pinion mechanism, it takes time to open the door, which may cause annoyance to the user.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with good operability that can automatically close the door and quickly open the door.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The refrigerator of the embodiment includes a housing including a storage compartment, a door attached to an opening in the housing, a door opening device for opening the door, a door retraction mechanism for retracting the door towards the housing when it is open and the opening angle relative to the housing is less than or equal to a predetermined angle, and a door closing device provided separately from the door opening device for closing the door from an opening angle greater than the predetermined angle to an opening angle smaller than the predetermined angle. The refrigerator further has another door that, together with the aforementioned door, forms a double door. The aforementioned door has a rotating vertical partition that closes the gap between the aforementioned door and the other door when both the aforementioned door and the other door are closed. The rotating vertical partition is provided with a restoring force to maintain a predetermined position when the aforementioned door can be opened. The door retraction mechanism is subjected to a restoring force that pulls the door in and closes it when the door is at a predetermined open angle. The door closing force generated when the door closing device closes the door is greater than the sum of the restoring force applied to the rotating vertical partition and the restoring force acting on the door retraction mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator 1 shown in Figure 1 along the line II-II. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the ceiling section of a refrigerator according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing some of the functional configurations of a refrigerator. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the right-side refrigerator compartment door. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the mounting components. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the door rotation mechanism in the right door closing device. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the door rotation mechanism in the right door closing device. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a parts diagram showing the configuration of the drive unit. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the refrigerator door from the lower inside of the compartment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a part of the configuration of the door closing transmission mechanism. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the door retraction component that constitutes the door retraction mechanism. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the right door closing device in Modification Example 1. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the right door closing device of the first modification. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a view of the right refrigerator door in the closed state as seen from the upper side in the axial direction. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a view showing the first open state (opening angle θ is, for example, 145°) of the right refrigerator door. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a view showing the second open state (opening angle θ is, for example, 90°) of the right refrigerator door. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a view showing the third open state (opening angle θ is, for example, 45°) of the right refrigerator door. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a view showing the closed state (opening angle θ is, for example, 0°) of the right refrigerator door. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a schematic configuration diagram when the drive device is installed horizontally. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another configuration of the speed reducer in the drive device. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a view showing a single-opening type refrigerator.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the refrigerator of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to configurations having the same or similar functions. And the overlapping descriptions of those configurations may be omitted. In this specification, the left and right are defined based on the direction in which the user standing in front of the refrigerator views the refrigerator. Also, the side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator as seen from the refrigerator is defined as "front", and the far side is defined as "rear", which is the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Also, when the refrigerator 1 is installed on the floor surface in the posture of FIG. 1, the up-down direction with respect to the gravitational direction is the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1. Also, the left-right direction when the refrigerator 1 in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front side is the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0010] <First Embodiment> [Overall Configuration of Refrigerator] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described.

[0012] The refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment separately has a mechanism for opening the door and a mechanism for closing the opened door.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator body MB, a cooling unit 30 (see FIG. 2) provided in the refrigerator body MB, a door opening device 41, a door opening operation unit 42, an acoustic unit 52, an in-cabinet camera 53 (see FIG. 2), a communication module (wireless communication unit) 61, a first power supply board 70 and a second power supply board 80, an elapsed time measurement unit 101 (FIG. 4), and a door closing device 130.

[0014] <Refrigerator Body> The refrigerator body MB mainly includes a vertically long rectangular box-shaped housing 10 with an open front surface and a plurality of doors 20 that are openably attached to the opening side of the housing 10.

[0015] (Housing) The housing 10 has a plurality of storage chambers 11 in which foodstuffs and the like can be stored. The housing 10 has an upper wall (ceiling portion) 10a, a lower wall 10b, a left side wall 10c, a right side wall 10d, and a rear wall 10e. The upper wall 10a and the lower wall 10b are substantially horizontal surfaces and face each other. The left side wall 10c and the right side wall 10d stand upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 10b and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 10a. The rear wall 10e stands upward from the rear end of the lower wall 10b and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 10a.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 10 includes an inner box 10i that forms the inner surface of the housing 10, an outer box 10j located outside the inner box 10i and forming the outer surface of the housing 10, and an insulating material 10k provided between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j, and has insulating properties. The insulating material 10k placed between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j includes foamed insulating material such as foamed urethane, and vacuum insulating material (VIP: Vacuum Insulation Panel) which has better insulating properties.

[0017] The multiple storage compartments 11 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11A, a chilled compartment 11AA (see Figure 2), a vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment 11E, as shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 11A is located at the top, the vegetable compartment 11B is located below the refrigerator compartment 11A, the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D are located below the vegetable compartment 11B, and the main freezer compartment 11E is located below the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 11 is not limited to the above example. Food items are loaded into and removed from each storage compartment 11 through an opening formed on the front side of the housing 10.

[0018] (door) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the multiple doors 20 close the multiple storage compartments 11 so that they can be opened and closed. The multiple doors 20 include, for example, left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20A (left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab) that close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 11A, a vegetable compartment door 20B that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment door 20C that closes the opening of the ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment door 20D that closes the opening of the small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment door 20E that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 11E.

[0019] Of the multiple doors 20, a pair of refrigerator doors 20A, which are arranged side by side on the upper side of the housing 10, are rotatably attached to the housing 10 via hinges (door rotation support parts) 6A and 6B. The left refrigerator door 20Aa is supported on the left side of the housing 10 by a pair of left hinges 6A arranged vertically. The right refrigerator door 20Ab is supported on the right side of the housing 10 by a pair of right hinges 6B arranged vertically.

[0020] One of a pair of left-side hinges 6A is located above the outer end of the left refrigerator door 20Aa and, together with the other left-side hinge 6A located below the outer end of the left refrigerator door 20Aa, rotatably supports the left refrigerator door 20Aa. The left refrigerator door 20Aa is configured to rotate about the axis of a pivot shaft Oa that extends vertically between the pair of left-side hinges 6A. The left refrigerator door 20Aa is installed in the housing 10 so as to be openable and closable via the pair of hinges 6A located above and below it.

[0021] One of a pair of right-side hinges 6B is located above the outer end of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab and, together with the other right-side hinge 6B located below the outer end of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, rotatably supports the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. The right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is configured to rotate about the axis of a pivot shaft Ob that extends vertically between the pair of right-side hinges 6B. The right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is installed in the housing 10 so as to be openable and closable via the pair of hinges 6B located above and below it.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the door 20 includes an inner wall portion 20i that forms the inner surface of the door 20, an outer wall portion 20j that forms the outer surface of the door 20, a lower wall portion 20k attached to the lower end of the outer wall portion 20j, and an insulating material 10k provided in the space enclosed by the inner wall portion 20i, the outer wall portion 20j, and the lower wall portion 20k, and has thermal insulation properties. In this embodiment, a lower wall portion 20k, which is separate from the outer wall portion 20j, is attached to the lower end of the outer wall portion 20j, but these may be formed as a single unit.

[0023] <Cooling Unit> As shown in Figure 2, the cooling unit 30 includes a compressor 31, a refrigeration cooler 32, a refrigeration fan 33, a freezing cooler 34, and a freezing fan 35. The compressor 31 compresses the refrigerant and supplies the compressed refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 32 and the freezing cooler 34 via a condenser and capillary tubes.

[0024] The refrigerator 32 is located in the first duct space D1, which is situated behind the refrigerator compartment 11A, and cools the air flowing through the first duct space D1 using a refrigerant supplied from the compressor 31.

[0025] The refrigeration fan 33 circulates the air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 32 (cold air) between the refrigerated temperature zone compartments (refrigerator compartment 11A, chilled compartment 11AA, and vegetable compartment 11B) and the first duct space D1. This cools the refrigerator compartment 11A, chilled compartment 11AA, and vegetable compartment 11B.

[0026] The refrigeration cooler 34 is located in the second duct space D2, which is situated behind the main freezer chamber 11E, and cools the air flowing through the second duct space D2 using a refrigerant supplied from the compressor 31.

[0027] The refrigeration fan 35 circulates the air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 34 (cold air) between the refrigeration temperature zone chambers (ice-making chamber 11C, small freezer chamber 11D, and main freezer chamber 11E) and the second duct space D2. This cools the ice-making chamber 11C, small freezer chamber 11D, and main freezer chamber 11E.

[0028] In this specification, the term "cooling unit" is not limited to the above configuration and may also include heating devices such as defrosting heaters and condensation suppression heaters.

[0029] <Door opening device> The door opening device 41 is a device that transmits the force to open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab when they are closed, within a certain range of opening angles (degrees of opening). In other words, the door opening device 41 is a device that automatically opens the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0030] The door opening device 41 in this embodiment is provided on the ceiling of the housing 10. When the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are closed relative to the housing 10, this is considered their initial position. The door opening device 41 opens the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab by pushing them out from the housing 10 side in the opening direction.

[0031] The door opening device 41 includes, for example, a left door opening device 41A for opening the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, and a right door opening device 41B for opening the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab. The left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B each include, for example, a drive device for opening the doors and other components such as a housing member for housing the drive device.

[0032] In this embodiment, the drive device used is, for example, a solenoid structure or solenoid system that includes a movable iron core that is pushed forward when an electromagnet is energized, and a cylindrical coil (not shown) provided around the movable iron core, and moves the movable iron core installed inside the cylindrical coil by the electromagnetic force obtained by passing an electric current through the cylindrical coil.

[0033] In the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B, the above-mentioned drive device utilizing the solenoid structure or solenoid method causes the movable iron core to move in a straight line by the electromagnetic force generated when current is passed through the cylindrical coil, thereby opening the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab. A drive device utilizing a solenoid structure or solenoid method is sometimes called a solenoid actuator.

[0034] With this drive mechanism, the movable iron core inside the cylindrical coil moves forward forcefully due to electromagnetic force, thereby forcefully pushing the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab in the direction that opens them. The power from the movable iron core is transmitted to the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab only while the movable iron core is in contact with the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab.

[0035] The refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab open due to the pressing force of the movable iron core, and then rotate to a predetermined angle due to the inertia caused by the pushing force. As the effect of inertia weakens, the opening speed of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab decreases. In this way, the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are left in a partially open state.

[0036] In other words, the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B do not operate across the entire range of opening angles of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, but rather are intended to provide initial movements for each of the openings of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab. Therefore, the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B do not open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab to their widest extent, but rather open them to an angle that allows the user to open them more smoothly and to take out or put food items into the refrigerator 1 more easily. The aforementioned state in which the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are opened to a certain extent refers, for example, to an open state that is easy for the user to use.

[0037] In the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B of this embodiment, when the opening angle of the refrigerator compartment door 20A exceeds a certain range, for example, when the opening angle of the refrigerator compartment door 20A exceeds 5°, no force is transmitted to open the refrigerator compartment door 20A any further.

[0038] In terms of specific configuration, the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B of this embodiment include a plunger 41P as the movable iron core and a cylindrical coil (not shown) provided around the plunger 41P. A cylindrical coil, for example, is formed by tightly winding copper wire in a spiral shape. The plunger 41P is a movable iron core located inside the cylindrical coil and moves in a straight line using the electromagnetic force generated when an electric current is passed through the cylindrical coil. The direction in which the plunger 41P moves in a straight line coincides with the front-to-back direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0039] The left door opening device 41A is located on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10, opposite the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa. The right door opening device 41B is located on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10, opposite the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab.

[0040] The door opening device 41, located on the housing 10 side, is connected to the door opening operation unit 42, located on the refrigerator door 20A side, via electrical wiring (not shown) and a first power supply board 70. The left door opening device 41A is connected to the left door opening operation unit 42A, and the right door opening device 41B is connected to the right door opening operation unit 42B.

[0041] Then, when the operating conditions for the door opening device 41 are met, for example, when the user operates the door opening operation unit 42, the plunger 41P of the door opening device 41 is driven forward via the electrical wiring and the first power supply board 70. When the plunger 41P is driven forward, the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are pushed away from the housing 10, and the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are opened.

[0042] The left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B are controlled by the control unit 100 (Figure 4) of the first power supply board 70, which will be described later. The door opening device 41 can forcibly open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab by pushing the plunger 41P forward, even when driven not only by user operation on the door opening operation unit 42, which will be described later, but also by control by the control unit 100 based on a "door opening instruction (voice instruction)" from the user acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g of the sound unit 52.

[0043] Thus, by using the aforementioned solenoid structure and solenoid-based drive device in the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B, which are suitable for transmitting the force to open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab from a closed state within a certain range of opening angles, the initial speed at which the plunger 41P is pushed toward the refrigerator door 20A, i.e., the speed at which the door is opened, becomes faster, making it possible to open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab more quickly than with opening devices that use gear transmission. In this way, the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab can be opened quickly, improving the usability of the refrigerator 1 compared to conventional models.

[0044] The door opening device 41 is not limited to the structural example described above. For example, the plunger 41P is not limited to iron; it can be used as a movable core if it contains magnetic material in at least a part of it. Also, in this embodiment, the movable iron core is used as the plunger 41P, but the plunger 41P may be a movable iron core with another member fixed to it.

[0045] Furthermore, the drive device for the door opening device 41 in this embodiment is not limited to a linear solenoid actuator that utilizes the linear motion of a plunger 41P made of a movable iron core as the driving force. For example, a solenoid actuator incorporating a mechanism that converts the linear motion of the plunger 41P into rotational motion may also be used. Such a rotary solenoid actuator has a structure that converts the linear force obtained by energizing a coil into rotational motion, and rotates slightly while moving linearly during rotational motion. While a general motor can rotate more than one full rotation at any rotation angle around its axis, a rotary solenoid actuator differs from a motor in that its rotation range is limited (it does not complete a full rotation).

[0046] <Door opening operation unit> The door opening operation unit 42 receives the user's action to operate the door opening device 41. For example, the door opening operation unit 42 includes a left door opening operation unit 42A that receives the user's action to operate the left door opening device 41A, and a right door opening operation unit 42B that receives the user's action to operate the right door opening device 41B. The user's actions that operate the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B include, for example, the user's contact operation of touching the surface of the refrigerator door 20A, or predetermined bodily movements such as the user's hand being brought close to the refrigerator door 20A. The door opening operation unit 42 receives a door opening instruction from the user based on the user's actions described above.

[0047] The left door opening operation unit 42A is provided on the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa and has a detection unit capable of detecting contact operations by the user touching the surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, or predetermined body movements such as the user's hand brought close to the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa. Predetermined body movements are movements for non-contact detection, such as bringing the palm of the hand close. By pre-registering predetermined movements in the storage unit 126 described later, it is possible to prevent other movements from being detected. Predetermined movements may be registered in the storage unit 126 before the refrigerator 1 is shipped, or the user may register any movements they decide on after purchasing the refrigerator 1. When the left door opening operation unit 42A receives a contact operation or a predetermined action from the user, the control unit 100 of the first power supply board 70 operates the left door opening device 41A.

[0048] The right door opening operation unit 42B is located on the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab and has a detection unit capable of detecting user contact operations such as touching the surface of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, or body movements such as the user's hand approaching the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab. When the right door opening operation unit 42B receives user operation or movement, the control unit 100 of the first power supply board 70 operates the right door opening device 41B.

[0049] The detection units provided in the left door opening operation unit 42A and the right door opening operation unit 42B detect, for example, user contact operations that touch the surface of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, or the movement of the user's hands or other body parts that approach the surface of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, by detecting changes in capacitance.

[0050] <In-cabin camera> The in-cabin camera 53 shown in Figure 2 is installed in one or more of the storage compartments 11, which are the refrigerator compartment 11A, chilled compartment 11AA, vegetable compartment 11B, small freezer compartment 11D, and main freezer compartment 11E. The in-cabin camera 53 has a camera body 53a and a camera control unit 53b. The camera body 53a takes images of the stored items (food ingredients) contained in the storage room 11. The camera control unit 53b controls the camera body 53a. For example, the camera control unit 53b operates the camera body 53a at a predetermined interval to photograph the inside of the storage room 11.

[0051] The interior camera 53 is an imaging device installed, for example, on the ceiling or side of the refrigerator compartment 11A, which detects the entry and exit of food to and from the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11AA. The interior camera 53 detects whether it is an entry or exit of food by, for example, detecting the direction of movement of the food. Alternatively, the interior camera 53 may be installed in the chilled compartment 11AA and only detect the entry and exit of food to and from the chilled compartment 11AA.

[0052] The in-cabin camera 53 may be a conventional camera with sensitivity in the visible light region, or an infrared camera with sensitivity in the infrared light region. An infrared camera can detect the temperature of food (e.g., surface temperature). In this embodiment, the in-cabin camera 53 is used as a detection unit to detect the entry and exit of food, but it is not limited to this, and an ultrasonic detection unit or the like may also be used. Furthermore, if the temperature of the food is detected by the chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121, the in-cabin camera 53 may be omitted.

[0053] <1st power supply board> As shown in Figure 1, the first power supply board 70 is installed, for example, on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10. The first power supply board 70 is powered by an external commercial power supply PS (Figure 3) via a power cord 7 and supplies the power necessary for the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 to various parts. For example, the first power supply board 70 supplies power to the cooling unit 30, door opening device 41, door opening operation unit 42, communication module 61, interior camera 53, door closing device 130, etc.

[0054] <Second power supply board> As shown in Figure 1, the second power supply board 80 is mounted on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10 together with the first power supply board 70 described above. The second power supply board 80 is located behind the first power supply board 70 and is mounted independently of the first power supply board 70. The second power supply board 80 is a power supply board that functions as the main power supply for the sound unit 52, which is capable of outputting sound. The second power supply board 80 is connected to the first power supply board 70 via a power supply line 8 (Figure 3). The second power supply board 80 supplies power to the sound unit 52 from an external commercial power supply PS (Figure 3) through the first power supply board 70.

[0055] In addition to the first power supply board 70 that supplies power to the cooling unit 30 and the information function unit, a second power supply board 80 is provided that supplies power only to the sound unit 52. This allows the function of the first power supply board 70 (the cooling function of the refrigerator 1) to be maintained even if the sound unit 52 fails. Furthermore, the user can access information regarding the refrigerator 1's failure and inventory information on the screen of an external terminal device TD via the communication module 61 connected to the first power supply board 70. Alternatively, the user can check predetermined information stored in the memory unit of the first power supply board 70 by operating the terminal device TD. Moreover, since only the faulty sound unit 52 needs to be replaced, time and cost are reduced. This improves user convenience.

[0056] <Sound Unit> The acoustic unit 52 is capable of recognizing the voices of people around the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the acoustic unit 52 can output voices to people around the refrigerator 1, providing information about the refrigerator 1 and other sounds. The sound unit 52 includes a speaker (sound section) 52a, an amplifier board 52b, a voice instruction acquisition unit 52g, and a housing case 52d.

[0057] (Voice command acquisition unit) The voice command acquisition unit 52g is a microphone capable of voice input and acquires voice commands from the user regarding various operations. The voice command acquisition unit 52g is installed on the refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab.

[0058] (Speaker) Speaker 52a is a thin, rectangular speaker in plan view, and generates sound on its front sound-emitting surface 52ab.

[0059] (Amplifier board) The amplifier board 52b includes a circuit board 90a and a plurality of electrical components 90b mounted on the circuit board 90a. The circuit board 90a and the plurality of electrical components 90b shown in Figure 2 realize a microphone control unit, a microphone memory unit, a speaker control unit, a speaker memory unit, and a wireless communication module.

[0060] The amplifier board 52b is connected to the voice command acquisition unit 52g via a microphone connection bundle (not shown). The amplifier board 52b controls the voice command acquisition unit 52g via the microphone control unit. The amplifier board 52b controls the ON / OFF status of the voice command acquisition unit 52g via the microphone control unit and transmits the user's voice data acquired by the voice command acquisition unit 52g to the first power supply board 70.

[0061] The amplifier board 52b is connected to the speaker 52a via the speaker connection bundle 90c. The amplifier board 52b controls the speaker 52a using the speaker control unit. The amplifier board 52b controls, for example, the music and / or sound output from the speaker 52a.

[0062] The wireless communication module can communicate wirelessly with an external terminal device TD. For example, the wireless communication module can communicate directly wirelessly with a terminal device TD located within a predetermined range from the refrigerator 1 (for example, in at least a portion of the space within the same dwelling as the refrigerator 1). The wireless communication module is a short-range wireless communication module that conforms to standards such as Bluetooth®.

[0063] Terminal device TD is a terminal device owned by the user of refrigerator 1, and is such as a smartphone or tablet device. The terminal device TD can communicate with the server device SD via an external network NW. The terminal device TD has a predetermined application program (for example, a program for remotely controlling refrigerator 1) pre-installed. This program is executed by the processor installed in the terminal device, thereby realizing predetermined functions. For example, when the terminal device TD receives status history information from refrigerator 1, it transfers the received status history information to the server device SD.

[0064] The amplifier board 52b supplies power from the second power supply board 80 to the speaker 52a and the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g. This enables the speaker 52a and the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g to operate.

[0065] The amplifier board 52b plays music data and / or audio data based on control signals received from the terminal device TD via the wireless communication module, and outputs the played music and / or audio to the outside of the refrigerator 1 through the speaker 52a. This not only notifies the user of necessary information from the refrigerator 1, but also allows the user to listen to selected music and / or audio at their desired timing.

[0066] The amplifier board 52b can communicate with the first power supply board 70. The amplifier board 52b is connected to the first power supply board 70. One method of communication with the first power supply board 70 is to use a communication interface such as a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transceiver).

[0067] The speaker control unit of the amplifier board 52b communicates with the first power supply board 70 (control unit 100) to acquire predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information, fault information, inventory information, etc.) stored in the memory unit 126 (Figure 4) and stores it in the speaker memory unit. The speaker memory unit stores predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information, fault information, inventory information, etc.) acquired from the first power supply board 70, as well as music data and / or audio data based on this information.

[0068] The speaker control unit plays music data and / or audio data based on predetermined information (such as status history information, fault information, and inventory information) stored in the speaker memory unit of the refrigerator 1, and outputs the played music and / or audio from the speaker 52a to the outside of the refrigerator 1.

[0069] Speaker 52a provides voice notifications such as, "The door is open," "The refrigerator compartment has been switched to high mode," and "The rapid ice-making mode has been set." This allows users near refrigerator 1 to hear and understand the necessary information about refrigerator 1.

[0070] Furthermore, the speaker control unit transmits music data signals and / or audio data signals based on predetermined information of the refrigerator 1 stored in the speaker memory unit (such as status history information, fault information, and inventory information) to the terminal device TD. This allows the user to check the necessary information about the refrigerator 1 on their terminal device TD.

[0071] The microphone control unit of the amplifier board 52b stores predetermined instruction information based on the user's voice instructions acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g in the microphone memory unit. The microphone control unit communicates with the first power supply board 70 (control unit 100) to store the predetermined instruction information stored in the microphone memory unit in the memory unit 126 (Figure 4). The instruction information includes information regarding voice output instructions for speaker 52a and opening / closing instructions for refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab.

[0072] The microphone control unit responds, for example, to a predetermined "calling word" from the user and acquires subsequent voice instructions. When the microphone control unit recognizes a "calling word" from the user through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g, it acquires the subsequent voice as instruction information from the user.

[0073] <Communication Module> The communication module 61 is capable of long-distance communication with external terminal devices and can communicate wirelessly or via wired connection with a router R installed in the same residence as the refrigerator 1. The communication module 61 can communicate with an external server device SD (e.g., a cloud server) via the router R, a modem (not shown), and an external network NW such as the internet. The communication module 61 transmits information indicating the status of the refrigerator 1 to the server device SD. The communication module 61 also receives remote control signals for the refrigerator 1 from the server device SD.

[0074] <Elapsed Time Measurement Unit> The elapsed time measurement unit 101 measures the time the refrigerator door 20A remains open (elapsed open time) after it is opened manually by the user or by the door opening device 41, and transmits this information to the control unit 100. The elapsed time measurement unit 101 may be part of the control unit 100, which is composed of a computer including a microcontroller.

[0075] <Door closing device> As shown in Figure 1, the door closing device 130 is a device that automatically closes the open refrigerator door 20A, and is provided on the refrigerator door 20A side, separate from the door opening device 41 provided on the housing 10 side. The door closing device 130 also has a separate drive source from the door opening device 41.

[0076] As shown in Figure 1, the door closing device 130 has the function of automatically closing both doors individually. The door closing device 130 has, for example, a left door closing device 130A and a right door closing device 130B, each of which can be driven independently. The left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B are devices that can transmit power when the refrigerator door 20A is in its maximum open state, that is, at the maximum opening angle of the refrigerator door 20A. Regardless of the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20A, it is possible to close the refrigerator door 20A.

[0077] As shown in Figure 1, the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B are built into the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, respectively. The left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B are positioned on one end in the width direction of the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, and are located on the outer side (both left and right sides) in the width direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0078] In this embodiment, door closing devices 130 are provided for both the left and right refrigerator doors 20A, but they may also be provided for only one of the refrigerator doors 20A. In particular, the door closing device 130 may be provided for the right refrigerator door 20Ab, which is larger and heavier than the left refrigerator door 20Aa.

[0079] The door closing device 130 includes a door rotation mechanism 131 as shown in Figure 5 and a door retraction mechanism 132 as shown in Figure 8. In Figure 5, the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is shown, and the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is equipped with the right-side door closing device 130B.

[0080] Each door rotation mechanism 131 in the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B has the function of rotating the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab in the closing direction around their respective pivot shafts Oa and Ob. Each door rotation mechanism 131 in the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B is provided in the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B, respectively. As a result, each door rotation mechanism 131 can rotate the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab individually in the closing direction. In the following description, the pivot shafts Oa and Ob may also be simply referred to as pivot shaft O.

[0081] The door retraction mechanism 132 has the function of retracting the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, which are open at a predetermined angle relative to the housing 10, towards the housing 10 and closing them completely.

[0082] [Structure of the upper wall side of the enclosure] Next, we will describe in detail the structure of the upper wall 10a of the enclosure 10 as seen from above (front side). Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the ceiling section of a refrigerator according to one embodiment.

[0083] As shown in Figure 3, the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 are housed in a power supply board housing 2, which is installed so as to be partially embedded in the ceiling portion (upper wall 10a) of the housing 10. The power supply board housing 2 has the shape of a rectangular container with an open top, and the open side is closed by a lid member 2A for the power supply board housing. The lid member 2A for the power supply board housing is detachably attached to the open side of the power supply board housing 2.

[0084] The communication module 61, door opening device 41, and sound unit 52 are installed on the upper wall 10a (outer casing 10j) of the housing 10. The communication module 61 is located on the left side in the width direction of the housing 10, in front of the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 on the upper wall 10a. The communication module 61 is installed behind the left hinge 6A that supports the left refrigerator door 20Aa, adjacent to the left hinge 6A in the front-to-back direction.

[0085] As shown in Figure 1, the acoustic unit 52 is mounted on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10. The acoustic unit 52 is located on the right side in the width direction of the housing 10, in front of the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 on the upper wall 10a. The acoustic unit 52 is located near the right hinge 6B that supports the right refrigerator door 20Ab. By positioning the acoustic unit 52 away from the communication module 61, interference between their communications and the resulting noise and other effects can be suppressed.

[0086] The door opening devices 41 are located between the communication module 61 and the sound unit 52, near the center of the housing 10, and are positioned at a predetermined distance from each other. The left door opening device 41A faces the left refrigerator door 20Aa, and the right door opening device 41B faces the right refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0087] The voice command acquisition unit 52g is located in the center of the housing 10, between the left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B.

[0088] These communication module 61, door opening device 41, voice instruction acquisition unit 52g, and sound unit 52 are covered by a cover member 3 attached to the upper wall 10a of the housing 10.

[0089] In the space between the outer box 10j and the inner box 10i that constitute the upper wall 10a of the housing 10, multiple wiring bundles 12 drawn out from the first power supply board 70 and wiring bundles 13 drawn out from the second power supply board 80 are routed, as shown in Figure 3, and are installed on the upper wall 10a (upper surface 10ja) side of the housing 10.

[0090] The multiple wiring bundles 12 include multiple control lines connected to the first power supply board 70 and the communication module 61, door opening device 41, and sound unit 52, respectively, and transmit control signals from the first power supply board 70 to the communication module 61, door opening device 41, and sound unit 52, respectively. The multiple wiring bundles 12 may also include power supply lines that supply power from the first power supply board 70 to the communication module 61, door opening device 41, and sound unit 52, etc.

[0091] Multiple wiring bundles 13 are connected to at least the second power supply board 80 and the sound unit 52, supplying power from the second power supply board 80 to the sound unit 52.

[0092] [Control Function] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a part of the functional configuration of refrigerator 1. In the following explanation, Figure 2 will be referred to as appropriate, in addition to Figure 4.

[0093] The first power supply board 70 includes a control unit 100, which is composed of a computer including a microcontroller. The control unit 100 controls the entire refrigerator 1.

[0094] The control unit 100 is connected to a cooling unit 30, a refrigerator compartment temperature detection unit 120, a chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121, an outside air temperature detection unit 122, a refrigerator compartment door switch 123, a chilled compartment door switch 124, an in-cabin camera 53, a memory unit 126, a door opening device 41, a door opening operation unit 42, an acoustic unit 52, a door closing device 130, and an elapsed time measurement unit 101.

[0095] The cooling fan 33 and compressor 31 of the cooling unit 30 are driven based on commands from the control unit 100.

[0096] The camera control unit 53b of the in-cabin camera 53 transmits the image data captured by the camera body 53a to the control unit 100 of the first power supply board 70.

[0097] The refrigerator compartment temperature detection unit 120 is installed in the refrigerator compartment 11A and detects the air temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 11A. The refrigerator compartment temperature detection unit 120 transmits the detected air temperature data inside the refrigerator compartment 11A to the control unit 100.

[0098] The chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121 is a non-contact type temperature detection unit installed in the chilled compartment 11AA (Figure 2). The chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121 detects the air temperature inside the chilled compartment 11AA, the temperature of the food inside the chilled compartment 11AA (e.g., the surface temperature of the food), or the temperature of the container placed inside the chilled compartment 11AA on which the food is placed. The chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121 transmits data of one or more of the following temperatures to the control unit 100: the air temperature inside the chilled compartment 11AA, the temperature of the food inside the chilled compartment 11AA (e.g., the surface temperature of the food), or the temperature of the container placed inside the chilled compartment 11AA on which the food is placed.

[0099] The chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121 may also be a direct-contact type temperature detection unit that is directly in contact with the above-mentioned container. Hereinafter, the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 11A may be referred to as the "refrigerator compartment temperature," and the air temperature in the chilled compartment 11AA may be referred to as the "chilled compartment temperature."

[0100] The control unit 100 may also estimate the chilled compartment temperature based on the detection result of the refrigerator compartment temperature detection unit 120 and the pre-determined correlation between the refrigerator compartment temperature and the chilled compartment temperature.

[0101] In cases where the temperature of the food is detected by the in-cabin camera 53 described later, the chilled compartment temperature detection unit 121 may be omitted.

[0102] The outside temperature detection unit 122 is provided on the surface of the refrigerator 1 and detects the outside temperature of the refrigerator 1. In this specification, "outside temperature" means the temperature outside the refrigerator 1, for example, the temperature inside the room where the refrigerator 1 is installed. The outside temperature detection unit 122 transmits the detected outside temperature data of the refrigerator 1 to the control unit 100.

[0103] The refrigerator door switch 123 has a left refrigerator door switch 123a and a right refrigerator door switch 123b. The refrigerator door switch 123 detects the open / closed state of the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab, respectively, using the left refrigerator door switch 123a and the right refrigerator door switch 123b, and transmits this information to the control unit 100.

[0104] Specifically, the left refrigerator door switch 123a is located between the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the housing 10, and detects the open / closed state of the left refrigerator door 20Aa. The right refrigerator door switch 123b is located between the right refrigerator door 20Ab and the housing 10, and detects the open / closed state of the right refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0105] The chilled compartment door switch 124 is located in the chilled compartment 11AA and detects the open / closed state of the chilled compartment door 11Aa and transmits the information to the control unit 100.

[0106] The memory unit 126 stores the program and various information necessary for the operation of the refrigerator 1. The memory unit 126 also stores, for example, conversion coefficients used in the control modes described later. These conversion coefficients are, for example, coefficients used to convert the detection results detected by various detection units into variables used for temperature control, and are pre-registered in the memory unit 126.

[0107] The memory unit 126 stores predetermined "calling words," "words related to door closing operation instructions," "opening time limit," etc. The voice instruction acquisition unit 52g installed in the refrigerator 1 acquires the above predetermined "calling words" and "words related to door closing operation instructions" spoken by the user to the refrigerator 1.

[0108] A "calling word" is a word pre-set as a predetermined trigger word to recognize the start of an instruction from the user. In other words, a "calling word" is a word pre-set as a condition for activating the voice recognition function to accept instructions from the user. An example of a "calling word" would be the name or nickname of refrigerator 1.

[0109] Furthermore, "words related to instructions for closing doors" include words that indicate the user's instructions, such as "close," "close," "open," and "open."

[0110] By pre-setting such "calling phrases" and "phrases related to door closing operations," it is possible to prevent the refrigerator door 20A from being opened by the user's everyday conversation.

[0111] Furthermore, the conditions for the control unit 100 to activate the voice recognition function are not limited to the "calling phrase" mentioned above. For example, instead of the "calling phrase," the voice recognition function may be activated by operating a door closing operation unit (not shown) provided on the refrigerator 1 (casing 10 or refrigerator door 20A). Alternatively, the voice recognition function may be activated based on information obtained from an external terminal. Examples of information obtained from an external terminal include when an application is launched on a mobile phone, or when a mobile phone that has been pre-registered with the refrigerator 1 approaches the refrigerator 1 within a predetermined distance.

[0112] Furthermore, the "opening restriction time" is a predetermined time set in advance, during which the refrigerator door 20A is restricted from remaining open after being opened. The elapsed time measurement unit 101 measures the actual time the refrigerator door 20A is open. The control unit 100 compares the actual elapsed time of openness with the predetermined "opening restriction time". The opening restriction time can be changed as appropriate. For example, it may be set to the time generally required by the user when using the refrigerator 1, or to a time with some leeway beyond the time generally required by the user when using the refrigerator 1, or to a time until the cooling temperature inside the refrigerator 1 rises due to the opening of the refrigerator door 20A and the temperature difference with the outside temperature becomes a predetermined temperature difference. One of the door closing conditions according to the present invention is that a predetermined time has elapsed with the refrigerator door 20A open. That is, the time the refrigerator door 20A has been open, which is the elapsed time of openness, exceeds the limited time of openness. The control unit 100 may, for example, accept voice commands (door closing commands) from the user when the opening angle θ (Figure 2) of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab relative to the housing 10 is within a predetermined range. The range of opening angles for the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab that can accept voice commands is, for example, between 45° and 145°. In this embodiment, the maximum opening angle at which the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab can be opened is set to 145°, but it is not limited to this. Furthermore, the control unit 100 may also accept commands to close the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab even when the opening angle is 45° or less.

[0113] Furthermore, the opening angle range of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab is not limited to the range described above and can be changed as appropriate.

[0114] When the control unit 100 receives an "operation signal" output in response to the user's operation detected by the door opening operation unit 42, it drives the door opening operation unit 42 to open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab.

[0115] Alternatively, the control unit 100 detects a predetermined "calling phrase" from the user through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g of the sound unit 52, and when it receives a subsequent "door open instruction (voice instruction)" from the user, it drives the door open operation unit 42 to open the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab. Here, the "door open instruction" includes a door open instruction that instructs the opening of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, and a door open instruction that instructs the driving of the door open devices 41A and 41B. In the door open instruction, if the control unit 100 specifies which of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab to open, it opens the specified refrigerator door 20A. On the other hand, if no refrigerator door 20A to open is specified, it may open both the left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab. Furthermore, the control unit 100 may output voice guidance from the speaker 52a to the user issuing the door open command, prompting them to specify which refrigerator door 20A to open. For example, the voice guidance may say, "Which door would you like to open?" The content of the voice guidance can be set as appropriate. Furthermore, if the refrigerator 1 is equipped with a display unit, it may output a display that has the same meaning as the voice guidance described above.

[0116] Furthermore, when the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are in an open state, the control unit 100 drives the door closing devices 130 (left door closing device 130A, right door closing device 130B) respectively to close the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab when the predetermined "door closing conditions" for closing the open refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab are met.

[0117] The above-mentioned "door closing conditions" include at least one of the following: when a voice "door closing instruction" (hereinafter also referred to as "voice instruction") is received from the user via the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g, and when a predetermined time has elapsed with the refrigerator door 20A open. Specifically, when a predetermined time has elapsed with the refrigerator door 20A open, this includes when the elapsed time of opening, which is the time the refrigerator door 20A has been open, reaches the opening limit time (elapsed time of opening = opening limit time), or when the elapsed time of opening exceeds the opening limit time (elapsed time of opening > opening limit time).

[0118] Furthermore, the control unit 100 determines whether each of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab satisfies the above-mentioned "door closing condition".

[0119] In other words, the control unit 100 detects a predetermined "calling phrase" from the user through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g of the sound unit 52, and when it receives a subsequent "door closing instruction (voice instruction: door closing condition)" from the user, it drives the rotary drive unit (drive source) 133a of the drive unit 133 in the door closing device 130 to close the refrigerator door 20A. In this embodiment, the rotary drive source is referred to as the motor 133a.

[0120] In this case, when the control unit 100 receives the door closing instruction while both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab are open, and there is no specification as to which refrigerator door 20A to close, it may independently drive the respective drive units 133 of the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B corresponding to the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab, respectively, to close both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab. When the above door closing instruction is received while both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab are open, and there is a specification as to which refrigerator door 20A to close, the drive unit 133 of one of the door closing devices 130A or 130B corresponding to the specified refrigerator door 20A may be driven to close either the specified left or right refrigerator door 20A.

[0121] Furthermore, when the control unit 100 receives the door closing instruction, if only one of the open refrigerator doors 20A is open (either the left refrigerator door 20Aa or the right refrigerator door 20Ab), it may close the open refrigerator door 20A by driving the drive unit 133 of the door closing device 130 corresponding to the open refrigerator door 20A.

[0122] In this way, the control unit 100 closes both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab in response to the door closing instruction.

[0123] Furthermore, the control unit 100 measures the elapsed time of the open refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab using the elapsed time measurement unit 101, and when a predetermined "opening limit time (door closing condition)" stored in advance in the memory unit 126 has elapsed, it drives the motor 133a of the drive unit 133 in the door closing device 130 to close the refrigerator door 20A.

[0124] Specifically, the control unit 100 may, when both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab are open, individually measure the "opening limit time" for each, and when the preset "opening limit time" for each is reached or exceeds the "opening limit time", independently drive the respective drive units 133 of the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B corresponding to the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab to individually close the open refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, respectively. This makes it easier to measure the time elapsed since opening each of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, and to control the operation of each door closing device 130A and 130B.

[0125] Furthermore, for example, if either the left refrigerator door 20Aa or the right refrigerator door 20Ab, which are both open, reaches or exceeds a preset "opening time limit," both doors may be closed. By measuring the time elapsed since the first opened refrigerator door 20A was opened, it is possible to quickly close both open refrigerator doors 20A when the first opened refrigerator door 20A reaches or exceeds its "opening time limit."

[0126] Furthermore, even if the elapsed time of one of the refrigerator doors 20A has reached a preset "opening limit time," if the elapsed time of the other refrigerator door 20A has not reached the same "opening limit time," the other refrigerator door 20A will appear to have been opened later, and the user may have continued to load and unload stored items after opening the other refrigerator door 20A. For this reason, it may be possible to prevent either door from closing simply because the elapsed time of one of the refrigerator doors 20A has exceeded the "opening limit time." This can prevent the user from closing the refrigerator door 20A while they are still loading or unloading stored items.

[0127] In this case as well, the time elapsed since opening of the left and right refrigerator doors 20A will be measured individually. The timing for starting the measurement of the time elapsed since opening of the left and right refrigerator doors 20A will be determined by starting with the refrigerator door 20A that was opened first. If the other refrigerator door 20A is opened while the other refrigerator door 20A is still open, the measurement of the time elapsed since opening will be restarted from the time the other refrigerator door 20A is opened.

[0128] Furthermore, when the elapsed time since the other refrigerator door 20A was opened also reaches the "opening limit time," that is, when the elapsed time since both refrigerator doors 20A were opened reaches the "opening limit time," both the left and right refrigerator doors 20A may be closed.

[0129] Furthermore, if either the left refrigerator door 20Aa or the right refrigerator door 20Ab is opened, the control unit 100 will drive the drive unit 133 of the door closing device 130 corresponding to the open refrigerator door 20A when the elapsed time of the open refrigerator door 20A reaches the "opening limit time". In this way, the open refrigerator door 20A may be closed.

[0130] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may simultaneously measure the elapsed time of both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab being open. For example, if either the left refrigerator door 20Aa or the right refrigerator door 20Ab is opened, the control unit 100 measures the elapsed time of both doors being open, assuming that both doors are open. The elapsed time of opening is common to both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab. If the elapsed time of the opened refrigerator door 20A reaches a preset "opening limit time", the control unit 100 may close the open left refrigerator door 20Aa or the right refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0131] Furthermore, even if both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab are open, the time elapsed since the first refrigerator door 20A was opened can be measured, and both refrigerator doors 20A can be closed when the first opened refrigerator door 20A reaches its "opening limit time". This makes it possible to close both refrigerator doors 20A quickly. In this case, both the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab can be closed together, or they can be closed one at a time.

[0132] <Door closing device> Next, the specific configuration of the door closing device 130 in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B of the door closing device 130 have substantially similar structures. Therefore, the following description will focus on the structure of the right door closing device 130B.

[0133] [Right door closing device] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the mounting member 135.

[0134] As shown in Figure 5, the right door closing device 130B is attached to the right side wall 20jb of the outer wall portion 20j that constitutes the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab. The right door closing device 130B is also located on the lower hinge 6B side of the pair of upper and lower hinges 6B that rotatably support the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab relative to the housing 10.

[0135] The right door closing device 130B is attached to the right side wall 20jb of the outer wall portion 20j of the refrigerator door 20A via a mounting member 135 (Figure 6). As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the mounting member 135 has a reinforcing portion 135a extending in the vertical direction and a flange portion 135b formed at the lowest end of the reinforcing portion 135a.

[0136] The reinforcing portion 135a is shorter than the vertical length of the right side wall 20jb of the outer wall portion 20j shown in Figure 5. The mounting member 135 is attached to the upper wall 20ja and lower side wall portion 20k of the outer wall portion 20j with their upper and lower ends spaced apart, but the dimensions and mounting position of the mounting member 135 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the reinforcing portion 135a of the mounting member 135 may be attached in contact with either the upper wall 20ja or the lower side wall portion 20k. Alternatively, the vertical dimension of the reinforcing portion 135a of the mounting member 135 may be increased so that the reinforcing portion 135a is attached in contact with both the upper wall 20ja and the lower side wall portion 20k.

[0137] As shown in Figure 6, the flange portion 135b is formed by bending perpendicularly to the reinforcing portion 135a. A through hole 135c is formed in the flange portion 135b, penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate. The center of the through-hole 135c coincides with the rotation axis O133 of the drive unit 133.

[0138] As shown in Figure 5, the right door closing device 130B includes a door rotation mechanism 131 and a door retraction mechanism 132.

[0139] (Door rotation mechanism) Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the door rotation mechanism 131 in the right door closing device 130B. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the door rotation mechanism 131 in the right door closing device 130B.

[0140] First, the configuration of the door rotation mechanism 131 in the right door closing device 130B will be described in detail. The door rotation mechanism 131 in the right door closing device 130B is a mechanism that drives the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab to close, and operates from the fully open state of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab until it is closed, making it possible to rotate the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab throughout the entire range of open angles. Therefore, it is possible to close the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab at any open angle.

[0141] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the door rotation mechanism 131 includes a drive unit 133 and a door closing transmission mechanism (door closing transmission unit) 150 (Figure 8) connected to the drive unit 133. The longitudinal direction of the drive unit 133 coincides with the vertical direction of the refrigerator 1. The door closing transmission mechanism 150 is located on the lower end side of the drive unit 133.

[0142] (Drive system) Figure 9 is a component diagram showing the configuration of the drive unit 133. As shown in Figure 9, the drive unit 133 has, in order from one end (upper end) in the axial direction (Z direction), a drive unit 138 and a reduction gear 134.

[0143] The drive unit 138 and the reduction gear 134 extend in the same direction. The drive unit 138 and the reduction gear 134 are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the drive unit 133 and are positioned adjacent to each other. The drive unit 138 and the reduction gear 134 have coaxial axes of rotation and are integrally constructed with each other.

[0144] (Driver) The drive unit 138 has a motor (drive source) 133a that generates a driving force (first driving force) to rotate the refrigerator door 20A in the closing direction. The motor 133a comprises a rotor, which is a rotor that rotates around a rotation axis, a stator, which is a stator that generates a force to rotate the rotor and is located inside, and a bearing, which is a bearing that supports the rotation axis of the rotor. The motor 133a rotates when a magnetic field is generated by passing an electric current through a coil provided on either the rotor or the stator, and this magnetic field repels or attracts a magnet provided on the other of the rotor or the stator.

[0145] Motor 133a is driven by the magnetic field generated by passing an electric current through a coil wound around the stator, which repels or attracts a magnet on the rotor. By switching the direction of the electric current flowing through the coil of motor 133a and changing the direction of the magnetic force, the rotation of the rotor is controlled and power is output. Motor 133a differs from the solenoid actuator described above in that it has a structure that outputs power that causes the rotor to rotate continuously for at least two or more rotations in one direction. Hereafter, the rotor's axis of rotation will be referred to as the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a. The drive unit 138 only needs to have at least a motor 133a, and the first base member 133b and motor shaft 133c may be components of the drive unit 138 or components of the reduction gear 134.

[0146] (reducer) The reduction gear 134 has a reduction mechanism that reduces the rotation input from the drive unit 138. The reduction mechanism is a mechanism that reduces the driving force (first driving force) input from the motor 133a and converts it into rotational driving force (second driving force). In this embodiment, a planetary gear reduction mechanism is employed as the reduction mechanism.

[0147] (Planetary gear reduction mechanism) The planetary gear reduction mechanism has a structure in which a drive transmission unit connected to the rotating shaft of the rotary drive machine, which is the driving source, is at the center, and multiple passive units arranged around it rotate around their respective rotating shafts while moving in the circumferential direction of the drive transmission unit, thereby reducing the rotational speed transmitted from the rotary drive machine by the multiple passive units.

[0148] The structure of the planetary gear reduction mechanism includes, for example, a sun gear (the drive transmission unit described above) provided to rotate when the rotation of the rotating shaft of a rotary drive machine is transmitted to it; at least one planetary gear provided on the radially outer side of the sun gear and provided to rotate in mesh with the sun gear so that the position of the rotating shaft moves around the rotating shaft of the sun gear; a rotation transmission unit provided on the extension of the rotating shaft of the sun gear, which rotates when the force that causes the planetary gear to move around the sun gear is transmitted to it; and a shaft member that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotation transmission unit. The planetary gear reduction mechanism, by comprising the above-mentioned components, converts the rotational speed input to the sun gear, whose rotational axis position is fixed, into the rotational speed at which the planetary gears move around the sun gear, and outputs this speed from the shaft member. In other words, by setting the number of teeth on the meshing sun gear and planetary gears so that it takes longer for the planetary gears to rotate around the sun gear once than it takes for the sun gear to rotate once, the rotational speed input to the sun gear is reduced and output. The number of teeth on the sun gear and planetary gears are set to be different from each other. The number of planetary gears can be one or more. When multiple planetary gears are used, these multiple planetary gears rotate around their respective axes of rotation, meshing with the sun gear and moving simultaneously around the sun gear, thereby reducing the power input to the sun gear and outputting it.

[0149] In this way, by using a planetary gear reduction configuration that utilizes the movement of multiple planetary gears around the rotation axis of the sun gear to reduce speed, the rotation axis of the rotary drive and the rotation axis of the planetary gear reduction mechanism, specifically the rotation axis of the sun gear, can be arranged coaxially. That is, by arranging the rotation axis of the planetary gear reduction mechanism to be located on the extension of the rotation axis of the rotary drive, it is possible to miniaturize the entire door closing device.

[0150] Furthermore, the reduction mechanism is not limited to the planetary gear reduction mechanism described above; internal planetary gear reducers using trochoidal tooth profiles, such as the Cyclo (trademark registered) reduction mechanism, and Harmonic Drive (trademark registered) reduction mechanisms may also be employed. These reduction mechanisms are suitable as reduction mechanisms for the drive unit 133 installed inside the refrigerator door 20A because they can achieve a large reduction ratio even in a small space. The configurations of these internal planetary gear reducers using trochoidal tooth profiles and Harmonic Drive (trademark registered) reduction mechanisms will be described later.

[0151] First, the configuration of the gearbox 134 of this embodiment, which includes the planetary gear reduction mechanism described above, will be explained. The reduction gear 134 of this embodiment includes a planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 and a reduced-speed drive force transmission unit 145 that transmits the rotational drive force reduced by the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 to the door closing transmission mechanism 150.

[0152] The planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 has the function of reducing the rotational speed input from the motor 133a and increasing the torque.

[0153] The planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 of this embodiment includes at least a sun gear (drive transmission unit) 133f1 connected to the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a and which rotates together with the output shaft 133A as rotation is transmitted from the output shaft 133A; a plurality of planetary gears (passive units) 133f2 arranged around the sun gear 133f1 and rotating in mesh with the sun gear 133f1 so that each rotating shaft moves around the rotation axis of the sun gear 133f1; a carrier drive (rotation transmission unit) 133h provided coaxially with the sun gear 133f1 and which rotates as the force of the plurality of planetary gears 133f2 moving around the sun gear 133f1 is transmitted; and a crankshaft (shaft member) 133m which rotates in accordance with the rotation of the carrier drive 133h. This planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 is a mechanism that reduces speed by utilizing the movement of multiple planetary gears 133f2 around the rotation axis of a sun gear 133f1 connected to the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a.

[0154] The planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 further comprises a motor shaft 133c, a first bearing 133d, a plurality of planet shafts 133g, a carrier plate 133e, and a second base member 133i. The sun gear 133f1 and the multiple planetary gears 133f2 are housed within the second base member 133i. Note that the second base member 133i may be a part of the reduced-speed drive force transmission section 145, rather than a part of the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144.

[0155] (Sun gear) The sun gear 133f1 is positioned coaxially with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a and is coaxially connected to the tip of the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a via the motor shaft 133c and the first bearing 133d. The rotation of the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a is transmitted to the sun gear 133f1. The sun gear 133f1 rotates together with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a around its axis of rotation. Since the sun gear 133f1 is connected to the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a via the motor shaft 133c and the first bearing 133d described later, the direction in which the sun gear 133f1 rotates around its axis of rotation is the same as the direction of rotation of the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a.

[0156] (Planetary gears) Multiple planetary gears 133f2 are arranged to mesh with the sun gear 133f1 and rotate at positions radially outward from the sun gear 133f1. These multiple planetary gears 133f2 are arranged at equal intervals from each other in the circumferential direction of the sun gear 133f1. In this embodiment, for example, four planetary gears 133f2 are provided, but the number of planetary gears 133f2 is not limited to this. The rotation axes of the multiple planetary gears 133f2 are parallel to each other and parallel to the rotation axis of the sun gear 133f1.

[0157] These multiple planetary gears 133f2, while meshed with the sun gear 133f1, rotate around their respective axes of rotation in conjunction with the rotation of the sun gear 133f1 due to the driving force transmitted to the sun gear 133f1. While changing their meshing position with the sun gear 133f1, each of their axes of rotation moves simultaneously around the sun gear 133f1. As the multiple planetary gears 133f2 orbit the sun gear 133f1, they move in the same direction without changing their relative positions. That is, the relative positions of the multiple planetary gears 133f2 moving circumferentially around the sun gear 133f1 while meshing with it remain constant and unchanging. The direction in which each planetary gear 133f2 rotates around its respective axis is opposite to the direction of rotation around the sun gear 133f1's axis. Furthermore, the direction in which multiple planetary gears 133f2 move simultaneously in the circumferential direction of the sun gear 133f1 is the same as the rotational direction of the sun gear 133f1.

[0158] In this manner, the multiple planetary gears 133f2 of this embodiment rotate within a predetermined angular range around the axis of the sun gear 133f1 by changing the meshing position with respect to the sun gear 133f1 in the circumferential direction of the sun gear 133f1 between them and internal teeth (not shown) formed on the inner circumference side of the second base member 133i.

[0159] In this embodiment, one example given is a configuration in which multiple planetary gears 133f2 mesh with internal teeth formed on the inner circumference side of a second base member 133i that houses these multiple planetary gears 133f2 and the sun gear 133f1. However, the embodiment is not limited to the above configuration as long as a configuration can be made that stabilizes the orientation of the multiple planetary gears 133f2 that mesh with the sun gear 133f1. In other words, the reduction mechanism of this embodiment reduces speed by converting the rotational speed input to the sun gear 133f1 into the rotational speed at which the planetary gears 133f2 move around the sun gear 133f1 and outputting it. The internal tooth shape formed inside the second base member 133i is used to stabilize the position of each planetary gear 133f2. Therefore, if the position of the planetary gears 133f2 is stabilized and they can rotate by supporting the position of the rotating shaft connected to the carrier drive 133h at multiple locations, the above-mentioned internal tooth shape does not need to be provided inside the second base member 133i.

[0160] For example, by using a component equivalent to the carrier drive 133h and configuring the system so that multiple planetary gears 133f2 move around the sun gear 133f1, similar to the above embodiment, each planetary gear 133f2 can be stably supported even without an internal tooth shape inside the second base member 133i that houses the sun gear 133f1 and the multiple planetary gears 133f2 for simultaneous meshing of the multiple planetary gears 133f2, thereby achieving a reduction effect.

[0161] (Motor shaft) The motor shaft 133c is directly connected to the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a and rotates together with the output shaft 133A, thereby transmitting the power of the motor 133a to the sun gear 133f1.

[0162] (First bearing) The first bearing 133d supports the motor shaft 133c, which rotates together with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a, at a position coaxial with the output shaft 133A.

[0163] (Planet Shaft) Multiple planet shafts 133g constitute the rotation axis of each of the multiple planetary gears 133f2 and are attached integrally with each planetary gear 133f2. Each of the multiple planet shafts 133g is provided coaxially with each of the multiple planetary gears 133f2 and rotates together with each planetary gear 133f2 around its respective rotation axis. Each planet shaft 133g extends in the same direction as the rotation axis of the motor shaft 133c. In this embodiment, four planet shafts 133g are provided, the same number as the planetary gears 133f2.

[0164] Each of the multiple planet shafts 133g has a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the sun gear 133f1, which is coaxial with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a, and is positioned around the sun gear 133f1 on its radially outer side. These multiple planet shafts 133g rotate around their respective rotation axes together with the integrated planetary gear 133f2, and move simultaneously around the sun gear 133f1 together with the planetary gear 133f2 that meshes with the sun gear 133f1. These multiple planet shafts 133g are supported by a carrier plate 133e and a carrier drive 133h.

[0165] (Carrier plate and carrier drive) The carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h are disc-shaped and are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the axial direction. Between these carrier plate 133e and carrier drive 133h are the sun gear 133f1 and a plurality of planetary gears 133f2. That is, the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h face each other in the axial direction via the sun gear 133f1 and the plurality of planetary gears 133f2, and support the plurality of planet shafts 133g.

[0166] The carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h each have support holes formed therein for supporting both ends of the planet shaft 133g. The support holes may be holes that penetrate through the thickness direction of the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h, or they may not penetrate through in the thickness direction. Alternatively, there may be other support structures, as long as these carrier plates 133e and the carrier drive 133h can support multiple planet shafts 133g.

[0167] The carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h are arranged coaxially with the sun gear 133f1 and connected to each other via a plurality of planet shafts 133g. The carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h are rotatable together with the plurality of planet shafts 133g and the plurality of planetary gears 133f2 around the axis of rotation of the sun gear 133f1. This allows the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h to move the plurality of planet shafts 133g and the plurality of planetary gears 133f2 in the circumferential direction of the sun gear 133f1, while supporting the planet shafts 133g provided on the plurality of planetary gears 133f2 which are rotated by the power of the sun gear 133f1. By arranging the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h coaxially with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a, it becomes possible to place each component closer together, thereby enabling a miniaturization of the entire drive unit 133.

[0168] The carrier drive 133h is connected to a crankshaft 133m as an output shaft, which transmits the force of multiple planetary gears 133f2 rotating around the axis of the sun gear 133f1. The crankshaft 133m is coaxial with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a.

[0169] Furthermore, the shape of the carrier plate (support part) 133e and the carrier drive (support part) 133h is not limited to the circular plate shape described above. For example, it may have a shape with multiple rod-shaped protrusions extending radially outward from the center. The number of protrusions is equal to the number of planetary gears 133f2. Also, by providing the support holes on the tip side of each protrusion, multiple planetary gears 133f2 can be supported on the tip side of each protrusion in the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h. In addition, the shape of the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h is not limited to a flat plate shape.

[0170] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the carrier plate 133e and the carrier drive 133h are configured to rotate together with the multiple planetary gears 133f2 and multiple planet shafts 133g around the rotation axis of the sun gear 133f1. However, if the carrier drive 133h can stably maintain the state in which the multiple planetary gears 133f2 mesh with the sun gear 133f1, the carrier plate 133e is not necessarily required. For example, one end of each of the multiple planet shafts 133g can be supported by the carrier drive 133h. In this configuration, the multiple planetary gears 133f2 mesh with the sun gear 133f1, which rotates around the rotation axis of the motor 133a, and as they move around the sun gear 133f1, the carrier drive 133h rotates, and the power input to the sun gear 133f1 is reduced and output from the crankshaft 133m.

[0171] (Drive force transmission section after deceleration) The reduced-speed drive force transmission unit 145 is a mechanism that transmits the reduced-speed drive force from the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 to the door closing transmission mechanism 150. The reduced-speed drive force transmission unit 145 includes a reduction gear side shaft 133B, a plurality of transmission members, and a connecting member.

[0172] The reduction gear side shaft 133B is arranged coaxially with the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a in the drive unit 138 and the motor shaft 133c of the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144. The reduction gear side shaft 133B has a crankshaft 133m, a crankshaft 133r, and a drive shaft 133t, which are arranged in the axial direction.

[0173] Multiple transmission members include a second bearing 133j, a third base member 133k, a first coupling gear 133n1, a first internal gear 133L1, a first spacer 133o, a third bearing 133p1, a second coupling gear 133n2, a fourth bearing 133p2, a fifth bearing 133p3, a third coupling gear 133n3, a fourth base member 133q, a second internal gear 133L2, a sixth bearing 133s, a fourth coupling gear 133n4, a seventh bearing 133v1, an eighth bearing 133v2, a spacer 133w, a ninth bearing 133v3, a case 133x, and a plate 133y.

[0174] These components are mounted on the reduction gear shaft 133B and are arranged in line with the rotation axis of the reduction gear shaft 133B. By arranging multiple transmission members coaxially in this way, the reduced-speed drive force transmission section 145 can be made into an elongated shape, thereby suppressing an increase in its overall size.

[0175] Furthermore, it is preferable that at least a portion of the outer circumferential surfaces of the multiple base members 133i, 133j, and 133q described above coincide with each other in the radial direction of rotation. In this embodiment, the multiple base members 133i, 133j, and 133q have substantially the same shape when viewed from the axial direction, and constitute a continuous, substantially cylindrical shape as shown in Figure 7.

[0176] The connecting member connects the multiple base members 133i, 133j, and 133q among the multiple transmission members described above. This embodiment has multiple tie rods 133u as connecting members. Although this embodiment has four tie rods 133u, it is not limited to this, and the number of tie rods 133u may be fewer as long as the base members 133i, 133j, and 133q can be connected in the correct orientation. The multiple tie rods 133u are parallel to each other and extend in the same direction. The multiple tie rods 133u extend in the same direction as the reduction gear side shaft 133B. The multiple tie rods 133u are not coaxial with the reduction gear side shaft 133B, but are arranged around the crankshaft 133r.

[0177] These multiple tie rods 133u are inserted into multiple through holes that penetrate the thickness direction of each base member 133i, 133j, and 133q and communicate with each other between the base members 133i, 133j, and 133q. The ends of each of the multiple tie rods 133u are then screwed into, for example, threaded holes formed in the first base member 133b, thereby connecting the base members 133b, 133i, 133j, and 133q to each other. The base members 133b, 133i, 133j, and 133q, connected to each other by these multiple tie rods 133u, do not rotate around the rotation axis of the reduction gear side shaft 133B, but are fixed to the mounting member 135.

[0178] This reduced-speed drive force transmission unit 145 transmits the reduced-speed drive force in the axial direction, while connecting the rotations of the multiple transmission members described above, by the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144. The drive gear 134Ab of the door closing transmission mechanism 150 is attached to the lower end of the reduction gear side shaft 133B via the mounting part 136 shown in Figure 10 and described later. The torque reduced and increased by the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 is transmitted to the drive gear 134Ab of the door closing transmission mechanism 150 via the reduced-speed drive force transmission unit 145.

[0179] In this embodiment, the reduction gear 134 has a configuration in which the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 and the reduced drive force transmission unit 145 are arranged coaxially at adjacent positions. Furthermore, the reduction gear 134 is also arranged coaxially with the output shaft (first rotation shaft) 133A of the motor 133a of the drive unit 138, and is positioned adjacent to the drive unit 138 in the direction in which the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a of the drive unit 138 extends, thus enabling further miniaturization of the entire drive unit 133. In addition, with the above configuration, the entire drive unit 133 in this embodiment has an elongated shape in the axial direction. That is, the housing 138a of the drive unit 138 and the housing 134a of the reduction gear 134 have substantially the same cylindrical shape, and their outer circumferential surfaces are connected in the length direction, resulting in an elongated outer shape. By adopting such a shape, the space occupied inside the door can be reduced, so a large heat-insulating space can be secured. Furthermore, the housing 134a of the reduction gear 134 is composed of the above-mentioned multiple base members 133i, 133j, and 133q.

[0180] Thus, in this embodiment, by utilizing the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 in the reduction gear 134, the output shaft (first rotation shaft) 133A of the motor 133a of the drive unit 138 and the rotation shaft (second rotation shaft) of the reduction gear 134, that is, the rotation shafts of the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 and the reduced drive force transmission unit 145, can be arranged coaxially, and reduction from input to output can be performed coaxially.

[0181] This allows the rotating shaft of the motor 133a and the rotating shaft of the reduction gear 134 to be positioned close to each other, and also allows the components of the reduced-speed drive force transmission unit 145, that is, the components involved in rotational transmission during the reduction process, to be positioned close to each other without being separated in the transmission direction. As a result, an even smaller door closing device can be made.

[0182] Furthermore, as described above, by arranging each part from the drive unit 138 to the reduction gear 134 and the door closing transmission mechanism 150 including the fixed gear 134C on the housing 10 side, on the same side as or close to the rotating shaft on the drive unit 138 side, when arranging each door closing device 130A, 130B in relation to the corresponding refrigerator door 20A, they can be collectively installed on one of the four edges (top, bottom, left, or right) of the refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0183] Furthermore, by adopting the above-described configuration, the overall shape of the drive unit 133 can be made into an elongated shape with length in the axial direction, thus minimizing the area occupied by the drive unit 133 within the door. As a result, it becomes possible to secure sufficient space for placing insulation material within the door, and to increase the amount of insulation material 10k placed inside the refrigerator door 20A.

[0184] Here, the drive unit 133 could be configured such that the output shaft 133A and the reduction gear side shaft 133B of the motor 133a, which are coaxial with each other, are coaxial with the rotation support shaft Ob of the right refrigerator door 20Ab. However, in this embodiment, they are not coaxial with the rotation support shaft Ob, but are offset in a direction perpendicular to the rotation support shaft Ob.

[0185] In this embodiment, the drive unit 133 can be installed inside the door such that the rotation axes of the motor 133a and the reduction gear 134 are in positions different from the rotation pivot axis Ob of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. This increases the degree of freedom in arranging components inside the door compared to the case where the rotation axes of the motor 133a and the reduction gear 134 are in the same position as the rotation pivot axis Ob of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. As a result, the shape of the refrigerator door 20Ab around the axis of the rotation pivot axis Ob of the hinge 6B is not significantly altered, making it easier to install the drive unit 133 inside the door.

[0186] In this embodiment, the drive unit 133 is installed vertically with its longitudinal direction parallel to the pivot shaft Ob of the refrigerator door 20Ab. That is, the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a and the rotation shaft of the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 are installed in a position parallel to the pivot shaft Ob.

[0187] The drive unit 133 is attached to the right side wall 20jb of the outer wall portion 20j that constitutes the right side refrigerator door 20Ab via the mounting member 135 described above. The drive unit 133 is fixed to the mounting member 135 with its rotating shaft O133 inserted through a through hole 135c formed in the flange portion 135b of the mounting member 135, and with the flange portion 135b of the mounting member 135 sandwiched between the case 133x and the plate 133y described above.

[0188] The reduction gear shaft 133B rotates in the same direction as the motor 133a, around the rotation axis of the motor 133a's output shaft 133A. The drive unit 133 can rotate the motor 133a in the forward direction (counterclockwise when viewed from the axial direction above: Figure 12), causing the reduction gear shaft 133B connected to the motor 133a's output shaft 133A to rotate in the same direction, thereby rotating it in the direction that closes the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. Furthermore, the drive unit 133 in this embodiment does not contribute to the operation of rotating the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab in the direction of opening it. However, the drive unit 133 may also be driven to rotate in the direction of opening the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, although this is not limited to the above.

[0189] (Door closing transmission mechanism) Figure 10 is a perspective view of the refrigerator door 20A from the lower inside of the compartment. Figure 11 is a diagram showing part of the configuration of the door closing transmission mechanism 150.

[0190] The door closing transmission mechanism 150 is provided to transmit the rotational driving force reduced by the motor 133a. The door closing transmission mechanism 150 further transmits the driving force (first driving force) transmitted from the drive unit 133 to the refrigerator door 20A. As shown in Figure 10, the door closing transmission mechanism 150 is located outside the refrigerator door 20A and is attached to the lower surface of the lower wall portion 20k.

[0191] The door closing transmission mechanism 150 includes a fixed gear (fixed passive part) 134C fixed to the pivot shaft O of the refrigerator door 20A, a drive gear (rotary drive part) 134Ab to which the driving force from the motor 133a is reduced and transmitted, and a one-way clutch part 140B (Figure 11). The drive gear 134Ab meshes with the fixed gear 134C fixed to the housing 10 side.

[0192] (Fixed gear) The fixed gear 134C is an external gear with a larger tip circle diameter than the drive gear 134Ab. The fixed gear 134C is fixed to the housing 10 via a hinge 6B attached to the housing 10. The fixed gear 134C engages with the right refrigerator door 20Ab via a mounting portion 137 inserted through a through hole (not shown) in the hinge 6B. As shown in Figure 8, the central axis (second axis) O2 of the fixed gear 134C coincides with the pivot axis Ob of the right refrigerator door 20Ab and is parallel to the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a in the drive unit 133.

[0193] The fixed gear 134C is a circular gear that receives rotational driving force from the drive unit 133 provided on the refrigerator door 20A on the housing 10 side, and has a passive surface 134Ca (a surface on which multiple teeth that mesh with the drive gear 134Ab are formed) that is received at the same distance from the rotation support shaft Ob which coincides with the central axis O2 of the fixed gear 134C.

[0194] (Drive gear) The drive gear 134Ab is mounted on the lower end of the reduction gear shaft 133B, and the rotational drive from the drive unit 133 is reduced and transmitted to it. The drive gear 134Ab is located externally, axially outward from the lower side wall portion 20k, and is rotatably mounted to the lower side wall portion 20k of the refrigerator door 20A via the mounting portion 136, so as to its axis of rotation.

[0195] The drive gear 134Ab is a gear that transmits the driving force from the drive unit 133 to the housing 10. The drive gear 134Ab also has a transmission surface 134d (a surface on which multiple teeth that mesh with the fixed gear 134C are formed) located at the same distance from the rotation axis of the reduction gear side shaft 133B, and rotates coaxially with the reduction gear side shaft 133B in the same direction as the reduction gear side shaft 133B. Here, the rotation axis O133 of the drive unit 133 includes the rotation axis of the output shaft 133A of the motor 133a and the rotation axis of the reduction gear side shaft 133B.

[0196] The drive gear 134Ab, mounted on the refrigerator door 20A side, and the fixed gear 134C, fixed to the housing 10 side, have their centerlines parallel and mesh with each other at adjacent horizontal positions. In other words, the rotation axis of the drive gear 134Ab and the center axis of the fixed gear 134C are located at different positions and extend in the same direction.

[0197] When the rotational force of the motor 133a is transmitted to the drive gear 134Ab by the one-way clutch section 140A described later, the drive gear 134Ab rotates around the rotation axis together with the reduction gear side shaft 133B, and the drive gear 134Ab and the reduction gear side shaft 133B rotate around the fixed gear 134C so as to change the point of engagement with the fixed gear 134C fixed to the right refrigerator door 20Ab. In other words, the positions of the drive gear 134Ab and the reduction gear side shaft 133B move in the circumferential direction of the fixed gear 134C.

[0198] In this way, the drive gear (rotation drive unit) 134Ab rotates together with the reduction gear side shaft 133B around the rotation axis of the drive gear 134Ab, and while changing the meshing position with the fixed gear (fixed passive unit) 134C to one side (arrow E side), it moves around the fixed gear 134C, making it possible to rotate the right refrigerator door 20Ab in the closing direction.

[0199] This allows the rotational force of the drive unit 133 to be transmitted from the door (refrigerator door 20A) side to the housing 10 side, making it possible to rotate the door (refrigerator door 20A) using the drive unit 133 installed on the door (refrigerator door 20A) side.

[0200] Furthermore, the components can be simplified if the drive unit 133 is installed such that its rotation axis O133, that is, the rotation axis of the drive unit 138 and the rotation axis of the reduction gear 134, are in the same direction as the rotation axis Oa and Ob of the refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab.

[0201] On the other hand, the one-way clutch section 140A, described later, allows the drive gear 134Ab to rotate freely relative to the fixed gear 134C, and by rotating the fixed gear 134C to the other side (arrow F side), it becomes possible to open the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0202] (One-way clutch section) As shown in Figures 8 and 12, the one-way clutch section 140B is a clutch mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the reduction gear side shaft 133B in one direction.

[0203] The one-way clutch section 140B of this embodiment has the function of transmitting the rotational force of the reduction gear side shaft 133B to the drive gear 134Ab when the reduction gear side shaft 133B rotates in the forward direction (rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the axial direction above), and interrupting the transmission of the rotational force of the reduction gear side shaft 133B to the drive gear 134Ab when the reduction gear side shaft 133B rotates in the reverse direction (rotates clockwise when viewed from the axial direction above).

[0204] The one-way clutch section 140B includes a base portion 134c of the drive gear 134Ab and a clutch portion 142 positioned inside the base portion 134c. Existing configurations can be appropriately adopted for the clutch section 142. A transmission surface 134d (Figure 8) is formed on the inside of the base 134c of the drive gear 134Ab, with which the clutch portion 142 can engage.

[0205] The drive gear 134Ab is connected to the reduction gear side shaft 133B via a one-way clutch section 140B, and the one-way clutch section 140B transmits rotational force to the reduction gear side shaft 133B in one rotational direction.

[0206] In this one-way clutch section 140B, when the reduction gear side shaft 133B rotates forward (counterclockwise when viewed from the axial upper side) to close the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, the base 134c of the drive gear 134Ab and the clutch section 142 engage, and the torque controlled in the one-way clutch section 140A is transmitted to the drive gear 134Ab. As the rotation of the rotation-controlled reduction gear side shaft 133B progresses, the drive gear 134Ab also rotates forward in the same direction as the drive gear 134Aa. As the drive gear 134Ab, which meshes with the fixed gear 134C, rotates in the forward direction and moves circumferentially around the fixed gear 134C, the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, to which the fixed gear 134C is attached, rotates in the closing direction around the pivot shaft Ob.

[0207] On the other hand, when the right refrigerator door 20Ab is opened by the operation of the door opening device 41, the right refrigerator door 20Ab is rotated in the opening direction around the pivot shaft Ob. As the right refrigerator door 20Ab rotates in the opening direction, the one-way clutch 140B allows the drive gear 134Ab to rotate freely. In other words, the engagement between the base 134c of the drive gear 134Ab and the clutch 141 is disengaged, and the drive gear 134Ab rotates freely relative to the reduction gear shaft 133B. In this way, it is possible to open the right refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0208] (Door retraction mechanism) Next, the configuration of the door retraction mechanism 132 will be described in detail. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the door retraction member 132A that constitutes the door retraction mechanism 132. The door retraction mechanism 132, together with the door rotation mechanism 131 (Figure 8) described above, constitutes the right door closing device 130B. The door retraction mechanism 132 functions when the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is finally closed. In other words, the door retraction mechanism 132 is the mechanism that closes the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab in place of the door rotation mechanism 131.

[0209] The door retraction mechanism 132 consists of a door retraction member 132A and a spring (not shown) connecting the door retraction member 132A and the hinge 6B.

[0210] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the door retraction member 132A is attached to the lower exterior of the refrigerator door 20A together with the fixed gear 134C. The door retraction member 132A has length in one direction and is attached with its length aligned with the width direction of the refrigerator door 20A.

[0211] As shown in Figure 12, a curved portion 132a is formed on one end of the door retraction member 132A in the longitudinal direction, and a cylindrical projection 132b that protrudes upward is formed on the other end. The cylindrical projection 132b protrudes vertically from the upper surface 132c and is formed at a predetermined height. The upper end of the cylindrical projection 132b is closed, and the lower end is open. That is, a hole 132d that opens downward is formed inside the cylindrical projection 132b. The hole 132d can communicate with the through hole 6b of the hinge 6B.

[0212] As shown in Figure 8, the door retraction member 132A is positioned relative to the refrigerator door 20A by inserting the cylindrical projection 132b into a hole 20kb formed in the lower wall portion 20k. Inside the cylindrical projection 132b (hole 132d), a mounting portion 137 is inserted for attaching (fixing) the fixed gear 134C to the right refrigerator door 20Ab via the lower hinge 6B. The mounting portion 137 has a shape such that a part of its length engages with the through hole 6b of the hinge 6B, thereby allowing the fixed gear 134C to be fixed to the right refrigerator door 20Ab via the hinge 6B.

[0213] As shown in Figure 12, a through-hole 132e is formed in the center of the length direction of the door retraction member 132A, extending through in the thickness direction of the plate. The through-hole 132e communicates with a through-hole 20ke (Figure 8) formed in the lower wall portion 20k.

[0214] The drive gear 134Ab is attached to the lower end of the reduction gear shaft 133B, with its base 134c partially inserted into the through hole 132e of the door retraction member 132A from below the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. In other words, the one-way clutch unit 140B is located inside the through hole 132e of the door retraction member 132A.

[0215] The curved portion 132a of the door retraction member 132A is U-shaped, and its tip 132f can engage with the projection 6f of the hinge 6B. The tip 132f of the door retraction member 132A engages with the projection 6f of the hinge 6B, which is attached to the housing 10, from a horizontal direction. When the opening angle θ of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is a predetermined angle (for example, about 5° to 45°), the tip 132f of the curved portion 132a of the door retraction member 132A can engage with the projection 6f of the hinge 6B.

[0216] The door retraction mechanism 132 acts in place of the rotational movement of the right refrigerator door 20Ab by the drive unit 133. In such a door retraction mechanism 132, when the right refrigerator door 20Ab is rotated in the closing direction by the door rotation mechanism 131 controlled by the control unit 100, and the opening angle θ of the right refrigerator door 20Ab reaches the predetermined angle (door retraction range), the tip 132f of the curved portion 132a of the door retraction member 132A first comes into contact with the protruding portion 6f of the hinge 6B.

[0217] At this point, the tip portion 132f contacts the first surface 6f1 of the protruding portion 6f, which faces the side opposite the refrigerator door 20Ab. Subsequently, as the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab rotates further by the door rotation mechanism 131 driven and controlled by the control unit 100, the tip portion 132f of the door retraction member 132A moves over the top portion 6g of the protruding portion 6f of the hinge 6B and moves to the second surface 6f2 of the protruding portion 6f, which faces the housing 10 side, and contacts the second surface 6f2.

[0218] When the tip 132f of the door retraction member 132A moves toward the second surface 6f2 on the hinge 6 side, the right refrigerator door 20Ab is automatically retracted toward the housing 10 side. The engagement between the tip 132f of the door retraction member 132A and the protruding portion 6f of the hinge 6B is maintained by the tensile force (elastic restoring force) of the spring (not shown).

[0219] When closing the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, the control unit 100 drives the door rotation mechanism 131 until the tip 132f of the door retraction member 132A overcomes the top 6g of the protrusion 6f of the hinge 6B. Alternatively, the control unit 100 may continue to drive the door rotation mechanism 131 after the tip 132f of the door retraction member 132A overcomes the top 6g of the protrusion 6f of the hinge 6B until a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0220] For example, if the drive control of the door rotation mechanism 131 is stopped immediately after the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab enters the above-mentioned door retraction range, that is, immediately after the opening angle θ of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab reaches a predetermined angle (for example, about 5° to 45°), there is a risk that the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab will not be able to close completely. Possible causes of insufficient door closing include, for example, a decrease in the spring force of the door retraction mechanism 132 or the chiller compartment being open (half-open door state).

[0221] Therefore, the control unit 100 takes predetermined action if it fails to completely close the refrigerator door 20A despite performing a door closing operation. For example, the control unit 100 may increase the rotational speed of the motor 133a of the door closing device 130, or increase the torque by adjusting the gear ratio of each gear in the reduction gear 134, thereby driving and controlling the door rotation mechanism 131 until a predetermined time has elapsed after the tip 132f of the door retraction member 132A has passed over the top 6g of the protrusion 6f of the hinge 6B.

[0222] Specifically, the lower limit of the opening angle range (45° or more, 145° or less) of the refrigerator door 20Ab that can be rotated by the door rotation mechanism 131 and the upper limit of the rotation angle (5° or more, 45° or less) of the refrigerator door 20Ab that can be rotated by the door retraction mechanism 132 may be partially overlapped. For example, the lower limit angle of the rotation range of the refrigerator door 20Ab by the door rotation mechanism 131 may be extended to 40°. Alternatively, the upper limit angle of the retraction range of the refrigerator door 20Ab by the door retraction mechanism 132 may be extended to 50°.

[0223] The overlapping region between the rotation angle range of the door rotation mechanism 131 and the rotation angle range of the door retraction mechanism 132 can be appropriately changed according to the desired rotation speed of the refrigerator door 20Ab. In other words, if the timing of switching from the door rotation mechanism 131 to the door retraction mechanism 132 is delayed, there is a risk that the force of the door closing operation will increase due to the action of the door rotation mechanism 131. Therefore, the timing of switching from the door rotation mechanism 131 to the door retraction mechanism 132 may be appropriately adjusted.

[0224] The timing for switching from the door rotation mechanism 131 to the door retraction mechanism 132 may be such that, for example, the door rotation mechanism 131 stops its drive to close the door before the refrigerator door 20Ab reaches an open angle of 0°, i.e., before the refrigerator door 20Ab is completely closed, and then switches to the door retraction mechanism 132. As a result, the synergistic effect of the door rotation mechanism 131 and the door retraction mechanism 132 prevents the rotation speed of the refrigerator door 20Ab from becoming excessive, allowing it to close quietly.

[0225] Furthermore, when the tip portion 132f of the door retraction member 132A in the door retraction mechanism 132 overcomes the top portion 6g of the protrusion 6f of the hinge 6B, the rotational speed of the motor 133a in the door rotation mechanism 131 may be increased to increase torque through the gear ratio. This ensures that the necessary door closing force is secured to close the refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0226] Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1 equipped with double doors, also known as French doors, a rotating vertical partition (not shown) is provided on either the left refrigerator door 20Aa or the right refrigerator door 20Ab. The rotating vertical partition is intended to prevent cold air from leaking out through the gap between the left and right doors, and is located between the left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab when they are closed. The rotating vertical partition has a rotating shaft extending vertically, a vertical partition plate facing the side wall of the refrigerator door 20A and rotatable around the axis of the rotating shaft, and a spring member that rotates the vertical partition plate around the axis of the rotating shaft.

[0227] The rotating partition plate rotates around the axis of rotation due to the elastic force of the spring member, tilting and raising depending on whether the door is open or closed. In other words, when the door is closed, the rotating partition plate rises against the spring force (with the plate surface facing forward and backward), covering the gap between the left and right doors from the inside of the storage compartment. On the other hand, when the door is opened, the rotating partition plate is pulled towards the side wall by the restoring force of the spring member and falls down (with the plate surface facing the side wall), preventing it from obstructing the user when opening and closing the door.

[0228] Therefore, when the door is closed, a door closing force is required to counteract the spring force in order to bring the rotating partition plate into a tilted position. For this reason, the torque, rotational speed, and reduction ratio of the motor 133a in the door rotation mechanism 131 may be set to values ​​that take the above-mentioned spring force into consideration, thereby ensuring the necessary door closing force. In this embodiment, the door closing force is set to be greater than the sum of the restoring force of the spring member in the door retraction mechanism 132 and the restoring force of the spring member in the rotating vertical partition.

[0229] Furthermore, the door equipped with the rotating vertical partition is designed to have a greater closing force than the other door which is not equipped with the rotating vertical partition.

[0230] Furthermore, the door closing mechanism 131 continues to drive the door closing until the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20Ab becomes smaller than the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20Ab at which the restoring force of either the spring member (not shown) of the door retraction mechanism 132 or the spring member of the rotating vertical partition is maximized, thereby ensuring a smooth door closing rotation operation.

[0231] Furthermore, for example, the rotational speed of the motor 133a may be reduced in the lower limit region of the rotational range by the door rotation mechanism 131. This makes it possible to prevent the refrigerator door 20Ab from closing forcefully.

[0232] Furthermore, the rotation speed of the refrigerator door 20Ab by the door rotation mechanism 131 may be reduced not only when the door is fully closed, but also at other opening angles, or it may be at a constant speed at all opening angles.

[0233] As described above, in this embodiment, the right refrigerator door 20Ab is closed by the door rotation mechanism 131 until it reaches a predetermined angle, and then the mechanism switches to the door retraction mechanism 132 to close it. This allows the tip portion 132f of the door retraction member 132A in the door retraction mechanism 132 to smoothly overcome the top portion 6g of the protrusion 6f on the hinge 6B side, and then the right refrigerator door 20Ab is retracted towards the housing 10 by the tensile force of the spring instead of the rotational force of the motor 133a. Through the action of this door retraction mechanism 132, it is possible to completely close the right refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0234] This helps prevent forgetting to close the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, thus preventing the door from remaining ajar, which can reduce cooling efficiency and cause condensation inside the refrigerator.

[0235] Furthermore, by using a door retraction mechanism 132 that does not require power, the drive control of the door rotation mechanism 131 becomes easier. For example, when attempting to close the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab using the door rotation mechanism 131, by appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the refrigerator door 20Ab at the beginning and end of closing, it is possible to quickly close the refrigerator door 20Ab and prevent fingers from getting caught. In other words, by controlling the drive of the motor 133a so that the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab rotates slowly at the end of closing, it is possible to prevent the user's fingers from getting caught.

[0236] In this way, the right door closing device 130B is configured. As mentioned above, the left door closing device 130A, which is installed on the left side of the refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, has a configuration that is substantially the same as the right door closing device 130B described above.

[0237] In this embodiment, the door closing devices 130 (left door closing device 130A, right door closing device 130B) are built into the refrigerator compartment doors 20A (left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab), respectively. In addition to the door closing device 130, an insulating material 10k is provided inside the refrigerator door 20A to ensure the door's thermal insulation. This insulating material 10k may also be placed on the side of the housing 10 (inner wall portion 20i) that is closer to the storage compartment 11 than the door closing device 130. In other words, by placing the insulating material 10k inside the refrigerator door 20A that is closer to the storage compartment 11 than the door closing device 130, thermal insulation for the storage compartment 11 can be ensured.

[0238] In particular, in the case of insulation material 10k including foamed insulation material and vacuum insulation material, the insulation of the inside of the refrigerator compartment can be ensured by placing vacuum insulation material, which has better insulation properties than foamed insulation material, between the inner wall portion 20i of the refrigerator compartment door 20A and the door closing device 130.

[0239] Furthermore, by providing insulation material 10k on the inside of the refrigerator door 20A, it is possible to ensure insulation for the door closing device 130, and prevent the drive unit 133 of the door closing device 130 from becoming too cold due to the cold air from the housing 10 side.

[0240] Furthermore, the insulation material 10k reduces the temperature difference between the inside of the refrigerator door 20A and the outside temperature, thereby suppressing condensation inside the refrigerator door 20A where the door closing device 130 is located.

[0241] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment, in which a door closing device 130 and insulation material 10k are provided on the inside of the refrigerator door 20A, if it is necessary to accommodate the amount of insulation material 10k required to ensure sufficient heat insulation, the door shape may be such that the thickness of the door is increased in the entire door or in part. Furthermore, for example, the door shape may be modified to increase the thickness of the refrigerator door 20A in the area where the door closing device 130 is located, thereby ensuring the unique appearance of this embodiment.

[0242] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, by using a vacuum insulation material with higher thermal insulation properties along with the foam insulation material, it is possible to ensure thermal insulation near the door closing device 130 while preventing an increase in the door thickness.

[0243] In this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 is equipped with a door closing device 130 (left door closing device 130A, right door closing device 130B) in addition to the door opening device 41 provided on the housing 10 side. The door closing device 130 is provided on the refrigerator compartment door 20A (left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab), and can automatically open and close the refrigerator compartment door 20A. In this way, by separately providing a mechanism for opening the refrigerator door 20A (door opening device 41) and a mechanism for closing the refrigerator door 20A (door closing device 130) on the housing 10 or the refrigerator door 20A, and using mechanisms suitable for the opening and closing operation of the refrigerator door 20A, it is possible to improve operability compared to conventional models, resulting in a refrigerator 1 that is easy for the user to use.

[0244] In this embodiment, even when the user is not near the refrigerator 1, the refrigerator compartment door 20A can be closed by driving the door closing device 130 when a predetermined door closing condition is satisfied. Here, the case where the predetermined door closing condition is satisfied means, as described above, the case where at least one of the voice instruction (door closing instruction) from the user acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g and the release restriction time is satisfied.

[0245] In this way, with the function of automatically closing the refrigerator compartment door 20A, it is possible to suppress forgetting to close the refrigerator compartment door 20A, and even when the refrigerator compartment door 20A is opened due to a malfunction or an incorrect operation, etc., it is possible to prevent the open state from continuing for a long time.

[0246] The position for transmitting the driving force of the driving device 133 provided on the refrigerator compartment door 20A side to the housing 10 side is on either the upper or lower side away from the center in the vertical direction of the refrigerator compartment door 20A (housing 10 side: the side away from the refrigerator compartment door 20A in the direction along the rotation axis of the refrigerator compartment door 20A, the upper end side or the lower end side).

[0247] The door closing device 130 (left door closing device 130A, right door closing device 130B) of this embodiment is arranged at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment door 20A (left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab), and is respectively provided on the hinge 6A, 6B sides attached to the lower sides of the respective refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa, 20Ab.

[0248] Note that the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B may be provided on the hinge 6A, 6B sides respectively attached to the upper sides of the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab. However, when the door closing device 130 is provided on the hinge 6A, 6B sides attached to the upper side, it is necessary to route the wiring separately from the wiring of the door opening operation unit 42. For this reason, the device structure becomes complicated and it takes time, and problems such as those caused by the weight of the respective refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa, 20Ab occur. In order to suppress such problems, the left door closing device 130A and the right door closing device 130B of this embodiment may be provided on the hinge 6A, 6B sides attached to the lower sides of the refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa, 20Ab.

[0249] As specific problems, for example, it is conceivable that due to the weight of the refrigerator door 20A, the refrigerator door 20A drops with respect to the housing 10, and the meshing position (designed position) of the gears shifts. If there are such errors in the mounting position or aging deterioration, etc., there is a possibility that the driving force on the refrigerator door 20A (drive device 133) side cannot be transmitted to the housing 10 side.

[0250] Therefore, by providing the door closing devices 130 on the lower hinge 6A, 6B sides of the refrigerator door 20A respectively, the fixed gear 134C fixed to the housing 10 side via the hinges 6A, 6B can receive the driving force of the drive device 133, and the meshing state of the gears can be maintained in the long term, and the driving force on the refrigerator door 20A side can be transmitted well to the housing side.

[0251] Also, by arranging the door closing devices 130A, 130B close to the hinge 6A, 6B sides provided at the lower positions of the refrigerator doors 20Aa, 20Ab, it is possible to secure the heat insulation space in each of the refrigerator doors 20Aa, 20Ab.

[0252] Also, by providing the door closing device 130 at the lower part of the refrigerator door 20A, wiring can be processed along the same path as the wiring of the door opening operation part 42, so the assembly work is easy.

[0253] Also, conventionally, various devices were arranged on the ceiling part of the housing 10 with the multifunctionalization of the refrigerator. However, in this embodiment, by providing the door closing device 130 on the refrigerator door 20A, an increase in devices arranged on the ceiling part of the housing 10 can be suppressed. Thereby, the problem of space constraints in the device arrangement on the ceiling part can be solved, and the deterioration of the aesthetics on the ceiling part of the housing 10 can be prevented.

[0254] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since voice commands are available to open and close the door, even when the user is holding food or other items and cannot manually open or close the door or operate the door opening control unit 42 with their hands or body, the refrigerator door 20A can be opened and closed at the user's desired timing.

[0255] Furthermore, even when the refrigerator door 20A is opened by voice command, the motor 133a may be driven to close the opened refrigerator door 20A when the predetermined door closing conditions described above, including the passage of time, are met. This prevents the refrigerator door 20A from remaining open against the user's intention.

[0256] <Modified door closing device> Next, a modified configuration of the door closing device according to the present invention will be described. Here, the configuration of the right door closing device 230B, which is provided on the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab, will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components similar to those in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted, while the different parts will be described in detail.

[0257] As with the above embodiment, the configuration of the left door closing device provided on the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa is the same as the configuration of the right door closing device 230B. Therefore, the configuration of the right door closing device 230B will be used as an example in this explanation.

[0258] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the right door closing device 230B of Modification 1. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the right door closing device 230B of Modification 1. Figure 15 is a view of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab in the closed state, seen from the axial upper side.

[0259] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the right door closing device 230B of the modified example 1 has a door rotation mechanism 231 and a door retraction mechanism 132. The door rotation mechanism 231 includes the drive unit 133 described above and the gear mechanism 250.

[0260] In the modified example 1, the gear mechanism 250 is provided on the lower end side of the drive unit 133 and is installed inside the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab together with the drive unit 133.

[0261] As shown in Figure 13, the gear mechanism 250 includes a fixed gear (second gear) 234B, a drive gear 134Aa, and a one-way clutch section 140A.

[0262] (Fixed gear) The fixed gear 234C is mounted coaxially with the pivot shaft Oa of the refrigerator door 20Ab. The fixed gear 234C is positioned between the flange portion 135b and the lower wall portion 20k of the mounting member 135, and is fixed to these flange portion 135b and lower wall portion 20k. The fixed gear 234C is mounted on a mounting shaft portion 139 that is inserted into the through hole 135c (Figure 14) of the flange portion 135b. The center line of the mounting shaft portion 139 coincides with the pivot shaft Oa of the refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0263] The fixed gear 234C consists of a sector gear, as shown in Figure 15. The fixed gear 234C is formed in a sector shape based on the opening angle range of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab. By adopting such a sector-shaped fixed gear 234C, the space required for the fixed gear 234C inside the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab can be minimized.

[0264] (Drive gear) As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the drive gear 134Aa is attached to the lower end of the reduction gear side shaft 133B and is coaxial with the reduction gear side shaft 133B. The drive gear 134Aa is positioned in the axial direction of the drive unit 133 to mesh with the fixed gear 234C horizontally. The drive gear 134Aa rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the reduction gear side shaft 133B. While meshed with the fixed gear 234C, the drive gear 134Aa reciprocates around the circumferential direction of the fixed gear 234C while rotating together with the reduction gear side shaft 133B around the rotation axis of the reduction gear side shaft 133B. The refrigerator door 20Ab opens and closes in conjunction with this. The drive gear 134Aa in this example may have the same gear shape as the drive gear 134Ab described above, or may have a different shape.

[0265] (One-way clutch part) As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the one-way clutch part 140A is a clutch mechanism that transmits the rotational force from the above-described drive device 133 in one direction.

[0266] In this example, when the reduction gear side shaft 133B rotates forward, that is, when it rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the upper side in the axial direction, the one-way clutch part 140A transmits the rotational force of the reduction gear side shaft 133B to the drive gear 134Aa. Also, when the reduction gear side shaft 133B rotates reversely, that is, when it rotates clockwise when viewed from the upper side in the axial direction, the one-way clutch part 140A has a function of not transmitting the rotational force of the reduction gear side shaft 133B to the drive gear 134Aa.

[0267] The one-way clutch part 140A in this example has the same configuration as the one-way clutch part 140B described above, but is not limited to this, and may have different types of one-way clutch structures.

[0268] <Operation of the right door closing device in the modified example> Next, the opening and closing operation of the right side refrigerator door 20Ab by the right door closing device 230B in the modified example will be described. In the following, the right door closing device 230B in the modified example will be described using FIGS. 16 to 18. However, the operation of the right door closing device 130B of the above-described present embodiment is also substantially the same. By replacing the fixed gear 234C in the modified example with the above fixed gear 134C and replacing the drive gear 134Aa in the modified example with the above drive gear 134Ab, it is possible to explain the operation of the right door closing device 130B.

[0269] Figures 16, 17, and 18 are cross-sectional views of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab equipped with a modified right door closing device 230B, viewed from the axial upper side. Figure 16 shows the first open state of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab (opening angle θ is, for example, 145°). Figure 17 shows the second open state of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab (opening angle θ is, for example, 90°). Figure 18 shows the third open state of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab (opening angle θ is, for example, 45°). Figure 19 shows the closed state of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab (opening angle θ is, for example, 0°).

[0270] Here, the first open state includes, for example, the case when the opening angle θ of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab is 145°, and refers to the state in which the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab is most open relative to the housing 10. The second open state includes, for example, the case when the opening angle θ of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab is 90°, and the third open state includes, for example, the case when the opening angle θ of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab is 45°. The closed state includes, for example, the case when the opening angle θ of the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab is 0°, and refers to the state in which the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab is closed relative to the housing 10.

[0271] As mentioned above, the opening angles θ for each open state of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab shown in Figures 16 to 18 are just examples.

[0272] As shown in Figures 16 to 19, the right door closing device 230B closes the open right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab by rotating it around the axis of the pivot shaft Ob using the door rotation mechanism 231.

[0273] When the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is open as shown in Figure 16, the drive gear 134Aa is engaged with the other end 234b2 of the fan-shaped fixed gear 234C.

[0274] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, when the drive gear 134Aa rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise when viewed from the axial upper side), the meshing position of the drive gear 134Aa with respect to the fixed gear 234C gradually changes in the circumferential direction from the other end 234b2 side of the fixed gear 234C to the one end 234b1 side, and consequently the right side refrigerator door 20Ab rotates in the closing direction.

[0275] Then, as shown in Figure 19, when the drive gear 134Aa reaches one end 234b1 of the fan-shaped fixed gear 234C, the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab closes relative to the housing 10. In this way, the door rotation mechanism 231 of the right door closing device 230B in this example can automatically close the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab.

[0276] On the other hand, if the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is manually closed by the user while the right-side door closing device 230B is closing the door (i.e., if the right-side door closing device 230B is subjected to a load exceeding a predetermined level), the rotation of the drive gear 134Aa may be freed by stopping the voltage applied to the motor 133a. In other words, when the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab is rotated in the closing direction by the user's closing action, the fixed gear 234C rotates together with the refrigerator door 20Aa around the axis of the pivot shaft Ob, and the drive gear 134Aa that meshes with it reverses direction (free-rotates clockwise when viewed from the axial upper side). In this way, the drive gear 134Aa can rotate freely, allowing the user to close the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab themselves, without relying on the power of the motor 133a.

[0277] In this case, the control unit 100 can, for example, detect the change in the opening angle of the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab caused by the user's closing action by feedback control based on a comparison of the drive current of the motor 133a with the rotational speed. Alternatively, by providing a sensor that detects the force applied when the user manually opens and closes the refrigerator door 20Ab, the control unit 100 can detect changes in the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20Ab, which are affected by external forces acting on the refrigerator door 20Ab.

[0278] Furthermore, when the right refrigerator door 20Ab is opened by the door opening device 41 described above, or when the right refrigerator door 20Ab is opened manually (when a load exceeding a predetermined amount is applied to the right door closing device 230B), the fixed gear 234C rotates in the opposite direction (freewheels counterclockwise when viewed from the axial direction above) along with the right refrigerator door 20Ab around the pivot shaft Ob. In this way, the drive gear 134Aa becomes rotatable, allowing the right-side refrigerator door 20Ab to be rotated in the opening direction and opened by the door opening device 41, or it to be opened manually.

[0279] Furthermore, since the entire door rotation mechanism 231 of this right door closing device 230B can be placed inside the right refrigerator door 20Ab, the configuration of the door retraction mechanism 132 can be simplified by attaching the door retraction mechanism 132 to the lower end of the right refrigerator door 20Ab, and the installation work of the door retraction mechanism 132 to the right refrigerator door 20Ab can be simplified.

[0280] While embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the embodiments described above. These embodiments can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0281] Furthermore, the configurations and combinations thereof in the embodiments and modified examples are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0282] For example, the door closing devices 130 and 230 are not limited to the structure described above. For example, the door closing device 130, 230 may include a door rotation mechanism 131 provided on either the refrigerator door 20A or the housing 10, which has a flat plate having a plurality of teeth in the longitudinal direction, a circular gear that meshes with these teeth and rotates around an axis, and a connecting portion whose one end is connected to the rotation axis of the circular gear and whose other end is connected to the other of the refrigerator door 20A or the housing 10.

[0283] For example, such a door rotation mechanism 131 may have a so-called link mechanism. The link mechanism may have, for example, a configuration comprising a flat plate (rack) and a circular gear provided on the refrigerator door 20A, and a connecting part that connects the refrigerator door 20A and the housing 10.

[0284] The flat plate has multiple teeth along its length and is mounted, for example, along the width of a refrigerator. A circular gear is an external gear that meshes with multiple teeth on a flat plate. The axis of rotation of the circular gear is perpendicular to the length of the flat plate. The circular gear may be rotated by, for example, a motor, or by an elastic member such as a spring. The connecting portion consists of, for example, a link member having a V-shape that rotatably connects one end of a pair of rod-shaped portions. One end of the link member is connected to the rotation axis of a circular gear on the refrigerator door 20A side, and the other end is connected to the housing 10 side.

[0285] As the circular gear that meshes with the flat plate rotates around its axis and moves along the length of the flat plate, the opening angle between the pair of rod-shaped parts at the connecting section changes, making it possible to open and close the refrigerator door 20A.

[0286] Furthermore, the door closing device, which consists of a link mechanism, may have at least a cover member that covers the link members. This prevents the user's fingers or other body parts from getting caught between the pair of rod-shaped parts during the opening and closing operation of the refrigerator door 20A, i.e., the rotation of the link members. In addition, providing a cover member prevents the aesthetic appearance of the door closing device from being compromised.

[0287] The door closing device consisting of a link mechanism is not limited to the above configuration; a configuration in which a flat plate and a circular gear are provided on the housing 10 side is also possible.

[0288] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment mentions a configuration in which the door closing device 130 has a door retraction mechanism 132, the door closing device 130 may also have a configuration in which it has only a door rotation mechanism 131. In this case, the drive device 133 is driven until the refrigerator door 20A is completely closed. At this time, for example, the rotation speed of the drive device 133 may be controlled so that the rotation of the door is reduced just before the refrigerator door 20A is completely closed. Alternatively, the refrigerator door 20A may be closed at a constant speed until the end.

[0289] Thus, a configuration in which the door closing device 130 consists only of a door rotation mechanism 131 is suitable when the weight of the refrigerator door 20A is light, for example, when the door closing device 130 is provided on the left refrigerator door 20Aa, which is lighter than the right refrigerator door 20Ab. This configuration prevents the rotational movement when closing the door from having excessive force due to the combined functions of the drive device 133 and the door retraction mechanism 132.

[0290] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment shows a configuration in which the door opening device 41 is provided on the housing 10 side and the door closing device 130 is provided on the refrigerator door 20A side, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, both the door opening device 41 and the door closing device 130 may be provided on the housing 10 side. Alternatively, both the door opening device 41 and the door closing device 130 may be provided on the refrigerator door 20A side. Alternatively, the door opening device 41 may be provided on the refrigerator door 20A side and the door closing device 130 may be provided on the housing 10 side. By providing the door closing device 130 on the housing 10 side, it can be positioned away from the user, thereby reducing the annoyance of the operating noise.

[0291] The configuration of the drive unit 133 is not limited to the configuration described above and can be changed as appropriate. Since the drive unit 133 is housed inside the refrigerator door 20A along with the insulation material 10k, it is necessary to secure driving force within a limited device size and voltage. If the desired driving force can be secured, other configurations may be adopted for the drive unit 133.

[0292] In the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the reduction gear 134 of the drive unit 133 has a planetary gear reduction mechanism 144. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and other configurations are also acceptable as long as the configuration that transmits rotation from the refrigerator door 20A side to the housing 10 side can be made into a planetary gear system.

[0293] In this embodiment, the drive unit 133 has a motor 133a and a reduction gear 134 arranged coaxially, and the rotation axis on the output side (reduction gear 134) (second rotation axis) is in the same direction as the rotation axis on the input side of the drive unit 133, i.e., the rotation axis of the motor 133a (first rotation axis). In other words, the rotation axis of the motor 133a (first rotation axis) and the rotation axis of the reduction gear 134 (second rotation axis) are parallel. By adopting this configuration, the area required for installing the drive unit 133 on the lower side of the refrigerator door 20A can be reduced, thereby securing a larger thermal insulation space.

[0294] Furthermore, the planetary gear reduction mechanism is not limited to the configuration of the planetary gear reduction mechanism 144 described above. The rotary drive mechanism includes at least a sun gear that is provided to rotate when the rotation of a drive shaft is transmitted to it; at least one planetary gear provided on the radially outer side of the sun gear, which meshes with the sun gear and rotates so that the position of the rotating shaft moves around the rotation axis of the sun gear; a rotation transmission unit provided on the extension of the rotation axis of the sun gear, which rotates when the force of the planetary gear moving around the sun gear is transmitted to it; and a shaft member that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotation transmission unit. The configuration is not limited to the above-described structure and can be modified as appropriate, as long as it is configured to convert the rotational speed input to the sun gear, whose position of the rotating shaft is fixed, into the rotational speed of the planetary gear moving around the sun gear and output from the shaft member.

[0295] As the reduction gear 134, in addition to the planetary gear reduction mechanism used in this embodiment, other reduction mechanisms such as an internal planetary gear reduction mechanism using the trochoidal tooth profile, a harmonic drive gear reduction mechanism, a differential gear reduction mechanism, or other reduction mechanisms may be used. An example of an internal planetary gear reduction mechanism using a trochoidal tooth profile is the Cyclo (trademark registered) reduction gear. An example of a harmonic drive gear reduction gear is the Harmonic Drive (trademark registered) reduction gear.

[0296] <Internal planetary gear reducer using a trochoidal tooth profile> An internal planetary gear reducer using a trochoidal tooth profile, i.e., a gear having a trochoidal curve, is a mechanism that reduces speed by providing an eccentric member whose rotation axis is offset from the outer circumference that contacts other rotating parts, and by utilizing the movement of the rotation axis of the eccentric member. An example of this is the Cyclo (trademark registered) reducer. The Cyclo (trademark registered) gearbox is constructed by combining two mechanisms, for example, a single-tooth difference planetary gear mechanism and a constant-velocity internal gear mechanism.

[0297] A one-tooth difference planetary gear mechanism is an internally scribed planetary gear with a one-tooth difference, comprising a planetary gear connected to an input shaft and having an arc-shaped tooth profile on its outer circumference, and a fixed sun gear positioned radially outside the planetary gear and having a different number of teeth than the planetary gear.

[0298] A constant-velocity internal gear mechanism is a gear mechanism comprising a planetary gear connected to an input shaft and having an arc-shaped tooth profile on its outer circumference, and a plurality of internal pins arranged in a plurality of through holes formed in the planetary gear. The plurality of internal pins are located concentrically with the center of the input shaft and are arranged at equal intervals from one another.

[0299] The Cyclo (trademark registered) speed reducer is a configuration that combines the two mechanisms described above, and may include, for example, an input shaft connected to the rotating shaft of a motor 133a which is a rotary drive machine, an eccentric body connected to the input shaft, an eccentric bearing portion arranged on the outer circumference of the eccentric body, one or more planetary gears (curved plates) having an arc curve on their outer circumference, a plurality of outer pins arranged on the outside of the planetary gears, a plurality of inner pins arranged in a plurality of through holes formed in the planetary gears, and an output shaft.

[0300] Using such a cycloidal (trademark registered) reduction mechanism, the reduction gear 134 and the drive unit 138 may be arranged side by side in the axial direction such that the rotation axis of the reduction gear 134 (second rotation axis) is coaxial with the rotation axis of the motor 133a (first rotation axis).

[0301] <Wave drive gear reduction mechanism> Furthermore, a wave drive gear reduction mechanism includes, for example, an inner circumference transmission section having a meshing portion on the inner circumference side toward the center of rotation, and an outer circumference transmission section positioned inside the inner circumference transmission section and having a meshing portion that is in contact with the inner circumference transmission section and rotates at a different period than the inner circumference transmission section. This mechanism reduces rotation by utilizing the difference in rotational speed between the inner circumference transmission section and the outer circumference transmission section during the rotation transmission process.

[0302] One such wave gear reduction mechanism, the Harmonic Drive (trademark registered), comprises, for example, an elliptical plate (wave generator: W / J) connected to the motor shaft, an external gear (flexspline: F / S) positioned radially outside the elliptical plate and having teeth on its outer circumference, and a circular internal gear (circular spline: C / S) positioned radially outside the elliptical plate and the external gear and having teeth on its inner circumference. The external gear corresponds to the outer circumference transmission part, and the internal gear corresponds to the inner circumference transmission part. In the Harmonic Drive (trademark registered), when an elliptical plate made of an irregularly shaped member with an outer circumference different from a perfect circle is rotated in one direction, the external gear elastically deforms, and the meshing position of the external gear with respect to the internal gear sequentially moves. Using such a harmonic drive reduction mechanism that reduces speed by utilizing the differential rotation between the elliptical plate and the circular internal gear, the reduction gear 134 and the drive unit 138 may be arranged axially side by side such that the rotation axis of the reduction gear 134 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the motor 133a.

[0303] <Differential gear reduction mechanism> In addition to the wave drive gear reduction mechanism described above, a differential planetary gear reduction mechanism can be mentioned as a mechanism that reduces rotation by utilizing the difference in rotational speed between the inner and outer transmission parts during the rotation transmission process. This mechanism includes an inner transmission part having a meshing portion on the inner circumference side toward the center of rotation, and an outer transmission part positioned inside the inner transmission part and having a meshing portion that is in contact with the inner transmission part and rotates at a different period than the inner transmission part. One such differential planetary gear reduction mechanism, the "mysterious planetary gear reduction mechanism," uses displacement gears as two gears with different numbers of teeth mounted on a single shaft, and by meshing these displacement gears with a common gear, a high reduction ratio can be obtained. Using such a mysterious planetary gear reduction mechanism, the reduction gear 134 and the drive unit 138 may be arranged side by side in the axial direction such that the rotation axis of the reduction gear 134 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the motor 133a.

[0304] Furthermore, as another reduction mechanism, for example, a mechanism may be adopted that includes a drive gear provided to rotate when the rotation of a drive shaft provided in a rotary drive machine such as a motor is transmitted to it; an intermediate gear provided spaced apart in the radial direction of rotation of the drive gear and rotating in mesh with the drive gear; an internal gear provided toward the center of rotation and rotating in mesh with the intermediate gear by internal teeth; and a rotation output unit provided to rotate integrally with the internal gear, wherein the rotation input to the drive gear is reduced and output by the rotation of the rotation output unit. The output rotation axis of the rotating output unit is the same as the rotation axis of the internal gear, and has a shaped portion that extends from the tooth surface of the internal gear to the output rotation axis, avoiding the inner space of the tooth surface of the internal gear.

[0305] The above-mentioned rotary output unit is a circular housing that accommodates the drive gear and the intermediate gear, with the internal gear integrally incorporated inside. When this rotary output unit rotates together with the internal gear around the axis of rotation of the rotary output unit, the rotation input to the drive gear is reduced and output from the output rotation axis. The intermediate gear, located between the drive gear and the internal gear, does not move from its mounting position but rotates around its axis of rotation at that mounting position. In other words, the intermediate gear does not move around the drive gear but rotates around its axis of rotation at a predetermined mounting position. As described above, the rotation of the intermediate gear causes the internal gear and the rotary output unit to rotate together, resulting in a reduction in rotation speed, and the rotation output from the rotary output unit is reduced. The rotating output section may also have an internal tooth formed on its inner surface.

[0306] The reduction mechanism of the above structure may be used with the input and output to the drive gear and the rotating output unit reversed. That is, the drive gear, which is provided to rotate when the rotation of the drive shaft of a rotary drive machine such as a motor is transmitted, is an internal tooth type drive gear with tooth surfaces on the face facing the center of rotation, and the gear that becomes the rotating output unit is an external tooth type rotating output unit with tooth surfaces on the face facing away from the center of rotation. Then, an intermediate gear is provided between the internal tooth type drive gear and the external tooth type rotating output unit, spaced apart in the radial direction of their rotation, and rotates in mesh with the internal tooth type drive gear and the external tooth type rotating output unit, thereby reducing the rotation speed by utilizing the difference in the number of teeth per revolution of each part. Of course, whether you use the external-tooth drive gear described earlier or the internal-tooth drive gear described later, you set the number of teeth per revolution of each part so that the input rotation is reduced before being output.

[0307] Even when employing any of the reduction mechanisms described above, the output rotation shaft of the drive unit 138 and the input rotation shaft of the reduction gear 134 can be arranged coaxially, similar to the embodiment employing the planetary gear reduction mechanism. This makes it possible to give the overall shape of the drive unit 133 an elongated shape in the axial direction. As a result, the space occupied by the drive unit 133 inside the door can be reduced, and a large insulated space can be secured.

[0308] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting position of the drive unit 133 installed inside the refrigerator door 20A can be changed as appropriate. In the embodiment described above, the drive unit 133 is mounted in a vertical position inside the refrigerator door 20A. That is, the rotation axis O133 of the drive unit 133, i.e., the rotation axis of the motor 133a and the rotation axis of the reduction gear 134 are aligned in the vertical direction and are parallel to the rotation support axis of the refrigerator door 20A, but the installation orientation of the drive unit 133 is not limited to vertical.

[0309] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration when the drive unit 133 is installed horizontally. As shown in Figure 20, for example, a drive unit 133 having a motor and a reduction gear arranged horizontally may be installed in a horizontal position inside the refrigerator door 20A. This allows the drive unit 133 to be positioned along the lower edge of the refrigerator door 20A, making it possible to place a sufficient amount of insulation material 10k in the space inside the refrigerator door 20A above this point.

[0310] As shown in Figure 20, when the drive unit 133 is mounted in a lateral position, the rotation axis O133 of the drive unit 133 intersects with the rotation support axis O that extends vertically in the refrigerator door 20A and extends in the width direction along the lower edge of the refrigerator door 20A. That is, the rotation axis (first rotation axis) of the drive unit 138 and the rotation axis (second rotation axis) of the reduction gear 134 to which the driving force (first driving force) is transmitted from the drive unit 138 intersect with the rotation support axis O and extend in the width direction along the lower edge of the refrigerator door 20A. Therefore, the reduction gear 134 of the drive unit 133 may have a gear mechanism 151 that transmits the rotation of the rotation axis O133 that extends horizontally to the rotation support axis Ob that extends vertically, i.e., in the vertical direction.

[0311] The gear mechanism 151 has, for example, gears 151A and 151B whose rotating axes intersect with each other. As the gears 151A and 151B whose rotating axes intersect with each other, for example, gears with a shape in which the tooth surfaces of multiple gears are in contact with each other at an angle and mesh together can be used, and the gear mechanism 151 can be made to change the direction of transmission by these gears. The gears 151A and 151B coincide at the position where their respective central axes intersect.

[0312] Furthermore, as part of the reduction gear 134, one of the two gears 151A and 151B constituting the gear mechanism 151 may be a fixed gear. The rotation axis of the driving gear (rotation drive unit) 151A and the rotation axis of the other fixed gear 151B extend in directions that intersect each other. In this way, the torque transmission direction may be changed in the gear mechanism 151 and transmitted to the housing 10 side.

[0313] In this case, if the drive unit 133 is mounted in a sideways position, the position of the recessed handle provided on the lower edge of the refrigerator door 20A and the position of the drive unit 133 may be arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap in the height direction (when viewed from above or below). The handle is where the user inserts their fingers when manually opening and closing the refrigerator door 20A. Furthermore, if the drive unit 133 is mounted in a horizontal position, the drive unit 133 may be positioned on the side of the pivot shaft O of the refrigerator door 20A in the width direction of the refrigerator door 20A, and the handle portion may be positioned on the open end side of the refrigerator door 20A.

[0314] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing other configurations of the reduction gear 134B in the drive unit 133. As shown in Figure 21, a parallel shaft gear mechanism 152 may be used as the reduction gear 134B, in which a number of spur gears 152a to 152d with different gear ratios are meshed together horizontally. One of the spur gears 152a among the number of spur gears 152a to 152d is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 133a, and the rotational speed of the motor 133a is reduced by the gear ratio of the other spur gears 152b, 152c, and 152d meshing with this spur gear 152a, and the increased torque is transmitted to the fixed gear 134C via the drive gear 134Aa.

[0315] Thus, by employing a mechanism with bevel gears and numerous spur gears as the reduction gear 134, it is possible to secure the desired driving force while suppressing the increase in size of the reduction gear 134. Furthermore, it is possible to secure the insulation space of the refrigerator door 20Ab without compromising the aesthetics of the drive unit 133, including the reduction gear 134. In particular, by using a configuration with numerous gears to secure the required torque, it is possible to miniaturize the device, which is effective in saving installation space.

[0316] Furthermore, as the reduction gear 134 that changes the direction of drive transmission, in addition to the above, a staggered gear mechanism may be adopted, for example, having a worm made of a screw-shaped cylindrical gear and a worm wheel made of a gear with a large number of teeth that meshes with it. The rotation axis of the worm and the rotation axis of the worm wheel are perpendicular to each other and do not intersect. By adopting such a staggered gear mechanism, the reduction gear may be made smaller.

[0317] Furthermore, different types of one-way clutch structures other than those described above may be used for the one-way clutch sections 140A and 140B. For example, if a motor of the type that is used, such as a stepping motor, is used, where a load is applied to the rotation of the drive shaft of the motor 133a while the motor 133a is not rotating, a mechanism for interrupting the transmission of the driving force may be provided. This allows the transmission of the driving force of the motor 133a to be interrupted while the door closing device 130 is stopped, so that the rotational load from the door closing device 130 is not applied to the gear mechanism 151, and the refrigerator door 20Ab can be opened and closed manually while the door closing device 130 is stopped. The mechanism for interrupting the transmission of driving force could be a physical mechanism, such as the clutch (power transmission switching mechanism) used in a car, or it could be an electromagnetic clutch.

[0318] Furthermore, in the transmission process including the reducer 134, a mechanism using a pair of spiral-wound helical gears or a double-helical gear may be employed.

[0319] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the door opening operation unit 42 is provided on the front side of the refrigerator door 20A, but it may also be provided on the side or bottom side of the open end of the refrigerator door 20A.

[0320] In the embodiment described above, the refrigerator door 20A is opened by a door opening device 41 provided on the ceiling of the housing 10. However, instead of the door opening device 41, the refrigerator door 20A may be opened by a door closing device 130 provided on the refrigerator door 20A. This makes it possible to omit the door opening device 41 that was provided on the ceiling of the housing 10, thereby suppressing the increase in the number of devices to be placed on the ceiling.

[0321] In the embodiment described above, the drive unit 133 is provided inside the refrigerator door 20A together with the insulating material 10k to ensure thermal insulation for the drive unit 133. However, the configuration for ensuring thermal insulation for the drive unit 133 is not limited to this.

[0322] For example, a heating device may be provided inside the refrigerator door 20A to prevent the drive unit 133 from being cooled. In this case, the heater may be placed near the drive unit 133 but away from the inside of the refrigerator door 20A. Alternatively, vacuum insulation material may be placed inside the refrigerator compartment beyond the drive unit 133 and the heating device to ensure insulation on the inside of the compartment and prevent the internal temperature from rising due to the heating device.

[0323] Furthermore, the operation of opening and closing the refrigerator door 20A includes both driven opening and closing by the door closing device 130 and manual opening and closing performed by the user.

[0324] For example, when the predetermined door closing conditions described above are met, a voltage is applied to the motor 133a to enable the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B. When the above door closing conditions are not met, the voltage application to the motor 133a is stopped, thereby interrupting the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B, and thus enabling manual opening and closing operations.

[0325] Alternatively, while the above door closing conditions are not met, voltage is applied to the motor 133a to enable the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B. When a change in the opening angle of the open refrigerator door 20A is detected, the voltage application to the motor 133a is stopped, thereby interrupting the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B and enabling manual closing. During manual closing operations, the voltage applied to motor 133a should be stopped.

[0326] Alternatively, while the above door closing conditions are not met, voltage is applied to the motor 133a to enable the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B. When a change in the opening angle of the open refrigerator door 20A is detected, the voltage application to the motor 133a is stopped, interrupting the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B. If no change in the angle of the open refrigerator door 20A is detected for a predetermined time, voltage may be applied to the motor 133a again to enable the transmission of driving force by the one-way clutch units 140A and 140B, and enable the door closing operation by the door closing device 130. In this way, control may be implemented to achieve compatibility between driven opening and closing and manual opening and closing.

[0327] Furthermore, in addition to the route for acquiring voice commands from the user through the voice command acquisition unit 52g located on the top of the refrigerator 1, the route for acquiring voice commands from the user may also be one that uses the voice recognition function of a smart speaker or mobile phone. For example, by having the wireless communication module of the voice command acquisition unit 52g communicate with an external terminal such as a mobile phone or smart speaker, the voice commands of the user recognized by the external terminal can be acquired. The communication path with the mobile phone is not particularly restricted. Short-range wireless communication may be used, as well as mobile data communication via a server provided by a mobile phone company, or internet communication using Wi-Fi, etc.

[0328] Furthermore, by linking the refrigerator 1 with a mobile phone, it becomes possible to implement a monitoring function that allows the user to check the open / closed status of the refrigerator door 20A using an app, even when the user is away from the refrigerator 1. In addition to opening and closing the refrigerator door 20A, it also becomes possible to remotely control it, such as locking it in the closed position.

[0329] Furthermore, by linking the refrigerator 1 with a mobile phone, it is possible to pre-select whether to initiate the automatic opening and closing of the refrigerator door 20A via the app each time, or by voice command. It is also possible to set the brightness of the light on the door opening operation unit 42 and details regarding automatic door closing when the door has been open for a predetermined time. Examples of detailed settings include the time until the door closes, the door opening buzzer (notification sound), and notifications when the automatic door closing is performed.

[0330] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may, after the "opening time limit" has elapsed, first output a door open buzzer from the speaker 52a towards the user in advance, and then drive the drive unit 133 of the door closing device 130 to close the refrigerator door 20A. Since the user may be surprised if the refrigerator door 20A closes on its own, the door open buzzer may be output towards the user before the refrigerator door 20A is closed.

[0331] Alternatively, the door open buzzer may not be emitted, and the refrigerator door 20A may be closed at approximately the same time as when the door open buzzer is emitted. This is not the only option; the door open buzzer may be disabled. In that case, the timing for closing the refrigerator door 20A may be set instead of the timing for outputting the door open buzzer.

[0332] Furthermore, while the refrigerator door 20A is closed by the door closing device 130, a door closing notification sound or voice message may be output to the user.

[0333] This allows the user to recognize if the refrigerator door 20A has been open for a predetermined period of time, and also prevents the refrigerator door 20A from remaining open even if the user is not nearby and is unable to close it.

[0334] The timing and number of times the above-mentioned open buzzer is output can be set as appropriate. For example, if the door remains open after a predetermined time has elapsed, the open buzzer may be output for the first time, and then, after another predetermined time has elapsed, the open buzzer may be output for the second time. If the refrigerator door 20A is still open, the drive unit 133 may be used to automatically close the refrigerator door 20A. The number of times the open buzzer is output, the volume, etc. can be changed as appropriate.

[0335] Furthermore, users may continue to use the refrigerator 1 even after the predetermined door closing condition, the "opening restriction time," has elapsed. Therefore, if the control unit 100 detects, for example, that the refrigerator door 20A is wide open by the refrigerator door switch 123, for example, that the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20A is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle, it may determine that there is a high probability that the user has opened the refrigerator door 20A of the refrigerator 1 and is using the refrigerator compartment (storage compartment) 11A, and may extend the "opening restriction time" by a predetermined time to prevent the refrigerator door 20A from being closed at a time unintended by the user. Here, "the refrigerator door 20A being wide open" refers to a state where the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20A is 60° or more. Furthermore, if the refrigerator door 20A remains open even after the pre-set "opening time limit" has elapsed, the elapsed time may be measured again and compared with the "opening time limit". Furthermore, if the "door opening time limit" is extended once and then the door opening time is measured again, the "door opening time limit" may be changed to allow for comparison with the newly measured door opening time. Furthermore, the above-mentioned use includes not only the refrigerator compartment 11A, but also the door storage compartments 14 (Figure 2) located inside each refrigerator compartment door 20A.

[0336] Furthermore, the control unit 100 can detect user input operations (door open instruction operations), including contact or proximity of the user to the door open operation unit 42, and if the door open device 41 opens the refrigerator door 20A, it can determine that there is a high probability that the user is near the refrigerator 1 and using the refrigerator compartment 11A of the refrigerator 1. Therefore, the control unit 100 may extend the "opening restriction time" by a predetermined time and leave the refrigerator door 20Ab open.

[0337] Furthermore, if the user operates not only on the door opening operation unit 42, but also on other operation units provided on the refrigerator 1 for issuing instructions regarding temperature adjustment or ice making, the control unit 100 can determine that there is a high probability that the user is near the refrigerator 1 and using the refrigerator compartment (storage compartment) 11A. In such cases, the control unit 100 may extend the "opening restriction time" by a predetermined time and leave the refrigerator compartment door 20Ab open.

[0338] In addition to the above, as a detection method for determining whether a user has opened the refrigerator door 20A of refrigerator 1 and is using the refrigerator compartment 11A, for example, if a user is detected by the infrared detection unit, it may be determined that a user near refrigerator 1 has opened the refrigerator door 20A and is using the refrigerator compartment 11A, and the "opening restriction time" may be extended by a predetermined time, leaving the refrigerator door 20Ab open. Furthermore, if short-range wireless communication is established via a mobile phone, and it is determined that the user is nearby and using the refrigerator compartment 11A with the refrigerator door 20A open, the above-mentioned "opening restriction time" may be extended by a predetermined time, and the refrigerator door 20Ab may be left open. Furthermore, the distance at which short-range wireless communication via mobile phone is established (a predetermined distance from refrigerator 1 to the mobile phone) may be set in advance.

[0339] Furthermore, by detecting a change in the opening angle of the open refrigerator door 20A, it can be determined that the user has opened the refrigerator door 20A of refrigerator 1 and is using the refrigerator compartment (storage compartment) 11A. In such cases, the "opening restriction time" may be extended by a predetermined time, and the refrigerator door 20Ab may be left open.

[0340] Furthermore, if the user's voice is acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g, it may be determined that the user has opened the refrigerator door 20A of the refrigerator 1 and is using the refrigerator compartment (storage compartment) 11A, and the "opening restriction time" may be extended by a predetermined time, leaving the refrigerator door 20Ab open. Alternatively, the determination may be made by combining several of the above detection methods.

[0341] Furthermore, if, after the "opening restriction time" has elapsed, it is not possible to determine that the user is using the refrigerator compartment 11A with the refrigerator door 20A open, the system will assume that the user has left the refrigerator 1 and close the refrigerator door 20A. Situations in which it is not possible to determine that the refrigerator is in use include, for example, when the infrared detection unit cannot detect a user near the refrigerator, when short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone is interrupted, when the opening angle of the refrigerator door 20A does not change for a certain period of time, or when the user's voice is not acquired by the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g for a certain period of time.

[0342] In this embodiment, if any one or more of the above conditions are met, the refrigerator door 20A may be closed if it is determined that the user has moved away from the refrigerator 1.

[0343] Furthermore, even when the refrigerator door 20A is opened by voice command, the control unit 100 can drive the motor 133a of the door closing device 130 to close the refrigerator door 20A if the predetermined door closing conditions described above are met. In addition, in this case, similar to when the refrigerator door 20A is opened by operating the door opening operation unit 42, the control unit 100 may appropriately output a door opening buzzer to the user before driving the door closing device 130, that is, before closing the refrigerator door 20A.

[0344] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may compare the user's voiceprint data, which is pre-stored (registered) in the memory unit 126, with the voice data of a person acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g, and if it determines that the person who gave the voice instruction is the user, it may open or close the refrigerator door 20A. By using such a voiceprint recognition system, malfunctions caused by the voice of an unregistered person can be prevented. Note that the memory unit 126 can store the voiceprint data of multiple users.

[0345] The refrigerator 1 in the above-described embodiment has a door opening function that opens the refrigerator door 20A by detecting contact and proximity by the user via the door opening operation unit 42, but it may also have a door closing function that closes the refrigerator door 20A by detecting contact and proximity by the user.

[0346] For example, a door closing operation unit may be provided near the door opening operation unit 42, and the door may be closed by the user lightly touching the door closing operation unit. In this case, the door closing mechanism may be positioned in a location that is easily accessible to the user when the open refrigerator door 20A is in the open position. Examples of a position that is easily accessible to the user when the open refrigerator door 20A is in the open position include the side wall or bottom wall of the refrigerator door 20A, or a surface facing the inside of the refrigerator, located closer to the open end on the opposite side of the rotation pivot shafts Oa and Ob of the refrigerator door 20A. For example, the door closing operation unit may be located on the open end side of the refrigerator door 20A, or on the inside side of the refrigerator door 20A. When the door closing operation unit is located on the inside side of the refrigerator door 20A (inner wall portion 20i: Figure 2), for example, the door closing device may be located on the open end side of the inner wall portion 20i, or on the lower end side. Alternatively, the door opening operation unit 42 may also be given a door closing function, so that the door opening operation unit 42 also functions as the door closing operation unit, thereby preventing the device structure from becoming overly complex.

[0347] Thus, if the refrigerator 1 is equipped with a door opening / closing control unit that has not only a door opening function but also a door closing function, the refrigerator door 20A may be closed by driving the door closing devices 130 and 230 if contact or proximity of a user's body to the door opening / closing control unit is detected while the refrigerator door switch 123 is detecting that the refrigerator door 20A is in the open state.

[0348] Furthermore, while the refrigerator door switch 123 is detecting that the refrigerator door 20A is in a closed state, if contact or proximity of a user's body to the door opening / closing operation unit is detected, the door opening device 41 may be driven to open the refrigerator door 20A.

[0349] Furthermore, while the refrigerator door switch 123 detects that the refrigerator door 20A is in the open position, if a voice command to close the door is received from the user via the voice command acquisition unit 52g, the door closing devices 130 and 230 may be driven to rotate the refrigerator door 20A in the closing direction. If an operation on the door operating unit is detected while the refrigerator door 20A is closed, the rotation of the refrigerator door 20A may be temporarily stopped.

[0350] Furthermore, while the refrigerator door switch 123 detects that the refrigerator door 20A is in a closed state, if a door open command is detected from the user via the voice command acquisition unit 52g, the refrigerator door 20A may be opened by driving the door open device 41. If a door close command is detected via the door opening / closing operation unit while the refrigerator door 20A is open, the rotation of the refrigerator door 20A may be temporarily stopped by stopping the power supply to the drive device 133.

[0351] Furthermore, if user operation on the door opening / closing control unit is detected while the refrigerator door switch 123 is detecting that the refrigerator door 20A is in the open position, the door closing devices 130 and 230 may be driven to rotate the refrigerator door 20A in the closing direction. If an open door instruction is received from the user via the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g while the refrigerator door 20A is closed, the rotation of the refrigerator door 20A may be temporarily stopped by stopping the power supply to the drive unit 133.

[0352] Furthermore, if user operation on the door opening / closing control unit is detected while the refrigerator door switch 123 is detecting that the refrigerator door 20A is in a closed state, the door opening device 41 may be activated to open the refrigerator door 20A. If, while the refrigerator door 20A is open, a voice command to close the door is received from the user via the voice command acquisition unit 52g, the motor 133a may be stopped to temporarily halt the rotation of the refrigerator door 20A.

[0353] In this manner, if different instructions regarding the opening and closing of the door are given in quick succession, the rotation (opening and closing operation) of the refrigerator door 20A may be temporarily stopped. Subsequently, if either a door closing instruction is detected at the door opening / closing control unit or an audible door closing instruction is detected, the door closing device 130 may be used to rotate and close the refrigerator door 20A again.

[0354] Furthermore, the user can manually open and close the refrigerator door 20A, which is initially stopped in the open position. This makes it possible to handle situations where an opening / closing instruction made by the door opening / closing operation unit and an opening / closing instruction made by voice acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g are made consecutively within a short period of time.

[0355] Alternatively, the control unit 100 may be configured to only accept door closing instructions while the refrigerator door 20A is open, and not accept door opening instructions. Similarly, while the refrigerator door 20A is closed, the system may only accept door open commands and not door close commands.

[0356] Furthermore, for example, in the embodiment described above, the drive unit 133 is driven to rotate the refrigerator door 20A in the closing direction when a predetermined door closing condition, "opening time limit," has elapsed. However, the door closing device 130 may also have a function to drive the drive unit 133 of the door closing device 130 based on a "door closing instruction (voice instruction)" from the user as the door closing condition. In this case, the door closing device 130 is driven based on the "door closing instruction (voice instruction)" from the user, which is acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit 52g.

[0357] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may be controlled so that it does not accept a door closing command from the user while the refrigerator door 20A is closed, and does not accept a door opening command from the user while the refrigerator door 20A is open. This prevents duplicate instructions from users.

[0358] Furthermore, the control unit 100 stops the opening and closing operation of the refrigerator door 20A if it detects manual opening or closing by the user while the refrigerator door 20A is being opened or closed. As a method for detecting when the refrigerator door 20A is opened or closed by the user (change in the angle of the refrigerator door 20A) while the refrigerator door 20A is being opened or closed automatically, for example, feedback control of the drive unit 133 can be used. This could involve comparing the drive current and rotational speed in the drive unit 133, or it could involve cutting off the transmission of the drive force of the drive unit 133.

[0359] Furthermore, when the control unit 100 receives a door-opening instruction, it stops or reduces the rotation speed of at least one of the refrigeration fan 33 and the freezing fan 35, thereby promoting quieter operation of the refrigerator 1. By stopping or reducing the rotation speed of the above-mentioned fans upon receiving a door-opening instruction from the user, it is possible to quiet down the refrigerator more quickly.

[0360] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may vary the time it takes for the door closing device 130 to automatically close the door depending on whether the door closing instruction is made by voice or by the door opening operation unit 42. For example, if the door closing instruction is made by the door opening operation unit 42, it can be determined that a user is nearby, so the time until closing, i.e., the above-mentioned opening restriction time, may be extended.

[0361] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the door closing device 130 is provided inside the left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab, but the door closing device 130 may also be used in the other doors 20 of the refrigerator 1.

[0362] Figure 22 shows a single-door refrigerator 1A. In the above embodiment, a double-door (French door) refrigerator equipped with a pair of refrigerator doors 20A was described, but as shown in Figure 22, a single-door refrigerator equipped with one refrigerator door 20A may also be used.

[0363] The following is an addendum regarding refrigerator 1. (A1) The door closing device is, A drive source that generates a driving force to rotate the aforementioned door in the closing direction, A door closing transmission unit is provided so as to transmit the driving force from the aforementioned drive source, A refrigerator comprising one of the following for reducing the rotational speed transmitted from the aforementioned drive source: a planetary gear reduction mechanism, an internal planetary gear reduction mechanism using a tooth profile having a trochoid curve, or a harmonic drive gear reducer.

[0364] (A2) The aforementioned planetary gear reduction mechanism is, A drive transmission unit connected to the rotating shaft of the aforementioned drive source, The drive transmission unit is central to a plurality of passive units arranged around it, A refrigerator in which the plurality of passive parts rotate around their respective rotation axes while moving together in the circumferential direction of the drive transmission unit.

[0365] (A3) The internal planetary gear reducer using the aforementioned trochoidal tooth profile is, An eccentric body connected to the rotating shaft of the drive source and eccentric with respect to the rotating shaft, A curved plate is positioned radially outward from the eccentric body and has a circular arc curve on its outer circumference, A bearing portion is disposed between the eccentric body and the curved plate, Multiple inner rods formed within multiple through holes formed in the curved plate, Multiple outer rods arranged radially outward from the curved plate, A refrigerator equipped with [a specific feature].

[0366] (A4) The aforementioned wave drive gear reducer is An elliptical plate connected to the rotation shaft of the drive source, An external gear having external teeth is positioned radially outward of the elliptical plate, An internal gear having internal teeth is positioned radially outward of the elliptical plate and the external gear, A refrigerator equipped with [a specific feature]. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0367] 1,1A...Refrigerator, 6A,6B...Hinge (door rotation support part), 10...Housing, 10a...Upper wall (ceiling part), 11...Storage compartment, 20...Door, 41...Door opening device, 42...Door opening operation unit, 52g...Voice instruction acquisition unit, 130 (130A), 230 (230B)...Door closing device, 131,231...Door rotation mechanism, 133a...Motor (drive source), 133m...Clank Shaft (shaft member), 134 (134A, 134B)... Reducer, 134d... Transmission surface, 134Ab... Drive gear (rotational drive part), 134C... Fixed gear (fixed passive part), 134Ca... Passive surface, 150... Door closing transmission mechanism (door closing transmission part), 151A... Gear, O1... Rotation axis of the drive gear, O2... Center axis of the fixed gear, Oa, Ob... Rotation support shaft (rotation axis of the door)

Claims

1. The enclosure including the storage room, A door attached to the opening of the aforementioned housing, A door opening device for opening the aforementioned door, A door retraction mechanism that retracts and closes the door, which is in the open position and whose opening angle relative to the housing is less than or equal to a predetermined angle, toward the housing side, The door is further provided with a door closing device that closes the door from an opening angle greater than a predetermined angle to an opening angle smaller than a predetermined angle, The other door, which together with the aforementioned door constitutes a double door, is further provided. The door has a rotating vertical partition that closes the gap between the door and the other door when both the door and the other door are closed. The rotating vertical partition is provided with a restoring force to maintain a predetermined position when the door is opened. The aforementioned door retraction mechanism has a restoring force that pulls the door in and closes it when it reaches a predetermined open angle. The door closing force generated when the door closing device closes the door is greater than the sum of the restoring force applied to the rotating vertical partition and the restoring force acting on the door retraction mechanism. refrigerator.

2. The door closing device stops its operation before the opening angle becomes 0°. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a door closing device for closing the other door, The door closing force generated when the door closing device closes the door is greater than the door closing force generated when the other door closing device closes the other door. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. The door closing device is, A drive source that generates a driving force to rotate the door in the closing direction, It has a door closing transmission unit provided so as to transmit the driving force from the aforementioned drive source, The door closing transmission unit is A rotary drive unit to which the driving force from the drive source is transmitted, It has a fixed passive part that is fixed to the rotation axis of the door, The rotational drive unit moves around the fixed passive unit, causing the door to rotate in the closing direction. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

5. The rotational shaft of the rotary drive unit and the central shaft of the fixed passive unit are positioned at different locations and extend in the same direction. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

6. The rotational axis of the rotary drive unit and the central axis of the fixed passive unit extend in a direction in which they intersect. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

7. It has a voice command acquisition unit that can acquire voice commands, Of the door opening device and the door closing device, at least the door closing device is driven based on the voice instruction acquired through the voice instruction acquisition unit. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

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