阅读说明：本技术 门开闭机构以及冰箱 (Door opening/closing mechanism and refrigerator ) 是由 佐藤康雄 于 2019-09-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：冰箱(1)包括门开闭机构。门开闭机构包括主体部(10)、至少一个门(例如,冷藏室门(11))、铰链部(例如,铰链销(41)、弹簧支撑构件(42))。铰链部构成为能够调换到主体部(10)的左侧以及右侧。该铰链部包括轴部(例如,铰链销(41))以及自闭性提高部件(例如,弹簧支撑构件(42)),所述自闭性提高部件促进门的自闭力。自闭性提高部件安装在主体部(10)的左侧时与安装在主体部(10)的右侧时之间,变更配置的方式。(The refrigerator (1) includes a door opening/closing mechanism. The door opening/closing mechanism includes a main body portion (10), at least one door (e.g., a refrigerating compartment door (11)), and hinge portions (e.g., a hinge pin (41), a spring support member (42)). The hinge part is configured to be capable of being exchanged to the left side and the right side of the main body part (10). The hinge portion includes a shaft portion (e.g., a hinge pin (41)) and a self-closing performance improving means (e.g., a spring support member (42)) that promotes a self-closing force of the door. The arrangement of the self-closing performance improving member is changed between the state of being mounted on the left side of the main body part (10) and the state of being mounted on the right side of the main body part (10).)

1. A door opening and closing mechanism, comprising:

a main body part, at least one door and a hinge pin,

the door opening and closing mechanism is characterized in that:

the hinge part is configured to be capable of being exchanged to the left side and the right side of the main body part,

the hinge portion includes a shaft portion and a self-closing performance improving member that promotes a self-closing force of the door,

the arrangement of the self-closing performance improving member is changed between when the member is attached to the left side of the main body and when the member is attached to the right side of the main body.

2. The door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1,

the self-closing performance improving member includes a configuration that changes the arrangement by rotating the member in the horizontal direction when the member is switched to the left and right.

3. The door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1,

the self-closing performance improving member includes a configuration that changes the arrangement by rotating the member in the vertical direction when the member is switched to the left and right.

4. A refrigerator includes at least two doors in an up-and-down direction,

the refrigerator is characterized in that:

the door of at least any one of the at least two doors includes the door opening and closing mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4,

the at least two doors each include the door opening and closing mechanism,

an intermediate hinge portion is disposed as the hinge portion between adjacent two of the at least two doors,

the shaft portion of the intermediate hinge portion serves as a rotation shaft for opening and closing both of the two adjacent doors,

the self-closing performance improving member of the intermediate hinge portion is configured to promote a self-closing force of an upper door of the two adjacent doors.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5,

a space holding portion that secures a space between the doors is provided between adjacent two of the at least two doors.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a door opening/closing mechanism capable of changing a left/right opening mode of a door and a refrigerator having a door with the door opening/closing mechanism.

Background

As an opening and closing mechanism of a refrigerator door, there are the following mechanisms: the left and right opening direction of the door can be changed by replacing the component. For example, patent document 1 discloses an opening and closing structure of a refrigerator door capable of changing a left-right opening mode of the refrigerator door.

The opening and closing structure of the refrigerator door includes: a refrigerator main body; a door having mounting holes at upper portions of left and right sides, respectively; hinge holding members provided on each of left and right sides of the refrigerator main body and having through holes overlapping the mounting holes at upper sides of the mounting holes; a hinge pin inserted into the through hole from an upper side of the through hole and inserted into the mounting hole in a freely inserting and extracting manner, and rotatably mounting the door to the refrigerator main body; and a lower hinge part which is arranged at the lower side of the door and can rotatably install the door to the refrigerator main body around the shaft of the hinge pin. Then, the hinge pin inserted into the left and right mounting holes of the door and the through hole of the left and right hinge holding member is pulled out, and the hinge pin is inserted into the left and right mounting holes of the door and the through hole of the left and right hinge holding member, so that the left and right opening mode of the door can be easily changed.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 4217674

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In such a door opening/closing mechanism for a refrigerator door, a magnet is attached to a seal portion of the door in order to raise a self-closing force of the door when a user performs a door closing operation. However, the self-closing force of the door may be insufficient only by the structure in which the magnet gives the self-closing force to the door, and for example, when a heavy object is stored in the door, the self-closing force may be insufficient and the door may not be closed.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a structure that is more reliable and easier to close a door when performing a door closing operation in a door that can change a left-right opening mode.

Means for solving the problems

The door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention includes a main body, at least one door, and a hinge pin. In the door opening/closing mechanism, the hinge portion is configured to be replaceable to the left and right of the main body portion, the hinge portion includes a shaft portion and a self-closing performance improving member that promotes a self-closing force of the door, and the arrangement of the self-closing performance improving member is changed between a case where the hinge portion is attached to the left side of the main body portion and a case where the hinge portion is attached to the right side of the main body portion.

In the door opening/closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the arrangement may be changed by rotating the self-closing performance improving member in the horizontal direction when the door opening/closing mechanism is switched to the left or right.

In the door opening/closing mechanism according to the above aspect of the present invention, the arrangement may be changed by rotating the self-closing performance improving member in the vertical direction when the door opening/closing mechanism is switched to the left or right.

The refrigerator of another aspect of the present invention includes at least two doors in an up-and-down direction. In this refrigerator, at least one of the at least two doors includes the door opening/closing mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention.

In the refrigerator according to the aspect of the present invention, each of the at least two doors may include the door opening and closing mechanism. Then, an intermediate hinge portion is disposed as the hinge portion between adjacent two of the at least two doors. The shaft portion of the intermediate hinge portion may serve as a rotation axis when both of the two adjacent doors are opened and closed, and the self-closing performance improving member of the intermediate hinge portion may be configured to promote a self-closing force of the upper door of the two adjacent doors.

In the refrigerator according to the aspect of the present invention, a space holding portion may be provided between two adjacent doors among the at least two doors, and the space holding portion may secure a space between the doors.

Effects of the invention

According to an aspect of the present invention, in a door that can change a left-right opening mode of the door, the door can be more reliably closed when performing a door closing operation.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an external appearance configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which each door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is opened from the left side.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a main body portion of the refrigerator shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator shown in fig. 3, viewed from above.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is opened from the right side.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a main body portion of the refrigerator shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the main body portion of the refrigerator shown in fig. 6, viewed from above.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment as viewed from the lower side.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which a hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is disassembled.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a hinge pin and a spring support member included in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing a case where a refrigerating chamber door is mounted to a main body portion of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a periphery of a hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of the periphery of the hinge portion in the middle when the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is in a state where the refrigerating chamber is closed.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of the periphery of the hinge portion in the middle when the refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is in an open state.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration of the periphery of the hinge portion in the middle when the refrigerator according to the second embodiment is in a state where the refrigerating chamber is closed.

Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration of the periphery of the hinge portion in the middle when the refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment is in an open state.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a hinge pin and a spring support member included in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, as viewed from above. This figure is a view of a configuration in which each door is opened from the left side.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the main body of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, as viewed from above. This figure is a view of a configuration in which each door is opened from the right side.

Fig. 20 is a diagram showing a configuration of the periphery of the hinge portion in the middle when the refrigerator according to the third embodiment is in a state where the refrigerating chamber is closed. This figure shows a state in which the middle hinge portion is viewed from below.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view showing a hinge pin and a spring support member included in the refrigerator according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a modification of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment. This figure shows the configuration of the hinge portion in the middle when the refrigerating compartment door is closed. This figure shows a state in which the middle hinge portion is viewed from below.

Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration around a hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[ first embodiment ]

(integral constitution of refrigerator)

In the present embodiment, a refrigerator 1 having two storage cabinets (a refrigerating chamber 2 and a freezing chamber 3) will be described as an example. The refrigerator 1 includes a door opening/closing mechanism according to an example of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows an external appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is an external appearance showing a state where each door of the refrigerator 1 is opened. The refrigerator 1 is mainly constituted by a main body portion 10, a refrigerating chamber door 11, and a freezing chamber door 12. The main body 10 is formed in an external shape by an insulated box.

A refrigerating chamber 2 is disposed in an upper stage of the refrigerator 1. A refrigerating chamber door 11 is attached to an opening portion of the front surface of the refrigerating chamber 2. A freezing chamber 3 is disposed in a lower stage of the refrigerator 1. A freezing chamber door 12 is attached to an opening portion of the front surface of the freezing chamber 3. The refrigerating chamber door 11 and the freezing chamber door 12 have a door opening/closing mechanism according to an example of the present invention. Then, the left and right opening/closing directions of the door can be changed by replacing the members constituting the hinge portion (specifically, the hinge pins 31, 41, 61, and the like).

The configuration and arrangement of each storage room in the refrigerator 1 are not limited to the above configuration and arrangement. The configuration and arrangement of each storage room can be changed as appropriate depending on the capacity, application, and the like of the refrigerator.

In the present embodiment, the face provided with the door is the front face (front face) of the refrigerator 1. Then, the respective surfaces of the main body portion 10 of the refrigerator 1 are set as an upper surface, a side surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface based on the front surface, based on the position that exists when the refrigerator 1 is set in a normal state. In addition, in a state where the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front side, the position on the left side is referred to as the left side of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerating chamber door 11), and the position on the right side is referred to as the right side of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerating chamber door 11).

Fig. 1 and 2 show a state in which the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the left side. In this state, each hinge pin (shaft portion) 31, 41, 61 is mounted at the end on the right side of the refrigerator 1. Fig. 5 shows a state in which the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the right side. In this state, each hinge pin 31, 41, 61 is mounted at the left end of the refrigerator 1.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, in a state where the hinge pins 31, 41, 61 are arranged on the right side of the main body 10, the doors 11 and 12 are attached to the main body 10, and the doors 11 and 12 are opened and closed from the left end. In addition, in a state where the hinge pins 31, 41, 61 are disposed on the left side of the main body 10, the doors 11 and 12 are attached to the main body 10, and the doors 11 and 12 are opened and closed from the right end.

(door opening/closing mechanism)

Next, a door opening/closing mechanism mounted on the refrigerating chamber door 11 of the refrigerator 1 will be explained. Fig. 3, 4, 6, and 7 show the appearance of the main body 10 in a state where the doors 11 and 12 are detached from the refrigerator 1. Fig. 3 and 4 show the structure of the main body 10 when both the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the left side. Fig. 6 and 7 show the structure of the main body 10 when both the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the right side.

Fig. 8 shows the structure of the bottom surface portion of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Fig. 9 shows an exploded state of each member constituting the hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator 1. Fig. 10 shows a state in which the spring support member (self-closability improving means) 42 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41.

The refrigerating compartment door 11 includes a door upper member 21 mounted at an upper portion of a door main body portion, and a door lower member 22 mounted at a lower portion of the door main body portion. The freezing chamber door 12 includes a door upper member 23 installed at an upper portion of a door main body portion, and a door lower member 24 installed at a lower portion of the door main body portion. Each of the door members 21 to 24 is formed with a hole into which the hinge pin 31, 41 or 61 is inserted, in the vicinity of the end portions on both the left and right sides.

The hinge pin 31 is mounted on the upper part of the main body 10 and is therefore also referred to as an upper hinge pin. The hinge pin 41 is attached to an intermediate portion (the partition portion 10a in the present embodiment) of the main body portion 10, and is therefore also referred to as an intermediate hinge pin. The hinge pin 61 is mounted on the lower portion of the main body 10 and is therefore also referred to as a lower hinge pin. The hinge pins 31, 41, 61 serve as pivots of the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12.

Main body 10 is provided with partition 10a that partitions refrigerating compartment 2 and freezing compartment 3. Further, a cover 32 is attached to the front of the upper surface of the main body 10. An upper member 33 is provided below the cover 32 (see fig. 11). In the upper member 33, holes 34 into which the upper hinge pins 31 are inserted are formed on both left and right sides.

The opening of the partition 10a is provided with bearing portions 40a and 40b into which the hinge pin 41 is inserted. Bearing 40a is provided near the right end of main body 10. The bearing portion 40b is provided near the left end of the main body 10.

Bearings 60a and 60b into which the hinge pin 61 is inserted are provided in an opening portion of a lower end portion of the main body 10. Bearing portion 60a is provided near the right end of main body 10. The bearing portion 60b is provided near the left end of the main body 10.

The bearing portion 40a is constituted by a support member 44a and a cover 45 a. The bearing portion 40b is composed of a support member 44b and a cover 45 b. The bearing portion 40a and the bearing portion 40b are formed symmetrically.

As shown in fig. 4 and 7, a protruding portion 46 protruding toward the front side of the refrigerator 1 is formed in each of the bearing portions 40a and 40 b. The protruding portion 46 is formed with a hole 47 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted. In addition, in the protruding portion 46, a second hole 48 is formed on the obliquely rear side of the hole 47. A fixing pin 42d (see fig. 10) of the spring support member (self-closing performance improving means) 42 is inserted into the second hole 48. Since the fixing pin 42d is inserted into the second hole 48 of the bearing portion 40a or 40b, the spring support member 42 and the intermediate hinge pin 41 can be fixed to predetermined positions of the bearing portion 40a or 40 b.

The bearing 60a and the bearing 60b have the same configuration as the bearing 40a and the bearing 40b, respectively. That is, the bearing portion 60a is constituted by the support member 64a and the cover 65 a. The bearing portion 60b is composed of a support member 64b and a cover 65 b. The bearing 60a and the bearing 60b are formed symmetrically.

As shown in fig. 4 and 7, a protruding portion 66 protruding toward the front side of the refrigerator 1 is formed in each of the bearing portions 60a and 60 b. A hole 67 into which the lower hinge pin 61 is inserted is formed in the protrusion 66. In addition, the protruding portion 66 is formed with a second hole 68 on the obliquely rear side of the hole 67. A fixing pin (not shown) of the spring support member (self-closing performance improving means) 62 is inserted into the second hole 68. Since the fixing pin is inserted into the second hole 68 of the bearing 60a and 60b, the spring support member 62 and the lower hinge pin 61 can be fixed to predetermined positions of the bearing 60a or 60 b.

In addition, as shown in fig. 8, the bottom surface of the refrigerating compartment door 11 includes hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81 b. The hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b are mounted on the door lower member 22. Specifically, the hinge auxiliary member 81a is attached to the right end of the door lower 22. In addition, the hinge auxiliary member 81b is attached to the left end of the door lower 22. The hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b have a bilaterally symmetrical structure.

The hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b are provided with holes 27 into which the intermediate hinge pins 41 are inserted. In addition, in order to more smoothly perform the opening and closing operation of the refrigerating chamber door 11, the spring portions 82 are formed in the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81 b. The spring portion 82 is formed in a plate spring shape having elasticity or flexibility. A protrusion 83 protruding downward is provided at the tip end portion of the spring portion 82. When the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened and closed, the projection 83 rides over the ridge shape a (see fig. 9 and 10) of the first rod-shaped portion 42a of the spring support member 42, and thus the spring portion 82 is elastically deformed upward. Then, the elastic restoring force of the deformed spring portion 82 acts on the inclined surface on the opening side of the body portion 10 in the ridge shape a of the first rod-like portion 42a, and the self-closing force of the door is promoted.

Further, the door lower member 24 of the freezing compartment door 12 also includes a hinge auxiliary member having the same configuration as the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81 b.

When the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are configured to be opened and closed from the left side, the upper hinge pin 31 is attached to the upper portion of the right side of the main body 10. The intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42, and the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring support member 62 are attached to a bearing portion 40a and a bearing portion 60a on the right side of the body 10, respectively (see fig. 3 and 4).

On the other hand, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are configured to be opened and closed from the right side, the upper hinge pin 31 is attached to the upper portion on the left side of the main body 10. The intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42, and the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring support member 62 are attached to the bearing portion 40b and the bearing portion 60b on the left side of the main body 10 (see fig. 6 and 7).

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, since the pair of hinge pins 31, 41, 61 and the spring support members 42 and 62 is switched left and right, the opening and closing directions of the doors 11 and 12 of the refrigerator 1 can be switched left and right.

Fig. 10 shows a state in which the spring support member 42 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41. As shown in fig. 10, the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted into the pin insertion hole of the spring support member 42. The spring support member 42 may also be fixed to and integrated with the intermediate hinge pin 41. For example, the spring support member 42 is insert-molded to the intermediate hinge pin 41, and thus can be integrated with the intermediate hinge pin.

When the hinge portion of the door opening/closing mechanism is changed from the right side to the left side or from the left side to the right side, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42 can be exchanged in this state. That is, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42 are detached from one of the bearing portions 40a or 40b and attached to the other bearing portion 40b or 40 a.

The spring support member 42 includes two rod-shaped portions (a first rod-shaped portion 42a and a second rod-shaped portion 42b) extending from a base point portion 42' formed with a pin insertion hole. The first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b extend in a positional relationship of substantially 90 degrees (substantially perpendicular) with respect to the base point portion 42' (see fig. 9 and the like). The upper surfaces of the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b have a ridge shape a. When the refrigerating chamber door 11 is closed, the ridge shape a and the spring portion 82 provided on the door side act to promote the self-closing force of the door.

An intermediate portion 42c is provided between the first rod 42a and the second rod 42b so that the first rod 42a and the second rod 42b are placed. A fixing pin 42d extending downward is formed in the intermediate portion 42 c. As described above, the fixing pin 42d is inserted into the second hole 48 of the bearing portion 40a or 40 b. Thereby, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42 are fixed to the bearing portion 40a or 40b of the main body portion 10, and the intermediate hinge pin 41 serves as a pivot shaft on the lower side of the refrigerating compartment door 11 and a pivot shaft on the upper side of the freezing compartment door 12.

For example, when the opening/closing direction of the refrigerating chamber door 11 is changed from the left opening type to the right opening type, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42 attached to the right bearing portion 40a are switched to the left bearing portion 40 b. At this time, the spring support member 42 is rotated by substantially 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, and therefore the arrangement of the spring support member 42 is changed.

In the present embodiment, when the refrigeration compartment door 11 is of the left-side opening type, the first rod-like portion 42a is positioned on the front side of the opening portion of the main body portion 10 (see fig. 4). Thus, the ridge shape a of the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the spring portion 82 provided on the door side act to urge the self-closing force of the door. On the other hand, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is of the right-side opening type, the second rod-like portion 42b is positioned forward of the opening portion of the main body 10 (see fig. 7). Thus, the ridge shape a of the second rod-shaped portion 42b and the spring portion 82 provided on the door side act to urge the self-closing force of the door.

The lower hinge pin 61 and the spring support member 62 may be configured in the same manner as shown in fig. 10. That is, when the hinge portion of the door opening/closing mechanism is changed from the right side to the left side or from the left side to the right side, the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring support member 62 are detached from one of the bearing portions 60a or 60b and attached to the other bearing portion 60b or 60 a. At this time, the spring support member 62 is rotated by substantially 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, similarly to the spring support member 42, and therefore the arrangement of the spring support member 62 is changed. Thus, the lower hinge pin 61 serves as a pivot shaft of the lower side of the freezer door 12.

When the freezer door 12 is of the left-side opening type, the ridge shape of the first rod-shaped portion 62a and a spring portion (not shown) provided on the door side act to promote the self-closing force of the door. On the other hand, when the freezer door 12 is of the right-side opening type, the ridge shape of the second rod-shaped portion 62b and a spring portion (not shown) provided on the door side act to promote the self-closing force of the door.

As shown in fig. 9, a spacer member (space holding portion) 43 is provided at the hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator 1. The spacer member 43 includes a head portion 43a of larger diameter and a foot portion 43b of smaller diameter. The leg 43b is inserted into a hole 28 formed in the door upper member 23 of the freezing chamber door 12. In addition, an insertion hole 43c into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted is formed in the head portion 43 a. The spacer member 43 functions as a bearing of the intermediate hinge pin 41. The spacer member 43 also functions as a spacer that secures a space between the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 disposed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

In the door opening/closing mechanism having the above-described configuration, when the left and right opening/closing positions of the refrigerating chamber door 11 and the freezing chamber door 12 are changed, the door opening/closing mechanism is first detached from the refrigerator 1 in the following order: upper hinge pins 31, a refrigerating compartment door 11, a middle hinge pin 41, and a spring support member 42, a freezing compartment door 12. Next, the lower hinge pin 61 and the spring support member 62 are switched from one bearing 60a (or 60b) to the other bearing 60b (or 60 a). Next, the freezing chamber door 12 is mounted on the lower hinge pin 61. At this time, the spacer member 43 is exchanged in advance to the hole 28 of the door upper member 23 of the freezing chamber door 12 located above the lower hinge pin 61. Then, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 42 are exchanged to the same side as the lower hinge pin 61.

Then, as shown in fig. 11, after the refrigerating chamber door 11 is mounted on the intermediate hinge pin 41, the upper portion of the refrigerating chamber door 11 is aligned with the upper member 33 of the main body portion 10, and the refrigerating chamber door 11 and the upper member 33 are supported and fixed by the upper hinge pin 31. Finally, the cover 32 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 10.

As shown in fig. 11, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is mounted to the main body portion 10, the refrigerating compartment door 11 is inclined so that the lower side of the refrigerating compartment door 11 is closer to the main body portion 10. In this state, the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted into the hole 27 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a or 81b provided at the lower surface of the refrigerating chamber door 11.

Fig. 12 shows an enlarged configuration of the periphery of the intermediate hinge pin 41 when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is mounted. As shown in fig. 12, a side surface of the hole 27 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted (specifically, a side surface on the rear side of the refrigerating chamber door 11) is formed with an inclined portion 27a, and the inclined portion 27a is inclined so as to expand in diameter toward the inner side of the hole. In addition, an inclined portion 27b is formed at an inlet portion of the hole 27 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted (specifically, an inlet portion on the front side of the refrigerating chamber door 11), and the inclined portion 27b is inclined so as to expand in diameter toward the inlet side of the hole.

Fig. 12 illustrates the shape of the hole 27 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a on the right side, but the hole 27 of the hinge auxiliary member 81b on the left side also includes the same shape. Since the inclined portions 27a and 27b are formed in the holes 27 of the hinge auxiliary members 81a and 81b, the hinge pin 41 can be inserted into the hole 27 in a state where the refrigerating chamber door 11 is tilted forward. Thus, the refrigerating chamber door can be inserted into the intermediate hinge pin 41 without the upper portion of the refrigerating chamber door 11 colliding with the upper member 33 of the main body 10. After that, the refrigerating chamber door 11 is vertically stood, and the refrigerating chamber door 11 is supported and fixed by the upper hinge pin 31. By performing the work through such steps, the mounting work of the refrigerating chamber door 11 is more easily performed.

In addition, a space C is formed between the support members 44a and 44b of the bearing portions 40a and 40b and the door upper member 23 of the freezing compartment door 12. This makes it possible to avoid the lower end of the refrigerating chamber door 11 from contacting the upper end of the freezing chamber door 12 even when the door is tilted when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is mounted. Then, since the spacer member 43 is inserted into the hole 28 of the freezing chamber door 12 into which the intermediate hinge pin 41 is inserted, the vertical movement of the freezing chamber door 12 due to the installation of the space C can be suppressed.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, since the components constituting a part of the hinge portion of the door opening/closing mechanism are exchanged from the right side to the left side (or from the left side to the right side), the left/right opening modes of the doors 11 and 12 can be changed. According to this configuration, one refrigerator 1 may include one hinge pin 31, 41, 61, spring support members 42, 62, and spacer member 43.

When the spring support members 42 and 62 are attached to both the left and right sides of the door, the spring support member positioned on the open side may hinder the operation of the door during the opening and closing operation. In contrast, according to the above configuration, since the one set of members is exchanged when the left-right opening mode of the door is changed, the members can be left on the door opening side. Thereby, the opening and closing operation of the door can be performed more smoothly. Then, since the components of one group are exchanged, there is no unused component and there is no need to store or manage the unused component.

(opening and closing operation of door)

Next, the operation of the hinge portion when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened and closed will be described. Fig. 13 shows a configuration of a hinge portion including the middle of the middle hinge pin 41 in the closed state of the refrigerating chamber door 11. Fig. 14 shows a configuration of a hinge portion including the middle of the middle hinge pin 41 in a state where the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened by substantially 30 degrees. Fig. 13 and 14 are partially illustrated in a perspective view for convenience of explanation. In the following, the case where the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened and closed from the left side will be described as an example, but the same operation can be applied to the case where the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened and closed from the right side.

When the refrigerating compartment door 11 is closed, the angle between the door and the opening portion of the main body 10 gradually narrows, and the door is opened by approximately 30 degrees as shown in fig. 14. At this time, the tip end portion of the spring portion 82 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a provided at the lower surface of the refrigerating compartment door 11 approaches the first rod-shaped portion 42a of the spring support member 42. Since the projection 83 is formed on the lower surface of the spring portion 82, a force against the door closing operation acts at the beginning of the contact between the spring portion 82 and the first rod portion 42 a.

However, when a force is applied in a direction to close the refrigerating compartment door 11 by the operation of the user's hand, the flexible spring portion 82 is formed to ride over the ridge shape a of the upper surface of the first rod portion 42 a. When the spring portion 82 once rides up the ridge shape a, a force in the door closing direction acts on the spring portion 82 along the inclined surface below the ridge shape a. Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 can be smoothly closed. In addition, according to this configuration, the temporarily closed door can be prevented from being separated from the main body portion 10 again, and therefore the refrigerating compartment door 11 can be closed more reliably.

In this way, the spring support member 42 functions as a self-closing performance improving means for promoting the self-closing force of the door together with the spring portion 82 of the hinge auxiliary member 81 a.

When the refrigerating chamber door 11 is opened, the spring portion 82 of the hinge auxiliary member 81a operates in the reverse direction to the above. Thus, the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 11 with a certain degree of force, and after the spring portion 82 once rides up the ridge shape a, a force in a direction to open the door acts on the spring portion 82 along the inclined surface below the ridge shape a. This allows the door to be opened more smoothly.

The inclined surface of the ridge shape a may be asymmetrical in the front-rear direction. In this case, the slope of the inclined surface on the side opposite to the opening side of the main body 10 is preferably made larger than the slope of the inclined surface on the opposite side. Thus, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is closed, the force necessary for the protrusion 83 to ride over the ridge shape a of the first rod-like portion 42a can be reduced, and after the protrusion 83 rides over the ridge shape a, the force in the door closing direction can be made to act more largely.

Although the above description is of the case where the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the left side, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the right side, the self-closing force of the door is promoted by the action of the ridge shape a on the upper surface of the second rod-shaped portion 42b of the right spring support member 42 (or the spring support member 62) instead. That is, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is closed, the ridge shape a on the upper surface of the second rod-shaped portion 42b and the spring portion 82 provided on the door side act to promote the self-closing force of the door.

In this way, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is in the left-side opening mode, the first rod-shaped portion 42a affects the door self-closing force but does not affect the shape of the second rod-shaped portion 42b, and when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is in the right-side opening mode, the second rod-shaped portion 42b affects the door self-closing force but does not affect the shape of the first rod-shaped portion 42 a. Therefore, for example, even if the ridge shape of each of the bar-shaped portions 42a and 42b is formed in the above-described asymmetric shape, the ridge shape does not affect each other.

When the freezer door 12 is opened and closed, the hinge portion below the hinge pin 61 performs the same operation as described above. That is, the spring support member 62 functions as a self-closing property improving means for promoting the self-closing force of the door.

(summary of the first embodiment)

As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes the door opening/closing mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. The door opening and closing mechanism includes a main body portion 10, at least one door (i.e., a refrigerating compartment door 11, a freezing compartment door 12), hinge portions (i.e., a hinge pin 41 and a spring support member 42, and a hinge pin 61 and a spring support member 62). The hinge portion is configured to be replaceable to the left or right side of the main body portion 10. The hinge portion includes shaft portions (i.e., hinge pins 41 and 61) and self-closure improving means (i.e., spring support members 42 and 62) that promote self-closure force of the door.

The self-closing performance improving member is configured to be changed in arrangement between when attached to the left side of the main body 10 and when attached to the right side of the main body 10. Specifically, when the left and right sides are switched, the arrangement of the spring support members 42 and 62 is changed by rotating the spring support members by substantially 90 degrees in the horizontal direction (see fig. 4 and 7). In the present embodiment, the two rod-shaped portions constituting the spring support member 42 extend in a positional relationship of substantially 90 degrees (substantially right angle) with each other, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the two rod-shaped portions may be in a positional relationship of acute angles of 60 degrees with each other or obtuse angles of 120 degrees with each other. In any case, the self-closing performance improving member is preferably configured and arranged so as not to be exposed from the bearing portion and so as not to interfere with the opening and closing operation of the door by the rod-like portion on the side not functioning as the self-closing performance improving member.

According to this configuration, since the single spring support member 42 (or the spring support member 62) is switched to the left and right sides, even when the door is opened from either of the left and right sides, the door can be closed more reliably and easily.

In the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, self-closing performance improving means for improving the self-closing force of the doors is provided on both of the two doors (i.e., the refrigerating chamber door 11 and the freezing chamber door 12) arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, the door can be closed more reliably and easily even when the door is closed even when the door is opened or closed.

Specifically, the spring support member 42 constituting the middle hinge portion serves as a self-closing performance improving means for the refrigerating chamber door 11 positioned above, and the spring support member 62 constituting the lower hinge portion serves as a self-closing performance improving means for the freezing chamber door 12 positioned above. The intermediate hinge pins 41 constituting the intermediate hinge portions serve as pivots of the upper and lower doors (i.e., the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12).

In another aspect, only one of the vertically adjacent doors may be changed to a door of a left-right opening type, and the other door may be a drawer type door. For example, when only the upper door is configured to be capable of changing the left-right opening mode, only the upper door includes the door opening/closing mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[ second embodiment ]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the second embodiment, the configurations of the spring support member and the spring portion constituting the door opening and closing mechanism of the refrigerating compartment door are different from those of the first embodiment. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to configurations other than this. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

Fig. 15 and 16 show the configuration around the hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the same state as fig. 13 in the first embodiment. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the same state as fig. 14 in the first embodiment.

In the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment, the configuration of the spring portion 182 of the hinge auxiliary members 181a and 181b provided in the refrigerating chamber door 11 is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the spring portion 182 is different from the first embodiment in that the protrusion 83 is not formed.

Further, the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the spring support member 142 is different from the first embodiment in configuration. Fig. 17 shows an appearance of the spring support member 142. Fig. 17 shows a state in which the spring support member 142 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41.

The spring support member 142 includes two rod-shaped portions (a first rod-shaped portion 142a and a second rod-shaped portion 142b) extending from a base point portion 142' formed with a pin insertion hole. The first rod-shaped portion 142a and the second rod-shaped portion 142b extend in a positional relationship of substantially 90 degrees (substantially perpendicular) with respect to the base point portion 142'.

An intermediate portion 142c is provided between the first rod-shaped portion 142a and the second rod-shaped portion 142 b. A fixing pin 142d extending downward is formed in the intermediate portion 142 c. As in the first embodiment, the fixing pin 142d is inserted into the second hole 48 of the bearing portion 40a or 40 b.

In the spring support member 42 described in the first embodiment, the upper surfaces of the first rod-shaped portion 42a and the second rod-shaped portion 42b have a ridge shape a. Then, the spring portion 82 (specifically, the protrusion 83) and the spring support member 42 (specifically, the ridge shape a) are configured to vertically abut.

In contrast, in the second embodiment, the spring portion 182 and the spring support member 142 are configured such that the distal end portions thereof abut each other in the horizontal direction (see fig. 16). When a force is applied in a direction to close the refrigerating chamber door 11 by the operation of the user's hand, the spring portion 182, which is flexible in the horizontal direction, moves to the rear side of the tip end portion of the first rod portion 142a (the second rod portion 142b in the case of the right-side opening/closing type) while bending to the front side. When the spring portion 182 moves to the rear side of the first rod portion 142a (the second rod portion 142b in the case of the right opening/closing system) once, the spring portion 182 operates so as to engage with the first rod portion 142a (the second rod portion 142b in the case of the right opening/closing system), and therefore, a force in the door closing direction acts on the spring portion 182. Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 is reliably closed.

Further, according to the above configuration, the movement in the vertical direction is suppressed during the opening and closing operation of the door. Accordingly, the vertical gap between the doors (i.e., the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12) disposed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction can be made smaller than in the first embodiment. Further, since the direction in which the spring portion 182 is bent is the horizontal direction, the restriction of the amount of bending of the spring portion 182 is small. Thus, a stronger self-closing force and an automatic closing action in a wider range can be activated.

Although not shown, the spring portion and the spring support member that constitute the hinge portion including the lower portion of the hinge pin 61 can also be applied to the same configurations as the spring portion 182 and the spring support member 142 described above.

[ third embodiment ]

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the spring support member constituting the door opening and closing mechanism of the refrigerating compartment door is different from that of the first embodiment. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to configurations other than this. Therefore, the present embodiment will be mainly described with respect to a structure different from that of the first embodiment.

Fig. 18 and 19 show a configuration of a main body portion 10 of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. Fig. 18 shows the structure of the main body 10 when both the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the right side. Fig. 19 shows the structure of the main body 10 when both the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 are opened and closed from the left side.

Similarly to the first embodiment, bearing portions 40a and 40b into which the hinge pin 41 is inserted are provided in the opening portion of the partition portion 10a of the main body portion 10. In addition, bearings 60a and 60b into which the hinge pin 61 is inserted are provided in an opening portion of the lower end portion of the body 10.

In the first embodiment, the second hole 48 into which the fixing pin 42d of the spring support member 42 is inserted is formed in the protruding portion 46 of each of the bearing portions 40a and 40 b. In contrast, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the protruding portion 46 of each of the bearing portions 40a and 40b is formed with a protruding portion 248, and the protruding portion 248 is inserted into the through hole 244 of the spring support member 242. The same configuration as that of the bearing portions 40a and 40b of the first embodiment can be applied to the configuration other than this.

The same convex portion 268 is also formed on the protruding portion 66 of each of the bearings 60a and 60 b. The projection 268 is inserted into the through hole of the spring support member 262. The same configuration as that of the bearing portions 60a and 60b of the first embodiment can be applied to the configuration other than this.

In addition, in the refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment, the configuration of the spring support member 242 is different from that of the first embodiment. Fig. 21 shows an appearance of the spring support member 242. Fig. 21 shows a state in which the spring support member 242 is attached to the intermediate hinge pin 41.

The spring support member 242 includes one rod-shaped portion 242a, and the one rod-shaped portion 242a extends from a base point portion 242' formed with a pin insertion hole. A ridge-shaped portion 242A is formed on the upper surface of the rod-shaped portion 242A. A ridge portion 242B is formed on the lower surface of the rod portion 242 a.

Further, a support portion 243 is formed on the rear side of the rod-shaped portion 242 a. The support portion 243 has a through hole 244 formed therein. When the spring support member 242 is attached to the bearing portions 40a and 40b, the convex portion 248 of the bearing portion 40a or 40b is inserted into the through hole 244. Thereby, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 242 are fixed to the bearing portion 40a or 40b of the main body portion 10.

The spring support member 242 having the above-described configuration is formed to have a symmetrical upper surface and a symmetrical lower surface, and can be attached to the left and right bearing portions 40a and 40 b. For example, when the opening/closing direction of the refrigerating chamber door 11 is changed from the left opening type to the right opening type, the intermediate hinge pin 41 and the spring support member 242 attached to the right bearing portion 40a are switched to the left bearing portion 40 b. At this time, as shown in fig. 18 and 19, the arrangement of the spring support members 242 is changed by vertically reversing the spring support members 242 (rotating the spring support members by approximately 180 degrees in the vertical direction).

In the present embodiment, when the cooling compartment door 11 is of the left-side open type, the ridge portion 242A of the rod portion 242A is located on the upper side (see fig. 18). Thus, the ridge-shaped portion 242A of the rod-shaped portion 242A and the spring portion 82 provided on the door side act to urge the self-closing force of the door (see fig. 20). On the other hand, when the refrigerating compartment door 11 is of the right-side open type, the ridge-shaped portion 242B of the rod-shaped portion 242a is located on the upper side (see fig. 19). Thus, the ridge shape 242B of the rod-shaped portion 242a and the spring portion 82 provided on the door side act to urge the self-closing force of the door.

In this way, one spring support member 242 can be used as a self-closing performance improving member for the hinge portions on both the left and right sides.

In the present embodiment, the spring support member 242 does not need to be a separate member from the intermediate hinge pin 41, and can be formed as an integral structure. In this case, it is desirable that the intermediate hinge pin 41 also have a vertically symmetrical shape. Then, the spring support member 242 and the intermediate hinge pin 41 are reversed in the vertical direction, and the arrangement of the spring support member 242 is changed.

Note that the spring support member 26 that forms the hinge portion including the lower portion of the hinge pin 61 can be applied to the same structure as the spring support member 242, and therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted.

Fig. 22 shows a modification of the third embodiment. In this modification, the rod-shaped portion 342a of the spring support member 242 has a different configuration from the rod-shaped portion 242a described above. In this modification, the rod-shaped portion 342a has the same configuration as the first rod-shaped portion 142a of the spring support member 142 described in the second embodiment.

Then, the spring portion 182 and the rod portion 342a of the spring support member 242 are configured such that the distal end portions thereof are in contact with each other in the horizontal direction (see fig. 22). When a force is applied in a direction of closing the refrigerating chamber door 11 by the operation of the user's hand, the spring portion 182, which is flexible in the horizontal direction, moves rearward of the tip end portion of the rod portion 342a while bending forward. When the spring portion 182 moves to the rear side of the rod portion 342a once, the spring portion 182 operates to engage with the rod portion 342a, and therefore, a force in the door closing direction acts on the spring portion 182. Thereby, the refrigerating chamber door 11 is reliably closed.

In the modification, when the opening/closing direction of the refrigerating compartment door 11 is changed from the left-side opening type to the right-side opening type, the spring support member 242 attached to the right-side axial support portion 40a may be vertically inverted (rotated by approximately 180 degrees in the vertical direction) as in the third embodiment.

[ fourth embodiment ]

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the fourth embodiment, a configuration example in which the intermediate hinge pin 441 is used as a space holding portion instead of the spacer member 43 will be described. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to configurations other than this. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the hinge portion in the middle of the refrigerator 1 according to the fourth embodiment. In the present embodiment, the intermediate hinge pin 441 is a pivot shaft on the lower side of the refrigerating chamber door 11. In the present embodiment, the intermediate hinge pin 441 is directly inserted into the hole 428 formed in the door upper member 23 of the freezing compartment door 12 without passing through the spacer member 43.

The middle hinge pin 441 includes an upper portion 441a and a lower portion 441 b. The upper portion 441a is located on the upper side when mounted to the main body portion 10 of the refrigerator 1, and is inserted into a hole 27 provided on the lower side of the refrigerating chamber door 11. In addition, the lower portion 441b is positioned on the lower side when mounted to the main body portion 10 of the refrigerator 1, and is inserted into a hole 428 provided on the upper side of the freezing compartment door 12.

As can be seen from a comparison of fig. 23 and 12, the depth of the hole 428 is shallower than the depth of the hole 28. Then, the lower portion of the lower portion 441b of the middle hinge pin 441 is positioned in the hole 428, and the upper portion of the lower portion 441b is exposed upward from the upper surface of the freezing compartment door 12. Since the upper portion of the lower portion 441b is exposed upward, a space C is formed between the support members 44a and 44b of the bearing portions 40a and 40b and the door upper member 23 of the freezer door 12. That is, the exposed portion of the lower portion 441b functions as a partition that secures a space between the refrigerating compartment door 11 and the freezing compartment door 12 disposed adjacent to each other in the up-down direction.

By providing such a spacer function, the same effects as those of the spacer member 43 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the present embodiment, since the partition member is not required, the left-right opening mode of each of the doors 11 and 12 can be changed more easily.

As shown in fig. 23, the diameter of the lower portion 441b of the middle hinge pin 441 may be larger than the diameter of the upper portion 441 a. Since the depth of the hole 428 provided on the upper side of the freezing chamber door 12 is reduced, the area of the engaging portion between the lower portion 441b of the intermediate hinge pin 441 and the hole 428 is reduced by the reduced amount, but the diameters of the hinge pin and the hole are increased to compensate for this, and the strength of the hinge portion can be secured. Further, by changing the diameters of the upper portion 441a and the lower portion 441b of the intermediate hinge pin 441, when the spring support member 42 integrally formed with the intermediate hinge pin 441 and the intermediate hinge pin is vertically asymmetrical, insertion in the reverse direction can be prevented.

The presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the scope of the claims rather than the description above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and range equivalent to the scope of the claims. In addition, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in the present specification are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

1: refrigerator with a door

10: main body part

11: refrigerating chamber door (door)

12: freezing chamber door (door)

31: upper hinge pin

40 a: (Right side) bearing part

40 b: (left side) bearing part

41: middle hinge pin (hinge part, shaft part)

42: spring support member (hinge part, self-closing improving part)

43: partition component (space keeping part)

60 a: (Right side) bearing part

60 b: (left side) bearing part

61: lower hinge pin (hinge part, shaft part)

62: spring support member (hinge part, self-closing improving part)

142: spring support member (hinge part, self-closing improving part)

242: spring support member (hinge part, self-closing improving part)

441 b: lower part (of the intermediate hinge pin) (space maintaining part)