JP7489575B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to refrigerators.

Patent document 1 discloses a configuration in which an LED is mounted on a circuit board inside the door, and the light from the LED passes through a transparent plate that forms the front of the door and is projected to the outside for display.

JP 2016-142460 A

This disclosure provides a refrigerator that can notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator while maintaining the thermal insulation of the door by irradiating the light from the LED through an opening formed in the cap door through a light-guiding member.

The refrigerator in this disclosure has a panel door that forms the front of the door, a cap door formed at the end of the panel door, and a door formed by filling the interior surrounded by the panel door and the cap door with urethane foam. In this refrigerator with a display device inside the door, the display device is composed of a control board, an LED on the control board, and a first light-guiding member that guides the light of the LED to the outside, and the end of the first light-guiding member that irradiates the light to the outside is placed in a first opening that opens into the cap door.

The refrigerator disclosed herein does not allow LED light to pass through the panel door from inside the door, so it can notify the operating status of the refrigerator while maintaining the insulation of the door.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator compartment door according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a partial view of a refrigerator compartment door in the first embodiment; A-A cross-sectional view of FIG. BB cross-sectional view of FIG.

Below, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.

The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator, and Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator will be explained using Figures 1 and 2.

The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment has a refrigerator body 2 that is open at the front, and this refrigerator body 2 is composed of a metal outer plate 3 that forms the outer shell, an inner plate 4 that is made of hard resin, and a thermal insulation material 5 that is foam-filled between the outer plate 3 and the inner plate 4, and multiple storage compartments are formed by thermally insulated partition plates 6, 7, and 8. In addition, each storage compartment of the refrigerator body 2 can be opened and closed freely by a pivoting door 9 or a drawer-type door 10, 11, 12, and 13 that adopts the same thermal insulation structure as the refrigerator body 2.

The refrigerator body 2 has a refrigerator compartment 14 at the top, which is divided vertically from the refrigerator compartment 14 by an insulating partition plate 6, a switchable compartment 15 with switchable temperature zones located below the insulating partition plate 6, an ice-making compartment 16 located next to the switchable compartment 15 and insulated, a vegetable compartment 17 located below the insulating partition plate 7 and vertically divided from the switchable compartment 15 and the ice-making compartment 16 by an insulating partition plate 7, and a freezer compartment 18 located below the insulating partition plate 8 and vertically divided from the vegetable compartment 17 by an insulating partition plate 8.

The refrigerator compartment 14 has multiple shelves 19 arranged in multiple levels, and a partial compartment 20 with a different cooling temperature range from the refrigerator compartment 14 is formed below the refrigerator compartment 14.

The refrigerator compartment 14 is a storage compartment for refrigerated storage, and is specifically cooled to a temperature of approximately 2 to 3°C. The partial compartment 20 provided within the refrigerator compartment 14 is set to approximately -3°C, which is suitable for slightly frozen storage, and the partial compartment 20 can also be set to a chilled temperature range of around 1°C.

The vegetable compartment 17 is a storage compartment that is set to a temperature slightly higher than the refrigerator compartment 14; specifically, it is cooled to a temperature of 4-7°C. This vegetable compartment 17 becomes highly humid due to moisture given off by the stored food, such as vegetables, and condensation can occur if it becomes too cold locally. Therefore, by setting it to a relatively high temperature, the amount of cooling is reduced, and condensation caused by localized excessive cooling is suppressed.

The freezer compartment 18 is a storage compartment that is set to a freezing temperature range, and is usually cooled to approximately -18°C, but may also be cooled to a lower temperature, such as -30°C or -25°C, to improve the frozen storage conditions.

The switchable compartment 15 is a storage compartment in which the temperature inside can be changed, and can be switched from the refrigerated temperature range to the freezer temperature range depending on the application.

A cooling chamber 21 is provided at the rear of the vegetable chamber 17, and this cooling chamber 21 is equipped with a cooler 22 that generates cold air and a cooling fan 23 that supplies cold air to each chamber. Furthermore, a defrosting means 24 (hereafter referred to as a heater) consisting of a glass tube heater or the like is provided below the cooler 22.

The cooler 22 is a refrigeration cycle that is formed by connecting a compressor 25, a heat exchanger (not shown), a dew prevention pipe (not shown) that prevents condensation on the openings of each chamber (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown) in a ring shape, and cooling is performed by circulating the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 25.

Each door 9-13 is equipped with a metal panel door 30 that forms the outer front panel, an upper cap door 31 that covers the upper end of the panel door 30, and a lower cap door 32 that covers the lower end. The interior is filled with urethane foam 40, and the inside is sealed with an inner door 33.

The refrigerator compartment door 9 is explained below with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

Figure 3 is a partial front view of the refrigerator compartment door 9 of the refrigerator compartment 14. The refrigerator compartment door 9 has a metal panel door 30 that forms the front surface, and a resin lower cap door 32 that covers the lower end of the panel door 30.

The lower cap door 32 has a first opening 34 and a second opening 35.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 3, in which the display device 50 is disposed inside the refrigerator compartment door 9, in a recess 32a formed in the lower cap door 32.

The display device 50 is composed of a control board 36 that is wired and connected to a main body control board 51 located on the top of the refrigerator 1, an LED 38 mounted on the control board 36, a first light-guiding member 39 that guides the light of the LED 38 to the outside, and a control board holding member 37 that holds the control board 36 and a part of the first light-guiding member 39.

The LED 38 is also held on the control board 36 so that the optical axis of the LED 38 is directed horizontally toward the panel door 30, giving it the strongest light intensity.

The first light guide member 39 formed in the recess 32a and forward in the direction of light irradiation from the LED 38 is made of a light-transmitting resin molded product.

The first light-guiding member 39 is provided with reflecting portions 39a at multiple locations that change the direction of light emitted by the LEDs 38, and the end portion 39b of the first light-guiding member 39 through which the light exits to the outside is disposed at the first opening 34. The end portion 39b is disposed so as to protrude forward from the first opening 34 and be exposed to the outside.

The end 39b, which is the end surface from which light is emitted when the LED 38 is turned on, is exposed to the outside from the first opening 34, but is positioned so that it is not exposed to the outside from the front part of the panel door 30.

In the present embodiment, the first light-guiding member 39 is formed of two parts, a front first light-guiding member 41 and a rear first light-guiding member 42, with the front first light-guiding member 41 held by the lower cap door 32 and the rear first light-guiding member 42 held by the control board holding member 37.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 3, and the control board 36 of the display device 50 is equipped with an illuminance sensor 43 that detects the brightness of the surroundings of the refrigerator 1.

The sensor portion 43a of the illuminance sensor 43 is installed facing vertically downward, and a second light-guiding member 44 made of a light-transmitting resin molded product is installed between the lower portion of the illuminance sensor 43 and the second opening 35.

The second light-guiding member 44 also has a reflecting section 44a that receives ambient light from the installation environment of the refrigerator 1 and changes the direction of light reception. The light received from the second opening 35 passes through the second light-guiding member 44, is reflected by the reflecting section 44a, and is received by the sensor section 43a of the illuminance sensor 43.

The end 44b, which is the light receiving portion of the second light guiding member 44 located in the second opening 35, protrudes forward from the second opening 35 and is exposed to the outside, similar to the first light guiding member 39.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the second light-guiding member 44 is formed of two parts, a front second light-guiding member 45 and a rear second light-guiding member 46, with the front second light-guiding member 45 held by the lower cap door 32 and the rear second light-guiding member 46 held by the control board holding member 37.

The operation and function of the refrigerator configured as above will be explained below.

The control board 36 of the display device 50 is connected to the main control board 51, and the control status of the refrigerator 1, such as the energy saving mode or the operation status of sterilization/deodorization, is notified to the user by turning on, blinking, or turning off the LED 38 in response to a display signal from the main control board 51.

In this embodiment, if the refrigerator compartment 14 is being sterilized/deodorized, a display signal is input from the main control board 51 to the control board 36, and the LED 38 emits light and turns on.

The LED 38 is mounted on the vertically oriented control board 36 so that the optical axis of the LED is horizontal, so that the light is directed toward the panel door 30 and then onto the first light-guiding member 39, where it is directed downward by the reflector 39a, and then redirected horizontally by another reflector 39a to be guided within the first light-guiding member 39.

Then, the end 42a of the first light guide member 39 is placed in the first opening 34 of the cap door 32, and light is emitted to the outside.

Therefore, by arranging the first light-guiding member 39 and irradiating the light of the LED 38 to the outside through the first opening 34 provided in the cap door 32, which is the frame member of the door, to light up and display, it is not necessary to transmit the light of the LED 38 from inside the door through the panel door 30, so the operating status of the refrigerator 1 can be notified to the user while maintaining the thermal insulation of the door.

In addition, the reflecting portion 39a is provided in multiple locations, and in this embodiment, the first light-guiding member 39 is bent to provide two chamfered shapes at the bent portion, so that the optical axis of the LED 38 is irradiated to the outside. This makes it possible to reduce the front-to-rear direction of the control board holding member 37, i.e., the thickness direction of the refrigerator compartment door 9, and suppresses the deterioration of the insulating performance of the door.

The first light-guiding member 39 may also be composed of two parts, with the front first light-guiding member 41 held by the cap door 32 and the rear first light-guiding member 42 held by the control board holding member 37.

Therefore, by making them separate parts, assembly workability during the manufacturing process can be improved.

In addition, the end 39b of the first light-guiding member 39 is positioned so that it protrudes outward from the first opening 34 and is exposed to the outside, so that the user can see the lit state of the LED 38 not only when standing in front of the refrigerator compartment door 9, but also when standing to the side.

In addition, the illuminance sensor 43 is provided on the same control board 36, and a second light-guiding member 44 is disposed between the second opening 35, which receives the light from the surrounding area where the refrigerator 1 is installed, and the illuminance sensor 43, so that the insulating performance of the door 9 can be maintained in the same manner.

In addition, by making the second opening 35, which receives external brightness, larger than the first opening 34, it is possible to educate the viewer that it is a different opening from the first opening 34, which turns on the light. Also, since the second light-guiding member 44 has a larger cross-sectional area than the first light-guiding member 39, it is easier to receive external light, and the sensitivity of the illuminance sensor 43 can be increased.

If the illuminance sensor 43 determines that the user is not present based on the surrounding brightness, an energy saving signal is input from the control board 36 to the main control board 51, and when the energy saving signal is output from the main control board 51 to the control board 36, the LED 38 indicating the energy saving mode is turned on. The light is guided through the first light guiding member 39 and projected outward from the first opening 34, where it is irradiated to the outside from the end 39b of the first light guiding member 39 exposed, informing the user that the energy saving mode is active. Therefore, the user can check this from the side, even if they are not standing directly in front of the door 9.

In addition, when the panel door 30 is made of metal, even if the material is not transparent to light, the light from the LED 38 can be directed to the outside through the first opening 34 provided in the resin cap door 32, improving visibility to the user. Furthermore, since no light guide section for the LED 38 is formed in the panel door 30, the thermal insulation of the refrigerator compartment door 9 can be ensured.

Even if the panel door 30 is made of glass, illuminating the light from the first opening 34 of the cap door 32 can suppress the diffusion of light as it passes through the glass, thereby suppressing unevenness in the light when the LED 38 is turned on.

The above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology disclosed herein, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

This disclosure is applicable to refrigerators that can notify the operating status of the refrigerator while maintaining the insulation of the door because the panel door does not transmit LED light from inside the door.

9 Refrigerator compartment door 30 Panel door 32 Lower cap door 34 First opening 36 Control board 38 LED
39 First light guide member 39b, 44b End portion 50 Display device

Claims (6)

1. A refrigerator comprising a panel door forming a front surface of the door, a cap door formed at an end of the panel door, and an interior space surrounded by the panel door and the cap door filled with urethane foam, the refrigerator being provided with a display device inside the door, the display device being composed of a control board, an LED on the control board, and a first light-guiding member that guides light from the LED to the outside, an end of the first light-guiding member that irradiates light to the outside is positioned in a first opening that opens into the cap door, a control board holding member that houses the control board is engaged with the cap door, the first light-guiding member being formed of two parts, a front first light-guiding member and a rear first light-guiding member, the front first light-guiding member being held by the cap door, and the rear first light-guiding member being held by the control board holding member . The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the first light-guiding member is formed with a reflecting portion that changes the direction of irradiation of the light from the LED. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein an end portion of the first light-guiding member is exposed to the outside through the first opening. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display device has an illuminance sensor that detects external light and a second light-guiding member that guides the external light to the illuminance sensor, and an end of the second light-guiding member is arranged in a second opening that opens in the cap door. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the second opening is formed to have a larger area than the first opening, and an area of an end of the second light-guiding member located at the second opening is larger than an area of an end of the first light-guiding member located at the first opening. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the panel door is made of metal, and the cap door is made of resin.

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