JPH07871Y2 - Freezer refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a freezer-refrigerator in which a door can be opened and closed from any side of the main body.

[Prior art]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are some refrigerators / freezers in which an operation unit having a display function is provided on the front surface of a door in order to facilitate the setting operation of operating conditions and display the current operating state.

When the door is opened on one side in such a refrigerator-freezer, a crossover connecting the operation unit and the control unit provided on the main body side is installed on the hinge part of the door, and the control is performed via this crossover. Signals or display signals were exchanged. Further, as for a power supply for supplying power to the operation unit from the main body side, power is also supplied by using a part of the crossover wire.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, if the door of the refrigerator / freezer is of a double-opening type that can be opened and closed from any side, the hinges provided at the left, right, upper, and lower ends of the door can be used to open and close the door. Accordingly, the crossover wire cannot be adopted in this type of refrigerator-freezer because it engages and disengages with the main body.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to transmit and receive a signal between a door-side operation unit and a main body-side control unit in a refrigerating refrigerator having left and right double-doors without a crossover wire. And, it is to provide a refrigerator-freezer capable of supplying power from the main body to the operation unit.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the means adopted by the present invention are:
The gist of the matter is that in a refrigerator-freezer having a door that can be opened and closed from any side of the main body,
Provided on the door side and on the body side opposite to this in order to exchange signals without contact between the operation section provided on the door and the control section provided on the refrigerator body side. And a magnetic circuit detachable according to opening and closing of the door so that power is supplied from the main body toward the door. It is a refrigerator-freezer according to the point where it is provided.

[Action]

According to the present invention, the operation unit is provided on the door, and the door side and the body side opposite to the door side can exchange signals without contact between the operation unit and the control unit provided on the body side. And a transmission / reception means are provided respectively. Further, a magnetic circuit is provided in each of which is detachable according to opening and closing of the door so that power is supplied from the main body to the operating portion. As a result, even if the door is a left-right double door that cannot adopt a crossover, power can be supplied or signals can be exchanged between the main body or control unit and the operation unit.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.

Here, FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator-freezer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing an upper portion of the refrigerator-freezer, and FIG. 3 is a signal system for controlling the refrigerator-freezer. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an upper portion of a refrigerator-freezer according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a power supply circuit for supplying power to the operation unit of the refrigerator-freezer.

It should be noted that the embodiment described below is an example in which the present invention is embodied and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

First, a description will be given of an embodiment in which signals are transmitted and received without contact. 1 and 2, a refrigerator-freezer 1 is a heat-insulating housing in which a main body 2 is partitioned into a freezing room or a refrigerating room, and a front surface thereof is formed with an opening. Doors 3 and 3c that are openably closed from the side are provided. Further, the vegetable refrigerating chamber formed in the lower part of the main body 2 is provided with a door 3d on the front surface thereof which can be opened and closed freely. The main body 2 is formed such that the upper end thereof protrudes forward of the door 3 as an eaves portion 9, and a light receiving element 14 for receiving a light beam from below is provided in the protruding portion of the eaves portion 9.

Each of the doors 3 and 3c has a substantially rectangular front shape, and grips 8 are fixed to the left and right ends of each door. The door 3 is provided at its lower portion with an operation portion 4 protruding forward.
The operation section 4 is provided with operation switches for setting operating conditions on the front surface thereof, for example, a quick freezing start switch 10, a deodorizing switch 11, a temperature setting volume 12, etc. A light emitting element 13 for sending a control signal set by a switch to the main body 2 side is provided facing the light receiving element 16 on the main body 2 side.

Furthermore, in order to display the current operating state of the main body 2, for example, the temperature in the freezer compartment or the refrigerator compartment, on the front surface of the operation unit 4,
A display unit 17 is provided, and in the vicinity of the light emitting element 13, a receiving means 6c (FIG. 5) including a light receiving element (not shown) and a modulator is provided. A transmitting means 6d (Fig. 5) is provided in the eaves portion 9 so as to face the receiving means 6c so as to emit an optical signal toward the receiving means 6c.

Next, a signal system for controlling the refrigerator-freezer will be described with reference to FIG. The signals from the operation switches 10, 11 and 12 arranged on the operation unit 4 on the door 3 side are processed by the microcomputer 18, and then transferred to the modulator 15 as a serial signal to be converted into a light modulation signal, which emits light. element
The light is emitted from 13 toward the light receiving element 14 on the main body 2 side. The serial signal originally converted by the demodulator 16 is the main body 2
It is input to the microcomputer 19 on the side and is subjected to arithmetic processing. Further, the internal fan motor 20 or the compressor 21 is driven according to a signal from the microcomputer 19.

Here, the transmitting means 6a on the side of the door 3 includes the modulator 15 and the light emitting element.
The receiving means 6b on the main body 2 side includes a demodulator 16 and a light emitting element 14. The control unit 5 that drives and controls the internal fan motor 20 or the compressor 21 in response to a signal from the operation unit 4 is composed of a microcomputer 19 and an input / output interface (not shown). In addition, here, in order to facilitate the explanation, the operation state in the refrigerator is displayed on the display unit.
It should be noted that the transmitting / receiving means 6c, 6d (FIG. 5) arranged so as to be displayed on 17 are not shown in FIG.

Next, the configuration of the embodiment focusing on the power supply to the door 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

A circuit for sending and receiving signals to and from the operation unit 4 is not shown in FIG. A U-shaped iron core 22b having a winding at the center is provided on the eaves 9 in the vicinity of the light receiving element 14 with its end projecting downward. Similarly, iron core
The end 22a is provided so as to project from the upper end of the door 3 so that the end of the door 22a is connected to the iron core 22b when the door 3 is opened. The winding of the iron core 22b is connected to the power source of the main body 2 via the lead wire 23, and the winding of the iron core 22a passes through a rectifier circuit including a rectifier 24 and a storage battery 25,
It is connected to the operation unit 4. In this way, the winding iron core 22a
Power is supplied by a coupling system of the magnetic circuit 7a on the side of the door 3 formed of a rectifying circuit and the magnetic circuit 7b on the side of the main body 2 formed of a wound iron core.

The refrigerator / freezer 1 configured as described above has the doors 3 and 3c.
However, it can be opened by pulling the handles 8 provided on either side from either the left or right side. For example, when the left grip 8 provided on the door 3 is pulled toward you, the door 3 is opened at its left side with a hinge part (not shown) axially provided on the right side as a fulcrum.

At this time, the light emitting element 13 or the light receiving element (not shown) of the transmitting means 6a or the receiving means 6c on the door 3 side is the light receiving element 14 or the light emitting element (not shown) of the receiving means 6b or the transmitting means 6d on the main body 2 side. Then, each optical axis is worn and displaced. Therefore, the exchange of the control signal or the display signal is blocked between the door 3 and the main body 2.

Then, the iron core 22 of the magnetic circuits 7a, 7b which has been previously coupled has been used.
Since a and 22b separate from each other, the electromagnetic induction effect is cut off, and the power from the main body 2 is not supplied to the door 3. However, the operation unit 4 is supplied with power from the storage battery 25 built in the rectifier circuit. In the refrigerator-freezer 1, the door 3
Since the time during which the signal is opened is generally extremely shorter than the time during which the signal is closed, the above-described stop of signal transmission / reception and stop of power supply do not pose a serious problem.

Then, when the opened door 3 is closed by the main body 2,
The optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element, for example, 13 and 14, which form a pair on the door 3 side and the main body 2 side, coincide with each other. As a result, the above-mentioned exchange of signals is restarted. Also, iron core 22
The ends of a and 22b are connected to each other, and the power supply from the main body 2 to the door 3 is restarted. The relatively low voltage AC power supplied to the door 3 is converted into DC by the rectifier 24, and then part of the AC power is supplied to the operation unit 4 and the rest is charged to the storage battery 25.

On the other hand, as a method of supplying power to the door 3, it is conceivable to directly charge the storage battery installed in the door 3 from the outside or attach a dry battery to the door 3.

However, in view of the characteristics of the refrigerator-freezer 1 that it is used for a long period of time on a daily basis, charging operation, battery replacement, and the like are troublesome operations. Power supply by a magnetic circuit is relatively preferable.

As described above, the operation portion is provided in a portion that is not related to the hinge portion (not shown) of the door 3 and has the smallest movement distance with respect to the front center portion of the door 3 and the main body 2, that is, the opening / closing operation of the door 3. A light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged in the part,
Since the light emitting element and the light receiving element are selected as a model that can perform optical communication even if they are relatively distant from each other, the door 3 is the main body 2
Even if it is opened to some extent, signals can be exchanged by reflection of light. Further, the operation section 4 is a door 3
Since it is provided in a portion that does not participate in the hinge portion (not shown) of, the structure of the door 3 can be simple.

In the above-described embodiment, the transmitting and receiving means uses light for carrying signals, but it may be replaced by means using ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves other than light.

[Effect of device]

As described above, the present invention relates to a freezer-refrigerator having a door that can be opened and closed from any side of the left and right sides. In the refrigerator and refrigerator, the operation unit provided on the door and the operation unit and the refrigerator body side are provided. The refrigerator / freezer and the main body, which are provided with the door side and a transmitting / receiving means provided on the main body side facing the door side in order to exchange signals without contact with the control section. In order to supply power from the door to the door, a freezer refrigerator characterized in that a magnetic circuit that is detachable according to the opening and closing of the door is arranged in the facing portion of the main body side and the door side. It is possible to send and receive signals and supply power from the main body to the door without connecting between the main body and the door.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator-freezer according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2 is a side view showing an upper portion of the refrigerator / freezer, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a signal system for controlling the refrigerator / freezer, and FIG. 4 is an upper portion of a refrigerator / freezer according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the operation section of the refrigerator-freezer. [Explanation of reference symbols] 1 ... Refrigerator / refrigerator 2 ... Main body 3, 3c, 3d ... Door 4 ... Operation part 5 ... Control part 6a, 6d ... Transmission means 6b, 6c ... Transmission means 7a, 7b ... Magnetic circuit 13 ... Light emitting element 14 … Light receiving element 15… Modulator 16… Demodulator 19… Microcomputer 22a, 22b… Iron core 24… Rectifier 25… Storage battery.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A freezer-refrigerator comprising a door that opens and closes a main body from an arbitrary left and right side, including an operation unit provided on the door, and a control unit provided on the operation unit and the refrigerator main body. A refrigerator-freezer characterized in that it is provided with the door side and a transmitting / receiving means provided on the body side facing the door side so as to exchange signals without contact between them. 2. A magnetic circuit which is detachable in accordance with opening and closing of the door is arranged at a portion where the main body side and the door side face each other so that power is supplied from the main body toward the door. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 1.