KR20160099523A - apparatus for automatically opening/closing door and refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a door automatic opening and closing apparatus capable of automatically opening and closing a door without opening the door by a user's force and a refrigerator having the same.
The door automatic opening and closing apparatus includes a driving device coupled to a sliding door to automatically open and close a sliding door with respect to a refrigerator main body, And a control unit for operating the driving unit in accordance with the signals of the input unit and the signal of the sensing unit. The control unit may be configured to control the operation of the driving unit according to the signals of the input unit and the sensing unit. have.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a door opening /

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a door automatic opening and closing apparatus and a refrigerator having the same, and more particularly, to a door automatic opening and closing apparatus for automatically opening and closing a drawable door and a refrigerator having the same.

Generally, a door for opening and closing the inside of a main body is mounted in an appliance or furniture such as a refrigerator.

The door is divided into a rotary door and a drawer type door, and a storage basket is integrally formed on the drawer type door so that the opening of the door advances to the outside of the main body of the door so that the user can easily take out the storage article inside the storage basket.

When such drawer type doors and storage baskets are large, a large amount of force is required by the user to open and close the doors.

 Especially, when the handle of the drawer type door is located at a relatively high position at the user's shoulder height or at a low position, it is difficult for the user to open and close the drawer type door.

Disclosure of the Invention Problems to be solved by the Invention The present invention relates to a door opening device, and more particularly, to a door opening device for opening and closing a drawer-type door.

However, these door opening devices function to relieve the initial opening force, and even when using a door opening device, a lot of force is required to open the door when a large amount of storage is accommodated in the storage basket.

Provided is a door automatic opening and closing apparatus which can automatically open and close a door without opening the door by a user's force, and a refrigerator having the door automatic opening and closing apparatus.

The present invention also provides a door automatic opening and closing apparatus capable of driving the door automatic opening / closing apparatus by detecting whether the door is in an open state or a closed state, and a refrigerator having the same.

The present invention also provides a door automatic opening and closing device capable of minimizing twisting when the door is opened and closed, and a refrigerator having the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door automatic opening / closing apparatus for automatically opening and closing a sliding door mounted on a refrigerator body by a drawer, the automatic door opening / closing apparatus comprising: a sliding door for automatically opening / closing the sliding door with respect to the refrigerator main body; An input unit receiving a user input for driving the driving device by a user's input; a sensing unit sensing an opening and closing state of the sliding door; And a controller for operating the driving device.

The driving device includes a driving motor and a gear portion for transmitting a rotational force of the driving motor to the sliding door.

The sliding door includes a rack gear portion corresponding to the gear unit so as to move forward and backward by rotation of the gear portion.

The sliding door further includes a connection rod unit connecting a pair of sliding devices provided on the sliding door to prevent the sliding door from being twisted.

The connecting rod unit includes a pair of pinion portions and a rod member connecting the pair of pinion portions, and the refrigerator main body includes a pair of rack gear portions corresponding to the pair of pinion portions.

The driving device is mounted on the sliding door, and the gear part is connected to the rod member for transmitting rotational force of the driving motor to the connecting rod unit.

A power cable for supplying power to the drive unit and a cable guide unit for preventing breakage of the power cable when the sliding door is opened and closed.

The input unit includes an open key provided on one of the doors of the refrigerator to open the sliding door, and a close key to close the sliding door.

The drive device is driven in response to the operation time of the open key.

The input unit includes a voice recognition unit for recognizing a voice of a user and transmitting a door opening / closing signal to the control unit.

The sliding door further includes a door handle, and the input unit includes a switch provided on the door handle.

The sensing unit includes a sensor unit provided on at least one of the main body and the sliding door, and a sensor operating unit provided on the other of the sensor unit and the sensor unit.

The control unit drives the driving unit when an input signal is applied to the input unit, and ends the driving of the driving unit when the opening or closing state signal of the sliding door is applied to the sensing unit.

Wherein the sliding door is provided with a storage box for entering and exiting the storage room of the refrigerator main body when the sliding door is moved between the open state and the closed state of the drawer type, Wherein the storage box includes a recess formed to prevent contact with a driving motor mounted inside the storage compartment when the sliding door is moved between an opened state and an unclosed state.

The sliding door further includes a gasket attached to a rear edge of the sliding door, and the sensing unit is configured to detect the closed state of the sliding door after the gasket of the sliding door first contacts the refrigerator body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sliding device comprising a storage chamber, a sliding door for opening and closing the storage chamber, a pair of sliding devices provided on the sliding door, a pair of first rack gear portions provided on a side surface of the storage chamber, A connecting rod unit connecting a pair of sliding devices and including a pair of pinion portions corresponding to the first rack gear portion and a rod member connecting the pair of pinion portions; The automatic door opening / closing apparatus may include a driving unit, an input unit for driving the driving unit, and a sensing unit for sensing the opening / closing state of the door.

The driving device includes a driving motor mounted to the sliding door and configured to transmit rotational force to the connecting rod unit.

The driving device includes a reducer unit directly connected to the rod member to transmit the rotational force of the driving motor to the connecting rod unit.

The sliding door includes a rack gear portion, and the driving device includes a driving motor mounted to the storage room, and a gear unit connected to the driving motor and coupled to the rack gear portion of the sliding door.

Wherein the sliding door is provided with a storage box for entering and exiting the storage room when the sliding door is moved between an open state and a closed state, and the storage box is moved between an open state and an open state And a recess formed to prevent contact with the driving motor mounted inside the storage chamber.

The sliding door further includes a gasket attached to a rear edge of the sliding door, and the sensing unit is configured to detect the closed state of the sliding door after the gasket of the sliding door first contacts the refrigerator body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a main body; a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment partitioned by upper and lower portions of the main body; a drawer-type door for opening and closing the freezing compartment; a pair of sliding devices provided on the drawer- A pair of rack gear portions provided on the side of the freezing chamber corresponding to the pinion portion, and a pair of rack gear portions provided on both sides of the freezing chamber in correspondence with the pinion portion, A drive motor mounted on the drawer type door, and a gear unit for directly transmitting the drive force of the drive motor to the connection rod unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a main body; a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment partitioned by upper and lower portions of the main body; a drawer-type door for opening and closing the freezing compartment; a pair of sliding devices provided on the drawer- A connecting rod unit for connecting the pair of sliding devices to prevent torsional opening and closing, a pinion portion formed at both ends of the connecting rod unit, and a pair of first racks provided on the side of the freezing chamber corresponding to the pinion portion. And a second rack gear unit provided on the drawer-type door for switching the rotary motion of the gear unit into a linear motion to move the drawer-type door forward and backward, a gear unit, a driving motor mounted to the freezer chamber, a gear unit connected to the driving motor, .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a main body having upper and lower first and second storage compartments; a second storage compartment door that opens and closes the second storage compartment of the lower compartment; A push member for pushing the main body in cooperation with the movement of the handle portion to separate the second storage chamber door from the main body by a predetermined width; and a control unit for automatically opening and closing the second storage chamber door, A sensing unit for sensing whether the main body and the second storage compartment door are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined width; and a sensing unit for sensing whether the second storage compartment door is spaced a predetermined distance from the main body, And a controller for operating the driving device to open the second storage room door.

And an input unit for receiving a user's input for driving the driving device by an input of a user, wherein the control unit is configured to input an open signal to the input unit by a user, or to allow the sensing unit to separate the second storage room door from the main body And the driving device is driven by any one of detecting that the motor is driven.

It is possible to automatically open and close the door without opening the door by the force of the user.

Further, it is possible to drive the door automatic opening / closing apparatus by sensing whether the door is in an open state or a closed state.

Further, it is possible to drive the automatic door opening / closing apparatus to minimize the twisting when opening and closing the door.

In addition, since the push member drives the drive unit after the second storage room door is spaced apart from the main body by a correction interval, it is possible to prevent a large load from being applied to the drive unit.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment.
2 is an exploded perspective view showing a second storage chamber side of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.
3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.
4 is a view showing a state where the second storage chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is closed.
5 is a view showing a state in which the second storage chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is opened.
6 is an exploded perspective view showing a second storage chamber side of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.
7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main part of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.
8 is a view showing a state where the second storage chamber of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment is closed.
9 is a view showing a state in which the second storage room of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment is opened.
10 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to the first and second embodiments.
11 is a perspective view showing a door of a second storage room of a refrigerator according to a modification of the first and second embodiments.
12 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing a door closing state of a second storage room door of a refrigerator according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a main portion showing the door opening operation of the second storage room door of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a second storage chamber side of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, An enlarged perspective view showing the recess of the refrigerator.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state where the second storage room of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is closed, and FIG. 5 is a view showing a state where the second storage room of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment is opened.

1, the refrigerator according to the first embodiment includes a main body 10 having first and second storage compartments 12 and 13 which are vertically partitioned by a heat insulating partition 11, A first storage room door 14 provided on the front of the second storage room 13 for opening and closing the first storage room 12 and a second storage room door 12 provided on the front surface of the second storage room 13 for opening and closing the second storage room 13 20, and a door automatic opening / closing device for automatically opening and closing the second storage room door 20.

The refrigerator according to the first embodiment is provided with components such as a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), an inflator (not shown), and an evaporator (not shown) for providing a refrigeration cycle in the same manner as a general refrigerator.

The first storage chamber 12 may be a refrigerating chamber, and the second storage chamber 13 may be a freezer chamber, and each storage chamber may be used as a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment.

The first embodiment is, for example, a so-called French-type refrigerator which is a kind of BMF (BOTTOM MOUNTED FREEZER) refrigerator in which the second storage compartment 13 is set as a freezing compartment and the first storage compartment 12 is set as a refrigerator compartment. The breadth of the width is relatively larger than that of a SBS (side by side) type refrigerator or a general BMF refrigerator and a TMF (TOP MOUNTED FREEZER) refrigerator in order to accommodate a wide storage.

A shelf 15 for storing food or the like to be refrigerated is provided in the first storage chamber 12 at a predetermined interval and a second storage chamber 13 is slidably installed in the upper region A storage basket 16 is provided.

Since the first storage chamber 12 has a single upward / downward, left / right, and right / left wide door, a large amount of cold air in the first storage chamber 12 flows out when the door is opened. A large force is required for the user to open and close the door.

The first storage chamber 12 is provided with a pair of first storage chamber doors 14 rotatable in the left and right direction to alleviate this problem.

The second storage room door 20 for opening and closing the second storage room 13 is provided in the form of a drawer type door which is opened and closed by sliding and the storage box 21 is integrally or detachably mounted on the second storage room door 20, The storage box 21 is drawn out forward when the second storage chamber door 20 is opened so that the user can easily store the food or the like in the storage box 21 or take out food or the like from the storage box 21.

1 and 2, the second storage room door 20 includes a gasket 22 mounted on a rear edge thereof, a pair of sliding devices 30 (not shown) for allowing the second storage room door 20 to slide open and close And a pair of support members 40 (40a, 40b) mounted on the back surface of the second storage room door 20 to seat the storage box 21.

Each of the pair of sliding devices 30 includes a first rail portion 31 fixed to both sides of the second storage chamber 13 and a second rail portion 31 formed to have a width accommodated in the first rail portion 31, A second rail part 32 fixed to the outer surface of the support member 40 and formed in a width accommodated in the second rail part 32 so as to be rotatable relative to the second rail part 32; And a third rail 33 mounted to be relatively movable.

The three-stage rail-shaped sliding device 30 is for increasing the maximum opening width of the second storage room door 20, and it is needless to say that a general two-stage rail-shaped sliding device may be employed in the first embodiment.

A bearing (not shown) is provided between each of the rails 31, 32, and 33 of the sliding device 30 to perform rolling motion, thereby facilitating the pulling-out of the second storage room door 20 formed as a drawer.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first rail part 31 is fixed to the side surfaces 13a and 13b of the second storage chamber 13, and on both sides 13a and 13b of the second storage chamber 13, A rail housing (17) is provided for fixing the rail part (31).

The rail housing 17 has an upper housing 17a formed in a predetermined space for receiving the first rail 31 and fixing the upper portion of the first rail 31, And a lower housing 17b for fixing the lower portion.

Therefore, the rail housing 17 is provided in the form of wrapping the outer surface of the first rail portion 31, so that the first rail portion 31 can be firmly fixed.

Each of the pair of support members 40 (40a, 40b) protrudes vertically from the rear surface of the second storage chamber door 20 and is integrally formed on the rear surface of the second storage chamber door 20, Can be mounted using a fixing screw on the back surface of the housing.

A support surface 41 for supporting the second storage box 21 is provided on the upper portion of the support member 40 and a three-stage rail portion 33 of the sliding device 30 is provided on the outer surface of the support member 40 A rail mounting portion 42 is provided.

Therefore, when the second storage chamber door 20 is opened, the sliding device 30 operates to slide the second storage chamber door 20 forward, and when the second storage chamber door 20 is closed, the sliding device 30 is also operated to slide backward .

The second storage room door 13 is provided with a single second storage room door 20 so that the magnetic force of the gasket 22 at the rear edge of the door, the weight of the second storage room door 20 and the storage box 21 itself, The opening of the first storage chamber door 14 of the first storage chamber 12 is opened by opening the door of the second storage chamber 13 due to the weight of the stored product stored in the first storage chamber 12 and the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the second storage chamber 13 And the second storage room door 20 of the second storage room 13 is required to be opened by opening the second storage room door 20 by pulling the user's waist down and then pulling it forward, It is difficult to open and close the door 20.

In the first embodiment, a door automatic opening / closing device for automatically opening and closing the second storage room door 20 is provided without applying a force to solve the inconvenience of opening the second storage room door 20 of the user.

The door automatic opening and closing apparatus may include a driving unit 50, an input unit 19, a sensing unit 70, and a control unit 80, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and 10.

2 and 3, the drive device 50 includes a drive motor 51 fixed to the inboard-bottom surface 13c of the second storage chamber 13, And a gear unit (52, 53) for transmitting to the door (20).

The drive motor 51 is installed on the bottom surface 13c of the inner side portion so that the installation position of the drive motor 51 can be secured while minimizing the capacity decrease of the storage box 21 mounted on the support member 40. [ However, it is needless to say that the drive motor 51 can be fixed to the inner side surface 13a to minimize the capacity reduction of the storage box 21.

The gear units 52 and 53 include a reduction gear unit 52 connected to the drive motor 51 and a first pinion unit 53 engaged with the reduction gear unit 52.

In the first embodiment, a rack and pinion device is employed to convert the rotational motion of the drive motor 51 into linear motion and move the second storage chamber door 20 forward and backward. However, It is needless to say that various mechanical configurations that can be converted into motion can be employed.

When the drive device 50 is installed on the bottom surface 13c of the inner side portion and the second storage chamber door 20 is moved between the opened state and the closed state, In the first embodiment, in order to prevent contact with the drive device 50 when the storage box 21 is moved forward and backward, the drive device 50 can be provided at a position corresponding to the drive device 50, The depressed portion 23 is provided.

The support member 40a of the pair of support members 40 of the second storage chamber door 20 is provided with a first rack gear portion 43 which meshes with the first pinion portion 53. [ The first rack gear portion 43 is elongated in the longitudinal direction at the lower end of one of the support members 40 so that when the drive motor 51 is driven, the first rack gear portion 43 is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the first pinion portion 53, 20 in the forward and backward directions.

The driving device 50 for automatic opening and closing of the second storage chamber door 20 is engaged with the first rack gear portion 43 formed on the support member 40a of one of the pair of support members 40 When the second storage chamber door 20 is opened and closed by operating the driving unit 50, it is difficult to open and close the second storage chamber door 20 due to the left and right unbalance. A connecting rod unit 60 is provided in the second storage room door 20. [

The connecting rod unit 60 is provided to prevent opening and closing of the second storage chamber door 20 when the second storage chamber door 20 is opened and closed. The connecting rod unit 60 includes a pair of second pinion portions 61 rotatably mounted on the first rail portion 31, And a rod member (62) connecting the pair of second pinion portions (61).

A second rack gear portion 18 is formed in the lower housing 17b of the rail housing 17 provided in the second storage chamber 13 so as to engage with the second pinion portion 61. The second rack gear portion 18, The second pinion portion 61 of the connecting rod unit 60 can be moved while being engaged with the second rack gear portion 18.

At this time, since the second pinion portion 61 of the connecting rod unit 60 rotates and engages along the second rack gear portion 18 when the second storage chamber door 20 is advanced or retreated, the second storage chamber door 20 are prevented from being twisted to smoothly open and close the second storage room door 20.

The input unit 19 includes an open key 19a provided in the first storage chamber door 14 and capable of applying an opening signal to the second storage chamber door 20, And a close key 19b that can apply a close signal to the signal.

The drive motor 51 is operated in response to the pressing time of the open key 19a and the close key 19b so that the user can adjust the opening and closing amount of the second storage room door 20. [

In addition, the open key 19a and the close key 19b may not be separately provided but may be provided by a single key. When the key is pressed in the closed state, the second storage chamber door 20 is moved in the opening direction, The second storage chamber door 20 can be moved in a direction in which the second storage chamber door 20 is closed.

The input 19 may be provided in the first storage compartment door 14 but may also be provided in the handle 22 of the second storage compartment door 20 '

The user operates the input unit 23 provided on the handle 22 of the second storage room door 20 'to drive the drive unit 50 without applying any force to open or close the second storage room door 20 The second storage room door 20 'can be opened and closed.

The input units 19 and 23 may be implemented by a push switch, a touch switch, a voice recognition unit recognizing the voice of the user and applying an open / close signal, and various other means by which the user can apply the open signal.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sensing unit 70 (71, 72) senses the open / closed state of the second storage room door 20 and includes a sensor unit 71 fixed to the other side 13b of the second storage room 13 And a sensor operating part 72 provided on the second supporting member 40 of the second storage room door 20 and applying a signal to the sensor part 71.

The sensor unit 71 applies a signal when it is pressed by an external force and includes a first sensing unit 71a for sensing the closing state of the second storage room door 20 and a second sensing unit 71b for sensing the maximum opening of the second storage room door 20. [ And a second sensing unit 71b that senses a state of the second sensing unit. The first sensing unit 71a and the second sensing unit 71b may be separately provided, but they may be integrally formed.

The sensor operating portion 72 is provided for pressing the sensor portion 71 and includes a first sensor operating portion 72a projecting downward from the second supporting member 40 at a position adjacent to the back surface of the second storage room door 20, And a second sensor operating portion 72b extending from the second support member 40 in the direction of the second storage chamber 13 and projecting downward.

The first sensor operating portion 72a may press the first sensing portion 71a to sense that the second storage room door 20 is completely closed when the second storage room door 20 is closed as shown in FIG. And the second sensor operating portion 72b presses the second sensing portion 71b to open the second storage room door 20 when the second storage room door 20 is opened as shown in FIG. To be able to sense.

When the gasket 22 provided on the back surface of the second storage chamber door 20 contacts the refrigerator body 10 through the proper arrangement of the first sensor operation portion 72a and the first sensing portion 71a, It is possible to detect that the door 20 is closed.

The control unit 80 is provided for controlling the operation of the driving unit 50 in accordance with the signals from the input unit 19 and the sensing unit 70.

The control unit 80 rotates the driving motor 51 in one direction to open the second storage room door 20 when an open signal is applied to the input unit 19. [

An open key 19a for driving the drive motor 51 in response to the pressing time of the input section 19 and a closed key 19b when the user presses the open key 19a, 51 to drive the drive motor 51 for a time corresponding to the operation time of the open key 19a.

Therefore, the user can operate the open key 19a to secure a required opening amount.

When the operation time of the open key 19a becomes long and the second storage chamber door 20 is positioned at the maximum open state as shown in FIG. 5, even if the open key 19a continues to operate, It is possible to prevent the drive motor 51 from continuing to operate in the maximum open state to overload by terminating the operation of the drive motor 51 by receiving a signal from the control unit 80. [

Similarly, it is also possible to secure a required opening amount by operating the close key 19b.

That is, when the close key 19b is operated in the open state, the controller 80 applies a signal to the drive motor 51, and the drive motor 51 rotates in the second direction to close the second storage room door 20 In the direction of movement.

When the second storage chamber door 20 is completely closed as shown in FIG. 4, if the sensing unit 70 detects that the sensor unit 70 is in the closed state and the signal is input to the controller 80, the operation of the driving motor 51 is terminated. It is possible to prevent the motor 51 from continuing to be overloaded.

The controller 80 controls the driving motor 51 to be in the fully opened state of the second storage room door 20 when the signal is applied in the closed state The control unit 80 senses that the sensing unit 70 is in the fully opened state and terminates the operation of the driving motor 51 to complete the opening of the second storage room door 20. [ When a signal is applied from the input unit 19 in the open state, the controller 80 operates the driving motor 51 in the closed state of the second storage room door 20, detects that the sensing unit 70 is in the closed state The operation of the driving motor 51 is terminated and the closing of the second storage room door 20 can be completed by applying a signal to the control unit 80. [

It goes without saying that this operation can be equally applied to the case where the input unit 19 is a voice recognition unit that transmits a door opening / closing signal so as to open and close the door by voice of the user.

Next, a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a second storage chamber side of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main portion of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a view showing a state where the second storage room of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment is closed, and FIG. 9 is a view showing a state where the second storage room of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment is opened.

The refrigerator according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the door automatic opening and closing apparatus for automatically opening and closing the support members of the second storage room door and the second storage room door, It may be provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, the same components as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The pair of support members 40b constituting the second storage chamber door 20 of the second embodiment may be provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment. However, as shown in Fig. 6, May be provided in a corresponding structure.

That is, the support member 40a of the support member 40 of the first embodiment is provided with the first rack gear portion 43 which meshes with the first pinion portion 53. However, The first rack gear portion 40b can omit the first rack gear portion, so that the pair of support members 40b can be configured in a corresponding shape.

6 to 9, the automatic door opening / closing apparatus of the second embodiment may include a driving device 150, an input unit 19, a sensing unit 70, and a control unit 80 .

6 and 7, the driving apparatus 150 includes a driving motor 151 and a reduction gear unit 153 for transmitting the rotational force of the driving motor 151 to the second storage room door 20 .

The driving motor 151 is fixed to the second storage room door 20 and the driving motor 151 can be fixed to any part of the second storage room door 20. However, And can be fixed to the first supporting member 40b.

The reduction gear unit 153 is engaged with the rod member 62 of the connection rod unit 60 so that when the drive motor 151 transmits rotational force to the reduction gear unit 153, And receives the rotational force to rotate the connecting rod unit 60 provided in the second storage room door 20.

In other words, the driving motor 151 directly rotates the connecting rod unit 60, thereby preventing lateral imbalance during opening and closing of the second storage room door 20, thereby enabling smooth opening and closing operations. At the same time, It is not necessary to configure a separate pinion portion 53 provided in the fisher portion and a separate rack portion 43 provided in the first support member 40a in correspondence thereto.

Since the drive motor 151 is provided in the second storage chamber door 20 for sliding movement, one end of the drive motor 151 is connected to the drive motor 151 and the other end of the drive motor 151 is connected to the main body 10, A power supply cable 92 connected to a power supply unit (not shown) of the first storage room door 20 and moving along the sliding movement of the second storage room door 20 is provided.

The power cable 92 is moved during the movement of the second storage compartment door 20, so that there is a problem that the power cable 92 may be damaged during long-term use.

In order to prevent this, the second embodiment further includes a cable protection unit 90.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cable protection unit 90 is provided with unit blocks rotatably coupled to each other, and a receiving portion 91 into which the power cable 92 can be inserted is formed.

8, the cable protection unit 90 at the time of closing the second storage chamber door 20 is formed into a substantially U-shape with the power cable 92 housed therein, and the second storage room door 20 9, the movement of the power cable 92 is guided by an I-shaped or J-shaped shape.

The above-described movement of the cable protection unit 90 when the second storage chamber door 20 is opened and closed corresponds to one example and the cable protection unit 90 corresponds to the bottom surface 13c of the second storage chamber 13, And can be mounted anywhere on the side surfaces 13a and 13b according to the design.

The cable protection unit 90 in the second embodiment is provided as a cable chain and guides the power cable 92 with a constant movement when opening and closing the second storage room door 20, The breakage of the power cable 92 can be prevented.

Although the cable chain is described as an example of the cable protection unit 90 in the second embodiment, the power cable itself may be provided in the form of a spring wire such as a telephone line capable of elastic deformation, It is needless to say that various types of protection units that can be used can be constructed.

In the second embodiment, the second storage chamber door opens and closes the second storage chamber while the second pinion portion moves along the second rack gear portion by directly rotating the second pinion portion of the connection rod unit by the drive motor.

In the second embodiment, the input unit 19, the sensing unit 70, and the control unit 80 are provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and can implement the same operations as those in the first embodiment.

Next, a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a door closing state of a second storage room door of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a main part sectional view showing a door opening operation of a second storage room door of a refrigerator according to the third embodiment.

The refrigerator according to the third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in the initial opening of the second storage room door 20 by the operation of the handle 110 and the handle 110 of the second storage room door 20, Only the operation is different, and the remaining operation is the same as any one of the first and second embodiments.

The first opening operation of the second storage room door 20 is performed in conjunction with the operation of the handle 110 of the second storage room door 20 in any one of the first and second embodiments, An embodiment can be provided.

In the following, for example, a first embodiment of the present invention adds a configuration for performing the initial opening operation of the second storage room door 20 in conjunction with the operation of the handle 110 of the second storage room door 20, The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

12 and 13, the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a second storage room door 20 for slidingly opening and closing the second storage room 13, And the second storage room door 20 is separated from the main body 10 by moving from the retreat position to the forward position in cooperation with the upward rotation of the pull tab 110 And a pair of push members (120).

A handle 110 is provided on the upper portion of the front surface of the second storage chamber door 20 so that the user can grasp the second storage chamber door 20 by moving the second storage chamber door 20 forward and backward.

The handle 110 includes a rotary shaft 111 for rotating the handle 110 in the vertical direction and a pair of push members 120 extending upward from the rotary shaft 111 for moving the respective push members 120 to a forward position A pair of levers 113 extending forward from the rotary shaft 111 and a gripping rod 114 connecting the pair of levers 113 to each other .

The handle portion 110 is disposed substantially parallel to the upper edge of the second storage chamber door 20. [

The pressing portion 112 rotates forward in accordance with the upward rotation of the lever portion 113 to advance the pushing member 120. The pressing portion 112 pushes the arc pressing portion at a portion contacting the pushing member 120 A surface 112a is formed to press the end of the push member 120 to advance the push member 120. [

The gripper rod 114 is formed to have a length substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the width of the second storage chamber door 20, thereby allowing the user to easily grip the gripper rod 114.

The pair of lever portions 113 are formed at both ends of the gripper rod 114 so that when the user rotates the gripper rod 114 upwardly, The lever portion 113 of the pushing member 120 rotates so that the pressing portion 112 presses the pushing member 120.

When the user releases the gripper rod 114, that is, when the external force acting on the gripper 110 is removed, the gripper 110 is rotated by the weight of the gripper rod 114 and the lever 113, The handle 110 is restored to its original state.

The push member 120 is slidably provided on the upper surface of the second storage chamber door 20 so as to press the front portion 11a of the heat insulating partition 11 in the main body 10 to connect the second storage chamber door 20 to the main body 10 Shaped first contact portion 121 corresponding to the pressing surface 112a of the pressing portion 112 is formed at one end and the urging force of the pressing portion 112 is provided at the other end of the main body 10, The second contact portion 122 is formed.

The second contact portion 122 of the push member 120 is provided between the push member 120 and the second storage chamber door 20 so as to provide an elastic force to the push member 120 so that the second contact portion 122 can be separated from the body 10. [ The elastic member 130 is provided.

The configuration of the third embodiment is an example of performing the initial opening operation of the second storage chamber door 20 in conjunction with the operation of the handle 110. In addition to the operation of the handle 110, It is of course possible to perform the initial opening operation of the storage chamber door 20.

The refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention rotates the grip portion 110 around the rotary shaft portion 111 by moving the gripping rod 114 upward to open the second storage chamber 13, The surface 112a presses the first contact portion 121 of the push member 120. [ At this time, the pair of push members 120 are slidingly moved to advance in the direction of the main body 10 to press the rim of the main body 10, that is, the front portion 11a of the heat insulating partition 11.

Due to the pressing force, the gasket 22 of the second storage chamber door 20 is separated from the main body 10 by a predetermined distance, so that the coupling force between the second storage chamber door 20 and the main body 10 is released.

The driving motor 51 is operated to drive the second storage room door 20 in an initial opened state so that the second storage room door 20 is automatically opened.

When the second storage chamber door 20 is opened while the second storage chamber door 20 is closed, an excessive load may be generated during the initial startup of the drive motor 51. In the third embodiment, the second storage chamber door 20 Can be prevented from generating an excessive load on the drive motor 51 by driving the drive motor 51 after the drive motor 51 is separated from the main body 10 by a predetermined width.

When the user rotates the handle 110 and the gasket 22 of the second storage chamber door 20 is separated from the main body 10, the sensing unit 70 detects the gasket 22 and applies a signal to the controller 80, The second storage room door 80 can automatically open the second storage room door 20 by driving the drive motor 51. [

In the third embodiment, the open key 19a of the input unit 19 of the first embodiment is deleted to perform the operation of rotating the handle 110 even when the open key 19a is not input, The second storage chamber door 20 can be opened by driving the drive motor 51 by separating the gasket 22 of the door 20 from the main body 10. [

In addition, if the open key 19a is not deleted, the user can automatically open the second storage room door 20 by operating the open key 19a or rotating the handle 110 selectively .

The detection of whether the gasket 22 of the second storage chamber door 20 is separated from the main body 10 means that the push member 120 pushes the main body 10 so that the second storage chamber door 20 is opened from the main body 10 The first sensor operating portion 72a is separated from the first sensing portion 71a or the pressing force of the first sensor operating portion 72a that presses the first sensing portion 71a falls below a certain pressure The gasket 22 of the second storage chamber door 20 may be separated from the main body 10 by using a magnetic sensor (not shown) or the like.

Closing the second storage chamber door 20 in the opened state can be controlled in the same manner as the operation of the first and second embodiments.

10: main body 12: first storage room
13: second storage room 19: input part
19a: Open key 19b: Close key
20: second storage room door 21: storage box
30: Sliding device 40a, 40b: Supporting member
43: first rack gear portion 50: drive device
51: drive motor 52: reduction gear unit
53: first pinion portion 60: connecting rod unit
61: second pinion portion 62: rod member
70: sensing unit 71: sensor unit
72: sensor operating part 80: control part

Claims (21)

1. A door automatic opening / closing apparatus for automatically opening and closing a sliding door mounted in a drawer on a refrigerator body,
A driving device coupled to the sliding door to automatically open and close the sliding door with respect to the refrigerator main body,
An input unit for receiving a user input for driving the driving device by a user's input;
A sensing unit for sensing an opening / closing state of the sliding door,
And a control unit for operating the driving unit according to a signal of the input unit and a signal of the sensing unit,
Wherein the sensing unit includes a sensor unit provided in the refrigerator body and a sensor operation unit for applying a signal to the sensor unit,
Wherein the sensor unit includes a first sensing unit that is pressed by an external force to sense a closed state of the sliding door and a second sensing unit that is pressed by an external force to sense a maximum opening state of the sliding door,
The sensor operation unit may include a first sensor operation unit that presses the first sensing unit to sense that the sliding door is completely closed when the sliding door is closed, and a second sensor operation unit that presses the second sensing unit when the sliding door is opened And a second sensor operating unit for sensing that the sliding door is in the fully opened state. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the driving device includes a driving motor and a gear unit that transmits the rotational force of the driving motor to the sliding door. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the sliding door includes a rack gear portion corresponding to the gear unit so as to move forward and backward by rotation of the gear unit. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the sliding door further comprises a connecting rod unit connecting a pair of sliding devices provided on the sliding door to prevent the sliding door from being twisted open and closed. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the connecting rod unit includes a pair of pinion portions and a rod member connecting the pair of pinion portions,
Wherein the refrigerator main body includes a pair of rack gear portions corresponding to the pair of pinion portions. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the driving device is mounted on the sliding door,
Wherein the gear unit is connected to the rod member to transmit the rotational force of the driving motor to the connecting rod unit. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising a power cable for supplying power to the drive unit and a cable guide unit for preventing breakage of the power cable when the sliding door is opened and closed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the input unit comprises an open key provided on one of doors of the refrigerator to open the sliding door and a close key to close the sliding door. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the driving device is driven in response to an operation time of the open key. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the input unit comprises a voice recognition unit for recognizing a user's voice and transmitting a door opening / closing signal to the control unit. The method according to claim 1,
The sliding door further includes a door handle,
Wherein the input unit includes a switch provided on the door handle. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit drives the driving unit when an input signal is applied to the input unit and ends the driving of the driving unit when the opening or closing state signal of the sliding door is applied to the sensing unit. . The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sliding door is provided with a storage box which is moved in and out of the storage room of the refrigerator main body when the sliding door is moved between the opened state and the closed state,
Wherein the driving device includes a driving motor mounted in a storage room of the refrigerator body,
Wherein the storage box includes a recess formed to prevent contact with a driving motor mounted in the storage compartment when the sliding door is moved between an opened state and a closed state. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sliding door further comprises a gasket attached to a rear edge of the sliding door,
Wherein the sensing unit is formed such that the closed state of the sliding door is detected after the gasket of the sliding door first contacts the refrigerator main body. A storage room,
A sliding door for opening / closing the storage room;
A pair of sliding devices provided on the sliding door,
A pair of first rack gear portions provided on side surfaces of the storage chamber,
A connecting rod unit including a pair of pinion portions corresponding to the first rack gear portion and a rod member connecting the pair of pinion portions,
And a door automatic opening / closing device for automatically opening and closing the sliding door,
The door automatic opening / closing apparatus includes a driving unit, an input unit for driving the driving unit, and a sensing unit for sensing an opening / closing state of the door,
Wherein the sensing unit includes a sensor unit provided in the storage chamber and a sensor operation unit for applying a signal to the sensor unit,
Wherein the sensor unit includes a first sensing unit that is pressed by an external force to sense a closed state of the sliding door and a second sensing unit that is pressed by an external force to sense a maximum opening state of the sliding door,
The sensor operation unit may include a first sensor operation unit that presses the first sensing unit to sense that the sliding door is completely closed when the sliding door is closed, and a second sensor operation unit that presses the second sensing unit when the sliding door is opened And a second sensor operating unit for sensing that the sliding door is fully opened. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the driving device includes a driving motor mounted to the sliding door and configured to transmit a rotational force to the connecting rod unit. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the driving device includes a speed reducer unit directly connected to the rod member to transmit the rotational force of the driving motor to the connecting rod unit. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the sliding door includes a rack gear portion,
Wherein the driving device includes a driving motor mounted to the storage room, and a gear unit connected to the driving motor and coupled to the rack gear portion of the sliding door. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the sliding door is provided with a storage box which is moved in and out of the storage room when the sliding door is moved between a opened state and a closed state,
Wherein the storage box includes a recess formed to prevent contact with a driving motor mounted inside the storage compartment when the sliding door is moved between an opened state and a closed state. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the sliding door further comprises a gasket attached to a rear edge of the sliding door,
Wherein the sensing unit is formed such that the closed state of the sliding door is detected after the gasket of the sliding door first contacts the refrigerator body. A main body,
A refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment partitioned on upper and lower sides of the main body,
A drawer-type door for opening and closing the freezing chamber,
A pair of sliding devices provided on the drawer type door,
A connecting rod unit connecting the pair of sliding devices to prevent the door from torsionally opening and closing,
A pinion portion formed at both ends of the connecting rod unit,
A pair of first rack gear portions provided on side surfaces of the freezing chamber corresponding to the pinion portion,
A driving motor mounted to the freezing chamber,
A gear unit connected to the drive motor,
A second rack gear portion provided on the drawer type door for moving the rotary movement of the gear unit into linear motion to advance and retract the drawer type door,
And a sensing unit for sensing an opening / closing state of the drawer type door,
Wherein the sensing unit includes a sensor unit provided in the cooling chamber and a sensor operation unit for applying a signal to the sensor unit,
The sensor unit includes a first sensing unit that is pressed by an external force to sense a closed state of the drawer type door, and a second sensing unit that is pressed by an external force to sense a maximum opening state of the drawer type door,
The sensor operation unit may include a first sensor operation unit that presses the first sensing unit to sense that the drawer-type door is completely closed when the drawer-type door is closed, and a second sensor operation unit that presses the second sensing unit when the drawer- And a second sensor operating unit for sensing that the drawer-type door is fully open.

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