JP7289229B2 - Damper device and refrigeration device provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a damper device and a refrigerator having the same.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a sheet-like elastic member 49 is provided on the Z1 side of the damper device 1 that is closed by turning in the A direction (Z1 direction) (0027, FIGS. 1 and 3). . The opening 210 is closed when the elastic member 49 rotated by the shaft 46 comes into contact with the opening 210 . Also, a heater 9 is provided along the circumference of the frame-shaped side surface forming the opening 210 (0024, FIGS. 1(b) and 2).

JP 2015-194316 A

A damper device that opens and closes an opening by contacting an elastic member to the opening is driven by a motor that rotates the damper device, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The motor torque moves the elastic member in the closing direction so that the elastic member abuts against the opening, thereby reducing leakage of the air flow from the opening.

The elastic member 49 rotates by receiving the rotational force of the motor 60 transmitted through the shaft portion 48 . However, if the elastic member 49 has a flat structure as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for force to be transmitted to a region far from the shaft portion 48, and there is room for improvement in sealing performance due to uniform contact between the two.

The present invention, which has been made in view of the above circumstances ,
flapper and
a motor for moving the flapper toward and away from the frame surrounding the opening ;
a shaft having a first end connected to the motor and having a second end connected to a longitudinally extending end surface of the flapper;
The flapper has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and a protrusion extending in the lateral direction is provided on the end side of the longitudinal direction ,
The axis is
having a third end connected to the shaft retainer;
extending longitudinally of the flapper from the first end toward the third end;
It extends in the lateral direction of the flapper from near the third end toward the second end .

Front view of the refrigerator of the embodiment AA line sectional view of FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a damper in a closed state according to an embodiment; FIG. Rear perspective view of the damper in the closed state of the embodiment Side cross-sectional view of the damper in the open state of the embodiment Front perspective view of packing of embodiment Side cross-sectional view of the packing of the embodiment (PP cross section) Graph of the repulsive force when compressing the polyethylene sheet packing of the comparative example and the packing of the embodiment

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator that is an example of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has a box body 10, and from above, a refrigerator compartment 2, an ice making compartment 3 (freezer compartment) and an upper freezer compartment 4 (freezer compartment) provided on the left and right sides, a first switchable compartment 5 (switchable compartment), a second It has storage chambers in the order of two switching chambers 6 (switching chambers).

In the refrigerator 1, as doors for opening and closing the openings of the respective storage compartments, rotary refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b, a drawer-type ice making compartment door 3a, a freezer compartment door 4a, a first It has a switching chamber door 5a and a second switching chamber door 6a. Each drawer-type door is provided with an ice making compartment container 3b, a freezer compartment container 4b, a first switchable compartment container 5b, and a second switchable compartment container 6b which are pulled out integrally therewith.

The refrigerating compartment 2 is a refrigerating storage compartment whose interior is set to a refrigerating temperature range (0° C. or higher), for example, about 4° C. on average. The ice making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 are freezer storage compartments whose insides are set to a freezing temperature range (below 0°C), for example, about -18°C on average.

The first switchable compartment 5 and the second switchable compartment 6 are switchable storage compartments that can be set to a freezing temperature range or a refrigerating temperature range. Frozen mode and can be switched to.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. In the refrigerator 1, the outside and the inside are separated by a box 10 formed by filling a foam insulating material (for example, foamed urethane) between an outer box 10a made of steel and an inner box 10b made of synthetic resin. configured. In addition to the foamed heat insulating material in the box 10 and each door, a vacuum heat insulating material having a relatively low thermal conductivity is mounted between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b.

The evaporator EV1 (first evaporator) constitutes a refrigeration cycle with a compressor 24, a condenser (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown).

A control board 31 having a CPU, memories such as ROM and RAM, an interface circuit, and the like mounted thereon is arranged on the upper portion of the refrigerator 1 . The control board 31 includes an outside air temperature sensor 37, an outside air humidity sensor 38, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 42, a first switching compartment temperature sensor 43, a second switching compartment temperature sensor 44, and a refrigerator compartment side evaporator temperature sensor. 40a, evaporator temperature sensor 40b, and the like.

In addition, the control board 31 controls the compressor 24, the refrigerator compartment side fan 9a, the ventilation fan 137, and the evaporator, which will be described later, based on the output values of each sensor, the settings of the operation unit 200, the programs pre-recorded in the ROM, and the like. It controls a damper, for example, a damper 132, which is provided on the air path connecting to one of the storage rooms and opens and closes the air path. A damper can be appropriately arranged between the air passage and each storage compartment. Details of the damper will be described later.

[Closing Auxiliary Structure of Damper 132]
The refrigerator of the present embodiment is appropriately provided with a damper as described above. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of damper 132 in a closed state. FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of damper 132 in a closed state. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of damper 132 in an open state. The damper 132 allows cool air to flow from the rear surface to the front surface, but may be provided in the opposite direction.

The damper 132 has a frame 1321 surrounding an opening O that is opened when the damper 132 is open, a flapper 1322 as a surface, a motor 1323 as a drive unit, a shaft 1324 that rotates by driving the motor 1323, and the flapper 1322. It has packing 90 .
The opening O, the frame 1321, the flapper 1322, and the packing 90 are shaped such that the extending direction (horizontal direction) of the shaft 1324 from the motor 1323 is the longitudinal direction. The shaft 1324 extends longitudinally from a first end connected to the motor 1323 and further extends laterally up and down to a second end connected to the flapper 1322 . .

(Flapper 1322)
The flapper 1322 is a member that opens and closes the opening O by receiving a rotational force driven by the motor 1323 via a shaft 1324 to rotate. Flapper 1322 connects to the second end of shaft 1324 at its longitudinal end (left end). In the present embodiment, one side (lower side) in the short direction of these is connected to the second end.

The flapper 1322 has ribs 1326 extending in the lateral direction on the left end side and the right end side in the horizontal direction on the rear surface. Since the rotational force from the motor 1323 received by the flapper 1322 is transmitted through the shaft 1324, the side (left side) of the flapper 1322 closer to the shaft 1324 can contact the frame 1321 with a relatively strong force. ) can abut with a relatively weak force. Therefore, by arranging the rib 1326 as a projection on at least the far side, it is possible to easily transmit the turning force (contact force) to the far side. In this embodiment, ribs 1326 are also arranged on the near side.

The magnetic force may be used in the area farther from the shaft 1324 than the area where the frame 1321 and the flapper 1322 (strictly speaking, the packing 90 described later) abut. Specifically, in the range far from the shaft 1324, a permanent magnet is placed on one of the frame 1321 and the flapper 1322 (the packing 90 may be used), and a magnetic material is placed on the other to assist the contact force on the far side. be able to. At this time, if a permanent magnet or a magnetic body is also arranged in the range near the shaft 1324, the motor torque required to open and close the damper 132 increases. . In this embodiment, the motor 1323 rotates the flapper 1322 via the shaft 1324. However, the motor 1323 reciprocates the flapper 1322 back and forth using a linear motor or a gear mechanism. good too.

A shaft retainer 1329 is arranged on the opposite side of the shaft 1324 from the motor 1323 , and the third end of the shaft 1324 is connected to the shaft retainer 1329 . This makes it possible to firmly support the shaft 1324 . The first end and the third end are located on the same straight line. Further, in the longitudinal direction of the flapper 1322, on the opposite side of the shaft 1324 (in this embodiment, substantially at the same position as the rib 1326 on the far side from the shaft 1324), there is a follower that follows the rotation of the shaft 1324. A shaft 1328 and a driven shaft presser 1329 that presses the driven shaft 1328 are provided. In this embodiment, the driven shaft 1328 has a cylindrical concave shape, and the driven shaft retainer 1329 has a cylindrical shape protruding from a rib of a flat plate. Movements other than the opening and closing directions can be restricted with respect to the shaft 1324 . Concavities and convexities may be installed in reverse.

(Heater H)
The damper 132 is provided with a heater H1 on the peripheral surface of the frame 1321, preferably around the entire periphery. The heater H1 is composed of a heater wire HE composed of a lead wire having a diameter of 3 mm, for example, and an aluminum sheet AS covering the heater wire HE. The aluminum sheet AS spreads the heat from the heater wire HE over the entire frame 1321, and is made of aluminum foil.

Furthermore, a heater H2 may be provided at the edge of the opening O of the frame 1321. FIG. The heater H2 is provided with a heater wire and aluminum similarly to the heater H1. By providing the heater H2 at the edge of the opening O, it is easy to heat the vicinity of the area where the packing 90 and the frame 1321 are in close contact with each other, and the ice between them can be easily melted.

(Engagement of flapper 1322 and packing 90)
The flapper 1322 engages with the packing 90 and has a claw 1327 as an engaging portion that engages with the packing 90 . The packing 90 has a hole 93 as an engaging portion, which will be described later, at a location corresponding to the claw 1327 . In this embodiment, the claws 1327 are provided on the upper and lower sides and on the left and right sides of the outer periphery of the flapper 1322, and the numbers on the upper side and the lower side are different. As a result, it is possible to prevent the assembler from making a mistake in the mounting direction of the packing 1326 .

(Packing 90)
6 is a front perspective view of the packing 90, and FIG. 7 is a side sectional view (PP section) of the packing 90. As shown in FIG.
The packing 90 has a closing assisting portion 91 that abuts against the frame 1321 when the opening O is closed, a receiving surface 92 located on the opposite side of the closing assisting portion 91 from the frame 1321 , and a hole 93 .
The closure assisting portion 91 is made of the same material as the packing 90 in this embodiment, and is elastically deformable or plastically deformable. When the opening O is opened, the receiving surface 92 is separated from the closing assisting portion 91 with a gap therebetween. When the packing 90 approaches the frame 1321 by driving the motor 1323, the closing assisting portion 91 comes into contact with the frame 1321, thereby substantially closing the opening O. As shown in FIG. The closing assisting portion 91 is formed in a thin fin shape, and since it has a gap with the receiving surface 92 , it is easily deformed and exhibits almost no resistance to the torque of the motor 1323 . Further, when the motor 1323 is driven, the closing assisting portion 91 is pressed by the frame 1321, so the closing assisting portion 91 and the receiving surface 92 come relatively close to each other and come into contact with each other. The part 91 is pressed down. As a result, even with a relatively small motor torque, the opening O can be effectively closed by the contact and deformation of the closing assisting portion 91 .

The closing assisting portion 91 may be provided on the packing 90 as in the present embodiment, or may be provided on the frame 1321 . When provided in the frame 1321 , a gap is provided between the frame 1321 and the closing assisting portion 91 , and when the packing 90 and the closing assisting portion 91 come into contact with each other, the closing assisting portion 91 is pushed by the packing 90 to move, thereby closing the gap. It will pass through and contact the frame 1321 after passing through. Thereby, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained. The closing assisting portion 91 may be provided along at least the boundary portion (edge portion) (which is an annular curve) between the frame 1321 and the opening O. As shown in FIG.

The packing 90 of the present embodiment is made of elastically deformable material, such as silicone rubber, but a part of the tip side in particular may be made of a material that is plastically deformable. It is preferable to form the packing 90 from a non-foaming material. In this case, if the packing is made of a closed-cell material, the amount of deformation due to temperature fluctuations can be reduced. It is preferable because leakage can be suppressed. On the other hand, an open-cell material is preferable because it can suppress the possibility that water will enter the material and the packing 90 will freeze and lose its elasticity and plasticity.

The receiving surface 92 of the packing 90 has a shape that follows the shape of the flapper 1322 . Therefore, the explanation of the flapper 1322 is also given along with the explanation of the packing 90 here. The packing 90 (flapper 1322) has main surface portions 921 arranged on upper and lower end sides, a protruding portion 922 arranged on the central side and protruding forward (opening O side), and a connecting portion 923 connecting these.
The main surface portion 921 is a portion that crushes the closure assisting portion 91 together with the frame 1321 . The protruding portion 922 is a portion positioned forward of the edge of the opening O when the opening O is closed. The base of the closure assisting portion 91 is positioned on the receiving surface 92 , preferably on the connecting portion 923 .

With such a structure of the receiving surface 92 (flapper 1322), it is easy to ensure the rigidity due to the three-dimensional shape of the receiving surface 92 (flapper 1322), and the strength can be improved. Although reference is made including FIG. 4 , as in this embodiment, a rib 1326 extends over the projecting portion 922 and is provided to connect two portions of the annularly formed main surface portion 921 . Or, it is more preferable that the rib 1326 and the laterally extending portion (the portion extending from the second end) of the shaft 1324 are arranged in a straight line.

In addition, the connection portion 923 or the closure assisting portion 91 can be brought into contact with the edge of the opening O, and the receiving surfaces 92 (the main surface 921 on the rear side and the protruding portion 923 on the front side) can be arranged on both the front and rear sides of the opening O. Therefore, since the opening O can be closed three-dimensionally, the closing can be performed with a higher degree of airtightness. In this respect, the motor 1323 that rotates the flapper 1322 does not usually use an expensive motor that can precisely set the rotation angle during the opening/closing operation of the flapper 1322 . That is, the amount of torque applied to the flapper 1322 during the opening/closing operation and the amount of rotation angle are not constant. This embodiment also uses such a motor (a motor whose torque amount and rotation angle amount can vary for each opening/closing operation). Even under such conditions, if the flapper 1322 has the shape of this embodiment, the closure assisting portion 91 preferably extends forward from the connection portion 923, so that the connection portion can be rotated over a wide range of rotation angles. Since the 923 and the closure assisting portion 91 can contact the edge of the opening O, stable closure is possible.

The packing 90 has a return surface 924 on the opposite side of the receiving surface 92 in the front-rear direction across the hole 93 . The hole 93 may be a non-through hole of the packing 90 , but preferably a through hole in order to prevent water attached to the packing from freezing inside the hole 93 .

The closure assisting portion 91 has a curved shape that once goes forward (toward the opening O) as it goes from the root to the tip side, and then goes rearward as it goes to the tip side.

As a material for the packing 90, a material softer than a known closed-cell material (polyethylene sheet) is preferable. FIG. 8 is a graph of repulsive force when a polyethylene sheet packing (comparative example) and a silicone rubber packing 90 (embodiment) are compressed. The horizontal axis represents the distance from the natural state, with the state where the packing is sandwiched between the frame and the receiving surface and in contact with each other is defined as 0. The vertical axis is the force required to achieve the distance on the horizontal axis.

The occlusion assisting part 91 of the present embodiment has a shape in which only the base is connected to the receiving surface 92 and the tip is separated from the receiving surface 92, but the tip is also connected to the receiving surface 92 (like a so-called balloon or sucker). shape).

[Other technical ideas]
The present application includes the following ideas.
[Appendix 1]
a frame surrounding the opening;
flapper and
a motor that causes the flapper to move toward and away from the frame;
an elastically deformable or plastically deformable closing aid,
When the flapper approaches the frame, the closing aid contacts the frame and the flapper,
The damper device according to claim 1, wherein the closing assisting portion is arranged between the frame and the flapper with a gap therebetween when the flapper is away from the frame.
[Appendix 2]
The flapper is
a main surface portion positioned on one side with respect to the opening when the opening is closed;
a protruding portion positioned on the other side with respect to the opening when the opening is closed;
A damper device according to appendix 1, further comprising a connecting portion located between the main surface portion and the protruding portion and including a region that contacts an edge of the opening when the opening is closed.
[Appendix 3]
3. The damper device according to claim 2, wherein the closure aid extends from the connecting portion.
[Appendix 4]
4. The damper device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, wherein the blockage assisting portion has a portion that faces toward the opening as it moves away from the root side.

1 refrigerator 2 refrigerator compartment 3 ice making compartment (freezing compartment)
4 Upper freezer compartment (freezer compartment)
5 First switching room (switching room)
6 Second switching chamber 90 Packing 91 Closure auxiliary part 92 Receiving surface 921 Main surface part 922 Protruding part 923 Connecting part 924 Return surface 132 Damper 1321 Frame 1322 Flapper 1323 Motor (driving part)
1324 Shaft 1326 Rib (projection)
1327 Claw 1328 Driven shaft 1329 Driven shaft holder

Claims (6)

flapper and
a motor for moving the flapper toward and away from the frame surrounding the opening;
a shaft having a first end connected to the motor and having a second end connected to a longitudinally extending end surface of the flapper;
The flapper has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and a protrusion extending in the lateral direction is provided on the end side of the longitudinal direction ,
The axis is
having a third end connected to the shaft retainer;
extending longitudinally of the flapper from the first end toward the third end;
A damper device extending in the lateral direction of the flapper from near the third end toward the second end . 2. The damper device according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is arranged on an end side in the longitudinal direction of the flapper. the flapper is connected to the shaft at one longitudinal end;
a driven shaft retainer disposed on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the flapper;
3. A damper device according to claim 2, comprising a driven shaft connected to said driven shaft retainer and said flapper . The flapper is
a main surface portion positioned on one side with respect to the opening when the opening is closed;
a protruding portion positioned on the other side with respect to the opening when the opening is closed;
a connecting portion that contacts an edge of the opening when the opening is closed;
The main surface portion surrounds the entire periphery of the projecting portion and the connecting portion,
4. A damper device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said second end is positioned on an extension line of said projection. 5. The damper device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one of said frame and said flapper has a permanent magnet and the other has a magnetic body in a region on the longitudinal end side of said flapper. A refrigerator comprising the damper device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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