TWI838376B - Door switch mechanism, storage cabinet, and handle structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerator door (11) of the refrigerator (1) has a door switch mechanism that opens left and right. The door switch mechanism has handles (34a and 34b) respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the refrigerator door (11), and two cam mechanisms (20a and 20b) symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the refrigerator door (11) for engaging and disengaging the refrigerator door (11) and the main body (2). The handles (34a and 34b) have an opening (32) arranged at the end of the refrigerator door (11) and a recess (43) recessed from the opening (32).

Description

Door switch mechanism, storage cabinet, and handle structure

The present invention relates to a door switch mechanism that can be opened and closed from either the left or right side, and a storage cabinet having a door having the door switch mechanism. In addition, the present invention relates to a handle structure of a door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right side.

The door switch mechanism of the refrigerator has a structure that can be opened and closed from both the left and right sides. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a door switch mechanism that can be opened and closed from both the left and right sides, which includes a pair of sliding cam components symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line of the door at the left and right ends of the door side or the body side where the door is installed, a pair of locking cam components symmetrically arranged at the positions corresponding to the sliding cam components on the body side or the door side, and a rotating shaft pin installed in a state of passing through a shaft hole provided in the locking cam components. The sliding cam component has a first groove cam that can be freely loaded and unloaded in the horizontal direction with the shaft pin, a second groove cam that can move from a first locking position that is continuous with the first groove cam and locked with the shaft pin guided to the first groove cam when the door is closed and stopped to a second locking position that becomes the rotating shaft of the sliding cam component when the door is completely opened, and has a first cam protrusion provided on the outer periphery of the second groove cam, and the lock cam component has a second cam protrusion that is in a locking relationship with the first cam protrusion at the first locking position.

The door opening mechanism of Patent Document 1, when the door starts to open from the right side, slides on the open side (e.g., the right side), and the second groove cam is slid and moved to the second locking position by the pivot pin on the support side (e.g., the left side), so that the door structure from the left side of the pivot axis is in a positional relationship such that it does not fall off. Thus, the structure is formed such that even if the user pulls the door in front of him, the door does not fall off from the main body.

Patent document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3479410.

In such a door opening and closing mechanism, when the user wants to open the door, the door needs to be slid to the side that the user wants to open. However, it is natural for the user to pull the door forward when opening the door, and there is a tendency for the user to have difficulty sliding the door to the left or right.

Therefore, in the present invention, the purpose is to provide a handle structure that allows the user to open the door more easily in a door that can be opened and closed on either the left or right side.

The door switch mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention is a mechanism for opening and closing a door installed on a main body. The door switch mechanism has handles respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the door; and two cam mechanisms symmetrically arranged at the left and right sides of the door for engaging and disengaging the door with the main body. The door switch mechanism is configured such that when the door is in a closed state, the cam mechanisms arranged at the left and right sides are arranged at symmetrical first locking positions, and when the left and right ends of either side of the door are opened, the door slides toward the outer side of the side, and the cam mechanism on the other side opposite to the side moves to the second locking position, and the end of the door on the other side becomes a pivotally supported state. Furthermore, in this door opening and closing mechanism, the handle portion has an opening portion provided at the end of the door, a recessed portion recessed from the opening portion, and a finger contact portion having an inclined surface inclined from the side surface of the door toward the center side is provided in the recessed portion from the rear side of the door toward the front side.

In the door switch mechanism of the above-mentioned one embodiment of the present invention, the cam mechanism may also include a pair of sliding cam components symmetrically arranged at the left and right ends of either the door or the main body with respect to the center line of the door; a pair of locking cam components symmetrically arranged at the positions corresponding to the sliding cam components on the other sides of the door and the main body; and each rotating shaft pin arranged on the pair of locking cam components. In this configuration, the sliding cam component has a first groove cam and a second groove cam for guiding the sliding of the rotating shaft pin. In this configuration, when the door is in a closed state, each of the pivot pins is at the first locking position of the second groove cam. When the left or right end of the door is opened, the door slides toward the outer side of the one side, and the pivot pin located on the opposite side of the one side moves to the second locking position by moving the second groove cam to become a pivoted state. In addition, the angle of the normal line of the inclined surface of the finger contact portion can also be determined in such a way that the angle of the inclined surface becomes the angle between the extension angle of the first groove cam and the extension angle of the second groove cam.

In the door opening and closing mechanism of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the opening portion can also be arranged on the side of the door.

In the door switch mechanism of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the finger contact portion may also have a recessed portion further recessed toward the front side from the inclined surface.

In the door opening and closing mechanism of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the opening portion can also be arranged in front of the door.

In the door opening and closing mechanism of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the inclined surface is formed by a roughly plate-shaped component, and the thickness of the roughly plate-shaped component is at least partially thicker on the rear side than on the front side of the door.

In the door opening and closing mechanism of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the inclined surface is formed by the inner surface of the opening portion, and the surface opposite to the inclined surface is inclined at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to the front of the door.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a storage cabinet equipped with a door switch mechanism having any of the above structures.

In the storage cabinet of another embodiment of the present invention, the upper end of the handle can also be located at a height of less than 130 cm from the lower end of the storage cabinet.

In the door switch mechanism of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the inclined surface can also be facing downward.

Another embodiment of the handle structure of the present invention is a handle structure for a door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right side. This handle structure has handle parts respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the door, and the handle parts are configured in a manner such that the hand can be placed on the front side of the door. The handle parts have an inclined surface that is inclined from the rear side of the door toward the front side and toward the center of the door.

The handle structure of another embodiment of the present invention is detachably constructed in a storage door having a main body and a door mounted on the main body that can be opened and closed on either side.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the door opening and closing mechanism is provided with finger contact parts having inclined surfaces from the rear side of the door toward the front side and from the side of the door toward the center side, so that the door can be slid on the side to be opened by the user's natural action of opening the door. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a handle structure that allows the user to open the door more easily can be provided in a door that can be opened and closed on either side.

By providing a handle portion with an inclined surface as described above in the door handle structure of one embodiment of the present invention, the user can slide the door on the side to be opened by the natural movement of the user when opening the door. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a handle portion structure that allows the user to more easily open the door in a door that can be opened and closed on either side can be provided.

1: Refrigerator

2: Main body

10: Door switch mechanism

11: Refrigerator door (door)

11a: Left end

11c: Front part

20: Cam mechanism

20a: Cam mechanism

20b: Cam mechanism

21: First groove cam (sliding cam component)

22: Second groove cam (sliding cam component)

31: End part (sliding cam part)

32, 33: Opening

34, 34a, 34b: Handle

36: Depression

37: Lock the outer cam (lock the cam part)

38: Pivot pin (locking cam component)

41: Handle forming part

43: Concave part

44: First inclined surface (inclined surface, finger contact portion)

45: Front contact surface

46: Second inclined plane

90: Electric door switch device

91: Touch sensor (touch detection unit)

92: Control Department

141: Handle forming part

141A: Handle forming part

144a: First inclined surface (inclined surface, finger contact portion)

144b: Recessed portion (finger contact portion)

144c: Depression (finger contact portion)

24: Handle forming part

244: First inclined curved surface (inclined surface, finger contact portion)

301:Refrigerator

311: Refrigerator door (door)

334a: Handle

334b: handle

335a: Opening

335b: Opening

344: First inclined surface (inclined surface inclined toward the center of the door)

346: Second inclined surface (surface opposite to the inclined surface)

411: Refrigerator door (door)

434a: Handle

434b: handle

511: Refrigerator door (door)

534a: Handle

534b: handle

611: Refrigerator door (door)

634a: Handle

700: Handle parts (handle structure)

734a: Handle

734b: Handle

744a: Inclined surface (inclined surface inclined toward the center of the door)

800: Handle parts (handle structure)

834a:Handle

834b: Handle

900: Handle parts (handle structure)

934a:Handle

934b: Handle

X: Base position

Y: The horizontal extension line of the front side end of the opening

A: Extension direction of the first groove cam

B: Extension direction of the second groove cam

FIG1 is a front view showing the appearance structure of a refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG2A is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door portion provided in the refrigerator shown in FIG1. FIG2A to FIG2C show the situation where the refrigerator door is opened from the left side.

FIG2B is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door portion provided in the refrigerator shown in FIG1. FIG2A to FIG2C show the situation where the refrigerator door is opened from the left side.

FIG2C is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door portion provided in the refrigerator shown in FIG1. FIG2A to FIG2C show the situation where the refrigerator door is opened from the left side.

FIG3 is an exploded perspective view showing the components around the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG1 .

FIG4 is a cross-sectional view showing the components around the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG1.

FIG5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the cam wheels and the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG1.

FIG6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the groove cams and the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG1.

FIG7 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of a door switch device for electrically opening and closing a refrigerator compartment door.

FIG8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration positions of the handle and the touch sensor in the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG1.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the action of the cam mechanism when the refrigerator door is opened.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the action of the cam mechanism when the refrigerator door is opened.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the action of the cam mechanism when the refrigerator door is opened.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing the action of the cam mechanism when the refrigerator door is opened.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the second embodiment of the refrigerator.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of a modified example of the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing the appearance structure of a refrigerator in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the appearance structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the fourth embodiment of the refrigerator.

FIG. 18 is a front view showing the appearance structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the fourth embodiment of the refrigerator.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged periphery of the handle portion on the left side of the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 19 .

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion on the left side of the refrigerator compartment door of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the handle portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the appearance of the handle component installed on the refrigerator door of the refrigerator in the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a front view showing the appearance structure of the refrigerator of the eighth embodiment. In this figure, the handle is removed from the refrigerator.

Figure 26 (a) is a front view showing the appearance structure of the refrigerator door of the refrigerator in the eighth embodiment. (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door shown in (a).

Figure 27 (a) is a front view showing the appearance structure of the refrigerator door of the refrigerator in the ninth embodiment. (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door shown in (a).

FIG. 28 is a three-dimensional view showing the handle component installed on the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 27(a).

Figure 29 (a) is a front view showing the appearance structure of the refrigerator door of the refrigerator provided in the tenth embodiment. (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door shown in (a).

FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing the handle component installed on the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 29(a).

Hereinafter, the various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are given the same symbols. The names and functions of these components are also the same. Therefore, the detailed description of these components will not be repeated.

[First implementation form]

In this embodiment, a refrigerator is used as an example of a storage cabinet equipped with a door switch mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention. However, the door switch mechanism described below is applicable not only to refrigerators but also to storage cabinets with left and right double-opening doors, thermal insulation cabinets, etc.

(Overall structure of refrigerator)

In this embodiment, a refrigerator 1 having a refrigerator compartment door that opens left and right is taken as an example and explained. The refrigerator 1 has a door switch mechanism 10 of an example of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of various doors such as a main body 2 and a refrigerator compartment door 11. The main body 2 is formed of an insulating box body. A refrigerator compartment is arranged at the upper section of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator compartment door 11 is installed at the opening of the front of the refrigerator compartment.

In addition, in the refrigerator 1, in addition to the refrigerator compartment, there are a second refrigerator compartment (vegetable compartment), a freezer compartment, a second freezer compartment, and an ice-making compartment. A pull-out refrigerator compartment door 13 is provided in the second refrigerator compartment (vegetable compartment) in the middle section. A pull-out freezer compartment door 14 is provided in the first freezer compartment in the lower section. In addition, a pull-out ice-making compartment door 15 or a freezer compartment door 16 is provided in the ice-making compartment and the second freezer compartment in the middle section, respectively.

In addition, the structure and configuration of each storage compartment in the refrigerator 1 are not limited to the above. The structure and configuration of each storage compartment can be appropriately changed according to the capacity and purpose of the refrigerator.

In this embodiment, the surface where the door is installed is set as the front (front) of the refrigerator 1. And, based on the front, the surfaces of the main body 2 of the refrigerator 1 are set as the top, side, back, and bottom based on the positions when the refrigerator 1 is set in the normal state. In addition, when the refrigerator 1 is observed from the front side, the left side is called the left side of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator door 11), and the right side is called the right side of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator door 11).

The refrigerator door 11 is a double-opening door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right end. Therefore, at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11, handles 34 that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door are provided. Specifically, the left handle 34a is provided at the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11. In addition, the right handle 34b is provided at the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 11. When the user opens the refrigerator door 11 from the left side, the user puts the hand into the recess of the handle 34a and pulls the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11 forward. Similarly, when the user opens the refrigerator door 11 from the right side, the user puts the hand into the recess of the handle 34b and pulls the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 11 forward.

In addition, touch sensors (touch detection units) 91 (specifically, a left touch sensor 91a and a right touch sensor 91b) are provided on the refrigerator door 11. The left touch sensor 91a is disposed near the left end of the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 11. The right touch sensor 91b is disposed near the right end of the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 11. The touch sensor 91 detects that a body has been touched, etc. Furthermore, when the user's hand, etc. touches the left touch sensor 91a, the refrigerator door 11 is controlled to be opened from the left end 11a. Furthermore, when the user's hand or the like touches the right touch sensor 91b, the refrigerator door 11 is controlled to open from the right end 11b.

A display device 50 is disposed on the left side of the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 11. The display device 50 can be composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The display device 50 can display, for example, refrigerator operation information and control information, inventory information in the box, calendar information, recipe information, message information, etc.

(For door switch mechanism)

Next, the door switch mechanism 10 installed in the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 is described. In Figures 2A to 2C, the actions of the various components when the refrigerator door 11 installed in the main body 2 (specifically, the opening of the refrigerator) is opened from the left side. These figures are figures showing the cam mechanism 20 (specifically, the cam mechanism 20a on the left side and the cam mechanism 20b on the right side) provided on the bottom surface of the refrigerator door 11 (i.e., the A-A line portion of Figure 1). In addition, the cam mechanisms 20a and 20b can be, for example, the structure of the cam mechanism known in the past disclosed in Patent Document 1 or other patent documents (Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3761410).

The cam mechanisms 20a and 20b are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the refrigerator door 11 to engage and disengage the refrigerator door 11 and the main body 2. The cam mechanisms 20a and 20b have a sliding cam component arranged on the refrigerator door 11 side and a locking cam component arranged on the main body 2 side. In addition, in another scheme, a sliding cam component is arranged on the main body 2 side, and a locking cam component is arranged on the refrigerator door 11 side.

The sliding cam components are respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the bottom of the refrigerator door 11. The sliding cam component is composed of a first groove cam 21, a second groove cam 22, and a sliding outer cam 25. These components are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line X of the refrigerator door 11.

The first groove cam 21 and the second groove cam 22 are arranged near the left and right ends of the bottom of the refrigerator door 11. The first groove cam 21 and the second groove cam 22 slide and guide the shaft pin 38 provided on the side of the main body 2 relatively. The first groove cam 21 and the second groove cam 22 have a substantially L-shaped continuous concave shape.

The sliding outer cam 25 is arranged in a groove 27 formed slightly inside the first groove cam 21 and the second groove cam 22. The sliding outer cam 25 is arranged at a position corresponding to the lock outer cam 37 provided on the main body 2, and limits the movement of the lock outer cam 37 when the door is opened and closed.

In addition, the refrigerator door 11 is provided with a guide roller 28 as a component for assisting the switch action. The guide roller 28 is symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line X of the refrigerator door 11. Each guide roller 28 is arranged slightly inside the sliding outer cam 25.

The guide roller 28 rotates on the shaft angle iron 3 at the front end of the partition wall between the upper refrigerator compartment and the second refrigerator compartment (vegetable compartment) in the middle, assisting the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 11. In addition, a downwardly inclined surface is provided on the shaft angle iron 3 across the left and right sides toward the rear, and the guide roller 28 lowers this inclined surface to form an automatic closing mechanism (automatic closing mechanism using gravity) that applies force to the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the closing direction.

The lock cam component is arranged on the side of the main body 2. The lock cam components are respectively arranged at positions corresponding to each sliding cam component. In this embodiment, the lock cam component is arranged on the shaft angle iron 3. The lock cam component is composed of a shaft pin 38, a lock outer cam 37, and a rib 39.

The rotating pin 38 serves as the pivot of the refrigerator door 11. The rib 39 is an arc-shaped component that is concentric with the rotating pin 38. The lock outer cam 37 is arranged to be away from the rotating pin 38 by a predetermined distance, and slides with the sliding outer cam 25 on the side of the refrigerator door 11 to guide the refrigerator door 11.

The sliding cam component and the locking cam component having the above structure are engaged with each other to form a cam mechanism 20 for guiding the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 11.

Next, referring to Figures 2A to 2C and Figures 9 to 12, the action of the cam mechanism 20 when the refrigerator door 11 is opened is described. Figures 2A to 2C sequentially show the refrigerator door 11 being opened from the left end 11a. Also, Figures 9 to 12 sequentially show the actions of the cam mechanisms 20a and 20b when the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the left end 11a.

When the refrigerator door 11 is closed, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 9 , the shaft pin 38 is located near the inner end of the second groove cam 22 of the left and right cam mechanisms 20a and 20b (near the boundary of the first groove cam 21). At this time, the positional relationship between the left and right cam mechanisms 20a and 20b and each shaft pin 38 becomes roughly symmetrical. This state is called the first locking position. Since the first groove cam 21 is tilted toward the center of the refrigerator door 11 as it moves toward the rear of the refrigerator 1, it is prevented from falling off by pulling the two sides of the refrigerator door 11.

Next, the user places his hand on the handle 34a at the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11. When the handle 34a is pulled forward, a stress is applied to the handle 34a in the outward direction (in this case, the left direction) as described later. At this time, since the rotating shaft pin 38 is restricted by the track of the second groove cam 22, the rotating shaft pin 38 is guided relative to the first groove cam 21 in the left cam mechanism 20a, and the rotating shaft pin 38 is guided relative to the end direction (in this case, the right direction) by the second groove cam 22 in the right cam mechanism 20b. In addition, the lock outer cam 37 slides with the sliding outer cam 25 (refer to Figure 2B and Figure 10), thereby the refrigerator door 11 slides to the left.

When the handle 34a is further pulled, in the left cam mechanism 20a, the shaft pin 38 is relatively guided by the first groove cam 21, and the lock outer cam 37 slides with the sliding outer cam 25. In the right cam mechanism 20b, the shaft pin 38 is arranged at the end of the second groove cam 22, and the first cam protrusion provided on the outer periphery of the second groove cam 22 begins to slide with the rib 39 of the lock cam component. As a result, the shaft pin 38 restricts the relative sliding movement and is supported to rotate freely (refer to Figure 11). The state of the cam mechanism 20b at this time is called the second locking position.

When the handle 34a is further pulled, the cam mechanism 2a on the left side is disengaged (see FIG. 2C and FIG. 12). In the cam mechanism 20b on the right side, the first cam protrusion slides to the rib 39 at the second locking position, and the sliding outer cam 25 slides to guide the lock outer cam 37. In addition, the cam mechanism 20b on the right side maintains the second locking position and pivots the refrigerator door 11, and the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the left side.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1, when the refrigerator door 11 that opens left and right is opened, the refrigerator door 11 slides outward toward the opened side. In this embodiment, the structure of the handles 34a and 34b is designed so that this sliding movement can be performed more easily.

(Structure of the handle)

The following is a more detailed description of the structure of the handles 34a and 34b. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the state where the end member 31 and the handle forming member 41 constituting the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11 are disassembled.

The end parts 31 are respectively mounted on the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11. FIG. 3 shows the end part 31 mounted on the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11. The end part 31 is provided with an opening 32 to which the handle forming part 41 is mounted. Furthermore, the end part 31 is also provided with an opening 33 to which the display device 50 is inserted. That is, the opening 33 is provided on the side surfaces of the left and right sides of the refrigerator door 11. In addition, although not shown, in the end part 31 mounted on the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 11, only the opening 32 to which the handle forming part 41 is mounted is formed, and the opening 33 to which the display device 50 is inserted is not formed. Furthermore, the handle forming member 41 mounted on the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 11 has a structure that is symmetrical with the handle forming member 41 mounted on the left end 11a.

As shown in FIG4 , a recessed portion 36 and a locking portion 35 for fixing the handle forming member 41 are formed at the mounting position of the handle forming member 41 on the inner side of the end member 31. In addition, a plate-shaped portion 36a is formed on the rear side of the opening portion 32. The plate-shaped portion 36a is inclined toward the front inner side and partially overlaps with the second inclined surface 46 on the rear side of the recessed portion 43 of the handle forming member 41 (see FIG5 ).

The handle forming part 41 has a bracket part 42 and a recessed part 43.

The rear side of the bracket part 42 is embedded in the recessed part 36 of the end part 31, and the front side is engaged with the locking part 35 of the end part 31. Thus, the handle forming part 41 is fixed to the opening part 32 of the end part 31.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the recess 43 has a concave shape that is inclined from the opening 32 toward the front side. The recess 43 constitutes the handle portion 34a. The recess 43 is mainly composed of a first inclined surface 44, a front contact surface 45, and a second inclined surface 46.

The first inclined surface 44 is located on the front side of the recess 43. The first inclined surface 44 is inclined toward the front side from the opening 32 toward the inside of the recess 43. This first inclined surface 44 is set at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator door 11. That is, the first inclined surface 44 becomes the finger contact portion of the handle portion 34a.

The front contact surface 45 is formed in a continuous manner from the first inclined surface 44 and is located at the innermost part of the recess 43. The front contact surface 45 contacts the back surface of the front surface 11c of the refrigerator door 11. That is, the front contact surface 45 is formed in a manner that is substantially parallel to the front surface 11c of the refrigerator door 11.

The second inclined surface 46 is located on the rear side of the recess 43. The second inclined surface 46 is inclined so as to be substantially parallel to the first inclined surface 44. Furthermore, the second inclined surface 46 is formed so as to be continuous from the innermost part of the recess 43 to the front contact surface 45.

In addition, the handle portion 34b on the right side of the refrigerator door 11 is formed to be symmetrical with the handle portion 34a on the left side mentioned above.

Hereinafter, a more preferred inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the positional relationship between each groove cam 21 and 22 provided on the refrigerator door 11 and each component of the handle portion 34a is schematically shown. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a portion of the cam mechanism 20a on the left end 11a side of the refrigerator 1. Although the cam mechanism 20b on the right end 11b side of the refrigerator 1 is not shown, it is a structure symmetrical to the cam mechanism 20a.

As described above, in the door switch mechanism of the refrigerator 1 provided in the present embodiment, a first inclined surface 44 is formed as a finger contact portion in the recess 43 of the handle portion 34a. Since the first inclined surface 44 faces the outside of the refrigerator 1, when the user places his finger on the handle portion 34a and applies force forward, a stress in the outward direction naturally acts. Thus, even if the user is not aware of it, the refrigerator door 11 can slide outward.

Here, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction Y (left-right direction) of the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 11 in the closed state is defined as the X direction. And, this X direction is set as the reference (0 degrees). In addition, the extension direction of the first groove cam 21 is set to A, and the extension direction of the second groove cam 22 is set to B (refer to Figure 5). At this time, the extension angle of the first groove cam 21 relative to the reference position X is set to Ad, and the extension angle of the second groove cam 22 is set to Bd.

At this time, as shown in FIG6 , when the extension angle of the reference position X relative to the normal line C of the first inclined surface 44 is set to Cd, the extension angle Cd preferably satisfies the following conditions.

Ad≦Cd≦Bd

By defining the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 in such an angle as the normal line C, when the door is opened, the force applied to the handle portion 34 can efficiently obtain both the force that first moves the shaft pin 38 along the second groove cam 22 and the force that subsequently moves the shaft pin 38 along the first groove cam 21.

More specifically, the extension angle Ad of the first groove cam 21 can be set to, for example, 10 degrees. Also, the extension angle Bd of the second groove cam 22 can be set to, for example, 72 degrees. In this case, the extension angle Cd of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 44 can be set to any angle within the range of 10 degrees to 72 degrees.

In addition, when the rotating shaft pin 38 is separated from the second groove cam 22 and moved onto the first groove cam 21, in the case where the automatic closing mechanism of the door (for example, the automatic closing mechanism using gravity) is in an effective area, the force from the user's fingers is also required to move the rotating shaft pin 38 along the first groove cam 21. Furthermore, when the rotating shaft pin 38 moves from the first locking position to the second groove cam 22 and the distance to the first groove cam 21 is compared, if the distance from the first groove cam 21 to the first groove cam 21 and beyond the automatic closing mechanism is long, the direction of the first inclined surface 44 (the angle toward the outward direction, specifically, the extension angle Cd) is closer to the extension direction of the first groove cam 21 than the extension direction of the second groove cam 22, and the door can be rotated and beyond the automatic closing mechanism after the sliding movement with less force as a whole.

Therefore, the extension angle Cd is preferably set to the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 in a manner close to the extension angle Ad of the first groove cam 21, compared with the extension angle Bd of the second groove cam 22. For example, the extension angle Cd of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 44 is preferably set to 35 degrees. Thus, the cam mechanism 20a or 20b on either side can more smoothly perform the main rotation action of the refrigerator door 11 after reaching the second locking position.

In addition, the first inclined surface 44 provided on the handle portion 34a is preferably oriented downward. Here, the surface of the first inclined surface 44 oriented downward means that the lower side of the first inclined surface 44 is located further forward than the upper side of the first inclined surface 44. By oriented the surface of the first inclined surface 44 downward, when the user bends his wrist and pulls the refrigerator door 11 forward, stress that lifts the refrigerator door 11 to the upper side can be generated.

Although the hinges (rotating pin 38, etc.) of the refrigerator door 11 exist above and below the door, when the handle 34 is located at the lower side of the door, the movement of the rotating pin on the upper side is slower than that on the lower side. According to the above-mentioned structure, when the user places his hand on the handle 34a or 34b to open the refrigerator door 11, the movement of the rotating pin on the upper side can be performed more smoothly by generating stress to lift the refrigerator door 11 to the upper side. Moreover, as described above, even if the automatic closing mechanism of the door uses a mechanism that utilizes gravity, by generating stress to lift the refrigerator door 11 to the upper side, the force that will bypass the automatic closing mechanism is directly provided to the door, so that the door can be opened more lightly.

(For electric door switch control)

Next, the operation in the refrigerator 1 when the refrigerator door 11 is opened and closed by touch operation using the touch sensor 91 is described. FIG. 7 shows the structure of the electric door switch device 90 provided inside the refrigerator 1. In addition, the automatic opening and closing control of the refrigerator door using the touch sensor can be implemented by a conventionally known method. Therefore, a detailed description is omitted.

As shown in FIG7 , the electric door switch device 90 is mainly composed of a control unit 92, a door switch mechanism 10, a left touch sensor 91a, and a right touch sensor 91b. The structure of the door switch mechanism 10, the left touch sensor 91a, and the right touch sensor 91b is as described above.

The control unit 92 may be disposed inside the refrigerator door 11 or in the main body 2 of the refrigerator 1. The control unit 92 controls the switch action of the door switch mechanism 10 based on the detection results of the left touch sensor 91a and the right touch sensor 91b. Specifically, when the user's hand or the like touches the left touch sensor 91a, the control unit 92 sends a command to the door switch mechanism 10 to start the action shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C. As a result, the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the left end 11a. Furthermore, when the user's hand or the like touches the right touch sensor 91b, the control unit 92 controls the door opening and closing mechanism 10 by causing the cam mechanisms 20a and 20b to perform actions opposite to those shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, and the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the right end 11b.

Thus, even in the case of a user who has difficulty in applying sufficient force to the handle 34a or 34b, such as a child whose height is below the standard, the refrigerator door 11 can be easily opened.

(For the location of the handle and touch sensor)

Next, the configuration positions of the handles 34a and 34b in the refrigerator 1 are described with reference to FIG. 8. The configuration positions of the touch sensors 91a and 91b are also described.

In FIG8 , the position of the recess 43 in the left-side handle portion 34a is indicated by a dotted line. Although not shown, the recess 43 of the right-side handle portion 34b is provided at a position symmetrical to the left and right.

Here, the height from the lower end of the refrigerator 1 to the upper end of the handle 34a is set to H1. This height H1 is preferably set to 130 cm or less, and more preferably set to 120 cm or less. By setting the height H1 to 130 cm or less, when an adult of standard height places his hand on the handle 34a to open the refrigerator door 11 and bends his wrist, it is possible to easily generate stress to lift the refrigerator door 11 to the upper side. In addition, by setting the height H1 to 120 cm or less, when a woman or child of relatively short height places his hand on the handle 34a to open the refrigerator door 11 and bends his wrist, it is possible to more easily generate stress to lift the refrigerator door 11 to the upper side.

In FIG8 , the touch detection range of the left touch sensor 91a is indicated by a dotted line. Although not shown, the right touch sensor 91b also has the same touch detection range. Here, the distance from the left end of the touch detection range (the right end in the case of the right touch sensor 91b) to the left-right end of the refrigerator door 11 is set as L1. In addition, the distance from the lower end of the touch detection range to the upper end of the handle 34a is set as L2. The distances L1 and L2 are preferably less than 5 cm.

Thus, the touch sensor 91 and the handle 34 can be set to a range that can be reached by the fingers of the same user at the same time. By configuring the touch sensor 91 and the handle 34 in such a positional relationship, for example, when the user places his hand on the handle 34 and has manually opened and closed the refrigerator door 11, when the user finds it difficult to open the refrigerator door 11, such as when there are heavy items stored in the refrigerator door 11, the user can keep his hand on the handle 34 so that the thumb or the like can touch the touch sensor 91. Therefore, the door can be opened electrically without changing the user's hand on the handle 34, and the door can be quickly moved to an open state.

[Summary of the first implementation form]

As described above, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has a door switch mechanism 10. The door switch mechanism 10 has at least two handles 34 respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11, and two cam mechanisms 20a and 20b symmetrically arranged at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11 for engaging and disengaging the refrigerator door 11 and the main body 2.

The handle portion 34 is provided with a first inclined surface 44 inclined toward the front side of the door as a finger contact portion. When the user opens the refrigerator door 11, by placing the hand into the recess 43 of the handle portion 34 and pressing the first inclined surface 44 with the finger, the door can be directed outward in the direction of opening and a force can be applied. Therefore, according to the above structure, the refrigerator door 11 can be slid outward more easily, and a door opening and closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained. In addition, according to the above structure, a handle or a rod component for sliding the refrigerator door 11 can be omitted, and a door opening and closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained with a simpler structure.

[Second implementation form]

Next, the second embodiment of the present invention is described. In the second embodiment, the structure of the handle portion of the door switch mechanism provided in the refrigerator door is different from that in the first embodiment. For structures other than the handle portion, the same structure as that in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure of the handle portion that is different from that in the first embodiment.

FIG1 shows the appearance of a refrigerator 1 of the second embodiment. A left-right double-opening refrigerator door 11 is installed at the front opening of the refrigerator. Similar to the first embodiment, the door switch mechanism 10 of the refrigerator door 11 has a cam mechanism 20 (specifically, a left cam mechanism 20a and a right cam mechanism 20b).

Therefore, handles 34 are provided at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11, respectively, and function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door. Specifically, the left handle 34a is provided at the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11. Also, the right handle 34b is provided at the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 11.

FIG. 13 shows the shape of the handle portion 34a provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 11 of the second embodiment. The handle portion 34a is formed by a handle portion forming member 141 mounted on the opening portion 32 of the end member 31 constituting the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 11.

The handle forming part 141 has a bracket part 142 and a recessed part 143.

The rear side of the bracket part 142 is embedded in the recessed part 36 (see Figure 4) of the end part 31, and the front side is engaged with the locking part 35 (see Figure 4) of the end part 31. Thus, the handle forming part 141 is fixed to the opening part 32 of the end part 31.

The recess 143 has a concave shape that is inclined toward the front side from the opening 32. That is, the recess 143 has a shape that is forward-entered compared to the horizontal extension line Y of the front side end of the opening 32.

The concave portion 143 is mainly composed of a first inclined surface 144a, a recessed portion 144b, a front contact surface 145, and a second inclined surface 146.

The first inclined surface 144a is located at the front side of the recess 143. The first inclined surface 144a is inclined toward the front side as it moves from the opening 32 toward the inside of the recess 143. The inclination angle of the first inclined surface 144a can be determined in the same manner as the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 described in the first embodiment. The first inclined surface 144a is set at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator door 11. That is, the first inclined surface 144a becomes the finger contact portion of the handle 34a and 34b.

The recessed portion 144b is provided on the inner side of the recessed portion 143 compared to the first inclined surface 144a. The recessed portion 144b has a shape that is further recessed toward the front side from the first inclined surface 144a.

The front contact surface 145 is formed in a continuous manner from the recessed portion 144b and is located at the innermost side of the recessed portion 143. The front contact surface 145 contacts the back side of the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 11. That is, the front contact surface 145 is formed in a manner that is substantially parallel to the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 11.

The second inclined surface 146 is located on the rear side of the recess 143. The second inclined surface 146 is inclined so as to be substantially parallel to the first inclined surface 144a. Furthermore, the second inclined surface 146 is formed so as to be continuous from the innermost side of the recess 143 to the front contact surface 145.

In the recessed portion 143 having the above structure, since the recessed portion 144b is provided on the inner side of the recessed portion 143 compared to the first inclined surface 144a, the user who wants to open the refrigerator door 11 can place the front end of the finger on the recessed portion 144b.

Furthermore, the angle of the normal line of the surface forming the recessed portion 144b is closer to the extension angle Bd of the second groove cam 22 relative to the extension angle Ad of the first groove cam 21 than the angle of the normal line of the first inclined surface 144a. That is, when the angle of the normal line of the surface forming the recessed portion 144b is set to Dd, the relationship of Cd<Dd holds.

When a user places a finger on the handle 34 and applies force, the force first enters the front end of the finger. At this time, when the angle of the normal line is set to the recessed portion 144b whose angle is close to the extension direction of the second groove cam 22 relative to the extension angle Ad of the first groove cam 21, the user can naturally touch the first inclined surface 144a and the recessed portion 144b along the joint of the finger. And, a greater force is applied than the recessed portion 144b touched relative to the front end of the finger.

Therefore, when the user applies force to the handle 34, a large force is first applied in the normal direction of the surface of the recessed portion 144b. Since the normal direction of the surface of the recessed portion 144b (i.e., the direction of the surface of the recessed portion 144b) is close to the extension direction of the second groove cam 22, the shaft pin 38 can efficiently provide the force to move to the second groove cam 22. Thus, the refrigerator door 11 can be slid and moved efficiently with less force and the shaft pin 38 can be moved to the first groove cam 21.

FIG. 15 shows the shape of the handle portion 34a of the modified example of the present embodiment. The handle portion 34a of the modified example is formed by a handle portion forming member 141A mounted on the opening portion 32 of the end member 31. The handle portion forming member 141A has a bracket portion 142 and a recessed portion 143.

The concave portion 143 is mainly composed of a first inclined surface 144a, a recessed portion 144c, a front contact surface 145, and a second inclined surface 146.

The handle forming part 141A of the modified example is different from the shape of the recessed part 144c of the handle forming part 141. Other than that, it is the same as the handle forming part 141.

The recessed portion 144c is recessed toward the outside direction (the end direction of the refrigerator door 11) than the recessed portion 144b. With this structure, when a person places his fingers on the handle portion 34, the front end of the finger can be immersed in the recessed portion 144c, so that the handle portion 34 can be grasped more securely. Therefore, when the finger is placed on the handle portion 34 and force is applied, the finger can prevent from sliding from the handle portion 34, so that the force from the front end of the finger is more securely directed toward the outside direction of the door.

[Third implementation form]

Next, the third embodiment of the present invention is described. In the third embodiment, the structure of the handle portion of the door switch mechanism provided in the refrigerator door is different from that in the first embodiment. For structures other than the handle portion, the same structure as that in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure of the handle portion that is different from that in the first embodiment.

FIG1 shows the appearance of a refrigerator 1 of the third embodiment. A left-right double-opening refrigerator door 11 is installed at the front opening of the refrigerator. As in the first embodiment, the door switch mechanism 10 of the refrigerator door 11 has a cam mechanism 20 (specifically, a left cam mechanism 20a and a right cam mechanism 20b).

Therefore, handles 34 are provided at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11, respectively, and function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door. Specifically, the left handle 34a is provided at the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 11. Also, the right handle 34b is provided at the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 11.

FIG. 14 shows the shape of the handle portion 34a provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 11 of the third embodiment. The handle portion 34a is formed by a handle portion forming member 241 mounted on the opening portion 32 of the end member 31 constituting the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 11.

The handle forming member 241 has a bracket portion 242 and a recess 243. The bracket portion 242 has the same structure as the bracket portion 42 described in the first embodiment.

The concave portion 243 is mainly composed of a first inclined curved surface 244, a front contact surface 245, and a second inclined surface 246. The front contact surface 145 and the second inclined surface 246 have the same structure as the front contact surface 45 and the second inclined surface 46 described in the first embodiment.

The first inclined surface 44 described in the first embodiment is a flat inclined surface. In contrast, the first inclined curved surface 244 is inclined toward the front side of the door and slightly curved toward the rear side. That is, the first inclined curved surface 244 is more inclined toward the outside of the refrigerator door 11 than the inclined surface of the opening 32.

The inclination angle of the first inclined surface 244 can be determined in the same manner as the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 44 described in the first embodiment. The first inclined surface 244 is provided at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator door 11. That is, the first inclined surface 244 becomes the finger contact portion of the handle portions 34a and 34b.

In addition, in the first inclined curved surface 244, the angle of the normal line of the inclined surface on the side of the opening 32 and the angle of the normal line of the inclined surface on the inner side of the recess 243 can be set to be the same as the relationship between the angle (Cd) of the normal line of the first inclined surface 144a described in the second embodiment and the angle (Dd) of the normal line of the surface forming the recess 144b.

By setting the above-mentioned structure, the same effect as the second embodiment can be obtained. In addition, in this embodiment, since the first inclined curved surface 244 is a gently curved surface shape, the user can easily apply force to the first inclined curved surface 244 regardless of the size of the user's fingers and the depth of the fingers inserted into the handle portion 34a. In addition, since the first inclined curved surface 244 does not have a steep angle change surface, the user can reduce the feeling of disharmony when applying force to the first inclined curved surface 244.

[Fourth implementation form]

Next, the fourth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the fourth embodiment, the structure of the handle portion of the door switch mechanism provided in the refrigerator door is different from that in the first embodiment. For structures other than the handle portion, the same structure as that in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure of the handle portion that is different from that in the first embodiment.

(Overall structure of refrigerator)

In this embodiment, a refrigerator 301 having a refrigerator compartment door that opens left and right is taken as an example and explained. The refrigerator 301 has a door switch mechanism 10. FIG. 16 shows the appearance of the refrigerator 301 of this embodiment. The refrigerator 301 is mainly composed of various doors such as a main body 2 and a refrigerator compartment door 311. The main body 2 is formed into an insulating box body. The refrigerator compartment is arranged in the upper section of the refrigerator 301. The refrigerator compartment door 311 is installed in the opening portion on the front of the refrigerator compartment.

The refrigerator door 311 is a double-opening door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right end. Therefore, at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 311, handles that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door 311 are respectively provided. Specifically, the left handle 334a is provided at the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 311. In addition, the right handle 334b is provided at the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 311. When the user opens the refrigerator door 311 from the left, the user places his hand on the handle 334a to open the left end 11a of the refrigerator door 311. Similarly, when the user opens the refrigerator door 311 from the right, the user places his hand on the handle 334b to open the right end 11b of the refrigerator door 311.

(Structure of the handle)

The following is a more detailed description of the structure of the handles 334a and 334b. FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 show the structure of the appearance of the refrigerator door 311. FIG. 19 shows the cross-sectional structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door 311 shown in FIG. 18.

The handle portion 334a is disposed below the left end portion 11a of the refrigerated door 311. The handle portion 334b is disposed below the right end portion 11b of the refrigerated door 311.

When the user manually opens the refrigerator door 311 from the left, he places his hand on the handle 334a provided at the left end 11a. In addition, a force is applied to the left direction (i.e., the outside of the direction of opening the door) relative to the refrigerator door 311. As a result, the refrigerator door 311 can slide outward, promoting the smooth opening and closing action of the door opening and closing mechanism 10.

Furthermore, when the user manually opens the refrigerator door 311 from the right side, the user places his hand on the handle 334b provided at the right end 11b. In addition, a force is applied to the right direction (i.e., the outer side of the direction in which the door is opened) relative to the refrigerator door 311. Thus, the refrigerator door 311 can slide outward, promoting the smooth opening and closing action of the door opening and closing mechanism 10.

The handle portion 334a has an opening portion 335a formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 311. In addition, the handle portion 334b has an opening portion 335b formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 311. By forming such opening portions 335a and 335b, a user who wants to open the refrigerator door 311 can put his hand on the door from the front side of the refrigerator 301.

The concave space inside the opening 335a is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. Similarly, the concave space inside the opening 335b is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. As shown in FIG. 19, the opening 335a and the opening 335b are symmetrical in shape.

The first inclined surface 344 of the opening portion 335a is located on the left end portion 11a side of the refrigerator door 311. The first inclined surface 344 of the opening portion 335b is located on the right end portion 11b side of the refrigerator door 311. Even in any of the handle portions 334a and 334b, the first inclined surface 344 is inclined from the rear side of the refrigerator door 311 toward the front side, toward the center of the door (i.e., the center line O).

The first inclined surface 344 is provided at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator door 311. That is, the first inclined surface 344 becomes the finger contact portion of the handle portion 334a and 334b.

Furthermore, the first inclined surface 344 is formed by a plate-shaped component. Thus, when the user puts his hand into the opening 335a or 335b and his fingers (e.g., index finger and middle finger) touch the first inclined surface 344, he can insert the plate-shaped component by touching the remaining fingers (e.g., thumb) to the surface opposite to the first inclined surface.

The rear surface 345 is formed as the innermost surface of the concave space formed in the opening portion 335a. In this embodiment, although the rear surface 345 is formed in a manner substantially parallel to the front surface portion 11c of the refrigerator door 311, it is not limited to this in other embodiments.

The second inclined surface 346 is formed at a position opposite to the first inclined surface 344. In order to smoothly open and close the door, when the user wants to open the refrigerator door 311 and puts his hand into the opening portion 335a or 335b, it is preferred that the user's fingers do not abut the second inclined surface 346 side, but abut the first inclined surface 344 side. Therefore, it is preferred that the user's fingers are not stuck in the second inclined surface 346 when the user puts his hand into the opening portion 335a or 335b. That is, the surface of the second inclined surface 346 is preferably processed to make it easy to slide.

The preferred inclination angles of the first inclined surface 344 and the second inclined surface 346 are described below with reference to FIG. 20. FIG. 20 schematically shows the positional relationship between the groove cams 21 and 22 provided on the refrigerator door 311 and the components of the handle portion 334a. FIG. 20 shows a portion of the cam mechanism 20a on the left end 11a side of the refrigerator 301. The cam mechanism 20b on the right end 11b side of the refrigerator 301 is a structure that is symmetrical to the cam mechanism 20a.

As described above, in the door switch mechanism 10 of the refrigerator 301 of the present embodiment, a first inclined surface 344 is formed in the concave space in the opening portion 335a of the handle portion 334a, which is touched by the user's finger. Since the first inclined surface 344 is inclined toward the front side of the refrigerator door 311 and toward the center of the door, when the user puts the finger into the concave space from the opening portion 335a and puts the finger on the first inclined surface 344, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 20, a stress in the outward direction naturally acts. Thus, even if the user is not aware of it, the refrigerator door 311 can slide outward.

Here, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction Y (left-right direction) of the front portion 11c of the closed refrigerator door 311 is defined as the X direction. And, this X direction is set as the reference (0 degrees). In addition, the extension direction of the first groove cam 21 is set to A, and the extension direction of the second groove cam 22 is set to B (refer to Figure 20). At this time, the extension angle of the first groove cam 21 relative to the reference position X is set to θ1, and the extension angle of the second groove cam 22 is set to θ2.

Furthermore, the extension angle of the reference position X relative to the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 is set to θ3. This extension angle θ3 preferably satisfies the following conditions.

θ1≦θ3≦θ2

By defining the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 344 in such an angle as the normal line C, when the door is opened, the force that first moves the shaft pin 38 along the second groove cam 22 and then moves the shaft pin 38 along the first groove cam 21 can be efficiently obtained from the stress applied to the handle portion 334a. In addition, in FIG. 20, for convenience, the normal line C is illustrated at a position offset from the actual normal line position of the first inclined surface 344.

More specifically, the extension angle θ1 of the first groove cam 21 can be set to, for example, 10 degrees. Also, the extension angle θ2 of the second groove cam 22 can be set to, for example, 72 degrees. In this case, the extension angle θ3 of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 can be set to any angle within the range of 10 degrees to 72 degrees.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the extension angle θ3 of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 can also be set to be closer to the extension angle θ2 of the second groove cam 22 than the extension angle θ1 of the first groove cam 21. For example, the extension angle θ3 of the normal line C of the first inclined surface 344 can be set to 65 degrees. As a result, the force that first moves the shaft pin 38 along the second groove cam 22 can be increased. Therefore, the refrigerator door 311 can be slid and moved until it becomes a rotatable state with a smaller force, making it easier for the user to open the door. Furthermore, since the width of the first inclined surface 344 in the left-right direction becomes smaller, the opening portion 335a can be moved closer to the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 311. In this way, the heat insulation performance of the refrigerator door 311 can be easily ensured, and the appearance design of the refrigerator door 311 can be improved.

Furthermore, the second inclined surface 346 located opposite to the first inclined surface 344 is preferably inclined at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to the extension direction (left-right direction) of the front portion 11c. That is, the inclination angle θ4 of the second inclined surface 346 relative to the front portion 11c is preferably a blunt angle. According to this structure, when the user puts his hand into the opening portion 335a, it can be configured to be difficult to put his fingers on the side of the second inclined surface 346. Therefore, the user who puts his hand into the opening portion 335a can actively make his fingers contact the side of the first inclined surface 344, and as described above, the refrigerator door 311 can slide outward in a natural motion.

(For electric door switch control)

In addition, the refrigerator 301 of this embodiment can also electrically control the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 311 by touch operation through the touch sensor 91. The automatic opening and closing control of the refrigerator door using the touch sensor can be implemented by the method known in the past. Therefore, the detailed description is omitted.

[Summary of the fourth implementation form]

As described above, the refrigerator 301 of this embodiment has a door switch mechanism 10. The door switch mechanism 10 has at least two handles 334a and 334b respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 311, and two cam mechanisms 20a and 20b symmetrically arranged at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 311 for engaging and disengaging the refrigerator door 311 and the main body 2.

The handles 334a and 334 are provided with openings 335a and 335b formed on the front portion 11c so that the hand can be placed on the front portion 11c of the door. In addition, a first inclined surface 344 is provided in the space within the openings 335a and 335b. The first inclined surface 344 also inclines from the rear side of the refrigerator door 311 toward the front side, toward the center of the door (i.e., the center line O).

According to this structure, when the user opens the refrigerator door 311, by inserting his hand into the space in the opening portion 335a (or 335b) of the handle portion 334a (or 344b), pressing the first inclined surface 344 with his fingers, the door can be directed outward in the direction of opening and a force can be applied. Therefore, the refrigerator door 311 can be slid outward more easily, and a door opening and closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained.

[Fifth implementation form]

Next, the fifth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the fifth embodiment, the structure of the handle portion of the door switch mechanism provided in the refrigerator door is different from that in the fourth embodiment. For structures other than the handle portion, the same structure as that in the fourth embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure of the handle portion that is different from that in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 21 shows the structure of the refrigerator door 411 of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator door 411 at a position corresponding to the A-A line portion of FIG. 18 .

Similar to the fourth embodiment, the refrigerator door 411 is a double-opening door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right end. Therefore, at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 411, handles that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door 411 are provided (specifically, the left handle 434a and the right handle 434b).

The handle portion 434a has an opening portion 335a formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 411. In addition, the handle portion 434b has an opening portion 335b formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 411.

The concave space inside the opening 335a is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 444, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. Similarly, the concave space inside the opening 335b is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 444, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346.

The first inclined surface 444 is formed by a plate-like component. Moreover, the thickness of the plate-like component is thicker on the rear side than on the front side of the door. With such a structure, it becomes difficult for a user who puts his hand into the opening 335a or 335b to grab the plate-like component at the rear where the plate thickness is greater. Therefore, when the action of opening the door begins, it is possible to make it difficult to pull the door to the inner side in front of the front (the direction in which the plate-like component extends). Therefore, when the finger is placed on the first inclined surface 444 and force is applied, the pressing force of the finger can be more surely directed toward the outside of the door.

In addition, in the above-mentioned plate-shaped component, the surface of the first inclined surface 444 may also be subjected to anti-slip processing and structures such as ridges and grooves extending in the up-down direction. On the other hand, the surface (opposite surface) on the opposite side of the first inclined surface 444 is easier to slide than the first inclined surface 444 by not applying anti-slip processing and structures. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult for the finger to press toward the inside of the door, and the finger can be pressed more surely toward the outside of the door.

The rear surface 345 and the second inclined surface 346 forming the concave space in the openings 335a and 335b have the same structure as the fourth embodiment.

[Sixth implementation form]

Next, the sixth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the sixth embodiment, the structure of the handle portion of the door switch mechanism provided in the refrigerator door is different from that in the fourth embodiment. For structures other than the handle portion, the same structure as that in the fourth embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure of the handle portion that is different from that in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 22 shows the structure of the left side handle portion 634a of the refrigerator door 611 of the sixth embodiment.

Similar to the fourth embodiment, the refrigerator door 611 is a double-opening door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right end. Therefore, at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 611, handles that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door 611 are provided (specifically, the left handle 634a and the right handle 634b (not shown)).

The handle portion 634a has an opening portion 335a formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 611. Although not shown, the handle portion 634b on the right side also has the same structure.

The concave space inside the opening 335a is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 644, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346.

As shown in FIG. 22 , the first inclined surface 644 has a curved surface that bulges in a convex shape in the space inside the opening portion 335a. With such a structure, when a user puts his hand into the opening portion 335a and starts to open the door, it becomes easy to fix the fingertips on the first inclined surface 644. As a result, it becomes easy for the force of the finger gripping to change to the force in the direction of pressing the first inclined surface 644. Therefore, when the finger rests on the first inclined surface 644 and applies force, the pressing force of the finger can be more surely directed toward the outside of the door.

The rear surface 345 and the second inclined surface 346 forming the concave space in the opening portion 335a have the same structure as the fourth embodiment.

[Seventh implementation form]

Next, the seventh embodiment of the present invention is described. In the seventh embodiment, the structure of the handle portion of the door switch mechanism provided in the refrigerator door is different from that in the fourth embodiment. For structures other than the handle portion, the same structure as that in the fourth embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure of the handle portion that is different from that in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 23 shows the structure of the refrigerator door 511 of the seventh embodiment. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator door 511 at a position corresponding to the A-A line portion of FIG. 18 .

Similar to the fourth embodiment, the refrigerator door 511 is a double-opening door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right end. Therefore, at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 511, handles that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door 511 are provided (specifically, the left handle 534a and the right handle 534b).

The handle portion 534a has an opening portion 335a formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 511. In addition, the handle portion 534b has an opening portion 335b formed on the front portion 11c of the refrigerator door 511.

The concave space inside the opening 335a is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. Similarly, the concave space inside the opening 335b is mainly defined by the first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346. The first inclined surface 344, the rear surface 345, and the second inclined surface 346 forming the concave space are substantially the same as those of the fourth embodiment.

However, in this embodiment, the boundary between the second inclined surface 346 and the front portion 11c is a smooth curved surface 546R. Thus, when a user who wants to open the door puts his hand into the opening portion 335a and puts his finger on the second inclined surface 346 instead of the first inclined surface 344, the finger can slide on the curved surface 546R, making it difficult to put the hand on the second inclined surface 346. Therefore, the user who puts his hand into the opening portion 335a can actively make the finger contact the first inclined surface 344, and as described above, the refrigerator door 311 can slide outward in a natural motion.

[Eighth Implementation Form]

Next, the eighth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the eighth embodiment, an example in which the handle part (handle structure) is configured to be detachable from the door of a refrigerator is described.

FIG. 24 shows a state where the refrigerator door 11 of the eighth embodiment and the handle member (handle structure) 700 installed on the refrigerator door 11 are disassembled. FIG. 25 shows the appearance of the refrigerator 1 in a state where the handle member 700 is not installed. The refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 25 may also have the same structure as the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 1 .

The refrigerator 1 has a refrigerator door 11 that opens left and right. The basic structure of the refrigerator 1 is the same as the refrigerator 301 described in the fourth embodiment. In addition, in the refrigerator 1, the structure of the handle portion (i.e., the handle portions 34a and 34b) provided on the refrigerator door 11 is different from that of the refrigerator 301.

The left handle portion 34a is provided at the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 11. In addition, the right handle portion 34b is provided at the right end portion 11b of the refrigerator door 11. The handle portion 34a is formed by a handle portion forming member installed at the opening portion 32 of the end member 31 constituting the left end portion 11a of the refrigerator door 11. The handle portion forming member has a recess 43 (refer to FIG. 26 (b)). The right handle portion 34b also has the same structure as the left handle portion 34a.

The handle member 700 is formed of a material having a certain degree of flexibility, such as a resin material. The handle member 700 has a central support member 710, a left handle portion 734a, and a right handle portion 734b as main components.

The central support member 710 is a plate-shaped member connecting the left handle portion 734a and the right handle portion 734b. When the left handle portion 734a is installed in the refrigerator 1, it is located at the end of the left side and becomes the handle portion when the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the left side. When the right handle portion 734b is installed in the refrigerator 1, it is located at the end of the right side and becomes the handle portion when the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the right side.

The left handle portion 734a and the right handle portion 734b have a left-right symmetrical structure. The left handle portion 734a and the right handle portion 734b respectively have an inclined surface forming portion 744, a rear plate-shaped portion 751, and a fixing portion 752, etc.

The inclined surface forming portion 744 is formed in a roughly plate shape and has an inclined surface 744a on the inner side. The inclined surface 744a is provided at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator compartment door 11. That is, the inclined surface 744a becomes the finger contact portion of the handle portions 734a and 734b.

The inclined surface 744 is similar to the first inclined surface 344 described in the fourth embodiment. When installed on the refrigerator door 11, it inclines from the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 toward the front side and toward the center of the door.

The rear plate-shaped portion 751 is a roughly plate-shaped component extending rearward from the inclined surface forming portion 744. The fixing portion 752 has a convex portion protruding from the inner side of the rear plate-shaped portion 751 toward the central supporting member 710.

In Figures 26(a) and (b), the refrigerator door 11 is shown with the handle member 700 installed.

When the handle member 700 is installed on the refrigerator door 11, the convex portion of the fixing portion 752 is embedded in the concave portion 43 of the handle forming member of the refrigerator door 11. That is, by inserting the fixing portion 752 of the handle member 700 into the concave portion 43 formed at each end 11a and 11b of the refrigerator door 11, the handle member 700 can be installed in a fixed state on the refrigerator door 11.

As described above, a handle component 700 is installed on the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment. With the handle component 700 installed, a left handle portion 734a or a right handle portion 734b is arranged on the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11. These handle portions 734a and 734b replace the handle portions 34a and 34b provided on the main body of the refrigerator 1 and function as handles when opening and closing the door.

The handles 734a and 734b are provided with inclined surface forming portions 744 protruding forward from the front portion 11c. Thus, a user who wants to open the door can place his hands on the handles 734a and 734b from the front portion 11c of the door. In addition, an inclined surface 744a is formed on the inner side of the inclined surface forming portion 744. The inclined surface 744 is inclined from the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 toward the front side and toward the center of the door.

According to this structure, when the user opens the refrigerator door 11, by placing his hand on the inclined surface 744a from the front inner side of the handle 734a or 744b and pressing the inclined surface 744a with his fingers, the door can be moved outward in the direction of opening and force can be applied. Therefore, the refrigerator door 11 can be slid outward more easily, and a door opening and closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained.

Furthermore, in the case where the position and shape of the handles 34a and 34b provided on the main body of the refrigerator 1 are difficult to use according to the user's physique, preference, etc., the handle component 700 can also be installed. Thus, the handles 724a and 734b of the handle component 700 function as handles when opening and closing the door instead of the handles 34a and 34b provided on the main body of the refrigerator 1. Therefore, the position and shape of the handles 734a and 734b of the handle component 700 can also be changed in various ways to develop products as a variety of variable structures. Thus, the user can choose the handle component 700 according to his or her own preferences. Therefore, it is possible to provide a handle structure that is highly convenient for the user.

[Ninth implementation form]

Next, the ninth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the ninth embodiment, the structure of the handle component (handle structure) installed on the refrigerator door is different from that of the eighth embodiment. For structures other than the handle component, the same structure as the eighth embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure that is different from the eighth embodiment.

FIG27(a) shows the appearance of the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of the ninth embodiment. In this figure, the refrigerator door 11 is shown with the handle member 800 installed. FIG27(b) shows the cross-sectional structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door 11 shown in FIG27(a). FIG28 shows the appearance of the handle member 800 alone.

The handle member 800 is formed of a material having a certain degree of flexibility, such as a resin material. The handle member 800 has a central plate member 810, a left handle portion 834a, and a right handle portion 834b as main components. In the eighth embodiment, the handle mounting member 700 is an integrally formed resin member. In this embodiment, the central plate member 810, the left handle portion 834a, and the right handle portion 834b constituting the handle member 800 are respectively constituted by other components.

The central plate-shaped member 810 is a plate-shaped member that connects the left handle 834a and the right handle 834b. A connecting shaft 811 is provided at the upper and lower ends of the central plate-shaped member 810. The left handle 834a is connected at the left end of the connecting shaft 811. The right handle 834b is connected at the right end of the connecting shaft 811.

The left handle 834a is located at the end of the left side when installed in the refrigerator 1, and becomes the handle when the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the left side. The right handle 834b is located at the end of the right side when installed in the refrigerator 1, and becomes the handle when the refrigerator door 11 is opened from the right side.

The left handle portion 834a and the right handle portion 834b have a left-right symmetrical structure. The left handle portion 834a and the right handle portion 834b respectively have an inclined surface forming portion 844, a rear plate-shaped portion 851, a fixing portion 852, and a connecting portion 853, etc.

The inclined surface forming portion 844 is formed in a roughly plate shape and has an inclined surface 844a on the inner side. The inclined surface 844a is provided at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator compartment door 11.

The inclined surface 844a is similar to the first inclined surface 344 described in the fourth embodiment. When installed on the refrigerator door 11, it inclines from the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 toward the front side and toward the center of the door.

The rear plate-shaped portion 851 is a generally plate-shaped component extending rearward from the inclined surface forming portion 844. The fixing portion 852 has a convex portion protruding from the inner side of the rear plate-shaped portion 851 toward the central plate-shaped component 810.

The connecting portion 853 constitutes the connecting portion with the central plate-shaped member 810. By inserting the connecting portion 853 into the connecting shaft portion 811 of the central plate-shaped member 810 and fixing it with a small screw 854, each handle portion 834a and 834b can be fixed to the central plate-shaped member 810.

When the handle member 800 is installed on the refrigerator door 11, the convex portion of the fixing portion 852 is embedded in the concave portion 43 of the handle forming member of the refrigerator door 11. That is, by inserting the fixing portion 852 of the handle member 800 into the concave portion 43 formed at each end 11a and 11b of the refrigerator door 11, the handle member 800 can be installed in a fixed state on the refrigerator door 11.

As described above, a handle component 800 is installed on the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment. With the handle component 800 installed, a left handle 834a or a right handle 834b is arranged at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11. These handles 834a and 834b replace the handles 34a and 34b provided on the main body of the refrigerator 1 and function as handles when opening and closing the door.

[Tenth Implementation Form]

Next, the tenth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the tenth embodiment, the structure of the handle component (handle structure) installed on the refrigerator door is different from that of the eighth embodiment. For structures other than the handle component, the same structure as the eighth embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is centered on the structure that is different from the eighth embodiment.

FIG29(a) shows the appearance of the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of the tenth embodiment. In this figure, the refrigerator door 11 is shown with the handle member 900 installed. FIG29(b) shows the cross-sectional structure of the A-A line portion of the refrigerator door 11 shown in FIG29(a). FIG30 shows the appearance of the handle member 900 alone.

In the eighth embodiment, a handle component 700 is described as having two handle portions 734a and 734b. In contrast, in this embodiment, the handle component 900 forming the left handle portion 934a and the handle component 900 forming the right handle portion 934b are composed of other components.

The handle member 900 forming the left handle portion 934a and the handle member 900 forming the right handle portion 934b have the same shape. And, they are installed in a mutually symmetrical positional relationship with respect to the refrigerator door 11.

As shown in FIG. 30 , the handle component 900 is mainly composed of an inclined surface forming component 944 and a fixing portion forming component 950. In this embodiment, the inclined surface forming component 944 and the fixing portion forming component 950 are formed as separate components, and a connecting component such as a small screw 954 is used to form a component (i.e., the handle component 900) connected to each other.

The inclined surface forming member 944 has a main body portion forming an inclined surface 944a and a rib 945. The inclined surface 944a is provided at a position where the fingers of the user's hand touch when the user opens the refrigerator compartment door 11. That is, the inclined surface 944a becomes the finger contact portion of the handle portion 934a and 934b.

The inclined surface 944a is similar to the first inclined surface 344 described in the fourth embodiment. When installed on the refrigerator door 11, it inclines from the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 toward the front side toward the center of the door.

The fixing portion forming component 950 has a plate-shaped portion 951 and a protrusion 952. The plate-shaped portion 951 extends rearward from the inclined surface forming portion 944. The protrusion 952 is formed so as to protrude from the inner surface of the plate-shaped portion 951.

When the handle member 900 is installed on the refrigerator door 11, the protrusion 952 is embedded in the recess 43 of the handle forming member of the refrigerator door 11. That is, by respectively embedding the protrusions 952 of the two handle members 900 into the recesses 43 formed at the ends 11a and 11b of the refrigerator door 11, the handle member 900 can be installed in a fixed state on the refrigerator door 11.

As described above, two handle parts 900 are installed on the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. By installing the two handle parts 900, handle parts 934a and handle parts 934b are formed at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11. These handle parts 934a and 934b replace the handle parts 34a and 34b provided on the main body of the refrigerator 1 and function as handles when opening and closing the door.

A slope forming member 944 protruding forward from the front face 11c of the refrigerator door 11 is provided on the handles 934a and 934b. Thus, a user who wants to open the door can place his hands on the handles 934a and 934b from the front face 11c of the door. In addition, a slope 944a is formed on the inner side of the slope forming member 944. The slope 944a slopes from the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 toward the front side and toward the center of the door.

According to this structure, when the user opens the refrigerator door 11, by placing his hand on the inclined surface 944a from the front inner side of the handle 934a or 944b and pressing the inclined surface 944a with his fingers, the door can be directed outward in the direction of opening and force can be applied. Therefore, the refrigerator door 11 can be slid outward more easily, and a door opening and closing mechanism with better operability can be obtained.

Furthermore, according to this structure, the handle part 900 can be installed only on the side that the user usually uses or feels inconvenient in the left and right handle parts 34a and 34b of the refrigerator door 11. Therefore, it is easy to combine the appearance design of the refrigerator 1 and the convenience of the refrigerator door 11.

[Other implementation forms]

In this specification, an example of applying the door opening and closing mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention to a refrigerator door is described. However, the door structure described in this specification is not only applicable to refrigerators, but also to storage cabinets and thermal insulation cabinets with left and right double-opening doors.

The embodiments disclosed this time are all illustrative and should not be considered restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not indicated by the above description but by the scope of the patent application, and is intended to include the meaning equivalent to the scope of the patent application and all changes within the scope. In addition, the configuration obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in this specification is also included in the scope of the present invention.

11: Refrigerator door (door)

11a: Left end

11c: Front part

20a: Cam mechanism

21: First groove cam (sliding cam component)

22: Second groove cam (sliding cam component)

31: End part (sliding cam part)

34a: Handle

38: Pivot pin (locking cam component)

41: Handle forming part

43: Concave part

44: First inclined surface (inclined surface, finger contact portion)

45: Front contact surface

46: Second inclined plane

X: Base position

Y: The horizontal extension line of the front side end of the opening

A: Extension direction of the first groove cam

B: Extension direction of the second groove cam

Claims (10)

A door switch mechanism, wherein a switch is mounted on a door body, comprises: a handle portion, respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the door; and two cam mechanisms, symmetrically arranged at the left and right sides of the door, for engaging and disengaging the door from the body; when the door is in a closed state, the cam mechanisms arranged at the left and right sides are arranged at symmetrical first locking positions, and when either left or right end of the door is opened, the door slides toward the outer side of that side, By moving the cam mechanism on the other side opposite to the one side to the second locking position, the door is configured in a manner such that the end portion on the other side becomes a pivotally supported state; the handle portion has an opening portion provided at the end portion of the door, a recessed portion recessed from the opening portion, and a finger contact portion having an inclined surface inclined from the side surface of the door to the central side is provided in the recess from the rear side of the door to the front side. The cam mechanism has: a pair of sliding cam parts, and the left and right ends of either one of the main body parts are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line of the door; a pair of lock cam parts are symmetrically arranged with respect to the corresponding positions of the sliding cam parts in the other sides of the door and the main body part; and each shaft pin is arranged in the pair of lock cam parts; the sliding cam part has a first groove cam and a second groove cam for guiding the sliding of the shaft pin; when the door is in a closed state, each shaft pin is locked in the first locking position of the second groove cam The door is configured such that when the left or right end of the door is opened, the door slides toward the outer side of the door, and the pivot pin located on the opposite side of the door moves to the second locking position by moving the second groove cam to become a pivotally supported state; The angle of the normal line of the inclined surface of the finger contact portion is determined in such a way that it becomes the angle between the extension angle of the first groove cam and the extension angle of the second groove cam. The door opening and closing mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the opening portion is arranged on the side of the door. The door switch mechanism as described in claim 2, wherein the finger contact portion has a recessed portion further recessed from the inclined surface toward the front side. The door opening and closing mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the opening portion is arranged in front of the door. A door opening and closing mechanism as described in claim 4, wherein the inclined surface is formed by a substantially plate-shaped component, and the thickness of the substantially plate-shaped component is at least partially thicker on the rear side than on the front side of the door. A door opening and closing mechanism as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein the inclined surface is formed by the inner surface of the opening portion, and the surface opposite to the inclined surface is inclined at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to the front of the door. A storage cabinet, wherein the storage cabinet has a door switch mechanism as described in any one of claim items 1-6. A storage cabinet as described in claim 7, wherein the upper end of the handle is located at a height of less than 130 cm from the lower end of the storage cabinet. A storage cabinet as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein the inclined surface is facing downward. A handle structure is a handle structure for a door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right side, and comprises: a handle portion, which is respectively arranged at the left and right ends of the door; the handle portion has an opening portion formed on the front side of the door, and is configured in such a way that a hand is placed in the opening portion from the front side of the door; the handle portion has an inclined surface on the inner side surface of the opening portion, which is inclined from the rear side of the door toward the front side and toward the center of the door, and the inclined surface is located on the outer side of the opening portion. The handle structure is detachably configured on the door of a storage room having a main body and a door mounted on the main body, which can be opened and closed from either the left or right side.