DOOR OPENING DEVICE AND REFRIGERATOR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely open a door by determining a state where the door is difficult to open from an opening and closing time of the door, and varying a voltage to be applied to a motor of a door opening device to change the opening force. SOLUTION: When a signal from a door switch 15 is input to a microcomputer 21 just after closing the door 2 of the refrigerator 1 (step 1), integration of door closing time T is started (step 2). When an operation switch 5 provided on the front surface of the door 2 is operated, a signal from the operation switch 5 is input to the microcomputer 21 (step 3), and a time T from the closing of the door 2 to the operation of the operation switch 5 is detected (step 4). When the door closing time T is X1 or less, just closing of the door 2 is determined, and when it is X2 or more, continuous closing of the door 2 for a long term is determined (step 5), and a voltage V2 higher than a normal directional general voltage V1 is applied to the motor 7 from the microcomputer 21 to move an output shaft 8 to a forward direction (step 11). COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI