OPERATION ASSISTING APPARATUS AND REFRIGERATOR

摘要

PURPOSE: Disclosed are an operation assisting apparatus and a refrigerator using the former in which mechanical trouble caused by locking of speed reduction wheel train and motor is unlikely to occur and stable slip operation is ensured. CONSTITUTION: A protruded member(9) is provided for assisting operation of opening/closing operation by receiving driving force of a motor(7) through a gear wheel train(8) to slidably move and making contact with an opening/closing member(4). On the gear wheel train there is provided a worm(13) coupled integrally and rotatably with an output shaft(7a) of the motor through a slip mechanism. The slip mechanism consists of a coiled spring(26) with one end engaged with the output shaft and with the other end serving as a free end, and a wall section(13e) formed on the worm(13) such that frictional force is produced between the coiled spring and the section(13e) when the coiled spring is rotated integrally with the output shaft(7a). When transmission torque from a motor side to a protruded member(9) side is less than a predetermined value, the output shaft(7a) and the worm(13) are integrally rotated owing to frictional force, and, if the torque exceeds the predetermined value, the rotation of the output shaft is prevented from being transmitted to the worm(13).