A reversible drawer assembly and refrigerator using the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a reversible drawer assembly and a refrigerator using the same, wherein a movable front cover is arranged at the front end of the drawer bucket, and an inner wall surface of the movable front cover is provided with a connecting plate extending toward the storage cavity side; a movable connecting part is arranged between the drawer bucket and the movable front cover, so that the movable front cover can be flipped relative to the drawer bucket, the base is fixed on the inner wall of the drawer bucket and forms a cavity with the inner wall of the drawer, the base is provided with an arc-shaped hole, the elastic component is located in the cavity, one end of the elastic component is fixed on the base, and the other end forms a convex column that passes through the arc-shaped hole of the base and is fixed together with the connecting plate located on the outer side of the base, the connecting plate is hinged to the base at the lower end where it is fixed to the convex column, so that the connecting plate can rotate relative to the base, and at the same time, the convex column slides in the arc-shaped hole along the inner wall of the arc-shaped hole, and the elastic component is deformed accordingly, thereby solving the wear problem of the bottom of the pull-out drawer caused by reciprocating motion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drawer assembly, in particular to a reversible drawer assembly, and in particular to a reversible drawer assembly applied to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] As people's living standards continue to improve, consumers' demands for refrigerators are also increasing, and further, the requirements for refrigerators and their drawers are becoming increasingly higher. Existing refrigerator drawer assemblies often have glass shelves on top, which requires users to pull out the drawer to access items. This is very inconvenient and reduces the user experience. In addition, the reciprocating movement of pulling and pushing the drawer out can cause wear or damage to the contact surfaces on both sides of the drawer, which does not meet user needs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a reversible drawer assembly, which includes a drawer, a movable connecting portion, and a movable front cover. By providing a movable connecting portion between the drawer and the movable front cover, the movable front cover can be flipped relative to the drawer, effectively solving the wear problem of the pull-out drawer assembly caused by reciprocating pulling and pulling. Specifically:

[0004] The movable front cover is arranged at the front end of the drawer and forms a storage cavity with the drawer. The inner wall surface of the movable front cover is provided with a connecting plate extending toward the storage cavity side.

[0005] The movable connection part is arranged between the drawer and the movable front cover, so that the movable front cover can be turned relative to the drawer;

[0006] The movable connection part includes a base and an elastic component, wherein the base is fixed on the inner wall of the drawer and forms a cavity with the inner wall of the drawer;

[0007] The base is provided with an arc-shaped hole;

[0008] The elastic component is located in the cavity, one end of which is fixed to the base, and the other end forms a convex column that passes through the arc-shaped hole of the base and is fixed to the connecting plate located outside the base;

[0009] The connecting plate is hinged to the base at its lower end fixed to the boss, so that the connecting plate can rotate relative to the base, and at the same time the boss slides along the inner wall of the arc hole in the arc hole, causing the elastic component to deform accordingly.

[0010] Preferably, the movable front mask also includes a mask holding portion and a movable baffle. The mask holding portion is an inner cavity structure. The upper end of the movable baffle is movably arranged in the inner cavity of the mask holding portion, and the lower end is always in contact with the bottom of the drawer.

[0011] Preferably, the upper part of the inner cavity of the mask holding part is loose and the lower part is tightened, and only the upper end of the movable baffle is tightened, so that the movable baffle will never fall off from the inner cavity of the mask holding part.

[0012] Preferably, the elastic component includes a spring and a pin, the pin includes a first pin and a second pin, one end of the spring is fixed to the first pin, and the other end is fixed to the second pin, a boss is formed on the second pin, and when the boss drives the second pin to move, the spring is deformed.

[0013] Preferably, the arc-shaped hole of the base forms an arc segment, the left and right ends of the bottom of the arc segment of the arc hole form a first position point and a second position point, and the top of the arc segment of the arc hole forms a third position point; when the boss is at the first position point, the spring is not under force; when the boss is at the second position point, the spring is under pressure; when the boss is at the third position point, the spring is not under force.

[0014] Preferably, when the boss moves to the first position, the movable front mask is perpendicular to the bottom of the drawer; when the boss moves to the third position, the movable front mask is inclined to the bottom of the drawer; when the boss moves to the second position, the movable front mask is parallel to the bottom of the drawer.

[0015] Preferably, the first position, the second position and the third position of the arc-shaped hole of the base are equidistant from the hinge point between the base and the connecting plate.

[0016] Preferably, limit bosses are respectively provided at the left and right ends of the bottom of the drawer to limit the moving range of the lower end of the movable baffle.

[0017] Preferably, when the mask gripping portion is subjected to horizontal pulling force, the drawer assembly cannot be flipped over, but moves horizontally outward as a whole to form an access outlet.

[0018] The present invention also provides a refrigerator, in which the drawer assembly provided by the present invention is arranged.

[0019] The present invention arranges a movable connection part between the drawer bucket and the movable front cover, so that the user can store and retrieve items by flipping the movable front cover to form an exit, thereby solving the problem of wear on the bottom of the pull-out drawer due to reciprocating motion. The invention is simple to use and improves the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other drawings can be derived from these drawings without inventive effort.

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the drawer assembly structure of embodiment 1 of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the drawer assembly structure of embodiment 1 of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a left side sectional view of the drawer assembly according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the movable front mask according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a left side view of the mask grip and movable baffle of Example 1 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of the movable connection part of Example 1 of the present invention;

[0027] In the picture:

[0028] 1- drawer; 11- limiting boss;

[0029] 2-movable connection part; 21-base; 211-arc-shaped hole; 2111-first position point; 2112-second position point; 2113-third position point;

[0030] 22-elastic component; 221-spring; 222-first latch; 223-second latch; 224-protruding column;

[0031] 3- movable front mask; 31- mask grip; 32- movable baffle; 33- connecting plate;

[0032] 4-first connecting column; 5-second connecting column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" used in the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "A plurality" generally includes at least two, but does not exclude the inclusion of at least one.

[0035] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein is merely a description of the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0036] It should also be noted that the terms "include," "comprises," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such product or system. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system comprising the element.

[0037] The present invention allows items to be stored and retrieved by forming an exit through a flip-over movable front cover, thereby solving the problem of wear on the bottom of a pull-out drawer due to reciprocating motion. The invention is easy to use and improves the user experience.

[0038] Example 1:

[0039] like Figure 1-6 As shown, this embodiment provides a drawer assembly, which includes a drawer box 1, a movable connecting portion 2 and a movable front cover 3, wherein:

[0040] The movable front cover 3 is arranged at the front end of the drawer 1 and forms a storage cavity with the drawer 1. The stored objects are placed in the storage cavity for storage.

[0041] The inner wall surface of the movable front cover 3 is provided with a connecting plate 33 extending toward the storage cavity side, and the movable connecting portion 2 is provided between the drawer 1 and the movable front cover 3 .

[0042] Preferably, the movable front mask 3 also includes a mask holding portion 31 and a movable baffle 32. The mask holding portion 31 is an inner cavity type structure. The upper end of the movable baffle 32 is movably arranged in the inner cavity of the mask holding portion 31, and the lower end is always in contact with the bottom of the drawer 1. The movable baffle 32 moves up and down in the mask holding portion 31 so that the movable front mask 3 has a folding function.

[0043] Preferably, the connecting plate 33 is provided on the inner wall surface of the mask holding portion 31 extending toward the storage cavity side, and the two are fixedly connected by screws.

[0044] Preferably, the upper portion of the inner cavity of the mask holding portion 31 is loose and the lower portion is tightened, and only the upper end of the movable baffle 32 is tightened, so that the movable baffle 32 will never fall off from the inner cavity of the mask holding portion 31.

[0045] Preferably, the mask gripping portion 31 and the movable baffle 32 are both made of plastic material and can be easily processed and manufactured by injection molding.

[0046] The movable connection part 2 includes a base 21 and an elastic component 22, wherein the base 21 is fixed on the inner wall of the drawer 1 and forms a cavity with the inner wall of the drawer. The elastic component 22 is located in the cavity, one end of which is fixed on the base 21, and the other end forms a protrusion 224 that passes through the arc hole 211 of the base 21 and is fixed together with the connecting plate 33 located on the outside of the base 21.

[0047] Preferably, the cavity refers to the middle portion of the base 21 that protrudes outward relative to the left and right ends, and a certain distance is formed between the protruding portion and the inner wall of the drawer 1.

[0048] Preferably, in this embodiment, the left and right ends of the base 21 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the drawer 1 by screws.

[0049] An arc-shaped hole 211 is formed on the base 21 . The arc-shaped hole 211 has only one arc segment. A first position point 2111 and a second position point 2112 are formed at the left and right ends of the bottom of the arc segment of the arc-shaped hole 211 . A third position point 2113 is formed at the top of the arc segment of the arc-shaped hole 211 .

[0050] Preferably, the elastic component 22 and the base 21 can be fixed by screws or connecting columns. In this embodiment, preferably, the elastic component 22 and the base 21 are fixed by connecting columns, such as Figure 6 As shown, a hole for mounting with a connecting column is formed at a corresponding position of the base 21 , and the connecting column is the second connecting column 5 .

[0051] Preferably, the boss 224 for connecting the elastic component 22 to the connecting plate 33 can be formed integrally with the elastic component 22 or can be independently provided relative to the elastic component 22. In this embodiment, it is further preferred that the boss 224 is independently provided relative to the elastic component 22.

[0052] Preferably, the base 21 is made of sheet metal, which makes the base 21 easy to process and shape, facilitates cutting of the arc-shaped hole 211 , and reduces the wear of the boss 224 on the inner wall of the arc-shaped hole 211 .

[0053] Preferably, the elastic component 22 includes a spring 221 and a pin, the pin includes a first pin 222 and a second pin 223, one end of the spring 221 is fixed to the first pin 222, and the other end is fixed to the second pin 223, a boss 224 is formed on the second pin 223, and when the boss 224 drives the second pin to move, the spring 221 is deformed.

[0054] Preferably, the first latch 222 is fixedly connected to the base 21 through the second connecting column 5; the second latch 223 is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 33 through the boss 224 passing through the arc-shaped hole 211 of the base 21, and a mounting hole for matching with the boss 224 is formed at the corresponding position of the connecting plate 33.

[0055] The connecting plate 33 is hinged to the base 21 at its lower end fixed to the boss 224, so that the connecting plate 33 can rotate relative to the base 21, and at the same time, the boss 224 slides along the inner wall of the arc-shaped hole 211 in the arc-shaped hole 211, causing the elastic component 22 to deform accordingly, that is, the second pin 223 is displaced relative to the first pin 222.

[0056] Preferably, the connecting plate 33 is hinged to the base 21 through the first connecting column 4 at its lower end fixed to the boss 224. Correspondingly, a hole is formed on the connecting plate 33 to be installed and cooperate with the first connecting column 4. The end of the first connecting column 4 connected to the base 21 is fixed relative to the base 21, and the end connected to the connecting plate 33 is rotatable relative to the connecting plate 33, that is, the connecting plate 33 can rotate around the first connecting column 4, that is, the upper end of the connecting plate 33 rotates with the hinge point hinged to the base 21 as the center, thereby driving the movable front mask 3 fixed thereto to rotate and realize flipping. During the flipping of the movable front mask 3, the movable baffle 32 realizes the folding function of the movable front mask 3 by its up and down reciprocating motion in the inner cavity of the mask holding portion 31.

[0057] In this embodiment, it is further preferred that one end of the first connecting column 4 connected to the connecting plate 33 is fixed relative to the connecting plate 33 , while the other end connected to the base 21 is rotatable relative to the base 21 .

[0058] Preferably, when the boss 224 is at the first position 2111, the spring 221 is in its original state and is not subjected to stress. When the boss 224 is at the third position 2113, since the third position 2113 is higher than the first position 2111, the distance between the second latch 223 and the first latch 222 is shortened, compressing the spring 221 and thus subjecting it to pressure. When the boss 224 is at the second position 2112, since the second position 2112 is symmetrical with the first position 2111 relative to the first latch 222, the pressure on the spring 221 at the second position 2112 is released, returning it to its original state and being free of stress. Furthermore, since the spring 221 is subjected to the greatest pressure at the third position 2113, the movable front cover 3 is in an unstable state, and a slight movement will cause it to return to the first position 2111 or flip to the second position 2112.

[0059] Preferably, when the boss 224 moves to the first position point 2111, the movable front mask 3 is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the drawer bucket 1, and the drawer assembly is in a closed state; when the boss 224 moves to the third position point 2113, the movable front mask 3 is inclined to the bottom surface of the drawer bucket 1, and the drawer assembly is in an unstable half-open state; when the boss 224 moves to the second position point 2112, the movable front mask 3 is parallel to the bottom surface of the drawer bucket 1, and the drawer assembly is in a fully open state.

[0060] Preferably, since the spring 221 has a reset function, the movable front cover 3 can be automatically restored from the open state to the closed state by being slightly moved, which is convenient for users.

[0061] Preferably, limit bosses 11 are respectively provided at the left and right ends of the bottom of the drawer 1 to limit the moving range of the lower end of the movable baffle 32. When the lower end of the movable baffle 32 contacts the limit boss 11, the limit boss 11 can apply force to the lower end of the movable baffle 32 to cause the upper end of the movable baffle 32 to retract to the top of the inner cavity of the mask holding portion 31.

[0062] Preferably, when the mask holding portion 31 is subjected to horizontal pulling force, the movable mask transmits the force to the drawer 1 through the connection with the base 21, so that the drawer assembly cannot be turned over but is pulled out horizontally to form an access outlet.

[0063] This embodiment provides a reversible drawer assembly. By setting a movable connecting portion 2 between the drawer box 1 and the movable front cover 3, the movable front cover 3 can be turned relative to the drawer box 1, effectively solving the wear problem of the pull-out drawer assembly caused by reciprocating pulling and pulling.

[0064] Example 2:

[0065] This embodiment provides a refrigerator that uses the drawer assembly provided in Example 1, allowing users to store and retrieve items by flipping over the movable front cover 3 to form an exit, solving the problem of wear on the bottom of the pull-out drawer due to reciprocating motion. The refrigerator is easy to use and improves the user experience.

[0066] In summary, the present invention arranges the movable front cover 3 at the front end of the drawer bucket 1 to form a storage cavity with the drawer bucket 1, and the inner wall of the movable front cover 3 is provided with a connecting plate 33 extending toward the storage cavity side; the movable connecting part 2 is arranged between the drawer bucket 1 and the movable front cover 3; the movable connecting part 2 includes a base 21 and an elastic component 22, the elastic component 22 is arranged in the cavity, one end of which is fixed on the base 21, and the other end forms a boss 224 that passes through the arc-shaped hole 211 of the base 21 and is fixed together with the connecting plate 33 located on the outside of the base 21; the connecting plate 33 is hinged to the base 21 at the lower end where it is fixed to the boss 224, so that the connecting plate 33 can rotate relative to the base 21, and at the same time, the boss 224 slides in the arc-shaped hole 211 along the inner wall of the arc-shaped hole 211, and the elastic component 22 is deformed accordingly, thereby solving the wear problem of the bottom of the pull-out drawer caused by reciprocating motion.

[0067] While the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically illustrated and described above, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, configurations, or implementations described herein; rather, the present disclosure is intended to encompass various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A reversible drawer assembly, characterized in that: The drawer assembly includes a drawer box, a movable connecting part and a movable front cover: The movable front cover is arranged at the front end of the drawer, and forms a storage cavity with the drawer. The inner wall surface of the movable front cover is provided with a connecting plate extending toward the storage cavity side. The movable front mask further comprises a mask holding portion and a movable baffle, wherein the mask holding portion is an inner cavity structure, and the upper end of the movable baffle is movably arranged in the inner cavity of the mask holding portion, so that the movable front mask has a folding function, and the lower end is always in contact with the bottom of the drawer; The movable connection portion is provided between the drawer and the movable front cover, so that the movable front cover can be turned over relative to the drawer; The movable connection part includes a base and an elastic component, wherein the base is fixed on the inner wall of the drawer and forms a cavity with the inner wall of the drawer; The base is provided with an arc-shaped hole; The elastic component is located in the cavity, with one end of the elastic component fixed to the base, and the other end forming a protrusion that passes through the arc-shaped hole of the base and is fixed to the connecting plate located outside the base; The connecting plate is hinged to the base at its lower end fixed to the boss, so that the connecting plate can rotate relative to the base, and at the same time the boss slides in the arc hole along the inner wall of the arc hole, causing the elastic component to deform accordingly.

2. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The upper part of the inner cavity of the mask holding part is loose and the lower part is tightened, and only the upper end of the movable baffle is tightened, so that the movable baffle will never fall off from the inner cavity of the mask holding part.

3. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic component includes a spring and a pin, and the pin includes a first pin and a second pin. One end of the spring is fixed to the first pin, and the other end is fixed to the second pin. The boss is formed on the second pin. When the boss drives the second pin to move, the spring is deformed.

4. The drawer assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The arc-shaped hole of the base forms an arc segment, and the left and right ends of the bottom of the arc segment of the arc hole form a first position point and a second position point, and the top of the arc segment of the arc hole forms a third position point; when the boss is located at the first position point, the spring is not under force; when the boss is located at the second position point, the spring is under pressure; when the boss is located at the third position point, the spring is not under force.

5. The drawer assembly according to claim 4, wherein: When the boss moves to the first position, the movable front mask is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the drawer; when the boss moves to the third position, the movable front mask is inclined to the bottom surface of the drawer; when the boss moves to the second position, the movable front mask is parallel to the bottom surface of the drawer.

6. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first position, the second position and the third position of the arc-shaped hole of the base are equidistant from the hinge point between the base and the connecting plate.

7. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The left and right ends of the bottom of the drawer are respectively provided with limiting bosses to limit the moving range of the lower end of the movable baffle.

8. The drawer assembly according to claim 7, wherein: When the mask holding portion is subjected to horizontal pulling force, the drawer assembly cannot be turned over, but moves horizontally outward as a whole to form an access outlet.

9. A refrigerator, characterized in that: The refrigerator is provided with the drawer assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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