Hinge and refrigeration equipment having the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a hinge and a refrigeration device having the same. The hinge includes a cabinet hinge seat and a door body hinge seat rotatably connected thereto. The cabinet hinge seat is provided with a long groove extending along its longitudinal length. The hinge further includes a connecting member, a movable shaft, and an elastic member. One end of the elastic member is connected to the movable shaft and moves synchronously with the movable shaft. The other end of the elastic member abuts against the cabinet hinge seat. The movable shaft is fitted in the long groove and can move along the long groove. The connecting member rotatably connects the door body hinge seat and the movable shaft and drives the movable shaft to move. The movable shaft includes a pair of fixing portions spaced apart along its axial direction. The elastic member is clamped between the pair of fixing portions. For the hinge and the refrigeration device having the same according to the present invention, through a pair of fixing portions spaced apart along the axial direction of the movable shaft, the assembly of the elastic member is facilitated, and the elastic member can be prevented from moving along the axial direction of the movable shaft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and particularly to a hinge and a refrigeration equipment having the same. Background Art

[0002] Refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, wine cabinets, etc. usually use hinges to connect the door body and the cabinet body to achieve the opening or closing of the door body. In the hinge, force transmission is often achieved through the connection between the shaft and different components.

[0003] However, when the components are connected to the shaft, they are prone to move axially relative to the shaft, resulting in unstable connection and serious wear between the components and the shaft, affecting the service life of the hinge and the refrigeration equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a hinge and a refrigeration equipment having the same.

[0005] To achieve one of the above invention purposes, an embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge, including a cabinet hinge seat and a door body hinge seat rotatably connected to the cabinet hinge seat. The cabinet hinge seat is provided with a long groove extending along its longitudinal direction. The hinge further includes a connecting member, a movable shaft, and an elastic member. One end of the elastic member is connected to the movable shaft and moves synchronously with the movable shaft. The other end of the elastic member abuts against the cabinet hinge seat. The movable shaft is fitted in the long groove and can move along the long groove. The connecting member rotatably connects the door body hinge seat and the movable shaft and drives the movable shaft to move. The movable shaft includes a pair of fixing parts spaced along its axial direction, and the elastic member is clamped between the pair of fixing parts.

[0006] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the pair of fixing parts respectively abut against the elastic member to limit the axial movement of the elastic member along the movable shaft.

[0007] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting member includes a pair of connecting ends respectively rotatably connected to the movable shaft. The pair of fixing parts are located between the pair of connecting ends and respectively abut against the pair of connecting ends to limit the axial movement of the connecting member along the movable shaft.

[0008] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the movable shaft further includes a body, and the fixing parts are provided on the outside of the body and are integrally provided with the body.

[0009] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the fixing part is in a cylindrical shape and is coaxially arranged with the body.

[0010] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the door hinge seat includes a pair of side edges arranged opposite to each other, the cabinet hinge seat includes a pair of side plates arranged opposite to each other, the pair of side edges are located between the pair of side plates, the hinge further includes a swing shaft, and the swing shaft connects the pair of side edges and is located between the pair of side plates.

[0011] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet hinge seat further includes a bottom plate connecting the pair of side plates, the pair of side plates are located on the same side of the bottom plate, and the axis of the swing shaft can swing reciprocally on both sides of the plane where the bottom plate is located.

[0012] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet hinge seat is assembled on the cabinet of the refrigeration device, the door hinge seat is assembled on the door of the refrigeration device, the cabinet hinge seat includes a bottom plate abutting against the cabinet, the door hinge seat has an open position for opening the refrigeration device and a closed position for closing the door of the refrigeration device, and during the process of the door hinge seat rotating from the closed position to the open position, the connecting member and the bottom plate do not interfere with each other.

[0013] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting member includes a first connection end, a second connection end, and a main body connecting the first connection end and the second connection end. The first connection end is rotatably connected to the movable shaft, the second connection end is rotatably connected to the door hinge seat, and the main body is recessed in a direction away from the bottom plate.

[0014] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet hinge seat includes a bottom plate, the bottom plate is parallel to the extending direction of the long groove, the hinge further includes a pivot shaft, the door hinge seat and the cabinet hinge seat are pivotally connected through the pivot shaft, the movable shaft is parallel to the pivot shaft, and the plane formed by the axes of the two is parallel to the bottom plate.

[0015] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the hinge further includes a swing shaft, the connecting member and the door hinge seat are pivotally connected through the swing shaft, the cabinet hinge seat is assembled on the cabinet of the refrigeration device, the door hinge seat is assembled on the door of the refrigeration device, the door hinge seat has a closed position for closing the door, and when the door hinge seat is in the closed position, the axis of the swing shaft is located on the plane formed by the axes of the movable shaft and the pivot shaft.

[0016] To achieve one of the above-mentioned invention purposes, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigeration device, including a cabinet and a door assembled on the cabinet, and further including the hinge as described above. The cabinet hinge seat is fixedly connected to the cabinet, and the door hinge seat is fixedly connected to the door.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: For the hinge of the present invention and the refrigeration device having the same, a pair of fixing parts are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the movable shaft, which facilitates the assembly of the elastic member and can prevent the elastic member from moving along the axial direction of the movable shaft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 is Figure 2 an enlarged schematic view of part A in

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention, which shows the state of the door hinge seat in the closed position

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a hinge according to another embodiment of the present invention, which shows the state of the door hinge seat in the closed position;

[0023] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a right view of

[0024] Figure 7 is Figure 6 an enlarged schematic view of part B in

[0025] Figure 8 is a partial structural schematic view of a hinge according to a modified embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 is Figure 5 a schematic perspective view from another angle, which shows the state of the door hinge seat in the open position;

[0027] Figure 10 is Figure 9 a left view of

[0028] Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of a hinge according to another modified embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 12 is Figure 11 an enlarged schematic view of part C in

[0030] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a movable shaft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 14It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 15 This is a front view of a hinge according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0034] In various drawings of the present invention, for the sake of convenience of illustration, some sizes of structures or parts are exaggerated relative to other structures or parts, and thus, only the basic structure of the subject matter of the present invention is illustrated.

[0035] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used in this document to describe various elements or structures, these described objects should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish these described objects from each other.

[0036] See also Figures 1 to 3 A refrigeration device provided by an embodiment of the present invention comprises a hinge 1, a cabinet 2 and a door 3. The cabinet 2 has a refrigeration compartment for storing and refrigerating items. The door 3 is assembled to the cabinet 2 and can rotate relative to the cabinet 2 to open or close the refrigeration compartment. The refrigeration device can be specifically configured as a refrigerator, a freezer, a wine cabinet, etc., especially a large-volume or ultra-thin refrigeration device.

[0037] The hinge 1 includes a cabinet hinge seat 11 and a door hinge seat 12 rotatably connected to the cabinet hinge seat 11 through a pivot shaft 13, wherein the cabinet hinge seat 11 is fixedly connected to the cabinet 2, and the door hinge seat 12 is fixedly connected to the door 3, and the door hinge seat 12 rotates relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 to drive the door 3 to rotate relative to the cabinet 2 to open or close the refrigeration compartment.

[0038] For ease of description, in this embodiment, the refrigeration equipment is placed horizontally on the ground as an example for description. When the door body 3 is closed, the direction from the door body 3 to the cabinet 2 is defined as the top-to-bottom direction. Correspondingly, the door hinge seat 12 is located above the cabinet hinge seat 11. The side of the hinge 1 facing the refrigeration equipment is defined as the inside, and the side of the hinge 1 away from the refrigeration equipment is defined as the outside. When the user faces the hinge 1 from the outside, the two sides of the hinge 1 are respectively defined as left and right.

[0039] The cabinet hinge seat 11 includes a bottom plate 111 against the outer wall of the cabinet 2 and a pair of side plates 112 arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides. The pair of side plates 112 are respectively connected to the left and right ends of the bottom plate 111 and extend in the same direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, the pair of side plates 112 extend outward from the bottom plate 111 respectively.

[0040] See also Figure 4, in one embodiment, the hinge 1 further includes an elastic member 17. One end of the elastic member 17 is rotatably connected to the door hinge seat 12, and the other end of the elastic member 17 abuts against the cabinet hinge seat 11. By setting the elastic member 17 and controlling various parameters such as its deformation amount, the angle of rotation of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 is controlled, thereby controlling the angle at which the door 3 opens relative to the cabinet 2. The arc-shaped groove provided in the solid hinge 1 seat is cancelled, avoiding the limitation of the hinge 1 by the size and bearing strength of the arc-shaped groove, so that the thickness of the hinge 1 can be made thinner. In addition, the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 17 can provide an upward supporting force to the door hinge seat 12, and the tangential component force of this supporting force along the swinging direction of the door hinge seat 12 can make it easier to open the door, solving problems such as difficult door opening caused by the heavy weight of the door 3 in refrigeration equipment.

[0041] See Figures 5 to 6 , further, the cabinet hinge seat 11 has a pair of long grooves 113 arranged oppositely. The pair of long grooves 113 both extend along the longitudinal direction of the cabinet hinge seat 11. In this example, the pair of long grooves 113 are respectively arranged oppositely left and right on a pair of side plates 112 and extend vertically.

[0042] The hinge 1 further includes a swing shaft 14, a connecting member 15, a movable shaft 16 and an elastic member 17, and the swing shaft 14, the movable shaft 16 and the pivot shaft 13 are arranged parallel to each other in the left-right direction. The connecting member 15 is pivotally connected to the door hinge seat 12 through the swing shaft 14, and the movable shaft 16 is fitted in the pair of long grooves 113; the upper end of the connecting member 15 is connected to the swing shaft 14, and the lower end of the connecting member 15 is connected to the movable shaft 16, so that the connecting member 15 rotatably connects the door hinge seat 12 and the movable shaft 16 and drives the movable shaft 16 to move linearly along the length direction of the long groove 113, that is, the connecting member 15 drives the movable shaft 16 to move up and down in the long groove 113; one end of the elastic member 17 is connected to the movable shaft 16, and the elastic member 17 moves synchronously with the movable shaft 16, and the other end of the elastic member 17 abuts against the cabinet hinge seat 11. In this way, when the door hinge seat 12 rotates relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 around the pivot shaft 13, the swing shaft 14 swings accordingly and pulls the connecting member 15 to drive the movable shaft 16 to move together. Moreover, during the movement, under the mutual limitation of each component, the swing shaft 14, the movable shaft 16 and the pivot shaft 13 always remain parallel to each other, and the door hinge seat 12, the pivot shaft 13, the swing shaft 14, the connecting member 15, the movable shaft 16, the elastic member 17 and the cabinet hinge seat 11 together form a crank-slider mechanism, converting the pivoting motion of the door hinge seat 12 into the linear motion of the movable shaft 16 and the elastic member 17. Compared with the arc-shaped motion of the movable shaft 16 and the elastic member 17, the moving space required for the movement of the elastic member 17 is greatly reduced, especially in the inner-outer direction. Therefore, the thickness of the hinge 1 can be made thinner.

[0043] See Figure 6 and Figures 9 to 10, the long groove 113 has an extreme proximal end 1131 close to the door hinge seat 12 and an extreme distal end 1132 far from the door hinge seat 12. In this embodiment, the extreme proximal end 1131 is located above the extreme distal end 1132.

[0044] The door hinge seat 12 has a closed position for closing the door body 3 and an open position for opening the door body 3. Figures 3 to 6 The state of the door hinge seat 12 in the closed position is shown. Figures 9 to 10 The state of the door hinge seat 12 in the open position is shown. The open position here is defined as the position of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 when the door body 3 is opened to the set maximum angle. The maximum angle is usually set such that the angle between the door body 3 and the horizontal direction is 81° to 88°.

[0045] Further, the hinge 1 further includes a limiting mechanism. When the door hinge seat 12 is in the open position, the limiting mechanism restricts the outward rotation of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11. The limiting mechanism is provided on at least one of the door hinge seat 12, the cabinet hinge seat 11, the door body 3, and the cabinet 2. By means of the limiting mechanism, the maximum angle of the outward rotation of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 can be defined, and the door hinge seat 12 can be suspended at this maximum angle, that is, the maximum opening angle of the door body 3 is defined, and the door body 3 can be suspended after being opened, so as to facilitate the user to access items.

[0046] Specifically, the limiting mechanism includes a limiting portion and a stopping portion 123. The stopping portion 123 abuts against the limiting portion to restrict the outward rotation of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11.

[0047] See Figures 4 to 7 , in this embodiment, for the sake of easy distinction, the limiting portion here is denoted as the first limiting portion 114. The door hinge seat 12 is provided with a stopping portion 123, and the cabinet hinge seat 11 is provided with a first limiting portion 114 at one end close to the door hinge seat 12. That is to say, the first limiting portion 114 is provided at the upper end of the cabinet hinge seat 11.

[0048] See Figures 4 to 7 , further, the door hinge seat 12 includes a base plate 121 and a pair of opposite side edges 122. The pair of side edges 122 are respectively connected to opposite ends of the base plate 121 and extend in the same direction. The stopping portion 123 is a flanging provided at the end of the side edge 122 far from the base plate 121. The flanging extends from the side edge 122 where it is located away from the other side edge 122. When the door hinge seat 12 is in the open position, the flanging abuts against the first limiting portion 114 to restrict the outward rotation of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11.

[0049] Specifically, in this embodiment, the base plate 121 is close to the door body 3, a pair of side edges 122 are respectively connected to the left and right ends of the base plate 121 and extend outward from the base plate 121, the pair of side edges 122 are both located between the pair of side panels 112 and correspond one-to-one to the pair of side panels 112, the axial ends of the swing shaft 14 are respectively connected to the pair of side edges 122, and the swing shaft 14 is located between the pair of side panels 112, that is, the swing shaft 14 is not connected to the pair of side panels 112. Such a setting eliminates the arc groove provided on the cabinet hinge seat 11 in the prior art, avoids the hinge 1 being limited by the size and pressure-bearing strength of the arc groove, can reduce the thickness of the hinge 1, increase the packing volume of the refrigeration equipment during storage and transportation, and reduce the occupied space during use.

[0050] Furthermore, the flange extends from the side edge 122 where the flange is located toward the side plate 112 corresponding to the side edge 122 .

[0051] Preferably, in this embodiment, the stopper 123 includes a pair of flanges, each flange is correspondingly provided on a side edge 122, the pair of flanges extend away from each other and respectively extend toward the side plate 112 corresponding to the side edge 122 where they are located, and the pair of flanges jointly bear the gravity of the door body 3, which can reduce the load-bearing capacity of each flange and extend its service life. In other embodiments, only one flange may be provided.

[0052] See also Figures 6 to 7 as well as Figures 9 to 10 Further, the side edge 122 is close to one end of the door hinge seat 12, that is, the upper end has an arc surface 115, and the first limiting portion 114 is connected to the arc surface 115 and extends from the arc surface 115 along the tangent direction of the arc surface 115 away from the door hinge seat 12, that is, the first limiting portion 114 extends downward from the arc surface 115 along the tangent direction of the arc surface 115, that is, the first limiting portion 114 is arranged at one end of the side plate 112 away from the bottom plate 111; the door hinge seat When 12 is in the door closing position, the stop portion 123 is separated from the arc surface 115, and the door hinge seat 12 can rotate relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 without hindrance. When the door hinge seat 12 rotates to the set door opening angle, that is, when the door hinge seat 12 is in the door opening position, the first limiting portion 114 abuts against the stop portion 123 to limit the door hinge seat 12 from continuing to rotate relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11, thereby limiting the door body 3 to open to the set maximum angle, at which time the door body 3 can hover.

[0053] Specifically, see Figure 7, in this embodiment, the upper end of the side plate 112 has an arc surface 115. When the door hinge seat 12 is in the closed position, the flanging is separated from the arc surface 115; when the door hinge seat 12 is in the open position, the flanging abuts against the first limiting portion 114. In other embodiments, the first limiting portion 114 may also be a protrusion protruding from the arc surface 115.

[0054] See Figure 8 , preferably, in a variant embodiment, the thickness of the end of the flanging near the first limiting portion 114 in the inner and outer directions is greater than the thickness of the end thereof away from the first limiting portion 114 in the inner and outer directions, which can prevent the end of the flanging near the first limiting portion 114 from being damaged as the main stress-bearing part.

[0055] Further, the end of the flanging facing the first limiting portion 114 is arc-shaped, so as to reduce the damage to the first limiting portion 114 when abutting against the first limiting portion 114.

[0056] Specifically, the end of the flanging near the first limiting portion 114 is first bent inward and then along the direction away from the first limiting portion 114, which can improve the strength of the flanging, reduce the processing difficulty and improve the processing efficiency.

[0057] In the prior art, when an external force is applied to rotate the door body 3 to the open position, the movable shaft 16 drives the elastic member 17 to move to the extreme proximal end 1131 of the long groove 113. The downward acting force of the extreme proximal end 1131 of the long groove 113 on the movable shaft 16 is transmitted to the swing shaft 14 to form a downward and outward bias tension of the connecting member 15 on the swing shaft 14. A balance is achieved among the external force, the gravity of the door body 3, the friction of the hinge 1, and the tension of the connecting member 15 on the swing shaft 14. The contact point between the pivot shaft 13 and the side plate 112 of the cabinet hinge seat 11 is located on the upper and inner side of the pivot shaft 13. The contact point between the swing shaft 14 and the door hinge seat 12 is located on the lower and outer side of the swing shaft 14. And the contact point between the swing shaft 14 and the connecting member 15 is located on the upper and inner side of the swing shaft 14. At this time, when the external force is removed, due to the inevitable fitting clearances between the pivot shaft 13, the swing shaft 14 and the respective components rotatably mating therewith, especially there is a clearance at the lower and outer side of the swing shaft 14 at the mating portion of the connecting member 15 and the swing shaft 14. This clearance provides a displacement space for the swing shaft 14 to move downward and outward. Under the influence of the gravity of the door body 3, the door body 3 will drive the door hinge seat 12 to rebound. Specifically, the contact point between the pivot shaft 13 and the side plate 112 of the cabinet hinge seat 11 moves downward along the inner side of the pivot shaft 13, and the contact point between the swing shaft 14 and the door hinge seat 12 moves upward along the outer side of the swing shaft 14 until the contact point between the swing shaft 14 and the connecting member 15 moves to the lower and outer side of the swing shaft 14. At this time, the swing shaft 14 abuts against the connecting member 15 and thus stops moving, and the door hinge seat 12 stops rebounding, and the door body 3 can hover. That is to say, the door body 3 cannot hover at the set maximum angle.

[0058] To solve the above technical problems, further, when the door hinge seat 12 rotates outward relative to the cabinet body hinge seat 11 to the open door position, the stopping portion 123 abuts against the first limiting portion 114. At this time, a first gap can be formed between the movable shaft 16 and the extreme proximal end 1131 of the long groove 113, and the elastic member 17 has a first compressive deformation amount. In this way, when an external force is applied to rotate the door body 3 to the open door position, due to the existence of the first gap, under the action of its elastic restoring force, the elastic member 17 applies an upward thrust to the connecting member 15, which is transmitted to the swing shaft 14 to form an upward and inward bias thrust of the connecting member 15 on the swing shaft 14. The contact point between the swing shaft 14 and the connecting member 15 is located at the outer side and lower side of the swing shaft 14. When the external force is removed, due to the first compressive deformation amount of the elastic member 17, under the action of its elastic restoring force, the elastic member 17 applies an upward thrust to the connecting member 15, which is transmitted to the swing shaft 14 to form an upward and inward bias thrust of the connecting member 15 on the swing shaft 14, so that the contact point between the swing shaft 14 and the door hinge seat 12 is located at the inner side and upper side of the swing shaft 14. Even under the action of the gravity of the door body 3, no displacement space for the swing shaft 14 to move upward relative to the door hinge seat 12 along the inner side can be provided. Therefore, the problem of the door body 3 rebounding after the external force is removed is solved, and the door body 3 hovers at the open door position. That is to say, when the stopping portion 123 abuts against the first limiting portion 114, the door body 3 is located at the open door position.

[0059] See Figures 4 to 10 , further, a second limiting portion 116 is further provided at one end of the cabinet body hinge seat 11 close to the door hinge seat 12. The second limiting portion 116 is located on the path of the door hinge seat 12 rotating inward relative to the cabinet body hinge seat 11 from the closed door position. The stopping portion 123 can abut against the second limiting portion 116 to limit the door hinge seat 12 from rotating inward relative to the cabinet body hinge seat 11 from the closed door position, thereby avoiding the door hinge seat 12 rotating back and forth relative to the cabinet body hinge seat 11 and causing wear or even damage to it, reducing the required loading and transportation space. At the same time, this position is relatively close to the closed door position of the door hinge seat 12. When assembling by workers, the door hinge seat 12 can be fixed without using hands or other tools to support it additionally, greatly improving the assembly efficiency.

[0060] Further, when the door hinge seat 12 rotates inwardly relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 by a preset angle from the closed position, the stopping portion 123 abuts against the second limiting portion 116. At this time, there is a second gap between the movable shaft 16 and the extreme distal end 1132 of the long slot 113, and the elastic member 17 has a second compressive deformation amount. The second compressive deformation amount is greater than the first compressive deformation amount. Under the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 17, the connecting member 15 provides an upward and inward-biased thrust to the swinging shaft 14, thereby pushing the door hinge seat 12 to continue rotating inwardly. However, the acting force exerted by the second limiting portion 116 on the door hinge seat 12 prevents the door hinge seat 12 from rotating inwardly, and the movable shaft 16 approaches the extreme distal end 1132 of the long slot 113. The elastic member 17 has a large compressive deformation amount, so a large elastic restoring force can be provided. Under the combined action of the elastic member 17 and the second limiting portion 116, the door hinge seat 12 can be maintained at this position without rotating inwardly or outwardly. The preset angle is not greater than 10°. In this way, the door hinge seat 12 can maintain this preset angle relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11, which is convenient for packaging, transportation and assembly. It avoids the door hinge seat 12 rotating back and forth relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 and causing wear or even damage to it, reduces the required loading and transportation space, and at the same time this position is relatively close to the closed position of the door hinge seat 12. When workers assemble, they can fix the door hinge seat 12 without using their hands or other tools additionally, which greatly improves the assembly efficiency.

[0061] Specifically, in this embodiment, the second limiting portion 116 is provided on the arc surface 115 at the upper end of the cabinet hinge seat 11. When the door hinge seat 12 is in the closed position, the substrate 121 and the bottom plate 111 are substantially in the same plane. When the door hinge seat 12 rotates inwardly relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 by a certain angle from the closed position, the flanging abuts against the second limiting portion 116, and the swinging shaft 14 drives the connecting member 15 to swing outwardly.

[0062] Further, the second limiting portion 116 is a protrusion provided on the upper end of the cabinet hinge seat 11, and the protrusion is provided on the arc surface 115.

[0063] Preferably, the end of the flanging close to the side plate 112 first folds towards the protrusion and then folds away from the side plate 112 to improve the strength of the flanging and extend its service life.

[0064] Each side plate 112 includes a first section 1121 and a second section 1122 which are arranged in sequence from bottom to top and are connected to each other. The first section 1121 is connected to the bottom plate 111, the second section 1122 protrudes from the bottom plate 111 and is rotatably connected to the door hinge seat 12. A pair of side edges 122 correspond to a pair of side plates 112 one by one, and the second section 1122 of each side plate 112 is rotatably connected to the corresponding side edge 122.

[0065] Refer to Figures 11 to 12 In a variant embodiment, the stop portion 123 may also be provided at one end of the side portion 122 close to the substrate 121, or the stop portion 123 is provided on the substrate 121. Correspondingly, the second limiting portion 116 may be provided at one end of the second section 1122 facing the substrate 121.

[0066] Specifically, the stop portion 123 is a hem provided at one end of the side portion 122 close to the substrate 121, and the hem protrudes from the side portion 122 where it is located towards the side plate 112 corresponding to the side portion 122.

[0067] The upper ends of the pair of side plates 112 of the cabinet hinge seat 11 protrude from the bottom plate 111, and the lower end of the door hinge seat 12 is connected to the upper ends of the pair of side plates 112 through a pivot shaft 13. That is, there is a certain distance between the bottom plate 111 and the substrate 121, thereby providing space for the swinging of the swinging shaft 14 and the connecting member 15; when the door body 3 is in the closed state, that is, when the door hinge seat 12 is in the closed position, the swinging shaft 14 is located below the pivot shaft 13.

[0068] Refer to Figure 3 There is a cavity 4 between the cabinet body 2 and the door body 3, and the cavity 4 is located on the side of the plane where the bottom plate 111 is located facing the cabinet body 2. During the process of the door hinge seat 12 rotating from the closed position to the open position, the swinging shaft 14 swings from the side of the plane where the bottom plate 111 is located away from the cabinet body 2 towards the cabinet body 2 to the cavity 4, that is, the swinging shaft 14 swings from the outside to the inside to the cavity 4. Moreover, during this process, the swinging shaft 14 does not interfere with other structures of the refrigeration device. In this way, the swinging of the swinging shaft 14 is not restricted by the cabinet hinge seat 11, and its swinging can utilize the cavity 4 between the cabinet body 2 and the door body 3. When the door hinge seat 12 rotates to the open position, the swinging shaft 14 swings to a position where its axis is on the plane where the bottom plate 111 is located, or the swinging shaft 14 swings to a position where its axis is on the side of the plane where the bottom plate 111 is located away from the side plate 112, that is, towards the cabinet body 2. That is to say, the swinging shaft 14 can swing reciprocally on both sides of the plane where the bottom plate 111 is located, thereby further reducing the thickness of the hinge 1 without affecting the strength of the hinge 1.

[0069] Furthermore, during the process of the door hinge seat 12 rotating from the closed position to the open position, the connecting member 15 does not interfere with the bottom plate 111. Preferably, the connecting member 15 does not interfere with the cabinet hinge seat 11. Specifically, this can be achieved by setting the distance between the bottom plate 111 and the substrate 121, so that the swinging shaft 14 can smoothly swing from the side of the plane where the bottom plate 111 is located away from the cabinet body 2 to the cavity 4, enabling the thickness of the hinge 1 to be further reduced.

[0070] Refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 5, and Figure 9 , further, the connecting member 15 further includes a first connecting end 151, a second connecting end 152, and a main body 153 connecting the first connecting end 151 and the second connecting end 152. The first connecting end 151 is connected to the movable shaft 16, the second connecting end 152 is connected to the swing shaft 14, and the main body 153 is recessed in a direction away from the bottom plate 111. Preferably, one end of the main body 153 facing the cabinet body 2 is recessed away from the bottom plate 111, that is, recessed in a direction away from the cabinet body 2, which can avoid interference between the connecting member 15 and the bottom plate 111, so that the swing shaft 14 can swing smoothly into the cavity 4, and even the swing amplitude of the swing shaft 14 into the cavity 4 can be greater.

[0071] See Figure 3 and Figure 10 , further, the plane formed by the axes of the pivot shaft 13 and the movable shaft 16 is parallel to the bottom plate 111, which can also reduce the thickness of the hinge 1.

[0072] See Figure 3 and Figure 6 , further, when the door hinge seat 12 is in the closed position, the axis of the swing shaft 14 is located on the plane formed by the axes of the movable shaft 16 and the pivot shaft 13. Such a setting can not only make the thickness of the hinge 1 thinner, further increasing the packing quantity during the transportation of the refrigeration equipment, but also maximize the supporting effect of the elastic member 17 on the connecting member 15, achieving the effect of saving effort in opening the door.

[0073] See Figure 5 , further, one end of the elastic member 17 connected to the movable shaft 16 is located between a pair of first connecting ends 151. This limits the axial movement range of the connecting member 15 along the movable shaft 16, and a pair of first connecting ends 151 can share the force, enabling the movable shaft 16 to drive the elastic member 17 to move smoothly.

[0074] See Figure 5 , further, the movable shaft 16 includes a pair of fixing portions 161 arranged at intervals along its axial direction, and the elastic member 17 is clamped between the pair of fixing portions 161.

[0075] Preferably, a pair of fixing portions 161 respectively abut against the elastic member 17 to limit the axial movement of the elastic member 17 along the movable shaft 16, facilitating the assembly of the elastic member 17 and preventing the elastic member 17 from moving axially along the movable shaft 16.

[0076] Preferably, a pair of fixing parts 161 are both located between a pair of connection ends and respectively abut against a pair of first connection ends 151 to limit the axial movement of the connecting member 15 along the movable shaft 16. That is to say, a pair of first connection ends 151 are respectively located on the left and right sides of a pair of fixing parts 161, and the elastic member 17 is located between a pair of fixing parts 161. In this embodiment, a pair of fixing parts 161 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the elastic member 17, and one of the first connection ends 151 is located on the left side of the left fixing part 161 and abuts against the left fixing part 161, and the other first connection end 151 is located on the right side of the right fixing part 161 and abuts against the right fixing part 161. In this way, the connecting member 15 can be fixed relative to the movable shaft 16 and will not move left and right along the movable shaft 16, making the force more stable.

[0077] See Figure 13 , specifically, the movable shaft 16 includes a main body 162, and the fixing part 161 is provided on the outer side of the main body 162 and is integrally provided with the main body 162, which is beneficial to improving the connection strength of the fixing part 161.

[0078] Preferably, the fixing part 161 is cylindrical and coaxially arranged with the main body 162.

[0079] See Figure 5 , further, the first connection end 151 has an inner arc surface, and the inner arc surface wraps around the movable shaft 16 and abuts against the movable shaft 16. Since the elastic member 17 is always in a compressed state and always has a compressive elastic deformation, under the action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 17, external force, the gravity of the door body 3, etc., the connecting member 15 and the elastic member 17 jointly abut against the movable shaft 16 to limit the movable shaft 16 from disengaging from the inner arc surface. Through the mating method that the inner arc surface of the first connection end 151 wraps around the movable shaft 16 and abuts against the movable shaft 16, it can be ensured that the connecting member 15 is always rotationally mated with the movable shaft 16, simplifying the processing procedure and the assembly procedure of the connecting member 15 and the movable shaft 16, and saving material and labor costs.

[0080] See Figure 5 and Figure 14 , similarly, the end of the elastic member 17 connected to the movable shaft 16 can also be provided with an inner arc surface. Through the mating method that the inner arc surface wraps around the movable shaft 16 and abuts against the movable shaft 16, the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 17 can ensure that the elastic member 17 is always rotationally mated with the movable shaft 16, simplifying the processing procedure and the assembly procedure, and saving material and labor costs.

[0081] Specifically, the inner arc surface is recessed in a direction away from the movable shaft 16, and the inner arc surface is coaxially arranged with the movable shaft 16.

[0082] Preferably, the central angle of the inner arc surface is 175° to 185°, which is convenient for the assembly of the inner arc surface and the movable shaft 16, simplifies the assembly process, saves material and labor costs, and can prevent the movable shaft 16 from disengaging from the inner arc surface and causing poor assembly.

[0083] In this embodiment, there is one elastic member 17; in other embodiments, the elastic member 17 can also be provided with different numbers according to actual needs, for example Figure 15 As shown, a pair of elastic members 17 are arranged at intervals. The pair of elastic members 17 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the connecting member 15. The pair of elastic members 17 can share the force, so that the elastic member 17 can be made smaller in size. If the elastic member 17 includes a spring 172, the outer diameter and wire diameter of the spring 172 can be reduced, thereby further reducing the thickness of the hinge 1.

[0084] See Figure 5 , further, in this embodiment, the elastic member 17 includes a support rod 171 connected to the movable shaft 16 and a spring 172 sleeved on the outer periphery of the support rod 171. One end of the support rod 171 away from the movable shaft 16 is inserted into the cabinet hinge seat 11 and is loosely connected to the cabinet hinge seat 11. That is to say, the support rod 171 can move up and down relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11. The support rod 171 is provided with a flange 1711. One end of the spring 172 abuts against the flange 1711, and the other end of the spring 172 abuts against the cabinet hinge seat 11.

[0085] See Figure 5 , further, in this embodiment, the hinge 1 further includes a bushing 18 sleeved on the outer periphery of the movable shaft 16. The bushing 18 is arranged between the connecting member 15 and the long groove 113. On the one hand, it further restricts the left and right movement of the connecting member 15 relative to the movable shaft 16. On the other hand, lubricating oil can be added to the bushing 18, and the lubricating oil can slowly seep out from the bushing 18 to the part of the movable shaft 16 located in the long groove 113, so that the hinge 1 rotates smoothly.

[0086] See Figure 5 , further, the cabinet hinge seat 11 includes an end stop 117. The end stop 117 has a slot. One end of the elastic member 17 away from the movable shaft 16 is inserted into the slot, so as to limit the elastic member 17 to move only parallel to the bottom plate 111, that is, up and down, and avoid increasing the thickness of the hinge 1; in this embodiment, the lower end of the spring 172 abuts against the end stop 117, and the lower end of the support rod 171 of the elastic member 17 is inserted into the slot. The inner diameter of the slot is larger than the outer diameter of the support rod 171, that is, the support rod 171 is loosely connected to the end stop 117. When the elastic member 17 moves up and down synchronously with the movable shaft 16, the lower end of the support rod 171 always protrudes from the end stop 117, so as to prevent the elastic member 17 from disengaging from the end stop 117 and causing the elastic member 17 to fail.

[0087] SeeFigure 5 , in one embodiment, the end stop 117 is a U-shaped plate member, and the cabinet body hinge seat 11 further includes a pair of protruding portions 118 which are respectively arranged on a pair of side plates 112 and protrude towards each other. The opening of the U-shaped plate member faces the pair of protruding portions 118, and both of the pair of protruding portions 118 are clamped in the opening of the U-shaped plate member. The combined action of the spring 172 and the protruding portions 118 restricts the movement of the U-shaped plate member relative to the side plate 112, especially restricts the up and down movement of the U-shaped plate member.

[0088] See Figure 4 and Figure 15 , in another embodiment, the end stop 117 is a baffle plate embedded in a pair of side plates 112, and the baffle plate is perpendicular to the side plates 112. The side plates 112 restrict the movement of the baffle plate relative to the side plates 112, especially restrict the up and down movement of the baffle plate.

[0089] Compared with the prior art, the hinge 1 and the refrigeration device having the same provided by the present invention have the beneficial effects that when the door hinge seat 12 rotates relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 around the pivot axis 13, the swing axis 14 swings accordingly and pulls the connecting member 15 to drive the movable axis 16 to move together. Moreover, during the movement process, under the mutual restriction of each component, the swing axis 14, the movable axis 16 and the pivot axis 13 are always in a parallel state. And the door hinge seat 12, the pivot axis 13, the swing axis 14, the connecting member 15, the movable axis 16, the elastic member 17 and the cabinet hinge seat 11 together constitute a crank-slider mechanism, converting the pivotal movement of the door hinge seat 12 into the linear movement of the movable axis 16 and the elastic member 17. Compared with the arc movement of the movable axis 16 and the elastic member 17, the movement space required for the elastic member 17 is greatly reduced, especially in the inner and outer directions. Therefore, the thickness of the hinge 1 can be made thinner; when an external force is applied to rotate the door body 3 to the open position, due to the existence of the first gap, under the action of its elastic restoring force, the elastic member 17 applies an upward thrust to the connecting member 15, which is transmitted to the swing axis 14 to form an upward and inward bias thrust of the connecting member 15 on the swing axis 14. The contact point between the swing axis 14 and the connecting member 15 is located at the outer side and lower side of the swing axis 14; the maximum angle of the outward rotation of the door hinge seat 12 relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 can be limited by the limiting mechanism, and the door hinge seat 12 can hover at this maximum angle; in this way, when the external force is removed, due to the first compression deformation of the elastic member 17, under the action of its elastic restoring force, the elastic member 17 applies an upward thrust to the connecting member 15, which is transmitted to the swing axis 14 to form an upward and inward bias thrust of the connecting member 15 on the swing axis 14, making the contact point between the swing axis 14 and the door hinge seat 12 located at the inner side and upper side of the swing axis 14. Even under the action of the gravity of the door body 3, no displacement space for the swing axis 14 to move upward along the inner side relative to the door hinge seat 12 can be provided. Therefore, the problem of the door body 3 rebounding after the external force is removed is solved, and the door body 3 hovers at the open position, that is, when the stopping portion 123 abuts against the first limiting portion 114, the door body 3 is located at the open position; the movable axis 16 includes a pair of fixing portions 161 arranged at intervals along its axial direction, and the elastic member 17 is clamped between the pair of fixing portions 161, which can limit the axial movement of the elastic member 17 along the movable axis 16 and is convenient for installation; when the door hinge seat 12 rotates inward relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 from the closed position by a preset angle, the stopping portion 123 abuts against the second limiting portion 116, avoiding the door hinge seat 12 rotating back and forth relative to the cabinet hinge seat 11 and causing wear or even damage to it, reducing the required loading and transportation space. At the same time, this position is relatively close to the closed position of the door hinge seat 12, and the door hinge seat 12 can be fixed without the need for workers to hold it by hand or other tools during assembly, greatly improving the assembly efficiency;At least one of the connecting member 15 and the elastic member 17 has an inner arc surface at the end connected to the movable shaft 16. The mating method in which the inner arc surface wraps around and abuts against the movable shaft 16 can ensure that the connecting member 15 is always rotationally mated with the movable shaft 16, simplifies the processing procedure and the assembly procedure of the connecting member 15 and the movable shaft 16, and saves material and labor costs.

[0090] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the words indicating the orientation or position relationship such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc. in the present invention are all referenced based on the directions defined in the text, and these words indicating the orientation or position relationship are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0091] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to the embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0092] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present invention, and they are not used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments or changes made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hinge, comprising a cabinet hinge seat and a door hinge seat rotatably connected to the cabinet hinge seat, characterized in that, the cabinet hinge seat is provided with a long groove extending along its longitudinal direction, and the hinge further includes a connecting piece, a swing shaft, a movable shaft and an elastic member. One end of the elastic member is connected to the movable shaft and moves synchronously with the movable shaft. The other end of the elastic member abuts against the cabinet hinge seat. The movable shaft is fitted in the long groove and can move along the long groove. The connecting piece is pivotally connected to the door hinge seat through the swing shaft. The connecting piece rotatably connects the door hinge seat and the movable shaft and drives the movable shaft to move. The movable shaft includes a pair of fixing parts spaced along its axial direction. The elastic member is clamped between the pair of fixing parts; the long groove has an extreme proximal end close to the door hinge seat. The hinge includes a limiting part and a stopping part. When the door hinge seat rotates outward relative to the cabinet hinge seat to the open position, the stopping part abuts against the limiting part to limit the outward rotation of the door hinge seat relative to the cabinet hinge seat. There is a first gap between the movable shaft and the extreme proximal end, and the elastic member has a first compression deformation amount.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pair of fixing parts respectively abut against the elastic member to limit the axial movement of the elastic member along the movable shaft.

3. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, the connecting piece includes a pair of connecting ends respectively rotatably connected to the movable shaft. The pair of fixing parts are located between the pair of connecting ends and respectively abut against the pair of connecting ends to limit the axial movement of the connecting piece along the movable shaft.

4. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, the movable shaft further includes a body, and the fixing part is arranged on the outer side of the body and is integrally provided with the body.

5. The hinge according to claim 4, characterized in that, the fixing part is cylindrical and coaxially arranged with the body.

6. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, the door hinge seat includes a pair of opposite sides, the cabinet hinge seat includes a pair of opposite side plates, the pair of sides are located between the pair of side plates, and the swing shaft connects the pair of sides and is located between the pair of side plates.

7. The hinge according to claim 6, characterized in that, the cabinet hinge seat further includes a bottom plate connecting the pair of side plates. The pair of side plates are located on the same side of the bottom plate, and the axis of the swing shaft can swing reciprocally on both sides of the plane where the bottom plate is located.

8. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, the cabinet hinge seat is assembled on the cabinet of the refrigeration equipment, the door hinge seat is assembled on the door of the refrigeration equipment. The cabinet hinge seat includes a bottom plate abuting against the cabinet. The door hinge seat has an open position for opening the door of the refrigeration equipment and a closed position for closing the door of the refrigeration equipment. During the process of the door hinge seat rotating from the closed position to the open position, the connecting piece and the bottom plate do not interfere with each other.

9. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein, the connecting member includes a first connecting end, a second connecting end and a main body connecting the first connecting end and the second connecting end, the first connecting end is rotatably connected to the movable shaft, the second connecting end is rotatably connected to the door hinge seat, and the main body is recessed in a direction away from the bottom plate.

10. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein, the cabinet hinge seat includes a bottom plate parallel to the extension direction of the long groove, the hinge further includes a pivot shaft, the door hinge seat and the cabinet hinge seat are pivotally connected by the pivot shaft, the movable shaft is parallel to the pivot shaft and the plane formed by the axes of the two is parallel to the bottom plate.

11. The hinge according to claim 10, wherein, the cabinet hinge seat is assembled to the cabinet of the refrigeration device, the door hinge seat is assembled to the door of the refrigeration device, the door hinge seat has a closed position for closing the door, and when the door hinge seat is in the closed position, the axis of the swing shaft is located on the plane formed by the axes of the movable shaft and the pivot shaft.

12. A refrigeration device, comprising a cabinet and a door assembled to the cabinet, wherein, it further includes a hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the cabinet hinge seat is fixedly connected to the cabinet, and the door hinge seat is fixedly connected to the door.

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