Door hinge and refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a door hinge, which includes a first hinge seat for being mounted on a refrigerator cabinet body, a second hinge seat for being mounted on a refrigerator door body, and a transmission assembly hinged between the first hinge seat and the second hinge seat. Wherein, the transmission assembly includes a transmission seat and a first transmission rod respectively hinged on the same side of the first hinge seat, a second transmission rod and a third transmission rod respectively hinged between the transmission seat and the second hinge seat. The second transmission rod and the third transmission rod are arranged without crossing, and the third transmission rod is arranged closer to the position where the transmission seat is hinged to the first hinge seat relative to the second transmission rod. The other end of the first transmission rod passes through the third transmission rod and is hinged to the second transmission rod. The present invention can save the space of the door hinge and improve the structural strength of the door hinge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a door hinge and a refrigerator, and particularly to a door hinge and a refrigerator that save space and have better structural strength. Background Art

[0002] In order to achieve good closing performance between the refrigerator door body and the refrigerator cabinet after the refrigerator door body is opened or closed, the existing refrigerator door hinge usually adopts a six-link transmission mechanism. However, the current refrigerator door hinge has the following disadvantages: on the one hand, there are many components inside the refrigerator door hinge. After the refrigerator door body is closed, the components inside the hinge cannot be completely folded together, and there is still a large gap inside, increasing the assembly volume and easily causing the accumulation of water vapor, dirt, etc. On the other hand, since most of the main structures are processed by sheet metal, some components in the refrigerator door hinge are relatively weak at certain positions. During the long-term opening and closing process of the door body, the deformation and damage of this position are likely to occur, affecting the closing performance of the door body.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to improve the existing door hinge and refrigerator to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a door hinge and a refrigerator that save space and have better structural strength.

[0005] To achieve the above invention purpose, the present invention provides a door hinge, including a first hinge seat for being installed on the refrigerator cabinet body, a second hinge seat for being installed on the refrigerator door body, and a transmission assembly hinged between the first hinge seat and the second hinge seat. Among them, the transmission assembly includes a transmission seat and a first transmission rod respectively hinged on the same side of the first hinge seat, and a second transmission rod and a third transmission rod respectively hinged between the transmission seat and the second hinge seat. The second transmission rod and the third transmission rod are arranged without crossing, and the third transmission rod is arranged closer to the position where the transmission seat is hinged to the first hinge seat relative to the second transmission rod. The other end of the first transmission rod passes through the third transmission rod and is hinged to the second transmission rod.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the third transmission rod has a pair of fixed arms arranged oppositely and a connecting arm connecting the pair of fixed arms. A limiting space for the first transmission rod to move is formed between the pair of fixed arms.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the door hinge further includes an elastic buffer device arranged on the transmission seat and located between the second transmission rod and the third transmission rod. During the opening and closing process of the door body, the elastic buffer device expands and contracts under the action of the second transmission rod and / or the third transmission rod to form a damping force. A guiding groove for the elastic buffer device to expand and contract and move along a predetermined direction is arranged on the transmission seat.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the elastic buffer device includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion fixed on the transmission seat, and an elastic member connected between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. The door hinge further includes a transmission member fixed to the third transmission rod to rotatably abut against the second connecting portion, and a sliding structure cooperating with the guiding groove is provided on the second connecting portion.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the transmission member has a fixing portion fixed to the third transmission rod, and a cam protruding from the fixing portion to rotatably abut against the second connecting portion. The fixing portion and the third transmission rod share a hinge shaft and are hinged between the transmission seat and the second hinge seat.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cam has a limiting groove cooperating with the second connecting portion when the door hinge is closed.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the transmission seat has a pair of support arms arranged at intervals relatively, and a limiting arm connecting the pair of support arms. The door hinge further includes a positioning hole penetrating through the pair of support arms and the third transmission rod in the up-down direction, and a positioning pin cooperating with the positioning hole to lock the door when the door hinge is closed.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the positioning hole penetrates through the transmission seat, the third transmission rod, the first transmission rod and the transmission member in the up-down direction.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the limiting arm is provided with a through hole for the cam to extend into during the rotation of the door hinge.

[0014] The present invention also provides a refrigerator, including a box body, a door body, and the door hinge as described above.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention: In the transmission assembly of the refrigerator of the present invention, the second transmission rod and the third transmission rod are respectively hinged between the transmission seat and the second hinge seat, and the other end of the first transmission rod passes through the third transmission rod and is hinged to the second transmission rod. Therefore, when the refrigerator door body is closed, not only the first transmission rod, the second transmission rod and the third transmission rod can be received in the transmission seat, saving the space of the door hinge, but also the second transmission rod and the third transmission rod are both hinged on the transmission seat with relatively high structural strength. During the long-term opening and closing process of the refrigerator door body, the transmission seat is not easily deformed and damaged, thereby improving the service life of the door hinge and further improving the door closing performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram when the door hinge of the present invention is closed.

[0018] Figure 3 This is the top-down exploded view of the door hinge of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 is Figure 2 the three-dimensional exploded view of

[0020] Figure 5 is Figure 4 the three-dimensional exploded view from another perspective.

[0021] Figure 6 This is the three-dimensional schematic diagram when the door hinge of the present invention is opened.

[0022] Figure 7 is Figure 6 the three-dimensional exploded view of

[0023] Figure 8 is Figure 6 the three-dimensional schematic diagram from another perspective. Specific Embodiments

[0024] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, this embodiment does not limit the present invention, and any structural, method, or functional transformation made by those of ordinary skill in the art based on this embodiment is included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 Shown is an embodiment of the door hinge of the present invention. The door hinge includes a first hinge seat 1 for mounting to the cabinet 101 of the refrigerator 100, a second hinge seat 2 for mounting to the door 102 of the refrigerator 100, and a transmission assembly hinged between the first hinge seat 1 and the second hinge seat 2. Among them, the transmission assembly includes a transmission seat 3 and a first transmission rod 4 respectively hinged to the same side of the first hinge seat 1, and a second transmission rod 5 and a third transmission rod 6 respectively hinged between the transmission seat 3 and the second hinge seat 2. The second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6 are arranged without crossing, and the third transmission rod 6 is arranged closer to the position where the transmission seat 3 is hinged to the first hinge seat 1 relative to the second transmission rod 5. The other end of the first transmission rod 4 passes through the third transmission rod 6 and is hinged to the second transmission rod 5.

[0026] Specifically, as Figures 1 to 5 shown, in this embodiment, the door hinge is applied between the cabinet 101 and the door 102 of the built-in refrigerator 100, and the mutual hinge is realized through a hinge shaft. And when the door hinge is fully opened, the second hinge seat 2 is located inside the first hinge seat 1 in the horizontal direction, and the distance between the two is approximately the thickness of the door 102, so as to prevent the door 102 from hitting the wall. Of course, in other embodiments, the door hinge can also be applied to a general freestanding refrigerator 100, or other storage devices with a mutually pivotable cabinet and door.

[0027] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, in this embodiment, the first hinge seat 1 has a first fixing portion 11 fixed to the box body 101, and a pair of first extending portions 12 extending forward from the upper and lower ends of the first fixing portion 11. The first extending portions 12 are substantially in an "L" shape, and the transmission seat 3 and the first transmission rod 4 are hinged at a position of the first extending portion 12 close to the end of the box body 101. Therefore, when the door body 102 is either opened or closed, the transmission seat 3 can be contracted between the first extending portions 12, which can effectively limit the movement of the transmission seat 3 in the up and down directions and prevent the door hinge from being deformed and damaged.

[0028] The second hinge seat 2 has a second fixing portion 21 fixed to the door body 102, and a pair of second hinge seats 22 extending backward from the upper and lower ends of the second fixing portion 21. The second hinge seats 22 are used for hinging the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6.

[0029] The transmission seat 3 has a pair of support arms 31 arranged at intervals relatively, and a limiting arm 32 connecting the pair of support arms 31. In this embodiment, the pair of support arms 31 are arranged at an interval up and down and are formed by extending in the same direction from the end of the limiting arm 32. Of course, in other embodiments, the support arms 31 may also extend along the front and rear directions from the upper and lower ends of the limiting arm 32 respectively, that is, the upper support arms 31 extend along the front and rear directions from the upper end of the limiting arm 32 respectively, and the lower support arms 31 are the same, so that the transmission seat 3 is substantially in an "I" shape.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transmission seat 3 has three hinge positions along its own length direction. The two ends are respectively hinged to the first hinge seat 1 and the second transmission rod 5, and the middle position is hinged to the third transmission rod 6. And the position where the transmission seat 3 is hinged to the first hinge seat 1 is more backward than the position where the first transmission rod 4 is hinged to the first hinge seat 1. In this way, not only is it convenient for the transmission seat 3 and the first transmission rod 4 to rotate, but also it is convenient to accommodate the first transmission rod 4 between the pair of support arms 31 of the transmission seat 3, saving space. At the same time, the first transmission rod 4 is accommodated in the transmission seat 3, which is equivalent to the two overlapping and increasing the overall internal thickness, strengthening the structure, and thus it is not easily damaged.

[0031] The support arm 31 also has a guide groove 33 penetrating along the up and down direction. In this embodiment, the guide groove 33 extends along the extending direction of the support arm 31, and each support arm 31 has two guide grooves 33 arranged at intervals. The two guide grooves 33 are arranged between the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6.

[0032] The first transmission rod 4 is arranged in an arc shape, and the basic structure of the first transmission rod 4 is substantially the same as that of the first hinge seat 1 and the transmission seat 3, that is, the upper and lower structures are connected through an intermediate structure. The first transmission rod 4 is almost completely retracted into the transmission seat 3. When the door hinge is opened, the position where the first transmission rod 4 is hinged to the second transmission rod 5 protrudes from the transmission seat 3.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first transmission rod 4 is provided with a hollow structure, that is, the intermediate structure of the first transmission rod 4 is not completely connected, allowing other structures to pass through. And when the door hinge is opened, the first transmission rod 4 further has a relief groove 41, which can be used to cooperate with the hinge shaft where the third transmission rod 6 is hinged to the second hinge seat 2 when the door hinge is opened, so that the first transmission rod 4 can move smoothly.

[0034] The third transmission rod 6 has a pair of fixed arms 61 arranged oppositely and a connecting arm 62 connecting the pair of fixed arms 61. A limiting space for the first transmission rod 4 to move is formed between the pair of fixed arms 61. The connecting arm 62 and the pair of fixed arms 61 are connected together, facilitating the assembly of the third transmission rod 6.

[0035] In this embodiment, the pair of fixed arms 61 are arranged at an upper and lower interval, and the connecting arm 62 is arranged closer to the second hinge seat 2 relative to the transmission seat 3, facilitating the movement of the first transmission rod 4. Of course, in other embodiments, the third transmission rod 6 may also have only a pair of fixed arms 61 arranged oppositely, and then be separately installed and hinged to the transmission seat 3 and the second hinge seat 2.

[0036] The door hinge further includes an elastic buffer device 7 arranged on the transmission seat 3 and located between the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6. During the opening and closing process of the door 102, the elastic buffer device 7 expands and contracts under the action of the second transmission rod 5 and / or the third transmission rod 6 to form a damping force, and the elastic buffer device 7 can expand and contract and move along the guide groove 33 on the transmission seat 3.

[0037] In this embodiment, the elastic buffer device 7 includes a first connecting portion 71 and a second connecting portion 72 fixed on the transmission seat 3, and an elastic member 73 connected between the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72. A sliding structure 721 matching the guide groove 33 is arranged on the second connecting portion 72, and the sliding structure 721 is a guide shaft. The door hinge further includes a transmission member 8 fixed to the third transmission rod 6 to rotatably abut against the second connecting portion 72.

[0038] The transmission member 8 has a fixing portion 81 fixed to the third transmission rod 6, and a cam 82 protruding from the fixing portion 81 and rotatably abutting against the second connecting portion 72. The fixing portion 81 and the third transmission rod 6 are commonly hinged between the transmission seat 3 and the second hinge seat 2 by the same hinge shaft. The cam 82 further has a limiting groove 83 that cooperates with the second connecting portion 72 when the door hinge is closed. Therefore, when the door hinge is closed, the limiting groove 83 can cooperate with the second connecting portion 72 to form a closing force, improving the sealing effect between the door body 102 and the cabinet body 101 of the refrigerator 100.

[0039] In this embodiment, the transmission member 8 is disposed through the first transmission rod 4. Since the third transmission rod 6 is hinged at the middle position of the transmission seat 3, the first transmission rod 4 is clamped between the third transmission rod 6 and the transmission member 8, thus effectively improving the structural strength of the first transmission rod 4.

[0040] As Figure 6 shown, the limiting arm 32 of the transmission seat 3 is further provided with a through hole 34 for the cam 82 to extend into during the rotation of the door hinge. The limiting arm 32 is bent at the end of the second transmission rod 5 to form a stopping portion 35 for preventing the first connecting portion 71 from accidentally withdrawing.

[0041] When the door hinge is opened, the cam 82 rotates to press against the second connecting portion 72, thereby compressing the elastic member 73 to form a damping force, improving the opening feel of the door body 102 and preventing the door body 102 from suddenly opening to the limit position or hitting other objects and being damaged.

[0042] Meanwhile, during the rotation process, the cam 82 can extend into the through hole 34 of the transmission seat 3. Therefore, the width of the support arm 31 of the transmission seat 3 can be correspondingly narrowed, which can not only reduce the production materials and lower the production cost, but also make use of the space between the transmission seat 3 and the first hinge seat 1 when the door hinge is closed, effectively reducing the overall space occupied by the door hinge.

[0043] In this embodiment, to further improve the damping force, the first connecting portion 71 also has a sliding structure that cooperates with another guiding groove 33. The sliding structure is similar to the sliding structure 721 of the second connecting portion 72 and is also a guiding shaft. The door hinge further includes another transmission member 8 fixed to the second transmission rod 5. This transmission member 8 is only a cam, and when the door hinge is opened or closed, it is of course similar to the structure of the above-mentioned transmission member 8. The first connecting portion 71 can also rotate with the first transmission rod 4 to stretch the elastic member 73. Thus, the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 can act on the elastic member 73 simultaneously, providing a stronger damping force and improving the opening and closing feel of the door body 102.

[0044] On the one hand, by the simultaneous operation of the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72, the damping force can be increased. If the original damping force remains unchanged, then each of the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 only needs to displace half of the stroke. In other words, the rotation angles of the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6 that drive the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 to rotate can also be correspondingly reduced. For the built-in refrigerator 100, the reduction of the rotation angle can increase the distance between the first hinge seat 1 and the second hinge seat 2, thereby further reducing the risk of the door body 102 hitting the wall. Moreover, the door body 102 can be thickened to enhance the heat preservation effect of the door body 102, or the storage space of the bottle holder on the door body 102 can be increased, etc.

[0045] On the other hand, when the original damping force remains unchanged and the displacement distances of the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 also remain unchanged, an elastic member 73 with a smaller elastic coefficient can be selected, thereby reducing the production cost and the maintenance and replacement cost accordingly.

[0046] The door hinge further includes a positioning hole 36 that penetrates the pair of support arms 31 and the third transmission rod 6 in the vertical direction, and a positioning pin 9 that cooperates with the positioning hole 36 to lock the door body 102 when the door hinge is closed. Since one end of the third transmission rod 6 is hinged to the transmission seat 3, therefore, as long as the transmission seat 3 and the third transmission rod 6 are fixed at one more point, the rotation of the third transmission rod 6 can be blocked, that is, the door hinge is locked.

[0047] In this embodiment, the hinged position of the third transmission rod 6 and the transmission seat 3 is closer to the limiting arm 32. Therefore, the positioning hole 36 can keep a certain distance from this hinged position, thereby improving the overall structural strength and avoiding deformation and damage of the transmission seat 3 caused by the too-close hole positions. In addition, the positioning hole 36 penetrates the transmission seat 3, the third transmission rod 6, the first transmission rod 4, and the transmission member 8 in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the door body 102 is to be opened, the positioning pin 9 will be blocked by the overall action of the above-mentioned components. Not only is the locking effect good, but also the above-mentioned components are not easily deformed and damaged.

[0048] The structure of the positioning hole 36 and the positioning pin 9 can be used for refrigeration equipment with door bodies 102 on both the front and the back, especially for refrigeration equipment in shopping malls. And this structure is arranged on the rear door body 102. The front door body 102 is mainly used for consumers to open and take items, and the rear door body 102 is mainly used for staff to stock goods. Thus, the staff only needs to remove the positioning pin 9 to open the rear door body 102, arrange the internal items forward, and put new items on the shelves. It is very convenient. After the stocking is completed, the positioning pin 9 is inserted into the positioning hole 36 to lock the door body 102.

[0049] Of course, in other embodiments, the positioning hole 36 may also be provided between the transmission seat 3 and the second transmission rod 5.

[0050] The operation process of the door hinge of the present invention is specifically as follows: When the door hinge is closed, the cams 82 on the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6 do not act on the elastic buffer device 7, and the second connecting portion 72 cooperates with the limiting groove 83 to form a door closing force, and the cam 82 contracts into the transmission seat 3.

[0051] When the door hinge is opened, the second hinge seat 2 drives the transmission seat 3, the first transmission rod 4, and the second transmission rod 5 to rotate counterclockwise, driving the third transmission rod 6 to rotate clockwise, so that the transmission seat 3, the first transmission rod 4, the second transmission rod 5, and the third transmission rod 6 are gradually opened.

[0052] Among them, the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6 respectively drive the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 to compress the spring through the transmission member 8 to form a damping force. At the same time, the cam 82 of the transmission member 8 fixed to the third transmission rod 6 protrudes from the through hole 34 of the transmission seat 3.

[0053] In summary, in the transmission assembly of the refrigerator 100 of the present invention, the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6 are respectively hinged between the transmission seat 3 and the second hinge seat 2, and the other end of the first transmission rod 4 passes through the third transmission rod 6 and is hinged to the second transmission rod 5. Therefore, when the door body 102 of the refrigerator 100 is closed, not only the first transmission rod 4, the second transmission rod 5, and the third transmission rod 6 can be received in the transmission seat 3, saving the space of the door hinge, but also the second transmission rod 5 and the third transmission rod 6 are both hinged to the transmission seat 3 with relatively high structural strength. During the long-term opening and closing process of the door body 102 of the refrigerator 100, the transmission seat 3 is not easily deformed and damaged, thereby improving the service life of the door hinge and further improving the closing performance of the door body 102.

[0054] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A door hinge, comprising a first hinge seat for mounting on a refrigerator cabinet, a second hinge seat for mounting on a refrigerator door body, and a transmission assembly hinged between the first hinge seat and the second hinge seat, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes a transmission seat and a first transmission rod respectively hinged to the same side of the first hinge seat, a second transmission rod and a third transmission rod respectively hinged between the transmission seat and the second hinge seat. The second transmission rod and the third transmission rod are arranged without crossing, and the third transmission rod is arranged closer to the position where the transmission seat is hinged to the first hinge seat relative to the second transmission rod. The other end of the first transmission rod passes through the third transmission rod and is hinged to the second transmission rod. The third transmission rod has a pair of fixed arms arranged oppositely and a connecting arm connecting the pair of fixed arms. A limiting space for the first transmission rod to move is formed between the pair of fixed arms. The door hinge further includes an elastic buffer device arranged on the transmission seat and between the second transmission rod and the third transmission rod. The elastic buffer device includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part fixed on the transmission seat and an elastic member connected between the first connecting part and the second connecting part. The first connecting part and the second connecting part are respectively slidably connected with corresponding guide grooves on the transmission seat. During the opening and closing process of the door body, the elastic buffer device expands and contracts under the action of the second transmission rod and the third transmission rod to form a damping force. Two guide grooves for the elastic buffer device to expand and contract and move along a predetermined direction and arranged at intervals are provided on the transmission seat. One of the guide grooves is slidably matched with the first connecting part, and the other guide groove is slidably matched with the second connecting part. The door hinge further includes a transmission member fixed to the third transmission rod to rotatably abut against the second connecting part and another transmission member fixed to the second transmission rod.

2. The door hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sliding structure matched with the guide groove is arranged on the second connecting part.

3. The door hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission member has a fixing part fixed to the third transmission rod and a cam protruding from the fixing part to rotatably abut against the second connecting part. The fixing part and the third transmission rod share a hinge shaft and are hinged between the transmission seat and the second hinge seat.

4. The door hinge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cam has a limiting groove matched with the second connecting part when the door hinge is closed.

5. The door hinge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission seat has a pair of support arms arranged relatively at intervals and a limiting arm connecting the pair of support arms. The door hinge further includes a positioning hole penetrating through the pair of support arms and the third transmission rod in the up-down direction and a positioning pin matched with the positioning hole to lock the door body when the door hinge is closed.

6. The door hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: The positioning hole penetrates through the transmission seat, the third transmission rod, the first transmission rod and the transmission member fixed to the third transmission rod in the up-down direction.

7. The door hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: A through hole for the cam to extend into is formed in the limiting arm during the rotation process of the door hinge.

8. A refrigerator, comprising a box body and a door body, characterized in that: The refrigerator further includes the door hinge according to any one of claims 1-7.

Images