Ratchet assembly and cooking appliance including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ratchet assembly and a cooking appliance including the ratchet assembly. The ratchet assembly includes a fixing bracket (13), a ratchet wheel (9) and a roller (11). The ratchet wheel (9) is provided with a first groove (91) and a first connecting arm (94). The roller (11) is movably disposed in the fixing bracket (13). The ratchet wheel (9) is rotatably mounted in the fixing bracket (13) such that when an external force acting on the first connecting arm (94) drives the ratchet wheel (9) to rotate to a first position, the roller is embedded in the first groove (91). The ratchet assembly of the present invention enables the door body to be held in a specific position through the cooperation between the groove on the ratchet wheel and the roller, thereby improving the user experience of the cooking appliance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of cooking appliances, and more particularly to a ratchet assembly and a cooking appliance including the ratchet assembly. Background Art

[0002] With the development of electronic technology, more and more automated kitchen appliances have emerged on the market to meet various needs of people. Especially in the field of cooking appliances, by integrating an electronic control system into a cooking appliance (such as a microwave oven or an oven), the cooking appliance can automatically execute a cooking program, greatly improving the efficiency of cooking operations.

[0003] A cooking appliance generally includes a cabinet and a door. The door can close the cooking cavity inside the cabinet. A user can open the door to put the food to be cooked into the cooking cavity. Then, by closing the door, the cooking cavity is closed, and thus a cooking operation is performed on the food in the cooking cavity. In the prior art, the door is mounted to the cabinet through a hinge, so that it can freely rotate between a fully open position and a closed position. Since there is no specific hovering position during the rotation of the door, the user must hold the door at a specific position by hand in order to put the food to be cooked into the cooking cavity or take the cooked food out of the cooking cavity. For example, for a cooking appliance with an up-and-down opening door, during the opening process of the door, the user needs to hold the door with one hand and put in or take out the food with the other hand, which brings inconvenience to the user. For a cooking appliance with a left-and-right opening door, the door is prone to swing left and right when opened and thus cannot be stably held in a fixed position, which also causes difficulties for the user to put in and take out the food.

[0004] To solve the above problems, some cooking appliances use a damping hinge to connect the door to the cabinet of the cooking appliance. Although the damping hinge enables the door to hover at any position, the user always needs to apply a pushing force or a pulling force to the door during the opening or closing process of the door, causing inconvenience to the user.

[0005] Therefore, a solution is needed that enables the user to conveniently operate the door of a cooking appliance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a ratchet assembly and a cooking appliance including the ratchet assembly to solve the above technical problems.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A ratchet assembly is used for movably connecting the door body and the cabinet body of a cooking appliance. The ratchet assembly includes a fixed frame, a ratchet, and a roller. The ratchet is provided with a first groove and a first connecting arm. The roller is movably arranged in the fixed frame, and the ratchet is rotatably installed in the fixed frame. When an external force acting on the first connecting arm drives the ratchet to rotate to the first position, the roller is embedded in the first groove.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratchet assembly further includes a second groove. When an external force acting on the first connecting arm drives the ratchet to rotate to the second position, the roller is embedded in the second groove.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first position corresponds to the open position of the door body, and the second position corresponds to the closed position of the door body.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a protrusion is provided between the first groove and the second groove, and the concave surfaces of the first groove and the second groove are arc-shaped.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratchet further includes a second connecting arm for triggering a micro switch when the ratchet is in the second position.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratchet assembly further includes a fork and a spring connected to the fork. The roller is arranged at the end of the fork. When the fork is installed in the fixed frame, the spring applies an elastic force to the fork so that the roller abuts against the ratchet.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fork is provided with a positioning pin, and the fixed frame is provided with a sliding groove. When the fork is installed in the fixed frame, the positioning pin is slidably embedded in the sliding groove.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratchet assembly further includes a connecting piece for connecting to the door body of the cooking appliance, and the first connecting arm is pivotally connected to the connecting piece.

[0016] A cooking appliance includes the ratchet assembly described above. The fixed frame of the ratchet assembly is fixedly installed in the cabinet body of the cooking appliance, and the first connecting arm is connected to the door body of the cooking appliance through a connecting piece.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance is an electric oven or a microwave oven.

[0018] The ratchet assembly of the present invention enables the ratchet to be held in a specific position when the roller is inserted into the groove on the ratchet through the cooperation between the groove on the ratchet and the roller. The ratchet assembly of the present invention can be used to connect the door body and the box body of a cooking appliance, so that the door body can be held in a specific position, such as the open position or the closed position, during the opening or closing process. Therefore, the user can pick up and place food with one hand, improving the user experience of the cooking appliance. In addition, holding the door body in the closed position can improve the safety of the cooking appliance. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prior art cooking appliance;

[0020] Figure 2A is a partial schematic view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2B is Figure 2A a partial enlarged view of;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4A is a top view of the ratchet of the ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4B is a bottom view of the ratchet of the ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4C is a side view of the ratchet of the ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4D is a perspective view of the ratchet of the ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the fork of the ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fixing bracket of the ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Description of the Reference Numerals:

[0030] 1 - Door body 2 - Hinge 3 - Box body 4 - Rotating shaft 5 - Ratchet assembly 6 - Connecting piece 7 - Mounting plate 8 - Microswitch

[0031] 9 - Ratchet 10 - Roller 11 - Fork 12 - Spring 13 - Fixing bracket

[0032] 91 - First groove 92 - Second groove 93 - Protrusion 94 - First connecting arm 941 - Connecting arm shaft hole

[0033] 95 - Second connecting arm 96 - Ratchet shaft hole

[0034] 111 - Positioning pin 112 - Fork rod 113 - Roller mounting hole

[0035] 131 - Slide groove 131 132 - Limit hole 132 133 - Ratchet mounting hole Detailed implementation manners

[0036] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative and in no way limits the present invention and its application or use. The present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make the present invention thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that: Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangements of components and steps, the components of materials, numerical expressions and values set forth in these embodiments should be construed as merely exemplary and not as limitations.

[0037] The "first", "second" and similar terms used in the present invention do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. Words such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the elements before this word are covered by the elements listed after this word, and do not exclude the possibility of also covering other elements. "Up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are only used to represent relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0038] In the present invention, when it is described that a specific device is located between a first device and a second device, there may or may not be an intermediate device between the specific device and the first device or the second device. When it is described that a specific device is connected to other devices, the specific device may be directly connected to the other devices without an intermediate device, or may not be directly connected to the other devices and have an intermediate device.

[0039] All terms used in the present invention (including technical terms or scientific terms) have the same meanings as those understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless specifically defined as such here.

[0040] Known technologies, methods, and devices that are known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, such technologies, methods, and devices should be regarded as part of the specification.

[0041] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance of the prior art. As Figure 1 shown, the cooking appliance (such as an oven or a microwave oven) in the prior art includes a door body 1 and a cabinet 3. The door body 1 and the cabinet 3 are connected together by a hinge 2 and a rotating shaft 4, so that the door body 1 can rotate about the rotating shaft between a closed position and an open position. In the open position, the user can put the ingredients to be cooked into the cooking cavity in the cabinet 3 or take out the cooked food from the cooking cavity. In the closed position, the door body 1 closes the cooking cavity for cooking operations. Since there is no specific hovering position during the rotation of the door body 1, the user must hold the door body 1 by hand at a specific position to put or take out the ingredients from the cooking cavity, which brings inconvenience to the user.

[0042] The present invention provides a ratchet assembly for connecting the door body 1 and the cabinet 3 of a cooking appliance (such as a microwave oven or an oven), so that the door body 1 can be held at a specific position (such as the open position and / or the closed position) during rotation, and the user no longer needs to hold the position of the door body 1 by hand. The ratchet assembly and the cooking appliance according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Figure 2A is a partial schematic view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2A it, the door body 1 is in the closed position. As Figure 2A shown in part A in Figure 2B is Figure 2A an enlarged view of part A in Figure 2B shown, the ratchet assembly 5 is installed on the cabinet 3 and is connected to the door body 1 through a connecting member 6. The ratchet assembly 5 is also connected to a microswitch 8, so that when the door body 1 rotates to the closed position, the ratchet assembly 5 triggers the microswitch. The microswitch 8 can be electrically connected to the control circuit of the cooking appliance, so that the cooking appliance can sense the opening and closing of the door body.

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a ratchet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 3As shown, the ratchet assembly 5 includes a fixed frame 13 and a ratchet 9, a roller 10, a fork 11 and a spring 12 mounted in the fixed frame 13. The ratchet 9 is rotatably mounted in the fixed frame 13. In this embodiment, the ratchet 9 includes a ratchet shaft hole 96, so that the ratchet 9 can be mounted between two ratchet mounting holes 133 on the fixed frame 13 through a rotating shaft passing through the ratchet shaft hole 96. Alternatively, two rotating shafts can be symmetrically provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the ratchet 9 for being embedded in the ratchet mounting holes 133 on the fixed frame 13. The roller 10 is rotatably mounted at the end of the fork 11 and can move in a direction away from and approaching the ratchet 9 under the drive of the fork 11. The fork 11 pushes the roller 11 against the side wall of the ratchet 9 under the action of the thrust generated by the compression of the spring 12.

[0045] As Figures 4A to 4DAs shown, a first groove 91 and a second groove 92 are provided on the side wall of the ratchet wheel 9, and a protrusion 93 is provided between the first groove 91 and the second groove 92. The ratchet wheel 9 further includes a first connecting arm 94 and a second connecting arm 95 extending outward. The first connecting arm 94 is connected to the door body 1 of the cooking appliance through a connecting member 6, so that when the door body 1 is opened or closed, the door body 1 drives the ratchet wheel 9 to rotate through the connecting member 6 and the first connecting arm 94. The first connecting arm 94 can be pivotally connected to the connecting member 6, and for this purpose, a connecting arm shaft hole 941 can be provided on the first connecting arm 94. When the door body 1 is in the open position (for example, the position where the door body 1 is parallel to the side wall of the cabinet 3), the first groove 91 of the ratchet wheel 9 rotates to a position opposite to the roller 10 (referred to as the first position), and the fork 11 pushes the roller 10 into the first groove 91 under the action of the spring 12. At this time, the door body 1 is held in the open position, and an external force sufficient to push the roller 10 out of the first groove 91 must be applied to the door body 1 to push the door body to rotate towards the closed position. When the door body 1 rotates to the closed position (for example, the position where the door body 1 is perpendicular to the side wall of the cabinet 3), the second groove 92 of the ratchet wheel 9 rotates to a position opposite to the roller 10 (referred to as the second position), and the fork 11 pushes the roller 10 into the second groove 92 under the action of the spring 12. At this time, the door body 1 is held in the closed position, and an external force sufficient to push the roller 10 out of the second groove 92 must be applied to the door body 1 to push the door body to rotate towards the open position. In this embodiment, the presence of the protrusion 93 increases an additional resistance to the rotation of the ratchet wheel 9 between the first position and the second position. In fact, when the ratchet wheel 9 rotates between the first position and the second position, the protrusion 93 must push the roller 10 to move away from the ratchet wheel 9 in order to pass through the position of the roller 10. Therefore, the thrust required to rotate the door body 1 in the open position or the closed position can be changed by adjusting the height of the protrusion 93. In this embodiment, the concave surfaces of the first groove 91 and the second groove 92 can be arc-shaped and match the outer peripheral surface of the roller 10, so that the roller 10 can stably abut in the first groove 91 and the second groove 92.

[0046] Figure 5 and Figure 6 respectively show the fork 11 and the fixing bracket 13 in the ratchet assembly 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 5As shown, the shift fork 11 includes a U-shaped upper end portion and a shift fork rod 112 of an elongated shape extending downward from the upper end portion. Two roller mounting holes 113 are symmetrically provided in the U-shaped upper end portion of the shift fork. The roller 10 can be mounted to the upper end portion of the shift fork 11 through a rotating shaft embedded in the roller mounting hole 113. Two positioning pins 111 are also symmetrically provided on both sides of the upper end portion of the shift fork 11. When the shift fork 11 is mounted to the fixing bracket 13, the two positioning pins 111 are respectively embedded in two sliding grooves 131 provided on the fixing bracket 13, so that the shift fork 11 can slide in the fixing bracket 13 along the sliding grooves 131. A spring 12 is sleeved on the shift fork rod 112 of the shift fork 11 and the end of the shift fork rod 112 is embedded in a limit hole 132 provided on the fixing bracket 13. Two ends of the spring 12 respectively abut against the upper end portion of the shift fork 11 and the periphery of the limit hole 132 on the fixing bracket 13. In other words, the spring 12 is compressed between the upper end portion of the shift fork 11 and the periphery of the limit hole 132. Therefore, the shift fork 11 will move in a direction away from the limit hole 132 under the pushing force of the elastic force of the spring 12. Since the ratchet wheel 9 is mounted in the fixing bracket on the side opposite to the limit hole 132 through a ratchet mounting hole 133, the shift fork 11 will move towards the ratchet wheel 9 under the pushing force of the elastic force of the spring 12, so that the roller 10 mounted on the upper end portion of the shift fork 11 abuts against the side wall of the ratchet wheel 9. During the rotation of the ratchet wheel 9, the roller 10 abutting against the side wall of the ratchet wheel 9 rotates under the action of friction. When the first groove 91 (or the second groove 92) of the ratchet wheel 9 rotates to the position of the roller 10, the roller 10 is pushed by the shift fork 11 and embedded in the first groove 91 (or the second groove 92), and at this time, the rotation of the ratchet wheel 9 stops (i.e., remains in this position). In order to make the ratchet wheel 9 continue to rotate, a greater driving force must be applied to the ratchet wheel 9 to extrude the roller 10 from the first groove 91 (or the second groove 92).

[0047] The present invention also relates to a cooking appliance including the ratchet assembly 5 described above, such as a microwave oven or an oven. The ratchet assembly 5 is used to connect the door body 1 and the cabinet 3 of the cooking appliance. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fixing bracket 13 of the ratchet assembly 5 can be mounted on a mounting plate 7 in the cabinet 3 of the cooking appliance. The first connecting arm 94 of the ratchet assembly 5 is connected to the door body 1 of the cooking appliance through a connecting member 6. Two ends of the connecting member 6 can be pivotally connected to the first connecting arm 94 of the ratchet assembly 5 and the door body 1 of the cooking appliance respectively, so that when the door body 1 is opened or closed, the ratchet wheel 9 rotates under the drive of the connecting arm 6. When the door body 1 rotates to a preset open position or closed position, the roller 10 is pushed by the shift fork 11 and respectively embedded in the first groove 91 or the second groove 92 of the ratchet wheel 9, so that the door body can be held in the open position or the closed position. Therefore, by using the ratchet assembly of the present invention, the user experience of opening and closing the door body of the cooking appliance can be improved.

[0048] So far, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of the present invention, some details well known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions of the present invention based on the above description.

[0049] Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments can be modified or equivalent substitutions can be made for some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A ratchet assembly for movably connecting a door body (1) and a box body (3) of a cooking appliance, characterized in that, The ratchet assembly includes a fixing bracket (13), a ratchet wheel (9) and a roller (10). The ratchet wheel (9) is provided with a first groove (91) and a first connecting arm (94). The roller (10) is movably arranged in the fixing bracket (13), and the ratchet wheel (9) is rotatably mounted in the fixing bracket (13), such that when an external force acting on the first connecting arm (94) drives the ratchet wheel (9) to rotate to the first position, the roller is embedded in the first groove (91). The ratchet assembly further includes a second groove (92). When an external force acting on the first connecting arm (94) drives the ratchet wheel (9) to rotate to the second position, the roller is embedded in the second groove (92). A protrusion (93) is provided between the first groove (91) and the second groove (92). The ratchet assembly further includes a fork (11) and a spring (12) connected to the fork (11). The roller (10) is arranged at the end of the fork (11). When the fork (11) is mounted in the fixing bracket (13), the spring (12) applies a thrust to the fork (11), such that the roller (10) abuts against the ratchet wheel (9). The fork (11) is provided with a positioning pin (111), and the fixing bracket (13) is provided with a sliding groove (131). When the fork (11) is mounted into the fixing bracket (13), the positioning pin (111) is slidably embedded in the sliding groove (131). The ratchet wheel (9) further includes a second connecting arm (95) for triggering a microswitch (8) when the ratchet wheel (9) is in the second position.

2. The ratchet assembly according to claim 1, wherein The first position corresponds to the open position of the door body (1), and the second position corresponds to the closed position of the door body (1).

3. The ratchet assembly according to claim 1, wherein The concave surfaces of the first groove (91) and the second groove (92) are arc-shaped.

4. The ratchet assembly according to claim 1, wherein The ratchet assembly further includes a connecting member (6) for connecting to the door body of the cooking appliance. The first connecting arm (94) is pivotally connected to the connecting member (6).

5. A cooking appliance, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes the ratchet assembly according to any one of the preceding claims. The fixing bracket (13) of the ratchet assembly is fixedly mounted in the cabinet (3) of the cooking appliance, and the first connecting arm (94) is connected to the door body (1) of the cooking appliance through the connecting member (6).

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cooking appliance is an electric oven or a microwave oven.

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