Refrigeration appliance

Abstract

The application provides a refrigeration appliance, which comprises a cabinet, an inner door body for opening or closing the cabinet, and an outer door body arranged outside the inner door body, wherein the refrigeration appliance further comprises a pivoting mechanism for connecting the cabinet, the inner door body and the outer door body, the pivoting mechanism enables the outer door body and the inner door body to be rotated outward and opened relative to the cabinet, and the pivoting shafts of the inner door body and the outer door body are coaxially arranged on the outer door body. The application can effectively reduce the thickness of the inner door body, and when the door body is opened, the distance of the door body protruding from the side edge of the cabinet is small, which is beneficial to space saving.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular to a refrigeration appliance with reduced door thickness. BACKGROUND

[0002] The door structure of the existing refrigeration appliance is to reduce the heat exchange between the outside temperature and the internal temperature as much as possible, and a double door structure is usually adopted, that is, an inner door body matched with the cabinet and an outer door body matched with the inner door body, and the size of the outer door body is usually smaller than that of the inner door body, so that when the items in the refrigeration appliance need to be taken out, only the outer door body needs to be opened to take out the items, without opening the inner door body, thereby effectively reducing the heat exchange between the outside and the inside of the refrigeration appliance.

[0003] However, the existing door structure is that a first hinge is arranged between the inner door body and the cabinet to ensure the opening and closing of the inner door body, and a second hinge is arranged between the inner door body and the outer door body to ensure the opening and closing of the outer door body. This structure not only makes the hinge cost higher, but also needs to arrange structures matched with the hinge on the inner door body and the outer door body, so that the thickness of the inner door body and the outer door body is relatively thick, thereby causing that when the inner door body and the outer door body are opened at the same time, the distance between the inner door body and the outer door body protruding from the side wall of the cabinet is large, which is not conducive to the placement of the refrigeration appliance.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing refrigeration appliance to solve the above problems. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to provide a refrigeration appliance with reduced door thickness.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned application purposes, the present application provides a refrigeration appliance comprising a cabinet, an inner door body for opening or closing the cabinet, and an outer door body arranged outside the inner door body, wherein the refrigeration appliance further comprises a pivoting mechanism connecting the cabinet, the inner door body and the outer door body, the pivoting mechanism enables the outer door body and the inner door body to be rotated outward relative to the cabinet to be opened, and the pivoting shafts of the inner door body and the outer door body are coaxially arranged on the outer door body.

[0007] The inner door body has an extension structure extending to the outer door body, and the extension structure and the part opposite to the outer door body in the door height direction form a pivoting structure, the pivoting mechanism comprises the pivoting structure and a hinge fixed on the cabinet, the hinge extends to the pivoting structure and rotates with the pivoting structure.

[0008] The hinge has a fixed part fixed to the cabinet, an extension part extending from the fixed part towards the outer door body, and a hinge shaft arranged between the extension part and the outer door body, the inner door body and the outer door body are both rotatable around the hinge shaft; the outer door body has an outer door body and a door shaft part protruding rearward from the outer door body, and the inner door body has a recessed part arranged to cooperate with the door shaft part. As a further improvement of the present application, the inner door body has an inner door body, the extension structure is a connecting structure fixed above the inner door body, and the connecting structure is rotatably connected with the hinge shaft.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present application, the hinge shaft is fixedly connected to the extension part and extends downward to pivotally cooperate with the outer door body, the outer door body has a pivot part rotatably cooperating with the hinge shaft, the pivot part is a shaft hole recessed from the outer door body, and the connecting structure includes a connecting piece, one end of the connecting piece is fixed to the inner door body, and the other end of the connecting piece has a through hole pivotally connected with the hinge shaft.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present application, the connecting structure further includes a shaft sleeve arranged between the hinge shaft and the connecting piece, the shaft sleeve has a main body part extending in the front-rear direction, and a rotating shaft part extending downward from the main body part and located between the through hole and the hinge shaft.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present application, the outer door body has a pivot part rotatably cooperating with the hinge shaft, the pivot part is a shaft hole recessed from the outer door body, the inner door body has an inner door body, and the extension structure extends from the inner door body to the outer door body and is rotatably connected with the shaft hole.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present application, the extension structure has a first recessed groove recessed downward to rotatably cooperate with the hinge shaft.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present application, the pivot structure further includes a base shaft arranged in the shaft hole, and the extension structure has a second recessed groove recessed upward to rotatably cooperate with the base shaft.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present application, the pivot structure further includes an elastic piece arranged below the base shaft, and the outer door body has a detachable part which can be detached rearward to press the base shaft downward.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present application, the thickness of the outer door body on the side of the pivot mechanism is greater than the thickness of the inner door body on the side of the pivot mechanism.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The refrigeration appliance of this invention incorporates a pivoting mechanism connecting the housing, inner door, and outer door. This pivoting mechanism allows both the outer and inner doors to rotate outward relative to the housing and open. Furthermore, the pivot axes of the inner and outer doors are coaxially aligned on the outer door. Therefore, this not only effectively reduces the thickness of the inner door but also minimizes the distance the door protrudes from the side of the housing when open, thus saving space. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the refrigeration appliance of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the central gate from another perspective.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional exploded view of the middle part of the structure.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the door.

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0023] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A three-dimensional exploded view of the middle part of the structure.

[0024] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 A 3D diagram showing the middle door after it is opened.

[0025] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 3D exploded view.

[0026] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 Enlarged view of point C in the middle. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Please refer to Figures 1 to 10As shown in the embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application, the refrigerator comprises a cabinet 1, an inner door body 2 opening or closing the cabinet 1, and an outer door body 3 arranged outside the inner door body 2, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a pivoting mechanism connecting the cabinet 1, the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3, the pivoting mechanism enabling the outer door body 3 and the inner door body 2 to be opened by rotating outwardly relative to the cabinet 1, and the pivoting shafts of the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 are coaxially arranged on the outer door body 3.

[0029] Specifically, as Figure 1 shown in the embodiment, the refrigerator is a refrigerator, which can be a conventional top-bottom opening refrigerator, a side-by-side opening refrigerator, a French door refrigerator or other forms of refrigerator. Of course, in other embodiments, the refrigerator can also be a freezer, a wine cabinet or the like.

[0030] In the embodiment, the inner door body 2 has an extension structure extending to the outer door body 3, and the extension structure and the part opposite to the outer door body 3 along the door body height direction form a pivoting mechanism, which comprises the pivoting structure and a hinge 4 fixed to the cabinet 1, the hinge 4 extending to the pivoting structure and rotatingly cooperating with the pivoting structure. The hinge 4 has a fixed part 41 fixed to the cabinet 1, an extension part 42 extending from the fixed part 41 towards the outer door body 3, and a hinge shaft 43 arranged between the extension part 42 and the outer door body 3. Thus, the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 can be rotated relative to the cabinet 1 independently, or the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 can be rotated relative to each other.

[0031] Therefore, through the above structure, the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 are both rotated around the hinge shaft 43 on the outer door body 3, thereby avoiding arranging the hinge shaft 43 on the inner door body 2, reducing the thickness of the inner door body 2, and reducing the overall volume of the refrigerator, which is beneficial to miniaturization design. Moreover, when the hinge shaft 43 is arranged on the outer door body 3, when the inner and outer door bodies are opened simultaneously or the outer door body 3 is opened alone, the distance of the door body protruding from the side wall of the cabinet 1 can be significantly reduced, thereby reducing the risk of the door body colliding with the wall after being opened, and since the protruding distance is small, the refrigerator can be further arranged close to the wall, fully utilizing the space and improving the space utilization rate.

[0032] Specifically, the above distance protruding from the side wall of the cabinet 1 is substantially the distance between the hinge shaft 43 and the front end surface of the outer door body 3, and if the hinge shaft 43 is arranged on the inner door body 2, the above distance protruding from the side wall of the cabinet 1 is also substantially the distance between the hinge shaft 43 and the front end surface of the outer door body 3, but the distance includes the thickness of the entire outer door body 3 and the thickness of part of the inner door body 2. Therefore, by comparison, it is obvious that the distance protruding from the side wall of the cabinet 1 is smaller when the hinge shaft 43 is arranged on the outer door body 3.

[0033] In this embodiment, the hinge shaft 43 has a through hole 44 extending along the height direction and extending radially. Therefore, when the hinge shaft 43 mates with the bushing 6 and the shaft hole, it can fit better with them, thereby eliminating the gap between the hinge shaft 43 and the bushing 6 and the shaft hole, and preventing the door from shaking.

[0034] In this embodiment, the outer door 3 has an outer door body 31 and a door hinge portion 32 protruding rearward from the outer door body 31. The inner door 2 has a recessed portion 21 that cooperates with the door hinge portion 32 and a recessed portion 22 that is recessed along the height direction. The pivoting mechanism is disposed within the door hinge portion 32 and the recessed portion 22. Furthermore, the height of the outer door body 31 is higher than the door hinge portion 32 and the recessed portion 22, thereby effectively concealing the pivoting mechanism, preventing the user from directly seeing it, improving the overall integrity of the refrigeration appliance, and thus enhancing its aesthetics.

[0035] Furthermore, the thickness of the outer door 3 on the pivot mechanism side is greater than the thickness of the inner door 2 on the pivot mechanism side. Therefore, the overall thickness of the door can be reduced, thus reducing the cost of the door and the overall volume of the refrigeration appliance.

[0036] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, this is a first embodiment of the extended structure of the present invention. Specifically, the inner door body 2 has an inner door body 23, and the extended structure is a connecting structure fixed above the inner door body 23. The connecting structure is rotatably connected to the hinge shaft 43. That is, the inner door body 23 and the connecting structure are separate structures, which facilitates production and assembly.

[0037] The hinge shaft 43 is fixedly connected to the extension 42 and extends downward to pivotally engage with the outer door body 3. The outer door body 3 has a pivot part 33 that rotatably engages with the hinge shaft 43. The pivot part 33 is a shaft hole recessed from the outer door body 3. Therefore, the pivot shaft of the outer door body 3 is the hinge shaft 43.

[0038] The connecting structure includes a connector 5, one end of which is fixed to the inner door body 2, and the other end has a through hole 51 that is pivotally connected to the hinge shaft 43. Therefore, the pivot shaft of the inner door body 2 is also the hinge shaft 43. In this embodiment, the connector 5 has a flat plate structure and is made of metal, which improves the stability of the connection between the inner door body 2 and the hinge shaft 43, and also saves cost and space. Of course, in other embodiments, the connector 5 can also be a structure that extends horizontally and vertically, that is, the connector 5 is not pivotally connected to the hinge shaft 43 through hole 51, but a hollow tubular structure.

[0039] The connecting structure also includes a bushing 6 disposed between the hinge shaft 43 and the connector 5. The bushing 6 has a main body 61 extending in the front-rear direction and a pivot portion 62 extending downward from the main body 61 and located between the through hole 51 and the hinge shaft 43. The bushing 6 is made of plastic, while the hinge 4 and the connector 5 are made of metal. The main body 61 and the connector 5 are fixed together to the inner door body 23 to prevent the bushing 6 from being in a movable state. Of course, in other embodiments, the bushing 6 can also be a hollow tubular structure, as long as the upper end has an outward protruding structure for hanging on the connector 5. Therefore, the bushing 6 separates the hinge 4 and the connector 5, preventing the hinge 4 and the connector 5 from directly contacting each other, thereby reducing the noise generated during rotation.

[0040] From another perspective, it is also possible to simply have the bushing 6 mate with the hinge shaft 43, in which case the connecting member 5 would serve to strengthen the structure. In other words, the bushing 6 can also be considered as the connecting member 5, and the connecting member 5 as the reinforcing member.

[0041] In this embodiment, the inner door 2 and the outer door 3 also have mating pivots and shaft holes at their bottoms, and the inner door 2 and the outer door 3 can be assembled together first, and then installed together with the housing 1. The specific process is as follows:

[0042] First, align and install the pivots and shaft holes at the bottom of the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3. Second, assemble the connector 5 and the bushing 6 together and install the bushing 6 into the shaft hole of the outer door body 3. Third, fix the connector 5 and the bushing 6 together onto the inner door body 2. The assembly of the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 can be completed by following the above steps.

[0043] like Figures 5 to 10 As shown, this is a second embodiment of the extension structure of the present invention. The difference between the extension structure and the first embodiment is that the extension structure extends from the inner door body 23 to the outer door body 3 and is rotatably connected to the shaft hole, that is, the extension structure and the inner door body 23 are an integral structure.

[0044] Specifically, the extension structure has a first groove 7 that is recessed downward to rotatably engage with the hinge shaft 43. Therefore, the pivot axis of the inner door body 2 is the hinge shaft 43, and the pivot axis of the outer door body 3 is the extension structure.

[0045] In order to reduce the damage risk of the extension structure and the shaft hole in long-term rotation, the pivot structure further comprises a base shaft 8 arranged in the shaft hole, and the extension structure has a second groove (not shown) recessed upward to rotate with the base shaft 8. The base shaft 8 is a metal part, that is, the extension structure and the base shaft 8 are rotationally connected, thereby avoiding the extension structure extruding the inner wall of the shaft hole, reducing the damage risk of the outer door body 3, and improving the reliability of the rotation connection between the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3.

[0046] In the embodiment, the first groove 7 and the second groove are communicated with each other in the height direction, so that the extension structure is easier to be formed. Specifically, when the extension structure is formed, the mold only needs to be provided with one element to form the through hole 51, and when the first groove 7 and the second groove are not communicated, two elements are needed to form the first groove 7 and the second groove, respectively. Of course, in other embodiments, the first groove 7 and the second groove can also be arranged in a non-communicating manner, or the hinge shaft 43 can be rotationally connected with the base shaft 8. At this time, the pivot shaft of the outer door body 3 is the hinge shaft 43, so that the pivot shaft of the outer door body 3 can be the extension structure or the hinge shaft 43 in different cases.

[0047] Further, in order to facilitate the assembly of the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 together, the pivot structure further comprises an elastic member (not shown) arranged below the base shaft 8, and the outer door body 3 has a detachable part 34 which can be detached downward to press the base shaft 8 downward. When the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 are installed, the specific process is as follows:

[0048] First, the detachable part 34 of the outer door body 3 is taken off; second, the pivot shaft and the shaft hole below the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 are aligned and installed; third, the base shaft 8 is pressed downward so that the top of the base shaft 8 is lower than the bottom of the extension structure; fourth, the extension structure of the inner door body 2 is moved horizontally above the base shaft 8 and the base shaft 8 is released, so that the base shaft 8 is pivotally connected in the second groove; and fifth, the detachable part 34 is installed. The assembly of the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 can be completed through the above steps.

[0049] Of course, in other embodiments, the detachable part 34 can not be provided, and the extension structure can also be directly installed in the shaft hole of the outer door body 3 through plastic deformation.

[0050] The first embodiment and the second embodiment of the extension structure can make the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 be assembled together first, and then be assembled with the cabinet 1 together. Therefore, the assembly steps are simplified, and the assembly efficiency is improved. Especially when the refrigeration appliance is relatively high, even higher than the height of general workers, the inner door body 2 is installed first, and then the outer door body 3 is installed, which is not conducive to installation due to poor visibility. Therefore, the above two embodiments of the present application can effectively avoid the above problems.

[0051] The extension structure of the present application also has a third embodiment (not shown), which differs from the first embodiment in that the connecting member 5 can also have a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft extends upward beyond the extension 42 of the hinge 4 and downward into the through hole 44 of the hinge shaft 43 to pivotally connect with the hinge shaft 43.

[0052] In summary, the refrigeration appliance of the present application sets a pivoting mechanism for connecting the box body 1, the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3, which makes the outer door body 3 and the inner door body 2 both rotate outwardly to open compared with the box body 1, and the pivoting shafts of the inner door body 2 and the outer door body 3 are coaxially arranged on the outer door body 3. Therefore, not only the thickness of the inner door body 2 can be effectively reduced, but also when the door body is opened, the distance of the door body protruding from the side of the box body 1 is small, which is beneficial to save space.

[0053] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application but not limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced equivalently without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A refrigeration appliance, comprising a housing, an inner door for opening or closing the housing, and an outer door disposed outside the inner door, characterized in that: The refrigeration appliance also includes a pivoting mechanism connecting the cabinet, the inner door and the outer door. The pivoting mechanism allows both the outer door and the inner door to be rotated outward relative to the cabinet and opened. The pivoting axes of the inner door and the outer door are coaxially arranged on the outer door. The inner door has an extension structure extending to the outer door. A pivoting mechanism is formed at the part of the extension structure that is opposite to the outer door along the height direction of the door. The pivoting mechanism includes the pivoting structure and a hinge fixed to the housing. The hinge extends to the pivoting structure and rotates with the pivoting structure. The hinge has a fixing part fixed to the housing, an extension part extending from the fixing part toward the outer door body, and a hinge axis disposed between the extension part and the outer door body. Both the inner door body and the outer door body rotate around the hinge axis. The outer door body has an outer door body body and a door hinge part protruding rearward from the outer door body body. The inner door body has a recessed part that is recessed to cooperate with the door hinge part.

2. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inner door has an inner door body, and the extension structure is a connecting structure fixed above the inner door body. The connecting structure is rotatably connected to the hinge shaft.

3. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The hinge shaft is fixedly connected to the extension and extends downward to pivotally engage with the outer door body. The outer door body has a pivot joint that rotatably engages with the hinge shaft. The pivot joint is a shaft hole recessed from the outer door body. The connection structure includes a connector. One end of the connector is fixed to the inner door body, and the other end has a through hole that pivotally connects with the hinge shaft.

4. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The connection structure further includes a bushing disposed between the hinge shaft and the connector, the bushing having a main body extending in the front-rear direction and a rotating shaft extending downward from the main body and located between the through hole and the hinge shaft.

5. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer door has a pivot portion that rotatably engages with the hinge shaft. The pivot portion is a shaft hole recessed from the outer door. The inner door has an inner door body. The extension structure extends from the inner door body to the outer door and is rotatably connected to the shaft hole.

6. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The extension structure has a first groove that is recessed downward to rotatably engage with the hinge axis.

7. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The pivoting structure further includes a base shaft disposed within the shaft hole, and the extension structure has a second groove that is recessed upward to rotatably engage with the base shaft.

8. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The pivoting structure also includes an elastic element disposed below the base shaft, and the outer door has a detachable part that can be removed to press down on the base shaft.

9. The refrigeration appliance as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The thickness of the outer door body on the pivot mechanism side is greater than the thickness of the inner door body on the pivot mechanism side.

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