Refrigeration appliance

Abstract

The application discloses a refrigeration equipment, which comprises a box body, a door body assembly arranged in front of the box body, a longitudinally extending guide shaft, the length of the guide shaft in the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of the door body assembly in the longitudinal direction, and the door body assembly is movably sleeved on the guide shaft; the door body assembly has a closed state of closing the box body, a sliding state of rotating a preset angle around the guide shaft relative to the box body, and the door body assembly can slide along the guide shaft in the longitudinal direction when the door body assembly is in the sliding state. When the door body assembly is in the closed state, a user rotates the door body assembly, and the door body assembly is opened to facilitate the user to take and place articles in the box body. When the door body assembly is rotated by the preset angle, the door body assembly is in the sliding state, and the door body assembly can slide in the longitudinal direction. A user pulls down the door body assembly to move the door body assembly downward, so that the user with small stature or children can take and place articles arranged at the rear side of the door body assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration equipment, and in particular to a refrigeration equipment having a door assembly that can slide longitudinally. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators includes a cabinet and refrigerator and freezer doors installed on the cabinet. The refrigerator door corresponds to the refrigerator compartment, and the freezer door corresponds to the freezer compartment. Typically, the refrigerator door is located above the freezer door, and a bottle holder is installed on the back of the refrigerator door for placing items. However, because the refrigerator door is positioned high, shorter users or children may find it difficult to reach or access items from the bottle holder. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a refrigeration device in which the door assembly can slide longitudinally.

[0004] To achieve one of the above-mentioned objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigeration device, including a housing and a door assembly disposed in front of the housing. The refrigeration device further includes a longitudinally extending guide shaft, the length of which in the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of which in the longitudinal direction, and the door assembly is movably fitted onto the guide shaft.

[0005] The door assembly has a closed state for closing the housing and a sliding state for rotating relative to the housing by a preset angle around the guide axis. When the door assembly is in the sliding state, the door assembly can slide longitudinally along the guide axis.

[0006] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a lower door body disposed below the door body assembly. The top and bottom of the housing are respectively provided with an upper hinge and a lower hinge. The bottom of the lower door body is pivotally mounted to the housing via the lower hinge. The top end of the guide shaft is fixedly mounted to the upper hinge, and the bottom end is fixedly mounted to the lower hinge.

[0007] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, a gap is provided between the guide shaft and the lower door body to avoid the door body assembly when the door body assembly slides longitudinally.

[0008] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the door assembly includes a door shell, a lower trim strip installed at the bottom of the door shell, an upper trim strip installed at the top of the door shell, and a mating unit fixedly installed between the upper trim strip and the lower trim strip, wherein the mating unit includes a bushing fitted onto the guide shaft.

[0009] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft body of the guide shaft is provided with a longitudinal guide groove that is recessed radially along the guide shaft and the longitudinal guide groove extends longitudinally.

[0010] The mating unit further includes a limiting member, which has at least one limiting pin. When the door assembly is in a sliding state, the limiting pin extends into the longitudinal guide groove.

[0011] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft of the guide shaft is provided with a plurality of annular guide grooves arranged longitudinally. During the process of the door assembly switching from the closed state to the sliding state, the limiting pin extends into the annular guide groove and slides along the annular guide groove.

[0012] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the bushing has a bushing body for fitting the guide shaft, an extension extending radially from the side of the bushing body, a receiving cavity for receiving the limiting member being provided in the extension, and the bushing body having a through hole communicating with the receiving cavity and through which the limiting pin passes.

[0013] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the guide shaft is provided with a plurality of positioning holes arranged longitudinally and recessed radially along the guide shaft on the inner wall of the longitudinal guide groove, and the diameter of the positioning holes decreases from the outside to the inside.

[0014] The mating unit also includes an elastic element disposed in the receiving cavity, one end of which abuts against the side of the limiting element away from the bushing body;

[0015] The door assembly has a plurality of positioning positions when it is in a sliding state. When the door assembly is in a positioning position, the limiting pin matches the positioning hole, and the limiting pin extends into the positioning hole under the push of the elastic member.

[0016] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving cavity extends to the side of the extension away from the bushing body to form an opening;

[0017] The mating unit also includes a sealing cap installed on the side of the extension away from the bushing body to cover the opening;

[0018] The end of the elastic member away from the limiting member abuts against the sealing cover, the limiting member having a mounting portion extending toward the sealing cover, and the elastic member being fitted onto the mounting portion.

[0019] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the positioning hole is disposed at the junction of the annular guide groove and the longitudinal guide groove.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: When the door assembly is in the closed state, the user rotates the door assembly to open it, making it convenient for the user to take out and put in items inside the box. After the door assembly is rotated by a preset angle, the door assembly is in a sliding state, at which time the door assembly can slide vertically. The user can pull down the door assembly to move it downwards, making it easier for short users or children to reach items placed behind the door assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration device when the door assembly is in the closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration device when the door assembly is in a sliding state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a guide shaft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of region A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a door assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the guide shaft and mating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a top view of the guide shaft and mating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the mating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Enlarged view of region B in the middle;

[0030] Among them, 10 is the housing; 20 is the guide shaft; 21 is the longitudinal guide groove; 22 is the annular guide groove; 23 is the positioning hole; 30 is the door assembly; 31 is the door shell; 32 is the upper trim strip; 33 is the lower trim strip; 34 is the mating unit; 341 is the bushing; 3411 is the bushing body; 3412 is the extension; 3413 is the receiving cavity; 342 is the sealing cover; 343 is the limiting element; 3431 is the limiting pin; 3432 is the mounting part; 344 is the elastic element; 40 is the lower door body; 50 is the upper hinge; and 60 is the lower hinge. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the specific 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.

[0032] In the various illustrations of this invention, for ease of illustration, certain dimensions of structures or parts may be enlarged relative to other structures or parts; therefore, only the basic structure of the subject matter of this invention is used to illustrate the invention.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a refrigeration device, including a housing 10, a door assembly 30, and a guide shaft 20.

[0034] The cabinet 10 has a storage room inside, and the door assembly 30 is located at the front of the cabinet 10.

[0035] The guide shaft 20 extends longitudinally. The longitudinal length of the guide shaft 20 is greater than the longitudinal length of the door assembly 30, and the door assembly 30 is movably fitted onto the guide shaft 20.

[0036] The door assembly 30 has a closed state that closes the housing 10 and a sliding state that rotates relative to the housing 10 by a preset angle around the guide shaft 20. When the door assembly 30 is in the sliding state, the door assembly 30 can slide longitudinally along the guide shaft 20.

[0037] When the door assembly 30 is in the closed position, the user rotates the door assembly 30 to open it, facilitating the user to retrieve or place items inside the cabinet 10. After rotating the door assembly 30 by a preset angle, the door assembly 30 is in a sliding state, allowing it to slide vertically. The user can pull down the door assembly 30 to easily retrieve or place items behind it, making it easier for shorter users or children to reach items placed behind the door assembly 30. After retrieving the items, the user pushes the door assembly 30 up to its highest position, and then rotates the door assembly 30 back to the closed position.

[0038] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration device further includes a lower door 40 disposed below the door assembly 30. The interior of the cabinet 10 includes a first compartment and a second compartment located below the first compartment. The first compartment corresponds to the door assembly 30 when it is closed, and the second compartment corresponds to the lower door 40. The first compartment can be configured as a refrigerator compartment, and the second compartment as a freezer compartment.

[0039] The refrigeration equipment also includes an upper hinge 50 and a lower hinge 60. The upper hinge 50 is located at the top of the housing 10, and the lower hinge 60 is located at the bottom of the housing 10. The bottom of the lower door 40 is pivotally mounted to the housing 10 via the lower hinge 60. The top end of the guide shaft 20 is fixedly mounted to the upper hinge 50, and the bottom end is fixedly mounted to the lower hinge 60. Therefore, the lower hinge 60 not only serves to pivotally connect the lower door 40 but also to fix the guide shaft 20 to the housing 10, simplifying the structure.

[0040] Furthermore, the guide shaft 20 is located at the front side of the housing 10, and there is a gap between the guide shaft 20 and the lower door 40 to avoid the door assembly 30 when it slides longitudinally, so as to prevent the door assembly 30 from hitting the lower door 40 when it slides.

[0041] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft body of the guide shaft 20 is provided with a longitudinal guide groove 21 that is recessed radially along the guide shaft 20. The longitudinal guide groove 21 extends longitudinally and extends from the top end of the guide shaft 20 to its bottom end.

[0042] The guide shaft 20 has a plurality of annular guide grooves 22 arranged longitudinally. The annular guide grooves 22 are circular around the shaft of the guide shaft 20 and are recessed radially inward from the shaft of the guide shaft 20. Some of the annular guide grooves 22 correspond to the refrigeration compartment and some of the annular guide grooves 22 correspond to the freezer compartment.

[0043] The guide shaft 20 has a plurality of positioning holes 23 arranged longitudinally and recessed radially along the guide shaft 20 on the inner wall of the longitudinal guide groove 21. The functions of the longitudinal guide groove 21, the annular guide groove 22 and the positioning holes 23 will be explained in the following description of the specific structure of the door assembly 30.

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the door assembly 30 includes a door shell 31, an upper trim strip 32, a lower trim strip 33, and a mating unit 34.

[0045] The door shell 31 is a sheet metal plate. The upper trim strip 32 and the lower trim strip 33 are located at the rear of the door body. The upper trim strip 32 is installed on the top of the door shell 31, and the lower trim strip 33 is installed at the bottom of the door shell 31.

[0046] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the function of the mating unit 34 is to mate with the guide shaft 20. The mating unit 34 is fixedly installed between the upper trim strip 32 and the lower trim strip 33. Specifically, the top of the lower trim strip 33 is provided with a groove for fixed connection with the bottom end of the mating unit 34, and the bottom of the upper trim strip 32 is provided with a groove for fixed connection with the top end of the mating unit 34, or the mating unit 34 is assembled with the lower trim strip 33 and the upper trim strip 32 by screws.

[0047] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the mating unit 34 further includes a bushing 341, a sealing cover 342, a limiting member 343, and an elastic member 344.

[0048] The bushing 341 is fitted onto the guide shaft 20. Specifically, the bushing 341 has a bushing body 3411 that fits onto the guide shaft 20, and an extension 3412 that extends radially from the side of the bushing body 3411. The bushing body 3411 is cylindrical and has a circular channel inside that mates with the guide shaft 20. The bushing body 3411 can rotate and slide relative to the guide shaft 20. The extension 3412 has a receiving cavity 3413 for accommodating the limiting member 343 and the elastic member 344. The receiving cavity 3413 extends to form an opening on the side of the extension 3412 away from the bushing body 3411.

[0049] The sealing cover 342 is installed on the side of the extension 3412 away from the bushing body 3411 to cover the opening. Specifically, the extension 3412 is provided with a snap fastener, and the sealing cover 342 is provided with a snap fastener engagement part that engages with the snap fastener. The assembly of the sealing cover 342 by the snap fastener and the snap fastener engagement part facilitates the installation process of the sealing cover 342, and the sealing cover 342 is easy to disassemble to facilitate the replacement and assembly of the limiting member 343 and the elastic member 344 in the receiving cavity 3413.

[0050] The limiting member 343 is housed within the receiving cavity 3413. The limiting member 343 has at least one limiting pin 3431, and the bushing body 3411 is provided with a through hole that communicates with the receiving cavity 3413 and allows the limiting pin 3431 to pass through.

[0051] An elastic element 344 is disposed within the receiving cavity 3413 and located between the limiting element 343 and the sealing cover 342. One end of the elastic element 344 abuts against the side of the limiting element 343 away from the bushing body 3411, and the other end of the elastic element 344 abuts against the sealing cover 342. The limiting element 343 has a mounting portion 3432 extending toward the sealing cover 342, and there is a certain gap between the mounting portion 3432 and the sealing cover 342. The elastic element 344 is fitted onto the mounting portion 3432. In this embodiment, the elastic element 344 is a spring.

[0052] When the door assembly 30 is in the closed state, the limiting pin 3431 extends into the annular guide groove 22. During the transition of the door assembly 30 from the closed state to the sliding state, the limiting pin 3431 remains extended into the annular guide groove 22 and slides along the annular guide groove 22. During both the closed and sliding states of the door assembly 30, the top and bottom walls of the annular guide groove 22 abut against the limiting pin 3431, preventing the door assembly 30 from sliding longitudinally. This prevents the door assembly 30 from sliding down and impacting the user when the user needs to retrieve items from inside the refrigerator compartment rather than from behind the door assembly 30, thus improving safety.

[0053] When the door assembly 30 rotates to a preset angle and is in a sliding state, the limiting pin 3431 extends into the longitudinal guide groove 21. At this time, the user can pull the door assembly 30 to slide longitudinally along the guide shaft 20, making it easier to retrieve items placed behind the door assembly 30. During the longitudinal sliding process of the door assembly 30, the groove walls on both sides of the longitudinal guide groove 21 prevent the door assembly 30 from rotating. The user only needs to pull down the door assembly 30 and does not need to control the angle of the door assembly 30, thus reducing the difficulty of operation for the user.

[0054] Since there are multiple annular guide grooves 22, when the door assembly 30 slides downwards, the limiting pin 3431 reaches the position corresponding to the lower annular guide groove 22, allowing the door assembly 30 to rotate. This allows the user to increase the rotation angle of the door assembly 30 relative to the box 10, making it easier to retrieve items located behind the door assembly 30. Furthermore, after the user rotates the door assembly 30, the bottom wall of the annular guide groove 22 supports the limiting pin 3431, preventing the door assembly 30 from automatically descending, thus freeing the user's hands and facilitating the retrieval of items behind the door assembly 30.

[0055] The door assembly 30 has multiple positioning positions when in a sliding state. When the door assembly 30 is in a positioning position, the limiting pin 3431 matches the position of the positioning hole 23, and the limiting pin 3431 extends into the positioning hole 23 under the push of the elastic member 344. In this embodiment, the positioning hole 23 is preferably a blind hole.

[0056] During the process of the user pulling down the door assembly 30, after the user hears the limit member 343 striking the wall of the positioning hole 23 under the action of the elastic member 344, the user can release the door assembly 30. The door assembly 30 will then be suspended by the cooperation of the limit pin 3431 and the positioning hole 23, and will not automatically descend, thus freeing the user's hands to easily reach items behind the door assembly 30. Since there are multiple positioning holes 23, the position of the positioning pin with different positioning holes 23 is the positioning position. Therefore, there are multiple positioning positions for the door assembly 30, and the user can choose any positioning position to retrieve items behind the door assembly 30 according to the specific situation.

[0057] Furthermore, the diameter of the positioning hole 23 decreases from the outside to the inside, so that the limit pin 3431 can be disengaged from the positioning hole 23 when the user pulls or pushes the door assembly 30, thereby making it convenient for the user to move the door assembly 30 from one positioning position to another positioning position or to return the door assembly 30 to the highest position.

[0058] Furthermore, the positioning hole 23 is located at the junction of the annular guide groove 22 and the longitudinal guide groove 21. Therefore, at the instant the door assembly 30 switches to the sliding state, the limit pin 3431 strikes the wall of the positioning hole 23 or makes a sound under the action of the elastic element 344, thereby reminding the user that the door assembly 30 is in the sliding state.

[0059] Furthermore, the length direction of the limiting member 343 is longitudinal, and the number of limiting pins 3431 is multiple and distributed along the longitudinal direction, with the spacing between adjacent limiting pins 3431 being the same as the spacing between adjacent positioning holes 23. The number of elastic members 344 is also at least two and distributed along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, during the process of the door assembly 30 being in the closed state and the door assembly 30 switching from the closed state to the sliding state, the multiple limiting pins 3431 cooperate with the multiple annular guide grooves 22, and when the door assembly 30 is in the positioning position, the multiple limiting pins 3431 cooperate with the multiple positioning holes 23, thereby preventing damage to some of the limiting pins 3431 that would cause the door assembly 30 to be unable to remain suspended when it needs to be hovered.

[0060] The refrigeration equipment described in this invention is a device for refrigerating and freezing items such as refrigerators, wine cabinets, and beverage cabinets.

[0061] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigeration device, comprising a housing and a door assembly disposed at the front of the housing, characterized in that, The refrigeration equipment also includes a longitudinally extending guide shaft, the length of which in the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of the door assembly in the longitudinal direction, and the door assembly is movably fitted onto the guide shaft; The door assembly has a closed state for closing the housing and a sliding state for rotating relative to the housing by a preset angle around the guide axis. When the door assembly is in the sliding state, the door assembly can slide longitudinally along the guide axis. The door assembly includes a door shell, a lower trim strip installed at the bottom of the door shell, an upper trim strip installed at the top of the door shell, and a mating unit fixedly installed between the upper trim strip and the lower trim strip. The mating unit includes a bushing fitted onto the guide shaft. The shaft body of the guide shaft is provided with a longitudinal guide groove that is recessed radially along the guide shaft and extends longitudinally. The mating unit further includes a limiting member, which has at least one limiting pin. When the door assembly is in a sliding state, the limiting pin extends into the longitudinal guide groove. The shaft of the guide shaft is provided with a plurality of annular guide grooves arranged longitudinally. During the process of the door assembly switching from the closed state to the sliding state, the limiting pin extends into the annular guide groove and slides along the annular guide groove.

2. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a lower door body disposed below the door assembly. The top and bottom of the housing are respectively provided with an upper hinge and a lower hinge. The bottom of the lower door body is pivotally mounted to the housing via the lower hinge. The top end of the guide shaft is fixedly mounted to the upper hinge, and the bottom end is fixedly mounted to the lower hinge.

3. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, There is a gap between the guide shaft and the lower door body to avoid the door body assembly when the door body assembly slides longitudinally.

4. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bushing has a bushing body for fitting the guide shaft, an extension extending radially from the side of the bushing body, a receiving cavity for receiving the limiting member in the extension, and a through hole communicating with the receiving cavity and through which the limiting pin passes.

5. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guide shaft has a plurality of positioning holes arranged longitudinally and recessed radially along the guide shaft on the inner wall of the longitudinal guide groove, and the diameter of the positioning holes decreases from the outside to the inside. The mating unit also includes an elastic element disposed in the receiving cavity, one end of which abuts against the side of the limiting element away from the bushing body; The door assembly has a plurality of positioning positions when it is in a sliding state. When the door assembly is in a positioning position, the limiting pin matches the positioning hole, and the limiting pin extends into the positioning hole under the push of the elastic member.

6. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The receiving cavity extends to the side of the extension away from the bushing body to form an opening; The mating unit also includes a sealing cap installed on the side of the extension away from the bushing body to cover the opening; The end of the elastic member away from the limiting member abuts against the sealing cover, the limiting member having a mounting portion extending toward the sealing cover, and the elastic member being fitted onto the mounting portion.

7. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The positioning hole is located at the junction of the annular guide groove and the longitudinal guide groove.

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