A sealed electrically operated damper and a refrigerator

Abstract

The application discloses a sealed electric air door and a refrigerator. At least two layers of sealing devices are arranged between a gear box of the air door and a cover plate of the air door. The at least two layers of sealing devices surround the periphery of a door plate driving device, can effectively prevent water vapor in the refrigerator from entering the inside of the gear box, thereby avoiding that the motor is eroded and rusted by the water vapor and avoiding that the gear is iced to affect transmission. Therefore, the electric air door can be stably operated and has a longer service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration equipment, and more specifically to a sealed electric damper and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional electric dampers include: a door panel, a gearbox, a cover plate, a stepper motor, and a gear reduction system connecting the stepper motor and the door panel. The stepper motor reciprocates according to pulse signals, outputting torque to drive the gear reduction system, which in turn drives the door panel to move back and forth, thus achieving the function of opening and closing the door.

[0003] Traditional electric dampers rely on a "Z"-shaped stop on the inner surface of the cover plate to achieve a seal between the gearbox and the cover plate. However, due to the humid environment inside the refrigerator, moisture can penetrate the gearbox through this stop structure after long-term use, causing the motor to rust and fail or causing ice to form on the meshing parts of the reduction gears. In this case, the damper will no longer be able to operate normally and will need to be repaired or replaced. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a sealed electric damper and a refrigerator. This application utilizes at least two layers of sealing devices to prevent moisture inside the refrigerator from entering the gearbox, thereby extending the service life of the refrigerator damper. The specific technical solution adopted in this application is as follows.

[0005] First, to achieve the above objectives, a sealed electric damper is proposed. The electric damper includes a door panel drive device, which comprises: an outer sealing device disposed between the damper gearbox and the damper cover plate; and an inner sealing device disposed within the damper gearbox. The door panel drive device is located inside the inner sealing device, and the inner sealing device is located inside the outer sealing device.

[0006] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the inner sealing device includes: a lower sealing structure disposed at the bottom of the damper gearbox and surrounding the outer periphery of the damper drive device; an upper sealing structure disposed on the inner side of the damper cover; and a sealing connection between the bottom of the upper sealing structure and the top of the lower sealing structure.

[0007] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the lower sealing structure is a lower waterproof rib, which is integrally connected to the bottom plate of the damper gearbox.

[0008] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the upper sealing structure is an upper waterproof rib that is integrally connected to the inner side of the damper cover.

[0009] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the top of the lower waterproof rib has a recessed groove, and the bottom of the upper waterproof rib is inserted into the recessed groove; or, the bottom of the upper waterproof rib has an upper recessed groove, and the top of the lower waterproof rib is inserted into the upper recessed groove.

[0010] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the upper sealing structure is an inner cover plate, which is disposed inside the damper cover plate; the top of the inner wall of the damper cover plate is provided with an installation groove for installing the inner cover plate; an elastic gasket is provided between the top of the inner cover plate and the installation groove; the bottom of the inner cover plate is provided with an upper recessed groove; and the top end of the lower waterproof rib is inserted into the upper recessed groove.

[0011] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the outer sealing device includes: a stop strip, the outer side of which is attached to the inner side wall of the damper gearbox and is disposed around the edge of the damper cover plate.

[0012] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the stop strip extends downward from the inner side of the bottom edge of the damper cover plate, forming a Z-shaped stop with the bottom edge of the damper cover plate; the connection port of the damper gearbox has a stepped structure, the upper end face of the stepped structure is located at the top edge of the damper gearbox, and the lower end face of the stepped structure is located below the inner side of the upper end face; the bottom end face of the Z-shaped stop abuts against the lower end face of the stepped structure, and the bottom surface of the damper cover plate outside the Z-shaped stop abuts against the upper end face of the stepped structure.

[0013] Optionally, in any of the above-described sealed electric dampers, the door panel driving device includes a gear reduction system and a motor, the gear reduction system and the motor being disposed between the damper gearbox and the damper cover and simultaneously surrounded by an inner sealing device and an outer sealing device, the motor driving the door panel of the electric damper to rotate between an open position and a closed position through the transmission of the gear reduction system.

[0014] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a refrigerator that includes a waterproof electric damper as described in any of the above descriptions.

[0015] Beneficial effects

[0016] This application addresses the problem of existing refrigerator dampers being easily affected by moisture, causing the door panel to malfunction and fail to open and close properly. It provides a sealed electric damper and refrigerator. By incorporating at least two layers of sealing devices between the damper gearbox and the damper cover, and surrounding the door panel drive mechanism, it effectively prevents moisture from entering the gearbox. This application also prevents the motor from being corroded and rusted by moisture, and prevents the gears from being affected by condensation and ice formation. Therefore, the electric damper of this application can operate stably and has a longer service life.

[0017] Furthermore, to achieve a better waterproof sealing effect, this application further configures the inner sealing device as a sealing structure including upper and lower sides. The upper sealing structure is integrally connected to the damper cover, and the lower sealing structure is integrally formed with the bottom plate of the damper gearbox. The upper and lower sealing structures can be inserted or abutted together via slots with upward or downward openings. Thus, the inner sealing device of this application has only one concave gap between the slots, further preventing moisture from entering. When the slot is configured as a downward-opening concave slot structure, moisture that accidentally enters the outer sealing decoration can condense on the outside of the concave slot, drip downwards along the slot opening, and accumulate between at least two sealing devices, making it difficult to enter the door panel drive mechanism.

[0018] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present application and form part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they serve to explain the present application but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the electric damper of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the inner structure of the damper cover plate in the electric damper of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the AA section;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of another inner sealing device of this application.

[0024] In the diagram, 1 represents the damper gearbox; 2 represents the motor; 3 represents the gear reduction system; 4 represents the door panel; 5 represents the damper cover plate; 6 represents the outer sealing device; 7 represents the inner sealing device; 71 represents the lower waterproof rib; 72 represents the upper waterproof rib; 73 represents the upper recessed groove; and 8 represents the inner cover plate. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives and technical solutions of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless defined as herein.

[0027] The meaning of "and / or" as used in this application includes situations where each exists alone or both exist simultaneously.

[0028] In this application, "inner" and "outer" refer to the direction from the surface of the damper cover towards the gear reduction system relative to the electric damper itself, and vice versa; rather than a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0029] The term "connection" as used in this application can mean a direct connection between components or an indirect connection between components through other components.

[0030] The terms "upper" and "lower" as used in this application refer to the direction from the damper cover to the damper panel relative to the electric damper itself, which is lower and vice versa. They do not specifically limit the device mechanism of this application, nor do they specifically limit the installation direction of the damper structure of this application.

[0031] Figure 1According to this application, a sealed electric damper is connected to the air duct inside a refrigerator, including a damper gearbox 1 and a rotatable door panel 4 disposed on one side of the damper gearbox 1. Inside the damper gearbox 1, a motor 2 drives a gear reduction system 3, which in turn rotates the external door panel 4 between an open and closed position. To solve the problem of water vapor condensation and ice formation inside the damper gearbox, which corrodes the motor, this application provides at least two layers of sealing devices inside the damper gearbox, including: an outer sealing device 6 disposed between the damper gearbox 1 and the damper cover plate 5; and at least one inner sealing device 7 disposed inside the damper gearbox 1. Alternatively, the inner sealing device can have two, three, or other preferred layers. The door panel drive device is located inside the inner sealing device 7, and the inner sealing device 7 is located inside the outer sealing device 6. Thus, water vapor inside the refrigerator is confined outside the door panel drive device composed of the motor 2 and the drive gear reduction system 3 by the aforementioned at least two layers of sealing devices. Therefore, this application can effectively prevent moisture from entering the gearbox from the refrigerator, thereby avoiding the motor from being corroded and rusted by moisture, and also preventing the gears from being affected by moisture condensation and ice formation, ensuring that the electric damper of this application can operate stably and has a longer service life.

[0032] The outer sealing device 6 can adopt a common design, consisting of... Figure 2 The structure shown is composed of a closed annular stop bar. Its structure completely surrounds the door panel drive device, which consists of a motor 2 and a drive gear reduction system 3, and connects between the damper gearbox 1 and the damper cover plate 5. The outer wall of this stop bar adheres to the top of the inner wall of the damper gearbox 1, and a ring is formed around the edge of the damper cover plate 5. This restricts the damper cover plate 5 from rotating and opening relative to the damper gearbox 1, and forms a bent stop structure to prevent moisture from directly entering through the gap between the damper cover plate 5 and the damper gearbox 1.

[0033] The inner sealing device 7 can be referenced. Figure 3 As shown, the configuration includes: a lower sealing structure disposed at the bottom of the damper gearbox 1 and surrounding the outer periphery of the door panel drive device; and an upper sealing structure disposed on the inner side of the damper cover plate 5. The bottom of the upper sealing structure and the top of the lower sealing structure can be sealed together by means of insertion or other methods. The height of the connection point can be set to have a height difference with the annular stop strip of the outer sealing device 6, thereby preventing moisture from directly entering the door panel drive device from the gap between the upper and lower sealing structures after passing through the stop strip.

[0034] Therefore, the door panel drive device, consisting of the gear reduction system 3 and the motor 2, is positioned between the damper gearbox 1 and the damper cover 5, and is simultaneously surrounded by the inner sealing device 7 and the outer sealing device 6, achieving double or multiple seals. A certain gap is left between at least two sealing devices and the outer edge of the door panel drive device, which does not affect the motor 2 in the door panel drive device from driving the electric damper door 5 through the gear reduction system 3, but effectively prevents the intrusion of moisture inside the refrigerator, forming two steps between the at least two sealing devices to block moisture entry.

[0035] Specifically, refer to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the aforementioned inner sealing device can achieve a lower sealing structure through the lower waterproof rib 71 and an upper sealing structure through the upper waterproof rib 72.

[0036] The lower waterproof rib 71 is integrally connected to the bottom plate of the damper gearbox 1 and extends upward from the bottom plate of the damper gearbox 1 to a position close to the connection between the damper gearbox 1 and the damper cover plate 5.

[0037] The upper waterproof rib 72 extends downward from the inside of the damper cover plate 5 and matches the top shape of the lower waterproof rib 71. The bottom of the upper waterproof rib 72 abuts against the top of the lower waterproof rib 71 to achieve an inner layer seal.

[0038] Therefore, there is only a gap between the inner sealing device and the damper gearbox 1 and damper cover 5 near the connection port of the damper gearbox 1. The height of this gap can be set lower than the annular stop bar of the outer sealing device 6 by the structure of the waterproof rib. Thus, even if water vapor enters the damper gearbox through the annular stop bar, it still needs to cross the gap between the lower waterproof rib 71 and the upper waterproof rib 72 before it can enter the door panel drive device and affect the opening and closing of the door panel. This height difference design can effectively prevent further water vapor intrusion, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the door panel.

[0039] And reference Figure 3 On the right side, in this application, the stop strip can be specifically configured to extend downward from the inner side of the bottom edge of the damper cover 5, forming a Z-shaped stop with the bottom edge of the damper cover 5. The connection port of the damper gearbox 1 can be designed as a stepped structure to match the Z-shaped stop. The upper end face of the stepped structure is located at the top edge of the damper gearbox 1, and the lower end face of the stepped structure is located below the inner side of the upper end face. Thus, the bottom end face of the Z-shaped stop can directly abut against the lower end face of the stepped structure, and the bottom surface of the damper cover 5 outside the Z-shaped stop can directly abut against the upper end face of the stepped structure. The upper and lower end faces of the stepped structure and the outer side of the stop strip form a "Z"-shaped bend, which can effectively prevent moisture from entering the damper gearbox.

[0040] To further ensure a tight seal between the lower waterproof rib 71 and the upper waterproof rib 72, this application may also form an upward-opening recessed groove at the top of the lower waterproof rib 71, so that the bottom of the upper waterproof rib 72 can be inserted into the recessed groove, thereby achieving connection and limiting fixation of the upper waterproof rib 72. The U-shaped gap formed by the recessed groove can further prevent moisture from entering the door panel drive device, avoiding moisture affecting the normal operation of the damper.

[0041] In other implementations, the bottom of the upper waterproof rib 72 can also be configured as a rib forming a complete circle on the inner wall surface of the cover plate, with an upwardly recessed groove 73 forming at its bottom. Thus, the top of the lower waterproof rib 71 on the lower side of the damper gearbox 1 can be directly inserted into the interior of the upwardly recessed groove, achieving limiting and connection fixation.

[0042] Since the size and internal structure of the damper vary, those skilled in the art should understand that the above-mentioned upper recessed groove or the lower recessed groove provided on the surface of the internal rib of the gearbox can achieve the same effect in blocking water vapor.

[0043] In other implementations, this application may also omit the aforementioned integral damper cover structure and instead replace the upper sealing structure in the aforementioned inner sealing device with a... Figure 4 The inner cover plate 9 shown is used to achieve this. This split inner cover plate 9 can be installed through the top of the inner wall of the damper cover plate 5. The inner cover plate 9 extends downward to form a structure close to the stop strip, abutting against the top of the lower waterproof rib 71 inside the damper gearbox 1, and cooperating with the lower waterproof rib 71 to achieve a second layer of sealing. Specifically, the top of the inner wall of the damper cover plate 5 can be further formed with an installation groove that matches the shape of the inner cover plate 9. The top of the inner cover plate 9 is set in the installation groove, and an elastic gasket 8 similar to rubber material can be further set between the top of the inner cover plate 9 and the installation groove. When the bottom end of the inner cover plate 9 abuts against the top end of the lower waterproof rib 71, the deformation of the elastic gasket can ensure that the lower waterproof rib 71 inside the gearbox and the lower end of the inner cover plate 9 always maintain a certain pressure after assembly, so that the abutting position between the two can be tightly connected to further improve the sealing effect.

[0044] exist Figure 4In the illustrated implementation, the bottom of the inner cover plate 9 extends downward and matches the top shape of the lower waterproof rib 71, forming an upper recessed groove with a downward opening structure. The top of the lower waterproof rib 71 is inserted into the interior of the upper recessed groove, forming an n-shaped gap to further prevent moisture from entering the door panel drive device. This n-shaped gap formed by the upper recessed groove can also discharge water droplets condensed by accidentally entering moisture downward through the downward opening gap on the outside to at least two layers of sealing devices, preventing moisture condensation from affecting the normal operation of the damper.

[0045] Therefore, this application adds a waterproof inner sealing layer to the "Z"-shaped stop formed by the outer sealing device, and adds a partition wall inside the gearbox, forming a relatively sealed transition space between the partition wall and the outer wall of the gearbox. This encloses the motor and gear reduction system within the relatively enclosed space inside the damper gearbox. If a small amount of moisture inside the refrigerator breaks through the first "Z"-shaped stop on the outer wall of the gearbox, the partition wall will provide a second layer of protection for the motor and reduction gears, achieving better waterproofing. The structure of this application provides dual protection for the door panel drive device. Furthermore, this at least two-layer sealing device can effectively reduce the impact of moisture condensation on gear coupling transmission, further reduce noise generated by abnormal gear coupling, and to a certain extent prevent noise from escaping from the door panel drive device. Therefore, the sealing device of this application also has a certain effect on reducing the operating noise of the refrigerator.

[0046] The damper cover in this application can be manufactured by injection molding. To reduce shrinkage deformation of the damper cover during the injection molding process, in some implementations, an anti-shrinkage groove can be provided on the outer surface of the damper cover corresponding to the position of the upper waterproof rib 72, so that the shape of the damper cover part can achieve a relatively flat effect.

[0047] The above are merely embodiments of this application, and their descriptions are quite specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A sealed electric damper, the electric damper comprising a door panel drive device, characterized in that, include: An outer sealing device (6) is disposed between the damper gearbox (1) and the damper cover plate (5); The inner sealing device (7) is located inside the damper gearbox (1); the door drive device is located inside the inner sealing device (7); The inner sealing device (7) is located inside the outer sealing device (6); The inner sealing device (7) includes: The lower sealing structure is located at the bottom of the damper gearbox (1) and surrounds the outer periphery of the door drive device; The upper sealing structure is located on the inner side of the damper cover (5); The bottom of the upper sealing structure and the top of the lower sealing structure are sealed together. The upper sealing structure is an upper waterproof rib (72), which is integrated with the inner side of the damper cover (5); Alternatively, the upper sealing structure is an inner cover plate (9), which is disposed inside the damper cover plate (5); The top of the inner wall of the damper cover (5) is provided with an installation groove for installing the inner cover (9); An elastic gasket (8) is provided between the top of the inner cover plate (9) and the mounting groove, and an upper recessed groove is provided at the bottom of the inner cover plate (9). The top of the lower waterproof rib (71) is inserted into the interior of the upper recessed groove. The door panel drive device includes a gear reduction system (3) and a motor (2). The gear reduction system (3) and the motor (2) are arranged between the damper gearbox (1) and the damper cover (5) and are surrounded by an inner sealing device (7) and an outer sealing device (6). The motor (2) drives the door panel (4) of the electric damper to rotate between the open position and the closed position through the transmission of the gear reduction system (3).

2. The sealed electric damper as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lower sealing structure is a lower waterproof rib (71), which is integrated with the bottom plate of the damper gearbox (1).

3. The sealed electric damper as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lower waterproof rib (71) has a recessed groove at its top, and the bottom of the upper waterproof rib (72) is inserted into the recessed groove; or, the upper waterproof rib (72) has an upper recessed groove (73) at its bottom, and the top of the lower waterproof rib (71) is inserted into the upper recessed groove (73).

4. The sealed electric damper as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer sealing device (6) includes: The stop strip has its outer side wall attached to the inner side wall of the damper gearbox (1) and is arranged around the edge of the damper cover plate (5).

5. The sealed electric damper as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The stop strip extends downward from the inner side of the bottom edge of the damper cover (5) and forms a Z-shaped stop with the bottom edge of the damper cover (5); The connection port of the damper gearbox (1) is formed with a stepped structure, the upper end face of the stepped structure is located at the top edge of the damper gearbox (1), and the lower end face of the stepped structure is located below the inner side of the upper end face; The bottom end face of the Z-shaped stop abuts against the lower end face of the stepped structure, and the bottom surface of the damper cover (5) on the outside of the Z-shaped stop abuts against the upper end face of the stepped structure.

6. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Including the sealed electric damper as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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