Refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator, belonging to the technical field of household appliances. The refrigerator comprises a cabinet, a door body movably connected with the cabinet to open or close the cabinet, a hinge assembly connected between the cabinet and the door body, the hinge assembly comprising a hinge shaft and a hinge groove, the hinge shaft moving in the hinge groove during opening and closing of the door body, a rotation-stopping mechanism comprising a limiting recess provided in the hinge groove and an elastic plunger provided on the hinge shaft, the refrigerator being embedded in a cabinet and the door body being opened to the maximum opening angle, the elastic plunger being clamped into the limiting recess, and the door body being rotation-stopped relative to the cabinet. The refrigerator has the rotation-stopping mechanism to realize rotation-stopping of the door body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more particularly to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the refrigerator door and the refrigerator body are connected by a hinge, which allows the refrigerator door to rotate, thereby opening and closing the refrigerator body. After the refrigerator door is opened, it will automatically close due to the shift in its center of gravity and cannot remain open. Therefore, when using the refrigerator, people need to hold the door with one hand and take out food with the other, which brings a lot of inconvenience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention at least partially solves one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0004] Therefore, this application aims to provide a refrigerator with a rotary stop structure to avoid the problem of automatic door closing.

[0005] The refrigerator according to this application includes: a cabinet; a door movably connected to the cabinet to open or close the cabinet; a hinge assembly connected between the cabinet and the door, the hinge assembly including a hinge shaft and a hinge groove, the hinge shaft moving within the hinge groove during the opening and closing of the door; and a stop mechanism including a limiting recess disposed within the hinge groove and an elastic plunger disposed on the hinge shaft; when the refrigerator is embedded in a cabinet and the door is opened to its maximum opening angle, the elastic plunger engages with the limiting recess, and the door stops relative to the cabinet.

[0006] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the hinge shaft includes a positioning shaft and a guide shaft, the hinge groove includes a positioning groove and a guide groove, the positioning shaft can move in the positioning groove, and the guide shaft can move in the guide groove; a limiting recess is provided on the guide groove, and an elastic plunger is provided on the guide shaft; or / and, the limiting recess is provided on the positioning groove, and the elastic plunger is provided on the positioning shaft.

[0007] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the elastic plunger includes: a support member having a receiving cavity with one end open; a limiting protrusion located at the opening end of the receiving cavity; and an elastic member abutting between the bottom of the receiving cavity and the limiting protrusion. When the elastic plunger is opposite to the limiting recess, the limiting protrusion is ejected by the elastic member and locked into the limiting recess. When the elastic plunger is misaligned with the limiting recess, the limiting protrusion compresses the elastic member.

[0008] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the elastic plunger is misaligned with the limiting recess, the limiting protrusion exposes the support member and rolls along the hinge groove.

[0009] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the limiting protrusion is a spherical body and the limiting recess is a spherical groove.

[0010] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the hinge axis is a support member. Alternatively, the support member and the hinge axis are connected as two separate parts.

[0011] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the opening of the receiving cavity faces the bottom of the hinge groove, and the limiting recess is provided at the bottom of the hinge groove.

[0012] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the elastic element is in a compressed state when the limiting protrusion is engaged with the limiting recess.

[0013] In some embodiments of the refrigerator in this application, the maximum angle at which the door can be opened when the refrigerator is embedded in a cabinet is 90° or greater.

[0014] In some embodiments of the refrigerator in this application, when the refrigerator is embedded in a cabinet and the door is opened to the maximum opening angle, the position of the hinge shaft in the hinge groove is the maximum embedded opening position, and the limiting recess is provided at the maximum embedded opening position. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a view of the exterior of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a partial view of the refrigerator body according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view from direction A;

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view from direction B;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a view of the door of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view from the center C direction;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a view of the refrigerator's retracted mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention in the retracted state;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a view of the refrigerator's rotating mechanism in the extended state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the elastic plunger of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 10 This is a view of the resilient plunger of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 11 This is a view of the hinge plate of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 12 This is a partial view of the door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention at the hinge groove;

[0028] Figure 13 This is a view of the hinge plate of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 14 This is a partial view of the refrigerator door of the second embodiment of the present invention at the hinge groove;

[0030] Figure 15 This is a view of the hinge plate of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 16 This is a partial view of the refrigerator door of the third embodiment of the present invention at the hinge groove;

[0032] Figure 17 This is a view of the refrigerator's stopping mechanism at the 0° position of the door according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 18 This is a view of the stop mechanism of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention at the 45° open position of the door;

[0034] Figure 19 This is a view of the stop mechanism of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention at the 90° open position of the door;

[0035] Figure 20 This is a view of the hinge plate of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 21 This is a partial view of the refrigerator door at the hinge groove according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 22 This is an exploded view of the elastic plunger and hinge plate of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 23 This is a cross-sectional view of the elastic plunger and hinge plate of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 24 This is a cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly at the upper end of the refrigerator's stopping mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 25 This is a view of the refrigerator's stop mechanism in the maximum embedded open position of the door according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 26 This is a top view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 27 yes Figure 26 Enlarged view from D direction;

[0043] Figure 28 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the first embodiment of the present invention in a first angle state;

[0044] Figure 29 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the first embodiment of the present invention in a second angle state;

[0045] Figure 30 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the first embodiment of the present invention at a 90° angle;

[0046] Figure 31 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the first embodiment of the present invention in a third angle state;

[0047] Figure 32 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the first embodiment of the present invention in its maximum normal open state;

[0048] Figure 33 This is a view of the hinge groove of a refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 34 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the second embodiment of the present invention in a first angle state;

[0050] Figure 35 This is a view of the refrigerator door in a second angle state according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 36 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the second embodiment of the present invention at a 90° angle;

[0052] Figure 37 This is a view of the refrigerator door according to the second embodiment of the present invention in a third angle state;

[0053] Figure 38 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the second embodiment of the present invention in its maximum normal open state;

[0054] Figure 39 This is a view of the hinge groove of a refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 40 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the third embodiment of the present invention in its maximum normal open state;

[0056] Figure 41 This is a view of the hinge groove of a refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 42 This is a view of the refrigerator door in a first angle state according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 43 This is a view of the refrigerator door in a second angle state according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 44 This is a view of the hinge groove of the refrigerator according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 45 This is a view of the refrigerator door according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention in its first state;

[0061] Figure 46 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the fifth embodiment of the present invention in a second state;

[0062] Figure 47 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the fifth embodiment of the present invention at a 90° angle;

[0063] Figure 48 This is a view of the refrigerator door of the fifth embodiment of the present invention in its maximum normal open state; Detailed Implementation

[0064] The present invention will now be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that, without further description, elements, structures, and features in one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments.

[0065] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0066] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0067] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0068] In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] In the attached diagram, the side of the refrigerator facing the user when in use is defined as the front side, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side.

[0070] Reference Figure 1 According to an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a cabinet 1 and a door 2. The upper and lower ends of the door 2 are respectively connected to the cabinet 1 by hinge assemblies 3, so that the cabinet 1 can be opened or closed by the hinge assemblies 3.

[0071] Reference Figures 2 to 6 The hinge assembly 3 includes a hinge shaft 31 and a hinge groove 32 that cooperate with each other to realize the opening and closing of the door 2.

[0072] The hinge assembly 3 includes a hinge plate 33 mounted on the housing 1 by means such as screw connection; the hinge plate 33 includes a connecting portion 331 connected to the housing 1, and an extension portion 332 extending forward from the connecting portion 331.

[0073] The hinge shaft 31 is disposed on the extension 332 and extends vertically. For the hinge assembly 3 at the upper end of the door body 2, the hinge shaft 31 extends downward from the lower surface of the extension 332, and for the hinge assembly 3 at the lower end of the door body 2, the hinge shaft 31 extends upward from the upper surface of the extension 332.

[0074] The hinge groove 32 is provided on the door body 2. In the assembled state, the extension 332 of the hinge plate 33 is located above the hinge groove 32, and the hinge shaft 31 is inserted into the hinge groove 32.

[0075] It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the positions of the hinge shaft 31 and the hinge groove 32 can be interchanged, that is, the hinge shaft 31 is set on the door body 2, and the hinge groove 32 is correspondingly set on the hinge plate 33, and the purpose of the present invention can still be achieved.

[0076] The refrigerator may include a stop mechanism 7 disposed between the hinge plate 33 and the door 2. The stop mechanism 7 can stop the door 2 from rotating, thus preventing the door 2 from closing automatically and affecting the user experience.

[0077] Reference Figures 7 to 9 The rotating stop mechanism 7 includes an elastic plunger 71 and a limiting recess 72. When the elastic plunger 71 is engaged in the limiting recess 72 during the rotation of the door body 2, the door body 2 stops rotating relative to the box body 1.

[0078] The elastic plunger 71 can specifically be a ball-head plunger structure, including: a support member 711, an elastic member 712, and a limiting protrusion 713.

[0079] The support member 711 can be shaft-shaped, with an open receiving cavity at one end. The limiting protrusion 713 is located at the open end of the receiving cavity, and the elastic member 712 is located between the bottom of the receiving cavity and the limiting protrusion 713. Under the action of the elastic member 712, the limiting protrusion 713 can extend and retract relative to the support member 711. When the limiting protrusion 713 extends and engages with the limiting recess 72, the door 2 is stopped from rotating.

[0080] Specifically, in conjunction with reference Figure 10 The support member 711 may have external threads to facilitate the installation and connection of the elastic plunger 71; the elastic member 712 may be a spring with a large elastic range and long service life.

[0081] The limiting protrusion 713 can be made of a spherical shape, thereby reducing friction when the limiting protrusion 713 contacts and moves with other components. Correspondingly, the limiting recess 72 can be a spherical groove. The spherical shape facilitates the sliding of the limiting protrusion 713 into the limiting recess 72 and the sliding of the limiting protrusion 713 out of the limiting recess 72, increasing the smoothness of the door 2 stopping and continuing to rotate.

[0082] The resilient plunger 71 has an extended state and a retracted state. Specifically, as follows... Figure 7 When retracted, the limiting protrusion 713 compresses the elastic element 712 and retracts. In this state, the limiting protrusion 713 and the limiting recess 72 are misaligned; specifically as follows... Figure 8 When extended, the limiting protrusion 713 extends out and engages with the limiting recess 72.

[0083] For example, refer to Figure 7 The elastic plunger 71 is fixed relative to the hinge plate 33, and the limiting recess 72 is provided on the door body 2. When the elastic plunger 71 and the limiting recess 72 are misaligned, it will not affect the rotational opening and closing action of the door body 2; see reference. Figure 8When the elastic plunger 71 is aligned with the limiting recess 72, the elastic plunger 71 engages within the limiting recess 72, causing the door 2 to stop rotating. When a slight force is applied to the door 2 again, the elastic plunger 71 disengages from the limiting recess 72 and retracts, allowing the door 2 to rotate normally.

[0084] It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the positions of the elastic plunger 71 and the limiting recess 72 can be interchanged, that is, the elastic plunger 71 is provided on the door body 2, and the limiting recess 72 is correspondingly provided on the hinge plate 33, and the purpose of the present invention can still be achieved.

[0085] The refrigerator of the present invention achieves the function of stopping the door 2 by setting a stopping mechanism 7 between the hinge plate 33 and the door 2, thereby avoiding the problem in the related art where the door 2 will automatically close under the action of gravity after being opened.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to... Figure 11 , Figure 12 The hinge assembly 3 is a single-axis hinge. Under the action of the single-axis hinge 3, the door 2 only rotates relative to the box 1. In this case, the stop mechanism 7 is set separately from the hinge shaft 31 and the hinge groove 32.

[0087] The following is an example of an elastic plunger 71 fixedly connected to the hinge plate 33, with a limiting recess 72 provided on the door body 2:

[0088] The door body 2 is provided with an arc groove 20 centered on the hinge groove 32. A limiting recess 72 is provided in the arc groove 20, and an elastic plunger 71 is inserted into the arc groove 20. When the door body 2 rotates to open and close, the elastic plunger 71 moves relative to the arc groove 20. When the elastic plunger 71 is misaligned with the limiting recess 72 in the arc groove 20, the elastic plunger 71 is in a retracted state, and the rotation of the door body 2 is unrestricted. When the elastic plunger 71 is opposite to the limiting recess 72 in the arc groove 20, the elastic plunger 71 is in an extended state, the limiting protrusion 713 is engaged in the limiting recess 72, and the door body 2 stops rotating.

[0089] In other embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to Figures 13 to 21 The hinge assembly 3 is a dual-axis hinge. Under the action of the dual-axis hinge, the door 2 can move laterally during the rotation and opening / closing process, so that the door 2 will not touch the cabinet when the refrigerator is embedded in the cabinet. In this case, the stop mechanism 7 can be combined with the hinge assembly. The stop mechanism 7 of the present invention is applicable to the dual-axis hinge structure in the prior art.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the dual-axis hinge has a first hinge component and a second hinge component. The first hinge component includes a positioning shaft 41 and a positioning groove 50 that cooperate with each other, and the second hinge component includes a guide shaft 42 and a guide groove 60 that cooperate with each other. The positioning shaft 41 moves within the positioning groove 50, and the guide shaft 42 moves within the guide groove 60, allowing the door 2 to move laterally while rotating.

[0091] As a first embodiment of the positioning of the pivoting mechanism 7 on the hinge assembly: see details below. Figure 13 Figure 14 shows that the stop mechanism 7 can be set on the first hinge component, that is, the elastic plunger 71 is set on the positioning shaft 41, and the limiting recess 72 is set in the positioning groove 50.

[0092] In a dual-axis hinge, the positioning shaft 41 and the positioning groove 50 work together to mainly provide orientation, while the guide shaft 42 and the guide groove 60 work together to mainly provide guidance. Typically, the length of the positioning shaft 41 is greater than that of the guide shaft 42, and the diameter of the positioning shaft 41 is greater than that of the guide shaft 42. This is more conducive to the stability of the door installation and operation.

[0093] If the positioning shaft 41 is relatively long, the displacement of the elastic plunger 71 can be set to be relatively large, and the door body 2 can be stopped more stably under the action of the stopping mechanism 7.

[0094] If the positioning shaft 41 is relatively thick, then the diameter of the elastic plunger 71 can be set to be relatively large, and the area of ​​the limiting protrusion 713 and the limiting recess 72 is relatively large, so the door body 2 can be stopped more stably under the action of the rotating mechanism 7.

[0095] As a second embodiment of the positioning of the stopping mechanism 7 on the hinge assembly: See [reference] Figure 15 , Figure 16 The stop mechanism 7 can be set on the second hinge component, that is, the elastic plunger 71 is set on the guide shaft 42, and the limiting recess 72 is set in the guide groove 60.

[0096] In a dual-axis hinge, the positioning shaft 41 and positioning groove 50 primarily function as orientation components, while the guide shaft 42 and guide groove 60 primarily function as guide components. Typically, the guide groove 60 is longer than the positioning groove 50. Because the guide groove 60 is longer, it is advantageous to simultaneously provide limiting recesses 72 at multiple locations along its extension direction. For example, the limiting recesses 72 can be located at positions such as 0°, 45°, 90°, and the maximum angle of the door body 2.

[0097] For ease of description, the position of the hinge axis 31 in the hinge groove 32 when the door 2 is in the closed state is defined as the 0° position (e.g., Figure 17Specifically, at position 70a, the guide shaft 42 is at the 0° position of the guide groove 60, and the positioning shaft 41 is at the 0° position of the positioning groove 50. Similarly, when the door 2 is in the 45° open state, the hinge shaft 31 is at the 45° open position in the hinge groove 32 (e.g., at position 70a). Figure 18 (70b in the middle); when the door 2 is in the 90° open state, the hinge shaft 31 is in the 90° open position in the hinge groove 32 (e.g., at the 70b position in the middle); Figure 19 (70c in the middle); when the door body 2 is in the maximum open angle state, the position of the hinge shaft 31 in the hinge groove 32 is the maximum normal open position.

[0098] Because the guide groove 60 is relatively long, its 0° position, 45° opening position, etc. are relatively dispersed. Therefore, it is more convenient to set the limiting recess 72 at multiple positions in the guide groove 60. However, the positioning groove 50 is relatively short, and its various angle positions are relatively concentrated, which is not conducive to setting the limiting recess 72 at multiple positions at the same time.

[0099] In addition, from the perspective of force, when a person pulls the door, the force will first be transmitted to the second hinge component, which will drive the door body 2 to move. Therefore, setting the rotation-stopping mechanism 7 on the second hinge component can produce a better force-bearing effect, allowing the door to stop and rotate again in a timely manner.

[0100] As a third embodiment of the positioning of the stopping mechanism 7 on the hinge assembly: See [reference] Figure 20 , Figure 21 The stopping mechanism 7 can be simultaneously installed on the first hinge and the second hinge. In this way, this embodiment can have the advantages of the two embodiments mentioned above at the same time: the limiting recesses 72 can be set at multiple positions of the guide groove 60 to realize the door body 2 stopping at multiple angles, and the door body 2 can be stopped more stably because the positioning shaft 41 is equipped with a thicker / longer elastic plunger 71.

[0101] In the above embodiments, the elastic plunger 71 is disposed on the hinge shaft 31, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed in the hinge groove 32. When the hinge shaft 31 moves within the hinge groove 32, the elastic plunger 71 moves along with the hinge shaft 31. During this process, when the elastic plunger 71 and the limiting recess 72 are misaligned, the stopping mechanism 7 will not affect the movement of the door body 2. When the door body 2 moves to the point where the elastic plunger 71 and the limiting recess 72 are opposite each other, the limiting protrusion 713 engages with the limiting recess 72. At this time, if no external force is applied to the door body 2, the door body 2 will stop rotating under the limiting action of the elastic plunger 71 and the limiting recess 72. If an external force is applied to the door body 2, the force that allows the door body 2 to continue moving will overcome the resistance of the elastic plunger 71, causing the limiting protrusion 713 of the elastic plunger 71 to compress the elastic element 712 and retract, without affecting the continued movement of the door body 2.

[0102] Regarding the first embodiment of the connection method of the elastic plunger 71 on the hinge shaft 31:

[0103] Reference Figure 22 The hinge shaft 31 is provided with a mounting hole 310, and the elastic plunger 71 is installed in the mounting hole 310.

[0104] Specifically, one end of the mounting hole 310 is open, and the open end faces the bottom of the hinge groove 32. Correspondingly, the bottom of the hinge groove 32 is provided with a limiting recess 72.

[0105] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pivoting mechanism 7 may be disposed on the hinge assembly 3 at the upper end of the door body 2, and / or on the hinge assembly 3 at the lower end of the door body 2.

[0106] For the hinge assembly 3 at the upper end of the door body 2, the mounting hole 310 on the hinge shaft 31 faces downwards, and the bottom of the hinge groove 32 is the bottom surface of the hinge groove 32. The elastic plunger 71 can be installed in the mounting hole 310 by means of a threaded connection. In this way, the limiting protrusion 713 of the elastic plunger 71 is located at the bottom end of the hinge shaft 31. During the movement of the hinge shaft 31 relative to the hinge groove 32, the limiting protrusion 713 is stopped by the bottom of the hinge groove 32 and compresses the elastic element 712 upwards, and is in a retracted state. When the hinge shaft 31 moves to the position of the limiting recess 72, the position of the limiting recess 72 on the hinge groove is lowered, and the limiting protrusion 713 is popped out under the action of the elastic force of the elastic element 712, so that the limiting protrusion 713 enters the limiting recess 72 and is in an extended state.

[0107] For the hinge assembly 3 at the lower end of the door body 2, the mounting hole 310 on the hinge shaft 31 faces upwards, and the bottom of the hinge groove 32 is the top surface of the hinge groove 32. The limiting protrusion 713 of the elastic plunger 71 is located at the top of the hinge shaft 31. During the movement of the hinge shaft 31 relative to the hinge groove 32, the limiting protrusion 713 is compressed downwards by the gravity of the door body 2, thus compressing the elastic element 712.

[0108] When the elastic plunger 71 is in the extended state and the elastic element 712 is in the natural state, if the door-stopping mechanism 7 is installed on the hinge assembly at the upper end of the door body 2, assembly errors may cause the elastic plunger 71 to not fully engage with the limiting recess 72. This can easily cause the elastic plunger 71 to disengage from the limiting recess 72, resulting in unstable door-stopping. In this invention, the elastic element 712 can be configured to remain compressed while the elastic plunger 71 is in the extended state. This allows the elastic element 712 to push the limiting protrusion 713 into the limiting recess 72, increasing the stability of their engagement.

[0109] When the stopping mechanism 7 is installed on the hinge assembly 3 at the lower end of the door body 2, the elastic plunger 71 is subjected to the gravity of the door body 2, and its force during the movement is relatively stable. This ensures the stability of the limiting protrusion 713 being engaged with the limiting recess 72, making the door body 2 stop more stably.

[0110] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic plunger 71 can be installed perpendicular to the axis of the hinge shaft 31, that is, the limiting protrusion 713 is located on the side wall of the hinge shaft 31, and its extension and retraction direction is perpendicular to the axis of the hinge shaft 31; correspondingly, the limiting recess 72 is provided on the side wall of the hinge groove 32, which can also achieve the purpose of the present invention.

[0111] A second embodiment regarding the connection method of the elastic plunger 71 on the hinge shaft 31:

[0112] Unlike the embodiments described above, referring to Figure 23 The hinge shaft 31 can also serve as a support member 711 for the elastic plunger 71, and the elastic member 712 and the limiting protrusion 713 are directly mounted on the hinge shaft 31. In this way, a support member 41 structure can be omitted, simplifying the structure at the hinge shaft 31 and reducing product costs.

[0113] According to some embodiments of the present invention, with reference to Figure 24 Normally, to facilitate the installation of the door body 2, a certain gap is reserved between the door body 2 and the upper and lower hinge plates in the vertical direction. Due to the weight of the door body 2 itself, the door body 2 will contact the hinge plate 33 at its lower end, and a gap H1 will be generated between the door body 2 and the hinge plate 33 at its upper end, that is, there is a gap H1 between the top of the hinge groove 32 and the hinge plate 33.

[0114] When the refrigerator is dropped during transportation, the door 2 may move upwards and impact the upper hinge plate 33. To avoid this, in this embodiment of the invention, the limiting recess 72 of the stopping mechanism 7 is located at the 0° position of the hinge groove 32, and the upper limit distance of the limiting protrusion 713 is H2, where H2 < H1. Thus, on the one hand, the cooperation between the elastic plunger 71 and the limiting recess 72 keeps the door 2 in the closed position, reducing the risk of the door 2 opening due to shaking during transportation; on the other hand, when the door 2 moves upwards, since the upper limit distance H2 of the limiting protrusion 713 is less than H1, it effectively prevents the door 2 from colliding with the hinge plate 33 during a fall.

[0115] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the limiting protrusion 713 is in the retracted state, the elastic member 712 can be in the ultimate compression state, and the limiting protrusion 713 is exposed at the open end of the support member 711. This arrangement ensures that, on the one hand, when the door body 2 moves upward and presses against the limiting protrusion 713, the limiting protrusion 713 will not retract into the support member 711, thus preventing the door body from impacting the hinge shaft 31. On the other hand, the fact that the limiting protrusion 713 is always exposed on the support member 711 ensures that it is always in rolling contact with the hinge groove 32, reducing the moving friction when the hinge shaft 31 contacts the hinge groove 32. Simultaneously, the rolling movement increases the smoothness of the hinge assembly 3's movement when the door body 2 opens and closes.

[0116] The dual-axis hinge design is primarily to meet the requirements of refrigerators being integrated into cabinets. Typically, the dual-axis hinge structure ensures that the door 2 will not touch the cabinet during at least a 90° opening and closing. In some refrigerators with dual-axis hinges, the door 2 will not even touch the cabinet when opened >90°. Therefore, when the refrigerator is integrated into a cabinet, it has a maximum opening angle of approximately 90°. This paper defines the position of the hinge axis 31 in the hinge groove 32 when the refrigerator is integrated into a cabinet and the door 2 is opened to its maximum opening angle as the maximum integrated opening position (e.g., ...). Figure 25 (70d in the middle).

[0117] In some embodiments of the present invention, to prevent the refrigerator from continuing to move in the opening direction and colliding with the cabinet due to inertia when it is embedded in the cabinet and the door 2 is opened to the maximum embedded opening position, the present invention sets the limiting recess 72 at the maximum embedded opening position of the hinge groove 32. Thus, when the door 2 is opened to the maximum embedded opening position, the elastic plunger 71 engages with the limiting recess 72, causing the door 2 to stop at the maximum embedded opening position, effectively preventing the door 2 from colliding with the cabinet. In this embodiment, the stopping mechanism 7 can be simultaneously set on the first hinge member and the second hinge member; the combined action of the two stopping mechanisms 7 increases the reliability of the door 2 stopping at the maximum embedded opening position. However, in other embodiments, the stopping mechanism 7 may be set only on the first hinge member or the second hinge member.

[0118] The following describes several types of biaxial motion trajectories:

[0119] The first type of motion trajectory

[0120] Reference Figure 26 , Figure 27 When the door 2 is closed, the positioning groove 50 extends parallel to the front surface of the box 1.

[0121] <Phase One> (refer to) Figure 28When the door 2 is opened from the closed state to the first angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52 relative to the positioning groove 50, and at the same time, the guide shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 61 to the second guide position 62 relative to the guide groove 60. The second positioning position 52 is farther away from the side wall 21 than the first positioning position 51, and the second guide position 62 is farther away from the front wall 22 and also farther away from the side wall 21 than the first guide position 61. It should be noted that when the door 2 is in the closed state, the side closest to the hinge assembly is the side wall 21, the front surface of the door 2 is the front wall 22, and the intersection of the side wall 21 and the front wall 22 is the corner edge 23.

[0122] Since the positioning shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52 in a direction away from the side wall 21 (inward), for the door body 2, this is equivalent to the positioning groove 50 moving outward. Therefore, in the first stage of this embodiment, the door body 2 will move outward when it is first opened. It should be noted that the plane on the side of the housing 1 near the hinge assembly is defined as the reference plane O. With the reference plane O as the boundary, one side of the housing body is the inner side, and the other side is the outer side.

[0123] Typically, when a refrigerator is placed in a cabinet 100, to prevent damage from uneven floors or cabinet deformation, the cabinet is usually positioned with a certain gap α between it and the side of the refrigerator (reference plane O). Figure 26 (As shown). In this embodiment, the distance between the first positioning position 51 and the second positioning position 52 is relatively small, meaning that in the first stage, the door 2 moves slightly outward. Since the corner edge 23 of the door 2 extends very little beyond the reference plane O when the door 2 is first opened, even if the door 2 moves slightly outward, it will not interfere with the cabinet.

[0124] In this stage, the door 2 is moved slightly outward, and the first guide trajectory line 612 extends away from the front wall 22 and away from the side wall 21. This makes the transition point between the first guide trajectory line 612 and the second guide trajectory line 623 in the second stage relatively smooth, thus improving the smoothness of the door 2's movement.

[0125] In addition, the first guide trajectory line 612 extends away from the front wall 22 and away from the side wall 21, increasing the angle between the first guide trajectory line 612 and the movement trajectory line of the positioning axis 41, ensuring that the door 2 does not shake during movement.

[0126] In other embodiments, the second positioning position 52 may be closer to the side wall 21 than the first positioning position 51, and the second guide position 62 may be farther from the front wall and closer to the side wall 21 than the first guide position 61. In this way, the door 2 moves inward when it is first opened.

[0127] <Phase Two> Reference Figure 29When the door 2 continues to open from the first angle to the second angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 relative to the positioning groove 50, and at the same time, the guide shaft 42 moves from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63 relative to the guide groove 60. The third positioning position 53 is closer to the side wall 21 than the second positioning position 52 (and the first positioning position 51); the third guide position 63 is farther away from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the second guide position 62.

[0128] Since the positioning shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 in a direction closer to the side wall 21 (outward), it is equivalent to the door body 2 driving the positioning groove 50 to move inward. Therefore, in the second stage of this embodiment, the door body 2 moves inward a certain distance while rotating, so that the corner edge 23 moves inward relative to the reference plane O, avoiding the collision between the corner edge 23 and the cabinet 100.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present invention, the distance by which the door 2 moves laterally by a unit angle in the first stage is μ1, and the distance by which the door 2 moves laterally by a unit angle in the second stage is μ2, where μ1 < μ2. This means that the lateral movement of the door 2 in the first stage when it is first opened is relatively small. This avoids lateral friction between the door seal on the rear surface of the door 2 and the front surface of the housing 1 caused by a large lateral movement distance per unit angle when the door 2 is first opened. Furthermore, if the lateral movement distance per unit angle when the door 2 is first opened is large, it will affect the feel and smoothness of opening the door. Therefore, the lateral movement distance of the door 2 when it is first opened can be set to be small.

[0130] Specifically, the slope of the first guide trajectory line 612 can be greater than the slope of the second guide trajectory line 623 (all slopes described herein are absolute values). The larger the slope, the smaller the lateral movement distance of the door per unit angle of rotation.

[0131] If the door 2 moves laterally inward in both the first and second stages, the curvature of the guide axis's trajectory line needs to change. This could result in a sharp point at the connection between the first guide trajectory line 612 and the second guide trajectory line 623, affecting the feel of opening the door. Therefore, setting the door 2 to move laterally outward in the first stage can make the connection between the first guide trajectory line 612 and the second guide trajectory line slightly smoother.

[0132] In some embodiments of the present invention, the angle between the second guide trajectory line 623 and the movement trajectory line of the positioning axis 41 is >45°, which can avoid the problem of shaking when the movement trends of the two axes are close to parallel, and ensure that the door body 2 does not shake during the movement.

[0133] <Phase Three> Reference Figure 30 When the door continues to open from the second angle to the 90° position, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the third positioning position 53 to the fourth positioning position 54, and the guide shaft 42 moves from the third guide position 63 to the fourth guide position 64. The fourth positioning position 54 is farther away from the side wall 21 than the third positioning position 53; the fourth guide position 64 is farther away from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the third guide position 63.

[0134] Since the positioning shaft 41 moves from the third positioning position 53 to the fourth positioning position 54 in a direction away from the side wall 21 (inward), it is equivalent to the door body 2 driving the positioning groove 50 to move outward. Therefore, in the third stage, the door body 2 moves outward while rotating and opening.

[0135] Door 2 has passed the danger period of potentially interfering with the cabinet in the second stage. Therefore, even if door 2 moves outward in this stage, it will not touch the cabinet. Furthermore, moving outward also reduces the obstruction of the storage room by door 2, thereby avoiding any restriction on the pulling out of drawers inside the storage room.

[0136] In some embodiments, when the door 2 is in the 90° open state, the front wall 22 can be flush with the reference plane O, which can minimize the space occupied by the door 2 in front of the storage room, thereby avoiding the impact of the door 2 on the pulling out of drawers and other items in the storage room.

[0137] In other embodiments, when the door 2 is in the 90° open state, the door 2 is located inside the reference plane O as a whole, that is, there is a gap between the front wall 22 of the door 2 and the reference plane O. In this way, even if the door 2 continues to open from 90° to a certain angle, it will not interfere with the cabinet, so that the refrigerator of the present invention can be opened to >90° when embedded in the cabinet.

[0138] <Phase Four> Reference Figure 31 When the door continues to open from 90° to the third angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the fourth positioning position 54 to the fifth positioning position 55, and the guide shaft 42 moves from the fourth guide position 64 to the fifth guide position 65. The fifth positioning position 55 is farther from the side wall 21 than the fourth positioning position 54; the fifth guide position 65 is farther from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the fourth guide position 64, and the door 2 moves to the upper left. The third angle is the maximum angle that the door 2 can open when the refrigerator is embedded in the cabinet.

[0139] <Phase 5> Reference Figure 32When the door 2 continues to open from the third angle to the maximum angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the fifth positioning position 55 to the sixth positioning position 56, and the guide shaft 42 moves from the fifth guide position 65 to the sixth guide position 66. The sixth positioning position 56 is farther away from the side wall 21 than the fifth positioning position 55, and the sixth guide position 66 is closer to the front wall 22 and the side wall 21 than the fifth guide position 65. The door 2 moves to the upper left.

[0140] The second type of motion trajectory

[0141] Reference Figure 33 Unlike the embodiments described above, the positioning groove 50 includes two segments, a first groove segment 501 and a second groove segment 502, extending in different directions. With reference to the inner-to-outer direction, the first groove segment 501 extends towards the sidewall 21, and the second groove segment 502 connects to the end of the first groove segment 501 and extends towards the front wall 22 and the sidewall 21. The guide groove 60 is generally a curved groove extending away from the front wall 22 and towards the sidewall 21. In other embodiments, the rear portion of the positioning groove 50 may also be a straight groove, and part or all of the guide groove 60 may also be a straight groove.

[0142] <Phase One> (refer to) Figure 34 When the door 2 is opened from the closed state to the first angle, the guide shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 61 to the second guide position 62. Under this guidance, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52. The second positioning position 52 is closer to the side wall 21 than the first positioning position 51. The second guide position 62 is farther away from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the first guide position 61, so that the door 2 moves inward a first distance while rotating.

[0143] <Phase Two> Reference Figure 35 When the door 2 continues to open from the first angle to the second angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53, and at the same time the guide shaft 42 moves from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63. The third positioning position 53 is closer to the side wall 21 than the second positioning position 52, and the third guide position 63 is closer to the side wall 21 and farther away from the front wall 22 than the second guide position 62, so that the door 2 moves inward a second distance while rotating. The door 2 continues to move inward, so that the corner edge 23 moves inward relative to the reference plane O, avoiding the collision between the corner edge 23 and the cabinet 100.

[0144] In the first stage, the movement trajectory of the guide shaft 42 relative to the guide groove 60 is the first guide trajectory line 612; in the second stage, the movement trajectory of the guide shaft 42 relative to the guide groove 60 is the second guide trajectory line 623.

[0145] The connection point of the first guide trajectory line 612 and the second guide trajectory line 623 has a trend change point, which makes the inward movement distance d within a unit opening angle of the door body 2 different in the first stage and the second stage, and the inward movement distance d per unit angle in the first stage is slightly smaller than that in the second stage.

[0146] Specifically, in the first stage, the door 2 moves inward by a unit angle of μ1, and in the second stage, the door 2 moves inward by a unit angle of μ2, where μ1 < μ2. In other words, the inward movement of the door 2 in the first stage when it is first opened is relatively small. This can avoid the door seal on the rear surface of the door 2 from rubbing against the front surface of the box 1 due to the large inward movement of the door 2 by a unit angle when it is first opened.

[0147] <Phase Three> Reference Figure 36 When the door 2 continues to open from the second angle to 90°, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the third positioning position 53 to the fourth positioning position 54, and at the same time the guide shaft 42 moves from the third guide position 63 to the fourth guide position 64. The fourth positioning position 54 is closer to the side wall 21 and the front wall 22 than the third positioning position 53, and the fourth guide position 64 is closer to the side wall 21 and farther away from the front wall 22 than the third guide position 63, so that the door 2 moves inward a third distance while rotating, and the door 2 continues to move inward.

[0148] As the door 2 moves inward from the closed state to the 90° opening state, it ensures that the door 2 is located inside the reference plane O at the 90° state. This allows the door 2 to continue opening to >90° before hitting the cabinet, increasing the door opening angle when the refrigerator is placed in the cabinet and making it easier for users to take out and put in food.

[0149] <Phase Four> Reference Figure 37 As the door 2 continues to open from 90° to the third angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the fourth positioning position 54 to the fifth positioning position 55, while the guide shaft 42 moves from the fourth guide position 64 to the fifth guide position 65. The fifth positioning position 55 is closer to the side wall 21 and the front wall 22 than the fourth positioning position 54, and the fifth guide position 65 is closer to the side wall 21 and farther from the front wall 22 than the fourth guide position 64.

[0150] At this stage, the third angle is slightly greater than 90°, approximately 105°. Door 2 can continue to open to the third angle without hitting the cabinet.

[0151] <Phase 5> Reference Figure 38When the door 2 continues to open from the third angle to the maximum angle, the guide shaft 42 moves from the fifth guide position 65 to the sixth guide position 66, causing the positioning shaft 41 to retract from the fifth positioning position 55 and move to the sixth positioning position 56. The sixth positioning position 56 is located between the fifth positioning position 55 and the third positioning position 53; the sixth guide position 66 is farther from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the fifth guide position 65.

[0152] When the door 2 is opened to more than 90°, the corner edge 23 of the door 2 is located inside the reference plane O. The positioning axis 41 moves away from the front wall 22 and the side wall 21. This is equivalent to the door 2 driving the positioning groove 50 to move closer to the reference plane O. That is, the corner edge 23 of the door 2 moves outward. This can prevent the door 2 from continuing to move inward and occupying the space in front of the storage room, which would cause the drawers in the storage room to be blocked by the door 2 and unable to be pulled out.

[0153] The third type of motion trajectory

[0154] Reference Figure 39 The difference from the second type of motion trajectory is that the end of the guide groove 60 bends forward, that is, the sixth guide position 66 is closer to the front wall than the fifth guide position 65, so that the positioning shaft 41 will not retract in the positioning groove 50.

[0155] Since the first to fourth stages of this embodiment are largely the same as the second type of motion trajectory trend, they will not be described again here.

[0156] <Phase 5> Reference Figure 40 When the door 2 continues to open from the third angle to the maximum angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the fifth positioning position 55 to the sixth positioning position 56; the guide shaft 42 moves from the fifth guide position 65 to the sixth guide position 66. The sixth positioning position 506 is closer to the side wall 21 and the front wall 22 than the fifth positioning position 55; the sixth guide position 606 is closer to the side wall 21 and the front wall 22 than the fifth guide position 65.

[0157] The fourth type of motion trajectory

[0158] The difference between this and the second and third types of trajectories lies in: (Referring to...) Figure 41 When the door 2 is in the closed state, the positioning groove 50 also includes a third groove segment 503 connected to the inner side of the first groove segment 501. That is, the positioning groove 50 generally includes the inner third groove segment 503, the middle first groove segment 501, and the outer second groove segment 502. Corresponding to the change in the inner shape of the positioning groove 50, the door 2 in the initial opening stage differs from the two embodiments described above. The parts that are the same as the third to fifth stages in the above trajectory will not be described again.

[0159] <Phase One> (refer to) Figure 42When the door 2 opens from the closed state to the first angle, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the seventh positioning position 57 to the eighth positioning position 58, and the guide shaft 42 moves from the seventh guide position 67 to the eighth guide position 68. The eighth positioning position 58 is closer to the side wall 21 and farther from the front wall 22 than the seventh positioning position 57, and the eighth guide position 68 is farther from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the seventh guide position 67. The positioning shaft 41 moves closer to the side wall 21 (outer side) and farther from the front wall 22 (rear side), which is equivalent to the positioning groove 50 moving inward and forward relative to the positioning shaft 41, so that the door 2 moves inward and forward a certain distance while rotating; the inward movement of the door 2 causes the corner edge 23 to move inward, avoiding collision between the corner edge 23 and the cabinet 100; the forward movement of the door 2 can prevent the door seal on the door 2 from rubbing against the front surface of the cabinet 1 while moving inward.

[0160] <Phase Two> Reference Figure 43 When the door 2 continues to open from the first angle to the second angle, where the first angle < the second angle < 90°, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the eighth positioning position 58 to the third positioning position 53, and at the same time the guide shaft 42 moves from the eighth guide position 68 to the seventh guide position 67. The third positioning position 53 is closer to the side wall 21 than the eighth positioning position 58, and the line connecting the third positioning position 53 and the eighth positioning position 58 is parallel to the front surface of the cabinet 1 when the door 2 is closed. The third guide position 63 is closer to the side wall 21 and farther from the front wall 22 than the eighth guide position 68, so that the door 2 moves inward a certain distance while rotating. The door 2 continues to move inward, so that the corner edge 23 moves inward relative to the reference plane O, avoiding the collision between the corner edge 23 and the cabinet 100.

[0161] The fifth type of motion trajectory

[0162] Reference Figure 44 Both the positioning groove 50 and the guide groove 60 are curved grooves.

[0163] <Phase One> (refer to) Figure 45When the door 2 is opened from the closed state to the first state, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52 relative to the positioning groove 50; at the same time, the guide shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 61 to the second guide position 62 relative to the guide groove 60. The second positioning position 52 is farther from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the first positioning position 51, and the second guide position 62 is farther from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the first guide position 61. In this way, the positioning shaft 41 moves towards the side wall 21 and away from the front wall 22, which is equivalent to the door body 2 with the positioning groove 50 moving a first distance away from the side wall 21 (inner side) and moving a certain distance towards the front wall 22 (front side). The inward movement of the door body 2 can prevent the side edge 33 from extending too far beyond the side of the cabinet 1 and touching the cabinet. Since the right rear end of the door body 2 will rotate backward relative to the positioning shaft 41 when the door body 2 is first opened, as the door body 2 moves inward, the door seal on the door body 2 will have contact and friction with the front side of the cabinet 1. However, in this invention, the door body 2 is set to move forward, which can avoid friction between the door seal and the front side of the cabinet 1 and improve the service life of the door seal.

[0164] <Phase Two> Reference Figure 46 When the door 2 continues to open from the first state to the second state (the second state is less than 90°), the positioning shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 relative to the positioning groove 50, and the guide shaft 42 moves from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63 relative to the guide groove 60. The third positioning position 53 is closer to the front wall 22 and the side wall 21 than the second positioning position 52, and the third guide position 63 is farther from the front wall 22 and closer to the side wall 21 than the second guide position 62, causing the door 2 to move inward a second distance.

[0165] <Phase Three> Reference Figure 47 When the door 2 continues to open from the second state to 90°, the door 2 only rotates. The position of the positioning shaft 41 in the positioning groove 50 remains unchanged. The door 2 rotates around the positioning shaft 41 as the center. The guide shaft 42 moves along the arc in the guide groove 60 to the fourth guide position 64.

[0166] <Phase Four> Reference Figure 48 As the door 2 continues to open from 90°, the positioning shaft 41 moves from the third positioning position 53 to the fourth positioning position 54 relative to the positioning groove 50, and the guide shaft 42 moves from the fourth guide position 64 to the fifth guide position 65 relative to the guide groove 60. The fourth positioning position 54 is closer to the front wall 22 and the side wall 21 than the third positioning position 53; the fifth guide position 65 is closer to the front wall 22 and the side wall 21 than the fourth guide position 64.

[0167] It should be noted that in the descriptions of the above motion trajectories, "first angle," "second angle," etc., are only used to distinguish the change in the opening angle of the door 2 under each motion trajectory; "first positioning position," "second positioning position," etc., are only used to distinguish the change in the position of the positioning shaft 41 relative to the positioning groove 50 under each motion trajectory; "first guide position," "second guide position," etc., are only used to distinguish the change in the position of the guide shaft 42 relative to the guide groove 50 under each motion trajectory; the same codes "first angle," "first positioning position," "first guide position," etc., under different motion trajectories may be different. For example, the first angle under the first motion trajectory and the first angle under the second motion trajectory may be different.

[0168] The above motion trajectories are only some embodiments of dual-axis hinges. The rotating stop mechanism 7 of the present invention can be applied to all forms of dual-axis hinge structures.

[0169] In some embodiments, the rotating stop mechanism 7 may be located in the closed position of the door 2.

[0170] Specifically, the elastic plunger 71 of the rotary stop mechanism 7 can be disposed on the positioning shaft 41, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed at the 0° position of the positioning groove 50; or / and, the elastic plunger 71 can be disposed on the guide shaft 42, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed at the 0° position of the guide groove 60.

[0171] In specific trajectories, under the first, second, third, and fifth motion trajectories, when the door 2 is closed, the positioning shaft 41 is located at the first positioning position 51 of the positioning groove 50; the guide shaft 42 is located at the first guiding position 61 of the guide groove 60. The first positioning position 51 is the 0° position of the positioning groove 50, and the first guiding position 61 is the 0° position of the guide groove 60. Therefore, a limiting recess 72 is provided at the first positioning position 51 and / or the first guiding position 61.

[0172] Under the fourth motion trajectory, when the door 2 is closed, the positioning shaft 41 is located at the seventh positioning position 57 of the positioning groove 50; the guide shaft 42 is located at the seventh guide position 57 of the guide groove 60. The seventh positioning position 57 is the 0° position of the positioning groove 50, and the seventh guide position 57 is the 0° position of the guide groove 60. Therefore, a limiting recess 72 is provided at the seventh positioning position 57 and / or the seventh guide position 57.

[0173] A stop mechanism 7 is installed at the closed position of the door 2 to assist in closing the door 2 and prevent the door 2 from opening due to incomplete closure. In addition, the compression limit range of the elastic element 712 in the stop mechanism 7 (H2 < H1) can also prevent the door 2 from jumping upward and impacting the hinge plate 33 when it is dropped during transportation.

[0174] In some embodiments, the rotating stop mechanism 7 may be located at the 90° open position of the door body 2.

[0175] Specifically, the elastic plunger 71 is disposed on the positioning shaft 41, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed in the 90° open position of the positioning groove 50; or / and, the elastic plunger 71 is disposed on the guide shaft 42, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed in the 90° open position of the guide groove 60.

[0176] In the above-mentioned motion trajectories, when the door 2 is at a 90° position, the positioning shaft 41 is located at the fourth positioning position 54, and the guide shaft 42 is located at the fourth guide position 64. The fourth positioning position 54 is the 90° opening position of the positioning groove 50, and the fourth guide position 64 is the 90° opening position of the guide groove 60. Therefore, a limiting recess 72 can be provided at the fourth positioning position 54 and / or the fourth guide position 64.

[0177] The stopping mechanism 7 is set at the 90° open position of the door 2, so that the door 2 can stop at 90°, preventing the door 2 from closing automatically and affecting the user's ability to take food out, and also preventing the door 2 from continuing to open and colliding with the cabinet.

[0178] In some embodiments, the stop mechanism 7 may be located at the maximum angle at which the door 2 can be opened when the refrigerator is embedded in the cabinet.

[0179] Specifically, the elastic plunger 71 is disposed on the positioning shaft 41, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed in the maximum embedded open position of the positioning groove 50; or / and, the elastic plunger 71 is disposed on the guide shaft 42, and the limiting recess 72 is disposed in the maximum embedded open position of the guide groove 60.

[0180] In the first four motion trajectories, when the door 2 is in the third open angle state, the positioning shaft 41 is located at the fifth positioning position 55, and the guide shaft 42 is located at the fifth guide position 65. The fifth positioning position 55 is the maximum embedded opening position of the positioning groove 50, and the fifth guide position 65 is the maximum embedded opening position of the guide groove 60. Therefore, a limiting recess 72 can be provided at the fifth positioning position 55 and / or the fifth guide position 65.

[0181] The stopping mechanism 7 is set at the third angle position of the door 2, so that the door 2 can be stopped at the third angle position, which prevents the door 2 from closing automatically and affecting the user's ability to take food out, and also prevents the door 2 from continuing to open and colliding with the cabinet.

[0182] In some embodiments, the stopping mechanism 7 may be located at the maximum angle position of the door 2 (for non-embedded cabinets).

[0183] In the first four motion trajectories, when the door 2 is at its maximum opening angle under normal use, the positioning shaft 41 is located at the sixth positioning position 56, and the guide shaft 42 is located at the sixth guide position 66. The sixth positioning position 56 is the maximum normal opening position of the positioning groove 50, and the sixth guide position 66 is the maximum normal opening position of the guide groove 60. Therefore, a limiting recess 72 can be provided at the sixth positioning position 56 and / or the sixth guide position 66.

[0184] In the fifth motion trajectory, when the door 2 is at its maximum opening angle under normal use, the positioning shaft 41 is located at the fourth positioning position 54, and the guide shaft 42 is located at the fifth guide position 65. Therefore, a limiting recess 72 can be provided at the fourth positioning position 54 and / or the fifth guide position 65.

[0185] The stopping mechanism 7 is set at the maximum angle position of the door body 2, so that the door body 2 can be stopped at the maximum angle position, avoiding the door body 2 from automatically closing and affecting the user's ability to take out and put in food, and also playing an auxiliary limiting role when the door body 2 reaches the maximum open position.

[0186] In some embodiments, the stopping mechanism 7 may be located at the transition point of the hinge assembly 3. The transition point is the location where the direction of motion of the hinge shaft 31 changes in the hinge groove 32. That is, the connection point of two groove segments in the hinge groove 32. For example, the connection point of the first groove segment 501 and the second groove segment 502 of the positioning groove 50 in the second and third motion trajectories, the connection point of the first groove segment 501 and the second groove segment 502 of the positioning groove 50 in the fourth motion trajectory, and the connection point of the third groove segment 503 and the first groove segment 501 of the positioning groove 50 in the fourth motion trajectory are all transition points. The direction of motion of the hinge shaft 31 will change when it moves to these transition points.

[0187] After the upper and lower hinge assemblies of door body 2 are assembled, assembly errors are inevitable. These errors can easily cause door body 2 to jam and the hinge groove 32 to wear. Therefore, an installation gap is usually reserved between the hinge shaft 31 and the hinge groove 32 to avoid problems such as jamming of door body 2 and wear of hinge groove 32 caused by assembly errors.

[0188] Normally, the clearance between the guide shaft 42 and the guide groove 60 is 0.1 to 0.2 mm, and the clearance between the positioning shaft 41 and the positioning groove 50 is 0 to 0.1 mm. When the hinge shaft 31 moves to the transition point of the hinge groove 32, the trend of the motion curve changes and the transition part will have a rounded corner. The door body 2 will wobble at this point, affecting the opening feel.

[0189] Therefore, by setting the stopping mechanism 7 at the transition point of the hinge groove 32, the door body 2 stops rotating at the transition point, which can reduce the poor opening feel caused by the shaking of the door body 2.

[0190] Specifically, the stop plunger 71 of the stop mechanism 7 is located on the positioning shaft 41, and the limiting recess 72 is located at the transition point of the positioning groove 50.

[0191] In some embodiments, the stop mechanism 7 may be located at the speed change point of the hinge assembly 3. The speed change point is the location where the movement speed of the hinge shaft 31 changes abruptly in the hinge groove 32. For example, in the fifth movement trajectory, when the door 2 opens from the first state to the second state, the door 2 rotates and moves laterally; when it continues to open from the second state to 90°, the door 2 only rotates and no longer moves laterally; when it continues to open from 90°, the door 2 rotates and moves laterally again. That is, during the movement, the door 2 changes from rotation and lateral movement, suddenly stops and only rotates around the positioning axis, and then changes back to rotation and lateral movement, resulting in two speed change abrupt changes. Correspondingly, the positioning shaft 41 experiences a speed change abrupt change at the third positioning position 53 of the positioning groove 50, and the third positioning position 53 is the speed change point.

[0192] The process of the positioning shaft 41 changing from rest to motion and from motion to rest (this description only refers to the lateral movement of the positioning shaft 41) involves the sudden change of the positioning shaft 41's speed to 0. This speed change generates acceleration, which in turn generates force. The force generated by the acceleration is absorbed and offset by the sidewall of the positioning groove 50, causing wear on both the positioning shaft 41 and the positioning groove 50. After prolonged use, the increased wear gap can cause the door 2 to wobble or even become stuck at the point of sudden speed change.

[0193] Therefore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the rotation-stopping mechanism 7 is set at the speed change point, so that the force generated by the speed change is resisted by the rotation-stopping mechanism 7, thereby reducing the force on the positioning shaft 41 and the positioning groove 50; at the same time, since the position of the positioning shaft 41 remains unchanged, the limiting protrusion 713 and the limiting recess 72 resist the speed change force, which can also increase the stability of the rotational motion.

[0194] Specifically, the stop plunger 71 of the stop mechanism 7 is located on the positioning shaft 41, and the limiting recess 72 is located at the third positioning position 53 (speed change point) of the positioning groove 50.

[0195] According to this application, by setting a stop mechanism 7 between the door body 1 and the box body 1, when the elastic plunger 71 of the stop mechanism 7 is misaligned with the limiting recess 72, it does not affect the opening and closing of the door body 2. When the elastic plunger 71 is opposite to the limiting recess 72, the elastic plunger 71 is inserted into the limiting recess 72 to stop the door body 1, thereby avoiding the door body 1 from closing automatically and affecting the user's operation of taking and putting away food.

[0196] According to this application, the stopping mechanism 7 is provided on the first hinge component (positioning shaft 41 and positioning groove 50) of the hinge assembly. Since the positioning shaft 41 is usually larger in diameter and longer in length, the extension distance of the elastic plunger 71 can be increased, as well as the contact area with the limiting recess 72 can be increased, thereby increasing the stability of the door 2 stopping.

[0197] According to this application, the stopping mechanism 7 is provided on the second hinge member (guide shaft 42 and guide groove 60) of the hinge assembly. Since the guide groove 60 is usually relatively long, the stopping mechanism 7 can be provided at multiple positions in the extension direction of the guide groove 60, thereby meeting the requirement that the door body 2 stops at multiple positions.

[0198] According to this application, setting the stop mechanism 7 in the closed position of the door body 2 can prevent the door body 2 from being opened due to force during transportation and thus causing a collision. By setting the extension range H2 of the limiting protrusion 713 to be less than the distance H1 between the hinge plate 33 and the hinge groove 32, it can prevent the door body 2 from jumping up and impacting the hinge plate 33 during transportation and falling.

[0199] According to this application, the rotating stop mechanism 7 is set at the 90° open position of the door 2 or the maximum open position when embedded in the cabinet, so that the door 2 can be stopped at this position, avoiding the door 2 from closing automatically and the door 2 from colliding with the cabinet.

[0200] According to this application, the rotating stop mechanism 7 is set at the transition point of the hinge assembly 3, which can prevent the door 2 from shaking when passing through the transition point.

[0201] According to this application, the rotation stop mechanism 7 is set at the speed change point of the hinge assembly 3, which can avoid the wear of the hinge shaft 31 and the hinge groove 32 under stress, extend the service life and ensure the stability of the opening and closing of the door 2.

[0202] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: Box; A door, which is movably connected to the housing to open or close the housing; A hinge assembly is connected between the housing and the door. The hinge assembly includes a hinge shaft and a hinge groove. During the opening and closing of the door, the hinge shaft moves within the hinge groove. The hinge shaft includes a positioning shaft and a guide shaft. The hinge groove includes a positioning slot and a guide slot. The positioning shaft can move within the positioning slot, and the guide shaft can move within the guide slot. A rotating stop mechanism includes a limiting recess disposed in the hinge groove and an elastic plunger disposed on the hinge shaft; the limiting recess is disposed on the guide groove and the elastic plunger is disposed on the guide shaft; When the refrigerator is embedded in the cabinet and the door is opened to the maximum opening angle, the elastic plunger is engaged in the limiting recess, and the door rotates to stop relative to the cabinet. The elastic plunger includes: A support member having a receiving cavity with one end open; A limiting protrusion is provided at the opening end of the receiving cavity; An elastic element abuts against the bottom of the receiving cavity and the limiting protrusion; When the elastic plunger is opposite to the limiting recess, the limiting protrusion is ejected by the elastic member and locked into the limiting recess; when the limiting protrusion is locked into the limiting recess, the elastic member is in a compressed state; when the elastic plunger is misaligned with the limiting recess, the limiting protrusion compresses the elastic member.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the elastic plunger is misaligned with the limiting recess, the limiting protrusion exposes the support member and rolls along the hinge groove.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The limiting protrusion is a spherical body, and the limiting recess is a spherical groove.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hinge axis is the support member; or, the support member and the hinge axis are two separate components connected together.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening of the receiving cavity faces the bottom of the hinge groove, and the limiting recess is located at the bottom of the hinge groove.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The door can be opened to a maximum angle of 90° or greater when the refrigerator is embedded in the cabinet.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the refrigerator is embedded in the cabinet and the door is opened to the maximum opening angle, the hinge axis is in the maximum embedded opening position in the hinge groove, and the limiting recess is provided at the maximum embedded opening position.

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