An automatic door opening refrigerator

By setting a push plate and a power component on the refrigerator, and using a toothed gear rack transmission to achieve different strokes of the two push rods, the problem of high complexity and poor user experience of existing refrigerator door opening devices is solved, and automatic opening and switching of one or two doors is realized.

CN115682590BActive Publication Date: 2026-06-05YUNMI HULIAN TECH (GUANGDONG) CO LTD

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
YUNMI HULIAN TECH (GUANGDONG) CO LTD
Filing Date
2021-07-22
Publication Date
2026-06-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing refrigerator door opening mechanisms suffer from high complexity of drive devices and poor user experience when controlling double doors, especially for French door refrigerators, where users have a poor experience when they need to open both doors.

Method used

The system employs a combination of a push plate and a power component. The push plate has two push rods, which are driven by a toothed gear rack to achieve different strokes. The power component provides at least two push plate strokes to adapt to different opening and closing positions, enabling automatic opening of one or both doors.

Benefits of technology

It enables flexible switching between single or two doors, simplifies the control logic of the drive equipment, and improves the user experience.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of automatic door refrigerator, including refrigerator body and two box doors;The automatic door refrigerator further includes door opening device, it includes: push plate, two top push box door top rod are equipped on it;And, power component of the drive push plate;Wherein, the stroke that two top rod opens door is different;Power component provides at least two different push plate strokes, to adapt the different opening and closing position of two box doors;When power component drives push plate to pass small stroke, one of top rod does not push corresponding box door to opening and closing position, so that corresponding box door is re-closed with refrigerator body;And another top rod pushes corresponding box door to opening and closing position, so that corresponding box door is opened.
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigerators, and more specifically to an automatic door-opening refrigerator. [Background Technology]

[0002] In the refrigerator industry, with technological advancements and increased automation, more and more refrigerators are focusing on improving their intelligence. Automatic door opening is a common function in intelligent control. Currently, automatic door opening is often achieved using a door opening device. However, the inventors discovered the following problems during use:

[0003] Firstly, for double-door refrigerators, the existing door opening mechanisms commonly use a single door opening device to control the opening of a single door or a single door opening device to control the opening of both doors simultaneously. However, the current control method of using a single door opening device to control a single door increases the use of drive equipment and increases the complexity of control logic. At the same time, the method of using a single door opening device to control the opening of both doors is often used in French door refrigerators, where both doors often contain the same storage box, and the user only needs to open one door, resulting in a poor user experience. There is a lack of research on achieving both single-door and double-door opening modes using a single door opening device.

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to develop an automatic door refrigerator to solve the above problems. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide an automatic door-opening refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body and two doors; the automatic door-opening refrigerator further includes a door-opening device, which comprises:

[0006] A push plate with two push rods for pushing the box door; and

[0007] The power component that drives the push plate;

[0008] The two push rods travel different distances when opening the door; the power component provides at least two different push plate strokes to adapt to the different opening and closing positions of the two doors;

[0009] When the power component drives the push plate through a short stroke, one of the push rods does not push the corresponding door to the open / closed position, causing the corresponding door to close again with the refrigerator body; while the other push rod pushes the corresponding door to the open / closed position, causing the corresponding door to be opened.

[0010] Preferably, the power component and the push plate are connected by a gear and rack transmission. The power component has a toothed gear inside, and the toothed gear has at least two discontinuous toothed sections arranged circumferentially, with the two toothed sections having different numbers of teeth.

[0011] Preferably, when the push plate is in the initial position, the gaps between the two push rods and the box door are different, so that when the toothed part drives the push plate to push the box door, the two push rods drive the box door to open by different strokes.

[0012] Preferably, the push rods push the corresponding door to different positions, so that the two push rods travel different distances to push the corresponding door to the open / closed position.

[0013] Preferably, a rack is installed on one side of the push plate, and the rack is engaged or disengaged from the toothed gear, thereby enabling intermittent transmission between the power component and the push plate.

[0014] Preferably, the toothed portion includes a first missing tooth and a second missing tooth, wherein the number of teeth in the first missing tooth is greater than the number of teeth in the second missing tooth;

[0015] When the second missing tooth is engaged with the rack, the push rod pushes the side of the door with the longer travel to open the door;

[0016] When the first tooth is engaged with the rack, the two push rods will open their respective door openings.

[0017] Preferably, the door opening device also includes a base plate for supporting the components inside the door opening device;

[0018] The base plate is installed on the top of the refrigerator body, and the push-out part extends out of the base plate and abuts against the door.

[0019] Preferably, the push plate is provided with a clearance groove, and the bottom plate is provided with a positioning block;

[0020] When the toothed part is engaged with the rack, the push plate moves to the relief groove and engages with the positioning block.

[0021] When the toothed part is disengaged from the rack, the push plate resets to allow the relief groove to disengage from the positioning block.

[0022] Preferably, the power component includes a motor and a power transmission assembly, through which the motor is connected to the toothed gear transmission.

[0023] A worm gear is installed on the power output end of the motor, and the power transmission assembly includes a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear.

[0024] Preferably, the power transmission assembly performs transmission through gear meshing, and the gears in the power transmission assembly are located in any one of the three layers arranged vertically.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0026] The present invention provides an automatic door opening refrigerator, which sets the two pushing parts with different pushing strokes so that when a single toothed part performs the pushing operation, the two pushing rods push the corresponding door to the opening position, and the corresponding door is opened, so as to realize the switching between opening a single door or opening both doors.

[0027] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Attached Image Description]

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the refrigerator in this invention;

[0030] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the refrigerator top door opening device of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the refrigerator door opening device in this invention;

[0033] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the refrigerator door opening device in this invention;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the power component inside the door opening device of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a side view of the power component inside the door opening device in this invention;

[0036] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the tooth-deficient gear inside the power component in this invention;

[0037] Figure 9 This is a partial top view of the refrigerator door when it is closed.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a simplified diagram illustrating the force analysis during the opening of a refrigerator door, as per the present invention.

[0039] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0040] 11. Refrigerator body; 12. Door;

[0041] 3. Door opening device;

[0042] 31. Push plate;

[0043] 311. First ejector pin; 312. Second ejector pin; 313. Boss; 314. Relief groove; 315. Rack;

[0044] 34. Reset unit;

[0045] 35. Base plate; 351. Positioning block;

[0046] 36. Dynamic components;

[0047] 361. Electric motor;

[0048] 362. Worm gear;

[0049] 363. Worm gear;

[0050] 364. First transmission gear;

[0051] 365. Second transmission gear;

[0052] 366. Transition gear;

[0053] 367. Gear with missing tooth; 3671. Base circle; 3672. Tooth profile; 36721. First missing tooth; 36722. Second missing tooth; 3673. Drive tooth.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0054] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will make the foregoing and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the invention more apparent, enabling those skilled in the art to practice it upon referring to the text of the specification. In the drawings, shapes and dimensions are enlarged for clarity, and the same reference numerals are used throughout the figures to indicate the same or similar parts. In the following description, terms such as center, thickness, height, length, front, back, rear, left, right, top, bottom, upper, lower, etc., are used based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. In particular, “height” corresponds to the dimension from top to bottom, “width” corresponds to the dimension from left to right, and “depth” corresponds to the dimension from front to back. These relative terms are for ease of explanation and are not generally intended to require a specific orientation. Terms relating to attachment, connection, etc. (e.g., “connection” and “attachment”) refer to the relationship in which these structures are directly or indirectly fixed or attached to each other by an intermediate structure, and to movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0055] Next, the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. It should be understood that terms such as "having," "comprising," and "including" as used herein do not imply the presence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0056] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the present invention relates to an automatic door refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body 11, two doors 12 and a door opening device 3, wherein the refrigerator body 11 and the doors 12 are connected by an adsorption force; the door opening device 3 comprises: a push plate 31, on which two push rods for pushing the doors 12 are provided; and a power component 36 for driving the push plate 31.

[0057] The adsorption force between the refrigerator body 11 and the door 12 needs to push the door 12 out of the adsorption range. If the distance pushed out by the door 12 does not exceed the range of the adsorption force, the door 12 will be adsorbed and attached back to the refrigerator body 11 after the push rod is removed. When the power component 36 pushes the door 12 to move until the door 12 is separated from the adsorption force of the refrigerator body 11, the two push rods push the door 12 so that the two doors 12 travel different distances.

[0058] The power component 36 and the push plate 31 are driven by a gear and rack. The power component 36 has a toothed gear 367 inside. The toothed gear 367 has at least two discontinuous toothed portions 3672 arranged circumferentially to push the box door 12. The two toothed portions 3672 have different numbers of teeth, so that when the two toothed portions 3672 with different numbers of teeth are engaged, the push plate 31 travels different distances in two separate trips.

[0059] When the toothed part 3672 with fewer teeth pushes the door 12, the travel of one of the doors 12 is insufficient to disengage from the open / closed position, thereby causing the door 12 to reclose with the refrigerator body 11.

[0060] Specifically, the opening and closing position is when the door 12 is opened, the door 12 disengages from the refrigerator body 11 and automatically closes. The automatic closing includes the suction force between the door 12 and the refrigerator body 11 and the door closer driving the door 12 to close again. When the push rod pushes the door 12 for an insufficient distance to overcome the path of the door closer's automatic closing, the door 12 will close again after the push rod returns to its initial position.

[0061] A rack 315 is installed on one side of the push plate 31. The rack 315 is in a meshing or disengaging state with the toothed gear 367, thereby enabling the power component 36 to transmit power to the push plate 31 intermittently.

[0062] In specific embodiment one, such as Figure 6 As shown, when the push plate 31 is in the initial position, the gaps between the two push rods and the door 12 are different. This results in different strokes of the two push rods when the toothed part 3672 drives the push plate 31 to push the door 12. Consequently, when the toothed gear 367 meshes with the rack 315, there is a time difference between the two push rods contacting the door 12, resulting in different distances that the two push rods push the door 12 out. Specifically, the two push rods include the first push rod 367... 11 and the second push rod 312, the first push rod 311 extends longer than the second push rod 312, the distance between the end of the first push rod 311 that abuts against the box door 12 and the end of the second push rod 312 that abuts against the box door 12 is d. When the toothed part 3672 with fewer teeth pushes the box door 12, the second push rod 312 needs to travel a distance d more than the first push rod 311, so that it can push the box door 12 open in the same way as the first push rod 311.

[0063] When the toothed part 3672 with fewer teeth performs the transmission action, the push rod that is far from the door 12 fails to push the door 12 away from the adsorption range. After the toothed part 3672 with fewer teeth disengages, the door 12 is subjected to adsorption force and re-adsorbs and adheres.

[0064] On the other hand, a door closer is built into the refrigerator door 12. The door closer is installed on the pivot shaft of the door 12, so that when the door 12 rotates at a small angle, the door 12 is closed again by the action of the door closer. Therefore, the push rod needs to push out enough stroke to overcome the action of the door closer and open the door 12.

[0065] When the toothed part 3672 with more teeth performs the transmission action, both push rods can push the box door 12 away from the adsorption range, thereby causing the two box doors 12 to be pushed open.

[0066] Furthermore, the positions of the two push rods pushing the box door 12 to the pivot point L1 of the box door 12 are the same, thus ensuring that the two box doors 12 need to be pushed out to the same distance to escape the suction force.

[0067] In the second specific embodiment, such as Figure 9 , 10 As shown, the two push rods include a first push rod 311 and a second push rod 312. The two push rods have different lever arms for pushing the box door 12. When the toothed part 3672 pushes the box door 12, the two push rods drive the box door 12 to open by different strokes.

[0068] Specifically, when the door 12 rotates through an angle α around its pivot axis O, the door 12 can disengage from the suction force. The distances between the positions of the first push rod 311 and the second push rod 312 abutting against the door 12 and the pivot axis of the door 12 are L1 and L2, respectively, where L1 is greater than L2. The distance pushed away from the suction force is related to the distance between the positions of the first push rod 311 and the second push rod 312 abutting against the door 12 and the pivot axis O of the door 12. The first push rod 311 and the second push rod 312 push against the door 12 at points p1 and p2, respectively. At position p1, the required pushing distance T1 is less than the required pushing distance T2 at p2; when the toothed part 3672 with fewer teeth drives the push plate 31, the stroke of the first push rod 311 and the second push rod 312 is between T1 and T2, the box door 12 corresponding to the second push rod 312 is pushed open, and the box door 12 corresponding to the first push rod 311 is re-adsorbed; when the toothed part 3672 with more teeth drives the push plate 31, the stroke of the first push rod 311 and the second push rod 312 is greater than T2, so that both box doors 12 are pushed open.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, reference Figure 8 As shown, the toothed portion 3672 includes a first missing tooth 36721 and a second missing tooth 36722, wherein the first missing tooth 36721 has more teeth than the second missing tooth 36722. Its specific working process includes:

[0070] When the second missing tooth 36722 is engaged with the rack 315, the push rod pushes the side of the box door 12 with the longer stroke open;

[0071] When the first missing tooth 36721 is engaged with the rack 315, the two push parts 33 push open their respective corresponding door 12.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the door opening device 3 also includes a base plate 35, which is used to support the components inside the door opening device. The base plate 35 is installed on the top of the refrigerator body 11, and the push part 33 extends out of the base plate 35 and abuts against the door 12.

[0073] Furthermore, a reset unit 34 is connected between the base plate 35 and the push plate 31;

[0074] When the toothed portion 3672 and the rack 315 are engaged, the push plate 31 moves to cause the reset unit 34 to elastically deform; when the toothed portion 3672 and the rack 315 are disengaged, the reset unit 34 returns to its original state to cause the push plate 31 to reset.

[0075] The same surface of the base plate 35 is provided with mounting positions for the push plate 31 and the power component 36. A reset unit 34 is connected between a fixed base surface of the base plate 35 and the push plate 31. When the toothed part 3672 and the rack 315 are in the meshing state, the push plate 31 moves to make the reset unit 34 elastically deform. When the toothed part 3672 and the rack 315 are in the disengaged state, the reset unit 34 recovers from the deformed state, thereby driving the push plate 31 back to the initial position.

[0076] Furthermore, a clearance groove 314 is provided on the push plate 31, and a positioning block 351 is provided on the bottom plate 35. When the toothed part 3672 and the rack 315 are in the meshing state, the push plate 31 moves to the clearance groove 314 and engages with the positioning block 351. When the toothed part 3672 and the rack 315 are in the disengaged state, the push plate 31 resets so that the clearance groove 314 disengages from the positioning block 351. Through the clearance groove 314 and the positioning block 351, the push plate 31 is engaged with the positioning block 351, thereby allowing the push rod to accurately push the fixed position of the box door 12.

[0077] like Figure 6 , 7 As shown, a boss 313 extends outward from one end of the push rod and fits against the door 12. By increasing the contact area between the push rod and the door 12, the pressure is reduced to protect the door 12. Due to the large suction force, the push rod requires a large pushing force when pushing the door 12. When the contact area of ​​the push rod is small, the door 12 is easily damaged.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, the power component 36 includes a motor 361 and a power transmission assembly disposed on the power output end of the motor 361; specifically, the power transmission assembly includes a plurality of transmission parts and a toothed gear 367, the toothed gear 367 being connected to the transmission parts in a transmission connection.

[0079] The transmission unit includes two gears arranged vertically with different numbers of teeth. The gears of the transmission unit are arranged in any two of the three layers in a three-layer structure. The three-layer structure is divided into three layers A, B, and C from top to bottom. The gears of the two transmission units that need to mesh are arranged in the same layer, while the gears that do not need to mesh are arranged in two separate layers to form a staggered structure, so as to avoid interference between the gears. At the same time, the staggered arrangement can reduce the footprint of the drive component, thereby reducing the volume of the door opening device.

[0080] The toothed gear 367 is provided with a drive tooth 3673, which meshes with the gear in the transmission part. The motor 361 drives the toothed gear 367. The pusher 315 is provided with a rack 315 that meshes with the toothed gear 367. The motor 361 drives the toothed gear 367 to rotate. The rack and the toothed gear 367 are in a meshing or disengaging state, thereby causing the push plate 31 to move intermittently, so that the drive assembly can automatically drive the push plate 31 to push the pusher 33 to push the box door 12.

[0081] In a preferred embodiment, the motor 361 and the transmission unit are connected by a worm gear transmission. A worm 362 is installed on the power output end of the motor 361, and a worm wheel 363 meshes with the worm 362. Through the transmission between the worm wheel 363 and the worm 362, the output direction of the motor 361 is changed, so as to reduce the height of the power component 36.

[0082] The transmission unit includes a first transmission gear 364 and a second gear 365. A first output gear is provided on the worm gear 363. The first output gear meshes with the first transmission gear 364. The worm gear 363 and the first output gear are integrated into one piece.

[0083] Furthermore, the first transmission gear 364 includes a first gear and a second output gear that mesh with the first output gear. The first gear and the second output gear are integrally formed, so that the first gear and the second output gear in the first transmission gear 364 rotate together.

[0084] Furthermore, the second gear 365 includes a second gear that is meshed with the second output gear.

[0085] Specifically, the first output gear and the first gear are located in layer C; the worm gear 363 is located in layer B; and the second gear and the second output gear are located in layer A.

[0086] The transmission unit also includes a transition gear 366, and the second gear 365 also includes a third output gear disposed on the second gear, through which the drive gear 3673 is connected to the third output gear.

[0087] Transition gear 366 includes a fourth output gear and a third gear arranged vertically, with the fourth output gear and the third gear being integrated into one piece;

[0088] The third gear meshes with the third output gear, and the fourth output gear meshes with the drive gear 3673. Through the meshing of gears in the drive assembly, and the different number of teeth between the meshing gears, the rotational speed output by the motor 361 is greater than the rotational speed of the toothless gear 367, thereby increasing the torque.

[0089] The third output gear and the third gear are located in level C; the fourth output gear and drive gear 3673 are located in level B; the toothless gear 367 is located in level A.

[0090] A connecting part is provided between the first transmission gear 364 and the second gear 365, and this connecting part is located within layer B.

[0091] The gears on the first transmission gear 364 and the second gear 365 are located within layers A and C, respectively. A connecting block is provided between the two gears, and the two gears are integrated to form the first transmission gear 364 and the second gear 365 through the connecting block.

[0092] It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0093] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

Claims

1. An automatic door refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body and two doors; characterized in that, It also includes a door opening mechanism, which comprises: A push plate with two push rods for pushing the box door; and The power component that drives the push plate; The two push rods travel different distances when opening the door; the power component provides at least two different push plate strokes to adapt to the different opening and closing positions of the two doors; When the power component drives the push plate through a short stroke, one of the push rods does not push the corresponding cabinet door to the open / closed position, causing the corresponding cabinet door to close with the refrigerator body again; while the other push rod pushes the corresponding cabinet door to the open / closed position, causing the corresponding cabinet door to be opened.

2. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power component and the push plate are connected by a gear and rack transmission. The power component has a toothed gear inside. The toothed gear has at least two discontinuous toothed sections arranged circumferentially, and the two toothed sections have different numbers of teeth.

3. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the push plate is in the initial position, the gaps between the two push rods and the box door are different, so that when the toothed part drives the push plate to push the box door, the two push rods drive the box door to open at different strokes.

4. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The push rods push the corresponding boxes to different positions, so that the two push rods travel different distances to push the corresponding boxes to the open / closed position.

5. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, A rack is mounted on one side of the push plate, and the rack is engaged or disengaged from the toothed gear, thereby enabling intermittent transmission between the power component and the push plate.

6. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The toothed portion includes a first missing tooth and a second missing tooth, wherein the number of teeth in the first missing tooth is greater than the number of teeth in the second missing tooth; When the second missing tooth is engaged with the rack, the side of the box door with the longer push rod stroke is opened. When the first missing tooth is engaged with the rack, the two push rods will open their respective box doors.

7. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The door opening device also includes a base plate, which is used to support the components inside the door opening device; The base plate is installed on the top of the refrigerator body, and the top rod extends out of the base plate and abuts against the door.

8. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The push plate is provided with a clearance groove, and the base plate is provided with a positioning block; When the toothed part and the rack are in a meshing state, the push plate moves to the relief groove and engages with the positioning block; When the toothed portion is disengaged from the rack, the push plate resets to allow the clearance groove to disengage from the positioning block.

9. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The power component includes a motor and a power transmission assembly, and the motor is connected to the toothed gear transmission through the power transmission assembly; A worm gear is installed on the power output end of the motor, and the power transmission assembly includes a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear.

10. The automatic door refrigerator as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The power transmission assembly performs transmission through gear meshing, and the gears in the power transmission assembly are located in any one of the three layers arranged sequentially from top to bottom.