Refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator, belonging to the technical field of household appliances. The refrigerator comprises a limiting block arranged on a cabinet door; the limiting block is located at the front end of a hinge plate when the cabinet door is closed, and is in abutment with the side surface of the hinge plate when the cabinet door is opened to the maximum, so as to block the cabinet door from being continuously opened; when the cabinet door is rotated from the closed state to a first state, the first state is less than 90°, a first shaft moves in the first slot along a first linear segment and a first curved segment in sequence, and a second shaft moves in the second slot along a second linear segment and a second curved segment in sequence; the first linear segment extends in a direction away from the front wall and close to the side wall, so that the cabinet door moves inward by a first distance and moves forward by a distance; and the first curved segment extends in a direction close to the side wall and the front wall, so that the cabinet door moves inward by a second distance. The hinge structure of the refrigerator makes the cabinet door not exceed or excessively exceed the side surface of the cabinet when the cabinet door is opened.

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 hinge structure of the cabinet door is mostly of the single-axis type. The cabinet door rotates around the hinge axis by cooperating with the door's bushing. When the cabinet door with this type of hinge structure is opened, the corner of the cabinet door will extend beyond the side of the cabinet body.

[0003] For built-in refrigerators, which are typically placed inside cabinets, the corners of the door cannot extend too far beyond the dimensions of the cabinet when the door is opened to 90 degrees, thus limiting the refrigerator's usability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention at least partially solves one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0005] Therefore, this application aims to provide a refrigerator whose hinge structure ensures that the door does not extend beyond or excessively extend beyond the side of the refrigerator body when opened.

[0006] The refrigerator according to this application includes: a cabinet forming a storage compartment; a hinge plate fixed to the cabinet, the hinge plate having a first shaft and a second shaft; a door rotatably connected to the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment, the door having a front wall and a side wall near the hinge plate, the door having a first groove cooperating with the first shaft and a second groove cooperating with the second shaft; a limiting block disposed on the door; the limiting block is located at the front end of the hinge plate when the door is closed, and abuts against the side of the hinge plate when the door is opened to its maximum to prevent the door from continuing to open; when the door is rotated open from the closed state to a first state, the first state is less than 90°, the first shaft moves sequentially along a first straight segment and a first curved segment in the first groove, while the second shaft moves sequentially along a second straight segment and a second curved segment in the second groove; the first straight segment extends away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, causing the door to move inward a first distance and forward a certain distance, the first curved segment extends towards the side wall and the front wall, causing the door to move inward a second distance.

[0007] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the door continues to open from the first state to 90°, the door only rotates about the first axis.

[0008] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the door continues to open from 90°, the first axis moves along the third curved segment in the first groove, while the second axis moves along the fourth curved segment in the second groove; the third curved segment and the fourth curved segment both extend toward the side wall and the front wall.

[0009] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the included angle between the first straight segment and the second straight segment is greater than 45°.

[0010] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the length of the first straight segment is less than that of the first curved segment, and the length of the second straight segment is less than that of the second curved segment.

[0011] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the first axis is closer to the side wall and farther from the front wall than the second axis, the second straight segment extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, and the second curved segment extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall.

[0012] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the door is in the closed state, the first hinge shaft is located at the end of the first track groove, and the second hinge shaft is located at the end of the second track groove; there is a gap between the second hinge shaft and the end of the second track groove.

[0013] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the door is opened to 90°, there is a vertical gap between the front wall of the door and the side of the cabinet.

[0014] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the door is provided with a receiving groove; the refrigerator also includes: a mounting block, which is installed in the receiving groove, and the mounting block is provided with a first groove and a second groove; a limiting block is provided in the receiving groove and located on the front side of the mounting block.

[0015] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the limiting block includes: an insert portion sandwiched between the bottom of the receiving groove and the mounting block; a reinforcing portion connected at an angle to the insert portion; and a limiting portion disposed on the reinforcing portion at one end away from the insert portion. The limiting portion can abut against the hinge plate to limit the maximum opening angle of the door. Attached Figure Description

[0016] 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.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view from direction A;

[0020] Figure 4This is a view showing the relative positions of the first and second axes of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a view of the hinge when the cabinet door is in the closed state according to the embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a view of the hinge when the cabinet door is in the closed state according to the embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a view of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present application when the first axis is in the third positioning position;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a view of the cabinet door in a first state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a view of the cabinet door in a 90° open state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a view of the cabinet door in its fully open state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 11 This is a view of another embodiment of the hinge when the door is in the closed state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a view of another embodiment of the hinge shaft of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 13 This is an exploded view of the hinge in the upper right corner of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 14 This is an exploded view of the upper end of the cabinet door according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 15 This is a view of the hinge at the lower end of the cabinet door according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 16 This is an exploded view of the hinge at the lower end of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 17 This is an exploded view of the lower end of the cabinet door according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 18 This is a perspective view of the upper mounting block of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 19This is a perspective view of the lower mounting block of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 20 This is a view of another embodiment of the cabinet door according to the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 21 This is a view of another embodiment of the cabinet door according to the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0038] In the above diagrams: 1. Refrigerator; 10. Cabinet; 20. Storage compartment; 21. Upper storage compartment; 22. Lower storage compartment;

[0039] 30. Box door; 301. Door shell; 302. Protrusion; 303. First protrusion; 304. Second protrusion; 31. Front wall; 32. Side wall; 33. Side edge; 34. Upper receiving groove; 35. Lower receiving groove; 37. First protrusion; 38. Second protrusion; 39. Gap groove;

[0040] 40. Axis; 41. First Axis; 42. Second Axis;

[0041] 50. Groove;

[0042] 51. First groove; 511. First positioning position; 512. Second positioning position; 513. Third positioning position; 514. First termination position; 5113. First straight segment; 5132. First curved segment; 5133. First curved segment; 5134. Second curved segment; 5124. Third curved segment;

[0043] 52. Second groove; 521. First guide position; 522. Second guide position; 523. Third guide position; 524. Fourth guide position; 525. Second termination position; 5213. Second straight segment; 5232. Second curved segment; 5233. Second curved segment; 5234. Fourth curved segment; 5245. Fourth curved segment;

[0044] 60. Hinge plate; 60a. Upper hinge plate; 60b. Lower hinge plate; 601. Connecting part; 602. Extension part; 603. Stop part;

[0045] 70. Mounting block; 70a. Upper mounting block; 70b. Lower mounting block; 71. Plate; 72. Extension; 73. Locking hook; 731. Root joint; 732. Hook;

[0046] 80. Limiting block; 81. Insertion part; 82. Limiting part; 83. Reinforcing part;

[0047] 90. Bushing; 100. Cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" 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 with "first," "second," "third," or "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0051] 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.

[0052] In the following description, embodiments of this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, 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.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 The refrigerator 1 may include: a cabinet 10 having a storage compartment 20, a door 30 connected to the cabinet 10 to open and close the storage compartment 20, and a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage compartment 20.

[0054] A cold air supply device may include an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion device, and may generate cold air by using the latent heat of vaporization of a refrigerant.

[0055] The cabinet 10 may include: an inner shell defining a storage compartment 20; an outer shell connected to the outside of the inner shell to form the appearance of the refrigerator 1; and an insulator provided between the inner shell and the outer shell to insulate the storage compartment 20.

[0056] The cabinet 10 may include: a horizontal partition dividing the storage compartment 20 into an upper storage compartment 21 and a lower storage compartment 22, and a vertical partition dividing the lower storage compartment 22 from one side to the other. The upper storage compartment 21 can be used as a refrigerator compartment for storing food in a refrigeration mode by maintaining the air at a temperature of about 0 to 5°C, and the lower storage compartment 22 can be used as a freezer compartment for storing food in a freezing mode by maintaining the air at a temperature of 0 to -30°C.

[0057] The storage room 20 may have an open front to allow food to be received and retrieved, and the open front of the storage room 20 may be opened and closed by a rotatable cabinet door 30.

[0058] The door 30 can be rotatably supported by upper and lower hinges. For example, hinges can be provided at the upper part of the door 30 to rotatably support the door 30.

[0059] For ease of description, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 The side of the door 30 closest to the hinge is called the side wall 32. For example, when the hinge is located on the right side of the box body 10, the right side of the door 30 is the side wall 32; when the hinge is located on the left side of the box body 10, the left side of the door 30 is the side wall 32. The front wall 31 and the side wall 32 of the door 30 intersect to form the side ridge 33.

[0060] Typically, the plane containing the side of the refrigerator body 10 closest to the hinge is defined as reference plane X. The side of reference plane X closest to the cabinet 100 is the outer side, and the opposite side is the inner side. When the refrigerator is placed in the cabinet 100, to prevent uneven ground or cabinet deformation, the distance α between the cabinet and reference plane X is usually 5mm. To ensure the refrigerator door 30 opens normally, its side edge 33 should not extend too far beyond reference plane X during rotation; otherwise, the side edge 33 will collide with the cabinet and prevent normal opening.

[0061] Therefore, for refrigerators with hinges located on the left or right side of the door 30, the door 30 needs to be able to move inward during rotation (inward direction is the direction from the hinge towards the center of the refrigerator on the horizontal plane) to avoid interference between the side edge 33 and the cabinet 100. For a refrigerator with the hinge on the right side of the door 30, inward movement of the door 30 means movement to the left; for a refrigerator with the hinge on the left side of the door 30, inward movement of the door 30 means movement to the right.

[0062] In an embodiment of this application, the hinge includes a shaft 40 and a groove 50. The shaft 40 moves within the groove 50, thereby causing the door 30 to rotate and open while moving inward.

[0063] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 The hinge adopts a dual-axis hinge form, that is, the shaft 40 includes a first shaft 41 and a second shaft 42, and the slot 50 includes a first slot 51 and a second slot 52. The first shaft 41 is adapted to the first slot 51, and the second shaft 42 is adapted to the second slot 52. During the process of the door 30 rotating to open or close, the first shaft 41 moves relative to the first slot 51, and the second shaft 42 moves relative to the second slot 52.

[0064] Since there is a relative motion relationship between the first groove 51 and the first shaft 41, and between the second groove 52 and the second shaft 42, if the door 30 is opened with the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 as stationary reference points, it is equivalent to the first shaft 41 moving within the first groove 51 and the second shaft 42 moving within the second groove 52. For ease of description, this application uses the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 as reference points, and describes the movement of the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 relative to these reference points:

[0065] Reference Figure 4 The figure shows a specific example of the relative positions of the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42: when the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 are fixed relative to the housing 10, and the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 are provided on the door 30, the first shaft 41 is closer to the side wall 32 and farther from the front wall 31 than the second shaft 42. The vertical distance L1 between the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 in the front-back direction satisfies 2.5mm≤L1≤10mm, and the vertical distance L2 between the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 in the left-right direction satisfies 7.5mm≤L2≤30mm. In the current example, L1 = 5mm, L2 = 15mm, and the thickness of the door 30 is between 44mm and 53mm, so that the corner of the door 30 always exceeds the reference plane X by a small distance during the opening process, specifically less than 3mm.

[0066] Reference Figure 5 When the door 30 is closed, the first shaft 41 is located at the end of the first groove 51, and the second shaft 42 is located at the end of the second groove 52. This determines the starting ends of the first groove 51 and the second groove 52. The first groove 51 extends generally from its starting end towards the side wall 32 and the front wall 31 to the other end, and the second groove 52 extends generally from its starting end away from the front wall 31 and towards the side wall 32 to the other end. The extension of the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 towards the side wall 32 allows the door 30 to move inward relative to the box body 10.

[0067] When the cabinet door 30 is rotated open from the closed state to 90°, the movement trajectory of the first shaft 41 relative to the first groove 51 generally extends towards the front wall 31 and the side wall 32, and the movement trajectory of the second shaft 42 relative to the second groove 52 generally extends away from the front wall 31 and towards the side wall 32, so that the cabinet door 30 moves inward a certain distance while rotating, thereby avoiding the problem that the side wall 32 or side edge 33 of the cabinet door 30 exceeds the reference plane X and interferes with the cabinet during the opening process, thus preventing it from opening normally.

[0068] Regarding the first embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0069] Reference Figures 6 to 8 ,in, Figure 8 The middle box door is in the first position. Figure 7 The opening angle of the middle cabinet door is less than that of the first state. When the cabinet door 30 is rotated from the closed state to the first state, the first state is less than 90°. The first shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 5111 of the first groove 51 to the second positioning position 512. At the same time, the second shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 521 of the second groove 52 to the second guide position 522. Since the second positioning position 512 is closer to the side wall 32 and the front wall 31 than the first positioning position 5111, the cabinet door 30 moves inward a certain distance during the rotation. Moving inward a certain distance can prevent the side wall 32 or the side edge 33 of the cabinet door 30 from touching the cabinet.

[0070] During this movement, the side edge 33 of the cabinet door 30 can rotate outside the reference plane X and move inward. The distance β of the side edge 33 beyond the reference plane X is always less than the distance α (5mm) between the reference plane X and the cabinet, thus ensuring that the side edge 33 will not touch the cabinet and cause interference. At the same time, the side edge 33 of the cabinet door 30 is outside the reference plane X, avoiding the problem of a jerky feeling when the cabinet door 30 moves a large distance inward to the inside of the reference plane X.

[0071] In the above description, the movement trajectories of the first axis 41 from the first positioning position 5111 to the second positioning position 512 and the second axis 42 from the first guide position 521 to the second guide position 522 have curved segments. The curved movement trajectory can ensure the smoothness of the door 30's movement process and avoid the door 30 moving inward when moving along a long straight line, which would cause a jerky feeling for the user.

[0072] Regarding the second embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0073] The difference from the first embodiment lies in the specific shape of the groove 50 when the door 30 is opened from the closed state to the first state: when the door 30 is rotated open from the closed state to the first state, the first shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 511 of the first groove 51 along the first straight line segment 5113 to the third positioning position 513. Figure 7 As shown), then it moves from the third positioning position 513 along the first curve segment 5132 to the second positioning position 512 (as shown). Figure 8 (as shown); at the same time, the second shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 521 of the second groove 52 along the second straight line segment 5213 to the third guide position 523, and then moves from the third guide position 523 along the second curved segment 5232 to the second guide position 522.

[0074] In this application, the third positioning position 513 is farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first positioning position 511. The first straight segment 5113 extends away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32. Thus, the first axis 41 moves towards the side wall 32 and away from the front wall 31, which is equivalent to the cabinet door 30 with the first groove 51 moving a first distance away from the side wall 32 (inner side) and moving a certain distance towards the front wall 31 (front side). The inward movement of the cabinet door 30 can prevent the side edge 33 from going too far beyond the reference plane X and touching the cabinet. Since the corner of the cabinet door 30 will rotate backward relative to the first axis 41 when the cabinet door 30 is first opened, as the cabinet door 30 moves inward, the door seal 30a on the cabinet door 30 will have contact and friction with the front side of the cabinet body 10. In this application, the cabinet door 30 is set to move forward a certain distance to avoid friction between the door seal 30a and the front side of the cabinet body 10, thereby improving the service life of the door seal 30a.

[0075] The third guide position 523 is farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first guide position 521, and the second straight segment 5213 extends in a direction farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32.

[0076] The second positioning position 512 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the third positioning position 513. The first curved segment 5132 extends from the third positioning position 513 to the second positioning position 512 in a direction closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32, so that the door 30 moves inward a second distance.

[0077] The second guide position 522 is farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the third guide position 523. The second curved segment 5232 extends in a direction farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32. The center of curvature of the first curved segment 5132 is located on the side of the first curved segment 5132 closer to the front wall; the center of curvature of the second curved segment 5232 is located on the side of the second curved segment 5232 closer to the side edge.

[0078] The process of the door 30 moving inward has two different trajectories: the shaft 40 moves along a straight line and then along a curve relative to the groove 50. This can avoid the problem of the door 30 shaking when the trajectory is close to parallel when the door rotates at a large angle only along a straight line or only along a curve.

[0079] In other embodiments, during the process of opening the door 30 to the first state, the shaft 40 relative to the groove 50 may first move along a curve and then move along a straight line, or the movement trajectory of the shaft 40 relative to the groove 50 may be a combination of multiple curves and straight lines.

[0080] In some embodiments, the angle between the first straight segment 5113 and the second straight segment 5213 is greater than 45°, which can prevent the door 30 from shaking when the angle between the first straight segment 5113 and the second straight segment 5213 is small and close to parallel, thus ensuring the stability of the door 30 during rotation.

[0081] When the first axis 41 is in the third positioning position 513 and the second axis 42 is in the third guide position 523, Figure 7 When the state shown is reached, the opening angle of the door 30 is approximately 5–10°, and the side edge 33 extends beyond the reference plane X by a distance β < 2 mm within this opening angle range. When the first shaft 41 is in the second positioning position 512 and the second shaft 42 is in the second guide position 522... Figure 8 When the state shown is such that the opening angle of the door 30 is approximately 25 to 60°, the side edge 33 extends beyond the reference plane X by a distance β < 3 mm within this opening angle range.

[0082] In some embodiments, the distance from the third positioning position 513 to the second positioning position 512 is greater than the distance from the first positioning position 511 to the third positioning position 513. That is, the length of the first straight line segment 5113 is less than the length of the first curved segment 5132, and the length of the second straight line segment 5213 is less than the length of the second curved segment 5232. In this way, the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 only move a small distance in a straight line at the beginning, and then move a large angle in a curved motion. The curved motion can ensure the smoothness of the door 30 during the movement process and avoid the door 30 moving inward when moving in a straight line, which would cause a sense of jerking for the user.

[0083] Regarding the third embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0084] Unlike the second embodiment, continue to refer to... Figure 8 The first curve segment 5132 and the second curve segment 5232 each include at least two curve segments with decreasing curvature.

[0085] In this way, the curvature of the curve decreases, which reduces the distance the door 30 moves inward within a unit angle. In other words, the door 30 slows down its movement as it rotates to open and move inward, ensuring the smoothness of the door 30's movement.

[0086] In some embodiments of curvature variation, the first curve segment 5132 includes a first curve segment 5133 and a third curve segment 5134 connected in sequence, and the second curve segment 5232 includes a second curve segment 5233 and a fourth curve segment 5234 connected in sequence; the curvature of the third curve segment 5134 is less than that of the first curve segment 5133, and the curvature of the fourth curve segment 5234 is less than that of the second curve segment 5233.

[0087] When the first axis 41 moves along the first curve segment 5133, the second axis 42 moves along the second curve segment 5233. During this process, the door 30 moves inward a distance d1 when opening by a unit angle. When the first axis 41 continues to move along the third curve segment 5134, the second axis 42 moves along the fourth curve segment 5234. During this process, the door 30 moves inward a distance d2 when opening by a unit angle, where d2 < d1. As a specific example, d2 can be half of d1.

[0088] In other embodiments, the first curve segment 5132 and the second curve segment 5232 may also include three or more curve segments.

[0089] In other embodiments of curvature variation, the curvature of the first curve segment 5132 and the second curve segment 5232 gradually decreases, which also ensures that the movement of the door 30 slows down during the inward rotation of the door opening, thus ensuring the smoothness of the door 30 during the movement.

[0090] Regarding the fourth embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0091] Unlike the previous three embodiments, the structure of the slot 50 is designed so that when the door 30 continues to open from the first state to 90°, the following is observed:

[0092] Reference Figure 9 When the door 30 continues to open from the first state to 90°, the door 30 only rotates. The position of the first shaft 41 at the second positioning position 512 remains unchanged, and the door 30 rotates around the first shaft 41. The second shaft 42 moves relative to the second groove 52 from the second guide position 522 along an arc to the fourth guide position 524. The fourth guide position 524 is farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the second guide position 522.

[0093] In some embodiments, when the refrigerator door 30 is in the 90° open position, the front wall 31 of the refrigerator door 30 has a vertical gap γ with the reference plane X. That is, the front wall 31 of the refrigerator door 30 is located inside the reference plane X and the distance from the front wall 31 to the reference plane X is γ > 0, so that the refrigerator 30 can continue to open at a small angle without interfering with the cabinet. In the current example, when the refrigerator is placed inside the cabinet, the refrigerator door 30 can be opened >90°, approximately between 105° and 110°.

[0094] Regarding the fifth embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0095] Unlike the previous four embodiments, in order to allow the refrigerator to open to a greater angle when not embedded in a cabinet, this embodiment features an extended design for the first slot 51 and the second slot 52:

[0096] Reference Figure 10 As the door 30 continues to open from 90°, the first shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 512 along the third curved segment 5124 to the first termination position 514, and the second shaft 42 moves from the fourth guide position 524 along the fourth curved segment 5245 to the second termination position 525. Both the third curved segment 5124 and the fourth curved segment 5245 extend towards the front wall 31 and the side wall 32, respectively. As the door 30 continues to rotate, the side edge 33 moves inward and forward a certain distance.

[0097] If the door 30 only rotates during this process, it is easy for the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 to move in parallel within a long rotation range, causing the door 30 to sway. Therefore, at this stage, the door 30 is set to move forward and inward a certain distance during rotation, so that the movement trajectory of the first axis 41 and the movement trajectory of the second axis 42 have an angle at any point.

[0098] Specifically, the angle between the tangents of the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 at any corresponding point is greater than 30°, which ensures the smoothness of the movement of the door 30.

[0099] In other embodiments, the movement trajectories of the first axis 41 from the second positioning position 512 to the first termination position 514, and the second axis 42 from the fourth guide position 524 to the second termination position 525, can also be straight lines.

[0100] In the above description, the extension directions of the trajectory line, the second groove 52, and the first groove 51 correspond to the movement direction of the shaft relative to the groove during the opening of the door 30.

[0101] Based on the structure of the slot 50 described above, in some embodiments of this application, referring to Figure 11When the door 30 is in the closed state, there is a certain gap δ between the starting end of the second shaft 42 and the second groove 52, so that when the door 30 is forcefully slammed, the second shaft 42 and the starting end of the second groove 52 can be prevented from contacting each other and causing the door 30 to spring open.

[0102] In some embodiments of this application, since the first shaft 41 mainly serves a positioning function and the second shaft 42 mainly serves a guiding function, among the two shafts 40, the first shaft 41 is the main shaft and the second shaft 42 is the auxiliary shaft. The force is mainly concentrated on the main shaft. Therefore, the length of the first shaft 41 is set to be greater than that of the second shaft 42. Correspondingly, the first groove 51 is deeper than the second groove 52. This can avoid the waste of material costs caused by the second shaft 42 being too long. At the same time, it can avoid the problem that the groove 50 and the shaft 40 are easy to separate when the door is tilted and the first shaft 41 is relatively short. Material costs are saved while ensuring structural reliability.

[0103] In addition, since the force is concentrated on the first shaft 41, the diameter of the first shaft 41 can be set to be larger than that of the second shaft 42. In this way, the first shaft 41 is thicker, has better force distribution, and has sufficient strength to withstand the force when the door is tilted. At the same time, since the second groove 52 is longer and occupies more space in the thickness direction of the door, the second shaft 42 can be made thinner, and the second groove 52 can be narrower accordingly. This allows the door to be designed to be thinner, and the overall thickness of the refrigerator can be smaller, which has the advantage of small size.

[0104] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 12 The first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 are fitted with bushings 90, which can rotate relative to the shaft 40. During the movement of the dual-axis hinge, the bushing 90 rotates relative to the shaft 40, and at the same time, sliding occurs between the bushing and the groove, which can reduce friction and improve service life. The bushing 90 can be made of wear-resistant POM material, and the bushing 90 can be connected to the hinge shaft or the hinge plate 60 via bearings.

[0105] In other embodiments, a POM bushing can be provided on the inner wall of the groove 50, and the hinge shaft can move within the bushing.

[0106] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, reference is made to Figure 13 , Figure 16 The hinge specifically includes a hinge plate 60 fixedly connected to the housing 10, and a first shaft 41 and a second shaft 42 connected to the hinge plate 60 to form a rotation axis. The hinge plate 60, the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 can be formed integrally, but instead, the hinge plate 60, the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 can be provided separately and assembled with each other.

[0107] The hinge plate 60 may specifically include: a connecting portion 601, connected to the housing 10; and an extension 602, extending forward from the connecting portion 601 and having a horizontal plate shape. The connecting portion 601 may be fastened to the housing 10 by fasteners such as screws, pins, and bolts. A first shaft 41 and a second shaft 42 may be formed on the extension 602.

[0108] The hinge plate 60 includes an upper hinge plate 60a located at the upper end of the door 30 and a lower hinge plate 60b located at the lower end of the door 30.

[0109] Specific reference Figure 13 For the upper hinge plate 60a, the connecting part 601 is connected to the top of the box body 10, and the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 extend vertically downward on the extension part 602. Corresponding to the position of the upper hinge plate 60a, the upper end of the box door 30 is provided with a first groove 51 and a second groove 52.

[0110] Specific reference Figure 16 For the lower hinge plate 60b, the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 extend upward on the hinge plate 60. Corresponding to the position of the lower hinge plate 60b, the lower end of the door 30 is provided with a first groove 51 and a second groove 52.

[0111] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 14 , Figure 17 The door 30 includes a mounting block 70, which is installed on the door 30 at a position opposite to the hinge plate 60. The first groove 51 and the second groove 52 are provided on the mounting block 70.

[0112] The mounting block 70 may specifically include a plate 71 and an extension 72 formed by extending outward from the plate 71. A first groove 51 and a second groove 52 extend from the end face of the plate 71 to the extension 72. The shape of the extension 72 corresponds to the groove 50.

[0113] The mounting block 70 includes an upper mounting block 70a disposed at the upper end of the door 30, and a lower mounting block 70b disposed at the lower end of the door 30.

[0114] Specific reference Figure 14 The upper end of the door 30 is provided with an upper receiving groove 34, the upper mounting block 70a is inserted into the upper receiving groove 34, and then the plate 71 is fastened to the door 30 by screws or the like.

[0115] Specific reference Figure 17 The lower end of the door 30 is provided with a lower receiving groove 35. The lower mounting block 70b is inserted into the lower receiving groove 35, and then the plate 71 is fastened to the door 30 by screws or the like.

[0116] The upper mounting block 70a and the lower mounting block 70b can be made of POM material. POM has strong abrasion resistance, which can improve the service life of the hinge.

[0117] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figures 15 to 17 The lower mounting block 70b may have a locking hook structure. Specifically, the lower mounting block 70b includes a locking hook 73 located inside the plate 71. The opening of the locking hook 73 faces the plate 71, and the free end of the locking hook 73 is located at the rear when the door 30 is closed.

[0118] The inner side of the lower hinge plate 60b is provided with an outwardly extending stop 603. When the door 30 is closed, the locking hook 73 on the door 30 hooks onto the stop 603 on the hinge plate 60, thereby locking the door 30 and preventing the door 30 from not closing tightly and affecting the refrigeration and freezing effect of the refrigerator. When the door 30 is opened, the locking hook 73 is deformed by force and overcomes the obstruction of the stop 603, thereby disengaging from the stop 603.

[0119] The locking hook 73 may include a root joint 731 and a hook 732. The root joint 731 is connected to the plate 71, and the hook 732 is connected to the root joint 731 and bends backward and outward. A screw passes through the root joint 731 and connects to the door 30 to strengthen the connection between the root joint 731 and the door 30, so that only the hook 732 deforms when the locking hook 73 is disengaged from the stop 603.

[0120] The free ends of both the hook portion 732 and the stop portion 603 are arc-shaped, which facilitates the movement of the hook portion 732 along the arc to hook onto or disengage from the stop portion 603.

[0121] In some embodiments, in conjunction with reference Figure 17 , Figure 19 The door 30 may be provided with a first protrusion 37 and a second protrusion 38. When the door 30 is closed, the first protrusion 37 and the second protrusion 38 are arranged approximately in front of and behind each other, and a gap groove 39 is formed between the first protrusion 37 and the second protrusion 38. The part 731a of the root joint 731 is inserted into the gap groove 39. In this way, the root joint 731 can be prevented from deforming in the front-back direction by the limiting of the first protrusion 37 and the second protrusion 38.

[0122] It should be noted that the locking hook 73 can also be set on the upper mounting block 70a, and the stop part 603 is correspondingly set on the upper hinge plate 60a.

[0123] In some embodiments of this application, a limiting structure is provided between the door 30 and the hinge plate 60 to limit the door 30 from opening to the maximum angle, so as to avoid damaging the mounting block 70 when the door is opened to a certain angle by force.

[0124] Specifically, refer to Figure 15 , Figure 16 The lower end of the door 30 is provided with a limiting block 80, which is located at the front end of the lower mounting block 70b. When the door 30 rotates to the maximum allowable position, the limiting block 80 abuts against the side 604 of the hinge plate 60, thereby stopping the door 30 from continuing to rotate.

[0125] Reference Figure 17 The limiting block 80 can be a sheet metal part, including an insert part 81, a limiting part 82 and a reinforcing part 83.

[0126] The mounting part 81 is plate-shaped and is installed in the lower receiving groove 35 of the door 30. The plate 71 of the lower mounting block 70b presses the mounting part 81 against the door 30 from the lower end, thereby fixing the limiting block 80 on the door 30.

[0127] The reinforcing part 83 and the fitting part 81 are at a perpendicular angle, that is, when assembled, the fitting part 81 is in a horizontal state and the reinforcing part 83 is in a vertical state; the reinforcing part 83 is formed by bending the front end of the fitting part 81 downward.

[0128] The limiting part 82 is block-shaped and extends downward from the lower end of the reinforcing part 83. The limiting part 82 extends vertically out of the lower surface of the door 30. When the door 30 drives the limiting block 80 to rotate to the maximum angle, the limiting part 82 will be blocked by the side of the lower hinge plate 60b, thereby forcing the door 30 to stop opening.

[0129] The mounting portion 81 of the limiting block 80 is clamped between the lower mounting block 70b and the door 30, which omits the connection structure between the limiting block 80 and the door 30, simplifies the product structure, and has the advantage of simple structure.

[0130] It should be noted that the limiting block 80 can also be set at the upper mounting block 70a of the door 30. When the door 30 drives the limiting block 80 to rotate to the maximum angle, the limiting part 82 will be blocked by the side of the upper hinge plate 60a, thereby forcing the door 30 to stop opening.

[0131] If the distance between the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 is relatively large, the hinge movement will be greatly affected when the door 30 is tilted or the two shafts are not parallel, and may even affect the normal rotation of the hinge. Therefore, in some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the plate 71 of the mounting block 70 is denoted as L1, and the minimum wall thickness between the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 is denoted as L2. Then L2 = (0.5~1)L1. This setting can make the distance between the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 closer, so that the hinge movement is less affected when the door is slightly tilted or the two shafts are not parallel.

[0132] In the above embodiment, the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 are disposed on the mounting block 70, and then the mounting block 70 is mounted on the door 30. However, in other embodiments, the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 may also be directly disposed on the door 30.

[0133] Referring to the above, the door 30 is recessed downward at the position corresponding to the upper hinge plate 60a to form a first groove 51 and a second groove 52; the door 30 is recessed upward at the position corresponding to the lower hinge plate 60b to form a first groove 51 and a second groove 52.

[0134] Specifically, the door 30 includes a door shell 301 and a protrusion 302 extending vertically from the door shell 301 toward its interior. A first groove 51 and a second groove 52 are formed by recessing the outer end face of the door shell 301 into the protrusion 302.

[0135] The protrusion 302 can be integrally formed with the door shell 301. The protrusion 302 includes a first protrusion 303 and a second protrusion 304. The shape of the first protrusion 303 corresponds to the first groove 51, and the shape of the second protrusion 304 corresponds to the second groove 52.

[0136] The thickness of the door shell 301 is denoted as H1, and the minimum wall thickness between the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 is denoted as H2. Then H2 = (0.5~1)H1. This setting makes the distance between the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 closer, so that the hinge movement is less affected when the door is slightly tilted or the two shafts are not parallel, and at the same time, it will not affect the strength of the mounting block 70.

[0137] In the above embodiments, the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 are disposed on the hinge plate 60, and the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 are disposed on the door 30; in other embodiments, the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 may be disposed on the door 30, while the first groove 51 and the second groove 52 are disposed on the hinge plate 60; or, in another embodiment, the first shaft 41 and the second groove 52 are disposed on the hinge plate 60, and the second shaft 42 and the first groove 51 are disposed on the door 30; or the first shaft 41 and the second groove 52 are disposed on the door 30, and the second shaft 42 and the first groove 51 are disposed on the hinge plate 60.

[0138] According to this application, by setting the cabinet door 30 to move inward a first distance and forward a certain distance when it is initially opened, the inward movement of the cabinet door 30 can ensure that it will not interfere with the cabinet, and the forward movement of the cabinet door 30 can avoid the problem of wear caused by friction between the door seal 30a and the front side of the cabinet body 10.

[0139] According to this application, by dividing the process of the door 30 rotating open and moving inward into two stages, namely, the axis relative to the groove first moves along a straight line and then along a curve, the problem of the door 30 shaking can be avoided when the trajectory of the door is close to parallel when it rotates at a large angle only along a straight line or only along a curve; and the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 only move a small distance in a straight line at the beginning, and then move at a larger angle in a curve. The curve movement can ensure the smoothness of the door 30 during the movement process and avoid the door 30 moving inward abruptly when moving in a straight line, which would cause a jerky feeling for the user.

[0140] According to this application, when the door 30 is opened to the first state, the curved trajectory of the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 includes at least two curved segments with decreasing curvature, which makes the distance the door 30 moves inward within a unit angle smaller. During the process of rotating the door and moving inward, the movement of the door 30 slows down, ensuring the smoothness of the movement process of the door 30.

[0141] According to this application, when the door 30 continues to open from 90°, the movement trajectory of the first axis 41 is the third curve segment 5124, and the movement trajectory of the second axis 42 is the fourth curve segment 5245, so that the movement trajectory of the first axis 41 and the movement trajectory of the second axis 42 have an angle at any point, which avoids the problem of easy shaking when the door 30 rotates within a large angle range and ensures the stability of the movement of the door 30.

[0142] According to this application, during the entire process of opening the door 30, the first shaft moves from one end of the first groove to the other end, and the second shaft moves from one end of the second groove to the other end. The movement will not retract, ensuring the smoothness of opening the door 30.

[0143] 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: The container is designed to contain a storage room; A hinge plate is fixed to the housing, and the hinge plate is provided with a first shaft and a second shaft; A door, rotatably connected to the box body, is provided to open or close the storage compartment. The door has a front wall and a side wall near the hinge plate. The door is provided with a first groove that mates with the first shaft and a second groove that mates with the second shaft. A limiting block is provided on the door; the limiting block is located at the front end of the hinge plate when the door is closed, and abuts against the side of the hinge plate when the door is opened to its maximum, so as to prevent the door from opening further; When the door rotates from the closed state to the first state (the first state is less than 90°), the first axis moves sequentially along the first straight segment and the first curved segment within the first groove, while the second axis moves sequentially along the second straight segment and the second curved segment within the second groove. The first straight segment extends away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, causing the door to move inward a first distance and forward a certain distance. The first curved segment extends towards the side wall and the front wall, causing the door to move inward a second distance. When the door continues to open from the first state to 90°, the door only rotates about the first axis. The angle between the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment is greater than 45°; The length of the first straight line segment is less than that of the first curved segment, and the length of the second straight line segment is less than that of the second curved segment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, As the door continues to open from 90°, the first shaft moves along the third curved segment within the first groove, while the second shaft moves along the fourth curved segment within the second groove; both the third and fourth curved segments extend toward the sidewall and front wall.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the door is closed, the first axis is closer to the side wall and farther from the front wall than the second axis; the second straight segment extends in a direction farther from the front wall and closer to the side wall; the second curved segment extends in a direction farther from the front wall and closer to the side wall.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the door is closed, the first shaft is located at the end of the first groove, and the second shaft is located at the end of the second groove; there is a gap between the second shaft and the end of the second groove.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the door is opened to 90°, there is a vertical gap between the front wall of the door and the side of the box body.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator door is provided with a receiving slot; the refrigerator also includes: An installation block is installed in the receiving groove, and the installation block is provided with the first groove and the second groove; The limiting block is disposed in the receiving groove and located on the front side of the mounting block.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The limiting block includes: The insert is sandwiched between the bottom of the receiving groove and the mounting block; The reinforcing part is connected at an angle to the mounting part; A limiting part is provided on the reinforcing part at one end away from the mounting part. The limiting part can abut against the hinge plate to limit the maximum opening angle of the door.

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