Refrigerator

Abstract

This invention proposes a refrigerator, belonging to the field of household appliance technology. The refrigerator includes a hinge plate with a first shaft and a second shaft; a refrigerator door with a side wall near the hinge plate; and a mounting block on the refrigerator door, having a first groove and a second groove. When the refrigerator door is rotated open from a closed state to a first state, the first shaft moves sequentially from a first positioning position in the first groove along a first straight segment and a first curved segment to a second positioning position. Simultaneously, the second shaft moves sequentially from a first guide position in the second groove along a second straight segment and a second curved segment to a second guide position. The first straight segment extends away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, causing the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door to move inward a second distance. The hinge structure of this refrigerator ensures that the refrigerator door does not extend beyond or excessively beyond the side of the refrigerator body when opened.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigerator. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the related art, the hinge structure of a refrigerator door is mostly single-axle, and the rotation of the refrigerator door around the hinge shaft is realized by the cooperation of the hinge shaft and the shaft sleeve of the refrigerator door. In this case, the corner of the refrigerator door will exceed the side of the cabinet during the opening process.

[0003] For an embedded refrigerator, the refrigerator is generally placed in a cabinet, and it is required that the corner of the refrigerator door does not excessively exceed the size of the cabinet during the opening process to 90°, so that the use of the refrigerator is limited. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application at least partially solves one of the problems in the related art.

[0005] Therefore, the present application aims to provide a refrigerator, and the hinge structure of the refrigerator makes the refrigerator door not or not excessively exceed the side of the cabinet when the refrigerator door is opened.

[0006] According to the refrigerator of the present application, the refrigerator comprises a cabinet, a hinge plate, a refrigerator door, and a mounting block. The cabinet is formed with a storage compartment. The hinge plate is fixed to the cabinet, and the hinge plate is provided with a first shaft and a second shaft. The refrigerator door is rotationally connected to the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment, and the refrigerator door has a front wall and a side wall close to the hinge plate. The mounting block is arranged on the refrigerator door, and the mounting block is provided with a first slot matched with the first shaft and a second slot matched with the second shaft. When the refrigerator door is rotated from a closed state to a first state, the first state is less than 90°, the first shaft moves from a first positioning position of the first slot to a second positioning position along a first straight line segment and a first curved segment in sequence, and the second shaft moves from a first guide position of the second slot to a second guide position along a second straight line segment and a second curved segment in sequence. The first straight line segment extends in a direction away from the front wall and close to the side wall, so that the refrigerator door moves inward by a first distance and moves forward by a distance. The first curved segment extends in a direction close to the side wall and the front wall, so that the refrigerator door moves inward by a second distance.

[0007] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present application, when the refrigerator door is continuously opened from the first state to 90°, the refrigerator door only rotates around the first shaft, and the second shaft moves along a circular arc relative to the second slot from the second guide position to a third guide position.

[0008] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present application, the first groove further has a first end position closer to the side wall and closer to the front wall than the second positioning position, and the second groove further has a second end position closer to the side wall and closer to the front wall than the third guiding position; when the refrigerator door is continuously opened by 90°, the first shaft moves from the second positioning position to the first end position along the third curve segment, and the second shaft moves from the third guiding position to the second end position along the fourth curve segment.

[0009] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present 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 according to the present application, the length of the first straight segment is less than the length of the first curve segment, and the length of the second straight segment is less than the length of the second curve segment.

[0011] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present application, the first shaft is closer to the side wall and farther away from the front wall than the second shaft, and the second straight segment extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall; the second curve segment extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall.

[0012] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present application, when the refrigerator door is in the closed state, 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; the second shaft has a gap with the end of the second groove.

[0013] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present application, when the refrigerator door is opened by 90°, the front wall of the refrigerator door has a gap with the side surface of the cabinet in the vertical direction.

[0014] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present application, a receiving groove is arranged on the refrigerator door, and the mounting block is fastened in the receiving groove by screws.

[0015] In some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present application, the mounting block is made of POM material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

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

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

[0019] Figure 3 is Figure 2 is an enlarged view of A in FIG.

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

[0021] Figure 5 is a view of the hinge at the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application when the door is in a closed state; Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 6 is a view of the hinge at the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application when the door is in a closed state; Figure 2 ;

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

[0024] Figure 8 is a view of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application when the door is in a first state;

[0025] Figure 9 is a view of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application when the door is in a 90° open state;

[0026] Figure 10 is a view of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application when the door is in a maximum open state;

[0027] Figure 11 is a view of the hinge at the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application when the door is in a closed state;

[0028] Figure 12 is a view of another embodiment of the hinge axis of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 13 is an exploded view of the hinge at the upper right corner of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 14 is an exploded view of the upper end of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application;

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

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

[0033] Figure 17 is an exploded view of the lower end of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application;

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

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

[0036] Figure 20 is a view of another embodiment of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 21 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] In the above figures: 1, refrigerator; 10, cabinet; 20, storage compartment; 21, upper storage compartment; 22, lower storage compartment;

[0039] 30, refrigerator door; 301, door shell; 302, extension protrusion; 303, first extension protrusion; 304, second extension protrusion; 31, front wall; 32, side wall; 33, side edge; 34, upper receiving groove; 35, lower receiving groove; 37, first blocking portion; 38, second blocking portion; 39, gap groove;

[0040] 40, shaft; 41, first shaft; 42, second shaft;

[0041] 50, groove; 51, first groove; 511, first positioning position; 512, second positioning position; 513, third positioning position; 514, first termination position; 5113, first straight line segment; 5132, first curve segment; 5133, first curve sub-segment; 5134, second curve sub-segment; 5124, third curve segment; 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 line segment; 5232, second curve segment; 5233, second curve sub-segment; 5234, fourth curve sub-segment; 5245, fourth curve segment;

[0042] 60, hinge plate; 60a, upper hinge plate; 60b, lower hinge plate; 601, connecting portion; 602, extension portion; 603, stop portion;

[0043] 70, mounting block; 70a, upper mounting block; 70b, lower mounting block; 71, plate body; 72, extension portion; 73, locking hook; 731, root portion; 732, hook portion;

[0044] 80, limiting block; 81, embedded portion; 82, limiting portion; 83, reinforcing portion;

[0045] 90, shaft sleeve; 100, cabinet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Hereinafter, the present application will be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the elements, structures and features of one embodiment can be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further recitation.

[0047] In the description of the present application, it is understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0048] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second", "third", "fourth" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0049] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connection" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the side of the refrigerator facing the user during use is defined as the front side, and the side opposite to it is defined as the rear side.

[0051] Referring to Figure 1 , the refrigerator 1 can include a cabinet 10 having a storage compartment 20, a refrigerator door 30 connected to the cabinet 10 to open and close the storage compartment 20, and a cold air supply device to supply cold air to the storage compartment 20.

[0052] The cold air supply device can include an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion device, and can generate cold air by using the latent heat of evaporation of a refrigerant.

[0053] The cabinet 10 can include an inner case defining the storage compartment 20, an outer case connected to the outer side of the inner case to form the appearance of the refrigerator 1, and an insulator provided between the inner case and the outer case to thermally insulate the storage compartment 20.

[0054] The cabinet 10 can include a horizontal partition plate that separates the storage compartment 20 into an upper storage compartment 21 and a lower storage compartment 22, and a vertical partition plate that separates the lower storage compartment 22 from one side to the other. The upper storage compartment 21 can be a refrigeration compartment for storing food in a refrigeration mode by maintaining air at a temperature of about 0 to 5℃, and the lower storage compartment 22 can be a freezer compartment for storing food in a freezing mode by maintaining air at a temperature of 0 to -30℃.

[0055] The storage compartment 20 can have an open front to allow food to be received and taken out, and the open front of the storage compartment 20 can open and close the storage compartment 20 by the rotatable refrigerator door 30.

[0056] The refrigerator door 30 can be rotatably supported by a hinge located at an upper portion and a hinge located at a lower portion. For example, the hinges can be provided at an upper portion of the refrigerator door 30 to rotatably support the refrigerator door 30.

[0057] For the convenience of description, with reference to Figure 2 , Figure 3 the side of the refrigerator door 30 near the hinge among the left and right sides thereof is referred to as a side wall 32, for example, when the hinge is located at the right side of the cabinet 10, the right side of the refrigerator door 30 is the side wall 32, and when the hinge is located at the left side of the cabinet 10, the left side of the refrigerator door 30 is the side wall 32. The front wall 31 and the side wall 32 of the refrigerator door 30 meet to form a side edge 33.

[0058] In general, a plane in which the side of the cabinet 10 near the hinge is located is defined as a reference plane X, the reference plane X is near the outer side of the cabinet 100, and the other side opposite thereto is the inner side; when the refrigerator is placed in the cabinet 100 for use, in order to prevent factors such as unevenness of the user's floor and deformation of the cabinet, the cabinet is generally set at a distance α = 5 mm from the reference plane X. In order to ensure that the refrigerator door 30 of the refrigerator is normally opened, the side edge 33 of the refrigerator door 30 cannot move too much beyond the reference plane X during rotation, otherwise, the side edge 33 collides with the cabinet and cannot be normally opened.

[0059] Therefore, for the refrigerator in which the hinge is provided at the left end or the right end of the refrigerator door 30, the refrigerator door 30 needs to be able to move in the inward direction (the inward direction is the direction from the hinge to the middle of the refrigerator in the horizontal plane) during rotation, in order to avoid interference of the side edge 33 with the cabinet 100. For the refrigerator door 30 in which the hinge is at the right end, the movement of the refrigerator door 30 in the inward direction means that the refrigerator door 30 moves to the left side; for the refrigerator door 30 in which the hinge is at the left side, the movement of the refrigerator door 30 in the inward direction means that the refrigerator door 30 moves to the right side.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present application, the hinge includes a shaft 40 and a groove 50, the shaft 40 moves in the groove 50, thereby driving the refrigerator door 30 to move in the inward direction during rotation and opening.

[0061] Specifically, referring to Figure 3 , the hinge adopts the form of a double shaft hinge, that is, the shaft 40 comprises a first shaft 41 and a second shaft 42, and the slot 50 comprises 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 rotation of the refrigerator door 30 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.

[0062] Since the first slot 51 and the first shaft 41 are in a relative motion relationship, and the second slot 52 and the second shaft 42 are in a relative motion relationship, if the refrigerator door 30 is in the process of opening, taking the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 as the stationary reference, it is equivalent to the first shaft 41 moving in the first slot 51 and the second shaft 42 moving in the second slot 52. For the sake of convenience of description, the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 are taken as the reference, and the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 move relative to the reference:

[0063] Referring to Figure 4 , specific examples of the relative positions of the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 are shown in the figure: when the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 are fixed relative to the cabinet 10, and the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 are provided on the refrigerator door 30, the first shaft 41 is closer to the side wall 32 and farther away from the front wall 31 than the second shaft 42. The vertical distance L1 of the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 in the front-back direction satisfies 2.5mm≤L1≤10mm, and the vertical distance L2 of 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 and L2=15mm, and the thickness of the refrigerator door 30 is between 44mm and 53mm, so that the distance of the corner portion of the refrigerator door 30 from the reference plane X is small during the opening of the door, specifically less than 3mm.

[0064] Referring to Figure 5 , when the refrigerator door 30 is in the closed state, the first shaft 41 is located at the end of the first slot 51, and the second shaft 42 is located at the end of the second slot 52. Thus, the starting end of the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 can be determined. The first slot 51 extends from the starting end to the other end in the direction close to the side wall 32 and the front wall 31, and the second slot 52 extends from the starting end to the other end in the direction away from the front wall 31 and close to the side wall 32. The extension of the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 in the direction close to the side wall 32 can make the refrigerator door 30 move inward relative to the cabinet 10.

[0065] When the refrigerator door 30 is rotated open from the closed state to 90°, the movement trajectory of the first axis 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 axis 42 relative to the second groove 52 generally extends away from the front wall 31 and towards the side wall 32. This allows the refrigerator door 30 to move inward a certain distance while rotating, thereby avoiding the problem that the side wall 32 or side edge 33 of the refrigerator door 30 may exceed the reference plane X and interfere with the cabinet during the opening process, thus preventing it from opening normally.

[0066] Regarding the first embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0067] Reference Figure 6 to Figure 8 ,in, Figure 8 The refrigerator door is in the first position. Figure 7 The opening angle of the refrigerator door is less than that of the first state. When the refrigerator 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 refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 from touching the cabinet.

[0068] During this movement, the side edge 33 of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 is outside the reference plane X, avoiding the problem of a jerky feeling when the refrigerator door 30 moves a large distance inward to the inside of the reference plane X.

[0069] 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 movement of the refrigerator door 30 and avoid the refrigerator door 30 moving inward when moving along a long straight line, which would cause a jerky feeling for the user.

[0070] Regarding the second embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0071] The difference from the first embodiment lies in the specific shape of the groove 50 when the refrigerator door 30 is opened from the closed state to the first state: when the refrigerator 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.

[0072] In this design, the third positioning position 513 is farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first positioning position 511. The first straight segment 5113 extends in a direction away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32. Thus, the first axis 41 moves in a direction closer to the side wall 32 and farther from the front wall 31. This is equivalent to the refrigerator door 30 with the first groove 51 moving a first distance away from the side wall 32 (inner side) and moving a certain distance closer to the front wall 31 (front side). The inward movement of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 will rotate backward relative to the first axis 41 when the refrigerator door 30 is first opened, as the refrigerator door 30 moves inward, the door seal 30a on the refrigerator door 30 will have contact and friction with the front side of the cabinet 10. In this application, the refrigerator door 30 is set to move a certain distance forward, which can avoid friction between the door seal 30a and the front side of the cabinet 10 and improve the service life of the door seal 30a.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 refrigerator door 30 moves inward by a second distance.

[0075] 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.

[0076] The process of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 shaking when the trajectory is close to parallel when the refrigerator door rotates at a large angle only along a straight line or only along a curve.

[0077] In other embodiments, during the process of the refrigerator door 30 opening 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.

[0078] 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 refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 during rotation.

[0079] 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 refrigerator door 30 is in the state shown, the opening angle 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 axis 41 is in the second positioning position 512 and the second axis 42 is in the second guide position 522... Figure 8 When the refrigerator door 30 is in the state shown, the opening angle is approximately 25 to 60°, and the side edge 33 extends beyond the reference plane X by a distance β < 3 mm within this opening angle range.

[0080] 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 line. The curved movement can ensure the smoothness of the refrigerator door 30 during the movement process and avoid the refrigerator door 30 moving inward when moving in a straight line, which would cause a sense of jerking for the user.

[0081] Regarding the third embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0082] 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.

[0083] In this way, the curvature of the curve decreases, which reduces the distance the refrigerator door 30 moves inward within a unit angle. In other words, the movement of the refrigerator door 30 slows down during the rotation and inward movement, ensuring the smoothness of the movement of the refrigerator door 30.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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 refrigerator door 30 moves inward a distance d1 when it opens 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 refrigerator door 30 moves inward a distance d2 when it opens by a unit angle, where d2 < d1. As a specific example, d2 can be half of d1.

[0086] In other embodiments, the first curve segment 5132 and the second curve segment 5232 may also include three or more curve segments.

[0087] 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 refrigerator door 30 slows down during the inward rotation of the door, thus ensuring the smoothness of the movement of the refrigerator door 30.

[0088] Regarding the fourth embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0089] Unlike the previous three embodiments, the structure of the slot 50 is designed so that the refrigerator door 30 continues to open to 90° from the first state:

[0090] Reference Figure 9 When the refrigerator door 30 continues to open from the first state to 90°, the refrigerator door 30 only rotates. The position of the first shaft 41 at the second positioning position 512 remains unchanged, and the refrigerator door 30 rotates around the first shaft 41. The second shaft 42 moves along an arc from the second guide position 522 to the fourth guide position 524 relative to the second groove 52. 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.

[0091] 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, allowing the refrigerator 30 to continue opening 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°.

[0092] Regarding the fifth embodiment of the slot 50 in this application:

[0093] 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:

[0094] Reference Figure 10 As the refrigerator door 30 continues to open from 90°, the first axis 41 moves from the second positioning position 512 along the third curved segment 5124 to the first termination position 514, and the second axis 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 refrigerator door 30 continues to rotate, the side edge 33 moves inward and forward a certain distance.

[0095] If the refrigerator door 30 only rotates during this process, it is easy for the movement trends of the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 to be parallel and the refrigerator door 30 to sway within a long range of rotation. Therefore, at this stage, the refrigerator 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.

[0096] Specifically, the angle between the tangents of the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 at any corresponding point is greater than 30°, ensuring the smoothness of the movement of the refrigerator door 30.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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 axis relative to the groove during the opening of the refrigerator door 30.

[0099] Based on the structure of the slot 50 described above, in some embodiments of this application, referring to Figure 11When the refrigerator door 30 is closed, there is a certain gap δ between the starting end of the second shaft 42 and the second groove 52, so that when the refrigerator door 30 is slammed, the starting end of the second shaft 42 and the second groove 52 can be prevented from contacting and causing the refrigerator door 30 to spring open.

[0100] 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 refrigerator door is tilted and the first shaft 41 is relatively short. Material costs are saved while ensuring structural reliability.

[0101] 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 refrigerator door is tilted. At the same time, since the second groove 52 is longer and occupies more space in the thickness direction of the refrigerator door, the second shaft 42 can be made thinner, and the second groove 52 can be narrower accordingly. Thus, the refrigerator door can be designed to be thinner, and the overall thickness of the refrigerator can be smaller, which has the advantage of small size.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] The hinge plate 60 includes an upper hinge plate 60a located at the upper end of the refrigerator door 30 and a lower hinge plate 60b located at the lower end of the refrigerator door 30.

[0107] Specific reference Figure 13 For the upper hinge plate 60a, the connecting part 601 is connected to the top of the cabinet 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 refrigerator door 30 is provided with a first groove 51 and a second groove 52.

[0108] 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 refrigerator door 30 is provided with a first groove 51 and a second groove 52.

[0109] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 14 , Figure 17 The refrigerator door 30 includes a mounting block 70, which is installed on the refrigerator door 30 at a position opposite to the hinge plate 60. A first groove 51 and a second groove 52 are provided on the mounting block 70.

[0110] 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.

[0111] Mounting block 70 includes an upper mounting block 70a disposed at the upper end of the refrigerator door 30, and a lower mounting block 70b disposed at the lower end of the refrigerator door 30.

[0112] Specific reference Figure 14 The upper end of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 by screws or the like.

[0113] Specific reference Figure 17 The lower end of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 by screws or the like.

[0114] 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.

[0115] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 15 to Figure 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 refrigerator door 30 is closed.

[0116] The inner side of the lower hinge plate 60b is provided with an outwardly extending stop 603. When the refrigerator door 30 is closed, the locking hook 73 on the refrigerator door 30 hooks onto the stop 603 on the hinge plate 60, thereby locking the refrigerator door 30 and preventing the refrigerator door 30 from not closing tightly and affecting the refrigerator's refrigeration and freezing effect. When the refrigerator 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.

[0117] 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 refrigerator door 30 to strengthen the connection between the root joint 731 and the refrigerator door 30, so that only the hook 732 deforms when the locking hook 73 is disengaged from the stop 603.

[0118] 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.

[0119] In some embodiments, in conjunction with reference Figure 17 , Figure 19 The refrigerator door 30 may be provided with a first stop 37 and a second stop 38. When the refrigerator door 30 is closed, the first stop 37 and the second stop 38 are arranged approximately in front of and behind each other, and a gap groove 39 is formed between the first stop 37 and the second stop 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 stop 37 and the second stop 38.

[0120] 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.

[0121] In some embodiments of this application, a limiting structure is provided between the refrigerator door 30 and the hinge plate 60 to limit the refrigerator 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.

[0122] Specifically, refer to Figure 15 , Figure 16 The refrigerator door 30 is provided with a limiting block 80 at the lower end. The limiting block 80 is located at the front end of the lower mounting block 70b. When the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 from continuing to rotate.

[0123] 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.

[0124] The mounting part 81 is plate-shaped and is installed in the lower receiving groove 35 of the refrigerator door 30. The plate 71 of the lower mounting block 70b presses the mounting part 81 against the refrigerator door 30 from the lower end, thereby fixing the limiting block 80 on the refrigerator door 30.

[0125] The reinforcing part 83 and the fitting part 81 form a vertical 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.

[0126] 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 refrigerator door 30. When the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 to stop opening.

[0127] The mounting portion 81 of the limiting block 80 is clamped between the lower mounting block 70b and the refrigerator door 30, omitting the connection structure between the limiting block 80 and the refrigerator door 30, simplifying the product structure and giving it the advantage of simple structure.

[0128] It should be noted that the limiting block 80 can also be set at the upper mounting block 70a of the refrigerator door 30. When the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 to stop opening.

[0129] If the distance between the first axis 41 and the second axis 42 is relatively large, the hinge movement will be greatly affected when the refrigerator door 30 is tilted or the two axes 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 axis 41 and the second axis 42 closer, so that the hinge movement is less affected when the refrigerator door is slightly tilted or the two axes are not parallel.

[0130] 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 refrigerator door 30. However, in other embodiments, the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 may also be directly disposed on the refrigerator door 30.

[0131] Referring to the above, the refrigerator 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 refrigerator 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.

[0132] Specifically, the refrigerator door 30 includes a door shell 301 and an extension 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 extension 302.

[0133] 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.

[0134] 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 refrigerator 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.

[0135] 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 refrigerator door 30; in other embodiments, the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 may be disposed on the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30; or the first shaft 41 and the second groove 52 are disposed on the refrigerator door 30, and the second shaft 42 and the first groove 51 are disposed on the hinge plate 60.

[0136] According to this application, by setting the refrigerator door 30 to move inward a first distance and forward a certain distance when it is initially opened, the inward movement of the refrigerator door 30 can ensure that it will not interfere with the cabinet, and the forward movement of the refrigerator door 30 can avoid the problem of wear caused by friction between the door seal 30a and the front side of the cabinet 10.

[0137] According to this application, by dividing the process of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 shaking can be avoided when the trajectory of the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 during the movement process and avoid the refrigerator door 30 moving inward abruptly when moving in a straight line, which would cause a jerky feeling for the user.

[0138] According to this application, when the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 moves inward within a unit angle smaller. During the process of rotating the door and moving inward, the movement of the refrigerator door 30 slows down, ensuring the smoothness of the movement process of the refrigerator door 30.

[0139] According to this application, when the refrigerator 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 refrigerator door 30 rotates within a large angle range, and ensures the stability of the movement of the refrigerator door 30.

[0140] According to this application, during the entire process of opening the refrigerator door 30, the first axis moves from one end of the first groove to the other end, and the second axis moves from one end of the second groove to the other end. The movement will not retract, ensuring the smoothness of opening the refrigerator door 30.

[0141] 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 by comprising: The application relates to a refrigerator door, which comprises a box body, a hinge plate, a refrigerator door, a mounting block, a first shaft and a second shaft. The refrigerator door is provided with a first slot and a second slot. When the refrigerator door is in a closed state, the first shaft is closer to the side wall and farther from the front wall than the second shaft. When the refrigerator door is rotated from the closed state to a first state, the first state is less than 90 degrees, the first shaft moves from a first positioning position of the first slot to a second positioning position along a first straight line segment and a first curve segment, and the second shaft moves from a first guide position of the second slot to a second guide position along a second straight line segment and a second curve segment. When the refrigerator door is continuously opened from the first state to 90 degrees, the second shaft moves from the second guide position to a fourth guide position along a circular arc relative to the second slot, so that the refrigerator door only rotates around the first shaft. The first slot is further provided with a first terminal position which is closer to the side wall and closer to the front wall than the second positioning position, and the second slot is further provided with a second terminal position which is closer to the side wall and closer to the front wall than the fourth guide position. When the refrigerator door is continuously opened from 90 degrees, the first shaft moves from the second positioning position to the first terminal position along a third curve segment, and the second shaft moves from the fourth guide position to the second terminal position along a fourth curve segment. The included angle between the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment is greater than 45 degrees. The length of the first straight line segment is less than that of the first curve segment, and the length of the second straight line segment is less than that of the second curve segment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the refrigerator door is in the closed state, the second straight line segment extends away from the front wall and towards the side wall, and the second curve segment extends away from the front wall and towards the side wall. When the refrigerator door is in the closed state, the first shaft is located at the end of the first slot, and the second shaft is located at the end of the second slot.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the refrigerator door is opened by 90 degrees, the front wall of the refrigerator door is vertically spaced from the side surface of the box body.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator door is provided with a containing slot, and the mounting block is fastened in the containing slot through screws.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting block is made of POM.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​ 7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​ 8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​ 9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​

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