Refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator, and belongs to the technical field of household appliances. The refrigerator comprises a hinge plate, a door body, a front wall and a side wall close to the hinge plate, an intersection of the front wall and the side wall forms a side edge, a first hinge shaft and a first track groove are arranged in cooperation between the hinge plate and the door body, a second hinge shaft and a second track groove are arranged in cooperation between the hinge plate and the door body, the door body is opened from a closed state to a second state, the second state is less than 90 degrees, the first hinge shaft moves in the first track groove, the second hinge shaft moves in the second track groove, and the side edge of the door body is moved inward by a distance; in the process that the door body is opened from the closed state to a maximum state, the first hinge shaft moves from one end of the first track groove to the other end, and the movement direction of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove is not reversed. The hinge structure of the refrigerator makes the door body not exceed or excessively exceed the side surface of the cabinet when the door body 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 refrigerator doors is mostly of the single-axis type. The door rotates around the hinge axis by cooperating with the door's bushing. When the door is opened, the corner of the door will extend beyond the side of the refrigerator body.

[0003] For built-in refrigerators, which are typically placed inside cabinets, the corners of the door should not extend too far beyond the cabinet dimensions when the door is opened to 90 degrees; otherwise, the refrigerator's use will be limited. 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 having a storage compartment; a hinge plate fixed to the cabinet; and a door that can rotate relative to the hinge plate to open or close the storage compartment. The door has a front wall and a side wall near the hinge plate, and a side edge is formed at the junction of the front wall and the side wall. A first hinge shaft and a first track groove are provided between the hinge plate and the door, as well as a second hinge shaft and a second track groove that cooperate with each other. When the door is opened from a closed state to a second state, the second state is less than 90°. The first hinge shaft moves in the first track groove, and the second hinge shaft moves in the second track groove, so as to move the side edge of the door inward by a certain distance. During the process of opening the door from the closed state to the maximum state, the first hinge shaft moves from one end of the first track groove to the other end, and the direction of movement of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove is not reversed.

[0007] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove includes a first positioning track line, and correspondingly, the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft in the second track groove includes a first guide track line; when the first track groove is provided on the door body, the first positioning track line extends in a direction away from the front wall and close to the side wall; when the door body is rotated open from the closed state to the first state, the opening angle of the first state is smaller than that of the second state, the first hinge shaft moves along the first positioning track line, and at the same time the second hinge shaft moves along the first guide track line, so that the door body moves inward a first distance and forward a certain distance.

[0008] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove includes a second positioning track line connected to the end of the first positioning track line, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft in the second track groove includes a second guide track line connected to the end of the first guide track line; when the first track groove is provided on the door body, the second positioning track line extends towards the front wall and side wall; when the door body continues to open from the first state to the second state, the second state is less than 90°, the first hinge shaft moves along the second positioning track line, and the second hinge shaft moves along the second guide track line, so that the door body moves inward a second distance.

[0009] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the second positioning trajectory line is longer than the first positioning trajectory line, and the second guide trajectory line is longer than the first guide trajectory line.

[0010] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the first track groove is provided on the door, the end of the second positioning track line is closer to the front wall than the starting end of the first positioning track line.

[0011] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove includes a third positioning track line, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft in the second track groove includes a fourth guide track line; the first track groove is provided on the door body, the third positioning track line extends towards the front wall and the side wall, and the fourth positioning track line extends towards the front wall and the side wall; when the door body continues to open from 90°, the first hinge shaft moves along the third positioning track line, and the second hinge shaft moves along the fourth guide track line, so that the edge of the door body moves inward a certain distance and forward a certain distance.

[0012] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, when the door is in the closed state and the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis are fixed relative to the cabinet, the first hinge axis is closer to the side wall and farther from the front wall than the second hinge axis.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, a limiting structure is provided between the door and the hinge plate to restrict the door from opening to the maximum angle. 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 4 This is an exploded view of the hinge in the upper right corner of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a bottom view of the hinge at the lower end of the door of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the hinge at the lower end of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a view showing the relative positions of the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

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

[0025] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 View at the middle hinge Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 View at the middle hinge Figure 2 ;

[0027] Figure 11 This is a view of the refrigerator door in a first state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a view of the refrigerator door in a first state and a second state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 13 This is a view of the refrigerator door in a second state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 14 This is a view of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of this application in a 90° open state;

[0031] Figure 15 This is a view of the refrigerator door in its fully open state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 16 This is a view of another embodiment of the hinge shaft of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 17 This is an exploded view of the hinge in the upper right corner of a refrigerator 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 19 This is an exploded view of the hinge at the lower end of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 20 This is a perspective view of the lower mounting block of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 21 This is a view of the hinge at the lower end of the door of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 22 This is a view of another embodiment of the refrigerator door according to the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0039] Figure 23 This is a view of another embodiment of the refrigerator door according to the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0040] In the above pictures: 1. Refrigerator;

[0041] 10. Container body; 20. Storage room; 21. Upper storage room; 22. Lower storage room;

[0042] 30. Door body; 301. Door shell; 302. Protrusion; 303. First protrusion; 304. Second protrusion; 31. Front wall; 32. Side wall; 33. Side edge; 34. Upper receiving groove; 36. Lower receiving groove; 37. First protrusion; 38. Second protrusion; 39. Gap groove;

[0043] 40. Hinge plate; 401. Connecting part; 402. Extension part; 403. Stop part; 41. First hinge axis; 42. Second hinge axis;

[0044] 50. First trajectory groove; 51. First positioning position; 512. First straight line; 52. Second positioning position; 523. First curve; 5231. First curve segment; 5232. Third curve segment; 53. Third positioning position; 534. Fourth curve; 54. First termination position;

[0045] 60. Second track groove; 61. First guide position; 612. Second straight line; 62. Second guide position; 623. Second curve; 6231. Second curve segment; 6232. Fourth curve segment; 63. Third guide position; 634. Third curve; 64. Fourth guide position; 645. Fifth curve; 65. Second termination position;

[0046] 70. Mounting block; 71. Upper mounting block; 711. Plate; 712. Extension; 72. Lower mounting block; 721. Locking hook; 7211. Root connection; 7212. Hook;

[0047] 80. Limiting block; 81. Insertion part; 82. Limiting part; 83. Reinforcing part;

[0048] 90. Bushing; 100. Cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and "fifth" 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," "fourth," or "fifth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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 door 30.

[0059] The door 30 can be rotatably supported by hinges located at the top and at the bottom.

[0060] Reference Figures 2 to 6The hinge may include a first hinge shaft 41, a second hinge shaft 42, a first track groove 50, and a second track groove 60; the first hinge shaft 41 is adapted to the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 is adapted to the second track groove 50. During the process of the door 30 rotating to open or close, the first hinge shaft 41 moves relative to the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 moves relative to the second track groove 60.

[0061] The hinge may include a hinge plate 40 fixedly connected to the housing 10. The hinge plate 40 may include: a connecting portion 401 connected to the housing 10; and an extension 402 extending forward from the connecting portion 401 and having a horizontal plate shape. The connecting portion 401 may be fastened to the housing 10 by fasteners such as screws, pins, and bolts.

[0062] Specific reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 For the hinge at the upper end of the door body 30, it may include a hinge plate 40 connected to the upper end of the housing 10, and a first hinge shaft 41 and a second hinge shaft 42 connected to the hinge plate 40 to form a rotation axis. The hinge plate 40, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 may be integrally formed, but unlike this, the hinge plate 41, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 may be provided separately and assembled with each other.

[0063] The first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 can be formed on the extension 402 and extend vertically downward.

[0064] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 For the hinge at the lower end of the door body 30, the connecting part 401 is connected to the front end face of the housing 10. The first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 extend upward on the hinge plate 40.

[0065] Corresponding to the position of the hinge plate 40, the upper and lower ends of the door body 30 are provided with a first track groove 50 and a second track groove 60.

[0066] For ease of description, the side of the door 30 closest to the hinge plate 40 is referred to as the side wall 32. For example, when the hinge plate 40 is located on the right side of the housing 10, the right side of the door 30 is the side wall 32; when the hinge plate 40 is located on the left side of the housing 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.

[0067] Under normal circumstances, continue to refer to Figure 2The plane containing the side of the refrigerator body 10 closest to the hinge plate 40 is defined as reference plane O. The side of reference plane O closest to the cabinet 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 and cabinet deformation, the cabinet is usually positioned α = 5mm away from the side of the refrigerator (reference plane O). To ensure the refrigerator door 30 opens normally, its side edge 33 should not extend too far beyond the side of the refrigerator body 10 (reference plane O) during rotation; otherwise, the side edge 33 will collide with the cabinet 100 and the door will not open properly.

[0068] Therefore, the door 30 needs to be able to move inward during rotation so that the side edge 33 does not extend too far beyond the side of the housing 10. If the hinge plate 40 is located on the right side of the door 30, the inside is the left side, meaning the door 30 can move to the left; if the hinge plate 40 is located on the left side of the door 30, the inside is the right side, meaning the door 30 can move to the right.

[0069] Since there is a relative motion relationship between the first track groove 50 and the first hinge shaft 41, and between the second track groove 60 and the second hinge shaft 42, if the door 30 is opened with the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 as stationary reference points, it is equivalent to the first hinge shaft 41 moving within the first track groove 50 and the second hinge shaft 42 moving within the second track groove 60. For ease of description, this application uses the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 as reference points, and describes the movement of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 relative to the reference points:

[0070] In some embodiments of this application, when the door 30 is rotated open from the closed state to 90°, the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 relative to the first track groove 50 generally extends towards the side wall 32 and the front wall 31, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 41 relative to the second track groove 60 generally extends away from the front wall 31 and towards the side wall 32. This causes the door 30 to move inward a certain distance while rotating, thereby avoiding the problem that the side edge 33 of the door 30 exceeds the reference plane O and interferes with the cabinet during the opening process, thus preventing it from opening normally.

[0071] Reference Figure 7The figure shows an example of the relative positions of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42: when the door 30 is closed, the first hinge axis 41 is closer to the side wall 32 and farther from the front wall 31 than the second hinge axis 42. The vertical distance L1 between the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 in the front-back direction satisfies 2.5mm≤L1≤10mm, and the vertical distance L2 between the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 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 extends a small distance beyond the side of the box 10 during the opening process, specifically less than 3mm.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 8 When the door 30 is in the closed state, the first hinge shaft 41 is located at the end of the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 is located at the end of the second track groove 60. Thus, the starting ends of the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 can be determined. The first track groove 50 generally extends from its starting end towards the side wall 32 and the front wall 31 to the other end, and the second track groove 60 generally extends 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 track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 towards the side wall 32 allows the door 30 to move inward relative to the hinge plate 40.

[0073] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 9 When the door 30 is in the closed state, there is a certain gap δ between the second hinge shaft 42 and the end wall of the second track groove 60, so that when the door 30 is forcefully slammed, the second hinge shaft 42 is prevented from contacting the starting end of the second track groove 60 and thus the door 30 is not forced open.

[0074] The following is a detailed description of the process by which the door 30 rotates open from the closed state:

[0075] Phase 1

[0076] Reference Figure 10 The first track groove 50 has a first positioning position 51 and a second positioning position 52. The movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52 in the first track groove 50 is the first positioning track line. Correspondingly, the second track groove 60 has a first guide position 61 and a second guide position 62. The movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 42 from the first guide position 61 to the second guide position 62 in the second track groove 60 is the first guide track line.

[0077] Reference Figure 11When the door 30 rotates from the closed state to the first state, the first hinge shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 51 along the first positioning trajectory line relative to the first track groove 50 to the second positioning position 52; at the same time, the second hinge shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 61 along the first guide trajectory line relative to the second track groove 60 to the second guide position 62.

[0078] In this design, the second positioning position 52 is farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first positioning position 51. The first positioning trajectory line extends in a direction farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32. Thus, the first hinge axis 41 moves in a direction closer to the side wall 32 and farther from the front wall 31. This is equivalent to the door body 30 with the first trajectory groove 50 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 door body 30 can prevent the side edge 33 from extending too far beyond the side of the cabinet 10 and touching the cabinet. Since the right rear end of the door body 30 will rotate backward relative to the first hinge axis 41 when the door body 30 is first opened, as the door body 30 moves inward, the door seal 30a on the door body 30 will have contact and friction with the front side of the cabinet 10. In this application, the door body 30 is set to move 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.

[0079] The second guide position 62 is farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first guide position 61, and the first guide trajectory line extends in a direction farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32.

[0080] In the current embodiment, the first positioning trajectory line is a first straight line 512, and the first guide trajectory line is a second straight line 612. However, in other embodiments, the first positioning trajectory line and the first guide trajectory line may also be curved.

[0081] In the first state ( Figure 11 The door 30 opens at an angle of approximately 5 to 10 degrees, and the side edge 33 extends about 2 mm beyond the side β of the box 10.

[0082] During this stage, the angle between the first straight line 512 and the second straight line 612 is greater than 45°, which can prevent the door 30 from shaking when the angle between the first straight line 512 and the second straight line 612 is small and close to parallel, thus ensuring the stability of the door 30 during rotation.

[0083] Phase Two

[0084] Reference Figure 10The first track groove 50 also has a third positioning position 53, and the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 in the first track groove 50 is the second positioning trajectory line; correspondingly, the second track groove 60 also has a third guide position 63, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 42 from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63 in the second track groove 60 is the second guide trajectory line.

[0085] Reference Figure 13 When the door 30 continues to open from the first state to the second state, the second state is less than 90°. The first hinge shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 relative to the first track groove 50 along the second positioning track line. The second hinge shaft 42 moves from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63 relative to the second track groove 60 along the second guide track line.

[0086] The third positioning position 53 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the second positioning position 52. The second positioning trajectory line extends from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 in a direction closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32, so that the door 30 moves inward by a second distance.

[0087] The third guide position 63 is farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the second guide position 62, and the second guide trajectory line extends in a direction farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32.

[0088] In the current embodiment, the second positioning trajectory line is the first curve 523, and the second guide trajectory line is the second curve 623. However, in other embodiments, the second positioning trajectory line and the second guide trajectory line may also be straight lines.

[0089] When the door 30 is in the closed state, the center of curvature of the first curve 523 is located on the side of the first curve 523 closer to the front wall; the center of curvature of the second curve 623 is located on the side of the second curve 623 closer to the side edge.

[0090] This application divides the process of the door 30 moving inward when it opens into two different stages: moving in a straight line to the first state and moving in a curve to the second state. This can avoid the problem of the door 30 shaking when the trajectory of the door is close to parallel when it rotates at a large angle only in a straight line or only in a curve.

[0091] In the current embodiment, during the process of opening the door 30 from the closed state to the second state, the side edge 33 of the door 30 rotates outside the reference plane O and moves inward. During this process, the distance β of the side edge 33 beyond the reference plane O is always less than the distance α (5mm) between the reference plane O and the cabinet, thereby ensuring that the side edge 33 will not touch the cabinet and cause interference. At the same time, since the side edge 33 of the door 30 is outside the reference plane O, it avoids the problem of the user experiencing a sudden feeling when opening the door when the door 30 moves a large distance inward to the inside of the reference plane O.

[0092] In some embodiments, the distance from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 is greater than the distance from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52. That is, the length of the first straight line 512 is less than the length of the first curve 523, and the length of the second straight line 612 is less than the length of the second curve 623. In this way, the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 only make a small straight-line movement at the beginning, and then make a large-angle curved movement. The curved movement 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 the user to feel a sense of jerkiness.

[0093] In some embodiments of the second phase, both the first curve 523 and the second curve 623 include at least two curve segments with decreasing curvature.

[0094] 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 inward movement of the door 30 slows down during the rotation and opening process, ensuring the smoothness of the door 30 during the movement.

[0095] Reference Figure 12 , Figure 13 In some embodiments of curvature variation, the first curve 523 includes a first curve segment 5231 and a third curve segment 5232 connected in sequence, and the second curve 623 includes a second curve segment 6231 and a fourth curve segment 6232 connected in sequence; the curvature of the third curve segment 5232 is less than that of the first curve segment 6231, and the curvature of the fourth curve segment 6232 is less than that of the second curve segment 6231.

[0096] When the first hinge axis 41 moves along the first curve segment 5231, the second hinge axis 42 moves along the second curve segment 6231. During this process, the door body 30 moves inward a distance d1 when opening by a unit angle. When the first hinge axis 41 continues to move along the third curve segment 5232, the second hinge axis 42 moves along the fourth curve segment 6232. During this process, the door body 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.

[0097] In other embodiments, the first curve 523 and the second curve 623 may further include three or more curve segments with decreasing curvature.

[0098] In other embodiments of curvature variation, the curvature of the first curve 523 and the first curve 623 gradually decreases, which also ensures that the door 30 moves slowly during the process of rotating and opening the door inward, thus ensuring the smoothness of the door 30 during the movement.

[0099] Phase Three

[0100] Reference Figure 14 When the door 30 continues to open from the second state to 90°, the door 30 only rotates. The position of the first hinge axis 41 in the first track groove 50 remains unchanged, and the door 30 rotates around the first hinge axis 41 as the center. The second hinge axis 42 moves to the fourth guide position 64 in the second track groove 60 along the third guide track line. The third guide track line is arc-shaped, and the fourth guide position 64 is farther away from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the third guide position 63.

[0101] In some embodiments, when the door 30 is in the 90° open position, the front wall 31 or side edge 33 of the door 30 has a vertical gap γ with the side surface of the cabinet 10 (reference plane O). That is, the front wall 31 of the door 30 is located inside the reference plane O and the distance from the front wall 31 to the reference plane O is γ > 0, so that the door 30 can continue to open at a small angle without interfering with the cabinet. In the current example, when the refrigerator is installed inside the cabinet, the door 30 can be opened >90°, approximately between 105° and 110°.

[0102] To allow the refrigerator to open to a greater angle when not integrated into a cabinet, this embodiment extends the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60:

[0103] Phase 4

[0104] Reference Figure 10 The first track groove 50 also has a first termination position 54, and the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 from the third positioning position 53 to the first termination position 54 in the first track groove 50 is the third positioning trajectory line; correspondingly, the second track groove 60 also has a second termination position 65, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 42 from the fourth guide position 64 to the second termination position 65 in the second track groove 60 is the fourth guide trajectory line.

[0105] Reference Figure 15When the door 30 continues to open from 90°, the first hinge shaft 41 moves from the third positioning position 53 along the third positioning trajectory line relative to the first track groove 50 to the first termination position 54, and the second hinge shaft 42 moves from the fourth guide position 64 along the fourth guide trajectory line relative to the second track groove 60 to the second termination position 65.

[0106] Wherein, the first termination position 54 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the third positioning position 53, and the third positioning trajectory line extends from the third positioning position 53 to the first termination position 54 in a direction closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32; the second termination position 65 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the fourth guide position 64, and the fourth guide trajectory line extends from the fourth guide position 64 to the second termination position 65 in a direction closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32.

[0107] In the above description, the extension direction of the track groove and track line is the direction of movement of the hinge shaft relative to the track groove during the opening of the door 30.

[0108] In the current embodiment, the third positioning trajectory line is the fourth curve 534, and the fourth guide trajectory line is the fifth curve 645. However, in other embodiments, the third positioning trajectory line and the fourth guide trajectory line may also be straight lines.

[0109] If the movement trajectory in this stage is still the same as in the previous stage: the door 30 only rotates, then in a long range of rotation, the movement trends of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 are parallel and the door 30 wobbles. Therefore, in this stage, the side edge of the door 30 is set to move forward and inward a certain distance when rotating, so that the movement trajectory of the first hinge axis 41 and the movement trajectory of the second hinge axis 42 have an angle at any point.

[0110] Specifically, the angle between the tangents of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 at any corresponding point is greater than 30°, ensuring the smoothness of the door body 30's movement.

[0111] In some embodiments of this application, since the first hinge shaft 41 mainly serves a positioning function and the second hinge shaft 42 mainly serves a guiding function, the first hinge shaft 41 is the main shaft and the second hinge shaft 42 is the auxiliary shaft. The force is mainly concentrated on the main shaft. Therefore, the length of the first hinge shaft 41 is set to be greater than that of the second hinge shaft 42. Correspondingly, the first track groove 50 is deeper than the second track groove 60. This can avoid the waste of material costs caused by the second hinge shaft 42 being too long. At the same time, it can avoid the problem that the track groove and the hinge shaft are easy to separate when the door is tilted and the first hinge shaft 41 is shorter. Material costs are saved while ensuring structural reliability.

[0112] In addition, since the force is concentrated on the first hinge shaft 41, the diameter of the first hinge shaft 41 can be set to be larger than that of the second hinge shaft 42. In this way, the first hinge 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 track groove 60 is longer and occupies more space in the thickness direction of the door, the second hinge shaft 42 can be made thinner, and the second track groove 60 can be made narrower accordingly. Thus, the door can be designed to be thinner, and the overall thickness of the refrigerator can be smaller, which has the advantage of small size.

[0113] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 16 The first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are fitted with bushings 90, which are rotatable relative to the shafts. During the movement of the dual-axis hinge, the bushings 90 rotate relative to the hinge shafts, and simultaneously slide between the bushings 90 and the track grooves, which reduces friction and improves service life. The bushings 90 can be made of wear-resistant POM material and can be connected to the hinge shafts or the hinge plate 40 via bearings.

[0114] In other embodiments, a POM bushing can be provided on the inner wall of the track groove, and the hinge shaft can move within the bushing.

[0115] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figures 17 to 20 The door body 30 includes a mounting block 70, which is installed on the door body 30 at a position opposite to the hinge plate 40. The first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are provided on the mounting block 70.

[0116] The mounting block 70 includes an upper mounting block 71 disposed at the upper end of the door body 30, and a lower mounting block 72 disposed at the lower end of the door body 30.

[0117] Specific reference Figure 17 , Figure 18 The upper mounting block 71 may include a plate 711 and an extension 712 formed by extending downward from the lower surface of the plate 711. A first track groove 50 and a second track groove 60 are recessed downward from the upper surface of the plate 711 into the extension 712. The shape of the extension 712 corresponds to the track groove.

[0118] The upper end of the door body 30 is provided with an upper receiving groove 34, the upper mounting block 71 is inserted into the upper receiving groove 34, and then the plate 711 is fastened to the door body 30 by screws or the like.

[0119] Specific reference Figure 19 , Figure 20The lower mounting block 72 has the same structure as the upper mounting block 71, including the plate 711, extension 712, and track groove. The extension 712 of the lower mounting block 72 extends upward from the upper surface of the plate 711, and the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are recessed upward from the lower surface of the plate 711 onto the extension 712. Simultaneously, a lower receiving groove 36 is provided at the lower end of the door body 30. The lower mounting block 72 is inserted into the lower receiving groove 36, and then the plate 711 is fastened to the door body 30 using screws or the like.

[0120] The upper mounting block 71 and the lower mounting block 72 can be made of POM material. POM has strong abrasion resistance, which can improve the service life of the hinge.

[0121] In some embodiments of this application, combined with Figure 6 The lower mounting block 72 may have a locking hook structure. Specifically, the lower mounting block 72 includes a locking hook 721 located inside the plate 711. The locking hook 721 extends inward and bends backward to form a hook. The opening of the locking hook 721 faces the plate 711, and the free end of the locking hook 721 is located at the rear.

[0122] The hinge plate 40 located at the lower end of the door 30 has an outwardly extending stop 403 on its inner side. When the door 30 is closed, the locking hook 721 on the door 30 hooks the stop 403 on the hinge plate 40, 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 721 is deformed by force and overcomes the obstruction of the stop 403, thereby disengaging from the stop 403.

[0123] The locking hook 721 may include a root joint 7211 and a hook 7212. The root joint 7211 is connected to the plate 711, and the hook 7212 is connected to the root joint 7211 and bent backward. A screw passes through the root joint 7211 and is connected to the door body 30 to strengthen the connection between the root joint 7211 and the door body 30, so that only the hook 7212 deforms when the locking hook 721 is disengaged from the stop 403.

[0124] Both the hook portion 7212 and the stop portion 403 have free ends that are arc-shaped, which makes it easier for the hook portion 7212 to hook onto or disengage from the stop portion 403 along the arc.

[0125] In some embodiments, the door body 30 may be provided with a first protrusion 37 and a second protrusion 38. When the door body 30 is in the closed state, 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 portion 7211a of the root connection 7211 is inserted into the gap groove 39. In this way, the root connection 7211 can be prevented from deforming in the front-back direction by the limiting of the first protrusion 37 and the second protrusion 38.

[0126] It should be noted that the locking hook 721 can also be set on the upper mounting block 71, and the stop part 403 is correspondingly set on the hinge plate 40 located at the upper end of the door body 30.

[0127] In some embodiments of this application, a limiting structure is provided between the door body 30 and the hinge plate 40 to limit the door body 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.

[0128] Specifically, refer to Figure 19 , Figure 21 The lower end of the door body 30 is provided with a limiting block 80, which is located at the front end of the lower mounting block 72. When the door body 30 rotates to the maximum allowable position, the limiting block 80 abuts against the side 404 of the hinge plate 40, thereby stopping the door body 30 from continuing to rotate.

[0129] The limiting block 80 can be a sheet metal part, including an insert part 81, a limiting part 82, and a reinforcing part 83.

[0130] The mounting part 81 is plate-shaped and is installed in the lower receiving groove 36 of the door body 30. The plate 711 of the lower mounting block 72 clamps the mounting part 81 onto the door body 30 from the lower end, thereby fixing the limiting block 80 onto the door body 30.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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 to the lower surface of the door body 30. When the door body 30 drives the limiting block 80 to rotate to the maximum angle, the limiting part 82 will be blocked by the side 404 of the hinge plate 40, thereby forcing the door body 30 to stop opening.

[0133] The limiting block 80 is clamped onto the door body 30 by the lower mounting block 72, which omits the connection structure between the limiting block 80 and the door body 30, simplifies the product structure, and has the advantage of simple structure.

[0134] It should be noted that the limit block 80 can also be set at the upper end of the door body 30, which will not be elaborated here.

[0135] If the distance between the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 is relatively large, the hinge movement will be significantly affected when the door body 30 tilts or the two axes are not parallel, and may even affect the normal rotation of the hinge. Therefore, in some embodiments of this application, referring to Figure 18Let L1 be the thickness of the plate 711 of the mounting block 70, and L2 be the minimum wall thickness between the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60. Then L2 = (0.5~1)L1. This setting makes the distance between the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 closer, so that the hinge movement is less affected when the door is slightly tilted or the two axes are not parallel, and at the same time, it will not affect the strength of the mounting block 70.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are disposed on the mounting block 70, and then the mounting block 70 is mounted on the door body 30. However, in other embodiments, the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 may also be directly disposed on the door body 30.

[0137] Reference Figure 22 , Figure 23 As shown, the door body 30 is recessed downwards at the position corresponding to the upper hinge plate 40 to form a first track groove 50 and a second track groove 60; the door body 30 is recessed upwards at the position corresponding to the lower hinge plate 40 to form a first track groove and a second track groove 60.

[0138] Specifically, the door body 30 includes a door shell 301 and a protrusion 302 extending vertically from the door shell 301 into its interior. A first track groove 50 and a second track groove 60 are formed by recessing the outer end face of the door shell 301 into the protrusion 302.

[0139] 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 track groove 50, and the shape of the second protrusion 304 corresponds to the second track groove 60.

[0140] The thickness of the door shell 301 is denoted as H1, and the minimum wall thickness between the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 is denoted as H2. Then H2 = (0.5~1)H1. This setting allows the distance between the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 to be relatively close, so that the hinge movement is less affected when the door body is slightly tilted or the two axes are not parallel, and at the same time, it will not affect the strength of the mounting block 70.

[0141] In the above embodiments, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are disposed on the hinge plate 40, and the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are respectively disposed on the door body 30; in other embodiments, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 may be disposed on the door body 30, while the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are disposed on the hinge plate 40; or, in another embodiment, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second track groove 60 are disposed on the hinge plate 40, and the second hinge shaft 42 and the first track groove 50 are disposed on the door body 30; or the first hinge shaft 41 and the second track groove 60 are disposed on the door body 30, and the second hinge shaft 42 and the first track groove 50 are disposed on the hinge plate 40.

[0142] According to this application, by setting the door 30 to move inward a first distance and forward a certain distance when it is initially opened, the inward movement of the first distance can ensure that the door 30 will not interfere with the cabinet, and the forward movement of the certain distance can avoid the problem of wear caused by the door seal 30a rubbing against the front side of the cabinet 10.

[0143] According to this application, by dividing the process of the door 30 rotating open and moving inward into two stages, that is, when opening from the closed state to the first state, the movement trajectory of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 is a straight line, and when continuing to open from the first state to the second state, the movement trajectory of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 is a curve. From the first state along the straight line to the second state along the 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 the straight line or only along the curve. Furthermore, the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 only perform a small straight line movement at the beginning, and then perform a large angle curve movement. 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.

[0144] According to this application, when the door 30 moves from the first state to the second state, the curved trajectory of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 includes at least two curved segments with decreasing curvature, which reduces the distance the door 30 moves inward within a unit angle. During the process of rotating the door to open and moving inward, the movement of the door 30 slows down, ensuring the smoothness of the door 30 during the movement process.

[0145] According to this application, when the door 30 continues to open from 90°, the movement trajectory of the first hinge axis 41 is the fourth curve 54, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge axis 42 is the fifth curve 645. This makes the movement trajectories of the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 have an angle at any point, which avoids the problem of the door 30 easily shaking when rotating within a large angle range and ensures the stability of the door 30's movement.

[0146] According to this application, during the entire process of opening the door 30, the first hinge axis moves from one end of the first track groove to the other end, and the second hinge axis moves from one end of the second track groove to the other end. The movement will not retract, ensuring the smoothness of opening the door 30.

[0147] 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 utility model relates to a cabinet door structure, comprising: a cabinet body formed with a storage chamber; a hinge plate fixed to the cabinet body; a door body rotatable relative to the hinge plate to open or close the storage chamber, the door body having a front wall and a side wall close to the hinge plate, the intersection of the front wall and the side wall forming a side edge, the hinge plate and the door body being provided with a first hinge shaft and a first track groove matched with each other and a second hinge shaft and a second track groove matched with each other; when the door body is opened from the closed state to a second state, the second state being less than 90 degrees, the first hinge shaft moves in the first track groove, and the second hinge shaft moves in the second track groove, so that the side edge of the door body moves inward by a distance; in the process of opening the door body from the closed state to the maximum state, the first hinge shaft moves from one end of the first track groove to the other end, and the movement direction of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove is not reversed; the movement track of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove comprises a first positioning track line, and correspondingly, the movement track of the second hinge shaft in the second track groove comprises a first guide track line; when the door body is rotated and opened from the closed state to a first state, the opening angle of the first state being less than that of the second state, the first hinge shaft moves along the first positioning track line, and the second hinge shaft moves along the first guide track line, the first positioning track line extending away from the front wall and close to the side wall when the first track groove is arranged on the door body, so that the door body moves inward by a first distance and forward by a distance; the movement track of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove comprises a second positioning track line connected to the end of the first positioning track line, and the movement track of the second hinge shaft in the second track groove comprises a second guide track line connected to the end of the first guide track line; when the door body is continuously opened from the first state to the second state, the second state being less than 90 degrees, the first hinge shaft moves along the second positioning track line, and the second hinge shaft moves along the second guide track line, the second positioning track line extending close to the front wall and the side wall, so that the door body moves inward by a second distance.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second positioning track line is longer than the first positioning track line, and the second guide track line is longer than the first guide track line.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the second positioning track line is closer to the front wall than the starting end of the first positioning track line.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, the movement track of the first hinge shaft in the first track groove comprises a third positioning track line, and the movement track of the second hinge shaft in the second track groove comprises a fourth guide track line; the first track groove and the second track groove are arranged on the door body, the third positioning track line extends close to the front wall and the side wall, and the fourth guide track line extends close to the front wall and the side wall. When the door body is continuously opened by 90°, the first hinge shaft moves along the third positioning track line, and the second hinge shaft moves along the fourth guide track line, so that the side edge of the door body moves inward by a distance and moves forward by a distance.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the door body is in the closed state and the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft are fixed relative to the cabinet, the first hinge shaft is closer to the side wall and farther away from the front wall than the second hinge shaft.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the door body 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; the second hinge shaft has a gap with the end of the second track groove.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the door body is opened by 90°, the front wall of the door body has a vertical gap with the side of the cabinet.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting structure is arranged between the door body and the hinge plate to limit the opening of the door body to a maximum angle.

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