Hinge device and refrigerator

Abstract

This invention discloses a hinge device and a freezer. The hinge device includes a lower hinge shell, an upper hinge shell, a first rotating part, a second rotating part, and an elastic support part. The upper hinge shell moves simultaneously in a first direction, which has a component along the direction of the lower hinge shell toward the freezer body. When the freezer door using this hinge device is opened, it can move forward simultaneously, thereby reducing the space occupied by the door behind the freezer when the door is fully open. The door can be placed closer to the wall, and the impact of insufficient space behind the freezer on the door opening angle is also reduced, thus improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge device, and more particularly to a refrigerator having the hinge device. Background Technology

[0002] Existing freezers such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the freezer door rotates upwards to open, revealing the opening of the lower compartment. During use, users may have various needs due to limitations imposed by the environment. A typical scenario is that a user wants to place the freezer as far back as possible from the wall, but the thickness and structure of the hinges limit the space required to open the door properly, wasting that space. Conversely, placing the freezer closer to the wall restricts the door's opening angle, limiting the ability to retrieve food and negatively impacting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a hinge device and a refrigerator having the hinge device.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, one embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge device, comprising:

[0005] The lower hinge housing is used to connect the housing;

[0006] Upper hinge housing, used to connect the door body;

[0007] The first rotating part includes a first groove and a first shaft, wherein the first groove defines the sliding distance of the first shaft;

[0008] The second rotating part includes a second groove and a second shaft. The second groove defines the sliding distance of the second shaft. The upper hinge shell is rotatably connected to the lower hinge shell through the first rotating part and the second rotating part.

[0009] The elastic support includes a fixed end fixedly connected to the lower hinge shell, a receiving end connected to the first rotating part or the second rotating part, and an elastic support member disposed between the fixed end and the receiving end;

[0010] During at least a portion of the rotation of the upper hinge shell around the lower hinge shell, the upper hinge shell simultaneously moves in a first direction, the first direction having a component along the direction of the lower hinge shell toward the housing.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first shaft is parallel to the second shaft, and the first rotating part and the second rotating part together define the instantaneous center of rotation of the upper hinge shell and the lower hinge shell;

[0012] During at least a portion of the rotation of the upper hinge shell around the lower hinge shell, the instantaneous center of rotation is located in front of a first preset surface, which is a plane passing through the lower rear end of the door body and inclined at 45° to the rear and upward.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the contact position between the first shaft and the first groove forms a first common normal line, the contact position between the second shaft and the second groove forms a second common normal line, and the instantaneous center of rotation is the intersection of the first common normal line and the second common normal line.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the elastic support includes a support beam, a support rod, and an elastic element sleeved on the outside of the support rod. The support beam includes a fixed end connected to the lower hinge shell. One end of the elastic element is fixed to the support beam, and the other end abuts against the support rod.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the support rod includes the receiving end connected to the first shaft or the second shaft.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first groove and the second groove are disposed in one of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell, and the first shaft and the second shaft are disposed in the other of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first groove and the second shaft are disposed in one of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell, and the first shaft and the second groove are disposed in the other of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first shaft is disposed in the upper hinge shell, the first groove is disposed in the lower hinge shell, and the elastic support portion further includes a linkage portion, the linkage portion comprising:

[0019] A sliding shaft is slidably connected to the lower hinge shell and parallel to the first shaft body;

[0020] A connector, comprising a receiving end pivotally connected to the first shaft, and the connector also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft;

[0021] A limiting part is provided on the lower hinge housing and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft.

[0022] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first rotating part or the second rotating part further includes a third shaft parallel to the first shaft and the second shaft, and the third shaft is fixedly connected to the upper hinge shell;

[0023] The elastic support portion further includes a linkage portion, the linkage portion comprising:

[0024] A sliding shaft is slidably connected to the lower hinge housing and parallel to the third shaft.

[0025] A connector, comprising a receiving end pivotally connected to the third shaft, and the connector also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft;

[0026] A limiting part is provided on the lower hinge housing and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft.

[0027] To achieve one of the above-mentioned objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a freezer including the aforementioned hinge device.

[0028] As a further improvement of the present invention, the invention includes a housing and a door, the housing including a rear wall, wherein when the door is fully opened, the distance between the end of the door away from the rear wall and the rear wall is less than the thickness of the door.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: When the door of the freezer using this hinge device is opened, the door can move forward at the same time, thereby reducing the space occupied by the door behind the freezer when the door is fully opened. The door can be placed closer to the wall, and the impact of insufficient space reserved behind the freezer on the opening angle of the door is also reduced, thus improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a side view of an existing freezer;

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a freezer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a side view of a freezer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0035] Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6b This is a front view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6c This is a side view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7b This is a side view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8b This is a side view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 11 This is a side view comparing an existing refrigerator door with an embodiment of the present invention when the refrigerator door is opened;

[0045] Among them, 1000 is the freezer; 100 is the hinge device; 200 is the door; 300 is the cabinet; 10 is the upper hinge shell; 20 is the lower hinge shell; 31 is the first shaft; 32 is the first groove; 41 is the second shaft; 42 is the second groove; 50 is the connector; 61 is the sliding shaft; 62 is the limiting part; 71 is the support rod; 72 is the elastic element; 73 is the support beam; and 80 is the third shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] It should be understood that terms such as “above,” “over,” “below,” and “under” used herein to indicate spatial relative position are for illustrative purposes to describe the relationship of one unit or feature relative to another unit or feature as shown in the accompanying drawings. The terms “spatial relative position” may be intended to include different orientations of the equipment in use or operation other than those shown in the figures.

[0048] One embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge device and a freezer having the hinge device. By redesigning the structure of the hinge, the space occupied by the door at the back of the freezer can be controlled during the opening process, so that the freezer can be placed closer to the back wall, reducing space waste.

[0049] The hinge device 100 can also be installed on refrigerators, upright freezers, wine cabinets, dishwashers, microwave ovens and other equipment. In this embodiment, a freezer 1000 is provided, including a door 200 and a cabinet 300. The cabinet 300 encloses a refrigeration space, and the door 200 closes the refrigeration space. The door 200 and the cabinet 300 are connected by the hinge device 100, which supports the opening and closing of the door 200.

[0050] The hinge device 100 of this embodiment includes a lower hinge shell 20, an upper hinge shell 10, a first rotating part, a second rotating part, and an elastic support part. The first rotating part includes a first groove 32 and a first shaft 31, the first groove 32 defining the sliding distance of the first shaft 31; the second rotating part includes a second groove 42 and a second shaft 41, the second groove 42 defining the sliding distance of the second shaft 41, and the upper hinge shell 10 is rotatably connected to the lower hinge shell 20 through the first rotating part and the second rotating part.

[0051] The upper hinge shell 10 is fixedly connected to the door body 200, and the lower hinge shell 20 is fixedly connected to the box body 300, as follows. Figures 3-5 As shown, to clearly express the positions and directions described in this embodiment, a horizontal freezer 1000 is used as an example. The opening of the freezer body 300 is defined as facing upwards, and the opposite direction is defined as downwards. The door 200 is located above the body 300. The user operates the freezer 1000 from the side of the body 300 away from the hinge device 100. The user is defined as being in front of the freezer 1000, and the hinge device 100 is located behind the body 300. The two sides facing the body 300 from the front are defined as left and right, respectively.

[0052] The first shaft 31 can slide a certain distance within the first groove 32, and the second shaft 41 can slide a certain distance within the second groove 42. That is to say, the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are not a circular groove, but rather a groove with a certain length, such as... Figure 5 As shown in 6a, the shaft can move from one end of the groove to the other. During the sliding process of the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41, the upper hinge shell 10 is flipped around the lower hinge shell 20. During the entire flipping process, the upper hinge shell 10 does not always simply rotate around the first shaft 31 or the second shaft 41, but is simultaneously restricted by the first shaft 31, the first groove 32, the second shaft 41 and the second groove 42 to flip.

[0053] When the upper hinge shell 10 rotates around the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 at the same time, the shapes of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 can be designed as needed, so that the center of rotation of the upper hinge shell 10 falls on the expected design position. The close proximity of the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 will not cause excessive torque, so the hinge can be made thinner. In particular, by designing the position and shape of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42, the door 200 can be controlled to move in accordance with the preset trajectory.

[0054] In addition, the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 in this embodiment are only distinguished by name. Similarly, the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are also distinguished by name, used to describe the existence of two shafts that can slide a certain distance within the groove. The second shaft 41 can also be called the first shaft 31, and the second groove 42 can also be called the first groove 32.

[0055] During at least a portion of the rotation of the upper hinge shell 10 around the lower hinge shell 20, the upper hinge shell 10 simultaneously moves in a first direction, which has a component along the lower hinge shell 20 toward the housing 300. In this embodiment, the component along the lower hinge shell 20 toward the housing 300 is from rear to front, causing the door 200 to move forward simultaneously during rotation. This can be understood as the movement trajectory of the door 200 being a superposition of upward rotation and forward translation.

[0056] During at least a portion of the rotation of the upper hinge shell 10 around the lower hinge shell 20, the instantaneous center of rotation is located in front of the first preset surface. The first preset surface is a plane that passes through the lower rear end of the door body 200 and slopes upwards and backwards. The angle between the first preset surface and the horizontal plane is 45°. Figure 11 As shown in the figure, the dotted line represents the position of the existing door after it is opened, and the center of the circle represents the position of the instantaneous center of rotation. When the position of the instantaneous center of rotation is moved to the front of the first preset surface, the door 200 of this embodiment can be driven to move forward more than the existing door, thereby reducing the length of the door 200 extending backward and reducing the space occupied behind it.

[0057] by Figure 1 and Figure 2 Taking the existing hinge as an example, when the existing hinge is installed on the freezer, when the door 200 is opened, the distance between the farthest point on the door 200 from the cabinet 300 and the back wall of the cabinet 300 is generally 60mm. That is to say, when the door 200 is closed, there must be a gap of at least 60mm between the cabinet 300 and the back wall.

[0058] In this embodiment, the door 200 is controlled to move forward simultaneously during the flipping process, such as... Figures 3-5As shown, when the door 200 is opened, the distance between the position of the door 200 furthest from the cabinet 300 and the rear wall of the cabinet 300 is shortened to about 30mm. This allows the distance between the back of the freezer 1000 and the wall to be controlled at about 30mm when the freezer 1000 is placed, greatly reducing the space that needs to be reserved behind the freezer 1000 and reducing the waste of space.

[0059] like Figures 6a-8b As shown, the hinge device 100 rotates sequentially from its initial position to the position where the upper hinge shell 10 is fully open. When the upper hinge shell 10 is flipped into place, compared to the existing hinge that performs only rotation, the upper hinge shell 10 in this embodiment moves forward a certain distance, thereby reducing the rear space occupied as mentioned above.

[0060] In addition, the elastic support includes a fixed end fixedly connected to the lower hinge shell 20, a receiving end connected to the first rotating part or the second rotating part, and an elastic support member disposed between the fixed end and the receiving end. One end of the elastic support member is supported by the fixed end, and the other end is connected to the first rotating part or the second rotating part, which can support it and play the role of supporting the door body 200 to be suspended.

[0061] With the support of the fixed end, the sliding end of the elastic support moves parallel to the connecting plate of the box 300 as the sliding shaft 61 moves, thus avoiding movement in the direction perpendicular to the connecting plate of the box 300, reducing the required internal space, and allowing the hinge to be thinner. During the upward opening of the door 200, the downward gravity of the door 200 is applied to the first rotating part and the second rotating part. The elastic support is connected to the first rotating part or the second rotating part and supports it.

[0062] exist Figures 6a-8b The design method of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 is as follows: Based on the aforementioned requirements, the position of the instantaneous center of rotation for at least part of the process is set in front of the first preset surface. Therefore, the trajectory of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 needs to ensure that the position of the instantaneous center of rotation meets this requirement. According to the principle that both the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 undergo non-pure sliding rolling within the groove and the three-center theorem, the contact position between the first shaft 31 and the first groove 32 forms the first common normal, and the contact position between the second shaft 41 and the second groove 42 forms the second common normal. The instantaneous center of rotation is the intersection of the first and second common normals. Therefore, the trajectory of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 is such that the intersection of the common normals at the target position falls in front of the first preset surface.

[0063] Furthermore, such as Figures 6a-8bAs shown, the elastic support includes a support beam 73, a support rod 71, and an elastic element 72 sleeved on the outside of the support rod 71. The support beam 73 includes a fixed end connected to the lower hinge shell 20. One end of the elastic element 72 is fixed to the support beam 73, and the other end abuts against the support rod 71. The two ends of the support beam 73 are respectively connected to a pair of opposite side walls of the lower hinge shell 20. An opening is provided in the support beam 73, through which the support rod 71 passes. The elastic element 72 can be a spring, and support sleeves can be provided at both the upper and lower ends of the spring. Figure 6a As shown, the lower support sleeve abuts against the support beam 73 around the opening, and the upper support sleeve abuts against the protrusion extending from the support rod 71.

[0064] The spring is always in a compressed state. Under the elastic action of the spring, when the upper hinge shell 10 flips upward, the support rod 71 moves upward under the drive of the spring. The spring releases part of the elastic force, and the spring is still in a compressed state, so it can support the opening of the upper hinge shell 10, which makes opening the door easier and supports the suspension of the door body 200.

[0065] There are several ways to implement the specific structure of the elastic support:

[0066] In one embodiment:

[0067] like Figures 6a-8b As shown, the first shaft 31 is disposed on the upper hinge shell 10, the first groove 32 is disposed on the lower hinge shell 20, and the elastic support part also includes a linkage part, which includes a sliding shaft 61, a connecting member 50 and a limiting part 62. The sliding shaft 61 is slidably connected to the lower hinge shell 20 and parallel to the first shaft 31. The connecting member 50 includes a receiving end that is pivotally connected to the first shaft 31, and the connecting member 50 is also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft 61. The limiting part 62 is disposed on the lower hinge shell 20 and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft 61. The connector 50 has two sets of round holes. The first shaft 31 passes through one set of round holes, and the sliding shaft 61 passes through the other set of round holes. Both the first shaft 31 and the sliding shaft 61 can rotate within the round holes. When the support rod 71 moves upward under the action of the spring, it pushes the sliding shaft 61 to move upward along the limiting part 62. The sliding shaft 61 pushes the connector 50 to move. The connector 50 connects to the first shaft 31 and drives the first shaft 31 to move, thereby supporting the movement of the upper hinge shell 10.

[0068] The limiting part 62 is configured as a pair of straight grooves on the opposite sidewalls of the lower hinge housing 20, with the grooves extending in the vertical direction. The sliding shaft 61 moves up and down within the vertical grooves. Alternatively, the limiting part 62 can also be provided on the bottom wall connecting the two sidewalls.

[0069] In another implementation:

[0070] The difference from the previous embodiment is that the connector 50 is not connected to the first shaft 31 or the second shaft 41, but is connected to the third shaft 80 on the upper hinge housing 10, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the first rotating part or the second rotating part also includes a third shaft 80 parallel to the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41, and the third shaft 80 is fixedly connected to the upper hinge shell 10.

[0071] The elastic support also includes a linkage, which comprises a sliding shaft 61, a connector 50, and a limiting part 62. The sliding shaft 61 is slidably connected to the lower hinge shell 20 and parallel to the third shaft 80. The connector 50 includes a receiving end pivotally connected to the third shaft 80 and is also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft 61. The limiting part 62 is disposed in the lower hinge shell 20 and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft 61. In this way, the spring force is first released to the upper hinge shell 10 through the third shaft 80, and then the force is released to the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41. The force on the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 is more evenly distributed, and the force shared by each shaft is smaller. In the previous embodiment, the force was first transmitted to the first shaft 31 and then released to the second shaft 41 through the upper hinge shell 10, making the force on the first shaft 31 greater than that on the second shaft 41, thus requiring higher material strength from the first shaft 31. Therefore, this embodiment has relatively lower requirements for material strength.

[0072] In both of the above embodiments, the support rod 71 can perform linear motion in the up-down direction.

[0073] In other implementations:

[0074] The support rod 71 includes a direct receiving end connected to the first shaft 31 or the second shaft 41. In this embodiment, the support rod 71 swings back and forth while moving up and down. However, the sliding shaft 61, the limiting part 62 and the connecting part 50 are eliminated, so the structure is simpler. However, the back and forth swing of the support rod 71 increases the thickness of the hinge.

[0075] Furthermore, there are various embodiments regarding the specific connection method between the first rotating part and the second rotating part:

[0076] In one embodiment:

[0077] like Figures 6a-9 As shown, the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are disposed in one of the lower hinge shell 20 or the upper hinge shell 10, and the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 are disposed in the other of the lower hinge shell 20 or the upper hinge shell 10. At this time, the structural layout is clear.

[0078] When both the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are located on the lower hinge shell 20, such as Figures 6a-8bAs shown, the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 are both mounted on the upper hinge shell 10 and can extend outward from both sides of the upper hinge shell 10, or can penetrate the upper hinge shell 10 as shown in the figure.

[0079] When both the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are located on the upper hinge shell 10, such as Figure 9 As shown, the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 are both mounted on the lower hinge shell 20 and pass through the groove on the upper hinge shell 10 between them. They can extend outward from both sides of the upper hinge shell 10, or they can pass through the upper hinge shell 10 as shown in the figure.

[0080] In another implementation:

[0081] like Figure 10 As shown, the first groove 32 and the second shaft 41 are disposed in one of the lower hinge shell 20 or the upper hinge shell 10, and the first shaft 31 and the second groove 42 are disposed in the other of the lower hinge shell 20 or the upper hinge shell 10. Unlike the previous embodiment, this reduces the need to open another groove near a groove. Conversely, if two grooves are opened on a plate at the same time, on the one hand, the distance between the two grooves cannot be too close, otherwise deformation and failure will occur at the closest position; on the other hand, the material strength requirements are very high to prevent deformation.

[0082] In this embodiment, for example, a first groove 32 is formed on the upper hinge shell 10 and a second groove 42 is formed on the lower hinge shell 20. The two grooves are formed on the two plates respectively. On the one hand, there is no problem that the two grooves cannot be too close together. In this way, the hinge device 100 can be made thinner. On the other hand, since there are fewer holes drilled on each plate, the support effect is better and it is not easy to deform. The requirements for the material strength of the hinge device 100 are reduced.

[0083] Furthermore, the first shaft 31 is parallel to the second shaft 41. The first rotating part and the second rotating part together define the instantaneous centers of rotation of the upper hinge shell 10 and the lower hinge shell 20. During at least part of the rotation of the upper hinge shell 10 around the lower hinge shell 20, the instantaneous centers of rotation are in motion. Because the instantaneous centers can be moved, the movement trajectory of the door 200 is not simply a rotation around a fixed point, but rather a rotation around at least two different centers in space. The door 200 first rotates around one of the instantaneous centers and then around the other instantaneous center, thus allowing the door 200 to make a more desirable movement trajectory.

[0084] Correspondingly, during the instantaneous movement of the upper hinge shell 10, the instantaneous center of rotation of the door 200 also changes. Since the door 200 is fixed to the upper hinge shell 10 and the box 300 is fixed to the lower hinge shell 20, the instantaneous centers of rotation of the upper hinge shell 10 and the lower hinge shell 20, which are also the instantaneous centers of rotation of the door 200 around the box 300, are in motion. For example, relative to... Figure 1 and 2 The position of the door after it is flipped can be further forward than the existing position by controlling the position of the instantaneous center of rotation. In other words, the position of the instantaneous center of rotation can change during the rotation of the door 200. During the change, the instantaneous center of rotation can be controlled in front of the first preset surface in at least a certain area, so that the door 200 can move forward in at least part of the position during the rotation.

[0085] Compared with the prior art, this embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0086] When the door 200 of the freezer 1000 using the hinge device 100 is opened, it can move forward simultaneously. This reduces the space occupied by the door 200 behind the freezer 1000 when the door is fully open, allowing the door 200 to be placed closer to the wall. It also reduces the impact of insufficient space behind the freezer 1000 on the opening angle of the door 200, thus improving the user experience.

[0087] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0088] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hinge device, characterized in that, It includes: The lower hinge housing is used to connect the housing; Upper hinge housing, used to connect the door body; The first rotating part includes a first groove and a first shaft, wherein the first groove defines the sliding distance of the first shaft; The second rotating part includes a second groove and a second shaft. The second groove defines the sliding distance of the second shaft. The upper hinge shell is rotatably connected to the lower hinge shell through the first rotating part and the second rotating part. The elastic support includes a fixed end fixedly connected to the lower hinge shell, a receiving end connected to the first rotating part or the second rotating part, and an elastic support member disposed between the fixed end and the receiving end; Wherein, the first shaft is parallel to the second shaft, the first groove and the second groove are disposed in one of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell, and the first shaft and the second shaft are disposed in the other of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell; During at least a portion of the rotation of the upper hinge shell around the lower hinge shell, the instantaneous centers of rotation of the upper hinge shell and the lower hinge shell, defined by the first rotating part and the second rotating part, are in motion, so that the upper hinge shell moves simultaneously in a first direction, the first direction having a component along the direction of the lower hinge shell toward the housing.

2. The hinge device according to claim 1, characterized in that During at least a portion of the rotation of the upper hinge shell around the lower hinge shell, the instantaneous center of rotation is located in front of a first preset surface, which is a plane passing through the lower rear end of the door body and tilting upwards and backwards, with the first preset surface forming an angle of 45° with the horizontal plane.

3. The hinge device according to claim 2, characterized in that The contact position between the first shaft and the first groove forms a first common normal, and the contact position between the second shaft and the second groove forms a second common normal. The instantaneous center of rotation is the intersection of the first common normal and the second common normal.

4. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein The elastic support includes a support beam, a support rod, and an elastic element sleeved on the outside of the support rod. The support beam includes a fixed end connected to the lower hinge shell. One end of the elastic element is fixed to the support beam, and the other end abuts against the support rod.

5. The hinge device according to claim 4, characterized in that The support rod includes the receiving end connected to the first shaft or the second shaft.

6. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein The first groove and the second shaft are disposed in one of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell, and the first shaft and the second groove are disposed in the other of the lower hinge shell or the upper hinge shell.

7. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein The first shaft is disposed on the upper hinge shell, the first groove is disposed on the lower hinge shell, and the elastic support portion further includes a linkage portion, the linkage portion comprising: A sliding shaft is slidably connected to the lower hinge shell and parallel to the first shaft body; A connector, comprising a receiving end pivotally connected to the first shaft, and the connector also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft; A limiting part is provided on the lower hinge housing and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft.

8. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein The first rotating part or the second rotating part further includes a third shaft parallel to the first shaft and the second shaft, and the third shaft is fixedly connected to the upper hinge shell; The elastic support portion further includes a linkage portion, the linkage portion comprising: A sliding shaft is slidably connected to the lower hinge housing and parallel to the third shaft. A connector, comprising a receiving end pivotally connected to the third shaft, and the connector also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft; A limiting part is provided on the lower hinge housing and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft.

9. A refrigerator characterized by Includes the hinge device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein It includes a housing and a door. The housing includes a rear wall. When the door is fully opened, the distance between the end of the door away from the rear wall and the rear wall is less than the thickness of the door.

Images