Hinge device and refrigeration appliance

Abstract

This invention discloses a hinge device and a refrigeration device. The hinge device includes a lower hinge shell, an upper hinge shell, a first rotating part, and a second rotating part. The first rotating part includes a first groove and a first shaft, and the second rotating part includes a second groove and a second shaft. The first shaft and the second shaft are symmetrical about a preset axis, and the first groove and the second groove are also symmetrical about a preset axis. The upper hinge shell is rotatably connected to the lower hinge shell through the first and second rotating parts. When maintaining the same inter-axis distance, that is, when achieving the same rotation angle with the same material bearing the same torque, the groove size of the hinge device can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall size of the hinge and thus reducing the size of the refrigeration device. This avoids the hinge occupying too much space and makes the structure of the refrigeration device more aesthetically pleasing.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The refrigeration equipment has a door and a cabinet, as well as a hinge mechanism connecting the two. The door flips open to reveal the cabinet. Some structures of existing hinge mechanisms are as follows: Figure 1 As shown, one shaft in the hinge device is a fixed shaft 1, and the other shaft is a movable shaft 2. The movable shaft 2 rotates around the fixed shaft 1 in a groove 3, and the groove 3 restricts the amount of rotation of the movable shaft 2, as shown. Figure 1 As shown. Depending on the required opening angle, the groove 3 will be designed with different curvatures. When the opening angle increases, the curvature of the groove will also increase, and the size of the hinge forming the groove 3 will also increase. Under the condition of maintaining the same opening angle, if the distance between the fixed shaft 1 and the moving shaft 2 is too short, the torque on the moving shaft 2 will be too large, and the material requirements for the hinge will be too high. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the radius of the groove 3.

[0003] In other words, when the door opens at a large angle, the hinge becomes very large, taking up too much space and increasing the overall size of the refrigeration equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a hinge device and a refrigeration device having the hinge device.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, one embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge device, comprising:

[0006] Lower hinge housing;

[0007] Upper hinge housing;

[0008] The first rotating part includes a first groove and a first shaft, wherein the first groove defines the sliding distance of the first shaft;

[0009] The second rotating part includes a second groove and a second shaft. The second groove defines the sliding distance of the second shaft. The first shaft and the second shaft are symmetrical about a preset axis, and the first groove and the second groove are symmetrical about the preset axis.

[0010] The upper hinge shell is rotatably connected to the lower hinge shell via the first rotating part and the second rotating part.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first groove and the second groove are both configured as arc-shaped grooves and have the same center, the center being set as the preset axis, the first groove and the second groove are symmetrical about the center, and the first axis and the second axis are symmetrical about the center.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the range of the curvature of the first groove and the second groove is [π / 2, π).

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, it also includes an elastic support portion, comprising a fixed end fixedly connected to the lower hinge shell, a receiving end connected to the first rotating portion or the second rotating portion, and an elastic support member disposed between the fixed end and the receiving end.

[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 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:

[0017] A sliding shaft is slidably connected to the lower hinge shell and parallel to the first shaft body;

[0018] A connector, comprising a receiving end pivotally connected to the first shaft, and the connector also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft;

[0019] A limiting part is provided on the lower hinge housing and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft.

[0020] 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;

[0021] The elastic support portion further includes a linkage portion, the linkage portion comprising:

[0022] A sliding shaft is slidably connected to the lower hinge housing and parallel to the third shaft.

[0023] A connector, comprising a receiving end pivotally connected to the third shaft, and the connector also pivotally connected to the sliding shaft;

[0024] A limiting part is provided on the lower hinge housing and limits the movement direction of the sliding shaft.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

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

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: when maintaining the same interaxial distance, that is, when achieving the same rotation angle under the same torque on the same material, the groove size of the hinge device can be reduced, thereby reducing the size of the entire hinge, and thus reducing the size of the refrigeration equipment, avoiding the hinge occupying too much space, and thus making the structure of the refrigeration equipment more aesthetically pleasing. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of an existing hinge;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the hinge structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3b This is a front view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3c This is a side view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4b This is a side view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5aThis is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5b This is a side view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

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

[0041] Among them, 1. Fixed shaft; 2. Moving shaft; 3. Groove; 1000. Refrigeration equipment; 100. Hinge device; 200. Door body; 300. Box body; 10. Upper hinge shell; 20. Lower hinge shell; 31. First shaft body; 32. First groove body; 41. Second shaft body; 42. Second groove body; 50. Connecting piece; 61. Sliding shaft; 62. Limiting part; 71. Support rod; 72. Elastic element; 73. Support beam; 80. Third shaft body. Detailed Implementation

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] One embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge device and a refrigeration device having the hinge device. By redesigning the structure of the hinge, the overall size can be reduced while maintaining the same torque.

[0045] The refrigeration equipment 1000 can be a freezer, refrigerator, upright freezer, wine cabinet, dishwasher, microwave oven, etc. This embodiment provides a freezer including a door 200 and a cabinet 300. The cabinet 300 encloses a refrigeration space, and the door 200 seals the refrigeration space. The door 200 and the cabinet 300 are connected by a hinge device 100, which supports the opening and closing of the door 200. The structure of the freezer is as follows... Figure 8 As shown.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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. Figure 2 As shown, to clearly express the positions and directions described in this embodiment, a horizontal freezer is used as an example. The freezer body 300 is defined as having its opening facing upwards, and the opposite direction is defined as downwards. The door 200 is located above the body 300. The user operates the freezer from the side of the body 300 away from the hinge device 100. The user is defined as being in front of the freezer, and the hinge device 100 is located behind the body 300. The two sides directly facing the body 300 from the front are defined as left and right, respectively.

[0048] 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... Figures 4a-8 As shown, 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 rotated around the lower hinge shell 20. During the entire rotation 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 rotate.

[0049] The first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 are symmetrical about a preset axis center, and the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are symmetrical about a preset axis center. That is, the amount of movement of the first shaft 31 within the first groove 32 is always equal to the amount of movement of the second shaft 41 within the second groove 42. Figure 2 As shown. The two move synchronously and support each other, restricting each other's trajectory.

[0050] Specifically, the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are both set as arc-shaped grooves and have the same center. The center is set as a preset axis. The first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are symmetrical about the center. The first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 are symmetrical about the center. Figure 2In this diagram, the center of the middle circle is the center of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42. Based on the non-pure sliding rolling motion of both the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 within the grooves, and the three-center theorem, the contact point between the first shaft 31 and the first groove 32 forms the first common normal, and the contact point 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 instantaneous center of rotation is the center of the middle circle between the first groove 32 and the second groove 42.

[0051] exist Figure 1 In the previous embodiment, the distance between the fixed shaft and the moving shaft was 30. When the moving shaft needed to rotate 135°, the length and width of the groove were 57 and 36, respectively. In this embodiment, the distance between the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 41 was also 30. When the rotation angle was 135°, the required length and width were 36. It can be seen that, compared with the prior art, the space occupied by the groove is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the size of the hinge.

[0052] In addition, the range of the arc of the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 is [π / 2, π), that is, the rotation angle of the first shaft 31 or the second shaft 41 is between 90° and 180°.

[0053] 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.

[0054] like Figures 3a-5b As shown, the hinge device 100 rotates sequentially from the initial position to the position where the upper hinge shell 10 is fully open. When the upper hinge shell 10 is flipped into place, it maintains the same rotation angle relative to the existing hinge, but the overall size is greatly reduced.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] Furthermore, such as Figures 3a-5b As 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 3a 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] There are several ways to implement the specific structure of the elastic support:

[0060] In one embodiment:

[0061] like Figures 3a-5bAs 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] In another implementation:

[0064] 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 6 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] In both of the above embodiments, the support rod 71 can perform linear motion in the up-down direction.

[0067] In other implementations:

[0068] 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.

[0069] Furthermore, there are various embodiments regarding the specific connection method between the first rotating part and the second rotating part:

[0070] In one embodiment:

[0071] like Figures 3a-6 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.

[0072] When both the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are located on the lower hinge shell 20, such as Figures 3a-5b As 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.

[0073] When both the first groove 32 and the second groove 42 are located on the upper hinge shell 10, such as Figure 6 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.

[0074] In another implementation:

[0075] like Figure 7 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] Compared with the prior art, this embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0078] While maintaining the same interaxial distance, that is, under the same material and the same torque, and achieving the same rotation angle, the groove size of the hinge device 100 can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall size of the hinge and consequently reducing the size of the refrigeration equipment 1000. This avoids the hinge occupying too much space and makes the structure of the refrigeration equipment 1000 more aesthetically pleasing.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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: Lower hinge housing; Upper hinge housing; 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 first shaft and the second shaft are symmetrical about a preset axis, and the first groove and the second groove are symmetrical about the preset axis. The upper hinge shell is rotatably connected to the lower hinge shell via the first rotating part and the second rotating part; Both the first groove and the second groove are configured as arc-shaped grooves and have the same center, which is set as the preset axis. The first groove and the second groove are symmetrical about the center, and the first axis and the second axis are symmetrical about the center.

2. The hinge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The range of the curvature of the first groove and the second groove is [π / 2, π).

3. The hinge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an elastic support portion, comprising a fixed end fixedly connected to the lower hinge shell, a receiving end connected to the first rotating portion or the second rotating portion, and an elastic support member disposed between the fixed end and the receiving end.

4. The hinge device according to claim 3, characterized in that, 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 according to claim 3, characterized in that, 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.

7. The hinge device according to claim 3, characterized in that, 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.

8. The hinge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, 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.

9. The hinge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, 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.

10. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, Includes the hinge device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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