Shelf assembly and refrigerator

Abstract

The application discloses a shelf assembly and a refrigerator, wherein the shelf assembly comprises a support frame, a shelf plate, a transmission mechanism and a plurality of lifting mechanisms, the shelf plate is installed on the support frame, the lifting mechanism is provided with a lifting rod and a fixing seat, the lifting rod is rotatably abutted against the support frame, the fixing seat is fixedly connected to an inner container of the refrigerator, the lifting rod is screw-connected to the fixing seat, the plurality of lifting rods are driven by a synchronous belt, the transmission mechanism is provided with a transmission gear, a driven gear and a reversing device, the driven gear is meshingly connected with the lifting rod, the reversing device comprises a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw, the reversing device can switch to control the transmission gear to drive the driven gear to rotate in one direction clockwise or counterclockwise, the application can reciprocally push the transmission gear in a smaller distance range, realizes the large-range adjustment of the height of the shelf plate, improves the convenience of use, is favorable for reducing the operation space required by the height adjustment of the shelf plate, and reduces the space occupied by the shelf assembly to the inner container of the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a shelf assembly and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, refrigerator compartments typically have multiple shelves for storing items. Since the height of stored items varies, shelf height adjustment is necessary. Traditional refrigerators use adjustable liner ribs on the refrigerator liner, requiring items to be removed, the shelf pulled out, and then placed on the appropriate liner height – a very inconvenient process. To address this, some refrigerators now use height-adjustable shelves. However, adjusting the shelf height requires moving the adjustment handle from one end of the refrigerator compartment to the other. During this movement, the handle is easily obstructed by items inside the compartment, preventing further adjustment. Therefore, the adjustable shelf height is limited by the maximum range of the adjustment handle, resulting in inconvenient shelf adjustment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a shelf assembly that can reciprocate a transmission gear within a small distance range to achieve a wide range of shelf height adjustment.

[0004] The present invention also provides a refrigerator having the above-described shelf assembly.

[0005] A shelf assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0006] Support frame;

[0007] Shelf, mounted on the support frame;

[0008] Multiple lifting mechanisms are provided, and the multiple lifting mechanisms jointly support the support frame. Each lifting mechanism is provided with a lifting rod and a fixed seat. The lifting rod is rotatably abutted against the support frame. The fixed seat is used to fix and connect to the inner liner of the refrigerator. The lifting rod is threaded to the fixed seat and can be raised and lowered relative to the fixed seat to drive the support frame to rise and fall. The multiple lifting rods are driven by a synchronous belt.

[0009] A transmission mechanism is provided to drive the lifting rod to rotate. The transmission mechanism is provided with a transmission gear, a driven gear, and a reversing device. The driven gear is meshed with the lifting rod. The reversing device includes a first pawl and a second pawl. In a first position, the reversing device can control the transmission gear to rotate clockwise and drive the driven gear to rotate in one direction through the first pawl. In a second position, the reversing device can control the transmission gear to rotate counterclockwise and drive the driven gear to rotate in one direction through the second pawl.

[0010] The shelf assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0011] When the shelf height needs to be adjusted, the user can push the transmission gear to rotate. The transmission gear, through the driven gear, drives the lifting rod to rotate, causing the lifting rod to rise or fall relative to the fixed seat, thereby raising or lowering the support frame. This allows the shelf mounted on the support frame to be adjusted to the desired height. Since the transmission mechanism controls the transmission gear to drive the driven gear in one direction through a reversing device, when the transmission gear is pushed to rotate in the driving direction, it can drive the driven gear to rotate, causing the shelf to rise or fall a certain distance. Then, the transmission gear can be pushed in the opposite direction, but it cannot drive the driven gear to rotate. Therefore, the transmission gear can be pushed back to its original position, and then pushed again in the driving direction to make the shelf continue to rise or fall. By repeating this operation, the shelf can be raised or lowered to the appropriate height. Therefore, this invention can reciprocate the transmission gear within a small distance range to achieve a large range of shelf height adjustment, improving ease of use and reducing the operating space required for shelf height adjustment, as well as reducing the space occupied by the shelf assembly inside the refrigerator.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the reversing device includes a bearing and an elastic element. The bearing is mounted on the driven gear and can switch between a first position and a second position. The bearing is provided with a sliding groove. The first pawl and the second pawl are mounted in the sliding groove. The two ends of the elastic element are respectively connected to the first pawl and the second pawl. The driven gear is provided with a mounting groove for accommodating the transmission gear. The driven gear is also provided with an arc groove. The arc groove is located on the outer periphery of the mounting groove and has a first driving port and a second driving port communicating with the mounting groove at both ends. The first pawl and the second pawl extend into the arc groove. In the first position, the bearing can drive the first pawl to extend out of the first driving port and abut against the transmission gear. In the second position, the bearing can drive the second pawl to extend out of the second driving port and abut against the transmission gear.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the driven gear is provided with a mounting shaft at one end away from the transmission gear, the shaft seat is sleeved on the mounting shaft, the outer wall of the mounting shaft is provided with a retaining post, the inner wall of the shaft seat is provided with a first retaining groove corresponding to the first position and a second retaining groove corresponding to the second position, and the retaining post can be switched to be installed in either the first retaining groove or the second retaining groove.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission gear includes a first transmission wheel and a second transmission wheel distributed along the axial direction, the first transmission wheel being used to receive the driving force, and the second transmission wheel being located in the mounting groove for driving the driven gear.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission mechanism further includes a sliding member, the sliding member including a body portion and a rack portion, the rack portion being connected to one side of the body portion, the support frame being provided with a stop edge, and the rack portion being slidably mounted on the stop edge and meshing with the transmission gear.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the retaining edge is provided with a first protrusion, the first protrusion being located on the side of the retaining edge facing the rack portion.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first protrusion includes a plurality of semi-cylindrical structures, which are spaced apart along the sliding direction of the rack portion.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the body portion is provided with a second protrusion, the second protrusion being located on the side of the body portion facing the retaining edge.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the body portion is provided with a handle, which is located on the side of the body portion opposite to the rack portion.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission ratio between the driven gear and the lifting rod is less than 1.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support frame is provided with support feet, and the lifting rod is rotatably installed in the inner cavity of the support feet and abuts against the top wall of the support feet.

[0022] A refrigerator according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a shelf assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention.

[0023] The refrigerator according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] By providing a shelf assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention, the transmission gear can be reciprocated within a small distance range to achieve a large range of shelf height adjustment, improving ease of use, and at the same time helping to reduce the operating space required for shelf height adjustment, thereby reducing the space occupied by the shelf assembly in the refrigerator liner.

[0025] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and readily understood in conjunction with the following description of the embodiments, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a shelf assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a shelf assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention from another angle;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the shelf assembly of some embodiments of the present invention from another angle (the shelf and part of the support frame are omitted).

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the bearing seat in a first position according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the bearing seat in a second position according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 These are schematic diagrams of the sliding components according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission gear structure in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the driven gear in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the commutation device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] The attached icons are numbered as follows:

[0039] Support frame 100; first side 110; guard 111; first protrusion 112; support foot 113; gap 114; limiting plate 115; second side 120; third side 130;

[0040] Shelf 200;

[0041] Lifting mechanism 300; Lifting rod 310; Fixed base 320; Synchronous belt 330; Tensioning pulley 340; Tensioning structure 350;

[0042] Transmission mechanism 400; sliding member 410; body part 411; rack part 412; handle 413; rack structure 414; second protrusion 415; transmission gear 420; first transmission wheel 421; second transmission wheel 422; driven gear 430; mounting groove 431; arc groove 432; first drive port 433; second drive port 434; mounting shaft 435; locking pin 436; rotating handle 437; rotating shaft 438; reversing device 440; shaft seat 441; first pawl 442; second pawl 443; elastic member 444; sliding groove 445; first slot 446; second slot 447. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0044] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are 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 limiting this invention.

[0045] In the description of this invention, the use of "first" and "second" is for the purpose of distinguishing technical features only, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated or the order of the technical features indicated.

[0046] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0047] Refrigerator compartments typically have multiple shelves for storage. Because the items stored vary in size and height, the shelf height needs to be adjusted to accommodate different items. Traditional refrigerators use adjustable shelves on the inner liner, requiring items to be removed, the shelf pulled out of the liner, and then repositioned. However, this method is inconvenient. To address this, some refrigerators now use height-adjustable shelves. Adjusting the shelf height requires moving the adjustment handle from one end of the refrigerator compartment to the other. However, this movement is often obstructed by items inside the compartment, preventing further adjustment. Therefore, the adjustable shelf height is limited by the maximum range of the adjustment handle, making shelf adjustment inconvenient.

[0048] To address this, the present invention proposes a shelf assembly that enables greater height adjustment of the shelf by reciprocating a sliding member within a small range, thereby improving the convenience of shelf height adjustment.

[0049] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This invention provides a shelf assembly disposed within the inner liner of a refrigerator. The assembly includes a support frame 100, a shelf 200, a lifting mechanism 300, and a transmission mechanism 400. The shelf 200 can be made of glass, plastic, or other materials and is mounted on the upper end of the support frame 100. Users can place items requiring refrigeration on the shelf 200. Specifically, the shelf 200 can be mounted to the upper end of the support frame 100 using bolts or snap-fit ​​connections.

[0050] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5Multiple lifting mechanisms 300 are provided, spaced apart to jointly support the support frame 100. Specifically, each lifting mechanism 300 is equipped with a lifting rod 310 and a fixed seat 320. The lifting rod 310 is rotatably abutted against the bottom of the support frame 100. The fixed seat 320 is fixedly installed in the inner liner of the refrigerator by means of snap-fit ​​connection or bolt connection. A screw hole is provided in the middle of the fixed seat 320, and a thread is provided on the outer wall of the lifting rod 310. The lifting rod 310 is threaded into the screw hole, so when the lifting rod 310 rotates, it can rise and fall relative to the fixed seat 320, thereby driving the support frame 100 to rise and fall. The lifting rod 310 is also equipped with a first gear part and a second gear part. Multiple lifting rods 310 are synchronously driven by a synchronous belt 330 or a chain wrapped around their respective first gear parts. Therefore, when one lifting rod 310 rotates, the synchronous belt 330 or chain can drive the other lifting rods 310 to rotate synchronously, thereby making the overall lifting and lowering of the support frame 100 more stable. Of course, the transmission mechanism 400 can also be equipped with multiple tension pulleys 340, with the synchronous belt 330 wound around the tension pulleys 340. The tension pulleys 340 can adjust the direction of the synchronous belt 330, thereby making the layout of the synchronous belt 330 more compact. In addition, the synchronous belt 330 can also be equipped with a tensioning structure 350, which can adjust the tension of the synchronous belt 330 so that the synchronous belt 330 can maintain an appropriate tension to drive the lifting rod 310 to rotate.

[0051] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 The transmission mechanism 400 is used to drive the lifting rod 310 to rotate. Specifically, the transmission mechanism 400 is provided with a sliding member 410, a transmission gear 420, a driven gear 430, and a reversing device 440. The sliding member 410 is slidably mounted on the support frame 100. At the same time, the sliding member 410 is meshed with the transmission gear 420, and the driven gear 430 is meshed with the second gear part of the lifting rod 310. The reversing device 440 is used to switch the transmission gear 420 to drive the driven gear 430 to rotate in one direction, either counterclockwise or clockwise.

[0052] When the height of the shelf 200 needs to be adjusted, the user can push the slider 410, causing the slider 410 to drive the transmission gear 420 to rotate. The transmission gear 420, through the driven gear 430, drives the lifting rod 310 to rotate, causing the lifting rod 310 to rise or fall relative to the fixed seat 320, thereby raising or lowering the support frame 100. This allows the shelf 200 mounted on the support frame 100 to be adjusted to the desired height. Since the transmission mechanism 400 controls the transmission gear 420 to drive the driven gear 430 in one direction via the reversing device 440, when the slider 410 is pushed in the driving direction to rotate the transmission gear 420, the transmission gear 420 can drive the driven gear 430. The shelf 200 is raised or lowered by rotating the 0-axis, and then the sliding member 410 can be pushed in the opposite direction. At this time, the transmission gear 420 cannot drive the driven gear 430 to rotate. Therefore, the sliding member 410 can be pushed in the opposite direction to its original position. Then, the sliding member 410 can be pushed again in the driving direction to make the shelf 200 continue to rise or fall. By repeating the operation, the shelf 200 can be raised or lowered to a suitable height. Therefore, the present invention can push the sliding member 410 back and forth within a small distance range to achieve a large range of adjustment of the shelf 200 height, improve the convenience of use, and reduce the operating space required for the height adjustment of the shelf 200, thereby reducing the space occupied by the shelf assembly in the refrigerator liner. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 400, by being equipped with a reversing device 440, enables both the raising and lowering of the shelf 200 to be achieved through the same transmission mechanism 400. This eliminates the need for separate transmission mechanisms 400 for raising and lowering the shelf 200, which helps reduce the number of components in the shelf 200 assembly, as well as the size of the shelf 200 assembly and the space occupied by the shelf 200 assembly in the inner liner. At the same time, by achieving the raising and lowering of the shelf 200 through the same transmission mechanism 400, it is more convenient to use.

[0053] It should be noted that users can also achieve the above-mentioned technical effect by directly driving the transmission gear 420, in which case the sliding part 410 is not required. Of course, the transmission mechanism 400 can also be equipped with a rotatable lever, which drives the transmission gear 420 to rotate, thereby driving the lifting rod 310 to rotate.

[0054] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 11In some embodiments of the present invention, the reversing device 440 includes a bearing 441, a first pawl 442, a second pawl 443, and an elastic element 444. The bearing 441 is mounted on the driven gear 430 and can switch between a first position and a second position. The upper end surface of the bearing 441 is provided with a sliding groove 445. The first pawl 442 and the second pawl 443 are mounted on the sliding groove 445 and connected by the elastic element 444. The first pawl 442 and the second pawl 443 abut against the inner walls at both ends of the sliding groove 445 under the action of the elastic element 444. The elastic element 444 can be a spring or a rubber component or other elastic component. The driven gear 430 is provided with a mounting groove 431 for accommodating the transmission gear 420. The driven gear 430 is also provided with an arc groove 432. The bottom of the arc groove 432 is provided with two through holes to facilitate the passage of the first pawl 442 and the second pawl 443. A stop between the two through holes can limit the elastic element 444 to be located within the sliding groove 445. The arc groove 432 is located on the outer periphery of the mounting groove 431 and has a first drive port 433 and a second drive port 434 at both ends that communicate with the mounting groove 431. The first claw 442 and the second claw 443 extend into the arc groove 432 and can fit against the inner wall of the arc groove 432.

[0055] Reference Figure 6 When the bearing seat 441 is in the first position, the end of the first pawl 442 extends out of the first drive port 433 and enters the mounting groove 431. Therefore, the first pawl 442 can abut against the transmission gear 420. The second pawl 443 does not extend out of the second drive port 434 and cannot abut against the transmission gear 420. When the transmission gear 420 rotates clockwise, it can push the first pawl 442 against the inner wall of the arc groove 432. Since the first pawl 442 cannot move relative to the driven gear 430 after abutting against the inner wall of the arc groove 432, this allows... The transmission gear 420 can drive the driven gear 430 to rotate via the first pawl 442, which in turn drives the lifting rod 310 to rotate, thereby raising and lowering the support frame 100. When the transmission gear 420 rotates counterclockwise, it can push the first pawl 442 to press the elastic element 444 inward, causing the end of the first pawl 442 to retract from the mounting groove 431 into the arc groove 432, thereby disengaging the corresponding teeth of the first pawl 442 from the transmission gear 420. The transmission gear 420 will then idle and will not be able to drive the driven gear 430 to rotate. Therefore, when the bearing 441 is in the first position, the reversing device 440 controls the transmission gear 420 to rotate clockwise, driving the driven gear 430 to rotate in one direction. At this time, the clockwise rotation of the transmission gear 420 can drive the driven gear 430 to rotate, while the counterclockwise rotation of the transmission gear 420 cannot drive the driven gear 430 to rotate.

[0056] Reference Figure 7Similarly, when the bearing seat 441 is in the second position, the end of the second pawl 443 extends out of the second drive port 434 and enters the mounting groove 431. Therefore, the second pawl 443 can abut against the transmission gear 420. At this time, the first pawl 442 does not extend out of the first drive port 433 and cannot abut against the transmission gear 420. When the transmission gear 420 rotates counterclockwise, it can push the second pawl 443 to abut against the inner wall of the arc groove 432. Since the second pawl 443 cannot move relative to the driven gear 430 after abutting against the inner wall of the arc groove 432, from The transmission gear 420 can push the driven gear 430 to rotate via the second pawl 443, which in turn drives the lifting rod 310 to rotate, thus raising and lowering the support frame 100. When the transmission gear 420 rotates clockwise, it can push the second pawl 443 to press the elastic element 444 inward, causing the end of the second pawl 443 to retract from the mounting groove 431 into the arc groove 432, thereby disengaging the corresponding teeth of the second pawl 443 from the transmission gear 420. The transmission gear 420 will then idle and will not be able to drive the driven gear 430 to rotate. Therefore, when the bearing seat 441 is in the second position, the reversing device 440 controls the transmission gear 420 to rotate counterclockwise, driving the driven gear 430 to rotate in one direction. At this time, the counterclockwise rotation of the transmission gear 420 can drive the driven gear 430 to rotate, while the clockwise rotation of the transmission gear 420 cannot drive the driven gear 430 to rotate.

[0057] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 11 It is understood that, in order to facilitate the switching of the bearing seat 441 between the first and second positions, in some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom of the driven gear 430 is provided with a mounting shaft 435 for placing the bearing seat 441. The outer wall of the mounting shaft 435 is provided with a retaining pin 436. The bearing seat 441 is sleeved on the mounting shaft 435, and the inner wall of the bearing seat 441 is provided with a first retaining groove 446 and a second retaining groove 447. The user can rotate the bearing seat 441 or the driven gear 430 to make the retaining pin 436 engage with the first retaining groove 446, at which time the bearing seat 441 is switched to the first position; similarly, the user can rotate the bearing seat 441 or the driven gear 430 to make the retaining pin 436 engage with the second retaining groove 447, at which time the bearing seat 441 is switched to the second position. The switching operation is relatively convenient.

[0058] Reference Figure 10 Of course, in the above embodiments, in order to further improve the convenience of operation, a rotating handle 437 can also be provided at the bottom of the mounting shaft 435, and a through hole for avoiding the rotating handle 437 is provided at the bottom of the support frame 100. The rotating handle 437 extends out of the through hole. The user can rotate the driven gear 430 relative to the shaft seat 441 by rotating the handle 437, thereby switching the shaft seat 441 to the desired position, which is very convenient to operate.

[0059] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 It is understood that in some embodiments of the present invention, the slider 410 includes a body portion 411 and a rack portion 412. The rack portion 412 is connected to one side of the body portion 411, and the rack portion 412 and the body portion 411 form a downward-facing latch. The support frame 100 is provided with a retaining edge 111, and the rack portion 412 is slidably mounted on the retaining edge 111 through the latch and meshes with the transmission gear 420. Since the rack portion 412 is mounted on the retaining edge 111 and can slide on the retaining edge 111, the retaining edge 111 can guide and support the rack portion 412, making the sliding of the rack portion 412 more stable and helping to reduce the wobbling amplitude when the rack portion 412 slides. Specifically, the support frame 100 includes a base frame and a top cover. A side flange 111 forms the side of the base frame. The top cover covers the base frame, forming a cavity. The transmission gear 420 is located within the cavity. A long, narrow gap 114 is formed between the side flange 111 and the top cover. A rack portion 412 extends into the gap 114 and rests on the side flange 111. A rack structure 414 is formed on the side of the rack portion 412 opposite to the main body portion 411. The rack portion 412 meshes with the transmission gear 420 through the rack structure 414. The main body portion 411 is located outside the gap 114, allowing the user to push the main body portion 411 along the length of the gap 114, causing the rack portion 412 to slide on the side flange 111 and drive the transmission gear 420 to rotate.

[0060] Reference Figure 8 It is understood that, in order to facilitate pushing the main body 411, in some embodiments of the present invention, the main body 411 is provided with a handle 413. The handle 413 is located on the side of the main body 411 opposite to the rack portion 412. Therefore, the user can conveniently push the main body 411 to move using the handle 413, which is beneficial to improving the convenience of operation. It should be noted that when the user uses the refrigerator to take out or put in items, their hands may get wet. When pushing the handle 413, the hands may slip and make it difficult to push the handle 413. Therefore, in order to further improve the convenience of operation, anti-slip stripes can also be provided on the handle 413, thereby increasing the friction of the handle 413, so that the user can firmly grip the handle 413 even when their hands are wet, and then push the handle 413 to move, thus improving the convenience of operation.

[0061] Reference Figure 5It should be noted that when the rack portion 412 slides on the stop edge 111, the rack portion 412 will come into contact with the inner surface of the stop edge 111, generating friction. When the frictional resistance between the rack portion 412 and the stop edge 111 is too large, the user needs to use a large force to push the slider 410 to slide on the support frame 100, which is inconvenient and can easily cause the slider 410 to slide unevenly. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the stop edge 111 is provided with a first protrusion 112, which is located on the side of the stop edge 111 facing the rack portion 412. When the rack portion 412 slides on the stop edge 111, the first protrusion 112 can reduce the contact area between the rack portion 412 and the stop edge 111, thereby helping to reduce the frictional resistance between the slider 410 and the support frame 100 and improving the smoothness of the slider 410's sliding.

[0062] Reference Figure 5 In the above embodiment, the first protrusion 112 includes multiple semi-cylindrical structures, which are spaced apart on the inner surface of the retaining edge 111 along the sliding direction of the rack portion 412. When the rack portion 412 slides on the retaining edge 111, the semi-cylindrical structures provide good support during the sliding process of the rack portion 412, making the sliding of the rack portion 412 more stable and smooth, and enabling the rack portion 412 to maintain good meshing with the transmission gear 420. Moreover, when multiple semi-cylindrical structures support the rack portion 412, the contact area between each semi-cylindrical structure and the rack portion 412 is very small, thus greatly reducing the overall contact area between the rack portion 412 and the retaining edge 111, further reducing the frictional resistance between the rack portion 412 and the retaining edge 111. Of course, the semi-cylindrical structures can also be square prism structures or triangular prism structures, both of which can reduce the contact area between the retaining edge 111 and the rack portion 412.

[0063] Reference Figure 8It is understandable that when the main body 411 drives the rack 412 to slide on the stop 111, the main body 411 will also come into contact with the outer surface of the stop 111 and generate friction. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the main body 411 is further provided with a second protrusion 415, which is located on the side of the main body 411 facing the stop 111. When the rack 412 slides on the stop 111, the rack 412 contacts the inner surface of the stop 111 through the first protrusion 112, and the main body 411 contacts the outer surface of the stop 111 through the second protrusion 415. This reduces the contact area between the sliding member 410 and the inner and outer surfaces of the stop 111, thereby further reducing the frictional resistance between the sliding member 410 and the support frame 100. Specifically, the structure of the second protrusion 415 can be similar to that of the first protrusion 112, and also includes multiple semi-cylindrical structures. The multiple semi-cylindrical structures are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the slider 410, thereby further reducing the contact area between the body part 411 and the stop 111 and improving the smoothness of the sliding of the slider 410.

[0064] It is understandable that, in order to enable users to rotate the lifting rod 310 with less force during operation via the transmission mechanism 400, thereby achieving labor-saving operation, in some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission ratio between the driven gear 430 and the lifting rod 310 is less than 1. In this case, the lever arm length of the driven gear 430 is greater than the lever arm length of the lifting rod 310. Therefore, the transmission gear 420 can rotate the lifting rod 310 with less force. During operation, the user can push the sliding member 410 with less force, causing the sliding member 410 to drive the driven gear 430 to rotate via the transmission gear 420, which in turn drives the lifting rod 310 to rotate, thus making the operation more labor-saving. For example, when the transmission ratio between the driven gear 430 and the lifting rod 310 is 2:5, compared to the scheme where the lifting rod 310 is directly rotated via the sliding member 410, the transmission mechanism 400 in this embodiment can save approximately 60% of the force. Of course, the transmission ratio between the driven gear 430 and the lifting rod 310 can also be set to other suitable values ​​according to actual needs.

[0065] Reference Figure 9It is understood that, in some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission gear 420 includes a first transmission wheel 421 and a second transmission wheel 422 distributed along the axial direction. The first transmission wheel 421 is meshed with the sliding member 410, and the second transmission wheel 422 is located in the mounting groove 431 to drive the driven gear 430. This allows the sliding member 410 and the driven gear 430 to be staggered along the axial direction of the transmission gear 420, which is beneficial to improving the overall compactness of the transmission mechanism 400. Specifically, the outer diameter of the second transmission wheel 422 is smaller than the outer diameter of the first transmission wheel 421, which facilitates the placement of the second transmission wheel 422 in the mounting groove 431 of the driven gear 430.

[0066] Reference Figure 10 It is understood that, in order to facilitate the installation of the transmission gear 420, in some embodiments of the present invention, the driven gear 430 is provided with a rotating shaft 438 at its top, and the transmission gear 420 is provided with a through hole in its middle. Therefore, the transmission gear 420 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 438 through the through hole, thereby enabling the transmission gear 420 to rotate coaxially with the driven gear 430. Of course, the transmission mechanism 400 may also be provided with a separate rotating shaft 438, on which both the driven gear 430 and the transmission gear 420 are sleeved.

[0067] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2It is understandable that, in order to place more items inside the inner liner, the inner liner is usually equipped with multiple shelf assemblies, which divide the interior of the inner liner into multiple inner liner compartment spaces. In order to minimize the impact of the support frame 100 on the inner liner compartment spaces, in some embodiments of the present invention, the support frame 100 includes a first side 110, a second side 120 and a third side 130, the first side 110 and the second side 120 being respectively connected to the two ends of the third side 130, and an opening facing the refrigerator door is formed between the first side 110 and the second side 120. Specifically, the first side 110 and the second side 120 are both arranged along the depth direction of the inner liner, and the third side 130 is arranged along the length direction of the inner liner. When the shelf 200 assembly is installed in the inner liner of the refrigerator, the third side 130 is located on the rear side of the inner liner, that is, the third side 130 is located on the side of the inner liner away from the refrigerator door. The first side 110 and the second side 120 are located on the left and right sides of the inner liner, respectively, and the first side 110 and the second side 120 are respectively connected to the two ends of the third side 130, so that an opening is formed between the first side 110 and the second side 120, and the opening faces the refrigerator door. At this time, the opening is located on the front side of the inner liner, which can avoid the support frame 100 affecting the height of the inner liner compartment below it. Therefore, the height of the inner liner compartment below the front side of the shelf 200 will be relatively large, allowing users to put taller items into the inner liner compartment. Moreover, since there is no support frame 100 obstructing the lower front side of the shelf 200, it is more convenient for users to take and put in items. At the same time, it can also reduce the amount of material used in the support frame 100, which is conducive to reducing the manufacturing cost of the support frame 100.

[0068] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5It is understood that, in order to facilitate the installation of the lifting rod 310, in some embodiments of the present invention, both ends of the first side 110 and the second side 120 are provided with support feet 113. The support feet 113 can be a semi-enclosed structure or a fully enclosed structure. The interior of the support feet 113 can form a cavity. The lifting rod 310 is rotatably installed in the cavity of the support feet 113 and abuts against the top wall of the support feet 113, thereby hiding the lifting rod 310 and preventing external debris from easily touching the lifting rod 310 and affecting the lifting of the lifting rod 310. Specifically, the bottom wall of the support foot 113 is provided with a mounting plate, the lower end of the lifting rod 310 is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate, the top wall of the support foot 113 is provided with a limiting plate 115, and the upper end of the lifting rod 310 is rotatably mounted on the limiting plate 115, so that the support foot 113 can restrict the lifting rod 310 through the mounting plate and the limiting plate 115, preventing the lifting rod 310 from moving axially relative to the support foot 113. Therefore, when the lifting rod 310 rotates and rises or falls relative to the fixed seat 320, the support foot 113 will also rise or fall with the lifting rod 310, thereby causing the shelf 200 mounted on the support frame 100 to rise or fall, realizing the height adjustment of the shelf 200.

[0069] It is understood that the slider 410 can be slidably installed on the first side 110, the second side 120, or the third side 130, and can be specifically configured according to actual needs. Specifically, when the slider 410 is slidably installed on the first side 110 or the second side 120, the slider 410 can slide in the front-back direction to adjust the height of the shelf 200; when the slider 410 is slidably installed on the third side 130, the slider 410 can slide in the left-right direction to adjust the height of the shelf 200. Of course, in order to reduce the impact of the slider 410 on the retrieval and placement of items, the slider 410 can be installed at the bottom of the first side 110, the second side 120, or the third side 130, thereby avoiding the slider 410 protruding from the side and affecting the retrieval and placement of items.

[0070] A refrigerator according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a shelf assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention. The shelf assembly is installed in the inner liner of the refrigerator. Of course, multiple shelf assemblies can be provided, and the multiple shelf assemblies are spaced apart along the height direction of the inner liner, thereby dividing the space of the inner liner into multiple compartments, making it convenient for users to place more items in the inner liner.

[0071] When the height of the shelf 200 needs to be adjusted, the user can push the slider 410, causing the slider 410 to drive the transmission gear 420 to rotate. The transmission gear 420, through the driven gear 430, drives the lifting rod 310 to rotate, causing the lifting rod 310 to rise or fall relative to the fixed seat 320, thereby raising or lowering the support frame 100. This allows the shelf 200 mounted on the support frame 100 to be adjusted to the desired height. Since the transmission mechanism 400 controls the transmission gear 420 to drive the driven gear 430 in one direction via the reversing device 440, when the slider 410 is pushed in the driving direction to rotate the transmission gear 420, the transmission gear 420 can drive the driven gear 430. The shelf 200 is raised or lowered by rotating the 0-axis, and then the sliding member 410 can be pushed in the opposite direction. At this time, the transmission gear 420 cannot drive the driven gear 430 to rotate. Therefore, the sliding member 410 can be pushed in the opposite direction to its original position. Then, the sliding member 410 can be pushed again in the driving direction to make the shelf 200 continue to rise or fall. By repeating the operation, the shelf 200 can be raised or lowered to a suitable height. Therefore, the present invention can push the sliding member 410 back and forth within a small distance range to achieve a large range of adjustment of the shelf 200 height, improve the convenience of use, and reduce the operating space required for the height adjustment of the shelf 200, thereby reducing the space occupied by the shelf assembly in the refrigerator liner. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 400, by being equipped with a reversing device 440, enables both the raising and lowering of the shelf 200 to be achieved through the same transmission mechanism 400. This eliminates the need for separate transmission mechanisms 400 for raising and lowering the shelf 200, which helps reduce the number of components in the shelf 200 assembly, as well as the size of the shelf 200 assembly and the space occupied by the shelf 200 assembly in the inner liner. At the same time, by achieving the raising and lowering of the shelf 200 through the same transmission mechanism 400, it is more convenient to use.

[0072] The refrigerator of the second aspect of the present invention includes the shelf assembly of the first aspect of the present invention, which can reciprocate the sliding member 410 within a small distance range to achieve a large range of adjustment of the height of the shelf 200. This helps to reduce the operating space required for adjusting the height of the shelf 200, making the adjustment of the shelf 200 more convenient and improving the convenience of using the refrigerator.

[0073] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shelf assembly, characterized in that, include: Support frame; Shelf, mounted on the support frame; Multiple lifting mechanisms are provided, and the multiple lifting mechanisms jointly support the support frame. Each lifting mechanism is provided with a lifting rod and a fixed seat. The lifting rod is rotatably abutted against the support frame. The fixed seat is used to fix and connect to the inner liner of the refrigerator. The lifting rod is threaded to the fixed seat and can be raised and lowered relative to the fixed seat to drive the support frame to rise and fall. The multiple lifting rods are driven by a synchronous belt. A transmission mechanism is provided to drive the lifting rod to rotate. The transmission mechanism is provided with a transmission gear, a driven gear, and a reversing device. The driven gear is meshed with the lifting rod. The reversing device includes a first pawl and a second pawl. In a first position, the reversing device can control the transmission gear to rotate clockwise and drive the driven gear to rotate in one direction through the first pawl. In a second position, the reversing device can control the transmission gear to rotate counterclockwise and drive the driven gear to rotate in one direction through the second pawl.

2. The shelf assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reversing device further includes a bearing and an elastic element. The bearing is mounted on the driven gear and can switch between the first position and the second position. The bearing is provided with a sliding groove, and the first pawl and the second pawl are mounted in the sliding groove. The two ends of the elastic element are respectively connected to the first pawl and the second pawl. The driven gear is provided with a mounting groove for accommodating the transmission gear. The driven gear is also provided with an arc groove. The arc groove is located on the outer periphery of the mounting groove and has a first driving port and a second driving port communicating with the mounting groove at both ends. The first pawl and the second pawl extend into the arc groove. In the first position, the bearing can drive the first pawl to extend out of the first driving port and abut against the transmission gear. In the second position, the bearing can drive the second pawl to extend out of the second driving port and abut against the transmission gear.

3. The shelf assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driven gear has a mounting shaft at one end away from the transmission gear. The shaft seat is sleeved on the mounting shaft. The outer wall of the mounting shaft has a retaining post. The inner wall of the shaft seat has a first retaining groove corresponding to the first position and a second retaining groove corresponding to the second position. The retaining post can be switched between the first retaining groove and the second retaining groove.

4. The shelf assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission gear includes a first transmission wheel and a second transmission wheel distributed along the axial direction. The first transmission wheel is used to receive the driving force, and the second transmission wheel is located in the mounting groove to drive the driven gear.

5. The shelf assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism further includes a sliding member, which includes a body and a rack. The rack is connected to one side of the body, and the support frame is provided with a stop. The rack is slidably mounted on the stop and meshes with the transmission gear.

6. The shelf assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The retaining edge is provided with a first protrusion, which is located on the side of the retaining edge facing the rack portion.

7. The shelf assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first protrusion includes a plurality of semi-cylindrical structures, which are spaced apart along the sliding direction of the rack portion.

8. The shelf assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main body is provided with a second protrusion, which is located on the side of the main body facing the guard edge.

9. The shelf assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main body is provided with a handle, which is located on the side of the main body opposite to the rack portion.

10. The shelf assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission ratio between the driven gear and the lifting rod is less than 1.

11. The shelving assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The support frame is provided with support feet, and the lifting rod is rotatably installed in the inner cavity of the support feet and abuts against the top wall of the support feet.

12. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Includes the shelf assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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