refrigerator

By designing the coordination of the rotating shaft, door socket, cutout and restraint components on the refrigerator door, the problem of the tray door being unable to be removed is solved, and the refrigerator door can be conveniently assembled and unassembled and opened and closed reliably, meeting the needs of hygienic cleaning.

CN117083498BActive Publication Date: 2025-10-03HAIER SMART HOME CO LTD +2
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202280022808.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-03-24
Filing Date
2022-03-23
Publication Date
2025-10-03
Estimated Expiration
2042-03-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing refrigerators, the tray door cannot be removed for cleaning, which cannot meet the increasingly stringent hygiene requirements.

Method used

A refrigerator door component is designed, including a rotating shaft, a door socket, a cutout portion and a restraining component, which allows the door component to be removed after rotating within a specified rotation angle. Through the cooperation of the cutout portion and the restraining component, reliable opening and closing and convenient assembly and disassembly of the door can be achieved.

Benefits of technology

The refrigerator door can be opened and closed reliably and assembled and disassembled conveniently, and the hygienic cleaning requirements are met. The structure is simple and the use is convenient.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A refrigerator comprises a door component (20); an axis component (32); a door mortise portion (24), which is formed on the door component (20) and has a peripheral portion (24B) surrounding a hole portion (24A) for inserting the axis component (32); a notch portion (26), which is provided on a portion of the peripheral portion (24B); and a restraining component (34), wherein when the door component (20) rotates and moves in an opening direction around the axis of the axis component (32), the movement of the door mortise portion (24) is restrained by the restraining component (34) when the door component (20) rotates and moves within a specified rotation angle, and when the door component (20) rotates and moves beyond the specified rotation angle, the door component (20) can be pulled out by the axis component (32) through the notch portion (26), thereby removing the door component (20) from the axis component (32).
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration devices, in particular to refrigerators. Background Art

[0002] A refrigerator including a door component on the front surface of a storage area in the refrigerator is known. In this refrigerator, it is proposed that the refrigerator has a pull-out tray and a door on the front surface for opening and closing the tray (for example, refer to Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-148418). In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, when the tray is pulled out from the storage position in the refrigerator, the upper side of the door is rotated toward the front side relative to the tray through the rotating shaft below and opened. This can increase the horizontal width of the tray when it is pulled out to improve the convenience of use, and at the same time can increase the internal volume of the storage area. However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, the shaft portion provided on the door has a rotating mechanism, which is inserted into the door socket formed on the front side of the tray, and the door cannot be basically removed from the tray. Therefore, the door cannot be removed for cleaning, which cannot fully meet the hygiene requirements that have been continuously improved in recent years. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a refrigerator that has a simple structure and can easily load and unload the door component on the front surface of the storage area. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide a refrigerator.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising:

[0005] a door member for opening and closing at least a portion of a front surface of a storage area within the refrigerator;

[0006] a shaft member serving as a rotation axis of the door member;

[0007] a door socket formed on the door member and having a peripheral portion surrounding the hole for inserting the shaft member;

[0008] a cutout portion provided on a portion of the peripheral portion and having a size allowing the shaft member to pass therethrough; and

[0009] a restraining member surrounding an outer surface of the peripheral portion, enabling the door mortise portion to rotate about the shaft member but restraining the door mortise portion from moving away from the shaft member;

[0010] When the door member rotates about the axis of the shaft member from a closed rotation position that closes at least a portion of the front surface of the storage area to an opening direction that opens the front surface of the storage area,

[0011] When the door component rotates and moves within a specified rotation angle, the restraining component is used to restrain the movement of the door socket portion in the direction away from the shaft component. When the door component rotates and moves greater than the specified rotation angle, the door component is not restrained by the restraining component and the shaft component can be pulled out through the cutout portion, thereby removing the door component from the shaft component.

[0012] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the storage area is provided in a pull-out container that can move forward and backward.

[0013] The shaft member generally extends in the left-right direction.

[0014] The shaft component and the restraint component are fixed to the refrigerator body side.

[0015] In the closed rotation position, the lower portion of the door member is close to or in contact with the upper portion of the front surface of the container in the storage position, and

[0016] The opening direction is a direction in which the door member rotates so that the lower portion moves upward and forward.

[0017] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, a cam surface is provided on the container, and a sliding portion connected to the cam surface is provided on the door component. When the container is pulled forward from the storage position, the sliding portion slides on the cam surface, and the door component rotates and moves from the closed rotation position to the opening direction within the range of the specified rotation angle.

[0018] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the door component cannot rotate from the closed rotational position to a greater than the specified rotational angle due to interference with a removable component arranged above the container.

[0019] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the partition is fixed on the refrigerator body, and shaft components are formed on the right and left sides of the front surface of the partition, and a restraint component is formed at the partition and outside the shaft component.

[0020] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the restraining component has an arc-shaped inner surface, wherein the restraining component surrounds the arc-shaped outer surface at the circumference.

[0021] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, when the container pulled out to the front side is stuffed back into the storage position at the rear, the sliding part slides on the cam surface, the door component rotates in the closing direction, and the door component returns to the closed rotation position, thereby closing the space above the front surface of the container through the door component.

[0022] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the cam surface has a curved portion formed to become higher in height as it advances rearward and a substantially horizontal plane portion, wherein when the container is in the storage position, the sliding portion contacts a lower area of ​​the curved portion.

[0023] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the outer surface of the region on the 180-degree opposite side of the cutout portion is surrounded by the inner surface of the restraint member.

[0024] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, in the loading and unloading rotational position, the door component is rotated and moved from the closed rotational position by more than a specified rotational angle;

[0025] When the door member reaches the attachment and detachment rotation position, the outer surface of the area on the 180-degree opposite side of the cutout portion of the peripheral portion is not surrounded by the inner surface of the restricting member, and the door member is pulled forward substantially horizontally.

[0026] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned removable components are configured as a refrigerated container and a water tank arranged on the upper side of the container, wherein the lower parts of the refrigerated container and the water tank abut against the door component to form the aforementioned interference.

[0027] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the container is composed of a bottom plate, a front plate surrounding the bottom plate, a rear plate and plates on both sides, and the upper surface of the container is opened to form an entrance for storing and accessing stored items in the storage area.

[0028] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned rotation angle is set to 70 to 80 degrees.

[0029] Compared to the prior art, the present invention provides a significant advantage: The refrigerator provided by the present invention prevents the door member from rotating to a removable position due to the component positioned above the container. Therefore, during daily use, the door member can be reliably opened and closed, and items stored in the container can be accessed. Furthermore, by temporarily removing the component positioned above the container, the door member can be rotated to a removable position, making it easy to attach and detach the door member. This provides a refrigerator having a simple structure and allowing easy detachment of the door member on the front surface of the storage area for opening and closing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the interior of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 Is shown to remove Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the state of the door component in.

[0032] Figure 3 It is enlarged to show Figure 2 A perspective view of the vegetable storage container and door assembly is shown.

[0033] Figure 4 It is used to enlarge the Figure 3 The arrow A shows a perspective view of the area.

[0034] Figure 5 It is used to enlarge the Figure 3 The arrow B shows a perspective view of the area.

[0035] Figure 6A It is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which the vegetable storage container is in the storage position and the door component is in the closed rotation position.

[0036] Figure 6B is a side sectional view schematically showing the Figure 6A The state shown is a state where the vegetable storage container is pulled out to the front side and the door component is rotated and moved in the releasing direction.

[0037] Figure 6C is a side sectional view schematically showing the Figure 6B The state shown is a state in which the vegetable storage container is further pulled out to the front side and the door component is further rotated and moved in the releasing direction.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which the door component interferes with the upper component and is restrained from further rotating in the release direction.

[0039] Figure 8A It is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which the door component rotates from the closed rotation position to a state greater than a specified rotation angle and reaches the loading and unloading rotation position.

[0040] Figure 8B It is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which the door member is removed from the shaft member at the attachment and detachment rotation position.

[0041] In the figure: 2. Refrigerator; 4. Inside the refrigerator; 6. Refrigeration container; 8. Water tank; 10. Vegetable storage container; 10A. Upper part; 12. Cam surface; 12A. Curved part; 12B. Flat part; 20. Door component; 22. Door body; 22A. Lower part; 24. Door mortise; 24A. Hole; 24B. Periphery; 26. Cutout; 28. Handle; 28A. Sliding part; 30. Partition; 32. Axis component; 34. Constraint component; S. Space. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Next, an embodiment for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the contents and means described below are for the purpose of concretizing the technical ideas of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to the following contents. In the various figures, there are cases where components with the same function are assigned the same symbols. For the sake of clarity, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the various figures are exaggerated. In this specification, the refrigerator is shown to be placed on a horizontal surface, and one side of the refrigerator door is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side. Arrows are used to indicate the up, down, front, back, left, and right directions in the figures.

[0043] (Refrigerator According to One Embodiment of the Present Invention)

[0044] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the interior of the refrigerator 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 Is shown to remove Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the state of the door component in. Figure 3 It is enlarged to show Figure 2 A perspective view of the vegetable storage container and door assembly is shown. Figure 4 It is used to enlarge the Figure 3 The arrow A shows a perspective view of the area. Figure 5 It is used to enlarge the Figure 3 The arrow B shows a perspective view of the area.

[0045] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 The front door of refrigerator 2 is removed to allow easy inspection of the interior of refrigerator 4. A refrigerated container 6 and a water supply tank 8 are positioned side by side, slightly downward from the center of refrigerator interior 4. Refrigerated container 6 contains fresh food, such as meat and fish, and is typically kept at a slightly lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment. Water supply tank 8 stores water for supplying ice to the ice maker. Water in water supply tank 8 is pumped up by a pump and supplied to the ice maker.

[0046] On the lower side of the refrigerated container 6 and the water tank 8, a partition 30 (see Figure 3 ) is equipped with a vegetable storage container 10. The vegetable storage container 10 is a pull-out container suitable for storing vegetables, fruits, etc. The temperature inside the vegetable storage container 10 is maintained at a slightly higher temperature than that of the refrigerator compartment, and the humidity is also maintained at a slightly higher temperature than that of the refrigerator compartment. The vegetable storage container 10 is composed of a bottom plate, a front plate surrounding the bottom plate, a rear plate, and plates on both sides, and the upper surface is open. When storing and retrieving items in the vegetable storage container 10, open the door of the refrigerator 2, pull the vegetable storage container 10 located in the storage position at the inner rear of the refrigerator 4 forward, and retrieve the items from the upper opening. After completing the storage and retrieval of the items, stuff the vegetable storage container 10 back into the storage position at the rear, close the door of the refrigerator 2, and it can return to its original state.

[0047] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, there is a space S between the upper portion 10A of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10 in the storage area and the lower surface of the partition 30. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 Although shown in a removed state, a rotary door component 20 for opening and closing the space S is provided there.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, a cylindrical shaft member 32 is formed on the right side of the front surface of the partition 30 fixed to the refrigerator body. Similarly, a cylindrical shaft member 32 is also formed on the left side of the front surface of the partition 30.

[0049] On the other hand, in the door member 20, as Figure 4 As shown, a door mortise 24 is formed on the right side of the door body 22, which extends leftward and rightward to cover the space S. The door mortise 24 includes a hole 24A having a circular cross-section for inserting the shaft member 32, and a peripheral portion 24B surrounding the hole 24A. Similarly, a door mortise 24 having the hole 24A and the peripheral portion 24B is also formed on the left side of the door body 22.

[0050] The shaft member 32 extends substantially horizontally in the left-right direction, and the door member 20 can rotate and move along the extension direction of the door body 22 with a horizontal line extending substantially left-right as the rotation center. When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis, the peripheral portion 24B has an arc-shaped outer surface, and a portion of the peripheral portion 24B is provided with a cutout portion 26. The cutout portion 26 has a width dimension that is large enough for the shaft member 32 to pass through. Therefore, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis, the peripheral portion 24B having the cutout portion 26 has a substantially U-shaped or substantially C-shaped shape. In the case of such a structure, when the door member 20 rotates and moves, there is a risk that the shaft member 32 passes through the cutout portion 26, causing the door socket portion 24 to detach from the shaft member 32.

[0051] However, if Figure 5As shown, a restraining member 34 having an arc-shaped inner surface is formed at the partition 30, on the outer side of the shaft member 32 (when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis). The restraining member 34 is configured to have an arc-shaped outer surface around the periphery 24B, and the outer surface surrounds the hole portion 24A into which the shaft member 32 is inserted. By thus configuring the restraining member 34, the door mortise 24 can rotate around the shaft member 32, but movement in the direction away from the shaft member 32 is restrained. In this way, within the range where the restraining member 34 surrounds the outer side of the periphery 24B, there is no risk of the door mortise 24 detaching from the shaft member 32, and the door member 20 can be reliably rotated. The restraining member 34 around the periphery 24B does not exist on the entire periphery of the shaft member 32, but there is a rotation area where the restraining member 34 is not surrounded by the periphery 24B. This will be described in further detail.

[0052] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, the handle 28 extends at the left and right ends of the door member 20, and the front end of the handle 28 is formed with a sliding portion 28A that contacts the cam surface 12, which is provided on the vegetable storage container 10 described later.

[0053] (Rotation mechanism of door components)

[0054] Figure 6A It is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which the vegetable storage container 10 is in the storage position and the door member 20 is in the closed rotation position. Figure 6B is a side sectional view schematically showing the Figure 6A The state shown is a state where the vegetable storage container 10 starts to be pulled out to the front side and the door member 20 is rotated and moved in the release direction. Figure 6C is a side sectional view schematically showing the Figure 6B The state shown is a state where the vegetable storage container 10 is further pulled out to the front side and the door member 20 is further rotated and moved in the release direction.

[0055] exist Figures 6A to 6C , described later Figure 7 、 Figure 8A and Figure 8B Each of the figures is a side cross-sectional view of the left side of the vegetable storage container 10 as viewed from the inside of the vegetable storage container 10, showing the state of the cam surface 12, the handle 28, and the sliding portion 28A as viewed from the side of the light-transmitting vegetable storage container 10. In addition, (b) of each figure shows an enlarged view of the door socket 24 shown in (a).

[0056] The cam surface 12 provided on the outer surface of both side plates of the vegetable storage container 10 has a curved surface portion 12A formed so as to increase in height as it advances rearward and a substantially horizontal flat surface portion 12B. Figure 6AAs shown, when the vegetable storage container 10 is in the storage position, the door component 20 is in a rotational position at approximately the lowest point. At this time, the lower portion 22A of the door body 22 is arranged to be close to the upper portion 10A of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10. In this way, the space S on the upper side of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10 can be closed. Not only is the lower portion 22A of the door body 22 close to the upper portion 10A of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10, but the lower portion 22A of the door body 22 can also be made in contact with the upper portion 10A of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10. At this time, the sliding portion 28A of the door component 20 is in contact with the lower area of ​​the curved portion 12A of the cam surface 12.

[0057] When the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward from this position, the sliding portion 28A slides upward along the cam surface 12, causing the door component 20 to rotate toward the near front. In other words, the lower portion 22A of the door component 20 rotates upward and forward. This allows the space S above the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10 to be further opened. This rotational direction of the door component 20 is referred to as the opening direction. Furthermore, the reverse rotational direction is referred to as the closing direction.

[0058] Figure 6B FIG. 2 shows a state in which the sliding portion 28A contacts the upper region of the curved portion 12A of the cam surface 12. Figure 6C The figure shows a state where the sliding portion 28A contacts the flat surface 12B of the cam surface 12. While the sliding portion 28A contacts the curved surface 12A of the cam surface 12, the door member 20 rotates toward the opening direction as the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward. On the other hand, after the sliding portion 28A reaches the flat surface of the cam surface 12, even if the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled further forward, the door member 20 does not rotate further, maintaining its current rotational position.

[0059] exist Figures 6A to 6C In any of the states shown, as shown in (b), at least a portion of the outer surface of the peripheral portion 24B outside the cutout portion 26 is surrounded by the inner surface of the restraining member 34. In particular, at least a portion of the outer surface of the area 180 degrees opposite the cutout portion 26 is surrounded by the inner surface of the restraining member 34. Thus, the restraining member 34 restrains the movement of the door mortise portion 24 in the direction away from the shaft member 32 on the side opposite the cutout portion 26. In this way, there is no risk of the door mortise portion 24 detaching from the shaft member 32, and the door member 20 can be rotated reliably.

[0060] In this way, simply pulling out the vegetable storage container 10 rotates the door member 20 from the closed rotational position toward the open position. Conversely, when the vegetable storage container 10, which has been pulled forward, is returned to the rearward storage position, the force of gravity acting on the door member 20 causes the sliding portion 28A to slide on the cam surface 12, and the door member 20 rotates toward the closed position. When the vegetable storage container 10 returns to the rearward storage position, the door member 20 returns to its original closed rotational position, allowing the door member 20 to seal the space S above the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10.

[0061] <Anti-rotation mechanism>

[0062] Figure 7 It is a side view schematically showing a state in which the door component 20 interferes with the upper component and is restrained from further rotating in the release direction. Figure 7 The figure shows a state after the door member 20 is rotated further in the opening direction than the rotation position where the sliding portion 28A contacts the flat portion 12B of the cam surface 12 of the vegetable storage container 10. In this case, the lower portion of the refrigeration container 6 and the water tank 8 arranged on the upper side of the vegetable storage container 10 abuts against the door body 22 of the door member 20 via the partition 30, making it impossible to rotate further in the opening direction. In this rotation position, the movement of the door mortise portion 24 in the direction away from the shaft member 32 on the opposite side of the cutout portion 26 is also constrained by the constraining member 34. In this way, when the door mortise portion 24 is rotated within a specified rotation angle from the closed rotation position, the movement of the door mortise portion 24 in the direction away from the shaft member 32 is constrained by the constraining member 34. Preferably, such a specified rotation angle is 70 to 80 degrees or more.

[0063] <Loading and unloading rotation position>

[0064] Figure 8A 1 is a side view schematically showing a state in which the door component 20 is rotated from the closed rotation position by more than a specified rotation angle and reaches the attachment / detachment rotation position. Figure 8B This is a side view schematically showing the door member 20 removed from the shaft member 32 in the mounting and removal rotational position. The refrigerated container 6 and water tank 8, located above the vegetable storage container 10, can be removed from the refrigerator. When the refrigerated container 6 and water tank 8 are removed, the door member 20 can be rotated further than the specified rotation angle in the release rotational direction.

[0065] like Figure 8A As shown, when the door member 20 is rotated to the mounting and detaching rotation position, the outer surface of the area on the 180-degree opposite side of the cutout portion 26 of the peripheral portion 24B is not surrounded by the inner surface of the restraining member 34. Figure 8AAs shown by the arrow, the door 20 is not constrained by the constraining member 34, and the door socket 24 can be pulled out in such a way that the shaft member 32 passes through the cutout portion 26. Since the door member 20 is pulled out substantially horizontally toward the front side of the refrigerator 2, it does not interfere with other components of the refrigerator 2 and can be easily removed. Figure 8B Like this, can only take off door component 20 and be cleaned easily. In addition, after cleaning, can the door mortise portion 24 of door component 20 be installed on the shaft component 32 with the order opposite to the order of pulling out door component 20.

[0066] (Overall Record)

[0067] In the above embodiment, the storage area is provided within the vegetable storage container 10, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The storage area may be provided within any other container disposed within the refrigerator 4. Furthermore, the storage area may be provided directly within the refrigerator compartment rather than within the container, with the door member 20 being a door for opening and closing the front surface thereof.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the door member 20 is used to open and close the space above the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10, but this is not limiting. For example, the entire front surface of the vegetable storage container 10 may be open and closed by the door member 20, or the door member 20 may be used to open and close spaces in other areas of the front surface. Accordingly, the rotation axis of the door member 20 may not be limited to a generally horizontal direction, but may be vertical or diagonal.

[0069] In the above embodiment, when the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled out, the door member 20 is moved in the opening direction by the cam mechanism, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The following situation is also possible: without the cam mechanism, the lower portion of the door member 20 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the side wall of the vegetable storage container 10 while the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled out.

[0070] As described above, the refrigerator 2 involved in the present invention includes: a door component 20, which is used to open and close at least a portion of the front surface of the storage area 4 inside the refrigerator; an axis component 32 serving as the rotation axis of the door component 20; a door mortise 24, which is formed on the door component 20 and has a peripheral portion 24B surrounding a hole 24A for inserting the axis component 32; a cutout portion 26, which is provided on a portion of the peripheral portion 24B and is sized to allow the axis component 32 to pass through; and a restraining component 34, which surrounds the outer surface of the peripheral portion 24B, allowing the door mortise 24 to rotate around the axis component 32 but restraining the door mortise 24 from moving in a direction away from the axis component 32.

[0071] In this case, when the door member 20 rotates from the closed rotation position for closing at least a portion of the front surface of the storage area to the opening direction for opening the front surface of the storage area, as shown in FIG. Figures 6A to 6C as well as Figure 7 As shown, when the rotational movement is within the specified rotation angle, the movement of the door socket portion 24 in the direction away from the shaft member 32 is restricted by the restriction member 34. Figure 8A and Figure 8B As shown, when the door component 20 rotates and moves beyond a specified rotation angle, it is no longer constrained by the constraining member 34, and the door component 20 is withdrawn by the shaft component 32 passing through the cutout portion 26, thereby enabling the door component 20 to be removed from the shaft component 32 and then reinstalled onto the shaft component 32. In this way, the door component 20 can be easily cleaned and returned to its original position.

[0072] As described above, the cutout 26 and the restraining member 34 allow the door member 20 to be easily attached and detached without adding any special components or bending the door member 20. Thus, a refrigerator 2 can be provided that has a simple structure and allows the front door member 20 for opening and closing the storage area to be easily attached and detached.

[0073] In particular, as in the above-described embodiment, when the storage area is located within a pull-out vegetable storage container 10 that can move forward and backward, in the closed rotational position, the lower portion 22A of the door member 20 is close to or in contact with the upper portion 10A of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10 in the storage position. Furthermore, the opening direction is the direction in which the door member 20 rotates so that the lower portion moves upward and forward. To achieve this, the rotation axis of the door member 20 extends generally in the left-right direction, and the shaft member 32 and the restraining member 34 are fixed to the refrigerator body side (e.g., the partition 30).

[0074] In this way, when the pull-out vegetable storage container 10 is in the storage position, the space on the upper side of the front surface of the vegetable storage container 10 can be closed by the door component 20, and when the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward, since the door component 20 can be rotated in the opening direction, the vegetable storage container 10 does not interfere with the door component 20, and the vegetable storage container 10 can be easily pulled out.

[0075] Furthermore, if Figures 6A to 6C As shown, when a cam surface 12 is provided on the vegetable storage container 10 and a sliding portion 28A connected to the cam surface 12 is provided on the door component 20, when the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward from the storage position, the sliding portion 28A slides on the cam surface 12 to rotate the door component 20 in the opening direction.

[0076] Thus, when the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward from the storage position by the cam surface 12 and the sliding portion 28A, the door member 20 is rotated and moved in the opening direction. In this way, the user can simply pull out the vegetable storage container 10 to rotate the door member 20 and open the vegetable storage container 10, thereby making it easy to store and retrieve stored items.

[0077] Further, if Figures 6A to 6C As shown, when the sliding portion 28A slides on the cam surface 12, the door member 20 rotates from the closed rotational position within a specified rotational angle range. Therefore, when the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward to rotate the door member 20 in the opening direction, there is no risk of the door member 20 detaching from the shaft member 32. Therefore, the door member 20 can be opened and closed reliably to allow the stored items in the vegetable storage container 10 to be accessed.

[0078] In addition, if Figure 7 As shown, the door member 20 cannot rotate from the closed rotational position beyond a specified rotational angle by interfering with removable components (e.g., the refrigerated container 6 or the water tank 8) disposed above the vegetable storage container 10. Specifically, the vegetable storage container 10 is provided with a cam surface 12, and the door member 20 is provided with a sliding portion 28A that contacts the cam surface 12. When the vegetable storage container 10 is pulled forward from the storage position, the sliding portion 28A slides on the cam surface 12, causing the door member 20 to rotate from the closed rotational position to the opening direction within a specified rotational angle.

[0079] In this way, the door member 20 cannot be rotated to the attachable and detachable position by the components (e.g., the refrigerated container 6, the water tank 8) disposed above the vegetable storage container 10. Therefore, during normal use, the door member 20 can be reliably opened and closed to place and remove items from the vegetable storage container 10. Furthermore, by temporarily removing the components (e.g., the refrigerated container 6, the water tank 8) disposed above the vegetable storage container 10, the door member 20 can be rotated to the attachable and detachable position, making it easy to attach and detach the door member 20.

[0080] Although embodiments and implementations of the present invention have been described, the disclosure may vary in structural details, and changes may be made in the combination or order of elements in the embodiments and implementations without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a door member for opening and closing at least a portion of a front surface of a storage area within the refrigerator; a shaft member serving as a rotation axis of the door member; a door socket formed on the door member and having a peripheral portion surrounding the hole for inserting the shaft member; a cutout portion provided on a portion of the peripheral portion and having a size allowing the shaft member to pass therethrough; and a restraining member surrounding an outer surface of the peripheral portion, enabling the door mortise portion to rotate about the shaft member but restraining the door mortise portion from moving away from the shaft member; The invention is characterized in that when the door member rotates around the axis of the shaft member from a closed rotation position that closes at least a portion of the front surface of the storage area to an opening direction that opens the front surface of the storage area, When the door component rotates within a specified rotation angle, the restraining member restrains the door socket from moving away from the shaft component. When the door component rotates and moves more than the specified rotation angle, the door component is not constrained by the constraining component, and the door component can be pulled out in a manner that the shaft component passes through the cutout portion, thereby removing the door component from the shaft component; The shaft component and the restraint component are both fixed to the partition on the side of the refrigerator body.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The storage area is provided in a pull-out container that can be moved forward and backward. The shaft member extends in the left-right direction. The shaft component and the restraint component are fixed to the refrigerator body side. In the closed rotation position, the lower portion of the door member is close to or in contact with the upper portion of the front surface of the container in the storage position, and The opening direction is a direction in which the door member rotates so that the lower portion moves upward and forward.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The container is provided with a cam surface, and the door component is provided with a sliding portion connected to the cam surface. When the container is pulled forward from the storage position, the sliding portion slides on the cam surface, and the door component rotates and moves from the closed rotation position to the opening direction within the range of the specified rotation angle.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The door member cannot be rotated from the closed rotational position by more than the specified rotational angle due to interference with a removable member arranged above the container.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The partition is fixed to the refrigerator body, and shaft components are formed on the right side and the left side of the front surface of the partition. A restraint component is formed at the partition and outside the shaft component.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The restraining member has an arc-shaped inner surface, wherein the restraining member surrounds the arc-shaped outer surface at the circumference.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that When the container pulled forward is stuffed back into the rear storage position, the sliding portion slides on the cam surface, the door component rotates in the closing direction, and the door component returns to the closed rotation position, thereby closing the space above the front surface of the container through the door component.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that The cam surface includes a curved portion whose height increases as it advances rearward and a horizontal flat portion, wherein the sliding portion contacts a lower region of the curved portion when the container is in the storage position.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein At least a portion of the outer surface of the region on the 180-degree opposite side of the cutout portion is surrounded by the inner surface of the restraint member.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that Loading and unloading rotation position, the door component rotates from the closed rotation position to a greater than specified rotation angle; When the door member reaches the attachment and detachment rotation position, the outer surface of the area on the 180-degree opposite side of the cutout portion of the peripheral portion is not surrounded by the inner surface of the restricting member, and the door member is pulled horizontally forward.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein: The aforementioned removable components are configured as a refrigerated container and a water supply tank disposed on the upper side of the container, wherein the lower portions of the refrigerated container and the water supply tank abut against the door component to form the aforementioned interference.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The container is composed of a bottom plate, a front plate surrounding the bottom plate, a rear plate and plates on both sides. The upper surface of the container is opened to form an entrance for storing and taking out stored items in the storage area.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The aforementioned rotation angle is 70 to 80 degrees.

Citation Information

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