Refrigerator and shelving

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of refrigerators, and in particular to a refrigerator and a shelf device. The shelf device includes a first shelf, a second shelf, a support assembly, and a fixing assembly. The first shelf is connected to a first rotating shaft, and the second shelf is connected to a second rotating shaft. The same ends of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are movably connected to the same support assembly, so that the first shelf and the second shelf can be rotated between a horizontal state and a vertical state relative to the support assembly through the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft; when the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to a horizontal state, they are spliced to form a shelf body for placing items; when the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to a vertical state and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are placed near one end of the length direction of the support assembly, the fixing assembly fixes or unlocks the first shelf and the second shelf. The above-mentioned shelf device does not need to be taken out and is easy to fold, which can meet the user's storage needs for taller items inside the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of refrigerators, and in particular to a refrigerator and a shelf device. Background Art

[0002] As living standards continue to improve, people's demands for refrigerators are becoming increasingly demanding. However, because existing refrigerator shelves are placed on the ribs of the refrigerator's interior, the height between shelves is limited. Therefore, when users need to store taller items, they may need to remove shelves from a certain layer, which is inconvenient. The removed shelves can easily fall and be damaged if improperly stored. The prior art discloses a shelving structure that splices front and rear shelves. This structure stacks the front and rear shelves vertically by lifting and staggering the front and rear shelves. However, the stacked shelves still occupy at least half of the horizontal space, failing to meet user needs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application provides a refrigerator and a shelf device to solve the problem of inconvenience in storing tall items in the refrigerator.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a shelf device, comprising:

[0005] A first shelf and a second shelf, the first shelf being fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, the second shelf being fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft, the first shelf and the second shelf being configured to rotate and switch between a horizontal state and a vertical state, and when both the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to the horizontal state, the two shelves are spliced to form a shelf body for placing items;

[0006] A support assembly is provided on at least one side of the first shelf and the second shelf in the width direction, and the same ends of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are movably connected to the same support assembly;

[0007] The fixing assembly is used to fix or unlock the first shelf and the second shelf in a vertical state when the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are placed at one end of the length direction of the supporting assembly; wherein the vertical state refers to a state in which the angle between the first shelf and the second shelf relative to the vertical direction is less than a preset angle.

[0008] In some embodiments, the support assembly is a guide rail assembly, and the same ends of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are slidably connected to the same guide rail assembly;

[0009] The fixed assembly is a telescopic assembly, wherein the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft pass through the telescopic assembly and are rotatably connected to the telescopic assembly, and the telescopic assembly is used to drive the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft to slide along the guide rail assembly and is configured to be fixed and unlocked in a retracted state;

[0010] When the telescopic assembly is fixed in the retracted state, the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to a vertical state, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft slide to one end close to the length direction of the guide rail assembly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly is connected to the telescopic drive assembly, and the telescopic drive assembly is used to drive the telescopic assembly to extend or retract.

[0012] In some embodiments, a slider is provided at the first end of the telescopic assembly, and the second end is fixed to the guide rail assembly, and the slider is slidably connected to the guide rail assembly; a position detection assembly for detecting the position of the slider is also included.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are connected to a rotation drive assembly, and the rotation drive assembly is used to drive the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft to rotate, so that the first shelf and the second shelf are switched between a horizontal state and a vertical state.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first rotating shaft is vertically connected to the first connecting rod, and one end of the first connecting rod facing away from the first rotating shaft is vertically connected to the first roller; the second rotating shaft is vertically connected to the second connecting rod, and one end of the second connecting rod facing away from the second rotating shaft is vertically connected to the second roller;

[0015] The rotary drive assembly includes a first drive motor and a connecting rod mechanism rotatably connected to the first drive motor, the connecting rod mechanism includes a horizontally arranged lifting connecting rod, the lifting connecting rod defines a driving groove, and the first roller and the second roller are slidably connected to the driving groove;

[0016] The lifting link is driven by the first drive motor to rise and fall between the first position and the second position, and when the lifting link moves to the first position, it drives the first shelf and the second shelf to rotate to the vertical state; when the lifting link moves to the second position, it drives the first shelf and the second shelf to rotate to the horizontal state.

[0017] In some embodiments, the lifting link is provided with a support hole and further includes a support rod that cooperates with the support hole and fixes the lifting link in the first position.

[0018] In some embodiments, the support rod is provided with a rack, the rack is meshed and connected to a driving gear, the driving gear is connected to a second driving motor, and the second driving motor is used to drive the support rod to extend into or exit the support hole.

[0019] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly is a scissor-type telescopic frame.

[0020] In some embodiments, the guide rail assembly includes a guide rail body and fixing parts arranged at both ends of the guide rail body. The guide rail body is provided with a rotating shaft slide and a slider slide. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are slidably arranged on the rotating shaft slide, and the slider is slidably arranged on the slider slide.

[0021] In some embodiments, the telescopic drive assembly includes a third drive motor and a transmission assembly connected to the third drive motor, and the transmission assembly is used to drive the slider to slide back and forth along the slider slideway.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first shelf and / or the second shelf is provided with a gravity sensor, and the gravity sensor is electrically connected to the control mechanism of the rotation drive assembly.

[0023] In some embodiments, the joint surfaces of the first shelf and the second shelf are stepped surfaces.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application provides a refrigerator comprising a box body, an inner tank and any one of the above-mentioned shelf devices, wherein the first shelf is arranged at one end of the inner tank close to the opening side of the box body, and the second shelf is arranged at one end of the inner tank away from the opening side of the box body.

[0025] In some embodiments, and when the fixing component is a telescopic component and the supporting component is a guide rail component; the inner liner is provided with a first mounting groove for accommodating the telescopic component and a second mounting groove for accommodating the guide rail component on its side wall adjacent to the opening side of the box body. The first mounting groove is closer to the surface of the inner liner than the second mounting groove and is connected with the second mounting groove.

[0026] In some embodiments, when the shelf device is provided with a rotary drive assembly, the inner container is provided with a third mounting slot for accommodating the rotary drive assembly, and the second mounting slot is closer to the surface of the inner container than the third mounting slot and is connected to the third mounting slot.

[0027] In some embodiments, a support rib is provided on the rear wall of the inner container on a side opposite to the opening side of the box body; and / or a support block is provided on the inner container at a side close to the opening side of the box body.

[0028] In some embodiments, the support ribs and / or the support blocks are provided with in-position sensors for detecting the position of the shelf body, and the in-position sensors are electrically connected to the control mechanism of the rotation drive assembly.

[0029] In some embodiments, when the shelf device is provided with a telescopic drive assembly and a rotational drive assembly, the box or the inner container is provided with a control button;

[0030] The control button is electrically connected to the telescopic drive assembly and the rotation drive assembly, and is used to control the first shelf and the second shelf to switch to a horizontal state or a vertical state with one button.

[0031] The above-mentioned technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the existing technology: when the above-mentioned shelf device is applied to at least one shelf layer of the refrigerator, the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to a horizontal state through the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft respectively, and the first shelf and the second shelf are horizontally spliced to form a shelf body, which meets the storage needs of items that are smaller than the normal layer height.

[0032] When taller items need to be stored, the first and second shelves are rotated to a vertical position using the first and second rotating shafts, respectively. The first and second rotating shafts are then moved to one end of the support assembly (usually the rear wall of the refrigerator). Finally, the first and second shelves are fixed in the vertical position using the fixing assembly to fold the shelf assembly. A larger storage space is formed between the upper and lower shelves adjacent to the shelf assembly of the present invention, meeting the need for storing taller items without having to remove a shelf on a certain layer.

[0033] When unfolding, the fixing assembly releases the vertical fixation of the first shelf and the second shelf, and then the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to the horizontal state for splicing. In addition, the shelf device provided by the present application is easy to fold and unfold, greatly improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0036] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplifications do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a horizontal state of a shelf device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the middle shelf unit rotating to a vertical position;

[0039] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the middle shelf unit in a fully folded state after moving along the guide rail assembly;

[0040] Figure 4 An internal structural diagram of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application for assembly with a shelf device;

[0041] Figure 5 for Figure 1 a longitudinal section of the middle shelf assembly;

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the guide rail assembly, telescopic assembly and rotary drive assembly of the shelving device of the present application;

[0043] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Front view of

[0044] Figure 8 for Figure 6 Rear view;

[0045] Figure 9 for Figure 6 Structural diagram of the middle guide rail assembly;

[0046] Figure 10 for Figure 6 A structural diagram of the lifting link of the rotary drive assembly;

[0047] Figure 11 A structural diagram of a first shelf provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 12 A structural diagram of a telescopic drive assembly provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 13 A diagram showing the driving structure of a support rod provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a rotary drive assembly of a shelf device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 15 A simplified diagram of the operating logic of a shelf device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 16 A simplified diagram of the operating logic of a shelf device provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 17 This is a simplified diagram of the operating logic of a shelf device provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Description of reference numerals:

[0055] 1-box; 11-fixing slot; 12-first installation slot; 13-second installation slot; 14-third installation slot; 2-first shelf; 21-first rotating shaft; 22-first connecting rod; 23-first roller; 3-second shelf; 31-second rotating shaft; 4-telescopic assembly; 5-support ribs; 6-support block; 7-guide rail assembly; 71-slider; 72-slider slide; 73-rotating shaft slide; 74-fixing part; 8-telescopic drive assembly; 81-driving wheel; 82-driven wheel; 83-conveyor belt; 9-rotating drive assembly; 91-driving shaft; 92-third connecting rod; 93-lifting connecting rod; 931-support hole; 932-driving slot; 94-fourth connecting rod; 10-support rod; 101-driving gear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0057] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. In addition, the present application may repeat reference numbers and / or letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0058] For ease of description, spatially relative terms may be used herein to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures, such as "inside," "outside," "inside," "outside," "below," "beneath," "above," "above," "front," "back," and the like. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation other than the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures undergoes a positional flip or a change in posture or a change in motion, then these directional indications will also change accordingly. For example, an element described as "below" or "below" another element or feature will subsequently be oriented as "above" or "above" another element or feature. Thus, the example term "below" can include both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0059] In order to solve the technical problem of the inconvenience of storing tall items in refrigerator shelves in the prior art, the present application provides a refrigerator and a shelf device, which can be folded and unfolded by rotating the shelf device, and can meet the user's diverse storage needs without removing the shelf device, thereby greatly improving the user experience.

[0060] The directional terms "up, down, left, right, front, and back" defined in this application are based on the refrigerator being placed vertically and the shelf device being horizontally deployed. The direction extending from the bottom of the refrigerator to the top of the refrigerator is "up," and the direction extending from the top of the refrigerator to the bottom of the refrigerator is "down." The side closest to the refrigerator door, i.e., the opening side of the refrigerator body 1, is the "front" side of the refrigerator, and the wall opposite the door is the "back" side of the refrigerator. "Left" and "right" refer to the two sides connecting the door and the rear wall, respectively. The first end of the support assembly or guide rail assembly 7 refers to the end thereof closest to the refrigerator door, and the second end of the support assembly or guide rail assembly 7 refers to the end thereof closest to the rear wall of the refrigerator. The width direction of the shelf device refers to the dimension of the shelf device along the left and right walls of the refrigerator.

[0061] The vertical state of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 referred to in this application is not a state in the absolute vertical or horizontal direction, but a certain deviation is allowed, that is, the state in which the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 have a preset angle with the absolute vertical direction (such as ±15°, 20° or 30°, the smaller the preset angle, the smaller the horizontal storage space occupied after rotating to the vertical state) belongs to the vertical state defined in this application.

[0062] The embodiment of the present application provides a shelf device such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, the shelf device mainly consists of a first shelf 2, a second shelf 3, a support assembly and a fixed assembly. Among them, the first shelf 2 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 21, and the second shelf 3 is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 31. The first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 are usually arranged at the bottom of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3, respectively. The bottom mentioned here refers to the side of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 that is away from the top of the refrigerator when they are in a horizontally expanded state; the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 are both extended along the width direction of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. The support assembly is arranged on one side or both sides of the width direction of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3, and the same end of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 is movably connected to the same support assembly; for example, the left ends of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 are both movably connected to the support assembly on the left side of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3.

[0063] When the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to a horizontal state and placed at corresponding positions of the support assembly for horizontal splicing, the two form a shelf body for placing items. When taller items need to be placed in the refrigerator, the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to a vertical state via the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 respectively and placed near one end of the length direction of the support assembly (such as near the rear wall of the refrigerator), and the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are kept fixed in the vertical state using the fixing assembly. When the shelf device needs to be unfolded, the fixing assembly releases the fixation of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 in the vertical state, and then the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to a horizontal state and placed on the support assembly for splicing.

[0064] In some embodiments, the supporting assembly adopts the guide rail assembly 7, and the fixing assembly can adopt the telescopic assembly 4. The same end of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 is slidably connected to the same guide rail assembly 7. The telescopic assembly 4 is extended along the length direction of the guide rail assembly 7 and can be extended or shortened along the length direction of the guide rail assembly 7. The shortened telescopic assembly 4 can remain fixed in the contracted state. The first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 are respectively rotatably connected to the telescopic assembly 4, that is, the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 can not only rotate relative to the telescopic assembly 4, but also slide along the length direction of the guide rail assembly 7. By driving the telescopic assembly 4 to extend or shorten, the distance between the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 and the positions of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 in the length direction of the guide rail assembly 7 can be adjusted.

[0065] When the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to a horizontal state through the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 respectively, the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are horizontally spliced to form a shelf body. The spliced shelf body is of the same size as the shelves on other layers and can be used for normal storage. When it is necessary to store items of greater height on the shelves, it is only necessary to first drive the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate around the first rotation axis 21 and the second rotation axis 31 respectively, so that the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to a substantially vertical state, and then drive the telescopic assembly 4 to retract, driving the first rotation axis 21 and the second rotation axis 31 to approach and slide along the guide rail assembly 7 toward one end in the length direction of the guide rail assembly 7, such as the second end, and then drive the vertical first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to move close to the rear wall of the refrigerator; after the telescopic assembly 4 is retracted to the retracted state, it is fixed and maintained in the retracted state, so that the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are vertically fixed near the rear wall of the refrigerator, and without removing the shelf device, a higher storage space for items is formed between the shelves of the upper and lower adjacent layers of the shelf device, thereby meeting the user's diverse storage needs.

[0066] After taking out tall items, the telescopic assembly 4 is unlocked from the retracted state, then extended and reset, driving the first and second rotating shafts 21 and 31 to move to the appropriate position while maintaining a suitable spacing. Finally, the first and second shelves 2 and 3 are rotated to a horizontal position and then joined horizontally. To ensure the integrity of the two shelves after horizontal joining, the joining surfaces of the first and second shelves 2 and 3 are preferably inclined or stepped.

[0067] In the above embodiment, it is necessary to manually drive the telescopic assembly 4 to drive the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 to slide along the guide rail assembly 7, and it is also necessary to manually rotate the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 to drive the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate and switch between the horizontal state and the vertical state, which is somewhat inconvenient.

[0068] In view of this, some preferred embodiments of the present application provide a shelf device with a telescopic drive assembly 8, and a rotational drive assembly 9 may also be provided as needed. The telescopic drive assembly 8 is used to drive the telescopic assembly 4 to extend or retract along the length of the guide rail assembly 7, while the rotational drive assembly 9 is used to drive the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 to rotate, thereby driving the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate.

[0069] It should be understood that the rotation drive component 9 drives the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 to rotate either by synchronously driving the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 to rotate, or by driving the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 to rotate separately, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0070] The telescopic drive assembly 8 and the rotary drive assembly 9 cooperate to automatically drive the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate to the folded state or to the expanded state according to the set steps, significantly improving the convenience of use and allowing users to free their hands to take and put items.

[0071] In some embodiments, the structure and operation principle of the telescopic drive component 8 driving the telescopic component 4 to extend or shorten can be referred to. Figure 5 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 9 and Figure 12 . Take the telescopic assembly 4 as an example using a scissors-type telescopic frame. The first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 are rotatably connected to the hinge hole of the scissors-type telescopic frame. The first end of the scissors-type telescopic frame is fixedly connected to the slider 71, and the second end of the scissors-type telescopic frame is fixedly connected to the second end of the guide rail assembly 7. The guide rail assembly 7 includes a guide rail body and fixing members 74 arranged at both ends of the guide rail body. The fixing members 74 are used to install and fix the guide rail body. The guide rail body is respectively provided with a rotating shaft slide 73 and a slider slide 72 along its length direction. The dimension of the slider slide 72 in the length direction perpendicular to the guide rail assembly 7, that is, the height or width of the slider slide 72 is greater than the dimension of the rotating shaft slide 73 in this direction, and the slider slide 72 is arranged closer to the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 than the rotating shaft slide 73. The telescopic drive assembly 8 drives the scissors-type telescopic frame to extend or contract by driving the slider 71 to reciprocate along the slider slide 72.

[0072] The telescopic drive assembly 8 includes a third drive motor and a transmission assembly connected to the third drive motor. For example, the transmission assembly can be a conveyor belt 83. Specifically, the telescopic drive assembly 8 utilizes a third drive motor in conjunction with the conveyor belt 83. The output shaft of the third drive motor is connected to a driving pulley 81. The conveyor belt 83 rotatably connects the driving pulley 81 and the driven pulley 82. A slider 71 is positioned on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 83. The friction between the surface of the conveyor belt 83 and the slider 71 drives the slider 71 to reciprocate. When the slider 71 drives the telescopic assembly 4 to the retracted state, the third drive motor stops rotating. Static friction between the conveyor belt 83 and the slider 71 secures the telescopic assembly 4 in the retracted state. Specifically, when the telescopic drive assembly 8 utilizes a third drive motor and a conveyor belt 83, the conveyor belt 83 is positioned within the slider track 72. Furthermore, the telescopic drive assembly 8 can utilize not only a third drive motor and a conveyor belt 83, but also an electric push rod or a micro-hydraulic lever positioned within the slider track 72. This description will not be elaborated upon in this application.

[0073] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the third drive motor to drive the slider 71 to drive the telescopic component 4 to shorten to the contracted state or extend to the extended state and then stop rotating, the shelving device provided in the embodiment of the present application also includes a position detection component for detecting the position of the slider 71. The position of the slider 71 is detected by the position detection component to reflect the state of the telescopic component 4, so as to control the third drive motor to rotate forward, reverse or stop rotating.

[0074] For example, the position detection component may include a first detection component arranged at the first end of the slider slide 72 and a second detection component arranged near the second end of the slider slide 72. The first detection component may be a Hall-type, electromagnetic or resistive position sensor, and the corresponding slider 71 material can be adaptively adjusted as needed.

[0075] In some embodiments, the structure and working principle of the rotary drive assembly 9 can be found in Figure 6-Figure 8 、 Figure 10 and Figure 11 . The first rotating shaft 21 is vertically connected to the first connecting rod 22, and the end of the first connecting rod 22 away from the first rotating shaft 21 is vertically connected to the first roller 23, so that the axial direction of the first roller 23 is parallel to the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 21. With the help of the first connecting rod 22, the lever arm of the first rotating shaft 21 is increased, so that the first rotating shaft 21 and the first shelf 2 are driven to rotate by driving the first roller 23 around the axis of the first rotating shaft 21. The second rotating shaft 31 is vertically connected to the second connecting rod, and the end of the second connecting rod away from the second rotating shaft 31 is vertically connected to the second roller, and the axial direction of the second roller is set parallel to the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 31. With the help of the second connecting rod, the lever arm of the second rotating shaft 31 is increased, so that the second rotating shaft 31 and the second shelf 3 are driven to rotate by driving the second roller around the axis of the second rotating shaft 31.

[0076] The rotary drive assembly 9 utilizes a first drive motor in conjunction with a linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism includes a horizontally disposed lifting link 93 having a drive slot 932 extending horizontally therein. The first roller 23 and the second roller are both slidably disposed within the drive slot 932. The first drive motor drives the linkage mechanism to rotate during rotation. The arrangement of the linkage mechanism ensures that the lifting link 93 remains horizontal and performs lifting and lowering motion, enabling the lifting link 93 to move between a first position and a second position. The driving slot 932 cooperates with the first roller 23 and the second roller to convert the lifting and lowering motion of the lifting link 93 and the driving slot 932 into rotation of the first roller 23 and the second roller about the axis of the first rotating shaft 21 and the axis of the second rotating shaft 31, respectively, thereby driving the rotation of the first rotating shaft 21 and the first shelf 2, as well as the second rotating shaft 31 and the second shelf 3.

[0077] Among them, the first position of the lifting link 93 refers to the position of the lifting link 93 when the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to the vertical state, and the second position refers to the position of the lifting link 93 when the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are rotated to the horizontal state.

[0078] In some embodiments, the connecting rod mechanism specifically includes a third connecting rod 92, a lifting connecting rod 93 and a fourth connecting rod 94. The third connecting rod 92 and the fourth connecting rod 94 are of equal length and are arranged parallel to each other. The first drive motor is fixed to the guide rail assembly 7. The first end of the third connecting rod 92 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the first drive motor, that is, the driving shaft 91 shown in the figure. The second end of the third connecting rod 92 is rotatably connected to the first end of the lifting connecting rod 93. The second end of the lifting connecting rod 93 is rotatably connected to the second end of the fourth connecting rod 94. The first end of the fourth connecting rod 94 is rotatably connected to the guide rail assembly 7. Figure 14 As shown, the third connecting rod 92, the lifting connecting rod 93 and the fourth connecting rod 94 cooperate with the guide rail assembly 7 to form a connecting rod mechanism with a parallelogram structure. The third connecting rod 92 is driven to rotate by the first drive motor, and then the lifting connecting rod 93 is driven to complete the lifting movement in the rotating state, and then acts on the first roller 23 and the second roller to drive the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate.

[0079] The arrangement of the connecting rod mechanism is not limited to the above structure, and any structure that can drive the lifting link 93 to rise and fall is applicable to the present application. The rotating shaft of the first drive motor can be fixedly connected not only to the third link 92, but also to the fourth link 94, or two sets of first drive motors can be provided, and the rotating shafts of the two sets of first drive motors are fixedly connected to one end of the third link 92 and the fourth link 94 respectively.

[0080] Considering that the lifting link 93 acts on the first roller 23 and the second roller through the driving groove 932, thereby driving the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate and maintain in a vertical state, that is, when the lifting link 93 is in the first position, the lifting link 93 bears the downward force of the first roller 23 and the second roller acting on its rod body. In order to prevent the lifting link 93 from bending and sinking downward, the shelf device provided in the embodiment of the present application also includes a support rod 10.

[0081] like Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, the lifting link 93 has a support hole 931, and the support rod 10 can enter or exit the support hole 931, providing auxiliary support for the support rod 10. That is, through the arrangement of the support rod 10 and the support hole 931, the support of the lifting link 93 in the first position, which only relies on the two-point support of the third link 92 and the fourth link 94, is transformed into a three-point support of the third link 92, the fourth link 94, and the support rod 10 at the support hole 931. This significantly improves the rigidity of the lifting link 93 and prevents the lifting link 93 from bending downward. In addition, the support rod 10 also plays a certain locking role for the lifting link 93. After the support rod 10 exits the support hole 931 of the lifting link 93, the support and locking of the lifting link 93 are released, allowing the lifting link 93 to return to the second position, thereby driving the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate to a horizontal state.

[0082] The support rod 10 can be inserted manually or driven by a motor to enter or exit the support hole 931. Figure 13 The support rod 10 is driven by a second drive motor and a drive gear 101. For example, a rack is provided along the length of the support rod 10. The drive gear 101 is fixedly connected to the shaft of the second drive motor, and the drive gear 101 meshes with the rack on the support rod 10. The forward and reverse rotation of the second drive motor drives the drive gear 101 to rotate forward and reverse, thereby driving the support rod 10 to enter or exit the support hole 931 of the lifting link 93. A reduction gear set may also be provided between the drive gear 101 and the rack, as needed, but this application will not further elaborate on this.

[0083] In some embodiments, in order to avoid accidental touch operations that cause the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate when there are items stored on the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3, the shelf device provided in the embodiment of the present application also includes gravity sensors arranged on the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. The gravity sensor is electrically connected to the control mechanism of the power part of the rotation drive assembly 9. When there are items placed on the first shelf 2 or the second shelf 3, the gravity value detected by the gravity sensor in real time is greater than the gravity value when there are no items placed on the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. The control mechanism automatically disconnects the circuit of the power part of the rotation drive assembly 9, that is, controls the first drive motor to be powered off, so that the rotation drive assembly 9 cannot drive the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to rotate and fold when the items are placed on them.

[0084] It can be understood that the above-mentioned shelf device can not only be set as a structure in which the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are unfolded and spliced and rotated and folded, but a third shelf and a third rotating shaft can also be set as needed. The setting of the third shelf and the third rotating shaft can refer to the above-mentioned first shelf 2, second shelf 3, first rotating shaft 21 and second rotating shaft 31.

[0085] An embodiment of the present application also provides a refrigerator, comprising a body 1, an inner tank and the shelf device provided in the above embodiment, wherein the first shelf 2 is arranged at the inner tank on the side close to the opening of the body 1, that is, at one end of the refrigerator door, and the second shelf 3 is arranged at the end of the inner tank away from the opening of the body 1, that is, the second shelf 3 is arranged close to the rear wall of the refrigerator.

[0086] The assembly structure of the shelf device and the inner container is described by taking the shelf device as an example in which the guide rail assembly 7, the telescopic assembly 4, the telescopic drive assembly 8 and the rotation drive assembly 9 are provided, and the guide rail assembly 7 includes a guide rail body and a fixing member 74. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The inner container is provided with a first mounting groove 12 on its side wall, which is the side wall adjacent to the inner container and the refrigerator door. The first mounting groove 12 is used to install the telescopic assembly 4, such as the scissor-type telescopic frame provided in the above-mentioned application embodiment. When the telescopic assembly 4 adopts a scissor-type telescopic frame, the width of the first mounting groove 12, that is, its dimension along the height direction of the refrigerator, is usually set larger to meet the contraction requirements of the scissor-type telescopic frame. The inner container is also provided with a second mounting groove 13, which is used to install the guide rail body of the guide rail assembly 7. The second mounting groove 13 extends in the same direction as the first mounting groove 12 and is interconnected, so that the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 pass through the telescopic assembly 4 and are slidably connected to the guide rail body fixed in the second mounting groove 13. Among them, the first mounting groove 12 is arranged closer to the surface of the inner container relative to the second mounting groove 13.

[0087] The inner container has fixing grooves 11 at both ends of the second mounting groove 13, which are connected to the second mounting groove 13 from above. The fixing grooves 11 are used to install fixing members 74, and the fixing members 74 are used to fix the guide rail body relative to the inner container. The inner container has a third mounting groove 14 on the side of the second mounting groove 13 facing away from the first mounting groove 12. In other words, the second mounting groove 13 is closer to the surface of the inner container than the third mounting groove 14. The third mounting groove 14 is used to accommodate the rotary drive assembly 9 and is connected to the second mounting groove 13 so that the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 pass through the guide rail body fixed in the second mounting groove 13 and connect with the rotary drive assembly 9.

[0088] When the shelving system further includes support rods 10 and a second drive motor, the inner container may further include a fourth mounting slot for mounting and securing the second drive motor. When the lifting link 93 is in the first position, the second drive motor is configured to drive the support rod 10 via the drive gear 101, thereby allowing the support rod 10 to extend into or out of the support hole 931 of the lifting link 93. The fourth mounting slot is located on the side of the third mounting slot 14 facing away from the second mounting slot 13, i.e., the third mounting slot 14 is positioned closer to the surface of the inner container than the fourth mounting slot.

[0089] Furthermore, the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present application is also provided with support ribs 5 on the rear wall of the inner container near the rear box wall. When the second shelf 3 is rotated to a horizontal state, the support ribs 5 support the rear end of the second shelf 3, and cooperate with the second rotating shaft 31 for support, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the second shelf 3 and the shelf body formed by splicing. In addition, the inner container can also be provided with support blocks 6 on its two side walls near the door, with a pair of support blocks 6 protruding towards each other, and the upper end surfaces of the support blocks 6 are horizontal surfaces. When the first shelf 2 is rotated to a horizontal state, the front end of the first shelf 2 is exactly placed on the upper end surface of the support blocks 6, and the support blocks 6 serve as an auxiliary support for the first shelf 2. The support blocks 6 cooperate with the first rotating shaft 21 for support, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the first shelf 2 and the shelf body formed by splicing. The support ribs 5 on the rear wall of the inner container can be replaced with support blocks 6 as needed.

[0090] Due to the arrangement of the above-mentioned supporting ribs 5 and supporting blocks 6, when the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are horizontally spliced to form a shelf body for placing objects, the supporting blocks 6 and supporting ribs 5 play a certain role in limiting the rotation of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. The first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 can only be rotated according to the Figure 14 The first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 rotate in the direction shown, that is, in the horizontal state, the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 rotate downward from their respective connecting ends. The reset process is exactly the opposite. The first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 in the folded state (vertical state) rotate upward from their respective connecting ends toward each other to the horizontal state, thereby completing the splicing. If the mating surfaces of the two connecting ends are inclined or stepped surfaces, the configuration of the rotation drive assembly 9 should ensure that the shelf with the splicing surface facing downward rotates to the horizontal state first.

[0091] The support ribs 5 and support blocks 6 may also be provided with position sensors as needed, which are electrically connected to the control mechanism of the rotation drive assembly 9. The position sensors assist in detecting the position of the first shelf 2 or the second shelf 3, so as to assist in controlling the operation of the power unit of the rotation drive assembly 9, such as the second drive motor. For example, the position sensors are provided at the front end of the support ribs 5. When the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 rotate to a vertical position and slide toward the second end of the guide rail assembly 7, i.e., the rear wall of the refrigerator, driven by the telescopic assembly 4 and the telescopic drive assembly 8, when the second shelf 3 touches the position sensors at the front end of the support ribs 5, indicating that the second shelf 3 has moved into position, the position detection assembly, which cooperates with the position detection assembly for detecting the position of the slider 71, controls the second drive motor to stop running, completing the folding of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. In addition, position sensors may also be provided on the upper end surfaces of the support ribs 5 and the support blocks 6. When the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 rotate and return to a horizontal position, the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 respectively touch the position sensors, and the control mechanism of the rotation drive assembly 9 controls the second drive motor to stop running.

[0092] It is worth mentioning that the above-mentioned first drive motor, second drive motor and third drive motor can not only control the start and stop and rotation angle according to the position or status information of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 detected in real time by the sensor, but also store the operation sequence and operation time of each drive motor in the control mechanism according to the set steps according to the folding and unfolding placement needs of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. By sending instructions to the control mechanism, the folding and unfolding placement of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 are completed under the control of the control mechanism.

[0093] See Figure 15 This embodiment illustrates a control logic for a refrigerator using the above-mentioned shelf device: a control button is provided on the cabinet 1 or the inner container, and the control button is connected to a control mechanism. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the power components of the telescopic drive assembly 8, the rotational drive assembly 9, and the support rod 10, such as the first drive motor, the second drive motor, and the third drive motor. The expansion or folding of the shelf body is controlled by the control button. When the control button switches to different states, it sends an expansion or folding instruction to the control mechanism. The control mechanism controls the first drive motor, the second drive motor, and the third drive motor to operate according to the set steps according to the control instruction.

[0094] See Figure 16 This embodiment illustrates another control logic for a refrigerator employing the aforementioned shelf assembly. Two sets of control buttons are provided: a first control button and a second control button. The first control button is electrically connected to the power components of the telescopic drive assembly 8 and the rotational drive assembly 9, namely, the first and third drive motors, via a control mechanism. The different states of the first control button transmit commands to the control mechanism to expand or collapse the shelf body. The control mechanism then controls the first and third drive motors according to the control commands. The second control button is directly electrically connected to the power component of the support rod 10, namely, the second drive motor. The second control button has at least three states: forward rotation, reverse rotation, and power-off.

[0095] When the first control button controls the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to be folded into place, the lifting connecting rod 93 is in the first position. The second control button is manually operated to control the second drive motor to drive the support rod 10 into the support hole 931 and then switch the second drive motor to the power-off state. When the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 need to be unfolded, the second control button is first operated to control the second drive motor to drive the support rod 10 out of the support hole 931 and unlock the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3. Then, the first control button is operated to send an unfolding instruction of the first shelf 2 and the second shelf 3 to the control mechanism, and the control mechanism controls the first drive motor and the third drive motor to operate according to the set steps.

[0096] In addition, the control buttons can also be Figure 17Three groups of control buttons are provided: a first control button, a second control button, and a third control button. The first control button can be electrically connected to the first drive motor, the second control button can be electrically connected to the second drive motor, and the third control button can be electrically connected to the drive motor. Each of the first, second, and third control buttons has at least three states, used to control the corresponding drive motors to rotate forward, reverse, and power off. The shelving device can be deployed and folded manually by manually operating the first, second, and third control buttons in a specific sequence.

[0097] It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the order of execution is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0098] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0099] The foregoing is merely a list of specific embodiments of the present application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features of the present application.

Claims

1. A shelf device, characterized in that: include: A first shelf and a second shelf, wherein the first shelf is fixedly connected to a first rotating shaft, and the second shelf is fixedly connected to a second rotating shaft, and the first shelf and the second shelf are configured to rotate and switch between a horizontal state and a vertical state, and when the first shelf and the second shelf are both rotated to the horizontal state, the two shelves are spliced to form a shelf body for placing items; A support assembly is provided on at least one side in the width direction of the first shelf and the second shelf, and the same end of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft is movably connected to the same support assembly, and the support assembly is a guide rail assembly, and the same end of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft is slidably connected to the same guide rail assembly; The fixing assembly is used to fix or unlock the first shelf and the second shelf in a vertical state when the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are placed at one end in the length direction of the supporting assembly; wherein the vertical state refers to a state in which the angle between the first shelf and the second shelf relative to the vertical direction is less than a preset angle, and the fixing assembly is a telescopic assembly, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft pass through the telescopic assembly and are rotatably connected to the telescopic assembly, and the telescopic assembly is used to drive the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft to slide along the guide rail assembly and is configured to be fixed and unlocked in a retracted state; when the telescopic assembly is fixed in the retracted state, the first shelf and the second shelf are rotated to a vertical state, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft slide to one end close to the length direction of the guide rail assembly, a slider is provided at the first end of the telescopic assembly, and the second end is fixed to the guide rail assembly, and the slider is slidably connected to the guide rail assembly.

2. The shelf device according to claim 1, wherein: The telescopic assembly is connected to a telescopic driving assembly, and the telescopic driving assembly is used to drive the telescopic assembly to extend or retract.

3. The shelf device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are connected to a rotation driving assembly, and the rotation driving assembly is used to drive the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft to rotate, so that the first shelf and the second shelf are switched between a horizontal state and a vertical state.

4. The shelf device according to claim 3, wherein: The first rotating shaft is vertically connected to the first connecting rod, and one end of the first connecting rod facing away from the first rotating shaft is vertically connected to the first roller; the second rotating shaft is vertically connected to the second connecting rod, and one end of the second connecting rod facing away from the second rotating shaft is vertically connected to the second roller; The rotary drive assembly includes a first drive motor and a connecting rod mechanism rotatably connected to the first drive motor, the connecting rod mechanism includes a horizontally arranged lifting connecting rod, the lifting connecting rod defines a driving slot, and the first roller and the second roller are slidably connected to the driving slot; The lifting link is driven by the first drive motor to rise and fall between a first position and a second position, and when the lifting link moves to the first position, it drives the first shelf and the second shelf to rotate to a vertical state; when the lifting link moves to the second position, it drives the first shelf and the second shelf to rotate to a horizontal state.

5. The shelf device according to claim 4, wherein: The lifting link is provided with a support hole and further comprises a support rod which cooperates with the support hole and fixes and supports the lifting link at a first position.

6. The shelf device according to claim 5, wherein: The support rod is provided with a rack, the rack is meshed and connected to a driving gear, the driving gear is connected to a second driving motor, and the second driving motor is used to drive the support rod to extend into or exit the support hole.

7. The shelf device according to claim 1, wherein: The telescopic assembly is a scissor-type telescopic frame.

8. The shelf device according to claim 2, wherein: The guide rail assembly includes a guide rail body and fixing parts arranged at both ends of the guide rail body. The guide rail body is provided with a rotating shaft slide and a slider slide. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are slidably arranged on the rotating shaft slide, and the slider is slidably arranged on the slider slide.

9. The shelf device according to claim 8, wherein: The telescopic drive assembly includes a third drive motor and a transmission assembly connected to the third drive motor, and the transmission assembly is used to drive the slider to slide back and forth along the slider slideway.

10. The shelf device according to claim 3, wherein: The first shelf and / or the second shelf is provided with a gravity sensor, and the gravity sensor is electrically connected to the control mechanism of the rotation drive assembly.

11. The shelving device according to claim 1, wherein: The joint surface between the first shelf and the second shelf is a stepped surface.

12. A refrigerator, characterized in that: It comprises a box body, an inner liner and the shelf device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first shelf is arranged at one end of the inner liner close to the opening of the box body, and the second shelf is arranged at one end of the inner liner away from the opening of the box body.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein: And when the fixing component is a telescopic component and the supporting component is a guide rail component; the inner container is provided with a first mounting groove for accommodating the telescopic component and a second mounting groove for accommodating the guide rail component on its side wall adjacent to the opening side of the box body, and the first mounting groove is closer to the surface of the inner container than the second mounting groove and is connected with the second mounting groove.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein: When the shelf device is provided with a rotary drive assembly, the inner container is provided with a third mounting slot for accommodating the rotary drive assembly, and the second mounting slot is closer to the surface of the inner container than the third mounting slot and is communicated with the third mounting slot.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein: The inner container is provided with a support rib on its rear wall on a side opposite to the opening side of the box body; and / or the inner container is provided with a support block on its side close to the opening side of the box body.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, characterized in that The supporting ribs and / or the supporting blocks are provided with in-position sensors for detecting the position of the shelf body, and the in-position sensors are electrically connected to the control mechanism of the rotation drive assembly.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein: When the shelf device is provided with a telescopic drive assembly and a rotation drive assembly, the box or the inner container is provided with a control button; The control button is electrically connected to the telescopic drive assembly and the rotation drive assembly, and is used to control the first shelf and the second shelf to switch to a horizontal state or a vertical state with one button.

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