Damping hinge

Abstract

The application discloses a damping hinge, when the damping hinge is in an open state, an elastic assembly is locked with a second connecting piece and is in a compressed state, the elastic assembly is separated from a door body fixing base, and a bearing part of a fourth connecting piece is separated from a damping block of a speed reduction assembly; when the damping hinge is in a critical state, the elastic assembly is unlocked with the second connecting piece, the elastic assembly restores deformation and abuts against the door body fixing base and rotates around the door body fixing base, the door body fixing base drives the fourth connecting piece to rotate clockwise, so that the bearing part and the damping block rollingly abut against each other to reduce a closing speed until entering a closed state. Therefore, when the door body is in the open state, the elastic assembly does not exert a closing force on the door body, and it is convenient for a user to take and place things; when the door body rotates beyond the critical state, the elastic assembly exerts a closing force on the door body, so that the door body and a cabinet body are finally completely closed, and meanwhile, cooperation of the bearing part and the damping block can reduce a self-closing speed, and safety is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to hinges, and more particularly to damped hinges. Background Technology

[0002] To ensure thermal insulation, refrigerators typically have thicker doors. This requires the hinges connecting the door and the refrigerator cabinet to have a larger opening to avoid interference between the door and the cabinet during opening / closing. Especially with the increasing popularity of built-in refrigerators, the refrigerator door also needs to be assembled onto the cabinet door panel, which further increases the thickness of the entire door and necessitates an even larger opening for the hinges.

[0003] Chinese invention patent CN112292500B discloses a speed-reducing hinge for furniture. It uses a speed-reducing device to reduce the speed when the door closes. However, when the door is fully open, it is subject to the spring force and tends to close. It cannot remain open without the application of external force, which would make it convenient for users to take things out. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a device that can remain open when fully open, making it convenient for users to take and put things in; and can be pre-tightened to the closed position when closed, preventing the door and cabinet from not being fully closed, and reducing its self-closing speed when closed to protect the damping hinges of the door and cabinet and the refrigerator.

[0005] One of the objectives of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A damping hinge includes a cabinet mounting base and a door mounting base. The damping hinge further includes a first connector, a second connector, a third connector, a fourth connector, an elastic component, and a deceleration component.

[0007] The first connector has two ends rotatably connected to the cabinet mounting base and the second connector, respectively. The second connector has two ends rotatably connected to the first connector and the door mounting base, respectively. The third connector has two ends rotatably connected to the cabinet mounting base and the fourth connector, respectively. The fourth connector has two ends rotatably connected to the first connector and the door mounting base, respectively. The elastic component is rotatably mounted on the second connector. The deceleration component is rotatably mounted on the first connector, and its two ends are rotatably connected to the first connector and the fourth connector, respectively. The fourth connector includes a supporting portion with a curved surface structure. The deceleration component includes a damping block for reducing the closing speed of the damping hinge.

[0008] When the damping hinge is in the fully open state, the elastic component is locked to the second connector and the elastic component is in a compressed state. The elastic component is separated from the door fixing seat, and the supporting part is separated from the damping block.

[0009] When the damping hinge is in a critical state, the elastic component unlocks from the second connector, the elastic component recovers its deformation to abut against the door fixing seat and rotates around the door fixing seat to drive the damping hinge to move towards the closed state, and the door fixing seat drives the fourth connector to rotate clockwise under the elastic force of the elastic component, so that the abutting part rolls against the damping block to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge until the damping hinge enters the closed state.

[0010] Furthermore, the abutting portion includes a first curved surface and a second curved surface located below the first curved surface. The connection between the first curved surface and the second curved surface protrudes outward from the first curved surface and the second curved surface. When the damping hinge is in the open state, both the first curved surface and the second curved surface are disposed away from the damping block so that the abutting portion is separated from the damping block. When the damping hinge is in the critical state, the second curved surface abuts against the damping block, and the first curved surface is close to the third connector without abutting against the damping block. When the damping hinge is in the closed state, the second curved surface abuts against the damping block, and the connection between the first curved surface and the second curved surface and the third connector are located above the damping block to prevent the damping block from sliding out of the second curved surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the elastic component has a mating surface, and the door fixing seat includes a support shaft. When the damping hinge moves from a critical state to a closed state, the mating surface abuts against the support shaft, causing the door fixing seat to drive the fourth connecting member to rotate clockwise. The abutting part rolls against the damping block, and the elastic component rotates around the support shaft. When the damping hinge moves from a critical state to an open state, the mating surface separates from the support shaft, and the door fixing seat drives the fourth connecting member to rotate counterclockwise under the action of external force, causing the abutting part to separate from the damping block.

[0012] Furthermore, the cabinet fixing base includes a first through hole and a second through hole; the first connecting member includes a first positioning hole, a second positioning hole, a third positioning hole, and a fourth positioning hole; the first positioning hole is aligned and fixed with the first through hole; the fourth positioning hole is located close to the first positioning hole; and the second positioning hole is located between the first positioning hole and the third positioning hole. The second connecting member includes a first mounting hole, a first hinge hole, and a second hinge hole; the first hinge hole is aligned and fixed with the third positioning hole; and the second hinge hole is fixed to the door fixing base. The third connecting member includes a first end with a first hole and a second end with a second hole; the first hole is aligned and fixed with the second through hole; and the second hole is fixed to the fourth connecting member. The fourth connecting member includes a third hinge hole, a fourth hinge hole, and a fifth hinge hole; the third hinge hole is aligned and fixed with the second positioning hole; the fourth hinge hole is aligned and fixed with the second hole; and the fifth hinge hole is fixed to the door fixing base. The elastic component includes a mounting portion with a through hole; the through hole of the mounting portion is aligned and fixed with the first mounting hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the position where the second hinge hole of the second connector is fixed to the door fixing seat is different from the position where the fifth hinge hole of the fourth connector is fixed to the door fixing seat. The distance between the position where the first hinge hole of the second connector is fixed to the first connector and the position where the third hinge hole of the fourth connector is fixed to the first connector is equal to the distance between the position where the second hinge hole of the second connector is fixed to the door fixing seat and the position where the fifth hinge hole of the fourth connector is fixed to the door fixing seat.

[0014] Furthermore, the second end of the third connector is provided with a cam portion located outside the second hole, and the inner side of the fourth hinge hole of the fourth connector is provided with a cam arc-shaped portion. The third connector rotates relative to the fourth connector through the cooperation of the cam portion and the cam arc-shaped portion and the cooperation of the second hole and the fourth hinge hole.

[0015] Furthermore, the third connector also includes an arc-shaped relief portion disposed near the second end, and the abutment portion is disposed near the end of the fourth connector where the third hinge hole is provided. The arc-shaped relief portion is disposed near the abutment portion, and the third connector is bent in an arc shape at the arc-shaped relief portion so that the third connector is non-linear.

[0016] Furthermore, the fourth connector includes a main board portion, a first plate having the fourth hinge hole and the fifth hinge hole disposed on both sides of the main board portion, and a second plate having the third hinge hole disposed on both sides of the main board portion. The second plate is located inside the first plate. The first plate extends upward beyond the main board portion to form an upper clearance space with the main board portion to avoid the elastic component when the damping hinge is open. The first plate and the second plate extend downward beyond the main board portion to form a lower clearance space with the main board portion to avoid the third connector. The main board portion of the fourth connector is curved at the cam arc portion, making the main board portion of the fourth connector non-linear.

[0017] Furthermore, the deceleration assembly includes a damping frame, a damping block and a damping rod movably disposed within the damping frame, the damping block and the damping rod being integrally disposed, and the damping block being provided with a bearing surface that rolls against the bearing portion.

[0018] Furthermore, the damping frame is provided with a pair of support arms, each of the support arms being provided with a pair of positioning holes. The pair of positioning holes are clamped to the outside of one end of the fourth connector, and the positioning holes are fixed outward to the first connector. The two ends of the support rod extend beyond the support arms and are fixed to the first connector. When the damping hinge is in the open state, the abutting part separates from the abutting surface. When the damping hinge moves from the critical state to the closed state, the abutting part rolls against the abutting surface to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge.

[0019] Compared with existing technologies, the damping hinge of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0020] (1) When the damping hinge is in the fully open state, the elastic component is locked to the second connector and the elastic component is in a compressed state. The elastic component is separated from the door fixing seat, and the supporting part of the fourth connector is separated from the damping block of the deceleration component, so that the damping hinge is in a completely free state unaffected by other parts of the damping hinge. When the damping hinge is in the critical state, the elastic component is unlocked from the second connector, the elastic component restores its deformation and abuts against the door fixing seat and rotates around the door fixing seat to drive the damping hinge to move to the closed state. At the same time, the door fixing seat drives the fourth connector to rotate clockwise under the elastic force of the elastic component. The abutment part rolls against the damping block to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge until the damping hinge enters the closed state. Therefore, when the door fixing seat is in the fully open state, the elastic component does not apply a closing force to the door fixing seat, thereby effectively avoiding the impact risk to the user caused by the automatic closing of the door fixing seat, improving the safety of use, and also making it convenient for the user to take and put things. When the door fixing seat rotates past the critical state, the elastic component applies a closing force to the door fixing seat, while the deceleration component reduces the automatic closing speed, so that the door fixing seat and the cabinet fixing seat are finally fully closed and maintain safety.

[0021] (2) The curved surface structure design of the abutment part ensures that the abutment part and the damping block roll against each other during the process of the damping hinge from the critical state to the closed state, without hard interference, so that the damping hinge will not get stuck in the self-closing state; at the same time, the structural design of the first curved surface, the second curved surface and the connection between the first curved surface and the second curved surface of the abutment part, as well as the design of the third connector, ensure that the damping block is well abutted at the second curved surface when the damping hinge is in the closed state, and will not slip out of the second curved surface, thus ensuring that the self-closing speed is effectively reduced or slowed down.

[0022] (3) The structural design of the damping hinge allows the hinge to have a larger opening when it is open, making it suitable for different usage scenarios; when closed, the first connecting piece, the second connecting piece, the third connecting piece, the fourth connecting piece, the elastic component and the deceleration component are housed between the cabinet fixing seat and the door fixing seat, making the damping hinge small in size and not occupying space.

[0023] (4) The distance between the position where the second connector is fixed to the first connector and the position where the fourth connector is fixed to the first connector is equal to the distance between the position where the second connector is fixed to the door fixing seat and the position where the fourth connector is fixed to the door fixing seat. This arrangement ensures that the first connector, the second connector, the door fixing seat and the fourth connector maintain a parallelogram structure under different state switching conditions, making the force on this part stable and preventing interference between them.

[0024] (5) The cabinet fixing base, the first connector, the second connector and the fourth connector are all double-side plate structures. During the closing or opening process of the damping hinge, the first connector, the second connector, the third connector and the fourth connector are in different positions and form different gaps. At this time, the double-side plate structure of the connector plays a protective role for other components. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the damping hinge of the present invention in a fully open state;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first connecting member of the damping hinge of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the second connecting member of the damping hinge of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the third connecting member of the damping hinge of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the fourth connector of the damping hinge of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A picture viewed from another angle;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the elastic component of the damping hinge of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is an exploded perspective view of the elastic component of the damping hinge of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the deceleration component of the damping hinge of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the damping hinge of the present invention in its fully open state.

[0035] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the damping hinge of the present invention in a critical state;

[0036] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the damping hinge of the present invention in a critical state.

[0037] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the damping hinge of the present invention in a closed state;

[0038] Figure 14 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the damping hinge of the present invention in a closed state;

[0039] Figure 15 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the damping hinge of the present invention in its fully open state, omitting the first connecting member and the door lock fixing seat.

[0040] Figure 16 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the damping hinge of the present invention in a critical state after omitting the first connecting member and the main body of the door lock fixing seat.

[0041] Figure 17 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the damping hinge of the present invention in a closed state, omitting the main body of the first connecting member and the door lock fixing seat.

[0042] In the diagram: 100, damping hinge; 10, cabinet mounting base; 11, receiving slot; 12, first through hole; 13, second through hole; 20, door mounting base; 21, main body; 211, side; 22, support member; 221, support shaft; 222, fixing hole; 30, first connector; 31, first positioning hole; 32, second positioning hole; 33, third positioning hole; 34, fourth positioning hole; 40, second connector; 41 410. Side plate; 411. Slot; 412. First mounting hole; 413. First hinge hole; 414. Second hinge hole; 42. Connecting plate; 420. Snap-in hole; 43. Receiving space; 50. Third connector; 51. First end; 511. First hole; 52. Second end; 521. Second hole; 522. Cam part; 53. Arc-shaped clearance part; 60. Fourth connector; 61. First plate; 62. Second plate; 6 10. Upper clearance space; 620. Lower clearance space; 621. Third hinge hole; 611. Fourth hinge hole; 612. Fifth hinge hole; 622. Cam arc-shaped part; 63. Supporting part; 631. First curved surface; 632. Second curved surface; 64. Main board part; 70. Elastic component; 71. Fastener; 710. Mounting part; 7101. Through hole; 711. Insertion arm; 7110. Fastening protrusion; 712. 72. Mounting post; 73. Elastic element; 74. Trigger element; 75. First insertion part; 76. Second insertion part; 77.11. Insertion groove; 78.12. Stop block; 79.12. Top; 70.12. Locking block; 71.13. Locking shaft; 72.14. Mating surface; 73.25. Reduction assembly; 80.12. Damping frame; 81.11. Support arm; 81.10. Alignment hole; 81.12. Support rod; 82.12. Damping block; 83.13. Supporting surface; 84.14. Damping rod. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or it can be fixed through another intermediate component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or it may be fixed through another intermediate component. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it can be set directly on the other component or it may be set through another intermediate component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0046] In this invention, by setting the elastic component 70 and the deceleration component 80, the damping hinge can remain open when fully open, making it convenient for users to take and put things down; when it needs to be closed, it can be pre-tightened to the closed position at the critical state, forming a self-locking mechanism to prevent the door and cabinet from not being fully closed, and when closing, its self-closing speed is reduced to protect the door and cabinet. When the damping hinge 100 is in the fully open state, the elastic component 70 is locked with the second connecting member 40 and the elastic component 70 is in a compressed state. The elastic component 70 is separated from the door fixing seat 20. At this time, the door fixing seat 20 is in a free state and is not subject to the force of the internal structure of the damping hinge 100. The door fixing seat 20 can drive the fourth connecting member 60 to rotate counterclockwise under the action of an external force, so that the curved support part 63 of the fourth connecting member 60 separates from the damping block 82 of the deceleration component 80, so that the damping hinge 100 is in a completely free state and is not affected by other components of the damping hinge 100. When the damping hinge 100 is in a critical state, the elastic component 70 unlocks from the second connector 40, and the elastic component 70 recovers its deformation to abut against the door fixing seat 20 and rotates around the door fixing seat 20 to drive the damping hinge 100 to move towards the closed state. At the same time, under the elastic force of the elastic component 70, the door fixing seat 20 drives the fourth connector 60 to rotate clockwise, so that the abutting part 63 rolls against the damping block 82 to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge 100 until the damping hinge 100 enters the closed state. Therefore, when the door fixing seat 20 is in the fully open state, the elastic component 70 does not apply a closing force to the door fixing seat 20, thereby effectively avoiding the impact risk to the user caused by the automatic closing of the door fixing seat 20, improving the safety of use, and also making it convenient for the user to take and put things; when the door fixing seat 20 rotates past the critical state, the elastic component 70 applies a closing force to the door fixing seat 20, while the deceleration component 80 is used to reduce the automatic closing speed, so that the door fixing seat 20 and the cabinet fixing seat 10 are finally completely closed and maintain safety, thereby improving the service life of the damping hinge.

[0047] Please see Figures 1 to 17The damping hinge 100 of the present invention includes a cabinet fixing base 10, a door fixing base 20, a first connecting member 30, a second connecting member 40, a third connecting member 50, a fourth connecting member 60, an elastic component 70, and a deceleration component 80. The two ends of the first connecting member 30 are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing base 10 and the second connecting member 40, respectively. The two ends of the second connecting member 40 are rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30 and the door fixing base 20, respectively. The two ends of the third connecting member 50 are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing base 10 and the fourth connecting member 60, respectively. The two ends of the fourth connecting member 60 are rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30 and the door fixing base 20, respectively. The elastic component 70 is rotatably mounted on the second connecting member 40. The deceleration component 80 is rotatably mounted on the first connecting member 30, and the two ends of the deceleration component 80 are rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30 and the fourth connecting member 60, respectively.

[0048] The cabinet mounting bracket 10 is used to fix the cabinet. In this embodiment, the damping hinge 100 is applied to a refrigerator, and the cabinet mounting bracket 10 is fixed to the refrigerator cabinet. Please refer to... Figure 1 The cabinet mounting base 10 is provided with a receiving groove 11, a first through hole 12 and a second through hole 13.

[0049] The door mounting bracket 20 is used to fix the door. In this embodiment, the damping hinge 100 is applied to the refrigerator, and the door mounting bracket 20 is fixed to the refrigerator door. Please refer to... Figure 1 and Figures 10 to 12 The door fixing base 20 includes a main body 21 and a support member 22 fixed to the main body 21. The bottom of the main body 21 is flat, and the support member 22 is located at the end of the main body 21. The main body 21 is also provided with a pair of side portions 211, and the side portions 211 are provided with fixing through holes (unlabeled) for fixing the second connecting member 40 and the fourth connecting member 60. The support member 22 is a double-plate design with an overall triangular structure to increase structural strength. The support member 22 is provided with a support shaft 221 and a fixing hole 222. The fixing hole 222 is aligned and fixed with the fixing through hole of the second connecting member 40 to the side portion 211.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 2The first connector 30 is not a double-plate design; its cross-section is U-shaped. While increasing structural strength, the interior of the first connector 30 can accommodate other components, reducing the hinge's volume and protecting these components. The first connector 30 includes a first positioning hole 31, a second positioning hole 32, a third positioning hole 33, and a fourth positioning hole 34. The second positioning hole 32 is located between the first positioning hole 31 and the third positioning hole 33, and the fourth positioning hole 34 is positioned close to the first positioning hole 31. The first positioning hole 31 corresponds to the first through hole 12 and is aligned and fixed. The alignment and fixing described herein refers to aligning the holes and fixing them with an external pin passing through the holes, but this is not a limitation.

[0051] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 The second connector 40 includes two side plates 41 and a connecting plate 42 connecting the two side plates 41. The two side plates 41 are parallel to each other, and a receiving space 43 is formed between the two side plates 41 and the connecting plate 42 for installing and receiving the elastic component 70. Each side plate 41 is provided with an arc-shaped slot 410, a first mounting hole 411, a first hinge hole 412, and a second hinge hole 413. The slot 410 receives the retaining pin 734 mentioned below, so that the elastic component 70 is locked to the second connector 40. Specifically, the slot 410 is arc-shaped and the end of the slot 410 is designed to be open, so that the retaining pin 734 can be disengaged from the slot 410, and the elastic component 70 is unlocked from the second connector 40. The first hinge hole 412 and the second hinge hole 413 are respectively located at opposite ends of the side plate 41, and the first mounting hole 411 is located between the first hinge hole 412 and the second hinge hole 413, close to the first hinge hole 412. The first mounting hole 411 is used to install the elastic component 70, allowing the elastic component 70 to be rotatably mounted on the second connector 40 and located in the receiving space 43. The first hinge hole 412 and the third positioning hole 33 of the first connector 30 are aligned and fixed for rotatable connection. The second hinge hole 413 and the side portion 211 of the door fixing seat 20 are rotatably connected. The connecting plate 42 is provided with a snap-fit ​​hole 420, which is used to snap with the following snap-fit ​​block 733, locking the elastic component 70 to the second connector 40.

[0052] Please continue to refer to Figure 4The third connector 50 includes a first end 51 with a first hole 511, a second end 52 with a second hole 521, and an arc-shaped clearance portion 53 located between the first end 51 and the second end 52. The second end 52 also has a cam portion 522 located outside the second hole 521. The first hole 511 of the third connector 50 is aligned and fixed with the second through hole 13 of the cabinet fixing base 10. The second hole 521 of the third connector 50 is fixed to the fourth connector 60.

[0053] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The fourth connector 60 is a double-plate design, which increases structural strength while allowing it to accommodate other components, reducing the hinge's volume and protecting them. The fourth connector 60 includes a main board portion 64 and a pair of first plates 61 and a pair of second plates 62 located on either side of the main board portion 64. The second plates 62 are positioned opposite to the first plates 61, and the pair of second plates 62 are located within the pair of first plates 61. A third hinge hole 621 is provided on the second plate 62, which is aligned and fixed with the second positioning hole 32 of the first connector 30. A fourth hinge hole 611 and a fifth hinge hole 612 are provided on the first plate 61, with the fourth hinge hole 611 located between the third hinge hole 621 and the fifth hinge hole 612. The fourth hinge hole 611 is aligned and fixed to the second hole 521 of the third connector 50, and the fifth hinge hole 612 is fixed to the side portion 211 of the door fixing seat 20.

[0054] The position where the second hinge hole 413 of the second connector 40 is fixed to the side portion 211 of the door fixing seat 20 is different from the position where the fifth hinge hole 612 of the fourth connector 60 is fixed to the side portion 211 of the door fixing seat 20. More specifically, the distance between the position where the first hinge hole 412 of the second connector 40 is fixed to the first connector 30 (third positioning hole 33) and the position where the third hinge hole 621 of the fourth connector 60 is fixed to the first connector 30 (second positioning hole 32) is equal to the distance between the position where the second hinge hole 413 of the second connector 40 is fixed to the side portion 211 of the door fixing seat 20 and the position where the fifth hinge hole 612 of the fourth connector 60 is fixed to the side portion 211 of the door fixing seat 20. This configuration ensures that the first connector 30, the second connector 40, the door fixing seat 20, and the fourth connector 60 maintain a parallelogram structure under different state switching conditions, making the part stable under force and preventing interference between them.

[0055] The fourth connector 60 has a cam arc-shaped portion 622 on the inner side of the fourth hinge hole 611. Specifically, the second plate 62 has the cam arc-shaped portion 622 at its end corresponding to the inner side of the fourth hinge hole 611. The third connector 50 rotates relative to the fourth connector 60 through the cooperation of the cam portion 522 and the cam arc-shaped portion 622, and the cooperation of the second hole 521 of the third connector 50 with the fourth hinge hole 611. The first plate 61 extends upward beyond the main plate 64 to form an upper clearance space 610 with the main plate 64 to avoid the elastic component 70 in the open state of the damping hinge 100. The first plate 61 and the second plate extend downward beyond the main plate 64 to form a lower clearance space 620 with the main plate 64 to avoid the third connector 50.

[0056] The fourth connector 60 further includes a supporting portion 63 protruding from the second plate portions 62 and located inside the pair of second plate portions 62. The supporting portion 63 is disposed near the end of the fourth connector 60 where the third hinge hole 621 is provided, and the arc-shaped clearance portion 53 of the third connector 50 is disposed in the supporting portion 63. The supporting portion 63 has a curved surface structure and includes a first curved surface portion 631 and a second curved surface portion 632 located below the first curved surface portion 631. The connection between the first curved surface portion 631 and the second curved surface portion 632 protrudes outward from the first curved surface portion 631 and the second curved surface portion 632. When the damping hinge 100 is in the open state, the first curved surface portion 631 and the second curved surface portion 632 are both disposed away from the damping block 82 so that the supporting portion 63 is separated from the damping block 82. When the damping hinge 100 is in a critical state, the second curved surface 632 abuts against the damping block 82, and the first curved surface 631 is close to the third connector 50, specifically, the arc-shaped clearance portion 53 of the third connector 50, without abutting against the damping block 82. When the damping hinge 100 is in a closed state, the second curved surface 632 abuts against the damping block 82, and the connection between the first curved surface 631 and the second curved surface 632, as well as the third connector 50, is located above the damping block 82 to prevent the damping block 82 from sliding off the second curved surface 632. This ensures that the closing speed of the damping hinge 100 can be effectively reduced or slowed down during the self-closing process.

[0057] The third connector 50 is curved at the arc-shaped relief portion 53 to make it non-linear. Similarly, the main board portion 64 of the fourth connector 60 is curved at the cam arc-shaped portion 622 to make it non-linear. Furthermore, the third connector 50 is reinforced at the arc-shaped relief portion 53 and is generally thicker, which improves its cushioning capacity. The main board portion 64 of the fourth connector 60 is also reinforced at the cam arc-shaped portion 622, further enhancing its cushioning capacity.

[0058] Please see Figures 7 to 17 The elastic component 70 is used to provide a preload force to the damping hinge 100 when it is closed, and it includes a snap fastener 71, an elastic component 72 and a trigger component 73.

[0059] The latching member 71 includes a mounting portion 710, a plug-in arm 711, and a mounting post 712. The mounting portion 710 has a through hole 7101, which is aligned and fixed with the first mounting hole 411 of the second connector 40, allowing the elastic component 70 to be rotatably mounted on the second connector 40. The plug-in arm 711 extends from the mounting portion 710 and plugs into a trigger member 73 to provide deformation space for the elastic component 72, ensuring a proper fit between the latching member 71 and the trigger member 73. Multiple plug-in arms 711 are used to ensure stable engagement between the latching member 71 and the trigger member 73. Specifically, in this embodiment, two plug-in arms 711 are used, symmetrically arranged relative to the mounting portion 710. Each connector arm 711 has a snap-fit ​​protrusion 7110 at its end away from the mounting portion 710. The snap-fit ​​protrusion 7110 engages with the subsequent stop block 7312 to prevent the connector arm 711 from disengaging from the subsequent connector groove 7311. The mounting post 712 extends from the mounting portion 710 and is located between the two connector arms 711. The mounting post 712 is used to accommodate and guide the elastic element 72. The mounting post 712 has a cross-shaped structure, which allows the elastic element 72 to better maintain its elasticity and provides more elastic space inside the elastic element 72.

[0060] The elastic element 72 abuts against the latching element 71 and the triggering element 73 at both ends, providing elastic force to the triggering element 73, so that the triggering element 73 provides a pre-tightening force for closing the door fixing seat 20. The elastic element 72 is any one of a spring, disc spring, spring sheet, or compression spring. Specifically, in this embodiment, the elastic element 72 is preferably a spring, and the elastic element 72 is sleeved on the mounting post 712.

[0061] The trigger 73 includes a first insertion portion 730, a second insertion portion 731, a top 732, a locking block 733, a locking shaft 734, and a mating surface 735. The top 732 connects the first insertion portion 730 and the second insertion portion 731, forming a space between the first insertion portion 730 and the second insertion portion 731 for accommodating the elastic member 72 and the mounting post 712. Both the first insertion portion 730 and the second insertion portion 731 are provided with insertion grooves 7311 and stop blocks 7312 located at the ends of the insertion grooves 7311. The insertion grooves 7311 engage with the insertion arm 711, so that when the trigger 73 is unlocked from the second connecting member 40, the trigger 73 slides relative to the locking member 71 under the elastic force of the elastic member 72 to engage with the support shaft 221. The stop block 7312 limits the movement distance of the trigger 73. The locking block 733 is disposed on the second insertion part 731, and the locking block 733 is used to engage with the latching hole 420 to lock the elastic component 70 and the second connecting member 40. The locking shaft 734 is disposed on the first insertion part 730, and the locking shaft 734 is used to engage with the locking groove 410 to lock the elastic component 70 and the second connecting member 40. The mating surface 735 is disposed on the top 732. The mating surface 735 is an arc surface. The mating surface 735 can engage with the support shaft 221, so that the elastic component 70 rotates around the support shaft 221, providing pre-tightening force to the door fixing seat 20 to ensure that the door and cabinet are finally closed.

[0062] Please see Figures 9 to 17 The deceleration assembly 80 includes a damping frame 81, a damping block 82 and a damping rod 83 located within the damping frame 81, wherein the damping block 82 and the damping rod 83 are integrally formed. The damping block 82 is used to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge 100. The damping frame 81 is arranged around the damping block 82, and the damping block 82 and the damping rod 83 are movably disposed within the damping frame 81. The damping block 82 is provided with a bearing surface 821. The damping frame 81 includes support arms 811 located on both sides of the damping block 82 and a support rod 812 located at the bottom end of the damping block 82. The damping block 82 is movably disposed on the support rod 812 via the damping rod 83, and the bearing surface 821 is disposed away from the top end of the support arm 811. In this embodiment, the damping frame 81 is provided with a pair of support arms 811, each support arm 811 being provided with a pair of positioning holes 8110. The pair of positioning holes 8110 are clamped to the outer side of one end of the fourth connector 60, and the positioning holes 8110 are aligned and fixed inward with the third hinge hole 621 of the fourth connector 60, and the positioning holes 8110 are aligned and fixed outward with the second positioning hole 32 of the first connector 30. The two ends of the support rod 812 extend beyond the support arms 811 and are fixed to the fourth positioning hole 34 of the first connector 30.

[0063] The following will describe in detail the relationships between the components of the damping hinge 100 in three different states and the process of switching between the three different states:

[0064] When using the damping hinge 100, the cabinet mounting base 10 is fixedly connected to the cabinet, and the door mounting base 20 is fixedly connected to the door. When the damping hinge 100 is in the fully open state, please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 10 and Figure 15 The angle between the door fixing seat 20 and the cabinet fixing seat 10 is obtuse, which meets the large opening requirement of the hinge. At this time, the locking block 733 of the elastic component 70 engages with the locking hole 420 of the second connector 40, and the locking shaft 734 of the elastic component 70 engages with the locking groove 410 of the second connector 40, so that the elastic component 70 and the second connector 40 are locked. At this time, the elastic component 72 is in a compressed state. The elastic component 70 separates from the door fixing seat 20, more specifically, the mating surface 735 separates from the support shaft 221. At this time, the door fixing seat 20 is in a free state and will not be affected or forceed by other components of the damping hinge 100. That is, the elastic component 70 does not apply elastic force (closing preload) to the door fixing seat 20, and the door remains open, making it convenient for users to take and put things. At this time, the second curved surface 632 of the supporting portion 63 separates from the supporting surface 821 of the damping block 82, thereby separating the supporting portion 63 from the damping block 82. That is, when the damping hinge 100 is in the open state, it is not necessary to reduce its self-closing speed because the damping hinge 100 does not self-close at this time. Furthermore, the first curved surface 631 of the supporting portion 63 is positioned close to the arc-shaped clearance portion 53 of the third connector 50.

[0065] When the damping hinge 100 is in a critical state, please refer to... Figure 11 , 12 and Figure 16The locking block 733 of the elastic component 70 disengages from the latching hole 420 of the second connector 40, the locking shaft 734 of the elastic component 70 slides out from the latching groove 410 of the second connector 40, the elastic component 70 is unlocked from the second connector 40, the elastic component 72 returns to its original deformation, and the trigger 73 slides relative to the latching component 71 under the elastic force of the elastic component 72 until the mating surface 735 of the trigger 73 abuts against the support shaft 221. Under the elastic force of the elastic component 72, the elastic component 70 rotates around the support shaft 221, and at the same time, the elastic force of the elastic component 72 is transmitted to the door fixing seat 20, causing the damping hinge 100 to move to a fully closed state. At this time, the door fixing seat 20 is subjected to the elastic force of the elastic component 70, that is, the preload force of the damping hinge 100. Under the elastic force of the elastic component 70, the door fixing seat 20 drives the fourth connecting member 60 to rotate clockwise, so that the abutting part 63 of the fourth connecting member 60 rolls against the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82. Specifically, the second curved part 632 rolls against the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82. Since the connection between the first curved part 631 and the second curved part 632 protrudes from the first curved part 631 and the second curved part 632, the abutting part 63 further abuts against the abutting surface 821, causing the damping block 82 to slide towards the support rod 812. Thus, the resistance is transmitted to the door fixing part 20 in the opposite direction through the third connecting member 50 and the fourth connecting member 60, thereby reducing the closing speed of the damping hinge 100 until the damping hinge 100 enters the closed state.

[0066] When the damping hinge 100 is in the closed state, please refer to... Figure 13 , 14 and Figure 17 At this point, the locking block 733 of the elastic component 70 has completely disengaged from the latching hole 420 of the second connector 40, and the locking shaft 734 of the elastic component 70 has completely slid out of the slot 410 of the second connector 40. The second connector 40 and the elastic component 70 are completely unlocked, and the abutting part 63 of the fourth connector 60 is still abutting against the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82. At this point, the abutting part 63 is in the extreme state of abutting against the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82. At this point, the first connector 30, the second connector 40, the third connector 50, the fourth connector 60, the elastic component 70, and the deceleration component 80 of the damping hinge 100 are housed between the cabinet fixing seat 10 and the door fixing seat 20, with the bottom of the cabinet fixing seat 10 parallel to the top of the door fixing seat 20.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the damping hinge 100 is in a critical state, the angle between the door fixing seat 20 and the cabinet fixing seat 10 is between 15 degrees and 20 degrees.

[0068] When the refrigerator door needs to be opened, the damping hinge 100 needs to be opened from the closed state to the critical state. The required external force must be greater than the preload force on the damping hinge 100. This external force drives the door fixing seat 20, which in turn causes the second connecting member 40 and the fourth connecting member 60 to rotate counterclockwise. This causes the second curved surface 632 of the abutting part 63 of the fourth connecting member 60 to abut against the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82. Specifically, under the action of the external force, the abutting part 63 rotates counterclockwise away from the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82. Simultaneously, the locking block 733 of the elastic component 70 moves closer to the latching hole 420, and the locking shaft 734 also moves closer to the locking groove 410, until they reach the critical state. The elastic component 70 also rotates counterclockwise, causing the mating surface 735 of the elastic component 70 to rotate away from the support shaft 221. Since the door fixing seat 20 is still subjected to the pre-tightening force of the elastic component 70 at this time, if the refrigerator needs to be fully opened, the external force still needs to be maintained on the door fixing seat 20 until the second curved surface 632 of the abutting part 63 of the fourth connector 60 separates from the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82, the locking shaft 734 is engaged in the locking groove 410, and the locking block 733 is engaged in the locking hole 420, so that the elastic component 70 and the second connector 40 change from the unlocked state to the locked state, and the mating surface 735 of the elastic component 70 separates from the support shaft 221. In this way, the switching of the damping hinge 100 from the closed state to the open state is completed.

[0069] When the damping hinge 100 needs to be moved from the open state to the closed state, since the angle between the door fixing seat 20 and the cabinet fixing seat 10 is greater than 15 degrees to 20 degrees (critical state), the damping hinge 100 is in a free state and will not be subject to the force inside the damping hinge 100. Therefore, an external force needs to be applied to the door fixing seat 20. At this time, the door fixing seat 20 drives the second connecting member 40 and the fourth connecting member 60 to rotate clockwise until they pass the critical state. The locking shaft 734 slides out of the locking groove 410, the locking block 733 exits the locking hole 420, the elastic component 70 unlocks from the second connecting member 40, and the mating surface 735 of the elastic component abuts against the support shaft 221, so that the door fixing seat 20 is subjected to the elastic force of the elastic component 70. The elastic component 70 rotates clockwise around the support shaft 221, and then the door fixing seat 20 drives the fourth connecting member 60 to move clockwise under the elastic force. As a result, the second curved surface 632 of the abutting part 63 moves clockwise to abut against the abutting surface 821 of the damping block 82, which provides a reverse resistance to the door fixing seat 20, thereby reducing the self-closing speed of the damping hinge 100 until it is fully closed. When in the closed state, the second curved surface 632 fully abuts against the supporting surface 821. The connection between the second curved surface 632 and the first curved surface 631, as well as the third connecting member 50, are located above the damping block 82 of the deceleration assembly 80 to prevent the supporting surface 821 from sliding off the second curved surface 632. This process ensures that the damping hinge 100 reduces the self-closing speed during self-closing.

[0070] The present invention also includes a refrigerator comprising the aforementioned damping hinge 100.

[0071] (6) In this application, when the damping hinge 100 is in the fully open state, the elastic component 70 is locked with the second connector 40 and the elastic component 70 is in a compressed state. The elastic component 70 is separated from the door fixing seat 20, and the abutting part 63 of the fourth connector 60 is separated from the damping block 82 of the deceleration component 80, so that the damping hinge 100 is in a completely free state unaffected by other components of the damping hinge 100. When the damping hinge 100 is in a critical state, the elastic component 70 is unlocked from the second connector 40, the elastic component 70 recovers its deformation and abuts against the door fixing seat 20 and rotates around the door fixing seat 20 to drive the damping hinge 100 to move to the closed state. At the same time, the door fixing seat 20 drives the fourth connector 60 to rotate clockwise under the elastic force of the elastic component 70, so that the abutting part 63 and the damping block 82 roll against each other to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge 100 until the damping hinge 100 enters the closed state. Therefore, when the door fixing seat 20 is in the fully open state, the elastic component 70 does not apply a closing force to the door fixing seat 20, thereby effectively avoiding the impact risk to the user caused by the automatic closing of the door fixing seat 20, improving the safety of use, and also making it convenient for the user to take and put things; when the door fixing seat 20 rotates past the critical state, the elastic component 70 applies a closing force to the door fixing seat 20, while the deceleration component 80 is used to reduce the automatic closing speed, so that the door fixing seat 20 and the cabinet fixing seat 10 are finally completely closed and maintain safety. The curved surface design of the abutment part 63 ensures that during the transition of the damping hinge 100 from the critical state to the closed state, the abutment part 63 and the damping block 82 roll against each other without hard interference, thus preventing the damping hinge 100 from jamming in the self-closing state. At the same time, the structural design of the first curved surface 631, the second curved surface 632, and the connection between the first curved surface 631 and the second curved surface 632 of the abutment part 63, as well as the design of the third connector 50, ensures that when the damping hinge 100 is in the closed state, the damping block 82 is well abutted against the second curved surface 632 and will not slip out of the second curved surface 632, thus ensuring an effective reduction or slowing down of the self-closing speed. The structural design of the damping hinge 100 allows for a larger opening degree when the hinge is open, making it suitable for different usage scenarios. When closed, the first connector 30, the second connector 40, the third connector 50, the fourth connector 60, the elastic component 70, and the deceleration component 80 are housed between the cabinet fixing seat 10 and the door fixing seat 20, making the damping hinge 100 small in size and space-saving.The distance between the position where the second connector 40 is fixed to the first connector 30 and the position where the fourth connector 60 is fixed to the first connector 30 is equal to the distance between the position where the second connector 40 is fixed to the door fixing seat 20 and the position where the fourth connector 60 is fixed to the door fixing seat 20. This arrangement ensures that the first connector 30, second connector 40, door fixing seat 20, and fourth connector 60 maintain a parallelogram structure regardless of their state changes, resulting in stable force distribution and preventing interference between them. The cabinet fixing seat 10, first connector 30, second connector 40, and fourth connector 60 all have double-sided plate structures. During the closing or opening process of the damping hinge 100, the first connector 30, second connector 40, third connector 50, and fourth connector 60 are in different positions and form different gaps. At this time, the double-sided plate structure of the connectors protects other components.

[0072] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention. These are all equivalent modifications and improvements made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention, and all of these fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A damping hinge, comprising a cabinet mounting base and a door mounting base, characterized in that: The damping hinge further includes a first connector, a second connector, a third connector, a fourth connector, an elastic component, and a deceleration component. The first connector has two ends rotatably connected to the cabinet mounting base and the second connector, respectively. The second connector has two ends rotatably connected to the first connector and the door mounting base, respectively. The third connector has two ends rotatably connected to the cabinet mounting base and the fourth connector, respectively. The fourth connector has two ends rotatably connected to the first connector and the door mounting base, respectively. The elastic component is rotatably mounted on the second connector. The deceleration component is rotatably mounted on the first connector, and its two ends are rotatably connected to the first connector and the fourth connector, respectively. The fourth connector includes a supporting portion with a curved surface structure. The deceleration component includes a damping block for reducing the closing speed of the damping hinge. When the damping hinge is in the fully open state, the elastic component is locked to the second connector and the elastic component is in a compressed state. The elastic component is separated from the door fixing seat, and the supporting part is separated from the damping block. When the damping hinge is in a critical state, the elastic component unlocks from the second connector. The elastic component recovers its deformation to abut against the door fixing seat and rotates around the door fixing seat to drive the damping hinge to move towards a closed state. Under the elastic force of the elastic component, the door fixing seat drives the fourth connector to rotate clockwise, so that the supporting part rolls against the damping block to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge until the damping hinge enters the closed state. The elastic component has a mating surface, and the door fixing seat includes a support shaft. When the damping hinge moves from the critical state to the closed state, the mating surface abuts against the support shaft, causing the door fixing seat to drive the fourth connector to rotate clockwise. The supporting part rolls against the damping block, and the elastic component rotates around the support shaft. When the damping hinge moves from the critical state to the open state, the mating surface separates from the support shaft, and the door fixing seat drives the fourth connector to rotate counterclockwise under the action of external force. The supporting part separates from the damping block.

2. The damping hinge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The abutting portion includes a first curved surface and a second curved surface located below the first curved surface. The connection between the first curved surface and the second curved surface protrudes outward from the first curved surface and the second curved surface. When the damping hinge is in the open state, the first curved surface and the second curved surface are both disposed away from the damping block so that the abutting portion is separated from the damping block. When the damping hinge is in the critical state, the second curved surface abuts against the damping block, and the first curved surface is close to the third connector without abutting against the damping block. When the damping hinge is in the closed state, the second curved surface abuts against the damping block, and the connection between the first curved surface and the second curved surface and the third connector are located above the damping block to prevent the damping block from sliding out of the second curved surface.

3. The damping hinge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cabinet fixing base includes a first through hole and a second through hole. The first connecting member includes a first positioning hole, a second positioning hole, a third positioning hole, and a fourth positioning hole. The first positioning hole is aligned and fixed with the first through hole. The fourth positioning hole is located close to the first positioning hole. The second positioning hole is located between the first positioning hole and the third positioning hole. The second connecting member includes a first mounting hole, a first hinge hole, and a second hinge hole. The first hinge hole is aligned and fixed with the third positioning hole. The second hinge hole is fixed to the door fixing base. The third connecting member includes a first end with a first hole and a second end with a second hole. The first hole is aligned and fixed with the second through hole. The second hole is fixed to the fourth connecting member. The fourth connecting member includes a third hinge hole, a fourth hinge hole, and a fifth hinge hole. The third hinge hole is aligned and fixed with the second positioning hole. The fourth hinge hole is aligned and fixed with the second hole. The fifth hinge hole is fixed to the door fixing base. The elastic component includes a mounting part with a through hole. The through hole of the mounting part is aligned and fixed with the first mounting hole.

4. The damping hinge as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The position where the second hinge hole of the second connector is fixed to the door fixing seat is different from the position where the fifth hinge hole of the fourth connector is fixed to the door fixing seat. The distance between the position where the first hinge hole of the second connector is fixed to the first connector and the position where the third hinge hole of the fourth connector is fixed to the first connector is equal to the distance between the position where the second hinge hole of the second connector is fixed to the door fixing seat and the position where the fifth hinge hole of the fourth connector is fixed to the door fixing seat.

5. The damping hinge as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The second end of the third connector is provided with a cam portion located outside the second hole, and the inner side of the fourth hinge hole of the fourth connector is provided with a cam arc-shaped portion. The third connector rotates relative to the fourth connector through the cooperation of the cam portion and the cam arc-shaped portion and the cooperation of the second hole and the fourth hinge hole.

6. The damping hinge as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The third connector further includes an arc-shaped relief portion disposed near the second end, and the abutment portion is disposed near the end of the fourth connector where the third hinge hole is provided. The arc-shaped relief portion is disposed near the abutment portion, and the third connector is curved at the arc-shaped relief portion so that the third connector is non-linear.

7. The damping hinge as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The fourth connector includes a main board portion, a first plate having the fourth hinge hole and the fifth hinge hole disposed on both sides of the main board portion, and a second plate having the third hinge hole disposed on both sides of the main board portion. The second plate is located inside the first plate. The first plate extends upward beyond the main board portion to form an upper clearance space with the main board portion to avoid the elastic component when the damping hinge is open. The first plate and the second plate extend downward beyond the main board portion to form a lower clearance space with the main board portion to avoid the third connector. The main board portion of the fourth connector is curved at the cam arc portion, so that the main board portion of the fourth connector is non-linear.

8. The damping hinge as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The deceleration assembly includes a damping frame, a damping block and a damping rod movably disposed within the damping frame, the damping block and the damping rod being integrally disposed, the damping block being provided with a bearing surface that rolls against the bearing portion, the damping frame including support arms located on both sides of the damping block and a support rod located at the bottom end of the damping block, the damping block being movably disposed on the support rod via the damping rod.

9. The damping hinge as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The damping frame is provided with a pair of support arms, each of the support arms being provided with a pair of alignment holes. The pair of alignment holes are clamped to the outside of one end of the fourth connector, and the alignment holes are fixed outward to the first connector. The two ends of the support rod extend beyond the support arms and are fixed to the first connector. When the damping hinge is in the open state, the abutting part separates from the abutting surface. When the damping hinge moves from the critical state to the closed state, the abutting part rolls against the abutting surface to reduce the closing speed of the damping hinge.

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