Folding shelf device and refrigerator thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a folding shelf device and a refrigerator thereof, and particularly relates to the following: a storage box, both ends of the storage box are provided with shelf rails which extend in parallel; a folding shelf, which can be folded and stored in the storage box and can be unfolded and laid flat between the two shelf rails along the shelf rails; and a locking mechanism, which is installed on the storage box and can limit the folding shelf from being further folded into the storage box or unfolded out of the storage box when the locking mechanism is opened. The folding shelf device is locked on the guide rails on both sides through a mechanical structure, and can be unlocked by rotating a knob when necessary, so that the folding shelf device can be freely adjusted. Meanwhile, the original glass shelf is replaced by a spliced shelf assembly, the shelf assembly can be folded and stored when not in use and can be pulled out and fixed when in use, so that the utilization rate of the space in the refrigerator is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of shelf structure technology, specifically to a folding shelf device and its refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, their demands for quality of life also increase. Refrigerators, as an indispensable part of home appliances, are increasingly valued by users for their refined storage space and partitioning methods. Currently, most refrigerators have fixed shelf positions and numbers, making the storage space in the refrigerator compartment unadjustable and reducing its practicality and convenience. To address this pain point of users being unable to freely adjust refrigerator storage space, we will add adjustable-height and adjustable-depth shelves to the refrigerator compartment, facilitating user management and use of the storage space.

[0003] Currently, there are patent solutions that propose adding movable shelves to the refrigerator's cold storage compartment. For example, the flexible shelf proposed in CN114198976A replaces the glass shelf components of a regular refrigerator with a flexible shelf. Utilizing the rollable feature of the flexible shelf, it is hidden inside the refrigerator body. When in use, it is pulled out and connected to a hanging component, thereby achieving the function of adjusting the storage space size.

[0004] Both of the above solutions can satisfy the user's goal of freely adjusting the storage space of the refrigerator compartment. However, the limitations of the solutions are that they can only be pulled out and retracted to the left and right, and cannot be locked after the shelves are pulled out. The depth of the shelves cannot be freely adjusted, and the freedom of shelf adjustment is still lacking. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the extended part of the shelf cannot be locked, the present invention proposes a folding shelf device and a refrigerator thereof.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0007] This invention proposes a folding shelf device, comprising:

[0008] A storage box, wherein parallel extending shelf rails are installed at both ends of the storage box;

[0009] The folding shelf can be folded and stored in the storage box, and can be unfolded and laid flat between the two shelf tracks along the shelf tracks;

[0010] A locking mechanism, installed on the storage box, restricts the folding shelf from being retracted into the storage box or from being unfolded outward from the storage box when opened.

[0011] The folding shelf includes: multiple shelf middle sections arranged sequentially, shelf hinges connecting the middle sections of two adjacent shelf middle sections, a shelf front end connected to the frontmost shelf middle section of the multiple shelf middle sections, and a shelf rear end connected to the rearmost shelf middle section of the multiple shelf middle sections via the shelf hinges, wherein two adjacent shelf hinges are respectively connected to the front and back sides of the multiple shelf middle sections.

[0012] Furthermore, the front side of the shelf front end is provided with a protruding locking strip, and the shelf track is provided with multiple locking slots along the length direction that can be locked into the locking strip.

[0013] Furthermore, each shelf has rolling pins at both ends of its middle section, and the shelf track has strip grooves along its length for the rolling pins to roll.

[0014] Furthermore, each shelf is provided with a rolling pin at the middle and rear ends, and a pair of shelf baffles are provided inside the storage box. The area between the two shelf baffles is the storage area of ​​the folding shelf, and the shelf baffles are provided with transverse grooves to restrict the rolling pins.

[0015] Furthermore, a storage box baffle is provided on the side of the storage box facing the folding shelf, and the storage box baffle has a horizontal opening for the folding shelf to extend out.

[0016] Furthermore, the rear end of the shelf is provided with a limiting protrusion to prevent the rear end of the shelf from sliding out of the storage box from the lateral opening.

[0017] The locking mechanism includes:

[0018] The locking knob has an irregularly shaped cam at the bottom, which is located on the inner cover of the storage box. Rotating the locking knob can drive the irregularly shaped cam to rotate.

[0019] A locking pin is installed on the inner cover and fitted with a locking spring. When the locking pin is pressed, the locking spring is compressed, and the locking pin is inserted downward into the storage space to restrict the movement of the folding shelf inside the storage box.

[0020] A sliding groove is provided on the inner cover. A sliding shaft is provided in the sliding groove. When the locking knob is rotated to the limit position, the irregular cam pushes the sliding shaft to slide along the sliding groove to the other end and presses the locking pin. When the locking knob is rotated to the release position, the locking spring resets and drives the locking pin to push upward and push the sliding shaft along the sliding groove to one end to abut against the irregular cam.

[0021] The folding shelf has multiple through holes along the unfolding direction into which the locking pin can be inserted.

[0022] The present invention also includes:

[0023] A pair of lifting guide rails are located at both ends of the storage box, and the lifting guide rails are provided with racks;

[0024] The gear assembly is installed inside the lifting guide rail and engages with the rack, and can move up and down along the lifting guide rail to adjust its position;

[0025] The lifting and limiting mechanism is installed on the inner cover of the storage box and connected to the gear assembly at both ends, so that the storage box moves up and down with the gear assembly, while limiting the gear assembly so that the gear assembly can lock itself and not rotate.

[0026] Furthermore, the gear assembly includes: a first gear and a second gear, the first gear being disposed above the second gear, the rack being disposed on one side of the lifting guide rail, the second gear being self-locking when meshing with the first gear, and being able to rotate along the rack when separated by the lifting limit mechanism.

[0027] The lifting limit mechanism includes:

[0028] The lifting shaft is set in the limiting groove on the inner cover of the storage box, and a return spring is provided on the side of the lifting shaft;

[0029] A lifting knob is installed on the inner cover. The bottom of the lifting knob is provided with a lifting cam. When the lifting knob is rotated to the disengaged position, it drives the lifting cam to push against the lifting shaft, causing the lifting shaft to move radially and compressing the return spring. When the lifting knob is rotated to the self-locking position, the lifting cam resets and the reset rebound release pushes the lifting shaft to move radially back to its original position.

[0030] A gear slider is disposed at both ends of the lifting shaft and is engaged between the pins of the first gear and the second gear. The upper and lower surfaces of the gear slider are inclined surfaces, and separation and self-locking positions are provided at intervals on the inclined surfaces. When the lifting shaft moves back to its original position, the pins of the first gear and the second gear are engaged in the self-locking positions. When the lifting shaft is pushed and moved by the lifting cam, the pins of the first gear and the second gear slide along the inclined surfaces until they are engaged in the separation positions, thereby separating the second gear from the first gear.

[0031] Furthermore, the top surface of the storage box is provided with an inner cover, and below the inner cover is the storage space for the folding shelf. The inner cover is also covered with a protective cover plate, and the protective cover plate has a reserved hole for the knob to pass through.

[0032] Furthermore, the outer side of the shelf track is provided with a pin.

[0033] The present invention also proposes a refrigerator including the above-described folding shelf device.

[0034] Compared with existing technologies, the folding shelf device proposed in this invention is mechanically locked to the guide rails on both sides. When necessary, it can be unlocked by turning a knob, allowing for free height adjustment. At the same time, the original glass shelf is replaced with a spliced ​​shelf assembly, which can be folded back when not needed and pulled out and fixed when in use, thereby improving the utilization rate of the refrigerator's internal space. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled three-dimensional structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a top view of the protective cover being removed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section diagram;

[0040] Figure 5 for Figure 3 BB cross-section diagram;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view taken from the side in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the folding shelf in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 This is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a flat view of the folding shelf in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the shelf guide rail structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 11 This is an exploded view of the hidden protective cover of the storage box in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled lifting guide rail and gear assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting guide rail and gear assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 14 This is an exploded view of the locking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 15 This is an exploded view of the lifting and limiting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] 1. Storage box;

[0052] 101. Shelf baffle; 102. Inner lid; 104. Storage box frame; 105. Storage box baffle;

[0053] 121. Lifting knob; 122. Lifting cam; 123. First gear; 124. Second gear; 125. Gear slider; 126. Lifting shaft; 127. Return spring;

[0054] 131. Locking knob; 132. Sliding shaft; 133. Locking pin; 134. Locking spring; 135. Irregularly shaped cam;

[0055] 2. Lifting guide rail;

[0056] 3. Folding shelves;

[0057] 31. Front end of shelf; 32. Middle end of shelf; 33. Shelf hinge; 34. Rolling pin; 35. Rear end of shelf;

[0058] 4. Shelf rails;

[0059] 41. Slot; 42. Groove; 43. Pin. Detailed Implementation

[0060] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0061] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0062] Currently, there are patented solutions proposing the addition of movable shelves to the refrigerator's cold storage compartment. For example, CN115930534A proposes a lifting shelf, which utilizes gear transmission, with shelf components installed on a rack and pinion. A motor drives the rack and pinion to raise and lower, thereby causing the shelf to move. Another example is CN114198976A, which proposes a flexible shelf. This solution replaces the glass shelf components in a regular refrigerator with flexible shelves. Utilizing the rollable feature of the flexible shelves, they are concealed within the refrigerator body. When in use, they are pulled out and connected to a hanging component, allowing for adjustment of the storage space.

[0063] Both of the above solutions can satisfy the user's goal of freely adjusting the storage space of the refrigerator compartment. However, these solutions are limited in that they only allow for unilateral raising and lowering of the shelves and lateral pulling out and retracting, without the ability to fix the shelves after they are pulled out. Furthermore, the depth of the shelves cannot be freely adjusted, resulting in a lack of freedom in shelf adjustment. To address this, this invention proposes a folding shelf device. This folding shelf can be stored in a storage box or pulled out and laid flat between shelf tracks before being locked. The unfolded area of ​​the folding shelf can be freely adjusted, making it very flexible and convenient to use.

[0064] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, this invention proposes a folding shelf device, including: a storage box 1, a folding shelf 3, and a locking mechanism. This folding shelf device can be specifically applied to a refrigerator. Specifically, the storage box 1 is installed near the rear of the refrigerator compartment. Shelf tracks 4 are installed on the inner walls of both sides of the inner liner of the compartment and are inserted and fixed to both ends of the storage box 1, fixing the position of the shelf tracks 4 and corresponding to the height of the storage box 1. The folding shelf 3 can be folded and stored in the storage box 1, and can be unfolded along the shelf tracks 4, lying flat between the two shelf tracks 4, with its length freely adjustable. The locking mechanism is installed on the storage box 1. When the locking mechanism is engaged, it restricts the folding shelf 3 from being stored in the storage box 1 and from extending out of the storage box 1 along the shelf tracks 4. When the user unfolds the folding shelf 3 to a suitable position, the locking mechanism can be engaged to lock the folding shelf 3.

[0065] like Figures 7 to 10As shown, in a specific embodiment, the folding shelf 3 includes: multiple shelf middle sections 32, multiple shelf hinges 33, a shelf front end 31, and a shelf rear end 35. The shelf middle sections 32 are Z-shaped, with a connecting plate extending parallel above the left edge for connecting the shelf hinges 33 or the shelf front end 31, and a connecting plate extending parallel below the right edge for connecting the shelf hinges 33. That is, a shelf hinge 33 is connected between two adjacent shelf middle sections 32. The two hinges of the shelf hinge 33 are respectively connected to the connecting plates of the two adjacent shelf middle sections 32, so that the two connected shelf middle sections 32 can be folded. Moreover, the maximum rotation opening angle of each shelf hinge 33 is limited to 180 degrees, so that the shelf middle section 32 and shelf rear end 35 can be laid flat to form a plane for placing items after unfolding. The middle section 32 of the foremost shelf connects to the front end 31 of the shelf. A connecting plate extends parallel to the lower right edge of the front end 31 of the shelf, and is directly threaded to the connecting plate on the left side of the middle section 32 of the shelf. A retaining strip is provided on the bottom surface of the front end 31 of the shelf to restrict the position of the folding shelf 3 after it is pulled out to the correct position. A connecting plate extends parallel to the lower left edge of the rear end 35 of the shelf, and is connected to the middle section 32 of the last shelf through the shelf hinge 33. That is, the rear end 35 of the shelf and the middle section 32 of the shelf can also be folded. When the middle section 32 of the shelf is partially extended, the rear end 35 of the shelf is in a folded state. When the middle section 32 of the shelf is fully extended, the shelf hinge 33 is located in the storage box 1 and is in a flat state.

[0066] Specifically, a locking strip is provided on the bottom surface of the front end 31 of the shelf, which directly locks onto the shelf track 4 to restrict the position of the folding shelf 3 after it is pulled out into place. A limiting strip protrudes from the upper surface of the rear end 35 of the shelf to prevent the rear end 35 of the shelf from sliding out of the storage box 1.

[0067] Furthermore, each shelf middle end 32 and shelf rear end 35 is provided with a rolling pin 34 at both ends. The rolling pin 34 extends vertically and can only slide within the horizontal limiting groove, which is used to limit the position of the shelf middle end 32 and shelf rear end 35, while improving the smoothness of storage and sliding.

[0068] The storage box 1 specifically includes a storage box frame 104. A pair of shelf baffles 101 are provided on the inner walls of both ends of the storage box frame 104. The area between the shelf baffles 101 is the storage area for the folding shelf 3. A horizontal groove is provided on the shelf baffle 101, which serves as a limiting groove for the rolling pin 34. When the shelf baffle 101 is stored in the storage box 1, it slides along this horizontal groove. A storage box 1 baffle is provided on the side of the storage box frame opposite the protruding side of the folding shelf 3. The storage box 1 baffle has a horizontal opening for the protruding folding shelf 3. When the folding shelf 3 is unfolded, the middle section 32 of the shelf extends horizontally one piece at a time from this horizontal opening.

[0069] like Figure 10As shown, the shelf track 4 has a strip groove 42 along its length for the rolling pins 34 to roll, which is a limiting groove. After the middle end 32 of the shelf slides out of the storage box 1, the rolling pins 34 at both ends continue to slide along the strip groove, further improving the smoothness of unfolding and preventing jamming. The shelf track 4 also has a series of slots 41 along its length for locking the front end 31 of the shelf. After the front end 31 of the shelf slides to any position on the shelf track 4, it can be directly locked into the slot to fix the position of the front end 31 of the shelf, which means that the unfolded position of the folding shelf 3 is fixed. That is, with the locking mechanism and the locking strip, both the front and rear ends of the folding shelf 3 are in a completely restricted state after unfolding, improving the user experience.

[0070] The outer side of the shelf track is provided with multiple pins 43 along the length direction, which can be inserted into the pin holes at different heights of the refrigerator compartment to fix the position of the shelf track.

[0071] like Figure 11 As shown, the top surface of the storage box 1 is provided with an inner cover 102. The surface of the inner cover 102 is used to install the locking mechanism. The top surface of the storage box 1 is also provided with a protective cover plate (not shown in the figure), i.e. a protective cover. The protective cover plate is installed above the inner cover 102 and covers the inner cover 102 inside to ensure that the locking mechanism is not affected. At the same time, the protective cover plate is also provided with a reserved hole for the knob to pass through.

[0072] like Figure 5 , 6As shown in Figure 14, in a specific embodiment, the locking mechanism includes: a locking knob 131, a shaped cam 135, a locking pin 133, a sliding shaft 132, and a sliding groove. A mounting position for installing the locking knob 131 is provided in the middle of the surface of the inner cover 102. Specifically, a connecting shaft is provided at the bottom of the locking knob 131, and a circular insertion hole is provided on the surface of the inner cover 102 to insert the connecting shaft, allowing the locking knob 131 to rotate freely. The shaped cam 135 is fitted onto the connecting shaft. When the locking knob 131 rotates, it drives the connecting shaft to rotate, and simultaneously drives the shaped cam 135 to rotate. The shaped cam 135 is elongated. The inner cover 102 also has two sliding grooves (separated by two elongated vertical plates on the surface of the inner cover 102), located on both sides of the locking knob 131. The two sliding grooves extend from near the middle of the inner cover 102 towards both ends of the inner cover 102. Each sliding groove is equipped with a sliding shaft 132 (it should be noted that the sliding shaft 132 can only slide axially by means of a protective cover plate or other snap-fit ​​structure above the sliding groove). One end of the sliding shaft 132 rests on the side of the irregular cam 135, and the other end is folded outward to form an inclined section, which then extends upward and horizontally to form a horizontal extension section. The locking pin 133 is installed on the inner cover 102 and located at the other end of the sliding shaft 132. The top of the locking pin 133 rests on the bottom surface of the horizontal extension of the sliding shaft 132. A locking spring 134 is fitted on the locking pin 133. When the locking pin 133 is pressed, the locking spring 134 is compressed, and the locking pin 133 is inserted downward into the storage space to restrict the folding shelf 3 (the specific structure can be that the surface of the inner cover 102 is recessed downward into a mounting groove, the bottom of the mounting groove is provided with a round hole, and a step is formed around the round hole to restrict the bottom of the locking spring 134. The side of the locking pin 133 is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the top of the limiting spring rests below the limiting protrusion). When the locking knob 131 is rotated to the limiting position, the two ends of the irregular cam 135 (long at both ends and narrow at both sides) face the limiting shaft, pushing the sliding shaft 132 to slide along the sliding groove to the other end, so that the locking pin 133 slides along the inclined section and is pressed downward, while compressing the locking spring 134. When the locking knob 131 is rotated to the released position (i.e., rotated 90 degrees), the two sides of the irregular cam 135 (longer at both ends and narrower at both ends) face the limiting shaft. The locking spring 134 returns to its original position, causing the locking pin 133 to push upwards. This pushes the sliding shaft 132 along the inclined section of the sliding shaft 132 towards one end, where it abuts against the irregular cam 135. This causes the locking pin 133 to retract upwards and separate from the folding shelf 3. The limiting pins located at both ends are directly controlled by the knob, resulting in a stable and reliable structure that is also convenient for operation.

[0073] Specifically, each shelf has through holes at the middle 32 and the rear 35 near both ends, into which locking pins 133 can be inserted, so that the extended length can be freely adjusted and stably limited.

[0074] like Figure 4, 15 As shown in the specific embodiment, the folding shelf device proposed in this invention further includes: a pair of lifting guide rails 2, a gear assembly, and a lifting limiting mechanism. The pair of lifting guide rails 2 are installed on the inner walls of both sides of the compartment, and the position between the lifting guide rails 2 is the lifting position of the storage box 1, that is, the lifting guide rails 2 are located at both ends of the storage box 1. The lifting guide rails 2 are U-shaped with opposite openings, and a rack is vertically installed on one inner wall. The gear assembly is installed inside the lifting guide rails 2 and meshes with the rack inside the lifting guide rails 2, moving up and down along the lifting guide rails 2 to adjust its position. The limiting mechanism is installed on the storage box 1, and its two ends are connected to the gear assembly, so that the storage box 1 moves up and down with the gear assembly. At the same time, it can limit the gear assembly so that the gear assembly is self-locking and cannot rotate, and at the same time limit the position of the storage box 1.

[0075] In a specific embodiment, the gear assembly includes a first gear 123 and a second gear 124. The first gear 123 is positioned above the second gear 124. A rack is provided on one side of the lifting guide rail 2. When the second gear 124 meshes with the first gear 123, it will automatically lock itself because the rotation directions are the same, preventing both the first gear 123 and the second gear 124 from rotating. When the first gear 123 and the second gear 124 are separated by the lifting limit mechanism, they can rotate along the rack, thus allowing them to move up and down to adjust their position.

[0076] The lifting and limiting mechanism specifically includes: a lifting shaft 126, a lifting knob 121, a lifting cam 122, and a gear slider 125. The inner cover 102 has a limiting groove, which is parallel to and spaced apart from the sliding groove. The limiting groove is also divided into two sections. The lifting knob 121 is installed on the inner cover 102 between the two sections of the limiting groove (the installation method of the lifting knob 121 is the same as that of the locking knob 131, and will not be specifically illustrated). A lifting cam 122 is provided at the bottom of the lifting knob 121, rotating with it. The lifting shaft 126 is installed in the limiting groove (it should be noted that the top surface of the limiting groove is sealed by a protective cover plate, preventing the lifting shaft 126 from coming out of the limiting groove), and can move radially within the limiting groove. Multiple alignment shafts are provided on the side of the lifting shaft 126, with a return spring 127 sleeved on each alignment shaft. Simultaneously, alignment holes corresponding to the alignment shafts are provided on the inner wall of the limiting groove. Rotating the lifting knob 121 causes the lifting cam 122 to rotate, pushing the lifting shaft 126 to move from one side to the other, allowing multiple alignment shafts to insert into the alignment holes and simultaneously compressing the return spring 127. After rotating the lifting knob 121 again, the lifting cam 122 gradually moves away from the lifting shaft 126, causing the return spring 127 to reset and push the lifting shaft 126 to move back to its original position (moving to one side). The gear slider 125 is set at both ends of the lifting shaft 126 and is locked between the pins of the first gear 123 and the second gear 124. The upper and lower surfaces of the gear slider 125 are both inclined surfaces, with separation locking positions and self-locking locking positions spaced apart on the inclined surfaces. When the lifting shaft 126 moves back to its original position, the pins of the first gear 123 and the second gear 124 (the pins are inserted at the center of the side of the gear and rotate along the axis with the gear) are locked in the self-locking locking positions. At this time, the first gear 123 and the second gear 124 are in a meshing and self-locking state, and the height of the storage box 1 cannot be adjusted. When the lifting knob 121 is rotated, the lifting shaft 126 is pushed and moved by the lifting cam 122. The pins of the first gear 123 and the second gear 124 slide along the inclined surfaces until they are locked in the separation locking positions. The second gear 124 and the first gear 123 are separated vertically and can rotate freely. At this time, the height of the storage box 1 can be adjusted.

[0077] This invention features two knobs arranged side-by-side on the upper surface of the storage box 1. Users can directly rotate the knobs to adjust the height of the storage box 1 and the extension length of the folding shelf 3. The operation is very simple and convenient. Moreover, the use of a gear assembly in conjunction with the lifting mechanism makes the lifting and lowering more smooth and reliable. When not in use, the storage box 1 can be moved up or down to the top or bottom position without affecting the space of the room.

[0078] In a specific embodiment, the storage box 1 has insertion holes at both ends for inserting the ends of the shelf track 4. After the height of the storage box 1 is adjusted, the ends of the shelf track 4 can be inserted into the insertion holes so that the height of the shelf track 4 corresponds to the height of the storage box 1. The storage box 1 also has two spaced protrusions at both ends, and the position between the protrusions forms a lifting groove. The lifting guide rail 2 passes through the lifting groove to prevent the storage box 1 from tilting and affecting its unstable position during use.

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention also proposes a refrigerator, including the above-mentioned folding shelf device. It should be noted that the above-mentioned folding shelf device can not only be used in refrigerators, but also in wardrobes or other devices or furniture that require adjustable storage space.

[0080] Taking its application in a refrigerator as a specific example, the inner liner of the refrigerator compartment has mounting slots for shelf rails at different heights on both sides, along with pin holes within these slots. Alternatively, multiple rows of pin holes at different heights can be directly installed on the inner walls of the inner liner on both sides of the compartment for mounting the shelf rails. Lifting rails are also installed on both sides of the inner liner, and storage boxes are installed between these rails, allowing the entire folding shelf assembly to be installed within the refrigerator compartment.

[0081] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0082] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0083] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0084] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0085] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0086] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding shelf device, characterized in that, include: A storage box, wherein parallel extending shelf rails are installed at both ends of the storage box; The folding shelf can be folded and stored in the storage box, and can be unfolded and laid flat between the two shelf tracks along the shelf tracks; A locking mechanism is installed on the storage box to restrict the folding shelf from being retracted into the storage box or from being unfolded outward from the storage box when it is opened; The locking mechanism includes: The locking knob has an irregularly shaped cam at the bottom, which is located on the inner cover of the storage box. Rotating the locking knob can drive the irregularly shaped cam to rotate. A locking pin is installed on the inner cover and fitted with a locking spring. When the locking pin is pressed, the locking spring is compressed, and the locking pin is inserted downward into the storage space to restrict the movement of the folding shelf inside the storage box. A sliding groove is provided on the inner cover. A sliding shaft is provided in the sliding groove. When the locking knob is rotated to the limit position, the irregular cam pushes the sliding shaft to slide along the sliding groove to the other end and presses the locking pin. When the locking knob is rotated to the release position, the locking spring resets and drives the locking pin to push upward and push the sliding shaft along the sliding groove to one end to abut against the irregular cam. Below the inner cover is a storage space for folding shelves.

2. The folding shelf device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The folding shelf has multiple through holes along the unfolding direction into which the locking pin can be inserted.

3. The folding shelf device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A pair of lifting guide rails are located at both ends of the storage box, and the lifting guide rails are provided with racks; The gear assembly is installed inside the lifting guide rail and engages with the rack, and can move up and down along the lifting guide rail to adjust its position; The lifting and limiting mechanism is installed on the inner cover of the storage box and connected to the gear assembly at both ends, so that the storage box moves up and down with the gear assembly, while limiting the gear assembly so that the gear assembly can lock itself and not rotate.

4. The folding shelf device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The gear assembly includes a first gear and a second gear. The first gear is disposed above the second gear. The rack is disposed on one side of the lifting guide rail. The second gear is self-locking when meshing with the first gear and can rotate along the rack when separated by the lifting limit mechanism.

5. The folding shelf device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The lifting and limiting mechanism includes: The lifting shaft is set in the limiting groove on the inner cover of the storage box, and a return spring is provided on the side of the lifting shaft; A lifting knob is installed on the inner cover. The bottom of the lifting knob is provided with a lifting cam. When the lifting knob is rotated to the disengaged position, it drives the lifting cam to push against the lifting shaft, causing the lifting shaft to move radially and compressing the return spring. When the lifting knob is rotated to the self-locking position, the lifting cam resets and the reset rebound release pushes the lifting shaft to move radially back to its original position. A gear slider is disposed at both ends of the lifting shaft and is engaged between the pins of the first gear and the second gear. The upper and lower surfaces of the gear slider are inclined surfaces, and separation and self-locking positions are provided at intervals on the inclined surfaces. When the lifting shaft moves back to its original position, the pins of the first gear and the second gear are engaged in the self-locking positions. When the lifting shaft is pushed and moved by the lifting cam, the pins of the first gear and the second gear slide along the inclined surfaces until they are engaged in the separation positions, thereby separating the second gear from the first gear.

6. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The folding shelf includes: multiple shelf middle sections arranged sequentially, shelf hinges connecting the middle sections of two adjacent shelf middle sections, a shelf front end connected to the frontmost shelf middle section of the multiple shelf middle sections, and a shelf rear end connected to the rearmost shelf middle section of the multiple shelf middle sections via the shelf hinges, wherein two adjacent shelf hinges are respectively connected to the front and back sides of the multiple shelf middle sections.

7. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The front side of the shelf front end is provided with a protruding locking strip, and the shelf track is provided with multiple locking slots along the length direction that can be locked into the locking strip.

8. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, Each shelf has rolling pins at both ends of its middle section, and the shelf track has strip grooves along its length for the rolling pins to roll.

9. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, Each shelf is provided with a rolling pin at the middle and both ends of the rear end. The storage box is provided with a pair of shelf baffles. The area between the two shelf baffles is the storage area of ​​the folding shelf. The shelf baffles are provided with transverse grooves to restrict the rolling pins.

10. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The storage box has a baffle on the side facing the folding shelf, and the baffle has a horizontal opening for the folding shelf to extend out.

11. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The rear end of the shelf is provided with a limiting protrusion to prevent the rear end of the shelf from sliding out of the storage box from the lateral opening.

12. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The storage box has an inner cover on its top surface, and a protective cover plate is also provided on the inner cover plate. The protective cover plate has a reserved hole for the knob to pass through.

13. The folding shelf device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side of the shelf track is provided with a pin.

14. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Includes the folding shelf device as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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