A top and rear opening in-vehicle refrigerator and a control method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of vehicle refrigerator, especially to a top and rear opening vehicle refrigerator and a control method thereof, comprising a box body, the top end and the rear end of the box body are provided with openings; the opening of the top end of the box body is provided with a top cover; further comprising a drawer, the drawer comprises a body and a drawer panel, the box body is provided with a containing cavity, the body is arranged in the containing cavity and is slidably connected with the box body, the drawer panel is connected to the opening of the rear end of the box body, the advantages of the top and rear opening vehicle refrigerator include that the front and rear passengers can conveniently take articles at the same time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle refrigerators, and in particular to a top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Car refrigerators are typically opened by either a top flip-top cover or a drawer, but the flip-top and drawer are not usually installed simultaneously.

[0003] Flip-top car refrigerators are typically located in the armrest area of ​​the vehicle. The flip-top allows two passengers seated next to the armrest to easily open the refrigerator. The refrigerator can be placed in the driver's side armrest or the rear armrest. For example, Chinese invention publication CN203511399U discloses a refrigerator embedded in the rear armrest, which includes a body with a refrigerator door hinged to the top. The refrigerator door can be flipped open to reveal items inside. This structure, when placed in the driver's side, makes it convenient for front passengers to retrieve items from the refrigerator, but inconvenient for rear passengers; conversely, when placed in the rear armrest, it makes it difficult for front passengers to access items from the refrigerator.

[0004] Drawer-type refrigerators are typically installed on the armrest of the driver's seat, with the drawer sliding out to facilitate access for rear passengers. For example, Chinese invention publication CN217110130U discloses a vehicle refrigerator with a quick-release drawer mechanism, in which the refrigerator assembly includes an inner liner; the drawer engages with the inner liner via drawer rails. This structure is inconvenient for front-seat passengers to retrieve items.

[0005] The problem with existing technology is that it cannot make it convenient for passengers in the front and back rows to access items at the same time. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator and its control method, which can facilitate both front and rear passengers to retrieve items.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the problem is: a top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator, including a cabinet, with openings at the top and rear ends of the cabinet; a top cover is provided at the opening at the top of the cabinet; and a drawer, the drawer including a body and a drawer panel, a receiving cavity provided inside the cabinet, the body being disposed in the receiving cavity and slidably connected to the cabinet in the front and rear, and the drawer panel covering the opening at the rear end of the cabinet.

[0008] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the rear end of the top cover is hinged to the cabinet body, the front part of the top cover is provided with a connecting part, and the cabinet body is provided with a latch, which is detachably connected to the connecting part. In this technical solution, the top cover flips backward. When the top-opening and rear-opening car refrigerator of the present invention is installed in the front row, it opens backward without obstructing the driver from driving the vehicle.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the latch includes a locking tongue and a power mechanism. A first sensor is provided on the cabinet to detect whether the drawer is open. The latch also includes a controller, with both the first sensor and the power mechanism electrically connected to the controller. The power mechanism drives the locking tongue to connect or disconnect from the connecting part. By sensing whether the drawer is open through the first sensor, and when the drawer is open, the controller controls the locking mechanism to drive the locking tongue to connect with the connecting part, preventing the user from opening the top cover and avoiding simultaneous opening of the drawer and top cover. If the top cover is opened while the drawer of the car refrigerator is open, the drawer slides and refrigeration system inside the compartment are exposed, and foreign objects falling from the opening at the top of the cabinet may damage the car refrigerator.

[0010] As an optional technical solution, the first sensor is a Hall sensor, the power mechanism is an electromagnet, and the connecting part is a blind hole. The power mechanism can attract or repel the bolt to control the bolt to translate relative to the connecting part, thereby allowing the bolt to be inserted into or disengaged from the connecting part.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the drawer is provided with a connecting position, and the box body is provided with a buckle, which is detachably connected to the connecting position.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the buckle includes a buckle protrusion and a driving mechanism. The housing is provided with a second sensor, which is used to sense whether the top cover is open. It also includes a controller. The second sensor and the driving mechanism are both electrically connected to the controller. The driving mechanism is used to drive the buckle protrusion to connect or disconnect from the connection position.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the latch includes a locking pin and an elastic element connected to each other. The locking pin is slidably mounted on the cabinet body, and the spring element is fixedly mounted inside the cabinet body. When the drawer is open, the elastic element naturally extends, and the locking pin is inserted into the connecting part. When the drawer is closed, the main body presses against the locking pin, the elastic element is compressed, and the locking pin is disengaged from the connecting part. When the drawer is closed, the locking pin is disengaged from the connecting part, and the user can freely open the top cover; when the drawer is open, the locking pin is inserted into the connecting part, and the user cannot open the top cover.

[0014] This invention also provides a control method for a top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator, used in the aforementioned top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator, wherein in the initial state, neither the top cover nor the drawer is open; when a second sensor detects that the top cover is open, the controller controls the drive mechanism to drive the latch to connect with the connection position; when the second sensor detects that the top cover is closed, the controller controls the drive mechanism to drive the latch to disengage from the connection position; when a first sensor detects that the drawer is open, the controller controls the power mechanism to drive the latch to connect with the connection part; when a first sensor detects that the drawer is closed, the controller controls the power mechanism to drive the latch to disengage from the connection part. By sensing the opening and closing states of the top cover and drawer respectively by the second and first sensors, the controller controls the drive mechanism and power mechanism to control the opening and closing states of the top cover and drawer, thereby preventing the top cover and drawer from being opened simultaneously.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: the top of the cabinet can be opened through the top cover, and the rear of the cabinet can be opened through the drawer. This invention provides a top-opening and rear-opening car refrigerator that facilitates passengers on the left, right and rear sides to retrieve items, that is, it is convenient for passengers in two rows to retrieve items from the cabinet at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 An exploded view of one embodiment of the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of part A;

[0020] Figure 4 A perspective view of the top cover of an embodiment of the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 A perspective view of the drawer of one embodiment of the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 An exploded view of another embodiment of the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 A perspective view of the body and latch of another embodiment of the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of part B.

[0025] In the picture:

[0026] 1-Box body, 11-Receiving cavity, 12-Slide groove, 13-Limiting protrusion, 5-Lock, 51-Locking pin, 52-Elastic element, 4-Second sensor, 6-Snap fastener, 3-Top cover, 31-Connecting part, 2-Drawer, 21-Body body, 211-Abutting part, 22-Connecting position. Detailed Implementation

[0027] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0029] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0030] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 8 A top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator, comprising:

[0032] A top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator includes a cabinet 1, with openings at both the top and rear ends of the cabinet 1; a top cover 3 is provided at the opening at the top of the cabinet 1; and a drawer 2, which includes a body 21 and a drawer 2 panel. The cabinet 1 has a receiving cavity 11, the body 21 is disposed in the receiving cavity 11 and is slidably connected to the cabinet 1 from front to back, and the drawer 2 panel covers the opening at the rear end of the cabinet 1.

[0033] In a further preferred embodiment, the rear end of the top cover 3 is hinged to the box body 1, the front part of the top cover 3 is provided with a connecting part 31, the box body 1 is provided with a latch 5, and the latch 5 is detachably connected to the connecting part 31.

[0034] In a further preferred embodiment, the latch 5 includes a latch and a power mechanism (not shown in the figure), the box 1 is provided with a first sensor (not shown in the figure), the first sensor is used to sense whether the drawer 2 is open, and it also includes a controller (not shown in the figure). The first sensor and the power mechanism are both electrically connected to the controller, and the power mechanism is used to drive the latch to connect or disconnect from the connecting part 31.

[0035] The first sensor can be a photoelectric sensor or a Hall sensor, both existing technologies, and the power mechanism can be a motor or an electromagnet, both existing technologies. The connection between the motor and the latch can be a fixed connection, while the connection between the electromagnet and the latch can be a magnetic connection.

[0036] In a further preferred embodiment, the first sensor is a Hall sensor, the power mechanism is an electromagnet, the connecting part 31 is a blind hole, and the power mechanism can attract or repel the bolt to control the bolt to translate relative to the connecting part 31, thereby allowing the bolt to be inserted into or disengaged from the connecting part 31.

[0037] As an optional embodiment, the drawer 2 is provided with a connection position 22, and the box body 1 is provided with a buckle 6, which is detachably connected to the connection position 22.

[0038] In a further preferred embodiment, the buckle 6 includes a latching protrusion and a driving mechanism. The housing 1 is provided with a second sensor 4, which is used to sense whether the top cover 3 is open. The housing 1 also includes a controller. The second sensor 4 and the driving mechanism are both electrically connected to the controller. The driving mechanism is used to drive the latching protrusion to connect or disconnect from the connection position 22.

[0039] In a further preferred embodiment, the latch 5 includes a locking pin 51 and an elastic element 52 connected to each other. The locking pin 51 is slidably mounted on the housing 1, and the spring element is fixedly mounted inside the housing 1. When the drawer 2 is open, the elastic element 52 naturally extends, and the locking pin 51 is inserted into the connecting part 31. The rear part of the body 21 extends upward to form an abutment part 211. When the drawer 2 is closed, the abutment part 211 presses against the locking pin 51, the elastic element 52 is compressed, and the locking pin 51 is disengaged from the connecting part 31. A sliding groove 12 is provided on the housing 1, and a limiting protrusion 13 is provided at the lower part of the sliding groove. The limiting protrusion is used to prevent the locking pin 51 from falling downward and is located between the rear end of the housing 1 and the locking pin 51.

[0040] A control method for a top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator is provided. In the initial state of the vehicle refrigerator, neither the top cover 3 nor the drawer 2 is open. When a second sensor detects that the top cover 3 is open, the controller controls the drive mechanism to connect the latch protrusion to the connection position 22. When the second sensor detects that the top cover 3 is closed, the controller controls the drive mechanism to disengage the latch protrusion from the connection position 22.

[0041] When the first sensor 4 detects that the drawer 2 is open, the controller controls the power mechanism to drive the latch to connect with the connecting part 31; when the first sensor 4 detects that the drawer 2 is closed, the controller controls the power mechanism to drive the latch to disconnect from the connecting part 31.

[0042] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator, comprising a cabinet (1), characterized in that: The top and rear ends of the box (1) are provided with openings; The top opening of the box (1) is provided with a top cover (3); It also includes a drawer (2), which includes a body (21) and a drawer panel. The box (1) is provided with a receiving cavity (11). The body (21) is located in the receiving cavity (11) and is slidably connected to the box (1) in the front and back. The drawer panel covers the opening at the rear end of the box (1). The rear end of the top cover (3) is hinged to the box body (1), the front part of the top cover (3) is provided with a connecting part (31), the box body (1) is provided with a buckle (5), and the buckle (5) is detachably connected to the connecting part (31). The latch (5) includes a latch and a power mechanism. The box (1) is provided with a first sensor, which is used to sense whether the drawer (2) is open. It also includes a controller. The first sensor and the power mechanism are electrically connected to the controller. The power mechanism is used to drive the latch to connect or disconnect from the connecting part (31). The drawer (2) is provided with a connecting position (22), and the box body (1) is provided with a buckle (6). The buckle (6) is detachably connected to the connecting position (22). The buckle (6) includes a buckle protrusion and a drive mechanism. The housing (1) is provided with a second sensor (4). The second sensor (4) is used to sense whether the top cover (3) is open. The housing (1) also includes a controller. The second sensor (4) and the drive mechanism are both electrically connected to the controller. The drive mechanism is used to drive the buckle protrusion to connect or disconnect from the connection position (22). The latch (5) includes a locking pin (51) and an elastic element (52) connected to each other. The locking pin (51) is slidably mounted on the housing (1), and the elastic element is fixedly mounted inside the housing (1). When the drawer (2) is open, the elastic element (52) naturally extends and the locking pin (51) is inserted into the connecting part (31); when the drawer (2) is closed, the body (21) presses against the locking pin (51), the elastic element (52) is compressed, and the locking pin (51) is disengaged from the connecting part (31).

2. A top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensor is a Hall sensor, the power mechanism is an electromagnet, the connecting part (31) is a blind hole, and the power mechanism can attract or repel the latch to control the latch to translate relative to the connecting part (31), so that the latch can be inserted into or disengaged from the connecting part (31).

3. A control method for a top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator, based on the top-opening and rear-opening vehicle refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In the initial state, neither the top cover (3) nor the drawer (2) of the vehicle refrigerator is open; When the second sensor (4) detects that the top cover (3) is open, the controller controls the drive mechanism to drive the latch to connect with the connection position (22); when the second sensor (4) detects that the top cover (3) is closed, the controller controls the drive mechanism to drive the latch to disconnect from the connection position (22). When the first sensor detects that the drawer (2) is open, the controller controls the power mechanism to drive the latch to connect with the connecting part (31); when the first sensor detects that the drawer (2) is closed, the controller controls the power mechanism to drive the latch to disconnect from the connecting part (31).

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