Hinge with multiple movable joints and refrigerator

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-movable-joint hinge which comprises a cabinet body fixing base, a door body fixing base, a first connecting piece, a second connecting piece, a third connecting piece, a fourth connecting piece, a gear assembly and an elastic assembly. The second connecting piece is rotationally connected with the first connecting piece and the door body fixing seat, the third connecting piece is rotationally connected with the first connecting piece and the door body fixing seat, the fourth connecting piece is rotationally connected with the cabinet body fixing seat and the third connecting piece, the gear assembly comprises a first gear and a second gear, the first gear is arranged in the first connecting piece, and the second gear is arranged in the second connecting piece. The second gear is arranged in the second connecting piece; the elastic assembly is arranged in the first connecting piece and connected with the first gear. In the process that the multi-movable-joint hinge is opened from the closed state to the critical state, the elastic assembly is elastically deformed through cooperation of the first gear and the second gear till the first gear and the second gear are disengaged. The use experience of a user can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a hinge, in particular to a multi-joint hinge and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] The door and cabinet of the freezer are usually connected by a multi-joint hinge. The Chinese invention patent application with the publication number CN117365212A discloses a multi-joint hinge. When the multi-joint hinge is in a fully open state, the first cam structure abuts against the cam rotating part, the elastic component is in a non-compressed state, and one end of the third connecting member abuts against the deceleration component. When the multi-joint hinge is in a critical state, the first cam structure is separated from the cam rotating part, the second cam structure abuts against the cam rotating part, and the elastic component is compressed to drive the second connecting member and the fourth connecting member to rotate clockwise, thereby driving the door body fixing seat to rotate counterclockwise to drive the multi-joint hinge to move toward the closed state, and one end of the third connecting member rotates counterclockwise to abut against the deceleration component to reduce the closing speed of the multi-joint hinge until the multi-joint hinge enters the closed state. Therefore, when the door body is in an open state, the elastic component does not apply a closing force to the door body; when the door body rotates past the critical state, the elastic component applies a closing force to the door body, and the cooperation between the third connecting member and the deceleration component can reduce the self-closing speed. However, during the opening process of the multi-joint hinge, the abutment component in the second connecting member always rotates and abuts against the elastic component in the fourth connecting member, resulting in a greater force required by the user to open the multi-joint hinge, thereby reducing the user's experience. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a multi-joint hinge that can improve the user experience.

[0004] One of the purposes of the present invention is achieved by adopting the following technical solution 1:

[0005] A multi-joint hinge comprises a cabinet fixing seat, a door fixing seat, a first connecting member, a second connecting member, a third connecting member and a fourth connecting member, wherein two ends of the first connecting member are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat and the second connecting member respectively, two ends of the second connecting member are rotatably connected to the first connecting member and the door fixing seat respectively, two ends of the third connecting member are rotatably connected to the first connecting member and the door fixing seat respectively, and two ends of the fourth connecting member are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat and the third connecting member respectively. The multi-joint hinge also comprises a gear assembly and an elastic assembly, wherein the gear assembly comprises a first gear and a second gear meshing with each other, the first gear is rotatably mounted in the first connecting member, the second gear is mounted in the second connecting member and can rotate with the second connecting member; the elastic assembly is mounted in the first connecting member and one end is rotatably connected to the first gear; when the multi-joint hinge is subjected to force to open from a closed state to a critical state, the elastic assembly is elastically deformed by the rotational cooperation of the first gear and the second gear until the first gear is disengaged from the second gear.

[0006] Furthermore, the elastic component includes an elastic member and a connecting arm, one end of the elastic member is fixed in the first connecting member; one end of the connecting arm is slidably mounted on the first connecting member and connected to the other end of the elastic member, and the other end of the connecting arm is rotationally connected to the first gear.

[0007] Furthermore, the connecting arm is an arc-shaped arm recessed toward the door body fixing seat.

[0008] Further, the first gear includes a gear body, a meshing portion and an extension portion, the gear body is rotatably connected to the first connecting member, the meshing portion and the extension portion are formed on the gear body and arranged along the circumference of the gear body, the meshing portion is meshed with the second gear, and the extension portion is rotatably connected to the connecting arm.

[0009] Furthermore, one end of the connecting arm away from the first gear is slidably connected to the first connecting member via a first connecting shaft, and one end of the elastic member is connected to the first connecting shaft so as to be abutted against the connecting arm via the first connecting shaft; one end of the connecting arm away from the elastic member is rotatably connected to the extension portion via a second connecting shaft; and the gear body is rotatably connected to the first connecting member via an axle.

[0010] Furthermore, the elastic member is in a compressed state. When the multi-joint hinge is in a closed state, under the action of the elastic member, the second connecting shaft is abutted against the bottom of the first gear and is located between the center of the axle and the first connecting shaft to lock the first gear.

[0011] Furthermore, when the multi-joint hinge is opened from the closed state to the critical state, the second gear drives the first gear to rotate:

[0012] When the multi-joint hinge is in a balanced state between the closed state and the critical state, the second connecting shaft rotates to between the first connecting shaft and the wheel axle, and the center of the first connecting shaft, the center of the second connecting shaft and the center of the wheel axle are located on the same straight line, and the elastic member is compressed to the shortest; when the multi-joint hinge is in any position between the closed state and the balanced state, after the external force is removed, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the multi-joint hinge to move toward the closed state.

[0013] Furthermore, when the multi-joint hinge opens from the equilibrium state to the critical state, the second gear drives the first gear to continue rotating until the second gear is separated from the first gear.

[0014] Furthermore, when the multi-joint hinge is in the critical state, the second connecting shaft rotates to the side of the wheel axle center facing away from the door body fixing seat, and the extension portion is abutted against the first connecting member under the action of the elastic member to lock the first gear.

[0015] Furthermore, a clamping portion is provided on the first connecting member, and when the multi-joint hinge is in the critical state, the extending portion is clamped on the clamping portion.

[0016] Furthermore, the connecting arm includes two plates, which are respectively located at opposite ends of the first gear; the first connecting shaft passes through one end of the two plates close to the elastic member; the extension portion is located between the two plates, and the second connecting shaft passes through the two plates and the extension portion.

[0017] Furthermore, the first connecting member is provided with a guide groove, and the end portion of the first connecting shaft is slidably inserted into the guide groove.

[0018] Furthermore, the elastic member includes a mounting seat and a compression spring, the mounting seat includes a first seat body, a second seat body and a telescopic member connecting the first seat body and the second seat body, the first seat body is installed in the first connecting member, and the second seat body is sleeved on the first connecting shaft; the compression spring is sleeved on the telescopic member and elastically resists the first seat body and the second seat body.

[0019] Furthermore, the telescopic member includes a fixed shaft and a sliding sleeve slidably mounted on the fixed shaft, one of the fixed shaft and the sliding sleeve is fixed to the first seat body, and the other is fixed to the seat body.

[0020] One of the purposes of the present invention is achieved by adopting the following technical solution 2:

[0021] A refrigerator comprises the above-mentioned multi-joint hinge.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the multi-joint hinge of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] Since the first gear and the second gear are disengaged when the multi-joint hinge crosses the critical state and moves toward the fully open state, the second connecting member is no longer affected by the force of the first gear, thereby allowing the user to open the multi-joint hinge with a smaller external force, which is beneficial to improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a multi-joint hinge in a closed state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a cabinet fixing seat in a multi-joint hinge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a door body fixing seat in a multi-joint hinge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first connecting member in the multi-joint hinge of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the second connecting member in the multi-joint hinge of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the third connecting member in the multi-joint hinge of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the fourth connecting member in the multi-joint hinge of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 1 The structure diagram of the multi-joint hinge shown in the figure after removing the cabinet fixing seat and the first connecting member;

[0032] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 The structural diagram of the gear assembly and the elastic assembly shown;

[0033] Fig.10 for Figure 1 A top view of the multi-jointed hinge shown;

[0034] Fig.11 for Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of the multi-joint hinge along line AA;

[0035] Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-joint hinge in a critical state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Fig.13 for Fig.12 A cross-sectional view of the multi-joint hinge along line BB;

[0037] Fig.14 This is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-joint hinge in a fully opened state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.15 for Fig.14 A cross-sectional view of the multi-joint hinge along line CC;

[0039] In the figure: 100, multi-joint hinge; 10, cabinet fixing seat; 11, bottom side; 13, extension side; 131, first through hole; 132, second through hole; 15, side stop; 16, receiving groove; 17, first through shaft; 18, second through shaft; 20, door fixing seat; 21, bottom plate; 23, side plate; 231, first holding hole; 232, second holding hole; 25, first holding shaft; 26, second holding shaft; 30, first connecting member; 31, bottom; 310, clamping part; 32, side; 321, first fixing hole; 322, second fixing hole; 323, third fixing hole; 324, mounting hole; 325, guide groove; 34, first fixing axis; 35, second fixing axis; 40, second connecting member; 41, side plate; 411, first connecting hole; 412, second connecting hole; 42, connecting plate; 50, third connecting member; 51, connecting Connecting part; 53, side wall; 531, first holding hole; 532, second holding hole; 533, third holding hole; 56, holding shaft; 60, fourth connecting member; 61, main body; 62, first end; 621, first hole; 63, second end; 631, second hole; 70, gear assembly; 71, first gear; 711, gear body; 712, shaft hole; 713, axle; 714, toothed part; 716, extension part ; 72. Second gear; 721. Socket hole; 80. Elastic component; 81. Elastic member; 83. Connecting arm; 832. Plate body; 834. First through hole; 835. Second through hole; 84. Mounting seat; 841. First seat body; 843. Second seat body; 845. Telescopic member; 846. Fixed shaft; 847. Sliding sleeve; 85. First connecting shaft; 86. Second connecting shaft; 87. Compression spring; 90. Speed ​​reduction assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be another intermediate component through which it is fixed. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be another intermediate component at the same time. When a component is considered to be "set on" another component, it may be directly set on the other component or there may be another intermediate component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0043] Please also see Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Fig.12 A multi-joint hinge 100 provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a cabinet fixing seat 10, a door fixing seat 20, a first connecting member 30, a second connecting member 40, a third connecting member 50, a fourth connecting member 60, a gear assembly 70 and an elastic assembly 80. The two ends of the first connecting member 30 are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat 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 seat 20 respectively; the two ends of the third connecting member 50 are rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30 and the door fixing seat 20 respectively; the two ends of the fourth connecting member 60 are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat 10 and the third connecting member 50 respectively; the gear assembly 70 is installed in the first connecting member 30 and the second connecting member 40; the elastic assembly 80 is installed in the first connecting member 30 and elastically abuts against the gear assembly 70.

[0044] The cabinet fixing seat 10 is used to fix with the cabinet (not shown). In this embodiment, the multi-joint hinge 100 is applied to the refrigerator, and the cabinet fixing seat 10 is fixed to the refrigerator cabinet. Figure 2The cross section of the cabinet fixing seat 10 is roughly U-shaped, which can increase the structural strength while accommodating other parts, reduce the volume of the multi-joint hinge 100 and protect other parts. The cabinet fixing seat 10 includes a bottom side 11, a pair of extension sides 13 extending vertically from both sides of the bottom side 11, and a side stop 15 connecting the bottom side 11 and the pair of extension sides 13. A receiving groove 16 for accommodating other parts is formed between the bottom side 11, the extension side 13 and the side stop 15. A first through hole 131 and a second through hole 132 are arranged on the extension side 13 at intervals. The first through hole 131 is fixed by a first through shaft 17, and the second through hole 132 is fixed by a second through shaft 18.

[0045] The door body fixing seat 20 is used to fix with the door body. In this embodiment, the multi-joint hinge 100 is applied to the refrigerator, and the door body fixing seat 20 is fixed to the refrigerator door. Figure 3 The cross section of the door body fixing seat 20 is roughly U-shaped, which can accommodate other parts while increasing the structural strength, reduce the volume of the multi-joint hinge 100 and protect other parts. The door body fixing seat 20 includes a bottom plate 21 and a pair of side plates 23 respectively extending vertically from both sides of the bottom plate 21. The side plates 23 are provided with a first retaining hole 231 and a second retaining hole 232 at intervals. The pair of first retaining holes 231 on the pair of side plates 23 are fixed by passing through the first retaining shaft 25, and the pair of second retaining holes 232 on the pair of side plates 23 are fixed by passing through the second retaining shaft 26.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 4 The cross section of the first connecting member 30 is roughly U-shaped. While increasing the structural strength, the interior of the first connecting member 30 can accommodate other parts, reduce the volume of the hinge and protect other parts. The first connecting member 30 includes a bottom 31 and two side portions 32 formed by vertically extending from both sides of the bottom 31. The side portion 32 is provided with a first fixing hole 321, a second fixing hole 322 and a third fixing hole 323 located between the first fixing hole 321 and the second fixing hole 322. The first fixing hole 321 is fixed by the first fixing shaft 34; the second fixing hole 322 is fixed by the second through shaft 18, so that one end of the first connecting member 30 is rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat 10; the third fixing hole 323 is fixed by the second fixing shaft 35. One end of the first connecting member 30 provided with the second fixing hole 322 is received by the receiving groove 16 of the cabinet fixing seat 10.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 5The second connecting member 40 includes a pair of side plate portions 41 arranged at intervals and a connecting plate 42 connecting the pair of side plate portions 41. The side plate portions 41 are provided with a first connecting hole 411 and a second connecting hole 412 at intervals. The pair of first connecting holes 411 on the pair of side plate portions 41 are penetrated and fixed by the first fixing shaft 34, so that one end of the second connecting member 40 is rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30. The pair of second connecting holes 412 on the pair of side plate portions 41 are penetrated and fixed by the first holding shaft 25, so that the other end of the second connecting member 40 is rotatably connected to the door body fixing seat 20.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 6 , Fig.10 and Fig.11 The third connecting member 50 includes a pair of side walls 53 arranged opposite to each other and a connecting portion 51 connecting the pair of side walls 53; the connecting portion 51 may be a rod and / or a plate that is fixedly connected to the pair of side walls 53. The side walls 53 are provided with a first clamping hole 531, a second clamping hole 532, and a third clamping hole 533 located between the first clamping hole 531 and the second clamping hole 532. The pair of first clamping holes 531 on the pair of side walls 53 are penetrated and fixed by the second fixing shaft 26, so that one end of the third connecting member 50 is accommodated in the door body fixing seat 20 and is rotatably connected to the door body fixing seat 20. The pair of second clamping holes 532 on the pair of side walls 53 are penetrated and fixed by the second fixing shaft 35, so that the other end of the third connecting member 50 is accommodated in the first connecting member 30 and is rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30. The pair of third clamping holes 533 on the pair of side walls 53 are fixedly penetrated by the clamping shaft 56.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 7 The fourth connecting member 60 is generally in a plate-like structure, and has a main body 61 and a first end 62 and a second end 63 respectively located at both ends of the main body 61. The first end 62 has a first hole 621, and the first hole 621 is penetrated and fixed by the first through shaft 17, so that the first end 62 of the fourth connecting member 60 is received in the cabinet fixing seat 10 and is rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat 10. The second end 63 has a second hole 631, and the second hole 631 is penetrated and fixed by the clamping shaft 56, so that the second end 63 of the fourth connecting member 60 is received in the third connecting member 50 and is rotatably connected to the third connecting member 50.

[0050] Please also see Fig. 9 The gear assembly 70 includes a first gear 71 and a second gear 72 meshing with each other. The first gear 71 is rotatably mounted in the first connecting member 30 , and the second gear 72 is mounted in the second connecting member 40 and can rotate together with the second connecting member 40 .

[0051] In this embodiment, the first gear 71 includes a gear body 711, a meshing portion 714 and an extension portion 716. The gear body 711 is rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30, specifically: the two side portions 32 of the first connecting member 30 are further provided with mounting holes 324, and the mounting holes 324 are located between the second fixing holes 322 and the first fixing holes 321; the gear body 711 is provided with an axial hole 712, and the mounting holes 324 on the two side portions 32 and the axial hole 712 are penetrated and fixed by the wheel shaft 713, so that the first gear 71 is rotatably connected to the first connecting member 30. The meshing portion 714 and the extension portion 716 are both formed on the gear body 711 and arranged along the circumference of the gear body 711.

[0052] The second gear 72 is generally fan-shaped, and a sleeve hole 721 is provided on the second gear 72. The second gear 72 is located between the two side plates 41 of the second connecting member 40, and the sleeve hole 721 is penetrated by the first fixed shaft 34. The second gear 72 is fixed to the two side plates 41 of the second connecting member 40 so that it can move with the second connecting member 40. The second gear 72 can mesh with and disengage from the toothed portion 714 of the first gear 71.

[0053] The elastic component 80 is installed in the first connecting member 30 and one end is rotatably connected to the first gear 71. In this embodiment, the elastic component 80 includes an elastic member 81 and a connecting arm 83, one end of the elastic member 81 is fixed in the first connecting member 30; one end of the connecting arm 83 is slidably installed on the first connecting member 30 and connected to the other end of the elastic member 81, and the other end of the connecting arm 83 is rotatably connected to the first gear 71.

[0054] In this embodiment, the elastic member 81 includes a mounting seat 84 and a compression spring 87. The mounting seat 84 includes a first seat body 841, a second seat body 843, and a telescopic member 845 connecting the first seat body 841 and the second seat body 843. The first seat body 841 is installed in the first connecting member 30. In this embodiment, the first seat body 841 is sleeved on the second through shaft 18 to be installed in the first connecting member 30 through a second through shaft 18. The second seat body 843 is sleeved on the first connecting shaft 85. The compression spring 87 is sleeved on the telescopic member 845 and elastically resists the first seat body 841 and the second seat body 843 to put the elastic member 81 in a compressed state.

[0055] In this embodiment, the telescopic member 845 includes a fixed shaft 846 and a sliding sleeve 847 slidably mounted on the fixed shaft 846, the end of the fixed shaft 846 located outside the sliding sleeve 847 is fixedly connected to the first seat body 841, and the end of the sliding sleeve 847 away from the fixed shaft 846 is fixedly connected to the second seat body 843; the compression spring 87 is mounted outside the fixed shaft 846 and the sliding sleeve 847, and the telescopic member 845 can perform telescopic movement with the elastic deformation of the compression spring 87. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the fixed shaft 846 can also be fixedly connected to the second seat body 843, and the sliding sleeve 847 can be fixedly connected to the first seat body 841.

[0056] The connecting arm 83 is an arc-shaped plate structure that is recessed toward the door body fixing seat 20 . One end of the connecting arm 83 is slidably mounted on the first connecting member 30 and connected to the end of the elastic member 81 away from the mounting seat 84; in the present embodiment, the end of the connecting arm 83 close to the elastic member 81 is slidably connected to the first connecting member 30 through a first connecting shaft 85, specifically: the two side portions 32 of the first connecting member 30 are also provided with a guide groove 325 extending in a straight line between the second fixing hole 322 and the third fixing hole 323; the connecting arm 83 includes two plate bodies 832, the two plate bodies 832 are respectively located at the opposite ends of the first gear 71, and the ends of the two plate bodies 832 close to the elastic member 81 are provided with a first insertion hole 834, the first insertion holes 834 of the two plate bodies 832 are fixedly penetrated by the first connecting shaft 85, and the two ends of the first connecting shaft 85 are respectively slidably inserted into the guide grooves 325 of the two side portions 32; the second seat body 843 of the mounting seat 84 is sleeved on the first connecting shaft 85, so that the elastic member 81 and the connecting arm 83 are abutted. One end of the connecting arm 83 away from the elastic member 81 is rotatably connected to the extension portion 716 via a second connecting shaft 86; in the present embodiment, one end of the two plates 832 away from the elastic member 81 is provided with a second through hole 835, and the two plates 832 are located on opposite sides of the extension portion 716, that is, the extension portion 716 is located between the two connecting plates 42, and the second connecting shaft 86 passes through the second through hole 835 of the two plates 832 and the extension portion 716, so that the end of the connecting arm 83 away from the elastic member 81 is rotatably connected to the extension portion 716.

[0057] When the multi-joint hinge 100 is subjected to force from the closed state ( Fig.11 ) towards a critical state ( Figure 12 to Figure 13 ) during the opening process, the elastic component 80 is elastically deformed by the rotational cooperation of the first gear 71 and the second gear 72; the multi-joint hinge 100 is forced to cross the critical state toward the fully opened state ( Figure 14 to Figure 15 ) During the movement, the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 are out of meshing state.

[0058] In this embodiment, the multi-joint hinge 100 can switch between four different states, specifically: when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a fully open state, the angle between the door body fixing seat 20 and the cabinet body fixing seat 10 is an obtuse angle, for example, it can be 115 degrees; when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a balanced state, the angle between the door body fixing seat 20 and the cabinet body fixing seat 10 is an acute angle, for example, 60 degrees; when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a critical state, the angle between the door body fixing seat 20 and the cabinet body fixing seat 10 is an acute angle, for example, 60 degrees; when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a closed state, the angle between the door body fixing seat 20 and the cabinet body fixing seat 10 is 0 degrees.

[0059] When the multi-joint hinge 100 is used, the cabinet fixing seat 10 is fixedly connected to the cabinet, and the door fixing seat 20 is fixedly connected to the door. When the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a closed state, the door fixing seat 20 is arranged in parallel with the cabinet fixing seat 10, and the first connecting member 30, the second connecting member 40, the third connecting member 50 and the fourth connecting member 60 are accommodated therebetween. At this time, the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 are in a meshing state, and under the action of the elastic member 81, the second connecting shaft 86 is supported on the bottom 31 of the first gear 71, and is located between the center of the axle 713 and the first connecting shaft 85, so that the elastic member 81 applies an upward force to the first gear 71 to tighten the first gear 71, and the first gear 71 tightens the second gear 72, thereby locking the first gear 71 and the second gear 72, preventing the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 from rotating at will and causing the multi-joint hinge 100 to open accidentally.

[0060] When the multi-joint hinge 100 is opened from the closed state to the critical state, the second gear 72 is in meshing with the first gear 71, and the second gear 72 is driven by the second connecting member 40 to move along the Fig.11 The first gear 71 rotates clockwise from the perspective, and drives the first gear 71 to rotate counterclockwise. The rotation of the first gear 71 drives the second connecting shaft 86 to rotate around the axle 713 and causes the first connecting shaft 85 to slide along the guide groove 325 so that the elastic member 81 produces elastic deformation. In this process, when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a balanced state between the closed state and the critical state, at this time, the second connecting shaft 86 rotates to between the first connecting shaft 85 and the axle 713, and the center of the first connecting shaft 85, the center of the second connecting shaft 86 and the center of the axle 713 are located on the same straight line, and the elastic member 81 is compressed to the shortest. At this time, the preload force applied by the elastic member 81 to the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 is the largest. When the multi-joint hinge 100 is in any position between the closed state and the balanced state, after the external force is removed, the elastic force of the elastic member 81 drives the multi-joint hinge 100 to move toward the closed state, thereby preventing the multi-joint hinge 100 from opening due to misoperation.

[0061] When the external force applied to the multi-joint hinge 100 is greater than the preload applied to the multi-joint hinge 100, the second gear 72 can resist the preload of the elastic member 81 and continue to drive the first gear 71 to rotate, so that the multi-joint hinge 100 continues to open from the equilibrium state to the critical state. In the process of the multi-joint hinge 100 opening from the equilibrium state to the critical state, the second gear 72 drives the first gear 71 to continue to rotate until the second gear 72 is separated from the first gear 71, so that when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in the critical state, the second gear 72 is in a disengaged state from the first gear 71, at which time, the second connecting member 40 is no longer subjected to the force applied by the elastic member 81 through the first gear 71, so that the user can continue to open the multi-joint hinge 100 by applying a smaller external force. At the same time, when the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a critical state, the second connecting shaft 86 rotates with the first gear 71 to the side of the center of the axle 713 facing away from the door body fixing seat 20. At this time, the elastic force of the elastic member 81 causes the extension portion 716 to abut against the bottom 31 of the first connecting member 30 to lock the first gear 71 and prevent the first gear 71 from rotating at will, thereby ensuring that the second gear 72 can smoothly mesh with the first gear 71 during the closing process of the multi-joint hinge 100. In this embodiment, a clamping portion 310 is further provided on the bottom 31 of the first connecting member 30. The clamping portion 310 is a clamping groove opened on the bottom 31. When the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a critical state, the extension portion 716 of the first gear 71 is clamped on the clamping portion 310, so that the locking of the first gear 71 is more reliable.

[0062] When the multi-joint hinge 100 is in a fully open state, the angle between the door body fixing base 20 and the cabinet body fixing base 10 is an obtuse angle, for example, it can be 115 degrees; at this time, the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 are in a disengaged state, and the elastic component 80 does not apply a closing force to the door body fixing base 20, thereby effectively avoiding the risk of impact on the user caused by the automatic closing of the door body fixing base 20, improving the safety of use, and also making it easier for users to take and put things.

[0063] When the refrigerator door needs to be closed, the multi-joint hinge 100 needs to be closed from the fully open state to the critical state until the first gear 71 is meshed with the second gear 72 again. After meshing, the second gear 72 moves along the second connecting member 40. Fig.15The counterclockwise rotation of the viewing angle can drive the second gear 72 to rotate clockwise. The rotation of the second gear 72 can cause the second connecting shaft 86 to rotate around the axle 713, so that the extension portion 716 and the clamping portion 310 of the first connecting member 30 are out of the clamping state. At the same time, the rotation of the second gear 72 can also cause the first connecting shaft 85 to slide along the guide groove 325 to compress the elastic member 81 until the multi-joint hinge 100 reaches a balanced state. At this time, the elastic member 81 is compressed to the shortest, and the preload force applied by the elastic member 81 to the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 is the largest. At this time, the external force required for the multi-joint hinge 100 to continue to close needs to be greater than the preload force applied to the multi-joint hinge 100, so that the first gear 71 can continue to drive the second gear 72 to rotate, so that the multi-joint hinge 100 passes the balanced state and closes toward the closed state. When the multi-joint hinge 100 is between the closed state and the balanced state, after the external force is removed, the elastic force of the elastic member 81 drives the multi-joint hinge 100 to automatically move toward the closed state until the multi-joint hinge 100 is closed.

[0064] In this embodiment, the multi-joint hinge 100 further includes a deceleration assembly 90, which is fixed to the second gear 72 and can elastically offset or separate from the bottom 31 of the first connecting member 30. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the multi-joint hinge 100 is closed from the equilibrium state to the closed state, the deceleration assembly 90 elastically offsets the bottom 31 of the first connecting member 30 to decelerate the speed of the multi-joint hinge 100 automatically closing, which can play a role in shock absorption and extend the service life of the multi-joint hinge 100. The deceleration assembly 90 can adopt a damper of the prior art, etc., and will not be described here for the sake of space.

[0065] The present invention also includes a refrigerator, which includes the multi-joint hinge 100 described above.

[0066] As the multi-joint hinge 100 passes the critical state and moves toward the fully open state, the first gear 71 and the second gear 72 are disengaged, so that the second connecting member 40 is no longer affected by the force of the first gear 71, and the user can apply a smaller external force to open the multi-joint hinge 100, which is beneficial to improving the user experience.

[0067] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which are equivalent modifications and improvements made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention, and all of them belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-joint hinge, comprising a cabinet fixing seat, a door fixing seat, a first connecting member, a second connecting member, a third connecting member and a fourth connecting member, wherein two ends of the first connecting member are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat and the second connecting member, two ends of the second connecting member are rotatably connected to the first connecting member and the door fixing seat, two ends of the third connecting member are rotatably connected to the first connecting member and the door fixing seat, and two ends of the fourth connecting member are rotatably connected to the cabinet fixing seat and the third connecting member, characterized in that: The multi-joint hinge also includes a gear assembly and an elastic assembly, the gear assembly includes a first gear and a second gear that mesh with each other, the first gear is rotatably mounted in the first connecting member, the second gear is mounted in the second connecting member and can rotate with the second connecting member; the elastic assembly is mounted in the first connecting member and one end is rotatably connected to the first gear; when the multi-joint hinge is subjected to force to open from a closed state to a critical state, the elastic assembly is elastically deformed through the rotational cooperation of the first gear and the second gear until the first gear is disengaged from the second gear.

2. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic component includes an elastic member and a connecting arm, one end of the elastic member is fixed in the first connecting member; one end of the connecting arm is slidably mounted on the first connecting member and connected to the other end of the elastic member, and the other end of the connecting arm is rotationally connected to the first gear.

3. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting arm is an arc-shaped arm recessed toward the door body fixing seat.

4. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first gear includes a gear body, a meshing portion and an extension portion. The gear body is rotatably connected to the first connecting member. The meshing portion and the extension portion are formed on the gear body and arranged along the circumference of the gear body. The meshing portion is meshed with the second gear, and the extension portion is rotatably connected to the connecting arm.

5. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 4, characterized in that: One end of the connecting arm away from the first gear is slidably connected to the first connecting member via a first connecting shaft, and one end of the elastic member is connected to the first connecting shaft to abut against the connecting arm via the first connecting shaft; one end of the connecting arm away from the elastic member is rotatably connected to the extension portion via a second connecting shaft; and the gear body is rotatably connected to the first connecting member via an axle.

6. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: The elastic member is in a compressed state. When the multi-joint hinge is in a closed state, under the action of the elastic member, the second connecting shaft is abutted against the bottom of the first gear and is located between the center of the axle and the first connecting shaft to lock the first gear.

7. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 6, characterized in that: During the process of the multi-joint hinge opening from the closed state to the critical state, the second gear drives the first gear to rotate: When the multi-joint hinge is in a balanced state between the closed state and the critical state, the second connecting shaft rotates to between the first connecting shaft and the wheel axle, and the center of the first connecting shaft, the center of the second connecting shaft and the center of the wheel axle are located on the same straight line, and the elastic member is compressed to the shortest; when the multi-joint hinge is in any position between the closed state and the balanced state, after the external force is removed, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the multi-joint hinge to move toward the closed state.

8. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 7, characterized in that: During the process of the multi-joint hinge opening from the equilibrium state to the critical state, the second gear drives the first gear to continue rotating until the second gear is separated from the first gear.

9. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the multi-joint hinge is in the critical state, the second connecting shaft rotates to the side of the wheel axle center facing away from the door body fixing seat, and the extension part is supported on the first connecting part under the action of the elastic member to lock the first gear.

10. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first connecting member is provided with a clamping portion, and when the multi-joint hinge is in the critical state, the extending portion is clamped on the clamping portion.

11. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: The connecting arm includes two plates, which are respectively located at opposite ends of the first gear; the first connecting shaft passes through one end of the two plates close to the elastic member; the extension part is located between the two plates, and the second connecting shaft passes through the two plates and the extension part.

12. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first connecting member is provided with a guide groove, and the end of the first connecting shaft is slidably inserted in the guide groove.

13. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic member includes a mounting seat and a compression spring, the mounting seat includes a first seat body, a second seat body and a telescopic member connecting the first seat body and the second seat body, the first seat body is installed in the first connecting member, and the second seat body is sleeved on the first connecting shaft; the compression spring is sleeved on the telescopic member and elastically resists the first seat body and the second seat body.

14. The multi-joint hinge according to claim 13, characterized in that: The telescopic member includes a fixed shaft and a sliding sleeve slidably sleeved on the fixed shaft. One of the fixed shaft and the sliding sleeve is fixed to the first seat body, and the other is fixed to the seat body.

15. A refrigerator, characterized in that: Comprising a multi-joint hinge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images