Hinge assembly for refrigerator, refrigerator and control method of refrigerator

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and discloses a hinge assembly for a refrigerator, which comprises a hinge plate suitable for being fixedly connected with a refrigerator body and rotationally connected with a door body; the angle detection module comprises a transmission device, a variable resistor and an induction circuit, the variable resistor comprises a fixed contact and a sliding contact, the fixed contact is arranged on the hinge plate, the fixed contact and the sliding contact are connected through the induction circuit, the transmission device is connected with the sliding contact and connected with the door body, and the door body drives the transmission device to move. The transmission device drives the sliding contact to move relative to the fixed contact so as to change the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact, and the rotation angle of the door body is obtained. The angle detection module can improve the accuracy of the obtained rotation angle of the door body, and the angle detection module and the hinge plate are integrated together, so that the number of parts is reduced. The invention further discloses the refrigerator and a control method of the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and in particular to a hinge assembly for a refrigerator, a refrigerator, and a control method for a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Currently, when the refrigerator door is closing, there is a situation where the door is not closed tightly, which causes the refrigerator to leak cold air and frost or condensation at the door gap, affecting the storage time of food in the refrigerator.

[0003] The related art discloses using a mechanical switch or a Hall switch to read the rotation angle of a door body, so that a user can obtain the rotation angle of the door body in a timely manner.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is found that there are at least the following problems in the related art:

[0005] The error of the door rotation angle read by the mechanical switch or the Hall switch is relatively large.

[0006] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. The summary is not an extensive review, nor is it intended to identify key / critical components or delineate the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather serves as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a hinge assembly for a refrigerator, a refrigerator, and a control method for a refrigerator to improve the accuracy of the rotation angle of a door body.

[0009] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a hinge assembly for a refrigerator is provided, the refrigerator comprising a cabinet and a door body, the hinge assembly comprising: a hinge plate suitable for being fixedly connected to the cabinet and rotatably connected to the door body; an angle detection module comprising a transmission device, a variable resistor and an induction circuit, wherein the variable resistor comprises a fixed contact and a sliding contact, the fixed contact is arranged on the hinge plate, the fixed contact and the sliding contact are connected through the induction circuit, the transmission device is connected to the sliding contact and is also connected to the door body, the door body drives the transmission device to move, and the transmission device drives the sliding contact to move relative to the fixed contact to change the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact to obtain the rotation angle of the door body.

[0010] Optionally, the transmission device includes: an active transmission member, suitable for being driven and connected to a door body so that the door body drives the active transmission member to move; a driven transmission member, which is driven and connected to or separated from the active transmission member, and a sliding contact is provided on the driven transmission member. When the active transmission member is driven and connected to the driven transmission member, the active transmission member drives the driven transmission member to move relative to the fixed contact, so that the sliding contact moves relative to the fixed contact; an anti-slip mechanism, which is provided on the driven transmission member and can move relative to the driven transmission member. When the active transmission member is separated from the driven transmission member, the active transmission member cooperates with the anti-slip mechanism.

[0011] Optionally, the anti-slip mechanism includes: an elastic member; a limiting member, the elastic member is supported between the limiting member and the driven transmission member, and the limiting member can be driven and connected to the active transmission member so that the active transmission member can drive the limiting member to move toward the driven transmission member to drive the elastic member to undergo elastic deformation.

[0012] Optionally, the active transmission member includes a driving gear; the driven transmission member includes a rack, and the driving gear is engaged with or separated from the rack. When the driving gear is engaged with the rack, the rack is driven to move relative to the fixed contact; the anti-slip mechanism includes gear teeth that can be engaged with the driving gear, and when the driving gear is separated from the rack, the driving gear is engaged with the gear teeth.

[0013] Optionally, the active transmission member also includes: a first driven gear, meshing with the active gear; a second driven gear, coaxially arranged with the first driven gear in the up-down direction; a third driven gear, meshing with or separated from the rack; when the third driven gear is meshing with the rack, the active gear drives the first driven gear to rotate, and the second driven gear drives the third driven gear to rotate, so as to drive the rack to move relative to the fixed contact.

[0014] Optionally, the hinge assembly further comprises: a limiting mechanism fixed to the hinge plate, wherein at the extreme position of the driven transmission member, the driven transmission member interferes with the limiting mechanism, and the anti-slip mechanism does not interfere with the limiting mechanism.

[0015] Optionally, the fixed contact includes: a first fixed contact; a second fixed contact, the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact are connected through an induction circuit; wherein the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact are arranged in sequence along the width direction of the hinge plate, and the transmission device is configured to drive the sliding contact to move along the width direction of the hinge plate.

[0016] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator is provided, comprising: a cabinet; a hinge assembly for the refrigerator; and a door body drivingly connected to a transmission device in the hinge assembly and rotatably connected to the cabinet via a hinge plate.

[0017] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator control method is provided, which is used to control the above-mentioned refrigerator, including: calculating the rotation angle of the door body according to the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact; determining the current state of the door body according to the rotation angle of the door body, wherein the current state includes a closed state, an open state and a gap state, and the gap state is between the closed state and the open state; when the current state of the door body is the gap state, determining the cooling leakage of the refrigerator according to the relationship between the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature and the ideal time used in the ideal cooling model.

[0018] Optionally, when the current state of the door body is the gapping state, the cooling leakage of the refrigerator is determined according to the relationship between the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature and the ideal time used in the ideal cooling model, including: when the current state of the door body is the gapping state, correcting the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature using a correction coefficient related to the ambient temperature; and determining the cooling leakage of the refrigerator according to the relationship between the corrected actual time and the ideal time in the ideal cooling model.

[0019] The hinge assembly for a refrigerator, the refrigerator, and the control method of the refrigerator provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

[0020] The transmission device is connected to the door body and the sliding contact. In the process of opening or closing the door body, the door body drives the transmission device to move, and the transmission device can drive the sliding contact to move relative to the fixed contact, thereby changing the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact. According to the corresponding relationship between the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact and the rotation angle of the door body, the rotation angle of the door body is calculated. In this way, not only the accuracy of the rotation angle of the door body can be improved, but also the angle detection module is integrated with the hinge plate, reducing the number of parts.

[0021] The above general description and the following description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to limit the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by corresponding drawings, which do not limit the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements, and the drawings do not constitute a scale limitation, and wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge assembly for a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the width direction of the hinge plate;

[0024] Figure 2 is an exploded schematic diagram of an angle detection module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a driven transmission member provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of an angle detection module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transmission device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement positions of the limiting mechanism and the driven transmission member provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between various modules of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator control method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of an ideal cooling model under a certain ambient temperature range provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of another refrigerator control method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of another refrigerator control method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Reference numerals:

[0035] 10: hinge assembly; 20: hinge plate; 30: angle detection module;

[0036] 31: transmission device; 311: driving transmission member; 3111: driving gear; 3112: first driven gear; 3113: second driven gear; 3114: third driven gear; 3115: clamping structure;

[0037] 312: driven transmission member; 3121: rack; 3122: copper column;

[0038] 313: anti-slip mechanism; 3131: elastic member; 3132: limit member; 3133: gear; 3134: door closing anti-slip mechanism; 3135: door opening anti-slip mechanism; 3136: limit rack;

[0039] 32: variable resistor; 321: fixed contact; 3211: first fixed contact; 3212: second fixed contact; 322: sliding contact;

[0040] 33: limit mechanism; 331: door closing limit mechanism; 332: door opening limit mechanism;

[0041] 34: housing; 40: control module; 50: warning module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to be able to understand the features and technical contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail, the implementation of the embodiments of the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The attached drawings are for reference only and are not used to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following technical description, for the convenience of explanation, a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments is provided through multiple details. However, one or more embodiments can still be implemented without these details. In other cases, to simplify the drawings, well-known structures and devices can be simplified for display.

[0043] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the disclosed embodiments and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate for the disclosed embodiments described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "middle", "outside", "front", "back" and the like indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are mainly intended to better describe the embodiments of the present disclosure and their embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements or components to have a specific direction, or to be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Moreover, in addition to being used to indicate directions or positional relationships, some of the above terms may also be used to indicate other meanings. For example, the term "upper" may also be used to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship in certain circumstances. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0045] In addition, the terms "disposed", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] Unless otherwise stated, the term "plurality" means two or more.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B indicates: A or B.

[0048] The term "and / or" is a description of the association relationship between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or, A and B.

[0049] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with each other.

[0050] Combination Figure 1-4 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hinge assembly 10 for a refrigerator, the refrigerator includes a box body and a door body, and the hinge assembly 10 includes a hinge plate 20 and an angle detection module 30. The hinge assembly 10 is suitable for being fixedly connected to the box body and rotatably connected to the door body. The angle detection module 30 includes a transmission device 31, a variable resistor 32 and an induction circuit. Among them, the variable resistor 32 includes a fixed contact 321 and a sliding contact 322, the fixed contact 321 is arranged on the hinge plate 20, the fixed contact 321 and the sliding contact 322 are connected through the induction circuit, the transmission device 31 is connected to the sliding contact 322, and the transmission device 31 is connected to the door body, the door body drives the transmission device 31 to move, and the transmission device 31 drives the sliding contact 322 to move relative to the fixed contact 321 to change the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321, and obtain the rotation angle of the door body.

[0051] In the hinge assembly 10 for refrigerators provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission device 31 is connected to both the door body and the sliding contact 322. In the process of opening or closing the door body, the door body drives the transmission device 31 to move, and the transmission device 31 can drive the sliding contact 322 to move relative to the fixed contact 321, thereby changing the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321. The rotation angle of the door body is calculated based on the corresponding relationship between the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 and the rotation angle of the door body. In this way, not only the accuracy of the rotation angle of the door body can be improved, but also the angle detection module 30 is integrated with the traditional hinge assembly 10, reducing the number of parts.

[0052] Optionally, taking the case where the resistor body of the variable resistor 32 is a resistor coating, the active transmission member 311 is a gear, and the driven transmission member 312 is a rack as an example, the corresponding relationship between the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 and the rotation angle of the door body is as follows:

[0053]

[0054] Among them, θ represents the rotation angle of the door body; R represents the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321; R0 represents the total resistance value of the resistance coating; L represents the rack position; L0 represents the total length of the resistance coating; L1 represents the initial position of the rack; r1 represents the radius of the gear.

[0055] In the process of opening or closing the door, the door drives the gear to rotate, the gear meshes with the rack, and the gear rotation drives the rack to move along the resistance coating, so that the rack drives the sliding contact 322 to move along the resistance coating. In this way, by reading the voltage of the induction circuit between the fixed contact 321 and the sliding contact 322, the main control program calculates the resistance value R between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 at this time. Assuming that the density of the resistance coating is uniform, the corresponding relationship between the rack position L and the resistance value R between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 can be obtained:

[0056]

[0057] Because the gear is meshed with the rack, the arc length of the gear rotation is equal to the length of the rack movement. Combining the arc length formula and the fact that the door body's rotation angle is consistent with the gear body's rotation angle, we can get the corresponding relationship between the rack position L and the door body's rotation angle θ:

[0058]

[0059] tidy and Afterwards, the corresponding relationship between the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 and the rotation angle of the door body can be obtained:

[0060] Specifically, for example, R0 = 10 kΩ, L0 = 10 mm, L1 = 5 mm, r1 = 5 mm, then the corresponding relationship between R and θ can be simplified to:

[0061] Optionally, the corresponding relationship between the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 and the rotation angle of the door body can also be obtained through a large number of experimental tests.

[0062] Alternatively, if Figure 5As shown, the transmission device 31 includes an active transmission member 311, a driven transmission member 312 and an anti-slip mechanism 313. The active transmission member 311 is suitable for driving connection with the door body so that the door body drives the active transmission member 311 to move. The driven transmission member 312 is drivingly connected to or separated from the active transmission member 311, and the sliding contact 322 is arranged on the driven transmission member 312. When the active transmission member 311 is drivingly connected to the driven transmission member 312, the active transmission member 311 drives the driven transmission member 312 to move relative to the fixed contact 321, so that the sliding contact 322 moves relative to the fixed contact 321. The anti-slip mechanism 313 is arranged on the driven transmission member 312 and can move relative to the driven transmission member 312. When the active transmission member 311 is separated from the driven transmission member 312, the active transmission member 311 cooperates with the anti-slip mechanism 313.

[0063] During the process of opening or closing the door body, the door body drives the active transmission member 311 to move. When the active transmission member 311 is driven and connected with the driven transmission member 312, the active transmission member 311 drives the driven transmission member 312 to move. Since the sliding contact 322 is arranged on the driven transmission member 312, the driven transmission member 312 can drive the sliding contact 322 to move relative to the fixed contact 321, thereby changing the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321. According to the corresponding relationship between the resistance value and the rotation angle of the door body, the rotation angle of the door body is calculated; when the driven transmission member 312 moves to be separated from the active transmission member 311, the active transmission member 311 cooperates with the anti-slip mechanism 313, and the movement of the active transmission member 311 drives the anti-slip mechanism 313 to move.

[0064] Optionally, combined Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the anti-slip mechanism 313 includes an elastic member 3131 and a limiting member 3132. The elastic member 3131 is supported between the limiting member 3132 and the driven transmission member 312, and the limiting member 3132 can be drivingly connected with the active transmission member 311, so that the active transmission member 311 can drive the limiting member 3132 to move toward the driven transmission member 312, so as to drive the elastic member 3131 to undergo elastic deformation.

[0065] In this way, when the active transmission member 311 cooperates with the anti-slip mechanism 313, the driven transmission member 312 is in the extreme position, and the active transmission member 311 drives the limit member 3132 to move in the direction of the driven transmission member 312. During this process, the elastic member 3131 is gradually compressed to store elastic potential energy. At the moment when the limit member 3132 is separated from the active transmission member 311, the elastic member 3131 releases the elastic potential energy. In the process of restoring elasticity, the elastic member 3131 drives the limit member 3132 to move away from the driven transmission member 312, and the limit member 3132 contacts the active transmission member 311 again. In summary, under the interaction between the active transmission member 311 and the elastic member 3131, the limit member 3132 performs a cyclic reciprocating motion within a limited distance.

[0066] When the active transmission member 311 suddenly moves in the opposite direction, the limiting member 3132 quickly cooperates with the active transmission member 311 under the push of the elastic member 3131 and moves in the opposite direction, thereby driving the driven transmission member 312 connected to the elastic member 3131 to move in the opposite direction, and the driven transmission member 312 is reconnected with the active transmission member 311.

[0067] Optionally, the anti-slip mechanism 313 includes a door closing anti-slip mechanism 3134 , and the door closing anti-slip mechanism 3134 and the driven transmission member 312 are arranged in sequence along the movement direction of the driven transmission member 312 when the door body is closed.

[0068] In this way, when the door body is closed, the active transmission member 311 cooperates with the driven transmission member 312 and the limit member 3132 in sequence. When the door body is opened, the movement direction of the active transmission member 311 is opposite to that when the door body is closed. The elastic member 3131 drives the limit member 3132 to move in the direction away from the driven transmission member 312, thereby driving the driven transmission member 312 to move along the opposite direction of movement to that when the door body is closed. The active transmission member 311 cooperates with the limit member 3132 and the driven transmission member 312 in sequence.

[0069] Optionally, the anti-slip mechanism 313 further includes a door opening anti-slip mechanism 3135. Along the movement direction of the driven transmission member 312 when the door is closed, the door closing anti-slip mechanism 3134, the driven transmission member 312 and the door opening anti-slip mechanism 3135 are sequentially arranged. The limit positions of the driven transmission member 312 include a door opening limit position and a door closing limit position.

[0070] In this way, when the door body is closed, the active transmission member 311 cooperates with the limit member 3132 of the door opening anti-slip mechanism 3135, the driven transmission member 312 and the limit member 3132 of the door closing anti-slip mechanism 3134 in sequence, the driven transmission member 312 is in the door closing limit position, and the limit member 3132 of the door closing anti-slip mechanism 3134 makes a cyclic reciprocating motion within a limited distance; when the door body is opened, the active transmission member 311 cooperates with the limit member 3132 of the door closing anti-slip mechanism 3134, the driven transmission member 312 and the limit member 3132 of the door opening anti-slip mechanism 3135 in sequence, the driven transmission member 312 is in the door opening limit position, and the limit member 3132 of the door opening anti-slip mechanism 3135 makes a cyclic reciprocating motion within a limited distance.

[0071] Optionally, the transmission device 31 is a gear rack assembly or a connecting rod assembly. The transmission device 31 is further described below by taking the gear rack assembly as an example.

[0072] Optionally, the active transmission member 311 includes a driving gear 3111, and the driven transmission member 312 includes a rack 3121. The active gear 3111 is meshed with or separated from the rack 3121. When the active gear 3111 is meshed with the rack 3121, the rack 3121 is driven to move relative to the fixed contact 321. The anti-slip mechanism 313 includes gear teeth 3133 that can be meshed with the active gear 3111. When the active gear 3111 is separated from the rack 3121, the active gear 3111 is meshed with the gear teeth 3133.

[0073] Optionally, the limiting member 3132 includes a limiting rack 3136 , and the gear teeth 3133 are gear teeth 3133 on the limiting rack 3136 .

[0074] In this way, in the process of opening or closing the door body, the door body drives the driving gear 3111 to rotate. Since the driving gear 3111 is meshed with the rack 3121, the driving gear 3111 drives the rack 3121 to move relative to the fixed contact 321. When the driving gear 3111 is separated from the rack 3121, the driving gear 3111 is meshed with the limiting rack 3136 on the limiting member 3132. The driving gear 3111 rotates and drives the limiting rack 3136 to move toward the rack 3121. This process compresses the elastic member 3131 and stores elastic potential energy. At the moment when the limiting rack 3136 is separated from the driving gear 3111, the elastic member 3131 releases the elastic potential energy, and the driven transmission member 312 is in the limit position and fixed. Therefore, the elastic member 3131 drives the limiting rack 3136 to move away from the rack 3121 in the process of restoring elasticity, and the limiting rack 3136 contacts the driving gear 3111 again. In summary, the limiting rack 3136 performs cyclic reciprocating motion within a limited distance under the interaction between the driving gear 3111 and the elastic member 3131. In addition, the provision of the elastic member 3131 can reduce the possibility of the occurrence of the stuck tooth problem.

[0075] Optionally, the elastic member 3131 may be a functional element with elastic properties such as a spring or a spring sheet.

[0076] Alternatively, if Figure 5 As shown, the driving gear 3111 is provided with a clamping structure 3115, the door body is provided with a clamping groove, and the clamping structure 3115 is arranged in the clamping groove.

[0077] In this way, when the door body rotates, the clamping structure 3115 clamps the door body, thereby driving the driving gear 3111 to rotate along with the door body.

[0078] Optionally, the snap-fit ​​structure 3115 includes a protrusion with an asymmetrical design.

[0079] Thus, designing the snap-fit ​​structure 3115 as an asymmetric design can reduce the difficulty of assembly and prevent mistakes.

[0080] Optionally, the driving transmission member 311 further includes a first driven gear 3112, a second driven gear 3113 and a third driven gear 3114. The first driven gear 3112 is meshed with the driving gear 3111, the second driven gear 3113 is coaxially arranged with the first driven gear 3112 in the up-down direction, and the third driven gear 3114 is meshed with or separated from the rack 3121. When the third driven gear 3114 is meshed with the rack 3121, the driving gear 3111 drives the first driven gear 3112 to rotate, and the second driven gear 3113 drives the third driven gear 3114 to rotate, so as to drive the rack 3121 to move relative to the fixed contact 321.

[0081] A first driven gear 3112 and a second driven gear 3113 are designed to be coaxially arranged in the up-down direction between the driving gear 3111 and the rack 3121, so as to solve the problem that the driving gear 3111 and the rack 3121 are not at the same height and the rack 3121 cannot be driven to move; a third driven gear 3114 is designed between the driving gear 3111 and the rack 3121, so that the initial position and the end position of the rack 3121 are both within the width range of the hinge plate 20, making the installation position of the angle detection module 30 neater and more beautiful.

[0082] Optionally, the first driven gear 3112 and the second driven gear 3113 have the same pitch circle diameter and the same number of teeth, that is, the first driven gear 3112 and the second driven gear 3113 are completely identical.

[0083] r1 represents the radius of the driving gear 3111, r2 represents the radius of the first driven gear 3112, r3 represents the radius of the second driven gear 3113, and r4 represents the radius of the third driven gear 3114. It can be understood that during the rotation of the door body, the linear speeds of the driving gear 3111, the first driven gear 3112, the second driven gear 3113 and the third driven gear 3114 are the same, and the arc lengths of the driving gear 3111, the first driven gear 3112, the second driven gear 3113 and the third driven gear 3114 are equal. Therefore, it can still be used To calculate the corresponding relationship between the position L of the rack 3121 and the rotation angle θ of the door body, combined with It can be found that the corresponding relationship between the resistance value between the sliding contact 322 and the fixed contact 321 and the rotation angle of the door body is still:

[0084] Alternatively, if Figure 6 As shown, the hinge assembly 10 also includes a limiting mechanism 33, which is fixed to the hinge plate 20. At the extreme position of the driven transmission member 312, the driven transmission member 312 interferes with the limiting mechanism 33, and the anti-slip mechanism 313 does not interfere with the limiting mechanism 33.

[0085] In this way, the driven transmission member 312 is limited to the extreme position by the limiting mechanism 33. When the anti-slip mechanism 313 is arranged between the driven transmission member 312 and the limiting mechanism 33, the anti-slip mechanism 313 and the limiting mechanism 33 are not on the same parallel line, so that the limiting mechanism 33 can limit the movement of the driven transmission member 312 without limiting the movement of the anti-slip mechanism 313.

[0086] Optionally, the limit position includes a door opening limit position and a door closing limit position, and the limiting mechanism 33 includes a door closing limit mechanism 331. Along the movement direction of the driven transmission member 312 when the door body is closed, the driven transmission member 312 and the door closing limit mechanism 331 are arranged in sequence.

[0087] In this way, when the door is closed, the door closing limit mechanism 331 can limit the driven transmission member 312 to the door closing limit position. In addition, during the production process of the hinge assembly 10, in order to ensure that the initial positions of the components are the same, the driving gear 3111 is generally rotated two times in the same direction before leaving the factory, and the design of adding the door closing limit mechanism 331 can also ensure that the factory state of the driven transmission member 312 is the same.

[0088] Optionally, the limiting mechanism 33 further includes a door opening limiting mechanism 332. Along the movement direction of the driven transmission member 312 when the door body is closed, the door opening limiting mechanism 332, the driven transmission member 312 and the door closing limiting mechanism 331 are arranged in sequence.

[0089] In this way, when the door is closed, the door closing limit mechanism 331 limits the driven transmission member 312 to the door closing limit position; when the door is opened, the door opening limit mechanism 332 limits the driven transmission member 312 to the door opening limit position to avoid damage to the transmission device 31.

[0090] Optionally, the distance between the door opening limit mechanism 332 and the door closing limit mechanism 331 is 1.1 to 1.3 times the maximum one-way stroke of the driven transmission member 312. When the door is closed, the door closing limit mechanism 331 interferes with the driven transmission member 312, and when the door is opened, the door opening limit mechanism 332 does not interfere with the driven transmission member 312. At this time, at the door opening limit position of the driven transmission member, the active transmission member cooperates with the driven transmission member or the anti-slip mechanism.

[0091] In this way, the closing limit position of the driven transmission member 312 when the door body is closed is limited by the closing limit mechanism 331; because of the assembly difference, the door opening angle is slightly different, so the distance between the door opening limit mechanism 332 and the door closing limit mechanism 331 is increased to reserve a partial door opening margin to compensate for this difference. In actual use, when the maximum door opening angle exceeds the reserved partial door opening margin, the mechanical structure in the hinge assembly 10 has been damaged and the door body cannot be used normally.

[0092] Optionally, the distance between the door opening limiting mechanism 332 and the door closing limiting mechanism 331 is 1.2 times the maximum one-way stroke of the driven transmission member 312 .

[0093] The reserved door opening margin is designed to be 0.2 times the maximum one-way stroke of the driven transmission member 312. This will ensure that the door opening limit mechanism 332 does not lose its limiting function due to the margin being too small or the margin being too large.

[0094] Optionally, combined Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the fixed contact includes a first fixed contact 3211 and a second fixed contact 3212, and the first fixed contact 3211 and the second fixed contact 3212 are connected via an induction circuit. The first fixed contact 3211 and the second fixed contact 3212 are sequentially arranged along the width direction of the hinge plate 20, and the transmission device 31 is configured to drive the sliding contact 322 to move along the width direction of the hinge plate 20.

[0095] The first fixed contact 3211 and the second fixed contact 3212 are sequentially arranged along the width direction of the hinge plate 20, rather than being sequentially arranged along the length direction of the hinge plate 20, so that the variable resistor 32 occupies less space. The transmission device 31 is configured to drive the sliding contact 322 to move along the width direction of the hinge plate 20, so the transmission device 31 also needs to be extended along the width direction of the hinge plate 20 accordingly, so that the entire angle detection module 30 is extended along the width direction of the hinge plate 20, and the angle detection module 30 occupies less space.

[0096] Alternatively, if Figure 2 As shown, the angle detection module 30 further includes a housing 34, and the first fixed contact 3211 and the second fixed contact 3212 are disposed in the housing 34. The driven transmission member 312 further includes a copper column 3122, and the sliding contact 322 is disposed in the copper column 3122, and the copper column 3122 is disposed in the driven transmission member 312.

[0097] Wires are connected to the copper column 3122, the first fixed contact 3211, and the second fixed contact 3212, respectively, and connected to the sensing circuit. The resistance value of the corresponding part is calculated by reading the voltage between the first fixed contact 3211 and the copper column 3122 or reading the voltage between the second fixed contact 3212 and the copper column 3122, and then the rotation angle of the door body is calculated based on the corresponding relationship between the resistance value and the rotation angle of the door body.

[0098] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator, comprising a box, a hinge assembly 10 for the refrigerator, and a door body, wherein the door body is drivingly connected to a transmission device 31 in the hinge assembly 10 and is rotationally connected to the box through a hinge plate 20 .

[0099] Combination Figure 7 As shown, the refrigerator further includes a control module 40 and an alarm module 50 connected to the control module 40, and the control module 40 is connected to the angle detection module 30. The angle detection module 30 detects the rotation angle of the door body and transmits the detection information to the control module 40; the control module 40 determines the state of the door body according to the judgment rule, and controls the alarm module 50 according to the judgment result; the alarm module 50 performs the corresponding alarm action according to the alarm instruction issued by the controller.

[0100] Combination Figure 8 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator control method for controlling the above refrigerator, comprising:

[0101] S801, the angle detection module calculates the rotation angle of the door body according to the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact;

[0102] S802, the control module determines the current state of the door body according to the rotation angle of the door body, wherein the current state includes a door-closed state, a door-opened state, and a gap-free state, and the gap-free state is between the door-closed state and the door-opened state;

[0103] Specifically, the rotation angle of the door body is represented by θ, and the door closing determination constant θ1 and the gap gap determination constant θ2 are obtained based on a large amount of test data. When θ≤θ1, the door body is determined to be in the closed state; when θ1<θ<θ2, the door body is determined to be in the gap gap state; when θ2<θ, the door body is determined to be in the open state.

[0104] S803, when the current state of the door body is the flashing state, the control module determines the cooling leakage of the refrigerator according to the relationship between the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature and the ideal time used in the ideal cooling model.

[0105] It can be understood that the box body defines a compartment, and the compartment is used to store food.

[0106] The ideal cooling model under a certain ambient temperature range is as follows: Fig. 9 As shown, T1 is the current temperature of the compartment, the corresponding time at the current temperature is t1, T2 is the shutdown point temperature, and the corresponding time at the shutdown point temperature is t2. Then the ideal time t taken by the intermediate room of the ideal cooling model to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature is 理想 = t2-t1. When the door is in the flashing state, if the actual time taken by the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature is greater than the ideal time used in the above ideal cooling model, it is determined that the refrigerator is leaking cold; conversely, if the actual time t 实际 ≤t 理想It is understandable that the ideal cooling models under different ambient temperature segments may be the same or different, and there may be multiple ideal cooling models under the same ambient temperature segment, and the embodiment of the present disclosure only provides one example.

[0107] The control method of the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is adopted to determine the current state of the door body through the relationship between the rotation angle of the door body and the door closing judgment constant and the gap gap judgment constant, and to determine the cooling leakage of the refrigerator when the door body is in the gap gap state.

[0108] Optionally, when the current state of the door body is the gap state, the cooling leakage of the refrigerator is determined according to the relationship between the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature and the ideal time used in the ideal cooling model, including when the current state of the door body is the gap state, using a correction coefficient related to the ambient temperature to correct the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature; and determining the cooling leakage of the refrigerator according to the relationship between the corrected actual time and the ideal time in the ideal cooling model.

[0109] For different ambient temperatures 实际 It is necessary to multiply the correction coefficient k related to the ambient temperature to eliminate the influence of different ambient temperatures on the actual time as much as possible. The corresponding relationship between the correction coefficient k and the ambient temperature D is shown in Table 1, where k1 to k8 are in an increasing relationship, and the specific values ​​are obtained through a large number of tests. In this way, by comparing kt 实际 With t 理想 The relationship between the size of the refrigerator can be used to determine the cooling leakage of the refrigerator. 实际 ≤t 理想 , then it is determined that the refrigerator is not leaking cold; on the contrary, when kt 实际 >t 理想 , it is determined that the refrigerator is leaking cold.

[0110] Table 1

[0111] Correction factor k Ambient temperature D(℃) <![CDATA[k1]]> D≤8℃ <![CDATA[k2]]> 8℃＜D≤13℃ <![CDATA[k3]]> 13℃＜D≤18℃ <![CDATA[k4]]> 18℃＜D≤23℃ <![CDATA[k5]]> 23℃＜D≤28℃ <![CDATA[k6]]> 28℃＜D≤35℃ <![CDATA[k7]]> 35℃＜D≤40℃ <![CDATA[k8]]> 40℃＜D

[0112] Combination Fig.10 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides another refrigerator control method, which is used to control the above refrigerator, including:

[0113] S201, the angle detection module calculates the rotation angle of the door body according to the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact;

[0114] S202, the control module determines the current state of the door body according to the rotation angle of the door body, wherein the current state includes a door closing state, a door opening state and a gapping state, and the gapping state is between the door closing state and the door opening state;

[0115] S203, when the current state of the door body is the flashing state, the control module uses the correction coefficient related to the ambient temperature to correct the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature;

[0116] S204: The control module determines the cooling leakage of the refrigerator according to the relationship between the corrected actual time and the ideal time in the ideal cooling model.

[0117] The control method of the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is used to determine the current state of the door body through the relationship between the rotation angle of the door body and the door closing judgment constant and the gap gap judgment constant, and when the door body is in the gap gap state, the correction coefficient under a certain ambient temperature segment is combined to compare the corrected actual time under a certain ambient temperature segment with the ideal time in the ideal cooling model under a certain ambient temperature segment to determine the cooling leakage of the refrigerator.

[0118] Optionally, the cooling leakage of the refrigerator includes cooling leakage of the refrigerator and cooling non-leakage of the refrigerator. When it is determined that the refrigerator is cooling leakage, the control method of the refrigerator further includes starting the warning module 50 to remind the user that the door body is in a gap cooling leakage state. The warning module 50 includes at least one of a buzzer, a voice module and an indicator light, which is used to remind the user that the door body is in an open state. When it is determined that the refrigerator is not cooling leakage, the control method of the refrigerator further includes the control module 40 not reacting and the refrigerator working normally.

[0119] In this way, if the door is not closed tightly or is closed with too much force, causing the door to rebound, it can avoid the door gap leaking out cold, which will affect the storage time of food, increase energy consumption and shorten the service life of the refrigerator. When the door gap is not leaking out cold, the user does not need to go back and close the door again, reducing unnecessary repeated door closing operations and improving user experience.

[0120] Optionally, after determining that the current state of the door body is an open state according to the rotation angle of the door body, the control method of the refrigerator further includes stopping the refrigerator from refrigerating; if the door open state lasts for more than 3 minutes, starting the warning module 50 to remind the user that the door body is in an open state. It is understandable that the warning action of the refrigerator leaking cold can be the same as or different from the warning action of the door body being in an open state. For example, the warning action of the refrigerator leaking cold is to emit a buzzer sound one, and the warning action of the door body being in an open state is to emit a buzzer sound two.

[0121] In this way, users can avoid unnecessary loss of cooling capacity due to forgetting to close the door after opening it for access, thus saving electricity, ensuring the storage temperature of food in the refrigerator, and preventing food from spoiling due to not closing the door.

[0122] Optionally, after determining that the current state of the door body is a closed state according to the rotation angle of the door body, the control method of the refrigerator further includes not turning on the warning module 50.

[0123] Combination Fig.11 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides another refrigerator control method, which is used to control the above refrigerator, including:

[0124] S1101, the angle detection module calculates the rotation angle of the door body according to the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact;

[0125] S1102, the control module determines the current state of the door body according to the rotation angle of the door body, wherein the current state includes a door-closed state, a door-opened state, and a gap-opened state, and the gap-opened state is between the door-closed state and the door-opened state;

[0126] S1103, when the door body is in the flashing state, the control module uses the correction coefficient related to the ambient temperature to correct the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature;

[0127] S1104, the control module determines the cooling leakage of the refrigerator according to the relationship between the corrected actual time and the ideal time in the ideal cooling model;

[0128] If the refrigerator is leaking cold, step S1105 is executed to start the warning module to remind the user that the door is in a state of leaking cold; if the refrigerator is not leaking cold, the warning module is not turned on.

[0129] S1106, when the door is in the open state, the control module controls the refrigerator to stop refrigeration;

[0130] S1107, if the door is open for more than 3 minutes, the warning module is activated to remind the user that the door is open;

[0131] S1108, when the control module determines that the door body is in a closed state, the warning module is not turned on.

[0132] Regardless of whether the refrigerator is in the open, closed or gapped state, if the temperature inside the compartment is higher than the shutdown point temperature, the control module controls the refrigerator's compressor to turn on to cool the compartment; if the temperature inside the compartment is not higher than the shutdown point temperature, the control module controls the refrigerator's compressor to turn off and stop cooling the compartment.

[0133] The control method of the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can not only determine whether the current state of the door body is open, closed or gap-proof, but also promptly remind the user when the door is open for a long time or when cold is leaking due to gap-proof, thereby avoiding unnecessary loss of cold.

[0134] The above description and the accompanying drawings sufficiently illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Unless explicitly required, individual components and functions are optional, and the order of operations may vary. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace portions and features of other embodiments. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a box body and a door body, characterized in that: The hinge assembly includes: The hinge plate is suitable for being fixedly connected to the box body and rotatably connected to the door body; The angle detection module includes a transmission device, a variable resistor and an induction circuit, wherein the variable resistor includes a fixed contact and a sliding contact, the fixed contact is arranged on the hinge plate, the fixed contact and the sliding contact are connected through the induction circuit, the transmission device is connected to the sliding contact and is also connected to the door body, the door body drives the transmission device to move, and the transmission device drives the sliding contact to move relative to the fixed contact to change the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact to obtain the rotation angle of the door body.

2. The hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission includes: The active transmission member is suitable for driving connection with the door body so that the door body drives the active transmission member to move; The driven transmission member is drivingly connected to or separated from the driving transmission member, and the sliding contact is arranged on the driven transmission member. When the driving transmission member is drivingly connected to the driven transmission member, the driving transmission member drives the driven transmission member to move relative to the fixed contact, so that the sliding contact moves relative to the fixed contact; The anti-slip mechanism is arranged on the driven transmission member and can move relative to the driven transmission member. When the active transmission member is separated from the driven transmission member, the active transmission member cooperates with the anti-slip mechanism.

3. The hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The anti-slip mechanism includes: Elastic parts; The limiter, the elastic member is supported between the limiter and the driven transmission member, and the limiter can be drivingly connected with the active transmission member, so that the active transmission member can drive the limiter to move toward the driven transmission member, so as to drive the elastic member to undergo elastic deformation.

4. The hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The active transmission member includes an active gear; The driven transmission member includes a rack, and the driving gear is meshed with or separated from the rack. When the driving gear is meshed with the rack, the rack is driven to move relative to the fixed contact point; The anti-slip mechanism comprises gear teeth that can mesh with the driving gear. When the driving gear is separated from the rack, the driving gear meshes with the gear teeth.

5. The hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that: Active transmission components also include: A first driven gear meshing with the driving gear; A second driven gear is coaxially arranged with the first driven gear in the up-down direction; A third driven gear meshes with or is disengaged from the rack; When the third driven gear is meshed with the rack, the driving gear drives the first driven gear to rotate, and the second driven gear drives the third driven gear to rotate, so as to drive the rack to move relative to the fixed contact.

6. The hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hinge assembly also includes: The limiting mechanism is fixedly arranged on the hinge plate. At the extreme position of the driven transmission member, the driven transmission member interferes with the limiting mechanism, and the anti-slip mechanism does not interfere with the limiting mechanism.

7. The hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Fixed contacts include: a first fixed contact; a second fixed contact, the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact being connected via an induction circuit; Wherein, the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact are arranged in sequence along the width direction of the hinge plate, and the transmission device is configured to drive the sliding contact to move along the width direction of the hinge plate.

8. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: Box; A hinge assembly for a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7; The door body is drivingly connected to the transmission device in the hinge assembly and is rotationally connected to the box body through a hinge plate.

9. A refrigerator control method, used to control the refrigerator as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: include: According to the resistance value between the sliding contact and the fixed contact, the rotation angle of the door body is calculated; Determine the current state of the door body according to the rotation angle of the door body, wherein the current state includes a door-closed state, a door-opened state, and a gap-break state, and the gap-break state is between the door-closed state and the door-opened state; When the current state of the door body is the flashing state, the cooling leakage of the refrigerator is determined according to the relationship between the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature and the ideal time used in the ideal cooling model.

10. The refrigerator control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the current state of the door is the flashing state, the cooling leakage of the refrigerator is determined according to the relationship between the actual time taken for the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature and the ideal time used in the ideal cooling model, including: When the current state of the door body is the flashing state, the actual time taken by the compartment to reach the shutdown point temperature from the current temperature is corrected using the correction coefficient related to the ambient temperature; The cooling leakage of the refrigerator is determined based on the relationship between the corrected actual time and the ideal time in the ideal cooling model.

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