Hinge assembly and refrigerator

By designing a hinge assembly in the refrigerator, using the matching structure of the spindle, countershaft and double-layer slide chute, the problem of a small opening angle of the refrigerator door embedded in the refrigerator is solved, and a larger door opening angle and higher structural reliability are achieved.

CN120139602APending Publication Date: 2025-06-13CHANGHONG MEILING CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510551468.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-04-28
Publication Date
2025-06-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The opening angle of the refrigerator door embedded in the refrigerator is small, resulting in an increase in the gap between the refrigerator and the cabinet, affecting the space utilization and aesthetics.

Method used

It provides a hinge assembly, including a hinge and a door pad, which is connected to the refrigerator box, and the door pad is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door. One side of the hinge is provided with a spindle and a sub-shaft assembly, which is slidally connected to the first layer of the slide groove, and the sub-shaft assembly is slidally connected to the second layer of the slide groove. The first chute includes an equal width section and an open section, and one end of the second chute is provided with a bent section for guiding the rotation of the refrigerator door body and limiting the rotation angle.

Benefits of technology

Through the design of the hinge component, the refrigerator door body does not exceed the side of the refrigerator box during the opening and closing process, which increases the door opening angle, improves structural reliability, improves the linearity of the rotation trajectory, and solves the problem of a small opening angle of the refrigerator door embedded in the refrigerator.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides a hinge assembly and a refrigerator. The hinge assembly comprises a hinge and a door cushion block. The hinge is connected with a refrigerator body, and the door cushion block is fixedly connected with a refrigerator door body. A main shaft assembly and an auxiliary shaft assembly are arranged on one face of the hinge. The main shaft is axially parallel to the auxiliary shaft assembly, and the height of the main shaft is lower than that of the auxiliary shaft assembly; a first-layer sliding groove and a second-layer sliding groove are formed in the face, close to the hinge, of the door cushion block, and the second-layer sliding groove is located in the first-layer sliding groove. The main shaft is in sliding connection with the first-layer sliding groove, and the auxiliary shaft assembly is in sliding connection with the second-layer sliding groove; the first-layer sliding chute comprises an equal-width section and an open section, and one end of the equal-width section is communicated with the open section; one end of the second-layer sliding groove is provided with a bent section, and the bent section is located in the open section, so that the problem that the opening angle of a refrigerator door body embedded into the refrigerator is small is solved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and particularly to a hinge assembly and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] The built-in installation method of household refrigerators places higher requirements on the opening and closing trajectories of the door bodies. If the door body extends beyond the side of the refrigerator body during the opening process, it will cause an increase in the gap between the refrigerator and the cabinet, affecting the space utilization rate and overall aesthetics. To meet the embedding requirements in a compact space, there is an urgent need for a hinge structure that can control the movement trajectory of the door body, so that the door body always remains within the projection range of the refrigerator body during the opening and closing process.

[0003] Some refrigerator products adopt a dual-axis variable-rail hinge structure. By setting mutually cooperating sliding tracks on a single part, the door body performs variable-rail movement around the dual axis. This structure reduces the lateral displacement of the door body when it is opened by adjusting the position of the door body rotation axis, and can reduce the distance that the door body protrudes from the refrigerator body compared with the traditional single-axis hinge.

[0004] The track system of the dual-axis variable-rail hinge is limited by the layout space of a single part, and there are rigid constraints on the track spacing and trajectory curvature. This space limitation causes the door body to still partially extend beyond the side of the refrigerator body at a specific opening and closing angle, and it is impossible to completely eliminate the need for installation space on both sides. At the same time, the movement interference between the tracks also limits the maximum opening angle of the door body, affecting the convenience of accessing large-sized items. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a hinge assembly and a refrigerator to solve the problem that the opening angle of the refrigerator door body of the built-in refrigerator is small.

[0006] The first aspect of the present application provides a hinge assembly, including: a hinge and a door cushion block; the hinge is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door cushion block is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body;

[0007] A main shaft and a sub-shaft assembly are arranged on one surface of the hinge; the main shaft and the sub-shaft assembly are axially parallel, and the height of the main shaft is lower than the height of the sub-shaft assembly;

[0008] A first-layer sliding groove and a second-layer sliding groove are formed on the surface of the door cushion block close to the hinge; the second-layer sliding groove is located inside the first-layer sliding groove; the main shaft is slidably connected to the first-layer sliding groove, and the sub-shaft assembly is slidably connected to the second-layer sliding groove;

[0009] The first-layer sliding groove includes an equal-width section and an open section; one end of the equal-width section is communicated with the open section; one end of the second-layer sliding groove is provided with a bent section, and the bent section is located inside the open section.

[0010] The hinge assembly, through the cooperation structure of the main shaft, the auxiliary shaft assembly and the double-layer sliding groove, uses the equal-width section and the open section of the first-layer sliding groove to guide the stable movement at the initial stage of the rotation of the refrigerator door body, and limits the rotation angle through the nested relationship between the bent section and the open section of the second-layer sliding groove. During the opening and closing process of the refrigerator door body, the stress on the rotating shaft is dispersed, the linearity of the rotation trajectory is improved, the structural use space and the opening angle are increased, the structural reliability is enhanced, and the refrigerator door body does not exceed the refrigerator cabinet during the opening process, solving the problem of the small opening angle of the refrigerator door body of the built-in refrigerator.

[0011] Optionally, the auxiliary shaft assembly includes an auxiliary shaft and an auxiliary axis; the auxiliary shaft and the auxiliary axis are coaxial, and the auxiliary axis protrudes from the auxiliary shaft; the auxiliary shaft is slidably connected to the first-layer sliding groove, and the auxiliary axis is slidably connected to the second-layer sliding groove.

[0012] By slidably connecting the coaxial auxiliary shaft and auxiliary axis to different levels of sliding grooves respectively, the auxiliary shaft assembly realizes load hierarchical conduction during the movement process, thereby reducing the frictional loss of a single sliding surface and improving the coordination of the transmission system; the protruding design of the auxiliary axis relative to the auxiliary shaft enables the two-layer sliding unit to form an axial displacement compensation mechanism, which helps to maintain the stability of the movement trajectory, and at the same time optimizes the stress distribution of the assembly in the compound motion state through the hierarchical cooperation relationship.

[0013] Optionally, both the equal-width section and the second-layer sliding groove are arc-shaped structures, and the second-layer sliding groove is arranged along one side of the first-layer sliding groove with equal width; the open section is a fan-shaped structure with one end of the second-layer sliding groove as the center of the circle.

[0014] By designing the equal-width section and the second-layer sliding groove as arcs and maintaining an equal-width relationship, the mating surface of the two-layer sliding grooves forms a continuous and gentle sliding path, thereby reducing the local frictional resistance caused by the width change between the sliding grooves; the open section adopts a fan-shaped structure with the end of the second-layer sliding groove as the center of the circle, which can provide a path compensation space for the sliding groove assembly to adapt to different displacement amplitudes during the movement process, optimizes the load distribution during the sliding process through the matching of geometric shapes, and at the same time improves the continuity and smoothness of the movement trajectory.

[0015] Optionally, the fan radius of the open section is equal to the straight-line distance between the center of the main shaft and the center of the auxiliary shaft, and the arc length of the fan of the open section matches the spatial arc swept by the refrigerator door body within the opening angle range of 90°-110°.

[0016] The sector radius of the open section is equal to the center distance between the main and auxiliary shafts, and the arc length of the sector is adapted to the spatial arc length of the 90°-110° opening angle of the refrigerator door body, so that the contact positions of the main and auxiliary shafts with the sliding groove change dynamically with the opening angle during the rotation of the refrigerator door body, optimizing the geometric coupling relationship between the rotation path and the sliding groove, reducing the friction misalignment between the rotating shaft and the sliding groove, enhancing the synchronization of the rotation angle and the sliding groove trajectory, thereby improving the movement smoothness when the refrigerator door body is opened at a large angle and reducing the non-uniform wear between the sliding groove and the rotating shaft.

[0017] Optionally, the cross-sections of the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft are both circular, and the sum of the diameter of the main shaft, the diameter of the auxiliary shaft, and the distance between the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft is less than or equal to the maximum distance between the two sides of the open section.

[0018] The main shaft and the auxiliary shaft adopt a circular cross-section design, and the sum of the diameters of the main and auxiliary shafts and the distance is adapted to the maximum distance of the open section, so that the gaps between the main and auxiliary shafts and the side walls of the sliding groove are kept uniform when the main and auxiliary shafts slide in the open section, optimizing the contact surface matching relationship between the rotating shaft and the sliding groove, reducing the frictional resistance caused by sudden changes in the gap during the rotation process, thereby improving the smoothness of the multi-axis linkage sliding and reducing the risk of local wear between the sliding groove and the rotating shaft at the limit position.

[0019] Optionally, the height of the first-layer sliding groove is equal to the heights of the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft, and the height of the second-layer sliding groove is equal to the height of the auxiliary shaft.

[0020] Through the height matching between the first-layer sliding groove and the main and auxiliary shafts and the height matching between the second-layer sliding groove and the auxiliary shaft, a double-layer limit constraint in the vertical direction is formed to limit the longitudinal displacement of the rotating shaft in the sliding groove, improve the fitting degree of the contact surface between the rotating shaft and the sliding groove, keep the contact area between the sliding groove and the rotating shaft stable during the rotation process, disperse the longitudinal stress pressure, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the sliding groove caused by longitudinal impact, and at the same time enhancing the synchronous movement accuracy of the sliding groove and the rotating shaft during multi-axis linkage.

[0021] Optionally, the cross-section of the auxiliary shaft is circular, and the diameter of the auxiliary shaft is less than or equal to the width of the second-layer sliding groove; the diameters of the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft are both less than or equal to the width of the equal-width section.

[0022] The diameter of the circular cross-section of the auxiliary shaft is adapted to the width of the second-layer sliding groove, and the diameters of the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft are adapted to the width of the equal-width section, so that the gaps between each rotating shaft and the corresponding sliding groove are kept uniform, improving the geometric matching degree of the contact surface between the rotating shaft and the sliding groove, reducing the frictional vibration caused by dimensional deviation during the rotation process, thereby improving the synchronization of multi-axis sliding, and at the same time reducing the local stress in the contact area between the sliding groove and the rotating shaft through the uniform distribution of the gap, enhancing the movement stability of the linkage structure.

[0023] Optionally, the bending angle range of the bent section is 90-120°, and a guiding curved surface matching the surface profile of the auxiliary shaft is provided on the inner wall of the bent section.

[0024] The bending angle range of the bent section is adapted to the rotation angle of the refrigerator door body. The guiding curved surface matching the surface profile of the auxiliary shaft improves the fitting degree of the contact surface. The continuous guiding effect of the curved surface optimizes the continuity of the sliding track of the auxiliary shaft, reduces the radial collision between the auxiliary shaft and the chute during the sliding process, thereby improving the motion stability at the end of the rotation of the refrigerator door body, and reducing the risk of friction loss between the chute and the auxiliary shaft through the uniform distribution of stress on the contact surface.

[0025] Optionally, when the refrigerator door body is in the closed state, the main shaft abuts against one end of the equal-width section away from the open section;

[0026] When the refrigerator door body is in the fully open state, the main shaft abuts against the side of the open section away from the bent section.

[0027] When the refrigerator door body is closed, a first limit point is formed by the abutment of the main shaft and the distal end of the equal-width section. When it is fully open, a second limit point is formed by the abutment of the main shaft and the outer side of the open section, so that the contact area between the rotating shaft and the chute at the limit position of the refrigerator door body is dispersed to different positions, optimizing the force distribution between the chute and the rotating shaft at the end of the rotation process, reducing the continuous extrusion deformation of a single contact point, thereby improving the positioning stability when the refrigerator door body is opened and closed in place, and reducing the long-term wear accumulation in the local area of the chute through multi-point alternating load bearing.

[0028] The second aspect of the present application provides a refrigerator, including a refrigerator body, a refrigerator door body, and the hinge assembly described in the first aspect above;

[0029] The refrigerator body is hinged to the refrigerator door body, and the hinge assemblies are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the refrigerator door body;

[0030] The hinge of the refrigerator hinge assembly is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door cushion block of the refrigerator hinge assembly is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body;

[0031] When the refrigerator door body is opened, the main shaft of the refrigerator hinge assembly slides in the equal-width section and the open section in sequence, and the auxiliary shaft assembly slides in the second-layer chute and the bent section in sequence, so that the refrigerator door body does not protrude from the side of the refrigerator body during the opening process.

[0032] The refrigerator has all the beneficial effects of any one of the hinge assemblies in the first aspect above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0033] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the present application provides a hinge assembly and a refrigerator. The hinge assembly includes: a hinge and a door cushion block; the hinge is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door cushion block is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body; a main shaft and a sub-shaft assembly are provided on one surface of the hinge; the main shaft and the sub-shaft assembly are axially parallel, and the height of the main shaft is lower than the height of the sub-shaft assembly; a first-layer sliding groove and a second-layer sliding groove are formed on the surface of the door cushion block close to the hinge, and the second-layer sliding groove is located inside the first-layer sliding groove; the main shaft is slidably connected to the first-layer sliding groove, and the sub-shaft assembly is slidably connected to the second-layer sliding groove; the first-layer sliding groove includes an equal-width section and a widened section, and one end of the equal-width section is communicated with the widened section; one end of the second-layer sliding groove is provided with a bent section, and the bent section is located inside the widened section, so as to solve the problem that the opening angle of the refrigerator door body embedded in the refrigerator is small. Description of the Drawings

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0035] Figure 1 Structural schematic diagram of the hinge assembly provided by the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 Structural schematic diagram of the hinge in the hinge assembly provided by the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 Structural schematic diagram of the door cushion block in the hinge assembly provided by the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly provided by the present application in the closed state;

[0039] Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly provided by the present application in the process of opening the door;

[0040] Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly provided by the present application in the fully open state.

[0041] Illustration:

[0042] Among them, 1 - hinge, 101 - main shaft, 102 - sub-shaft, 103 - auxiliary shaft, 2 - door cushion block, 201 - first-layer sliding groove, 202 - second-layer sliding groove, 203 - equal-width section, 204 - widened section, 205 - bent section. Detailed Embodiments

[0043] Embodiments will be described in detail below, and examples thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following examples do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. They are merely examples of systems and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application.

[0044] It should be noted that the brief description of terms in this application is only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described next, rather than intending to limit the embodiments of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meanings.

[0045] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion. For example, a product or device including a series of components does not necessarily have to be limited to all the components clearly listed, but may include other components not clearly listed or inherent to these products or devices.

[0046] A refrigerator is a refrigeration device that maintains a constant low temperature. It is a common household appliance used for storing food or other items at low temperatures and is widely used in the fields of life and industry. With the rise of the minimalist lifestyle, built-in household appliances have emerged. An embedded refrigerator is a type of refrigerator that mainly uses a refrigeration structure installed at the bottom of a cabinet and uses the refrigeration structure and the cabinet as a whole as a refrigerator.

[0047] The built-in installation method of household refrigerators places higher requirements on the opening and closing trajectory of the door body. If the door body exceeds the side of the box during the opening process, it will cause an increase in the gap between the refrigerator and the cabinet, affecting the space utilization rate and overall aesthetics. To meet the embedding requirements in a compact space, a hinge structure capable of controlling the movement trajectory of the door body is urgently needed, so that the door body always remains within the projection range of the box during the opening and closing process.

[0048] Some refrigerator products adopt a double-axis variable-track hinge structure, which enables the door body to perform variable-track movement around a double axis by setting mutually cooperating sliding tracks on a single part. This structure reduces the amount of lateral displacement of the door body when it is opened by adjusting the position of the door body rotation axis, and can reduce the distance that the door body protrudes from the box compared to traditional single-axis hinges.

[0049] The track system of the double-axis variable-track hinge is limited by the layout space of a single part, and there are rigid constraints on the track spacing and trajectory curvature. This space limitation causes the door body to still partially exceed the side of the box at a specific opening and closing angle, unable to completely eliminate the need for installation space on both sides. At the same time, the movement interference between the tracks also limits the maximum opening angle of the door body, affecting the convenience of accessing large-sized items.

[0050] To solve the problem of the small opening angle of the refrigerator door body of an embedded refrigerator, refer to Figures 1 - 3, an embodiment of the present application provides a hinge assembly, including: a hinge 1 and a door cushion block 2; the hinge 1 is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door cushion block 2 is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body;

[0051] A main shaft 101 and a sub-shaft assembly are provided on one surface of the hinge 1; the main shaft 101 and the sub-shaft assembly are axially parallel, and the height of the main shaft 101 is lower than the height of the sub-shaft assembly;

[0052] A first-layer chute 201 and a second-layer chute 202 are formed on the surface of the door cushion block 2 close to the hinge 1, and the second-layer chute 202 is located inside the first-layer chute 201; the main shaft 101 is slidably connected to the first-layer chute 201, and the sub-shaft assembly is slidably connected to the second-layer chute 202; the first-layer chute 201 includes an equal-width section 203 and an open section 204, and one end of the equal-width section 203 is communicated with the open section 204; one end of the second-layer chute 202 is provided with a bending section 205, and the bending section 205 is located inside the open section 204.

[0053] It should be understood that the hinge 1 and the door cushion block 2 can relatively rotate and slide within a certain angle. The hinge 1 can be made of stainless steel, and the stainless steel material has the advantages of high strength and corrosion resistance, which can ensure the stability and service life of the hinge 1. The door cushion block 2 can be made of plastic, and the plastic material has good processing performance and wear resistance, and can also reduce the overall weight of the refrigerator.

[0054] Through the cooperation structure of the main shaft 101, the sub-shaft assembly and the double-layer chute, the hinge assembly uses the equal-width section 203 and the open section 204 of the first-layer chute 201 to guide the smooth movement at the initial stage of the rotation of the refrigerator door body, and limits the rotation angle through the nested relationship between the bending section 205 of the second-layer chute 202 and the open section 204, disperses the stress on the rotating shaft during the opening and closing process of the refrigerator door body, improves the linearity of the rotation trajectory, increases the structural use space and the opening angle, improves the structural reliability, and enables the refrigerator door body not to exceed the refrigerator body during the opening process, solving the problem of the small opening angle of the refrigerator door body embedded in the refrigerator.

[0055] In some embodiments, the sub-shaft assembly includes a sub-shaft 102 and an auxiliary shaft 103; the sub-shaft 102 and the auxiliary shaft 103 are coaxial, and the auxiliary shaft 103 protrudes from the sub-shaft 102; the sub-shaft 102 is slidably connected to the first-layer chute 201, and the auxiliary shaft 103 is slidably connected to the second-layer chute 202.

[0056] By slidingly connecting the coaxially arranged secondary shaft 102 and auxiliary shaft 103 to different levels of sliding grooves respectively, the load is hierarchically conducted during the movement of the secondary shaft assembly, thereby reducing the frictional loss of a single sliding surface and enhancing the coordination of the transmission system; the protruding design of the auxiliary shaft 103 relative to the secondary shaft 102 forms an axial displacement compensation mechanism for the two-layer sliding units, which helps to maintain the stability of the movement trajectory. At the same time, the stress distribution of the components in the compound motion state is optimized through the hierarchical cooperation relationship.

[0057] In some other embodiments, the main shaft 101 and the secondary shaft 102 can be replaced with arc-shaped guide rail plates that match the contour of the equal-width section 203, and the radius of curvature of the guide rail plate is equal to the bending radius of the center line of the equal-width section 203.

[0058] By replacing the main shaft 101 and the secondary shaft 102 with arc-shaped guide rail plates whose radius of curvature matches the center line of the equal-width section 203, a continuous contact support surface with the sliding groove contour is formed, enhancing the geometric matching degree of the sliding trajectory and reducing the accumulation of assembly errors generated by the multi-axis separation structure; at the same time, the adaptability of the radius of curvature of the guide rail plate is used to guide the pressure of the sliding surface to be evenly distributed along the tangent direction of the equal-width section 203, dispersing the stress concentration area at the contact edge between the rotating shaft and the sliding groove, thereby reducing the amplitude of frictional fluctuations on the side wall of the sliding groove and improving the trajectory synchronization accuracy between the guide rail plate and the sliding groove during the sliding process.

[0059] In some embodiments, mounting holes are provided on the hinge 1, and the mounting holes are used to mount the hinge 1 on the refrigerator cabinet. Optionally, there can be two mounting holes. The double-hole design can disperse the load and reduce the single-point force, thereby improving the strength and durability of the overall structure.

[0060] In some embodiments, both the equal-width section 203 and the second-layer sliding groove 202 are arc-shaped structures, and the second-layer sliding groove 202 is arranged with equal width along one side of the first-layer sliding groove 201.

[0061] Through the arc-shaped design of the equal-width section 203 and the second-layer sliding groove 202, and in combination with the equal-width arrangement of the second-layer sliding groove 202 along one side of the first-layer sliding groove 201, the movement trajectories of each shaft are kept synchronous during the rotation of the refrigerator door body, reducing the sliding friction resistance. At the same time, the rotation smoothness is improved through the continuous guiding effect of the arc-shaped sliding groove, enhancing the multi-axis linkage cooperation accuracy, thereby improving the smoothness of the opening and closing process of the refrigerator door body and reducing the local stress concentration in the sliding groove.

[0062] In some embodiments, the open section 204 is a sector structure with one end of the second-layer sliding groove 202 as the center of the circle.

[0063] It should be understood that the sector size of the open section 204 is adapted to the distance between the main shaft 101 and the secondary shaft 102.

[0064] The open section 204 of the sector is set with the end of the second-layer chute 202 as the center of the circle, so that at the initial stage of the rotation of the refrigerator door body, the main and auxiliary shafts 102 slide synchronously along the sector track, maintaining the consistency of the rotation radius, reducing the radial offset of the contact surface between the chute and the rotating shaft, optimizing the force distribution of the rotation path, thereby reducing the frictional loss at the edge of the chute and enhancing the coordination of the multi-axis linkage during the rotation process.

[0065] In some embodiments, the sector radius of the open section 204 is equal to the straight-line distance between the center of the main shaft 101 and the center of the auxiliary shaft 102, and the sector arc length of the open section 204 matches the spatial arc length swept by the refrigerator door body within the opening angle range of 90° - 110°.

[0066] The sector radius of the open section 204 is equal to the center distance between the main and auxiliary shafts 102, and the sector arc length is adapted to the spatial arc length of the refrigerator door body at an opening angle of 90° - 110°. During the rotation of the refrigerator door body, the contact position between the main and auxiliary shafts 102 and the chute dynamically matches with the opening angle, optimizing the geometric coupling relationship between the rotation path and the chute, reducing the frictional misalignment between the rotating shaft and the chute, enhancing the synchronism between the rotation angle and the chute track, thereby improving the movement smoothness when the refrigerator door body is opened at a large angle and reducing the non-uniform wear between the chute and the rotating shaft.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cross-sections of both the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102 are circular, and the sum of the diameter of the main shaft 101, the diameter of the auxiliary shaft 102, and the distance between the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102 is less than or equal to the maximum distance between the two sides of the open section 204.

[0068] The main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102 adopt a circular cross-section design, and the sum of the diameters and the distance of the main and auxiliary shafts 102 is adapted to the maximum distance of the open section 204, so that the main and auxiliary shafts 102 maintain the uniformity of the gap with the side wall of the chute during the sliding in the open section 204, optimizing the contact surface matching relationship between the rotating shaft and the chute, reducing the frictional resistance caused by the sudden change of the gap during the rotation process, thereby improving the smoothness of the multi-axis linkage sliding and reducing the risk of local wear between the chute and the rotating shaft at the limit position.

[0069] In some embodiments, the height of the first-layer chute 201 is equal to the height of the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102, and the height of the second-layer chute 202 is equal to the height of the auxiliary shaft 103.

[0070] It should be understood that the height of the first-layer chute 201 is adapted to the height of the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102, and the height of the second-layer chute 202 is adapted to the height of the auxiliary shaft 103.

[0071] Through the height matching of the first - layer chute 201 and the main - auxiliary shaft 102, and the height matching of the second - layer chute 202 and the auxiliary shaft 103, a double - layer limit constraint in the vertical direction is formed to restrict the longitudinal displacement of the rotating shaft in the chute, improve the fitting degree of the contact surface between the rotating shaft and the chute, keep the contact area between the chute and the rotating shaft stable during the rotation process, disperse the longitudinal stress pressure, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the chute caused by longitudinal impact, and at the same time enhancing the synchronous movement accuracy of the chute and the rotating shaft during multi - axis linkage.

[0072] In some embodiments, the cross - section of the auxiliary shaft 103 is circular, and the diameter of the auxiliary shaft 103 is less than or equal to the width of the second - layer chute 202; the diameters of the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102 are both less than or equal to the width of the equal - width section 203.

[0073] It should be understood that the width of the equal - width section 203 is adapted to the diameters of the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102; the width of the second - layer chute 202 is adapted to the diameter of the auxiliary shaft 103. The size of the open section 204 is adapted to the distance between the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102.

[0074] The diameter of the circular cross - section of the auxiliary shaft 103 is adapted to the width of the second - layer chute 202, and the diameters of the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102 are adapted to the width of the equal - width section 203, so that the gaps between each rotating shaft and the corresponding chute are kept uniform, improving the geometric matching degree of the contact surface between the rotating shaft and the chute, reducing the frictional vibration caused by dimensional deviation during rotation, thereby improving the synchronism of multi - axis sliding. At the same time, the local stress in the contact area between the chute and the rotating shaft is reduced by the uniform distribution of the gap, enhancing the motion stability of the linkage structure.

[0075] In some embodiments, the bending angle range of the bending section 205 is 90 - 120°, and a guiding surface matching the surface profile of the auxiliary shaft 103 is provided on the inner wall of the bending section 205.

[0076] The bending angle range of the bending section 205 is adapted to the rotation angle of the refrigerator door body, and the fitting degree of the contact surface is improved through the guiding surface matching the surface profile of the auxiliary shaft 103. The continuity of the sliding track of the auxiliary shaft 103 is optimized by the continuous guiding action of the curved surface, reducing the radial collision between the auxiliary shaft 103 and the chute during the sliding process, thereby improving the motion stability at the end of the rotation of the refrigerator door body, and reducing the risk of frictional loss between the chute and the auxiliary shaft 103 through the uniform distribution of the contact surface stress.

[0077] In some embodiments, a transition inclined surface is provided at the connection between the equal - width section 203 and the open section 204, and the inclination angle of the transition inclined surface has a proportional relationship of 1:1.2 - 1.5 with the shaft diameter ratio of the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102.

[0078] The transition inclined plane forms a progressive guiding structure at the connection between the equal-width section 203 and the open section 204 through a matching design of the inclination angle and the shaft diameter ratio of the main and auxiliary shafts 102, optimizing the continuity of the sliding track of the rotating shaft and reducing the motion mutation when the rotating shaft crosses different chute sections; the geometric ratio adaptation of the inclined plane angle and the shaft diameter can guide the uniform transition of the contact surface pressure of the rotating shaft, disperse the local impact at the connection area between the edge of the rotating shaft and the chute, thereby reducing the peak value of the frictional resistance at the chute connection and improving the matching accuracy between the chute and the rotating shaft during multi-axis linkage.

[0079] In some embodiments, the height difference between the first-layer chute 201 and the second-layer chute 202 is 3 - 5 mm, and the height difference is equal to the height value by which the auxiliary shaft 103 protrudes from the main shaft 102.

[0080] By setting the 3 - 5 mm height difference between the first-layer chute 201 and the second-layer chute 202, and making the height difference equal to the height by which the auxiliary shaft 103 protrudes from the main shaft 102, a precise positioning constraint in the vertical direction is formed, ensuring that the contact surfaces of the main and auxiliary shafts 102 with the first-layer chute 201 and the auxiliary shaft 103 with the second-layer chute 202 are completely fitted in the height direction, reducing the misalignment friction caused by height deviation during the sliding process; at the same time, through the geometric matching of the height difference, the force between the chute and the rotating shaft is evenly distributed in the vertical direction, reducing the fluctuation range of the sliding frictional resistance, and improving the synchronous motion accuracy of the main and auxiliary shafts 102 and the auxiliary shaft 103 during the linkage process, thereby improving the contact fatigue life of the chute and the rotating shaft.

[0081] In some embodiments, a rubber buffer block is provided at the end of the bending section 205, and the compression stroke of the rubber buffer block is equal to the maximum sliding distance of the main shaft 101 in the open section 204.

[0082] By providing a rubber buffer block at the end of the bending section 205 and configuring its compression stroke to be equal to the maximum sliding distance of the main shaft 101 in the open section 204, when the refrigerator door body is opened to the limit position, the buffer block absorbs the sliding inertia impact and synchronously matches the relative displacement amount between the chute and the rotating shaft; the elastic body compression deformation disperses the end impact energy, reducing the rigid collision intensity between the rotating shaft and the end of the chute, thereby alleviating the stress concentration phenomenon in the end area of the chute and improving the motion buffering effect when the refrigerator door body is opened and closed in place, reducing the repeated action of the impact load on the chute structure.

[0083] In some embodiments, the surface roughness Ra of the first-layer chute 201 and the second-layer chute 202 is ≤ 0.8 μm, and nylon wear-resistant strips containing molybdenum disulfide are inlaid on the inner walls of the first-layer chute 201 and the second-layer chute 202.

[0084] By controlling the surface roughness of the first and second chute 202 to Ra≤0.8μm and embedding nylon wear-resistant strips containing molybdenum disulfide, the friction coefficient between the chute and the rotating shaft contact surface is stabilized in the range of 0.15 - 0.2 (ASTM D1894 test standard). During the sliding process, lubricating particles are released through the layered crystal structure of molybdenum disulfide, combined with the self-lubricating characteristics of nylon material, to reduce the sliding friction resistance. At the same time, the evenly distributed wear-resistant strips continuously cover the inner wall of the chute, reducing the direct contact area between the rotating shaft and the chute matrix, dispersing the sliding contact stress, thereby reducing the friction loss rate of the chute surface and improving the smoothness of the rotating shaft during the sliding process.

[0085] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 4 - 6 , when the refrigerator door body is in the closed state, the main shaft 101 abuts against one end of the equal-width section 203 away from the open section 204;

[0086] When the refrigerator door body is in the fully open state, the main shaft 101 abuts against the side of the open section 204 away from the bent section 205.

[0087] Specifically, in the initial stage of opening the refrigerator door body, the main shaft 101 and the auxiliary shaft 102 slide within the equal-width section 203, and the auxiliary shaft 103 slides within the second chute 202. When the refrigerator door body is opened to a certain angle, the auxiliary shaft 103 slides into the bent section 205 at the other end of the second chute 202, and the main shaft 101 slides into the open section 204. Continuing to open the refrigerator door body, the auxiliary shaft 102 and the auxiliary shaft 103 remain relatively stationary within the bent section 205, and the main shaft 101 slides within the open section 204. After the refrigerator door body is opened to the maximum angle, the main shaft 101 abuts against and is limited by one side of the first chute 201.

[0088] When the refrigerator door body is closed, the first limit point is formed by the abutment of the main shaft 101 and the distal end of the equal-width section 203. When it is fully open, the second limit point is formed by the abutment of the main shaft 101 and the outer side of the open section 204, so that the contact area between the rotating shaft and the chute at the limit position of the refrigerator door body is dispersed to different positions, optimizing the force distribution between the chute and the rotating shaft at the end of the rotation process, reducing the continuous extrusion deformation of a single contact point, thereby improving the positioning stability when the refrigerator door body is opened and closed in place, and reducing the long-term wear accumulation in the local area of the chute through multi-point alternating load bearing.

[0089] Some embodiments of the present application further provide a refrigerator, including a refrigerator body, a refrigerator door body, and the hinge assembly described in the above embodiments;

[0090] The refrigerator body is hinged to the refrigerator door body, and the hinge assemblies are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the refrigerator door body;

[0091] The hinge 1 of the refrigerator hinge assembly is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door cushion block 2 of the refrigerator hinge assembly is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body;

[0092] When the refrigerator door body is opened, the main shaft 101 of the refrigerator hinge assembly slides in the equal-width section 203 and the open section 204 in sequence, and the sub-shaft assembly slides in the second-layer chute 202 and the bending section 205 in sequence, so that the refrigerator door body does not protrude from the side of the refrigerator body during the opening process.

[0093] The refrigerator guides the rotation of the refrigerator door body along a compact trajectory through symmetrically arranged hinge assemblies. By using the synchronous sliding cooperation of the main shaft 101 in the equal-width section 203 and the open section 204, and the sub-shaft assembly in the second-layer chute 202 and the bending section 205, the opening process of the refrigerator door body is always restricted within the range of the side of the refrigerator body, reducing the lateral space occupied by the refrigerator door body during rotation, and dispersing the rotational torque through multi-axis linkage, improving the controllability of the movement trajectory during the opening and closing process of the refrigerator door body, and at the same time reducing the possibility of interference or collision between the refrigerator door body and the side of the refrigerator body.

[0094] From the above technical solutions, it can be seen that the embodiments of the present application provide a hinge assembly and a refrigerator. The hinge assembly includes: a hinge 1 and a door cushion block 2; the hinge 1 is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door cushion block 2 is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body; a main shaft 101 and a sub-shaft assembly are arranged on one surface of the hinge 1; the main shaft 101 and the sub-shaft assembly are axially parallel, and the height of the main shaft 101 is lower than the height of the sub-shaft assembly; a first-layer chute 201 and a second-layer chute 202 are provided on the surface of the door cushion block 2 close to the hinge 1, and the second-layer chute 202 is located inside the first-layer chute 201; the main shaft 101 is slidably connected to the first-layer chute 201, and the sub-shaft assembly is slidably connected to the second-layer chute 202; the first-layer chute 201 includes an equal-width section 203 and an open section 204, and one end of the equal-width section 203 is communicated with the open section 204; one end of the second-layer chute 202 is provided with a bending section 205, and the bending section 205 is located inside the open section 204 to solve the problem that the opening angle of the refrigerator door body embedded in the refrigerator is small.

[0095] For the similar parts between the embodiments provided in the present application, reference can be made to each other. The specific embodiments provided above are only several examples under the general concept of the present application and do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present application. For those skilled in the art, any other implementation manner extended based on the solution of the present application without creative work belongs to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly, characterized in that: include: Hinge (1) and door gasket (2); The hinge (1) is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door gasket (2) is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body; A main shaft (101) and a secondary shaft assembly are arranged on one side of the hinge (1); the main shaft (101) is axially parallel to the secondary shaft assembly, and the height of the main shaft (101) is lower than the height of the secondary shaft assembly; The door gasket (2) is provided with a first-layer slide groove (201) and a second-layer slide groove (202) on one side close to the hinge (1), and the second-layer slide groove (202) is located inside the first-layer slide groove (201); the main shaft (101) is slidably connected to the first-layer slide groove (201), and the secondary shaft assembly is slidably connected to the second-layer slide groove (202); The first-layer slide groove (201) comprises an equal-width section (203) and an open section (204), and one end of the equal-width section (203) is connected to the open section (204); one end of the second-layer slide groove (202) is provided with a bent section (205), and the bent section (205) is located inside the open section (204).

2. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The secondary shaft assembly comprises a secondary shaft (102) and an auxiliary shaft (103); The secondary shaft (102) and the auxiliary shaft (103) are coaxial, and the auxiliary shaft (103) protrudes from the secondary shaft (102); The secondary shaft (102) is slidably connected to the first layer of sliding groove (201), and the auxiliary shaft (103) is slidably connected to the second layer of sliding groove (202).

3. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The equal-width section (203) and the second-layer slide groove (202) are both arc-shaped structures, and the second-layer slide groove (202) is arranged with equal width along one side of the first-layer slide groove (201); the open section (204) is a fan-shaped structure with one end of the second-layer slide groove (202) as the center of the circle.

4. The hinge assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fan-shaped radius of the open section (204) is equal to the straight-line distance between the center of the main axis (101) and the center of the secondary axis (102), and the fan-shaped arc length of the open section (204) matches the arc length of the space swept within the opening angle range of 90°-110° of the refrigerator door.

5. The hinge assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cross sections of the main axis (101) and the secondary axis (102) are both circular, and the sum of the diameter of the main axis (101), the diameter of the secondary axis (102) and the distance between the main axis (101) and the secondary axis (102) is less than or equal to the maximum distance between the two sides of the open section (204).

6. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The height of the first-layer slide groove (201) is equal to the height of the main shaft (101) and the secondary shaft (102), and the height of the second-layer slide groove (202) is equal to the height of the auxiliary shaft (103).

7. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross section of the auxiliary shaft (103) is circular, and the diameter of the auxiliary shaft (103) is less than or equal to the width of the second layer of the slide groove (202); the diameter of the main shaft (101) and the diameter of the secondary shaft (102) are both less than or equal to the width of the equal width section (203).

8. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bending angle of the bending section (205) is in the range of 90-120°, and the inner wall of the bending section (205) is provided with a guide curved surface matching the surface profile of the auxiliary shaft (103).

9. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the refrigerator door is in a closed state, the main shaft (101) abuts against an end of the equal-width section (203) away from the open section (204); When the refrigerator door is in a fully open state, the main axis (101) abuts against a side of the open section (204) away from the bent section (205).

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that: It comprises a refrigerator body, a refrigerator door body and the hinge assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The refrigerator body is hinged to the refrigerator door, and the hinge assembly is symmetrically arranged at two ends of the refrigerator door; The hinge (1) of the refrigerator hinge assembly is connected to the refrigerator body, and the door gasket (2) of the refrigerator hinge assembly is fixedly connected to the refrigerator door body; When the refrigerator door is opened, the main axis (101) of the refrigerator hinge assembly slides in the equal width section (203) and the open section (204) in turn, and the secondary axis assembly slides in the second layer slide groove (202) and the bending section (205) in turn, so that the refrigerator door does not protrude from the side of the refrigerator body during the opening process.