Household appliance

Abstract

The invention provides a household appliance which comprises a box body, a door body and a hinge device connected between the box body and the door body, the hinge device comprises a hinge plate connected to the box body, and the door body is rotationally connected to the hinge plate; the hinge device further comprises a rotation driving mechanism which is arranged on the hinge plate and used for driving the door body to rotate relative to the box body. By arranging the rotation driving mechanism for driving the door body to rotate relative to the box body, automatic door opening / closing can be achieved, a user does not need to manually open and close the door, and the user can conveniently use the household appliance; meanwhile, the opening angle of the door body can be accurately controlled through the rotary driving mechanism, and especially for an embedded household appliance in an embedded application scene, collision between the door body 2 and an external environment part due to the fact that the opening angle is too large can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of household appliances, and particularly to a household appliance capable of automatically controlling the movement of a door body. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of society and the improvement of people's living standards, the placement position and placement method of various household appliances (such as refrigerators in refrigeration equipment) in the family are increasingly valued by ordinary users. For the current home decoration style, some families pursue an integrated style, and it is necessary to embed household appliances in external environmental components (such as cabinets, walls) to form so-called embedded household appliances.

[0003] For an embedded household appliance, such as an embedded refrigerator, it generally includes a box body, a door body, and a hinge device for rotatably connecting the door body to the box body. Generally, in order to avoid interference between the door body and the external environmental component when the door body rotates and opens, the door body is arranged to translate along a preset trajectory while rotating and opening. At this time, when the user manually opens / closes the door body, it is necessary to apply a force to rotate and open the door body and a force to translate along the preset trajectory direction to the door body at the same time, which is not conducive to the smoothness of opening and closing the door body and is not convenient for the user to operate. In addition, for an embedded household appliance, if the user opens the door with great force and causes the opening angle to be too large, it is easy to collide with the external environmental component. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a household appliance capable of automatically controlling the movement of a door body.

[0005] To achieve the above invention purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A household appliance includes a box body, a door body, and a hinge device connected between the box body and the door body. The hinge device includes a hinge plate connected to the box body, and the door body is rotatably connected to the hinge plate; the hinge device further includes a rotation drive mechanism provided on the hinge plate and used to drive the door body to rotate relative to the box body.

[0006] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the hinge plate has a through hole, and the hinge device includes a rotating shaft installed on the door body and rotatably connected to the through hole; the rotation drive mechanism includes:

[0007] A rotation drive motor installed on the hinge plate;

[0008] A rotation drive gear installed at the output end of the rotation drive motor;

[0009] A shaft drive gear connected to the rotating shaft;

[0010] At least one transmission gear for transmitting the power of the rotary drive gear to the shaft drive gear, the rotary drive gear meshing with the starting gear of the at least one transmission gear, and the shaft drive gear meshing with the end gear of the at least one transmission gear.

[0011] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, a shaft hole for installing the rotating shaft is recessed on the door body, and the household appliance further includes a limiting structure disposed between the rotating shaft and the shaft hole to limit the rotation of the rotating shaft relative to the shaft hole.

[0012] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the limiting structure includes a plurality of limiting protrusions protruding from the inner peripheral wall of the shaft hole along the circumferential direction of the shaft hole, and a plurality of limiting grooves recessed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, and the plurality of limiting grooves correspond to the plurality of limiting protrusions one by one.

[0013] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the shaft drive gear and the rotating shaft are integrally provided.

[0014] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the hinge device further includes a support shaft sleeve sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the support shaft sleeve is located between the hinge plate and the door body.

[0015] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the hinge device is an upper hinge device installed on the upper side of the door body.

[0016] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the hinge plate is slidably connected to the box body along a preset direction; the hinge device further includes a translation drive mechanism disposed between the hinge plate and the box body, and the translation drive mechanism is used to drive the hinge plate to translate relative to the box body along the preset direction.

[0017] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the translation drive mechanism includes a translation drive motor disposed on one of the box body and the hinge plate, a translation drive gear installed on the output end of the translation drive motor, a rack disposed on the other and extending along the preset direction, and the translation drive gear meshes with the rack.

[0018] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the translation drive mechanism includes a translation drive motor disposed on one of the box body and the hinge plate, a translation drive gear installed on the output end of the translation drive motor, a rack disposed on the other and extending along the preset direction, and a gear set disposed between the translation drive gear and the rack. The gear set includes a large gear and a small gear coaxially arranged, the translation drive gear meshes with the small gear, and the rack meshes with the large gear.

[0019] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the hinge device is a lower hinge device. The hinge plate includes a fixing plate for fixing to the box body and a connecting plate perpendicular to the fixing plate. The door body is rotatably connected to the connecting plate; the translation driving mechanism is arranged between the fixing plate and the box body.

[0020] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the hinge device is an upper hinge device arranged on the upper side of the door body.

[0021] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the box body has a pivoting side where the hinge device is arranged and an opening side opposite to the pivoting side; during the process of the door body rotating and opening, the translation driving mechanism drives the hinge plate to translate from the pivoting side towards the opening side.

[0022] As a further improved technical solution of the present invention, the household appliance further includes a door closing self-locking member arranged between the door body and the hinge device, and the door closing self-locking member is used to keep the door body in a closed state.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: For the household appliance in the present invention, by arranging a rotation driving mechanism for driving the door body to rotate relative to the box body, automatic opening / closing of the door can be realized, without the need for the user to manually operate the opening and closing of the door, which is convenient for the user to use the household appliance; at the same time, the opening angle of the door body can be precisely controlled by the rotation driving mechanism. Especially for an embedded household appliance in an embedded application scenario, it can avoid the collision between the door body and external environmental components due to an overly large opening angle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 The figure shows a partial structural schematic diagram of the household appliance in the present invention (the other door body is omitted);

[0025] Figure 2 For Figure 1 a partial exploded view of the upper hinge device in

[0026] Figure 3 For Figure 2 an exploded view of the upper hinge device in

[0027] Figure 4 For Figure 1 a structural schematic diagram of the door body in

[0028] Figure 5 For Figure 1 a structural schematic diagram of the household appliance shown in

[0029] Figure 6 For Figure 1 a structural schematic diagram of the household appliance shown in

[0030] Figure 7 The structural schematic diagram of the lower hinge device in Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 8 The exploded view of Figure 7 ;

[0032] Figure 9 The structural schematic diagram of the household appliance in Figure 1 after removing the door body and the lower hinge device;

[0033] Figure 10 The structural schematic diagram of the household appliance in Figure 1 from another angle;

[0034] Figure 11 The top view of the household appliance in Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 12 The structural schematic diagram shows the household appliance in the present invention when the first door body is blocked from closing and the second door body is in the open state;

[0036] Figure 13 The structural schematic diagram shows the household appliance in the present invention when the first door body is blocked from closing and the second door body is in the closed state. Detailed implementation manners

[0037] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments shown in the drawings. Please refer to Figures 1 to 13 shown, which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted, however, that these embodiments are not limitations of the present invention, and any equivalent transformation or substitution in terms of function, method, or structure made by those of ordinary skill in the art based on these embodiments shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0038] Spatial relative position terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", etc. used herein are based on the side where the door body is located when the household appliance is in normal use. The other "rear", "upper", "lower" are all referenced with the front as the reference. These spatial relative position terms are used for the purpose of facilitating the description of the relationship between one unit or feature and another unit or feature as shown in the drawings. The spatial relative position terms may be intended to include different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings during use or operation. For example, if the device in the drawing is flipped, the unit described as being "below" or "beneath" other units or features will be located "above" other units or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "upper" can encompass both the upper and lower orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90° or other orientations), and the spatially related descriptive terms used herein shall be interpreted accordingly.

[0039] Also, it should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or structures, the objects so described should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish these described objects from each other.

[0040] In the illustrations of the present invention, for the convenience of illustration, certain dimensions of structures or parts are exaggerated relative to other structures or parts. Therefore, it is only used to illustrate the basic structure of the subject matter of the present invention.

[0041] Please refer Figures 1 - 11 As shown, the present invention provides a household appliance 100, which includes a cabinet 1, a door body 2, a hinge device 3 connected between the door body 2 and the cabinet 1, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the household appliance 100. The cabinet 1 has an opening, and the door body 2 is used to open or close the opening.

[0042] In this embodiment, the household appliance 100 is a refrigeration device, especially an embedded refrigerator. Of course, it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the household appliance 100 may also be other household appliances such as a microwave oven or a non-embedded household appliance.

[0043] The specific model of the control unit is not limited in the present invention, and any control unit that can control the operation of the household appliance 100 according to a predetermined program is within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0044] Combined Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the hinge device 3 includes a hinge plate 31 connected to the cabinet 1 and a rotary drive mechanism 36 provided on the hinge plate 31. The door body 2 is rotatably connected to the hinge plate 31 through the rotary drive mechanism 36. The rotary drive mechanism 36 is communicatively connected to the control unit to drive the door body 2 to rotate relative to the hinge plate 31, that is, relative to the cabinet 1. Thus, through the hinge device 3 in the present invention, automatic opening / closing of the door can be achieved, without the need for the user to manually operate the door, which is convenient for the user to use the household appliance; at the same time, the opening angle of the door body 2 can be accurately controlled through the rotary drive mechanism 36. Especially for an embedded household appliance in an embedded application scenario, it can avoid collisions between the door body 2 and external environmental components due to an overly large opening angle.

[0045] Specifically, the hinge plate 31 has a perforation 316, and the hinge device 3 includes a rotating shaft 37 mounted on the door body 2 and rotatably connected to the perforation 316. The rotation driving mechanism 36 includes a rotation driving motor 361 mounted on the hinge plate 31, a rotation driving gear 362 mounted on the output end of the rotation driving motor 361, a shaft driving gear 363 connected to the rotating shaft 37, and at least one transmission gear 364 for transmitting the power of the rotation driving gear 362 to the shaft driving gear 363. The rotation driving gear 362 meshes with the starting gear of the at least one transmission gear 364, and the shaft driving gear 363 meshes with the end gear of the at least one transmission gear 364. When the rotation driving motor 361 starts to drive the rotation driving gear 362 to rotate, the driving force is transmitted to the shaft driving gear 363 through the transmission gear 364, driving the shaft driving gear 363 to rotate. The rotating shaft 37 is driven by the shaft driving gear 363 to rotate, and the rotating shaft 37 drives the door body 2 to rotate synchronously, so as to realize the rotation opening or rotation closing of the door body 2.

[0046] It can be understood that when there is only one transmission gear 364, both the rotation driving gear 362 and the shaft driving gear 363 mesh with this transmission gear 364.

[0047] In a specific embodiment, the rotation driving mechanism 36 is mounted on a side of the hinge plate 31 away from the door body 2, that is, the door body 2 and the shaft driving gear 363 are respectively located on opposite sides of the hinge plate 31. Of course, this is not limited thereto.

[0048] Further, a shaft hole 21 for mounting the rotating shaft 37 is recessed on the door body 2, and the household appliance 100 further includes a limiting structure 4 provided between the rotating shaft 37 and the shaft hole 21 to limit the rotation of the rotating shaft 37 relative to the shaft hole 21. Thus, the rotating shaft 37 is arranged to be detachably connected to the door body 2, which is beneficial to the assembly between the hinge device 3 and the door body 2.

[0049] In a specific embodiment, the limiting structure 4 includes a plurality of limiting protrusions 41 protruding from the inner peripheral wall of the shaft hole 21 along the circumferential direction of the shaft hole 21, and a plurality of limiting grooves 42 recessed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 37. The plurality of limiting grooves 42 correspond to the plurality of limiting protrusions 41 one by one. By the cooperation of the limiting grooves 42 and the limiting protrusions 41, the rotation of the rotating shaft 37 relative to the shaft hole 21 is restricted, so that the door body 2 and the rotating shaft 37 can rotate synchronously.

[0050] Furthermore, the shaft driving gear 363 is integrally provided with the rotating shaft 37 , which improves the stability of the shaft driving gear 363 driving the rotating shaft 37 to rotate, simplifies the structure of the hinge device 3 , and simplifies its assembly.

[0051] Furthermore, the hinge device 3 also includes a support sleeve 38 sleeved on the rotating shaft 37, and the support sleeve 38 is located between the hinge plate 31 and the door body 2, which can reduce the shaking of the door body 2 during rotation and improve the stability of the rotation of the door body 2.

[0052] In this embodiment, combined with Figure 1 As shown, the door body 2 is a vertical door body 2 extending in the vertical direction, and the hinge device 3 includes an upper hinge device 3a provided on the upper side of the door body 2 and a lower hinge device 3b provided on the lower side of the door body 2. The upper hinge device 3a is provided with the rotation drive mechanism 36, and the lower hinge device 3b is not provided with the rotation drive mechanism 36. For the lower hinge device 3b, the door body 2 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft fixed on the hinge plate 31. Of course, this is not limited thereto.

[0053] Further, the hinge plate 31 is connected to the box body 1 in a sliding manner along a preset direction, and the hinge device 3 also includes a translation drive mechanism 32 disposed between the hinge plate 31 and the box body 1, and the translation drive mechanism 32 is connected to the control unit in communication to drive the hinge plate 31 to translate relative to the box body 1 along a preset direction. It is known that when the hinge plate 31 translates relative to the box body 1 along a preset direction, the door body 2 is synchronously driven to translate along a preset direction. When the rotation drive mechanism 36 automatically drives the door body 2 to rotate to open / close the door body 2, the door body 2 is synchronously automatically driven to translate along a preset direction through the translation drive mechanism 32. The household appliance 100 of the present invention can fully automatically realize the opening / closing of the door body 2 when the door body 2 has a translation and rotation requirement, that is, automatically drives the door body 2 to rotate and automatically drives the door body 2 to translate, without the user applying additional driving force, which is convenient for the user to operate the opening and closing of the door body 2, and can also improve the smoothness of the opening and closing of the door body 2.

[0054] Specifically, the box body 1 has a pivot side where the hinge device 3 is arranged and an opening side opposite to the pivot side. The arrangement direction of the pivot side and the opening side is defined as the horizontal direction. The direction from the pivot side toward the opening side is the first direction F1, and the direction from the opening side toward the pivot side is the second direction F2. It can be seen that the definitions of the first direction F1 and the second direction F2 correspond to the door body 2 one by one. For a double-door refrigerator, the first direction F1 and the second direction F2 of the two opposite door bodies 2 are opposite.

[0055] In this embodiment, the preset direction is the horizontal direction, that is, the hinge plate 31 is slidably connected to the box body 1 along the horizontal direction. In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 to 6 During the process of the door body 2 rotating and opening, the translation driving mechanism 32 drives the hinge plate 31 to move along the first direction F1, so that the household appliance 100 is applicable to an embedded application scenario, such as an embedded refrigeration device, especially an embedded refrigerator. While the door body 2 rotates and opens, the translation driving mechanism 32 drives the hinge plate 31 to drive the door body 2 to move away from the external environmental component located on the pivoting side along the first direction F1. Thus, interference / collision between the door body 2 and the external environmental component can be avoided, enabling the door body 2 to open smoothly. Correspondingly, during the process of the door body 2 rotating and closing, the translation driving mechanism 32 drives the hinge plate 31 to drive the door body 2 to move in a reset manner along the second direction F2, so that the door body 2 can be reset to the initial closed state. For an embedded refrigeration device, the door body 2 can seal the opening to avoid leakage of cold quantity. Of course, this is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, when the preset direction is the horizontal direction, according to specific requirements, it can also be set that when the door body 2 rotates and opens, the translation driving mechanism 32 drives the hinge plate 31 to drive the door body 2 to move along the second direction F2 to increase the opening degree of the door body 2 and avoid the door body 2 affecting the pulling of the drawer / shelf in the box body 1; or during the stage when the door body 2 rotates and opens, the moving direction of the translation driving mechanism 32 driving the hinge plate 31 to drive the door body 2 is not limited to a single first direction F1 or second direction F2, such as it can first move along the first direction F1 and then move along the second direction F2, etc.; or the preset direction is not limited to the horizontal direction and can be set according to specific requirements, such as the direction perpendicular to the plane where the opening is located, that is, the front-back direction, etc.

[0056] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 3 and Figures 7 to 8 The hinge plate 31 has a first side facing the box body 1; the hinge device 3 further includes a guiding groove 33 recessed in the first side and extending along the preset direction, and a guiding block 34 installed on the box body 1 and cooperating with the guiding groove 33. Through the cooperation of the guiding block 34 and the guiding groove 33, the hinge plate 31 is slidably connected to the box body 1 along the preset direction, with a simple structure and convenient assembly.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1 In the embodiment where the door body 2 is a vertical door body and the hinge device 3 includes an upper hinge device 3a and a lower hinge device 3b, as shown in Figures 2 to 3 The hinge plate 31a in the upper hinge device 3a is in a straight plate shape, and the first side is the lower surface of the hinge plate 31a. As shown inFigures 7 to 8 As shown, the hinge plate 31b in the lower hinge device 3b is T-shaped. The hinge plate 31b includes a fixing plate 311 for fixing to the box body 1, and a connecting plate 312 connected to and perpendicular to the fixing plate 311. The door body 2 is rotatably connected to the connecting plate 312. The first side is the side where the fixing plate 311 faces the box body 1, that is, the rear surface of the fixing plate 311.

[0058] Further, in the direction away from the box body 1, the cross-section of the guiding block 34 is a trapezoid with a gradually increasing cross-section, and the cross-section of the guiding groove 33 is adapted to the cross-section of the guiding block 34. After the guiding groove 33 and the guiding block 34 are matched, the hinge plate 31 can be limited and fixed, avoiding the guiding groove 33 and the guiding block 34 from separating in the direction perpendicular to the first side. The structure is simple, and the sliding connection structure between the hinge plate 31 and the box body 1 is simplified.

[0059] Specifically, the cross-section of the guiding block 34 is a non-right-angled trapezoid, preferably an isosceles trapezoid. Of course, it is not limited thereto.

[0060] Further, the translation driving mechanism 32 includes a translation driving motor 321 provided in one of the box body 1 and the hinge plate 31, a translation driving gear 322 installed at the output end of the translation driving motor 321, and a rack 323 provided in the other and extending along the preset direction. The translation driving gear 322 meshes with the rack 323. By driving the translation driving gear 322 to rotate through the translation driving motor 321, the translation driving gear 322 meshes with the rack 323 and moves relatively, thereby driving the hinge plate 31 to translate along the preset direction.

[0061] Further, the translation driving mechanism 32 further includes a gear set 324 provided between the translation driving gear 322 and the rack 323. The translation driving gear 322 and the rack 323 are indirectly meshed through the gear set 324. The gear set 324 includes a large gear 3241 and a small gear 3242 coaxially arranged. The translation driving gear 322 meshes with the small gear 3242, and the rack 323 meshes with the large gear 3241. The driving force of the translation driving motor 321 can be amplified through the gear set 324. Thus, a smaller translation driving motor 321 can also provide the driving force for driving the door body 2 to translate, and the overall size of the hinge device 3 can be reduced.

[0062] When the hinge device 3 includes an upper hinge device 3a provided on the upper side of the door body 2 and a lower hinge device 3b provided on the lower side of the door body 2, in a specific embodiment, in combination withFigures 2 to 3 As shown, the translation drive mechanism 32a in the upper hinge device 3a includes a translation drive motor 321 provided on one of the box body 1 and the hinge plate 31, a translation drive gear 322 mounted on the output end of the translation drive motor 321, a rack 323 provided on the other and extending along the preset direction, and a gear set 324 provided between the translation drive gear 322 and the rack 323. In combination with Figures 7 to 8 As shown, the translation drive mechanism 32b in the lower hinge device 3b includes a translation drive motor 321 provided on one of the box body 1 and the fixing plate 311, a translation drive gear 322 mounted on the output end of the translation drive motor 321, and a rack 323 provided on the other and extending along the preset direction. That is, the gear set 324 is included in the translation drive mechanism 32a in the upper hinge device 3a to provide a greater driving force for the translation of the door body 2. The gear set 324 is not included in the translation drive mechanism 32b in the lower hinge device 3b. At this time, during the process of the door body 2 rotating and opening, the driving force for the translation of the door body 2 is mainly provided by the translation drive mechanism 32a in the upper hinge device 3a. The translation drive mechanism 32b in the lower hinge device 3b only needs to be set to be able to move synchronously with the translation drive mechanism 32a in the upper hinge device 3a. At the same time, since the gear set 324 is not included in the translation drive mechanism 32b in the lower hinge device 3b, the installation space of the lower hinge device 3b can be reduced, and the problem of limited installation space of the lower hinge device 3b can also be taken into account. Of course, this is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the translation drive mechanisms 32 in the upper hinge device 3a and the lower hinge device 3b can also be set to be the same, that is, both have the gear set 324 or both do not have the gear set 324; or the gear set 324 is not provided in the translation drive mechanism 32a in the upper hinge device 3a, and the gear set 324 is provided in the translation drive mechanism 32b in the lower hinge device 3b.

[0063] In a specific embodiment regarding the installation of the translation drive mechanism 32, the translation drive mechanism 32 is provided between the first side and the box body 1. That is, the translation drive mechanism 32 is not exposed outward from the hinge plate 31. Specifically, the installation part of the box body 1 for installing the translation drive mechanism 32 has an installation opening, and a buried box 11 for installing the translation drive mechanism 32 is provided in the installation opening.

[0064] In this embodiment, the translation driving motor 321 is installed in the embedded box 11, and the rack 323 is integrally provided with the hinge plate 31. It can be understood that a strip-shaped tooth-like structure meshing with the translation driving gear 322 is formed on the first side of the hinge plate 31. This can simplify the structure and installation of the translation driving mechanism 32.

[0065] In another specific embodiment regarding the installation of the translation driving mechanism 32, the hinge plate 31 has a second side facing away from the box body 1, a first installation groove 313 recessed from the first side towards the second side, a second installation groove 314 recessed from the second side towards the first side, and a communication part 315 connecting the first installation groove 313 and the second installation groove 314; the translation driving motor 321 or the rack 323 installed in the hinge plate 31 is installed in the second installation groove 314, the translation driving motor 321 or the rack 323 installed in the box body 1 is received in the first installation groove 313, and the translation driving gear 322 meshes with the rack 323 at the communication part 315. At this time, the translation driving motor 321 and the rack 323 are installed on opposite sides of the hinge plate 31, which can further reduce the thickness of the hinge plate 31 and is beneficial to the miniaturization of the hinge device 3.

[0066] In this embodiment, the rack 323 is installed on the box body 1, and the translation driving motor 321 is installed on the hinge plate 31. That is, the rack 323 is received in the first installation groove 313, and the translation driving motor 321 is installed in the second installation groove 314. In the embodiment where the translation driving mechanism 32 includes the gear set 324, the gear set 324 is rotatably connected in the second installation groove 314, and the large gear 3241 in the gear set 324 meshes with the rack 323 at the communication part 315.

[0067] Furthermore, in the direction away from the box body 1, the cross-section of the first installation groove 313 is a trapezoid with a gradually increasing cross-section, and the cross-section of the rack 323 is adapted to the cross-section of the first installation groove 313. The cooperation between the first installation groove 313 and the rack 323 can further limit the hinge plate 31 and prevent the hinge plate 31 from disengaging from the rack 323 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first side. Of course, this is not the only limit.

[0068] Specifically, the cross-section of the rack 323 is a right trapezoid, and the angle corresponding to the side of the rack 323 with the strip-shaped tooth-like structure is a right angle, and the angle corresponding to the side opposite to the strip-shaped tooth-like structure is a non-right angle.

[0069] Furthermore, the hinge device 3 further includes a shielding cover 35 covering the side of the hinge plate 31 away from the cabinet 1. The shielding cover 35 shields the translation drive structure, thereby improving the overall appearance effect of the household appliance 100.

[0070] Combined with Figures 7 - 9 As shown, in this embodiment, for the lower hinge device 3b, the translation drive mechanism 32b is disposed between the first side and the cabinet 1, that is, the translation drive mechanism 32b is disposed between the fixing plate 311 and the cabinet 1. Specifically, the rack 323 is integrally formed with the fixing plate 311, and the translation drive motor 321 is installed in the embedded box 11. At this time, there is no need to provide the shielding cover 35, which simplifies the structure of the lower hinge device 3b. Combined with Figures 2 - 3 As shown, for the upper hinge device 3a, the translation drive motor 321 and the rack 323 in the translation drive mechanism 32a are located on opposite sides of the hinge plate 31. Specifically, the translation drive motor 321 and the gear set 324 are located in the second installation groove 314, and the rack 323 is received in the first installation groove 313. It can be known that the shielding cover 35 will be provided for the upper hinge device 3a itself, thereby avoiding the external leakage of the translation drive mechanism 32. Of course, this is not limited thereto.

[0071] Furthermore, combined with Figure 10 As shown, the household appliance 100 further includes a door closing self-locking member 5 disposed between the door body 2 and the hinge device 3. The door closing self-locking member 5 is used to keep the door body 2 in a closed state, which can prevent the door body 2 from opening again due to inertia and improve the stability and sealing performance of the door body 2 in the closed state.

[0072] In a specific embodiment, the door closing self-locking member 5 includes a latch 51 disposed on the hinge plate 31 and a hook 52 disposed on the door body 2. After the hook 52 is engaged with the latch 51, the door body 2 is in a closed state. After the hook 52 disengages from the latch 51, the door body 2 is in an open state.

[0073] In this embodiment, the hinge device 3 includes an upper hinge device 3a disposed on the upper side of the door body 2 and a lower hinge device 3b disposed on the lower side of the door body 2. The door closing self-locking member 5 is disposed between the lower hinge device 3b and the door body 2, which simplifies the structure of the upper hinge device 3a. Of course, this is not limited thereto.

[0074] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a control method for the door body 2 in the above-mentioned household appliance 100. The structure of the household appliance 100 is as shown above and will not be described in detail herein.

[0075] The control method of the door body 2 includes the following steps:

[0076] Start the rotary drive mechanism 36 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to rotate to open or close the opening of the box body 1.

[0077] In the control method of the door body 2 in the present invention, automatic opening / closing of the door can be achieved, without the need for the user to manually operate the door, which is convenient for the user to use the household appliance 100; at the same time, the opening angle of the door body 2 can be accurately controlled. Especially for the built-in household appliances in the built-in application scenario, it can avoid the collision between the door body 2 and the external environmental components due to too large an opening angle.

[0078] Further, as shown in Figures 12 to 13 In a specific embodiment, the household appliance 100 is a side-by-side refrigerator. That is, the door body 2 includes opposite first door body 25, second door body 26, and a flip beam 27 rotatably connected to one end of the first door body 25 close to the second door body 26. The flip beam 27 has a horizontal state parallel to the first door body 25 and a vertical state perpendicular to the first door body 25. One end of the flip beam 27 has a guide block, and a guide groove is provided in the box body 1 and is matched with the guide block. When the first door body 25 is in the closed state, the guide block is located in the guide groove, and the flip beam 27 is in the horizontal state to seal the gap between the first door body 25 and the second door body 26 to avoid cold leakage; when the first door body 25 rotates and opens from the closed state, the guide block moves outward along the guide groove, driving the flip beam 27 to switch from the horizontal state to the vertical state. When the first door body 25 rotates and closes from the open state until the guide block on the flip beam 27 enters the guide groove entrance and continues to close, the guide block moves inward along the guide groove, driving the flip beam 27 to switch from the vertical state to the horizontal state. At this time, during the process of starting the rotary drive mechanism 36 in the hinge device 3 to drive the first door body 25 to rotate to close the opening, the control method of the door body 2 further includes the following steps:

[0079] When receiving a signal that the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked, it is determined that the flip beam 27 is in the horizontal state.

[0080] It can be known that before the first door body 25 rotates and closes from the open state until the guide block on the flip beam 27 does not enter the guide groove, if the flip beam 27 is in the horizontal state, it will cause the closing of the first door body 25 to be blocked, that is, the first door body 25 cannot continue to rotate and close. Therefore, when the control unit receives a signal that the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked, it is determined that the flip beam 27 is in the horizontal state.

[0081] Specifically, when the control unit receives a signal fed back by the rotary drive motor 361 corresponding to the first door body 25 indicating that the rotation is blocked, it is determined that the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked.

[0082] Further, when the rotary drive mechanism 36 in the hinge device 3 is started to drive the first door body 25 to rotate and close the opening, and after it is determined that the turning beam 37 is in a horizontal state, the control method of the door body 2 further includes the following steps:

[0083] Obtain the opening angle of the first door body 25 when the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked;

[0084] As Figure 12 shown, when the opening angle of the first door body 25 is within the first angle range, it is determined that the second door body 26 is in an open state. The rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the second door body 26 is started to drive the second door body 26 to close until one end of the second door body 26 facing the first door body 25 is at a first preset angle on the moving path of the turning beam 27 in a horizontal state. Then, the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the first door body 25 is started to drive the first door body 25 to rotate and open, and at the same time, the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the second door body 26 is started to drive the second door body 26 to continue closing from the first preset angle. One end of the second door body 26 close to the first door body 25 pushes the turning beam 27 to switch from a horizontal state to a vertical state;

[0085] As Figure 13 shown, when the opening angle of the first door body 25 is within the second angle range, it is determined that the second door body 26 is in a closed state. The rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the first door body 25 is started to drive the first door body 25 to rotate and open, and the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the second door body 26 is started to drive the second door body 26 to rotate and open until one end of the second door body 26 facing the first door body 25 is away from the moving path of the turning beam 27. Then, the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the first door body 25 is started to drive the first door body 25 to rotate and close, and the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the second door body 26 is started to drive the second door body 26 to rotate and close until the turning beam 27 is located on the side of the second door body 26 facing the box body 1 and the turning beam 27 in a horizontal state is on the moving path of the second door body 26 rotating and closing. Then, the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the first door body 25 is started to drive the first door body 25 to rotate and open, and at the same time, the rotary drive mechanism 36 corresponding to the second door body 26 is started to drive the second door body 26 to rotate and close. One end of the second door body 26 close to the first door body 25 pushes the turning beam 27 to switch from a horizontal state to a vertical state; wherein, the second angle range is greater than the first angle range.

[0086] In the control method of the door body 2 in the present invention, when the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked because the turning beam 27 is in a horizontal state, by driving the relative movement of the first door body 25 and the second door body 26, the turning beam 27 is pushed by the second door body 26 to switch to a vertical state. Thus, the state where the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked can be released, the first door body 25 can be smoothly closed, and the state where the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked can be automatically released, improving the automatic control of the household appliance 100.

[0087] As Figure 12 shown, when the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked and the second door body 26 is in an open state, the turning beam 27 is located between the second door body 26 and the opening side of the cabinet 1. At this time, as long as the second door body 26 is first rotated and closed to a first preset angle, and then the first door body 25 and the second door body 26 are driven to rotate relative to each other, the turning beam 27 can be pushed to switch to a vertical state. As Figure 13 shown, when the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked and the second door body 26 is in a closed state, at this time, the turning beam 27 is located on the side of the second door body 26 away from the cabinet 1. Even if the first door body 25 and the second door body 26 are driven to rotate relative to each other, it is impossible to push the turning beam 27 to switch to a vertical state through the second door body 26. Therefore, it is necessary to first rotate and open the first door body 25 and the second door body 26, then rotate and close the first door body 25 so that the turning beam 27 is located between the second door body 26 and the cabinet 1, and then rotate and close the second door body 26 to the first preset angle so that the turning beam 27 in a horizontal state is located on the first-stage path of the rotation and closing of the second door body 26. Finally, driving the first door body 25 and the second door body 26 to rotate relative to each other can push the turning beam 27 to switch to a vertical state.

[0088] In a specific embodiment, the first preset angle is 15°. Of course, this is not the limit.

[0089] Specifically, as shown in Figures 12 to 13 , when the second door body 26 is in an open state and the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked, the turning beam 27 contacts the opening side of the cabinet 1. When the second door body 26 is in a closed state and the closing of the first door body 25 is blocked, the turning beam 27 contacts the second door body 26. Thus, the second angle range is greater than the first angle range.

[0090] In a specific embodiment, the first angle range is not greater than 11°, and the second angle range is (11°, 15°). Of course, this is not the limit.

[0091] Further, when the hinge device 3 further includes the translation drive mechanism 32, while starting the rotation drive mechanism 36 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to rotate to open or close the opening, the control method of the door body 2 further includes the following steps: starting the translation drive mechanism 32 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to translate in a preset direction.

[0092] In the control method of the door body 2 in the present invention, full-automatic door opening can be realized, liberating the user's hands and improving the automation of the household appliance 100.

[0093] In a specific embodiment, while starting the rotation drive mechanism 36 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to rotate to open the opening, start the translation drive mechanism 32 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to translate toward the opening side, that is, drive the door body 2 to move along the first direction F1, so that the household appliance 100 is suitable for an embedded application scenario, such as an embedded refrigeration device, especially an embedded refrigerator. While the door body 2 rotates and opens, the translation drive mechanism 32 drives the hinge plate 31 to drive the door body 2 to move away from the external environmental component located on the pivot side along the first direction F1. Thus, interference / collision between the door body 2 and the external environmental component can be avoided, enabling the door body 2 to open smoothly. While starting the rotation drive mechanism 36 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to rotate to close the opening, start the translation drive mechanism 32 in the hinge device 3 to drive the door body 2 to translate toward the pivot side, that is, drive the door body 2 to move in a reset manner along the second direction F2, so that the door body 2 can be reset to the initial closed state. For an embedded refrigeration device, the door body 2 can seal the opening to avoid leakage of cold. Of course, this is not limited thereto.

[0094] Specifically, in combination with Figure 11As shown, the door body 2 includes a front door wall 22 facing away from the box body 1 when closed, and a door side wall 23 located on the pivoting side. The front door wall 22 and the door side wall 23 intersect to form an outer edge of the door. Further, during the process of the rotary drive mechanism 36 driving the door body 2 to rotate and open to 90°, or during the process of the rotary drive mechanism 36 driving the door body 2 to rotate and close from 90°, the outer edge of the door is located on the side of the plane where the pivoting side is located facing the opening side. That is, during the process of the rotary drive mechanism 36 driving the door body 2 to rotate and open to 90°, or during the process of the rotary drive mechanism 36 driving the door body 2 to rotate and close from 90°, through the cooperation of the translation drive mechanism 32, the outer edge of the door will not exceed the plane where the pivoting side of the box body 1 is located, so that the household appliance 100 is suitable for a zero-clearance embedded application scenario, such as a zero-clearance embedded refrigeration device, especially a zero-clearance embedded refrigerator, which can avoid interference / collision between the door body 2 and the external environmental components, and enable the door body 2 to open / close smoothly.

[0095] Specifically, as shown in the figure, while the rotary drive mechanism 36 drives the door body 2 to rotate and open / close, the translation drive mechanism 32 drives the door body 2 to translate at a speed Wherein, d1 is the distance between the door side wall and the rotation axis of the door body 2, d2 is the distance between the front door wall and the rotation axis of the door body 2, and θ is the opening angle of the door body 2. The door body 2 has an installation end face 24 for installing the hinge device 3. The outer edge of the door intersects the installation end face 24 at point N. θ1 is the angle between the line connecting the rotation axis of the door body 2 and point N and the vertical line passing through the rotation axis 37 of the door body 2 and perpendicular to the front door wall. a is a preset safe distance between the outer edge of the door and the plane where the pivoting side is located. It can ensure that the outer edge of the door will not exceed the plane where the pivoting side of the box body 1 is located, so that the household appliance 100 is suitable for a zero-clearance embedded application scenario, can avoid interference / collision between the door body 2 and the external environmental components, and enable the door body 2 to open / close smoothly.

[0096] In a specific embodiment, the a is 3 mm. Of course, it is not limited thereto.

[0097] In summary, for the household appliance 100 in the present invention, by setting the rotary drive mechanism 36 that drives the door body 2 to rotate relative to the box body 1, automatic opening / closing of the door can be achieved, without the need for the user to manually operate the door, which is convenient for the user to use the household appliance 100; at the same time, through the rotary drive mechanism 36, the opening angle of the door can be accurately controlled. Especially for an embedded household appliance in an embedded application scenario, it can avoid collision between the door body 2 and external environmental components due to an excessive opening angle.

[0098] It should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0099] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present invention, and they are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An appliance, comprising a cabinet, a door body, and a hinge device connected between the cabinet and the door body, the hinge device including a hinge plate connected to the cabinet, and the door body being rotatably connected to the hinge plate; characterized in that: The hinge device further includes a rotation driving mechanism provided on the hinge plate for driving the door body to rotate relative to the box body.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge plate has a perforation, and the hinge device includes a rotating shaft installed on the door body and rotatably connected to the perforation; the rotation driving mechanism includes: A rotation driving motor installed on the hinge plate; A rotation driving gear installed at the output end of the rotation driving motor; A shaft driving gear connected to the rotating shaft; At least one transmission gear for transmitting the power of the rotation driving gear to the shaft driving gear, the rotation driving gear meshing with the starting gear of the at least one transmission gear, and the shaft driving gear meshing with the end gear of the at least one transmission gear.

3. The home appliance according to claim 2, wherein: The door body is recessed with a shaft hole for installing the rotating shaft, and the household appliance further includes a limiting structure provided between the rotating shaft and the shaft hole to limit the rotation of the rotating shaft relative to the shaft hole.

4. The home appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limiting structure includes a plurality of limiting protrusions protruding from the inner peripheral wall of the shaft hole along the circumferential direction of the shaft hole, and a plurality of limiting grooves recessed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, and the plurality of limiting grooves correspond to the plurality of limiting protrusions one by one.

5. The home appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shaft driving gear is integrally provided with the rotating shaft.

6. The home appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that: The hinge device further includes a support shaft sleeve sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the support shaft sleeve is located between the hinge plate and the door body.

7. The home appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The hinge device is an upper hinge device installed on the upper side of the door body.

8. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge plate is slidably connected to the box body along a preset direction; the hinge device further includes a translation driving mechanism provided between the hinge plate and the box body, and the translation driving mechanism is used for driving the hinge plate to translate relative to the box body along the preset direction.

9. The home appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that: The translation driving mechanism includes a translation driving motor provided on one of the box body and the hinge plate, a translation driving gear installed at the output end of the translation driving motor, and a rack provided on the other and extending along the preset direction, and the translation driving gear meshes with the rack.

10. The home appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that: The translation driving mechanism includes a translation driving motor provided on one of the box body and the hinge plate, a translation driving gear installed at the output end of the translation driving motor, a rack provided on the other and extending along the preset direction, and a gear set provided between the translation driving gear and the rack. The gear set includes a large gear and a small gear coaxially arranged, the translation driving gear meshes with the small gear, and the rack meshes with the large gear.

11. The home appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that: The hinge device is a lower hinge device, the hinge plate includes a fixing plate for fixing to the box body and a connecting plate perpendicular to the fixing plate, and the door body is rotatably connected to the connecting plate; the translation driving mechanism is provided between the fixing plate and the box body.

12. The home appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that: The hinge device is an upper hinge device provided on the upper side of the door body.

13. The home appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that: The box body has a pivoting side where the hinge device is provided and an opening side opposite to the pivoting side; during the process of the door body rotating and opening, the translation driving mechanism drives the hinge plate to translate from the pivoting side towards the opening side.

14. The home appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The household appliance further includes a door-closing self-locking member disposed between the door body and the hinge device, and the door-closing self-locking member is used to keep the door body in a closed state.

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