Pushing device and refrigerator

Abstract

According to the pushing device and the refrigerator, the main containing cavity and the isolation cavity are formed in the two sides of the partition plate correspondingly, the isolation cavity is used for independently containing the output end of the pushing device motor and the input end of the primary gear, and the isolation cavity is used for restraining and limiting a lubricating medium on the primary gear; and the gear can still be kept in the isolation cavity under the centrifugal force effect of gear rotation. Through the structural design of the isolation cavity, on one hand, a concentration area of a lubricating medium under the centrifugal effect can be matched with the meshing position between the motor and the primary gear, and therefore it is guaranteed that the high-rotating-speed primary gear can be kept in the state of being soaked by the lubricating medium all the time in the operation process of the pushing device; loss of lubricating media on the meshing face is reduced to the maximum extent, and operation noise is effectively reduced. In addition, the partition plate can also provide installation and fixation for the secondary gear in the main containing cavity at the same time, so that the structural layout of the gear is optimized, and the projection planes between the gears are mutually overlapped to further compress the size of the whole pusher device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigerator components, and more particularly to a push-opener and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Existing refrigerators require a reciprocating pusher between the refrigerator body and the door to automatically open or assist the door opening. This pusher is driven by a motor, which, through a multi-stage gear transmission, drives a pusher mounted at the end of the pusher to extend or retract from the pusher housing. This allows the pusher to lift the door, allowing it to open, or at least offset some of the suction from the door's sealing strip, making it easier for the user to open the door.

[0003] However, existing pushers have the following problems: the gear transmission system in the pusher requires multiple stages of reduction in the output of the gears. The end face diameter of the reduction gear is relatively large, and the installation positions of the respective shafts of the gears need to be staggered to ensure that the gear shafts do not fall within the projection surface of other gears in order to stably install the gears. Otherwise, when the shaft of a gear of a certain stage is set within the projection range of the end face of another gear, since the end face of the other gear cannot fix the shaft, the gear of this stage can only be fixed by relying on the support structure between its bottom and the pusher housing. Since the gear can only be fixed by the bearing connection structure on one side, there will be uneven force, unstable rotation, large assembly deviation, and further increase in noise when the gear structure is in working state.

[0004] Furthermore, during normal operation of the pusher, the centrifugal force of the gears can cause the lubricant applied to the meshing surfaces to be thrown off. Existing pusher gears either require regular lubrication replenishment or are prone to producing abnormal noises due to insufficient lubricant on the meshing surfaces. Furthermore, this loss of lubricant from the meshing surfaces can cause contamination in the pusher gearbox, requiring regular cleaning and maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application addresses the shortcomings of the existing technology and provides a push-opener and refrigerator. This application utilizes an isolation chamber to limit the loss of lubricating medium and automatically replenishes lubricating medium to the meshing position of the gears during gear rotation, thereby reducing vibration and friction between the meshing components. The lubricating medium also provides a certain degree of sound insulation, reducing the noise level of the push-opener to 3dB. This application specifically adopts the following technical solutions.

[0006] First of all, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a pusher is proposed, which includes: a main accommodating chamber for accommodating the main body of the motor; an isolation chamber for accommodating the output end of the motor and the input end of the primary gear, the output end of the motor and the input end of the primary gear are engaged with each other; a partition is provided between the main accommodating chamber and the isolation chamber, the output end of the motor is connected to the main body of the motor through the partition, and the input end of the primary gear is connected to the output end of the primary gear through the partition; the isolation chamber is closed in the centrifugal direction of the primary gear to form a concentrated area of ​​​​lubricating medium.

[0007] Optionally, a pusher as described in any of the above, wherein the main accommodating chamber is formed by a lower cover and a middle cover; the lower cover is used to accommodate the motor, the top rod and the secondary gear connected therebetween; the middle cover covers the top of the lower cover, and an upwardly extending isolation ring is provided on the outer periphery of the motor and the primary gear, and a partition is provided below the meshing portion of the motor and the primary gear; the motor and the primary gear pass through the partition and extend into the isolation chamber, and mesh with each other in the isolation ring.

[0008] Optionally, a pusher as described above, wherein the bottom of the isolation chamber is connected to the main accommodating chamber through a through hole on the partition; the side wall of the isolation chamber is closed by an isolation ring on the middle cover; the top of the isolation ring is also covered with an upper cover; the partition, isolation ring and upper cover at least partially enclose a concentrated area of ​​lubricating medium in the centrifugal direction of the primary gear.

[0009] Optionally, in any of the above push-openers, the output shaft of the motor and the primary gear are meshed with each other in the concentrated area of ​​the lubricating medium.

[0010] Optionally, a pusher as described in any of the above, wherein the partition extends from the centrifugal direction of the primary gear toward the axis of the primary gear, and forms an annular closed cavity surrounded by the primary gear with the isolation ring and the upper cover; the partition is provided with a first through hole at the axis of the primary gear, and the first through hole is provided in the surrounding area of ​​the isolation ring, and the primary gear passes through the first through hole to engage with the secondary gear in the main accommodating cavity for transmission; the partition is also provided with a second through hole on one side edge of the primary gear, and the second through hole is provided in the surrounding area of ​​the isolation ring, and the output shaft of the motor passes through the second through hole to engage with the primary gear; the primary gear is provided with an annular protrusion extending toward the main accommodating cavity at the bottom of its end face, and the end of the annular protrusion is provided in the first through hole; the first through hole forms a circle of installation gap between the outer periphery of the annular protrusion and the partition, and the second through hole forms another circle of installation gap between the outer periphery of the output shaft of the motor and the partition.

[0011] Optionally, a pusher as described above, wherein the lower side of the partition is further provided with a middle cover mounting groove extending into the interior of the main accommodating cavity; the top end of the axis of the secondary gear is fixed in the middle cover mounting groove; the end face of the primary gear at least partially overlaps with the end face projection area of ​​the secondary gear.

[0012] Optionally, in any of the pushers described above, the partition is further provided with an annular groove at the root position of the primary gear, and in the driving state, the centrifugal force of the primary gear drives the lubricating medium to concentrate in the area surrounded by the annular groove and the isolation ring.

[0013] Optionally, in any of the pushers described above, the primary gear is a double-layer or multi-layer gear, the first layer of gears is arranged in the isolation cavity, and the remaining layers are arranged in the main accommodating cavity and mesh with the secondary gears for transmission.

[0014] Optionally, a pusher as described above, wherein the annular protrusion at the bottom of the first layer gear passes through the through hole of the partition and is maintained above the end face of the secondary gear.

[0015] At the same time, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also provides a refrigerator, which includes any pusher as described above.

[0016] Beneficial effects

[0017] The push-opener and refrigerator provided by the present application are respectively provided with a main accommodating chamber and an isolation chamber on both sides of the partition, and the isolation chamber is used to separately accommodate the output end of the push-opener motor and the input end of the primary gear. Therefore, during the operation of the primary gear, the isolation chamber is used to constrain the lubricating medium on the primary gear so that it can still be maintained in the isolation chamber under the centrifugal force of the gear rotation. Through the structural design of the isolation chamber, the present application can, on the one hand, match the concentrated area of ​​the lubricating medium under the centrifugal action to the meshing position between the motor and the primary gear, thereby ensuring that the primary gear with high speed and concentrated energy transmission during the operation of the push-opener can always remain in a state of being soaked in the lubricating medium, thereby minimizing the loss of lubricating medium on the meshing surface, improving the transmission performance of the push-opener, and effectively reducing its operating noise. In addition, the partition of the isolation chamber can also be used to install and fix the secondary gear in the main accommodating chamber. Therefore, the present application can also optimize the structural layout of the gears through the setting of the cavity and the partition, and further compress the product size of the overall push-opener device by utilizing the overlap of the projection surfaces between the gears.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the present application will be set forth in the following description, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the present application and do not constitute a limitation of the present application. In the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 It is an exploded view of the pusher of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the cross section of the motor output shaft of the pusher of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fixing method of the middle cover of the isolation chamber of the pusher of the present application to the secondary gear in the main accommodating chamber;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the isolation cavity packaging structure in this application.

[0024] In the figure, 1 represents the motor; 2 represents the primary gear; 3 represents the middle cover; 31 represents the isolation chamber; 32 represents the installation gap; 33 represents the middle cover installation groove; 4 represents the upper cover; 5 represents the lower cover; 6 represents the push rod; 7 represents the second gear; 71 represents the second gear shaft; 72 represents the second gear end face; 8 represents the third gear; and 9 represents the terminal gear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] To make the purpose and technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the prior art and, unless defined as such herein, will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0027] The meaning of "inside" and "outside" in this application refers to the direction pointing to the inside of the shell relative to the pusher shell itself, and the opposite direction is outside; it is not a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0028] The meaning of "left and right" in this application refers to that when the user is facing the extending direction of the pusher push rod, the user's left is left and the user's right is right, rather than a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0029] The term “connection” as used in this application may mean a direct connection between components or an indirect connection between components via other components.

[0030] The meaning of "up" and "down" in this application refers to the direction from the lower cover to the upper cover when the user is pushing open the device shell, which is up, and vice versa, which is down, rather than a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0031] Figure 1 A push-opener according to the present application is assembled between a refrigerator body and a refrigerator door, comprising:

[0032] Motor 1, for output drive;

[0033] The push rod 6 receives the torque output of the motor through a plurality of gear systems, thereby extending the pusher housing accordingly according to the drive of the motor to assist in opening the refrigerator door; or retracting accordingly according to the drive of the motor to avoid blocking the refrigerator door.

[0034] The pusher of the present application is different from conventional designs in that the shell of the pusher is configured to include two relatively independent chambers: a main accommodating chamber and an isolation chamber 31, wherein:

[0035] A main accommodating chamber, used to accommodate the main body of the motor 1;

[0036] The isolation cavity 31 is used to accommodate the output end of the motor 1 and the input end of the primary gear 2. The output end of the motor 1 can generally be set as a small gear structure. The gear structure of the motor output end can mesh with the input end of the primary gear 2 in the isolation cavity to realize transmission;

[0037] A partition is provided between the main accommodating chamber and the isolation chamber 31. The output end of the motor 1 passes through the partition to connect to the main body of the motor, and the input end of the primary gear passes through the partition to connect to the output end of the primary gear.

[0038] The isolation chamber 31 is sealed centrifugally with respect to the primary gear 2, creating a concentrated area of ​​lubricant on the partition. Consequently, during high-speed operation of the motor, the motor output drives the primary gear to engage and rotate, while the operation of the primary gear input causes the lubricant adhering to the gear to be centrifugally ejected. However, due to the sealing effect of the isolation chamber 31, the ejected lubricant is retained in the peripheral area of ​​the primary gear, allowing it to reattach to the meshing surface during operation, providing lubrication, shock absorption, and sound insulation for the electrode output.

[0039] In order to realize the above two relatively independent cavity structures on the pusher shell, the present application can set the pusher shell to be three parts, upper, middle and lower. Among them, the main accommodating cavity is formed by the lower cover 5 and the middle cover 3, and the isolation cavity 31 is formed by the middle cover and the upper cover:

[0040] The lower cover 5 is used to accommodate the motor 1, the top rod 6 and several sets of secondary gears connected therebetween;

[0041] The middle cover 3 covers the top of the lower cover 5 and is provided with an upwardly extending isolation ring at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the motor 1 and the primary gear 2. A partition can be provided in the isolation ring below the meshing portion of the motor 1 and the primary gear 2;

[0042] Thus, the motor shaft of the motor 1 and the fixed shaft of the primary gear respectively penetrate the partition and extend into the isolation chamber. The output end of the motor shaft and the input end of the primary gear 2 that directly meshes with the motor output end can then operate within the isolation chamber 31 through the partition, the middle cover isolation ring, and the seal of the upper cover. At this time, the motor output shaft runs at high speed to output torque. A small gear is fixed to the top of the output shaft. The small gear structure at the output end meshes with the large gear at the input end of the primary gear, driving the output end gear arranged at the bottom of the primary gear in the main accommodating chamber to drive the subsequent secondary gears to operate, thereby gradually reducing the output torque of the motor. Finally, the terminal gear 9 drives the ejector rack meshed with it to drive the ejector 6 to extend out of the opening of the lower cover 5 or retract inward.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the partition at the bottom of the isolation chamber 31 directly connects to the main accommodating chamber via two through-holes designed to mate with the motor shaft and the primary gear shaft. The sidewalls of the isolation chamber 31 are sealed by an isolation ring on the middle cover 3, with the top of the isolation ring covered by the upper cover 4 for sealing. Consequently, the partition, isolation ring, and upper cover 4 at least partially enclose a concentrated area of ​​lubricating medium in the centrifugal direction of the primary gear 2. When the motor runs at high speed, the large gear at the input end of the primary gear rotates at a correspondingly high speed. Lubricating medium adhering to the gear is flung outward by the centrifugal force of the gear and blocked by the concentrated area of ​​lubricating medium formed in the centrifugal direction. This concentrated area precisely surrounds the outer periphery of the primary gear input end. Therefore, during rotation, lubricating medium in the meshing portion of the primary gear can be replenished promptly, effectively reducing friction and vibration between the gear and the electrode output shaft. Furthermore, since lubricating grease is automatically replenished to the meshing portion of the gears as the gears rotate, it not only absorbs shock between the gears but also effectively achieves sound insulation on the inner wall of the isolation chamber 31 by concentrating around the gear periphery.

[0044] refer to Figure 4In order to further optimize the structure of the isolation cavity 31 and improve the distribution of the lubricating medium therein, thereby further improving the shock absorption and sound insulation effects on the gears, the present application generally sets the isolation ring as two interconnected large and small ring structures. Among them, the diameter of the large ring is slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the primary gear, and the small ring is arranged to intersect with the large ring and be interconnected. The diameter of the small ring is slightly larger than the gear diameter of the motor output shaft. The inner wall of the isolation ring can effectively gather the lubricating medium thrown out by the gear, thereby serving as a concentrated area for the lubricating medium. The output shaft of the motor 1 and the primary gear mesh with each other in the concentrated area of ​​the lubricating medium, thereby automatically replenishing lubricating grease to the meshing part of the motor output shaft and the primary gear through the rotation of the gear.

[0045] For further reference, Figure 3 As shown, in order to increase the capacity of the lubricating medium in the lubricating medium concentrated area and further avoid the loss of lubricating medium during gear rotation, the present application extends the partition from the centrifugal direction of the primary gear 2 toward the axis of the primary gear. At the bottom of the annular closed cavity formed by the partition, the isolation ring and the upper cover surrounding the primary gear 2, a circle of annular grooves can also be preferably provided on the partition at a position corresponding to the bottom of the tooth root in the primary gear. In the driven state, the centrifugal force of the primary gear will drive the lubricating medium to concentrate in the area surrounded by the annular groove and the isolation ring, storing the lubricating medium. When the primary gear rotates above the groove, it can be contaminated by the medium accumulated in the groove, always keeping the medium attached to the meshing teeth of the gear, reducing friction and vibration with the motor output shaft.

[0046] refer to Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 Since the partition structure is directly located between the primary and secondary gears, the bottom of the partition can be further reused to provide support for the secondary gear's rotating shaft. This not only stabilizes the secondary gear and ensures balanced force during operation, but also allows the secondary gear's rotating shaft to be located below the primary gear, further reducing the gear assembly space. The specific structure of this solution can be set as follows:

[0047] A first through hole is provided in the partition at a position corresponding to the axis of the primary gear 2. The first through hole is provided in the enclosed area of ​​the isolation ring. The primary gear 2 is inserted through the first through hole into the main accommodating cavity and meshes with the secondary gear in the cavity for transmission.

[0048] A second through hole is provided in the partition at an edge corresponding to one side of the primary gear 2. Similarly, the second through hole is provided within the enclosed area of ​​the isolation ring, so that the output shaft of the motor 1 can pass through the second through hole to engage with the primary gear 2.

[0049] The input end of the primary gear can be set just above the projection area of ​​the motor main structure, and the assembly can be achieved by utilizing the space above the height between the main structure and the end of the motor output shaft. The isolation of the partition can avoid contamination of the motor main structure by the lubricating medium. At the same time, through the through-hole structure of the partition, the output end structure of the primary gear can be directly brought close to the main structure of the motor, so that torque transmission can be achieved in a smaller space.

[0050] Similarly, the underside of the partition may be further provided with a middle cover mounting groove 33 extending into the interior of the main accommodating cavity. Thus, taking the second gear 7 as an example, the top end of the secondary gear's axis can be directly secured within the middle cover mounting groove 33, with the middle cover and lower cover providing support from the upper and lower ends of the second gear shaft 71, respectively. This allows the space below the input end face of the primary gear to be directly used for the installation of the secondary gear, and the secondary gear's gear shaft can be directly positioned within the projection of the primary gear's input end, reusing the installation space below the primary gear. This, by overlapping the projected areas of the primary and secondary gears, reduces the required spacing between the gear shafts, further constricting the gear installation space.

[0051] In the above structure, the primary gear can be configured as a double-layer or multi-layer gear according to transmission requirements. The first layer of gears is positioned in the isolation chamber 31 and meshes with the motor's output shaft. The remaining layers can be uniformly positioned in the main accommodating chamber to achieve intermeshing transmission with the secondary gears. To prevent the lubricant from escaping through the through-holes beneath the gears in the above structure, the present application also preferably provides one or more annular protrusions extending toward the main accommodating chamber on the bottom end face of the first layer of gears in the primary gear. The ends of the annular protrusions extend into the first through-holes and remain above the second gear end face 72, providing a certain degree of isolation for the lubricant.

[0052] The first through-hole through which the primary gear passes forms a circle of mounting gap 32 between the outer periphery of the annular protrusion and the partition. Similarly, the second through-hole through which the power supply output shaft passes forms another circle of mounting gap 32 between the outer periphery of the output shaft of the motor 1 and the partition. The mounting gap of the first through-hole is located near the motor shaft, where the centrifugal effect is small. Therefore, even if a small amount of lubricating medium penetrates, it will mostly be blocked by the annular protrusion under the gear. The mounting gap 32 on the motor side can further provide ample lubricating medium for the output shaft of the electrode, thereby further reducing friction and vibration between the motor output shaft and the gear, and reducing the overall operating noise of the pusher.

[0053] In summary, the present application maintains the lubricating medium centrifugally ejected from the gears within a specific area through an isolation chamber, thereby automatically replenishing the lubricating medium to the meshing surfaces of the gears during operation. Simultaneously, the lubricating medium can further achieve a soundproofing effect by filling the area enclosed by the upper cover, cover plate, and isolation ring on the cover plate. The synergistic effect of the two can reduce the operating noise of the pusher of the present application by 3 decibels, which is very noticeable to the ears, effectively optimizing the user's experience with the refrigerator and reducing the need for subsequent maintenance work due to grease contamination or loss.

[0054] The above is only an embodiment of the present application, and its description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these modifications and improvements are all within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A pusher, characterized in that: include: A main accommodating chamber for accommodating the main body of the motor (1); an isolation cavity (31) for accommodating an output end of the motor (1) and an input end of the primary gear (2), wherein the output end of the motor (1) and the input end of the primary gear (2) are meshed with each other; A partition is provided between the main accommodating chamber and the isolation chamber (31); the output end of the motor (1) passes through the partition and is connected to the main body of the motor; and the input end of the primary gear passes through the partition and is connected to the output end of the primary gear; The isolation cavity (31) is closed in the centrifugal direction of the primary gear (2), forming a concentrated area of ​​the lubricating medium.

2. The push-opener according to claim 1, wherein: The main accommodating cavity is formed by the lower cover (5) and the middle cover (3); The lower cover (5) is used to accommodate the motor (1), the top rod (6) and the secondary gear connected therebetween; The middle cover (3) covers the top of the lower cover (5), an upwardly extending isolation ring is provided on the outer periphery of the motor (1) and the primary gear (2), and a partition is provided below the meshing portion of the motor (1) and the primary gear (2); The motor (1) and the primary gear (2) penetrate the partition plate and extend into the isolation cavity, and mesh with each other in the isolation ring.

3. The push-opener according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom of the isolation cavity (31) is connected to the main accommodating cavity through a through hole on the partition; The side wall of the isolation chamber (31) is closed by an isolation ring on the middle cover (3); The top of the isolation ring is also covered with an upper cover (4); The partition plate, the isolation ring and the upper cover (4) at least partially enclose a concentrated area of ​​the lubricating medium in the centrifugal direction of the primary gear (2).

4. The push-opener according to claim 3, wherein: The output shaft of the motor (1) and the primary gear mesh with each other in the area where the lubricating medium is concentrated.

5. The push-opener according to claim 2, wherein: The partition plate extends from the centrifugal direction of the primary gear (2) toward the axis of the primary gear, and forms an annular closed cavity surrounding the primary gear (2) together with the isolation ring and the upper cover; The partition plate is provided with a first through hole at the axis center position of the primary gear (2), the first through hole being provided in the enclosed area of ​​the isolation ring, and the primary gear (2) is meshed with the secondary gear in the main accommodating cavity for transmission through the first through hole; The partition plate is further provided with a second through hole on one side edge of the primary gear (2), the second through hole being provided within the enclosed area of ​​the isolation ring, and the output shaft of the motor (1) passes through the second through hole and meshes with the primary gear (2); The primary gear is provided with an annular protrusion extending toward the main accommodating cavity at the bottom of its end surface, and the end of the annular protrusion is arranged in the first through hole; The first through hole forms a circle of mounting gap (32) between the outer periphery of the annular protrusion and the partition, and the second through hole forms another circle of mounting gap (32) between the outer periphery of the output shaft of the motor (1) and the partition.

6. The pusher according to claim 1-5, characterized in that: The lower side of the partition is also provided with a middle cover installation groove (33) extending into the main accommodating cavity; The top end of the secondary gear's axis is fixed in the middle cover mounting groove (33); The end surface of the primary gear at least partially overlaps with a projected area of ​​the end surface of the secondary gear.

7. The pusher according to claim 1-4, characterized in that: The partition plate is further provided with an annular groove at the tooth root position of the primary gear. In the driving state, the centrifugal force of the primary gear drives the lubricating medium to concentrate in the area surrounded by the annular groove and the isolation ring.

8. The push-opener according to claim 7, wherein: The primary gear is a double-layer or multi-layer gear, wherein the first layer of gears is arranged in the isolation cavity (31), and the remaining layers are arranged in the main accommodating cavity and mesh with the secondary gears for transmission.

9. The pusher according to claim 7-8, characterized in that: The annular protrusion at the bottom of the first gear passes through the through hole of the partition plate and is kept above the end surface of the secondary gear.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that: The invention comprises a pusher as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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