Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerator, which belongs to the technical field of refrigeration equipment and comprises a refrigerator body, a refrigerator door, outer teeth, inner teeth and a driving part. The box door is rotationally connected to the front side of the box body; the outer teeth are fixed on the rotating axis of the box door so as to rotate along with the box door; the inner teeth and the outer teeth are coaxially arranged, and the inner teeth are movably arranged in the outer teeth and can move in the extending direction of the rotating axis of the box door. The driving piece is arranged on the box door and is connected with the inner teeth; the driving piece can drive the inner teeth to move in the direction close to the outer teeth along the rotating axis of the box door so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth can be meshed with each other, and the driving piece can also drive the inner teeth to move in the direction away from the outer teeth along the rotating axis of the box door so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth can be separated from each other. When the inner teeth and the outer teeth are meshed with each other, the inner teeth can prevent the outer teeth and the refrigerator door from rotating in the door closing direction and can allow the outer teeth and the refrigerator door to rotate in the door opening direction, so that the refrigerator door of the refrigerator can be opened at any time and can be stopped and fixed at any angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and in particular to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators are an indispensable household appliance. As people's living standards improve, their demands for refrigerator products are also increasing.

[0003] A refrigerator typically consists of a cabinet and a door located on the front of the cabinet. The cabinet contains storage compartments, and the door is rotatably connected to the cabinet for opening and closing the storage compartments. When a user needs to close the refrigerator door after removing items from the storage compartment, they often have to manually turn the door to close it, making the entire closing process relatively complicated.

[0004] In some traditional refrigerators, automatic door closing mechanisms are used to achieve automatic door closing. However, existing automatic door closing mechanisms are not only complex in structure and expensive, but they also force the door to close automatically even when the user does not block it, causing inconvenience to the user and affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problem of existing refrigerator doors automatically closing when not blocked by the user.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator is provided, comprising: a cabinet forming an outer shell of the refrigerator; a storage compartment for storing items provided inside the cabinet; a door rotatably connected to the front side of the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment; external teeth fixed on the rotation axis of the door to follow the rotation of the door; internal teeth arranged coaxially with the external teeth, the internal teeth being movably disposed within the external teeth and movable along the extension direction of the rotation axis of the door; and a driving member disposed on the door and connected to the internal teeth. The gears are connected; the driving member can drive the inner teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door towards the outer teeth, so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth mesh with each other; the driving member can also drive the inner teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door away from the outer teeth, so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth separate from each other; wherein, when the inner teeth and the outer teeth are meshing with each other, the inner teeth can prevent the outer teeth and the door from rotating around the closing direction, and can allow the outer teeth and the door to rotate around the opening direction.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the inner tooth includes an inner tooth ring and fins, the inner tooth ring being coaxially arranged with the outer tooth; multiple fins are provided, and the multiple fins are circumferentially spaced on the outer peripheral wall of the inner tooth ring; multiple tooth grooves are provided on the inner peripheral wall of the outer tooth; when the inner tooth and the outer tooth mesh with each other, the inner tooth ring is located inside the outer tooth, and the end of the fin away from the inner tooth ring can abut against the tooth groove to prevent the outer tooth and the door from rotating around the closing direction.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the fins are elastic; the fins are arc-shaped and extend along the involute direction of the internal toothed ring.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the driving member has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and the first end and the second end have a height difference in the direction of the rotation axis of the door; the driving member is movably connected to the inner tooth; when the driving member moves toward the first end, it can drive the inner tooth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the direction closer to the outer tooth, so that the inner tooth and the outer tooth mesh with each other; when the driving member moves toward the second end, it can drive the inner tooth to move along the rotation axis of the door away from the outer tooth, so that the inner tooth and the outer tooth separate from each other.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the internal tooth further includes a connecting plate, one end of which is fixed to the internal tooth ring, and the other end of which extends outward to protrude from the outer peripheral wall of the external tooth; the driving member is slidably connected to the portion of the connecting plate that protrudes from the external tooth.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the connecting plate extending beyond the outer teeth is provided with a connecting block, and a guide hole is provided on the connecting block. The driving member is movably inserted into the guide hole. When the driving member moves toward the first end, the driving member presses against one side wall of the guide hole to drive the connecting plate on the inner teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the direction closer to the outer teeth, so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth mesh with each other. When the driving member moves toward the second end, the driving member presses against one opposite side wall of the guide hole to drive the connecting plate on the inner teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the direction away from the outer teeth, so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth separate from each other.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the driving member includes a first rod segment at a first end, a second rod segment at a second end, and a transition rod segment disposed between the first rod segment and the second rod segment; the first rod segment and the second rod segment extend in the same direction, and the distance between the axis of the first rod segment and the connecting plate is less than the distance between the axis of the second rod segment and the connecting plate; one end of the transition rod segment is connected to the first rod segment, and the other end is connected to the second rod segment, and the transition rod segment extends smoothly from the first rod segment toward the second rod segment.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the driving member is slidably disposed on the door, and its sliding direction is perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the door; the extension directions of the first rod segment and the second rod segment are consistent with the sliding direction of the driving member on the door.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, when the door is opened, the second end of the drive member extends out of the rear side wall of the door; when the door is closed, the second end of the drive member can abut against the front side of the box body to drive the drive member to move towards the first end, so that the inner teeth move along the rotation axis of the door towards the direction of the outer teeth, and the inner teeth and the outer teeth mesh with each other.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, a rotating member is included, which is rotatably connected to the door; the rotating member is used to abut against a first end of the driving member, causing the driving member to move toward a second end, thereby separating the internal teeth from the external teeth.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, a push rod is included, one end of which abuts against the rotating member, and the other end of which extends along the width direction of the door to the side wall of the door to receive a user's trigger action; when the push rod is pressed, the push rod can drive the rotating member to rotate, causing the rotating member to abut against the first end of the driving member, and driving the driving member to move towards the second end.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the rotating member includes a first plate and a second plate arranged at an angle; when the push rod is pressed, the push rod can abut against the first plate, causing the second plate to abut against the first end of the driving member, thereby driving the driving member to move towards the second end.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, an elastic element is included, which is disposed on the push rod. One end of the elastic element abuts against the push rod, and the other end of the elastic element abuts against the door, for pressing and resetting the push rod.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, a self-closing component is included, which is disposed between the housing and the door and connected to both the housing and the door. When the door rotates around the opening direction, the self-closing component undergoes elastic deformation. When the internal teeth separate from the external teeth, the self-closing component recovers its elastic deformation to drive the door to rotate around the closing direction, thereby automatically closing the door.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, a hinge plate and a hinge shaft are included; one end of the hinge plate is fixed to the housing, and the other end of the hinge plate extends toward the housing door; the hinge shaft is fixed to the end of the hinge plate near the housing door and is rotatably connected to the housing door; the internal teeth are movably sleeved on the hinge shaft.

[0022] In some embodiments of this application, the hinge plate is provided with a positioning pin, which is parallel to the hinge axis; the internal teeth are provided with a connecting hole that matches the positioning pin, the extending direction of the connecting hole is parallel to the hinge axis, and the positioning pin is movably inserted into the connecting hole to restrict the internal teeth to move up and down only along the axial direction of the hinge axis.

[0023] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following advantages and positive effects:

[0024] This embodiment provides a refrigerator, including a cabinet, a door, external teeth fixed on the rotation axis of the door, internal teeth arranged coaxially with the external teeth, and a drive component disposed on the door. The drive component is connected to the internal teeth and can drive the internal teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door towards or away from the external teeth, so that the internal teeth and external teeth engage or disengage. When the internal teeth and external teeth engage, the internal teeth can restrict the external teeth to rotate only around the opening direction of the door, thereby locking the rotation of the door around the closing direction. This allows the refrigerator door to be opened at any time and stopped at any angle without automatically closing. When the internal teeth and external teeth disengage, the rotation lock of the door around the closing direction is released, allowing the door to be closed at any time, which effectively improves the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A frontal view of the structure.

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram.

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of its decomposed structure.

[0029] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the refrigerator without the hinge panel installed.

[0030] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A partial exploded view of the refrigerator.

[0031] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the box door.

[0032] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the control components on the middle box and the door.

[0033] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the mechanical control structure installed on the middle box door.

[0034] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the exploded structure of the central hinge plate, internal teeth, and external teeth.

[0035] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the hinge plate and hinge shaft.

[0036] Figure 12 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal teeth.

[0037] Figure 13 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal and external teeth.

[0038] Figure 14 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal and external teeth after they are separated.

[0039] Figure 15 yes Figure 14 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the interlocking of the internal and external teeth.

[0040] Figure 16 yes Figure 15 Cross-sectional view of the internal and external teeth after they occlude.

[0041] Figure 17 yes Figure 8 Exploded view of the internal gear and drive component.

[0042] Figure 18 yes Figure 17 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the driving component.

[0043] Figure 19 yes Figure 9 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the rotating component.

[0044] Figure 20 yes Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the push rod and the elastic element.

[0045] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0046] 100. Refrigerator; 10. Cabinet; 11. Storage compartment; 12. First mounting hole; 20. Door; 21. First limiting block; 22. Second limiting block; 30. Internal tooth; 31. Internal tooth ring; 32. Fin; 33. Connecting plate; 331. Connecting hole; 34. Connecting block; 341. Guide hole; 40. External tooth; 41. Tooth groove; 50. Driving component; 51. First end; 52. Second end; 53. First rod segment; 54. Second rod segment; 55. Transition rod segment; 60. Rotating component; 61. First plate; 62. Second plate; 70. Push rod; 71. Elastic component; 72. Press block; 73. Snap ring; 80. Hinge plate; 81. Hinge shaft; 82. Positioning pin; 83. Second mounting hole; 90. Self-closing component. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present invention can have various variations in different embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the descriptions and illustrations herein are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the present invention.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0049] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0050] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0051] A refrigerator typically consists of a cabinet and a door located on the front of the cabinet. The cabinet contains storage compartments, and the door is rotatably connected to the cabinet for opening and closing the storage compartments. When a user needs to close the refrigerator door after removing items from the storage compartment, they often have to manually turn the door to close it, making the entire closing process relatively complicated.

[0052] In some traditional refrigerators, automatic door closing mechanisms are used to achieve automatic door closing. However, existing automatic door closing mechanisms are not only complex in structure and expensive, but they also force the door to close automatically even when the user does not obstruct it, causing inconvenience and affecting the user experience. Therefore, this embodiment provides a new refrigerator.

[0053] For ease of description, unless otherwise specified, the directions of up, down, left, right, front, and back in this article are based on the state of the refrigerator when it is in use. The refrigerator door is the front, the opposite direction is the back, the vertical direction is up and down, and the horizontal direction is left and right or the width direction.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A frontal view of the structure. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram. Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of its decomposed structure. Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the refrigerator without the hinge panel installed. Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A partial exploded view of the refrigerator. Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the box door.

[0055] Please see Figures 1 to 7 This embodiment provides a refrigerator 100, which may include a cabinet 10. The cabinet 10 may be configured to form a hollow structure in the shape of a cuboid to form the outer shell of the refrigerator 100.

[0056] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the housing 10 may also adopt a hollow shell structure of other shapes, such as a cube or a cylinder.

[0057] In some embodiments, the enclosure 10 may include a storage compartment 11, which can serve as an independent storage space for storing various items. The storage compartment 11 can function as a refrigerator, freezer, or similar compartment to meet different storage needs, such as refrigeration or freezing, depending on the type of items being stored.

[0058] In some embodiments, a plurality of storage rooms 11 may be provided inside the housing 10, and the plurality of storage rooms 11 may be arranged in the housing 10 in a vertical or horizontal manner.

[0059] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the internal space shape of the storage room 11 can be adjusted according to the shape of the box 10 or other usage requirements, and no limitation is made here.

[0060] In some embodiments, a cabinet liner may be provided inside the cabinet 10, and a storage room 11 may be formed inside the cabinet liner. It is understood that multiple cabinet liners may be provided inside the cabinet 10, and one or more storage rooms 11 may be formed in each cabinet liner.

[0061] In some embodiments, two refrigerator compartments may be provided, and the two compartments may be arranged vertically. That is, one compartment is located above the other compartment, with the upper compartment forming a refrigerator compartment and the lower compartment forming a freezer compartment.

[0062] In some embodiments, a refrigeration system may be provided inside the cabinet 10. The refrigeration system may be located inside the cabinet 10. The refrigeration system can be used to provide cold air to the interior of the refrigerator 100 to maintain a low-temperature environment in each storage compartment 11.

[0063] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include a compressor (not shown in the figures). The compressor can compress the refrigerant, turning it into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor.

[0064] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include a condenser (not shown). A compressor delivers compressed refrigerant to the condenser. The condenser condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor.

[0065] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include a throttling device (not shown). A condenser can deliver condensed refrigerant to the throttling device. The throttling device may be a capillary tube. The throttling device can be used to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0066] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include an evaporator (not shown). A throttling device may deliver a throttled and depressurized refrigerant into the evaporator. The evaporator may be used for the refrigerant vapor to evaporate and boil, thereby absorbing heat from the surrounding medium.

[0067] In some embodiments, the compressor, condenser, throttling device, and evaporator can be connected in sequence to form a refrigeration circuit. The refrigerant can circulate within the refrigeration circuit to achieve refrigeration of the interior of the housing 10.

[0068] Please see Figures 1 to 7 In some embodiments, the refrigerator 100 may include a door 20, which is rotatably connected to the front side of the refrigerator body 10 to open or close the storage compartment 11.

[0069] In some embodiments, the cabinet 10 and the door 20 can be connected by a hinge so that the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 can rotate around the axis of the hinge, so that the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 can be rotated to open or close, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the storage compartment 11.

[0070] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the rotational connection between the door 20 and the box body 10 can also be achieved through the connection of rotating mechanisms such as shafts and gears. The key is to enable the door 20 to rotate around its axis of rotation and to open or close the opening of the storage compartment 11.

[0071] In some embodiments, multiple cabinet doors 20 can be provided, and multiple cabinet doors 20 can be configured one-to-one with multiple storage rooms 11. It is conceivable that multiple cabinet doors 20 can also be used to open and close a single storage room 11.

[0072] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, a self-closing element 90 may be provided between the housing 10 and the door 20. The self-closing element 90 may be connected to the housing 10 and the door 20 to drive the door 20 to automatically reset and close without external force.

[0073] In some embodiments, the self-closing element 90 can be a torsion spring, one end of which can be connected to the housing 10, and the other end of which can be connected to the door 20. When the door 20 rotates around the opening direction, the torsion spring is elastically deformed by the pressure of the door 20. When there is no external force obstructing the door 20, the torsion spring can drive the door 20 to rotate around the closing direction, so that the door 20 closes automatically.

[0074] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the self-closing element 90 could also be other devices with elastic deformation, such as tension springs, snap rings, etc., as long as it can store energy when the door 20 is open and drive the door 20 to close automatically when the door 20 is not subjected to external force.

[0075] Please see Figures 3 to 6 In some embodiments, the housing 10 may be provided with a hinge plate 80. One end of the hinge plate 80 may be fixed to the housing 10, and the other end of the hinge plate 80 may extend toward the door 20 to extend into the plane of the door 20.

[0076] Please see Figure 5 In some embodiments, a first mounting hole 12 may be provided on the housing 10, and the first mounting hole 12 may be provided on the top surface of the housing 10. The first mounting hole 12 can be used to fix the hinge plate 80, so that the hinge plate 80 is fixed to the top surface of the housing 10.

[0077] Please see Figure 6 In some embodiments, a second mounting hole 83 may be provided on the hinge plate 80. The second mounting hole 83 may be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first mounting hole 12 on the housing 10, so that the screw can pass through the second mounting hole 83 and connect with the first mounting hole 12 to fix the hinge plate 80 on the top surface of the housing 10.

[0078] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the hinge plate 80 can also be fixed to the housing 10 by means of bonding, snapping, riveting, etc.

[0079] Please see Figure 6 In some embodiments, a hinge shaft 81 may be provided on the hinge plate 80, and the hinge shaft 81 may be fixed to one end of the hinge plate 80 near the door 20. The hinge shaft 81 may be rotatably connected to the door 20, and the extension direction of the axis of the hinge shaft 81 may be consistent with the extension direction of the rotation axis of the door 20.

[0080] In some embodiments, the hinge shaft 81 can be configured as a tubular structure with open ends and a hollow interior. The self-closing member 90 can be disposed inside the hinge shaft 81. The upper part of the self-closing member 90 can be connected to the hinge shaft 81, and the lower part of the self-closing member 90 can be connected to the door 20, so that the self-closing member 90 can drive the door 20 to reset and close.

[0081] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the control components on the middle box 10 and the box door 20. Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the control components on the middle door 20. Figure 10 yes Figure 8Exploded structural diagram of the central hinge plate 80, internal teeth 30, and external teeth 40. Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the central hinge plate 80 and the hinge shaft 81. Figure 12 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal gear 30. Figure 13 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the external gear 40. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure after the internal teeth 30 and the external teeth 40 are separated. Figure 15 yes Figure 14 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the interlocking of the internal teeth 30 and the external teeth 40. Figure 16 yes Figure 15 Cross-sectional view of the engagement of the internal teeth 30 and the external teeth 40.

[0082] Please see Figures 7 to 15 In some embodiments, the door 20 may be provided with a control component, which can control the opening or closing of the door 20.

[0083] It is conceivable that the control components can be installed on the top or bottom surface of the door 20, and one or more sets of control components can be installed on each door 20 to control its corresponding door 20. When the refrigerator 100 is a double-door refrigerator, the control components can all be installed on the top surface of the door 20 for easy operation by the user.

[0084] Please see Figures 7 to 9 In some embodiments, the control component may include an external gear 40, which may be fixedly connected to the door 20. The external gear 40 may be coaxially arranged with the rotation axis of the door 20 and may rotate with the door 20.

[0085] It is conceivable that in some embodiments, the external tooth 40 can be fixed on the top or bottom surface of the door 20 or embedded inside the door 20, as long as it can rotate coaxially with the rotation axis of the door 20.

[0086] Please see Figures 7 to 9 In some embodiments, the control component may include an inner tooth 30, which may be coaxially arranged with the outer tooth 40. The inner tooth 30 may be movably disposed within the outer tooth 40 and may move along the extension direction of the rotation axis of the door 20 to partially extend into the interior of the outer tooth 40 and engage with or separate from the outer tooth 40.

[0087] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the position of the inner teeth 30 can be changed according to the position of the outer teeth 40, as long as the mutual engagement or separation between the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 can be achieved.

[0088] In some embodiments, the inner teeth 30 are sleeved on the hinge shaft 81 of the hinge plate 80 and can move up and down along the axis of the hinge shaft 81 to achieve mutual engagement or disengagement with the outer teeth 40.

[0089] When the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 mesh together, the inner teeth 30 can prevent the outer teeth 40 and the door 20 from rotating in the closing direction, and can allow the outer teeth 40 and the door 20 to rotate in the opening direction.

[0090] That is, when the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 mesh with each other, the door 20 can be opened automatically at any time; and after the door 20 is opened, it will not close automatically under the drive of the self-closing component 90, so that the relative opening angle between the door 20 and the box body 10 is fixed, so that the user can take and put items from the storage room 11.

[0091] Please see Figures 14 to 16 In some embodiments, the internal tooth 30 may include an internal tooth ring 31, which may be coaxially arranged with the external tooth 40 so that the internal tooth ring 31 may enter or leave the external tooth 40.

[0092] In some embodiments, the inner teeth 30 may include fins 32, and multiple fins 32 may be provided. The multiple fins 32 may be circumferentially spaced on the outer peripheral wall of the inner tooth ring 31. The fins 32 may cooperate with the outer teeth 40 to enable the outer teeth 40 to rotate around the door opening direction and prevent the outer teeth 40 from rotating around the door closing direction.

[0093] In some embodiments, the inner peripheral wall of the outer tooth 40 may be provided with a plurality of spaced-apart grooves 41. The grooves 41 may mate with the fins 32. When the inner tooth 30 and the outer tooth 40 engage with each other, the inner tooth ring 31 is located inside the outer tooth 40. The end of the fin 32 on the inner tooth 30 away from the inner tooth ring 31 may abut against the grooves 41 on the outer tooth 40 to prevent the outer tooth 40 and the door 20 from rotating around the closing direction.

[0094] Please see Figure 16 In some embodiments, the fins 32 may be elastic. The fins 32 may be arc-shaped and may extend around the involute direction of the inner toothed ring 31, with the involute of the fins 32 extending in the opening direction.

[0095] Please see Figure 16When the inner teeth 30 and outer teeth 40 mesh, the outer teeth 40 can rotate counterclockwise (in the opening direction). At this time, the end of the fin 32 away from the inner tooth ring 31 undergoes slight elastic deformation under the pressure of the outer teeth 40, causing the fin 32 to contract inward to pass over the groove 41 on the outer teeth 40. This allows the outer teeth 40 to rotate counterclockwise (in the opening direction) and prevents them from rotating clockwise (in the closing direction), achieving unidirectional rotation of the outer teeth 40. The door 20 can be opened normally and will not automatically close under the action of the self-closing element 90.

[0096] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, the two tooth grooves 41 of the outer tooth 40 can be involute arc grooves, so that the tooth formed between the two tooth grooves 41 is also an arc tooth. The extension direction of the arc tooth can be opposite to the extension direction of the fin 32, and the surface of the arc tooth can be tangent to the surface of the fin 32, so that the unidirectional rotation between the outer tooth 40 and the inner tooth 30 is smoother.

[0097] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 14 In some embodiments, the internal tooth 30 may also include a connecting plate 33, one end of which may be fixed to the internal tooth ring 31, and the other end of which may extend outward to protrude from the outer peripheral wall of the external tooth 40.

[0098] In some embodiments, a connecting hole 331 may be provided on the connecting plate 33. The connecting hole 331 may be provided at one end of the connecting plate 33 extending out of the outer peripheral wall of the outer tooth 40. The extending direction of the connecting hole 331 may be parallel to the axial direction of the hinge shaft 81.

[0099] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 11 In some embodiments, a positioning pin 82 may be provided on the hinge plate 80, the positioning pin 82 may match the connecting hole 331 on the connecting plate 33, and the positioning pin 82 may be parallel to the axis of the hinge shaft 81.

[0100] In some embodiments, the positioning pin 82 can be movably inserted into the connecting hole 331 of the connecting plate 33, so that the internal tooth 30 can only move up and down along the axial direction of the hinge shaft 81 by limiting the hinge shaft 81 and the positioning pin 82 in two vertical directions, thereby realizing the separation and engagement with the external tooth 40.

[0101] Figure 17 yes Figure 8 An exploded view of the internal gear 30 and the drive component 50. Figure 18 yes Figure 17 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the drive component 50. Figure 19 yes Figure 9 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the rotating component 60. Figure 20 yes Figure 9A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the push rod 70 and the elastic element 71.

[0102] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 8 and Figure 17 In some embodiments, the control component may also include a drive element 50, which may be connected to the internal gear 30.

[0103] Please see Figure 8 and Figure 17 In some embodiments, the portion of the connecting plate 33 extending outward from the outer teeth 40 may be provided with a connecting block 34 for connecting the drive component 50.

[0104] In some embodiments, a guide hole 341 may be provided on the connecting block 34, and the driving member 50 may be movably inserted into the guide hole 341. Of course, in some other embodiments, the driving member 50 may also be directly inserted into the connecting plate 33 to achieve a movable connection with the internal gear 30.

[0105] In some embodiments, the drive member 50 can drive the inner teeth 30 to move along the rotation axis of the door 20 toward the outer teeth 40, so that the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 mesh with each other. The drive member 50 can also drive the inner teeth 30 to move along the rotation axis of the door 20 away from the outer teeth 40, so that the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 separate from each other.

[0106] Please see Figure 17 In some embodiments, the drive member 50 may have a first end 51 and a second end 52 opposite to each other, and the first end 51 and the second end 52 may have a height difference in the direction of the rotation axis of the door 20.

[0107] When the driving member 50 moves toward the first end 51, it can drive the inner teeth 30 to move along the rotation axis of the door 20 toward the outer teeth 40, so that the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 mesh together. When the driving member 50 moves toward the second end 52, it can drive the inner teeth 30 to move along the rotation axis of the door 20 away from the outer teeth 40, so that the inner teeth 30 and the outer teeth 40 separate from each other.

[0108] Please see Figure 18 In some embodiments, the drive member 50 may include a first rod segment 53 located at a first end 51, a second rod segment 54 located at a second end 52, and a transition rod segment 55 disposed between the first rod segment 53 and the second rod segment 54.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first segment 53 and the second segment 54 may extend in the same direction. The distance between the axis of the first segment 53 and the connecting plate 33 may be less than the distance between the axis of the second segment 54 and the connecting plate 33. When the internal tooth 30 is located on the first segment 53, the internal tooth 30 and the external tooth 40 are separated from each other; when the internal tooth 30 is located on the second segment 54, the internal tooth 30 and the external tooth 40 are engaged with each other.

[0110] In some embodiments, one end of the transition segment 55 may be connected to the first segment 53, and the other end of the transition segment 55 may be connected to the second segment 54. The transition segment 55 may extend smoothly from the first segment 53 toward the second segment 54. This smooth transition between the first segment 53 and the second segment 54 reduces the resistance when the drive member 50 moves in the guide hole 341.

[0111] It should be understood that, in some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the drive member 50 can be a flattened ellipse to prevent the drive member 50 from rotating. The cross-sectional shape of the guide hole 341 can be a flattened elongated hole; this allows the upper and lower sidewalls of the guide hole 341 to limit the drive member 50 when it passes through it, so that when the drive member 50 moves along its axis, it can abut against the upper or lower sidewall of the guide hole 341, realizing the separation and engagement of the internal teeth 30 and the external teeth 40. Furthermore, the left and right sidewalls of the guide hole 341 in the direction of extension of the connecting plate 33 can have a relatively large gap with the drive member 50, that is, the guide hole 341 does not restrict the degree of freedom of the drive member 50 in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the door 20, to prevent the door 20 from locking. Of course, in other embodiments, the cross-sectional shapes of the drive member 50 and the guide hole 341 can also be polygonal.

[0112] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, the drive member 50 is slidably disposed on the door 20, and the sliding direction of the drive member 50 may be perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the door 20. The extending directions of the first rod segment 53 and the second rod segment 54 may be consistent with the sliding direction of the drive member 50 on the door 20.

[0113] In some embodiments, a plurality of first limiting blocks 21 may be provided on the top surface of the door 20, and the plurality of first limiting blocks 21 may be spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the door 20. Each first limiting block 21 may be provided with a limiting groove, and the driving member 50 is slidably disposed in the limiting groove on the first limiting block 21 so that the driving member 50 can slide stably on the top surface of the door 20.

[0114] In some embodiments, a slider may be provided on the first limiting block 21, and an oblong hole may be provided on the driving member 50. The slider can slide relative to the oblong hole on the driving member 50 to realize the sliding connection between the driving member 50 and the door 20.

[0115] Please see Figure 9 and Figure 19 In some embodiments, a rotating member 60 may also be provided on the door 20, and the rotating member 60 is rotatably connected to the door 20. The user can drive the rotating member 60 to rotate and make the rotating member 60 abut against the first end 51 of the driving member 50, so as to drive the driving member 50 to move towards the second end 52, so that the internal teeth 30 and the external teeth 40 separate from each other.

[0116] Please see Figure 9 and Figure 20 In some embodiments, a push rod 70 may also be provided on the door 20. One end of the push rod 70 can abut against the rotating member 60, and the other end of the push rod 70 can be used to receive a user's trigger action. When the push rod 70 is pressed, the push rod 70 can drive the rotating member 60 to rotate, so that the rotating member 60 abuts against the first end 51 of the driving member 50, and drives the driving member 50 to move towards the second end 52.

[0117] In some embodiments, the other end of the push rod 70 away from the rotating member 60 may extend along the width direction of the door 20 to the side wall of the door 20 away from the rotating axis, so that when taking or taking items between the door 20 and the box body 10, the push rod 70 can be pressed without having to go around to the outside of the door 20.

[0118] In some embodiments, a push block 72 may be provided on the end of the push rod 70 away from the rotating member 60. The area of ​​the push block 72 may be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the push rod to reduce the pressure exerted by the user. A gap may be provided between the push block 72 and the side wall of the door 20. The user can move the push rod 70 by pressing the push block 72, thereby causing the rotating member 60 to rotate.

[0119] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, the door 20 may be provided with a plurality of second limiting blocks 22 arranged along its width direction, and each second limiting block 22 may be provided with a limiting groove. The push rod 70 is slidably disposed on the limiting groove of the second limiting block 22, so that the sliding between the push rod 70 and the door 20 is more stable.

[0120] In other examples, the limiting groove on the second limiting block 22 can be a fully enclosed hole-like structure. Simply inserting the push rod 70 into the limiting groove on the second limiting block 22 will achieve a sliding connection between the push rod 70 and the door 20. It is conceivable that the push rod 70 can also be directly disposed inside the door 20 or on the top surface of the door 20, as long as a sliding connection between the push rod 70 and the door 20 can be achieved.

[0121] Please see Figure 20 In some embodiments, an elastic element 71 may also be provided on the push rod 70. One end of the elastic element 71 may abut against the push rod 70, and the other end of the elastic element 71 may abut against the door 20, so that the push rod 70 can automatically reset after being pressed.

[0122] In some embodiments, the push rod 70 may be provided with a retaining ring 73, which may protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the push rod 70. The elastic element 71 may be a spring, which may be sleeved on the push rod 70. One end of the spring may abut against the retaining ring 73 on the push rod 70, and the other end of the spring may abut against the second limiting block 22 on the housing 10. When the user presses the push rod 70, the spring compresses to undergo elastic deformation. When the user releases the push rod, the spring extends and restores its elastic deformation, so that the spring can drive the push rod 70 to reset.

[0123] Please see Figure 9 and Figure 19 In some embodiments, the rotating member 60 may include a first plate 61 and a second plate 62 arranged at an angle.

[0124] When the push rod 70 is pressed, it abuts against the first plate 61, and the second plate 62 of the rotating member 60 abuts against the first end 51 of the driving member 50, causing the driving member 50 to move towards the second end 52. This allows the driving member 50 to press against the sidewall of the guide hole 341 of the inner tooth 30, causing the connecting plate 33 on the inner tooth 30 to move away from the outer tooth 40 along the rotation axis of the door 20, thus separating the inner tooth 30 from the outer tooth 40. The door 20 can then automatically close under the action of the self-closing member 90. By controlling the closing of the door 20 with the push rod 70, the user can freely control the closing time of the door 20, preventing the door from automatically closing while the user is taking or putting away items, thus improving the user experience.

[0125] In some embodiments, the length of the second plate 62 can be greater than the length of the first plate 61. That is, a small rotation of the first plate 61 can cause the second plate 62 to rotate a larger angle, thereby reducing the distance the user needs to move when pressing the push rod 70 and improving the user experience.

[0126] Please see Figures 5 to 7In some embodiments, when the door 20 is opened and the internal teeth 30 and external teeth 40 mesh with each other, the second end 52 of the drive member 50 can extend out of the rear side wall of the door 20 so that it can abut against the front side of the box body 10.

[0127] When the door 20 is closed, the second end 52 of the drive member 50 can abut against the front side of the housing 10, driving the drive member 50 to move towards the first end 51. This allows the drive member 50 to press against the other side wall of the guide hole 341, driving the connecting plate 33 on the inner tooth 30 to move along the rotation axis of the door 20 towards the outer tooth 40, causing the inner tooth 30 and the outer tooth 40 to mesh with each other. At this time, the fins 32 on the inner tooth 30 can again abut against the outer tooth 40 on the door 20, allowing the door 20 to open normally, but not to close automatically.

[0128] It should be understood that in some embodiments, in order for the drive member 50 on the door 20 to abut against the front side of the box body 10 after the door 20 is closed, the top surface height of the door 20 needs to be slightly lower than the top surface height of the box body 10. Of course, in other embodiments, this can also be achieved by creating a slot in the door 20 to reduce the height of the drive member 50.

[0129] In some other embodiments, a cover shell (not shown in the figure) may also be provided on the door 20 to cover the control components so that they are not exposed to the outside of the door 20, thereby improving the aesthetics of the refrigerator 100.

[0130] In summary, this embodiment provides a refrigerator 100, which includes a cabinet 10, a door 20, an external tooth 40 fixed on the rotation axis of the door 20, an internal tooth 30 coaxially arranged with the external tooth 40, and a drive member 50 disposed on the door 20. The drive member 50 is connected to the internal tooth 30 and can drive the internal tooth 30 to move along the rotation axis of the door 20 towards or away from the external tooth 40, so that the internal tooth 30 and the external tooth 40 engage or disengage. When the internal tooth 30 and the external tooth 40 engage, the internal tooth 30 can restrict the external tooth 40 to rotate only around the opening direction of the door 20, thereby locking the rotation of the door 20 around the closing direction, so that the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 can be opened at any time and stopped at any angle without automatically closing. When the internal tooth 30 and the external tooth 40 disengage, the rotation lock of the door 20 around the closing direction can be released, so that the door 20 can be closed at any time, which can effectively improve the user experience. Furthermore, the control components in this embodiment are all mechanical structures, eliminating the need for motors, sensors, or other circuit devices. This results in a simple and low-cost structure, while also enabling the user to trigger the closing time with a single button, greatly enhancing the product's market competitiveness.

[0131] Although the invention has been described with reference to several typical embodiments, it should be understood that the terminology used is illustrative and exemplary, and not restrictive. Since the invention can be embodied in many forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the invention, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted broadly within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: The cabinet forms the outer shell of the refrigerator; the interior of the cabinet has storage compartments for storing items. The cabinet door is rotatably connected to the front side of the cabinet body to open or close the storage compartment; External teeth are fixed on the rotation axis of the box door to follow the rotation of the box door; The inner teeth are arranged coaxially with the outer teeth, and the inner teeth are movably disposed within the outer teeth and can move along the extension direction of the rotation axis of the door. A driving component is disposed on the door and connected to the inner teeth; the driving component can drive the inner teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the direction closer to the outer teeth, so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth mesh with each other; the driving component can also drive the inner teeth to move along the rotation axis of the door away from the outer teeth, so that the inner teeth and the outer teeth separate from each other. When the inner teeth and the outer teeth are engaged, the inner teeth can prevent the outer teeth and the box door from rotating in the closing direction, and can allow the outer teeth and the box door to rotate in the opening direction.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner tooth includes an inner tooth ring and fins, the inner tooth ring being coaxially arranged with the outer tooth; the fins are provided in multiples, and the multiple fins are circumferentially spaced on the outer peripheral wall of the inner tooth ring; The inner peripheral wall of the outer tooth is provided with multiple tooth grooves; when the inner tooth and the outer tooth mesh with each other, the inner tooth ring is located inside the outer tooth, and the end of the fin away from the inner tooth ring can abut against the tooth groove to prevent the outer tooth and the box door from rotating around the closing direction.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fins are elastic; the fins are arc-shaped and extend along the involute direction of the internal toothed ring.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive component has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and the first end and the second end have a height difference in the direction of the rotation axis of the door; The driving component is movably connected to the inner tooth; when the driving component moves toward the first end, it can drive the inner tooth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the outer tooth, so that the inner tooth and the outer tooth mesh with each other; when the driving component moves toward the second end, it can drive the inner tooth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the outer tooth, so that the inner tooth and the outer tooth separate from each other.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The internal tooth also includes a connecting plate, one end of which is fixed to the internal tooth ring, and the other end of which extends outward to protrude from the outer peripheral wall of the external tooth; the driving member is slidably connected to the portion of the connecting plate that protrudes from the external tooth.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting plate has a connecting block on the part extending out of the external teeth, and a guide hole is provided on the connecting block. The driving component is movably inserted into the guide hole. When the driving member moves toward the first end, the driving member presses against one side wall of the guide hole to drive the connecting plate on the inner tooth to move along the rotation axis of the door toward the direction closer to the outer tooth, so that the inner tooth and the outer tooth mesh with each other. When the driving member moves toward the second end, the driving member presses against an opposite sidewall of the guide hole to drive the connecting plate on the inner tooth to move away from the outer tooth along the rotation axis of the door, so that the inner tooth and the outer tooth separate from each other.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The driving component includes a first rod segment located at a first end, a second rod segment located at a second end, and a transition rod segment disposed between the first rod segment and the second rod segment; The first rod segment and the second rod segment extend in the same direction, and the distance between the axis of the first rod segment and the connecting plate is less than the distance between the axis of the second rod segment and the connecting plate; One end of the transition segment is connected to the first segment, and the other end is connected to the second segment. The transition segment extends smoothly from the first segment toward the second segment.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The driving component is slidably mounted on the door, and its sliding direction is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the door; the extension directions of the first and second rod segments are consistent with the sliding direction of the driving component on the door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the door is opened, the second end of the drive member extends out of the rear side wall of the door; when the door is closed, the second end of the drive member can abut against the front side of the box body to drive the drive member to move towards the first end, so that the inner teeth move along the rotation axis of the door towards the outer teeth, and the inner teeth and the outer teeth mesh with each other.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, It includes a rotating component, which is rotatably connected to the door; the rotating component is used to abut against the first end of the driving component, causing the driving component to move towards the second end, thereby separating the internal teeth from the external teeth.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that, Includes a push rod, one end of which abuts against the rotating component, and the other end of which extends along the width direction of the door to the side wall of the door to receive a user's trigger action; When the push rod is pressed, the push rod can drive the rotating member to rotate, so that the rotating member abuts against the first end of the driving member, and drives the driving member to move towards the second end.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, characterized in that, The rotating component includes a first plate and a second plate arranged at an included angle; When the push rod is pressed, it abuts against the first plate, causing the second plate to abut against the first end of the drive member, thereby driving the drive member to move towards the second end.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, characterized in that, It includes an elastic element, which is disposed on the push rod. One end of the elastic element abuts against the push rod, and the other end of the elastic element abuts against the door, for pressing and resetting the push rod.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a self-closing component, which is disposed between the housing and the door and connected to both. When the door rotates around the opening direction, the self-closing component undergoes elastic deformation. When the inner teeth separate from the outer teeth, the self-closing component recovers its elastic deformation to drive the door to rotate around the closing direction, thereby automatically closing the door.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a hinge plate and a hinge shaft; one end of the hinge plate is fixed to the box body, and the other end of the hinge plate extends toward the box door; The hinge shaft is fixed to one end of the hinge plate near the door and is rotatably connected to the door; the internal teeth are movably fitted onto the hinge shaft.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, characterized in that, The hinge plate is provided with a positioning pin, which is parallel to the hinge axis; the internal teeth are provided with a connecting hole that matches the positioning pin, and the extending direction of the connecting hole is parallel to the hinge axis. The positioning pin is movably inserted into the connecting hole to restrict the internal teeth to move up and down only along the axial direction of the hinge axis.

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