Hinge device and refrigeration equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a hinge device and refrigeration equipment, and the hinge device comprises a fixed hinge part which comprises a mounting plate; one end of the connecting rod assembly is movably connected to the mounting plate, and the other end of the connecting rod assembly is used for being connected to a door body; the power assisting mechanism is rotationally connected to the mounting plate, the power assisting mechanism and the connecting rod assembly have a linkage state and a separation state, and in the linkage state, the power assisting mechanism rotates along with rotation of the connecting rod assembly; wherein a positioning mechanism for positioning the power-assisted mechanism at a preset position is arranged between the power-assisted mechanism and the mounting plate, and when the power-assisted mechanism is located at the preset position and the connecting rod assembly continues to be unfolded, the power-assisted mechanism is separated from the connecting rod assembly; the door body opening and closing smoothness of a user can be improved, and the stability of the power assisting mechanism is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and in particular to a hinge device and a refrigeration device having the hinge device. Background Technology

[0002] With social development and the gradual improvement of living standards, people's demand for aesthetic appeal in home decoration is becoming increasingly prominent. Embedding refrigeration equipment (such as refrigerators) within external environmental components, such as cabinets or walls, to achieve a unified interior design style has become a popular approach. However, traditional refrigeration equipment doors are designed to rotate around a fixed axis to open and close. During this rotation, the pivot point of the door protrudes towards the external environmental component, causing interference and affecting the opening of the door and the use of the refrigeration equipment.

[0003] Some existing refrigeration equipment uses a hinge device with a linkage assembly to movably connect the door to the cabinet. When the door is opened relative to the cabinet, it rotates and translates along a preset trajectory under the drive of the linkage assembly. The structure is simple and can avoid interference between the door and external environmental components.

[0004] Based on the use of a hinge device with a linkage assembly, since the refrigeration equipment is refrigerated inside, if the door is not closed tightly, it can easily lead to the leakage of cold air inside the refrigeration equipment, causing the food inside the refrigeration equipment to rot and wasting a lot of electrical energy. Therefore, a door closer needs to be installed between the door and the cabinet.

[0005] Currently, commonly used door closer structures, such as the elastic assist device in Chinese invention patent application CN103924854A, have relatively stable structures and assist effects. However, as shown in Chinese invention patent application CN103924854A, on the one hand, existing door closers are generally mounted on the connecting rod in the linkage assembly. Because the connecting rod needs to bear the weight of the door, it is relatively easy to deform, resulting in poor stability of the door closer and limited force transmission effect. At the same time, it also results in a larger overall volume and size of the hinge device, making the width of the crossbeam fixing the hinge device on the refrigerator larger, which seriously affects the refrigerator's volume. On the other hand, the limiting groove that cooperates with the elastic assist device is now set as a long straight groove extending along the deformation direction of the elastic assist device. The setting of the long straight groove makes the door closing angle generally smaller, and also makes the elastic restoring force applied by the elastic assist device to the linkage assembly larger, resulting in a larger closing force and easy noise. At the same time, it also makes users need to use more force to open the door. Furthermore, the setting of the long straight groove makes the user's compression spring stroke consistent with the spring stroke when the door is finally closed with assistance, which is inconvenient for users to operate. It may even cause the door to rebound and open because the user does not compress the spring properly, affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a hinge device and a refrigeration device having the same.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided in this application is as follows: A hinge device, comprising:

[0008] A fixed hinge component, the fixed hinge component including a mounting plate;

[0009] A linkage assembly, one end of which is movably connected to the mounting plate and the other end of which is connected to the door body;

[0010] A power assist mechanism is rotatably connected to the mounting plate. The power assist mechanism and the linkage assembly have a linked state and a disengaged state. In the linked state, the power assist mechanism rotates with the rotation of the linkage assembly.

[0011] The assist mechanism is provided with a positioning mechanism between the assist mechanism and the mounting plate to position the assist mechanism at a preset position. When the assist mechanism is located at the preset position and the linkage assembly continues to unfold, the assist mechanism disengages from the linkage assembly.

[0012] In one embodiment of this application, the assistive mechanism includes:

[0013] A rotating base, which is rotatably connected to the mounting plate;

[0014] A drive block, which acts on a link in the linkage assembly, and a positioning mechanism is disposed between the drive block and the mounting plate;

[0015] A first elastic element, one end of which abuts against the rotating seat and the other end of which abuts against the driving block.

[0016] In one embodiment of this application, the positioning mechanism includes:

[0017] The second elastic element is provided in the assist mechanism;

[0018] A positioning block is provided at one end of the second elastic member facing the mounting plate, and the second elastic member applies a pushing force to the positioning block to move it toward the mounting plate;

[0019] A limiting hole is provided on the mounting plate, and the limiting hole is located on the rotation path of the positioning block.

[0020] In one embodiment of this application, the positioning block is a spherical positioning block or a hemispherical positioning block; the limiting hole is a circular hole adapted to the shape of the positioning block.

[0021] In one embodiment of this application, the mounting plate is provided with a limiting groove extending toward the limiting hole on the side facing the assist mechanism, and in the linkage state, the positioning block is located in the limiting groove.

[0022] In one embodiment of this application, in the linkage state, there is a gap between the positioning block and the sidewall of the limiting groove.

[0023] In one embodiment of this application, the linkage assembly is connected to a protruding block that cooperates with the assist mechanism; the assist mechanism includes a drive block that cooperates with the protruding block and a stop protrusion located at one end of the drive block facing the protruding block, the stop protrusion being located on the side of the drive block away from the linkage assembly.

[0024] In one embodiment of this application, the link in the linkage assembly that interacts with the assist mechanism has a first rotation axis; when the assist mechanism is located at the preset position, the center of curvature of the mating surface of the assist mechanism and the linkage assembly is located on a first line connecting the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis of the assist mechanism, or the center of curvature of the mating surface of the assist mechanism and the linkage assembly is located on the side of the first line away from the linkage assembly, or the center of curvature of the mating surface of the assist mechanism and the linkage assembly is located on the side of the first line facing the linkage assembly.

[0025] In one embodiment of this application, the linkage assembly is connected to a protruding block that cooperates with the assist mechanism; the mating surface between the assist mechanism and the protruding block is arc-shaped.

[0026] In one embodiment of this application, the linkage assembly includes:

[0027] A first link is rotatably connected to the mounting plate, and the assist mechanism cooperates with the first link;

[0028] The second link has one end rotatably connected to the fixed hinge and the other end rotatably connected to the door body. The second link intersects with the first link and is rotatably connected at the intersection.

[0029] The third link has one end rotatably connected to the door body and the other end rotatably connected to the first link.

[0030] In one embodiment of this application, the hinge device further includes a movable hinge member for fixing to the door body, and one end of the linkage assembly for connecting to the door body is connected to the movable hinge member.

[0031] To achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a refrigeration device, including a housing, a door for opening or closing the housing, and the aforementioned hinge device.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The hinge device in this application, on the one hand, by rotatably connecting the assist mechanism to the fixed hinge component, can improve the stability and reliability of the interaction force between the assist mechanism and the linkage assembly, reduce the impact on the overall volume of the refrigerator, avoid noise caused by forceful door closing, and improve the smoothness of opening and closing the door for the user; on the other hand, by providing a positioning mechanism that positions the assist mechanism at a preset position, the assist mechanism can be held at the preset position in the disengaged state. When the door is closed to the point where the door is at the disengaged angle, the assist mechanism and the linkage assembly can switch from the disengaged state to the linked state, thereby improving the stability of the assist mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration equipment after it is embedded in the cabinet in a specific embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device in a specific embodiment of this application (the linkage assembly is in a folded state);

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The exploded diagram in the middle;

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An exploded diagram of the assist mechanism in the middle;

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the hinge device in the diagram (the linkage assembly is extended to the preset position of the assist mechanism);

[0038] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the hinge device in the diagram (the linkage assembly is extended to the point where the linkage assembly is disengaged from the assist mechanism);

[0039] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of the fixed hinge component from another angle;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device in another specific embodiment of this application (the linkage assembly is in a folded state);

[0041] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the fixed hinge component;

[0042] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the assist mechanism in the middle;

[0043] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device in another specific embodiment of this application (the linkage assembly is in a folded state);

[0044] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of the fixed hinge component;

[0045] Wherein: 100, refrigeration equipment; 10, 10a, 10b, hinge devices; 1, fixed hinge component; 11, mounting plate; 111, limiting groove; 112, sliding groove; 113, clearance hole; 12, fixing plate; 2, connecting rod assembly; 21, protruding block; 22, first connecting rod; 23, second connecting rod; 231, guide shaft; 24, third connecting rod; 3, assist mechanism; 31, rotating seat; 32, drive block; 321, mounting hole; 33. First elastic element; 34, damping rod; 35, stop protrusion; 4, 4a positioning mechanism; 41, second elastic element; 42, positioning block; 43, limiting hole; 44, positioning post; 45, positioning groove; 5, movable hinge; 20, box body; 30, door body; 200, cabinet; A1, first rotation axis; A2, second rotation axis; L1, first connecting line; E, center of curvature; B, mating surface; F1, first direction; F2, second direction. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The following will be combined with the appendix Figure 1-12 The specific embodiments shown herein provide a detailed description of this application. However, these embodiments do not limit this application, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] The terms used in this application to express position and direction are defined as follows: "front" refers to the side where the door is located when the refrigerator is in normal use, and "outside" refers to the direction away from the refrigerator from the pivot end side. For example, in a side-by-side refrigerator, moving one door away from the other door from the pivot end side during the opening process is called moving outward, and moving one door closer to the other door from the pivot end side during the opening process is called moving inward.

[0048] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in this application are only used to distinguish similar objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. Additionally, it should be noted that unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "connected," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, a connection can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a fixed connection, a movable connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0049] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0050] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the specific embodiments and features disclosed in this application can be combined with each other.

[0051] Combination Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this application provides a hinge device 10 and a refrigeration device 100 having the hinge device 10. Specifically, the refrigeration device 100 includes a housing 20 for storing items, a door 30 for opening or closing the opening side of the housing 20, and a hinge device 10 for movably connecting the door 30 to the housing 20. The hinge device 10 enables the opening or closing of the opening side of the housing 20 through the door 30. When the door 30 is in the closed state (closing the opening side), the door 30 and the housing 20 together form a closed refrigeration space for storing items. When the door 30 is in the open state (opening the opening side), the internal space inside the housing 20 is exposed to the outside through the opening side, facilitating the user to store or retrieve items from the housing 20 through the opening side. Of course, it should be noted that the hinge device 10 described in this application is not limited to the refrigeration equipment 100 mentioned above, but can also be applied to other home furnishing products, such as cabinets 200, wine cabinets, wardrobes, microwave ovens, etc.

[0052] In this embodiment, the hinge device 10 is specifically described using an embedded refrigerator for embedding within an external environment component as an example, where the door 30 is located on the front side of the cabinet 20 and the door 30 is a left-right rotating door. Figure 1The diagram shown is only a partial schematic of the refrigeration device 100 embedded in the cabinet 200 according to a specific embodiment of this application, with only one side of the cabinet 200 shown. It is understood that in actual installation, the refrigeration device 100 is completely embedded in the cabinet 200. Of course, it is also understood that the refrigeration device 100 may not necessarily be embedded in the cabinet 200, but may also be embedded in a wall or other external environmental component.

[0053] Of course, it is understood that this is not a limitation. The hinge device 10 described in this application can also be applied to the non-embedded refrigeration device 100, or to the refrigeration device 100 where the door 30 is located on the upper side of the box 20.

[0054] Specifically, the hinge device 10 includes a fixed hinge member 1 for fixing to the housing 20, a connecting rod assembly 2 connecting the fixed hinge member 1 and the door 30, and an assist mechanism 3 disposed on the fixed hinge member 1. The connecting rod assembly 2 includes multiple connecting rods that are hinged to each other. One end of the connecting rod assembly 2 is movably connected to the fixed hinge member 1, and the other end is connected to the door 30. When the connecting rod assembly 2 is in the folded state, the multiple connecting rods are close to each other, and the door 30 is in the closed state of closing the housing 20. When the connecting rod assembly 2 is in the unfolded state, the multiple connecting rods are far apart from each other, and the door 30 is in the open state of opening the housing 20.

[0055] During the switching process between the folded and unfolded states of the linkage assembly 2, i.e., during the rotational opening or closing of the door 30, the assist mechanism 3 is configured to act on at least one link of the linkage assembly 2 at a certain stage, thereby assisting the linkage assembly 2 in switching to the folded state or the unfolded state. When the assist mechanism 3 can assist the linkage assembly 2 in switching to the folded state, i.e., the assist mechanism 3 has the function of assisting in closing the door; when the assist mechanism 3 can assist the linkage assembly 2 in switching to the unfolded state, i.e., the assist mechanism 3 has the function of assisting in opening the door.

[0056] In this application, by placing the assist mechanism 3 on the fixed hinge component 1, the fixed hinge component 1 is relatively far from the door 30 after the hinge device 10 is installed between the cabinet 20 and the door 30. Therefore, the fixed hinge component 1 is less likely to deform under the influence of the gravity of the door 30. This improves the stability and reliability of the interaction force between the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2, and enhances the stability of opening and closing the door. On the other hand, compared with the existing method of placing the assist mechanism 3 on the linkage assembly 2, the assist mechanism 3 and each link in the linkage assembly 2 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction and placed on the fixed hinge component 1 at a position that will not interfere with the linkage assembly 2. This frees up space in the linkage assembly 2, allowing the volume and thickness of each link in the linkage assembly 2 to be smaller, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the hinge device 10, saving installation space, and significantly reducing the width of the crossbeam on the cabinet 20 used to install the hinge device 10, thus reducing the impact on the overall volume of the refrigerator.

[0057] Specifically, the fixed hinge component 1 includes a mounting plate 11, which is perpendicular to the opening side. One end of the linkage assembly 2 is movably connected to the mounting plate 11. The assist mechanism 3 is rotatably connected to the mounting plate 11. The assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 have both a linked state and a disengaged state. That is, in this embodiment, the assist mechanism 3 is configured to act on one link of the linkage assembly 2 only at a certain stage. When the assist mechanism 3 is disengaged from the linkage assembly 2, the linkage assembly 2 is in a free state and can be opened or closed by the force applied to the door 30 by the user, thereby causing the door 30 to move along a preset trajectory and avoiding interference between the door 30 and external environmental components.

[0058] In the linked state, the assist mechanism 3 rotates along with the linkage assembly 2. That is, when the assist mechanism 3 acts on the linkage assembly 2, the assist mechanism 3 rotates synchronously. The force applied by the assist mechanism 3 to the linkage assembly 2 has multiple directional components, which can reduce the force exerted by the assist mechanism 3 in assisting to close / open / resist to open / close the door, thereby avoiding noise caused by forceful closing and facilitating the user to open and close the door 30, improving the smoothness of the user's opening and closing of the door 30. At the same time, by controlling the rotation angle of the assist mechanism 3, the corresponding assist closing angle / assist opening angle and the disengagement angle between the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 can be controlled, further improving the smoothness of the user's opening and closing of the door 30.

[0059] In one specific embodiment, the assist mechanism 3 is configured as follows: when the door 30 is in the closed state, i.e., when the linkage assembly 2 is in the folded state, the assist mechanism 3 is in the initial position; during the process of the door 30 rotating open from the closed state to the disengagement angle, i.e., during the process of the linkage assembly 2 unfolding from the folded state to the process of the door 30 opening to the disengagement angle, the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 are in a linked state, and the assist mechanism 3 rotates; when the door 30 opens to the disengagement angle, the assist mechanism 3 rotates to a preset position; when the door 30 continues to rotate open from the disengagement angle, i.e., when the linkage assembly 2 continues to unfold, the linkage assembly 2 disengages from the assist mechanism 3, at which point the linkage assembly 2 and the assist mechanism 3 are in a disengaged state.

[0060] It is known that when the disengagement angle is the same as the assisted closing angle, during the user closing phase, before the assisted closing mechanism 3 achieves the assisted closing phase, the assisted mechanism 3 will not apply a force to prevent closing, which can improve the smoothness of opening and closing the door body 30 and the stability of assisted closing. When the disengagement angle is greater than the assisted closing angle, during the user closing phase, before the assisted closing mechanism 3 achieves the assisted closing phase, the assisted mechanism 3 will apply a force to prevent closing. That is, during the user closing phase, in the linkage state, the assisted mechanism 3 first resists closing and then assists closing; correspondingly, during the user opening phase, in the linkage state, the assisted mechanism 3 first resists opening and then assists opening. When the disengagement angle is set to be greater than the assisted closing angle, the closing force and length required by the user during the resistance closing phase of the assisted mechanism 3 before the assisted closing phase can be controlled by setting the rotation angle of the assisted mechanism 3, thereby improving the smoothness of opening and closing the door body 30.

[0061] It should be noted that the aforementioned assisted closing angle refers to the rotation angle of the door body 30 after the assisted closing mechanism 3 begins to assist in closing the door until the door body 30 is in the closed state. The aforementioned disengagement angle refers to the rotation angle of the door body 30 when the door body 30 rotates open from the closed state to the point where the assisted mechanism 3 disengages from the connecting rod assembly 2.

[0062] Specifically, the connecting rod in the connecting rod assembly 2 that interacts with the assist mechanism 3 has a first rotation axis A1, the assist mechanism 3 rotates around a second rotation axis A2, and there is a first connecting line L1 between the first rotation axis A1 and the second rotation axis A2.

[0063] It should be noted that the aforementioned first rotation axis A1 can be a physical rotation axis or a virtual rotation axis. For example, when the connecting rod in the linkage assembly 2 that interacts with the assist mechanism 3 is a rotating rod that is simply rotatably connected to the fixed hinge 1, the first rotation axis A1 is the physical rotation axis of the rotating rod; when the connecting rod in the linkage assembly 2 that interacts with the assist mechanism 3 is a sliding rod that is rotatably and slidably connected to the fixed hinge 1, the first rotation axis A1 is the virtual rotation axis of the sliding rod.

[0064] It is known that when the center of curvature E of the mating surface B where the linkage assembly 2 and the assist mechanism 3 cooperate is located on the first connecting line L1, the assist mechanism 3 is in a dead position. When the center of curvature E of the mating surface B where the linkage assembly 2 and the assist mechanism 3 cooperate is located on the side of the first connecting line L1 away from the linkage assembly 2, that is, when the center of curvature E is located on the side of the first connecting line L1 closer to the housing 20, if there is no external force, under the action of the thrust of the assist mechanism 3, the linkage cooperating with the assist mechanism 3 has a tendency to rotate in the direction of the housing 20, which can drive the linkage assembly 2 to switch to the folded state. When closing the door, it can achieve assisted closing. Conversely, when opening the door, a certain force will be applied to prevent the door from opening. When the curvature center E of the mating surface B of the linkage assembly 2 and the assist mechanism 3 is located on the side of the first connecting line L1 facing the linkage assembly 2, that is, when the curvature center E is located on the side of the first connecting line L1 away from the housing 20, if there is no external force, under the action of the thrust of the assist mechanism 3, the linkage that cooperates with the assist mechanism 3 has a tendency to rotate in the direction away from the housing 20, which can drive the linkage assembly 2 to continue to unfold, that is, it can achieve assisted opening when opening the door, and correspondingly, when closing the door, a certain force will be applied to prevent the door from closing.

[0065] In some optional embodiments, when the assist mechanism 3 is located at the preset position, the center of curvature E of the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the link assembly 2 is located on the first connecting line L1, or the center of curvature E of the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the link assembly 2 is located on the side of the first connecting line L1 away from the link assembly 2. In this case, the disengagement angle is consistent with the assisted door closing angle. In another optional embodiment, when the assist mechanism 3 is located at the preset position, the center of curvature E of the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the link assembly 2 is located on the side of the first connecting line L1 facing the link assembly 2. In this case, the disengagement angle is greater than the assisted door closing angle.

[0066] In one specific embodiment, the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 is arc-shaped, which can improve the smoothness of the cooperation between the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2, thereby further improving the smoothness of opening and closing the door. It is understood that, at this time, the center of curvature E of the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 refers to the center of the circle containing the mating surface B. Throughout the entire process of the cooperation between the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2, the center of curvature E of the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 remains constant at this center; that is, the center of curvature E of the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 remains unchanged. Of course, this is not the only limitation. In other embodiments, the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 can also be a non-circular arc. In this case, the mating surface B of the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 will change throughout the entire process of their interaction, and the curvature center E of the corresponding mating surface B will also be different.

[0067] In some optional embodiments, the assist mechanism 3 includes a rotating seat 31 rotatably connected to the mounting plate 11, a driving block 32 disposed opposite to the rotating seat 31, and a first elastic member 33 disposed between the rotating seat 31 and the driving block 32. In the linkage state, the driving block 32 acts on a link in the linkage assembly 2. The rotating seat 31 is rotatably connected to the mounting plate 11 about the second rotation axis A2 so that the assist mechanism 3 can rotate about the second rotation axis A2 of the rotating seat 31. One end of the first elastic member 33 abuts against the rotating seat 31, and the other end abuts against the driving block 32. In the linkage state, that is, during the switching of the assist mechanism 3 between the starting position and the preset position, the first elastic member 33 is always in a compressed state, so that under the action of the elastic restoring force of the first elastic member 33, the driving block 32 can drive the link in the linkage assembly 2 that cooperates with the assist mechanism 3 to realize assisted closing and / or assisted opening of the door.

[0068] It should be noted that the state of the first elastic element 33 is not particularly limited when the assist mechanism 3 is in the starting position and the preset position. That is, in the starting position and the preset position, the first elastic element 33 can be set to a free state or a compressed state. For example, when the assist mechanism 3 is in the starting position, if the first elastic element 33 is set to a compressed state, then under the action of the elastic restoring force of the first elastic element 33, the drive block 32 acts on the connecting rod that cooperates with the assist mechanism 3, which can achieve the function of maintaining the folded state of the connecting rod assembly 2, that is, maintaining the closed state of the door 30. Thus, it can prevent the door 30 from not closing tightly and achieve a certain energy-saving effect.

[0069] In one specific embodiment, the first elastic element 33 is a spring, and the assist mechanism 3 further includes a damping rod 34. One end of the damping rod 34 is connected to the rotating seat 31, and the other end is connected to the driving block 32. The spring is sleeved on the damping rod 34. This improves the stability of the elastic deformation of the first elastic element 33, preventing it from tilting in any direction other than the elastic deformation direction. It also improves the stability of the assist mechanism 3 during rotation, thereby enhancing the stability of the force exerted by the assist mechanism 3. However, this is not a limitation.

[0070] Specifically, a positioning mechanism 4 is provided between the assist mechanism 3 and the mounting plate 11 to position the assist mechanism 3 at a preset position. When the assist mechanism 3 is at the preset position and the linkage assembly 2 continues to unfold, the assist mechanism 3 disengages from the linkage assembly 2. Through the positioning mechanism 4, the assist mechanism 3 can be held at the preset position in the disengaged state. Therefore, when the door 30 is closed to the disengaged angle, the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 can smoothly switch from the disengaged state to the linked state, improving the stability of the assist mechanism 3.

[0071] In one specific embodiment, the positioning mechanism 4 is disposed between the drive block 32 and the mounting plate 11. While holding the assist mechanism 3 at the preset position with a preset rotation angle, it can also maintain the position of the drive block 32, so as to facilitate the subsequent restoration of the linkage state with the linkage assembly 2. Of course, this is not a limitation.

[0072] In one specific embodiment, the positioning mechanism 4 includes a second elastic member 41 disposed on the assisting mechanism 3, a positioning block 42 disposed on one end of the second elastic member 41 facing the mounting plate 11, and a limiting hole 43 disposed on the mounting plate 11, the limiting hole 43 being located on the rotation path of the positioning block 42. During the process of the assisting mechanism 3 being in the starting position and rotating from the starting position towards the preset position, the second elastic member 41 is in a compressed state, and the second elastic member 41 applies a pushing force to the positioning block 42 towards the mounting plate 11, the positioning block 42 abutting against the mounting plate 11; when the assisting mechanism 3 rotates to the preset position, the positioning block 42 moves to the limiting hole 43, and under the action of the elastic restoring force of the second elastic member 41, the positioning block 42 moves into the limiting hole 43, restricting the assisting mechanism 3 from continuing to rotate, and positioning the assisting mechanism 3 at the preset position. Of course, this is not a limitation; other configurations can be used in conjunction with... Figures 8-10 As shown, in another specific embodiment of the hinge device 10a of this application, the positioning mechanism 4a may also be configured to include a positioning post 44 disposed on the drive block 32 and a positioning groove 45 disposed on the mounting plate 11. When the assisting mechanism 3 rotates to the preset position, the positioning post 44 moves into the positioning groove 45. When the connecting rod assembly 2 disengages from the assisting mechanism 3, under the action of the elastic restoring force of the first elastic member 33, the positioning post 44 abuts against the groove wall of the positioning groove 45 to position the assisting mechanism 3 at the preset position.

[0073] Specifically, the positioning block 42 is a hemispherical or spherical positioning block, and the limiting hole 43 is a circular hole adapted to the shape of the positioning block 42. On the one hand, this facilitates the positioning block 42 entering or exiting the limiting hole 43, and facilitates the switching between the linkage state and the disengagement state between the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2; on the other hand, it reduces the contact area between the positioning block 42 and the mounting plate 11, thereby reducing the friction between the positioning block 42 and the mounting plate 11, which is beneficial to the rotation of the assist mechanism 3.

[0074] In one specific embodiment, the fixed hinge component 1 includes two mounting plates 11 and a fixing plate 12 connecting the two mounting plates 11. The fixing plate 12 is used to fix the component to the housing 20, and the two mounting plates 11 are perpendicular to the fixing plate 12. The assist mechanism 3 is disposed between the two mounting plates 11. Each of the two mounting plates 11 is provided with a limiting hole 43, and the positioning mechanism 4 includes two positioning blocks 42 that respectively cooperate with the two limiting holes 43. This improves the positioning stability of the positioning mechanism 4 for the assist mechanism 3.

[0075] Specifically, the drive block 32 is provided with a mounting hole 321 that extends through in the vertical direction. The second elastic member 41 is located in the mounting hole 321. The two positioning blocks 42 are respectively installed on the upper and lower ends of the second elastic member 41 to cooperate with the two mounting plates 11 respectively.

[0076] Combination Figures 11-12 As shown, this is a hinge device 10b in another specific embodiment of this application. The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is that the mounting plate 11 facing the assist mechanism 3 is also provided with a limiting groove 111 extending toward the limiting hole 43. In the linkage state, the positioning block 42 is located in the limiting groove 111. This can improve the stability of the movement of the assist mechanism 3.

[0077] In one specific embodiment, the limiting groove 111 is a groove formed by thinning from the side of the mounting plate 11 toward the assist mechanism 3, and the limiting hole 43 is a blind hole with a depth greater than the depth of the limiting groove 111, or the limiting hole 43 is a through hole. Of course, this is not a limitation; in other embodiments, the limiting groove 111 can also be formed by a groove wall protruding from the mounting plate 11 and together enclosing the mounting plate 11.

[0078] Specifically, in the linkage state, the positioning block 42 abuts against the bottom wall of the limiting groove 111, and at the same time, there is a gap between the positioning block 42 and the side wall of the limiting groove 111. Therefore, during the stage when the assist mechanism 3 and the connecting rod assembly 2 are linked together, the positioning block 42 and the wall of the limiting groove 111 will not come into contact, and the force of the assist mechanism 3 will be fully applied to the connecting rod assembly 2, thereby improving the assist effect of the assist mechanism 3.

[0079] This implementation method is identical to the aforementioned implementation method except for the differences mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0080] In some optional embodiments, the linkage assembly 2 is connected to a protruding block 21 that interacts with the drive block 32. That is, the linkage in the linkage assembly 2 that interacts with the drive block 32 is connected to a protruding block 21 for abutting against the drive block 32. Thus, the linkage between the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 is achieved through the mutual abutment of the protruding block 21 and the drive block 32. It is understood that, in this case, the mating surface B where the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 cooperate refers to the mating surface B where the drive block 32 and the protruding block 21 cooperate.

[0081] In some optional embodiments, the assist mechanism 3 further includes a stop protrusion 35 located at one end of the drive block 32 facing the protruding block 21, the stop protrusion 35 being located on the side of the drive block 32 away from the linkage assembly 2. Thus, during the door opening phase, the stop protrusion 35 does not restrict the separation between the protruding block 21 and the drive block 32; during the door closing phase, the stop protrusion 35 prevents the protruding block 21 from disengaging from the drive block 32, improving the stability of the engagement between the assist mechanism 3 and the protruding block 21.

[0082] In one specific embodiment, the linkage assembly 2 includes a first link 22 rotatably connected to the mounting plate 11, and the assist mechanism 3 is configured to act on the first link 22, i.e., the protruding block 21 is connected to the first link 22. Thus, since the position of one end of the first link 22 relative to the fixed hinge member 1 does not change and is located within the fixed hinge member 1, it can better cooperate with the assist mechanism 3 for linkage. By applying force to the first link 22 through the drive block 32 of the assist mechanism 3, the first link 22 can drive the entire linkage assembly 2 to move, thereby providing an auxiliary force for the entire linkage assembly 2 during folding, facilitating the closing of the door 30 and preventing the door 30 from opening by itself.

[0083] It is known that when the assist mechanism 3 is configured to act on the first connecting rod 22 which is rotatably connected to the fixed hinge member 1, the first rotation axis A1 of the connecting rod in the connecting rod assembly 2 that interacts with the drive block 32 refers to the first hinge point of the first connecting rod 22 on the mounting plate 11.

[0084] In some optional embodiments, the protruding block 21 is detachably connected to the first connecting rod 22. This simplifies the fabrication of the first connecting rod 22 and improves the versatility of the hinge device 10.

[0085] In some optional embodiments, the mounting plate 11 is further provided with a sliding groove 112, and the linkage assembly 2 further includes a second linkage 23 rotatably slidably connected within the sliding groove 112, and a third linkage 24 connecting the door body 30 and the first linkage 22. The first linkage 22 and the second linkage 23 intersect and are rotatably connected at the intersection. The other end of the second linkage 23 is rotatably connected to the door body 30, and one end of the third linkage 24 is rotatably connected to the door body 30, while the other end is rotatably connected to the end of the first linkage 22 away from the fixed hinge member 1. During the rotation of the door body 30 relative to the housing 20, the second linkage 23 moves along the sliding groove 112, so that the door body 30 moves along a preset trajectory, thereby avoiding interference with external environmental components.

[0086] Furthermore, the hinge device 10 also includes a movable hinge member 5 for fixing to the door body 30, and one end of the link assembly 2 that is connected to the door body 30 is connected to the movable hinge member 5. That is, both the third link 24 and the second link 23 are rotatably connected to the movable hinge member 5. Modularizing the hinge device 10 facilitates the assembly between the hinge device 10 and the door body 30, and also helps to further improve the strength of the hinge device 10.

[0087] The pivot end of the door 30 in the refrigeration device 100, which rotates relative to the housing 20, is defined as the pivot end. When the door 30 is in the closed state, the direction from the center of the door 30 away from the housing 20 is defined as the first direction F1, and the direction from the center of the door 30 toward the pivot end is defined as the second direction F2. It is understood that the definitions of the pivot end, the first direction F1, and the second direction F2 also apply to the hinge device 10. Specifically, the pivot end of the movable hinge 5 in the hinge device 10, which rotates relative to the fixed hinge 1, is defined as the pivot end. When the movable hinge 5 is in the closed state, i.e., when the connecting rod assembly 2 is in the folded state, the direction from the center of the movable hinge 5 away from the fixed hinge 1 is defined as the first direction F1, and the direction from the center of the movable hinge 5 toward the pivot end is defined as the second direction F2.

[0088] Specifically, the first direction F1 is the forward direction away from the housing 20 / fixed hinge 1. When the pivot end side is the left end side, the second direction F2 is the direction from right to left, and when the pivot end side is the right end side, the second direction F2 is the direction from left to right. In short, the second direction F2 is the outward direction toward the pivot end side.

[0089] In one specific embodiment, the second connecting rod 23 has a guide shaft 231 that is rotatably and slidably connected within the slide groove 112. The slide groove 112 is located on the side away from the pivot end from the hinge point of the first connecting rod 22 and the fixed hinge member 1, and the slide groove 112 has a first end and a second end opposite to each other. When the connecting rod assembly 2 is in the folded state, the guide shaft 231 is located at the first end. When the connecting rod assembly 2 gradually unfolds from the folded state, the guide shaft 231 moves along the slide groove 112 toward the second end to drive the door body 30 to translate along a preset trajectory.

[0090] Specifically, from the first end toward the second end, the extending direction of the slide groove 112 has directional components of a first direction F1 and a second direction F2. Therefore, as the linkage assembly 2 gradually unfolds from its folded state, the movable hinge 5 moves simultaneously along both the first direction F1 and the second direction F2. That is, during the rotational opening process of the door body 30, the translational direction of the door body 30 simultaneously has directional components of both the first direction F1 and the second direction F2. On the one hand, during the opening of the door 30, the door 30 moves forward along the first direction F1 away from the cabinet 20, so that the pivot end of the door 30 located on the pivot end side gradually moves to the front side of the wall / cabinet 200 located on the pivot end side. This avoids interference between the door 30 and the wall / cabinet 200 located on the pivot end side during the opening process, allowing the door 30 to adapt to various application scenarios, such as the application scenario of built-in refrigerators. At the same time, it can also increase the maximum opening angle of the door 30. On the other hand, during the opening of the door 30, the door 30 simultaneously moves outward along the second direction F2 away from the cabinet 20, which can increase the opening degree of the door 30 and prevent the door 30 from obstructing the pulling out of the shelves / drawers inside the cabinet 20, thus making it easier for users to view and retrieve the items inside the cabinet 20.

[0091] Furthermore, the fixed hinge component 1 also includes a clearance hole 113 at the first end that communicates with the slide groove 112, so that when the guide shaft 231 moves to the first end, the guide shaft 231 will not collide with the fixed hinge component 1, thereby avoiding noise and preventing damage to the guide shaft 231.

[0092] Specifically, the clearance hole 113 can also be configured as the mounting hole 321 of the guide shaft 231. Of course, it is not limited to this.

[0093] In summary, the hinge device 10 in this application, on the one hand, by rotatably connecting the assist mechanism 3 to the fixed hinge component 1, can improve the stability and reliability of the interaction force between the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2, reduce the impact on the overall volume of the refrigerator, avoid noise caused by forceful door slamming, and improve the smoothness of the user opening and closing the door 30; on the other hand, by providing a positioning mechanism 4 to position the assist mechanism 3 at a preset position, the assist mechanism 3 can be held at the preset position in the disengaged state. When the door 30 is closed to the disengaged angle, the assist mechanism 3 and the linkage assembly 2 can switch from the disengaged state to the linked state, thereby improving the stability of the assist mechanism 3.

[0094] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, for example, if the technologies in different embodiments can be used in combination to achieve the corresponding effects simultaneously, the solutions are also within the protection scope of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A hinge device (10, 10a, 10b), characterized in that: include: A fixed hinge component (1) is provided, the fixed hinge component (1) including a mounting plate (11); Linkage assembly (2), one end of which is movably connected to the mounting plate (11) and the other end is used to connect to the door body (30); The assist mechanism (3) is rotatably connected to the mounting plate (11). The assist mechanism (3) and the linkage assembly (2) have a linkage state and a disengagement state. In the linkage state, the assist mechanism (3) rotates with the rotation of the linkage assembly (2). The assist mechanism (3) is provided with a positioning mechanism (4) between the assist mechanism (3) and the mounting plate (11) to position the assist mechanism (3) at a preset position. When the assist mechanism (3) is located at the preset position and the linkage assembly (2) continues to unfold, the assist mechanism (3) disengages from the linkage assembly (2).

2. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The assisting mechanism (3) includes: Rotary seat (31), which is rotatably connected to the mounting plate (11); A drive block (32) is used to act on a link in the link assembly (2), and the positioning mechanism (4) is located between the drive block (32) and the mounting plate (11). The first elastic element (33) has one end abutting against the rotating seat (31) and the other end abutting against the driving block (32).

3. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The positioning mechanism (4) includes: The second elastic element (41) is provided in the assist mechanism (3); A positioning block (42) is provided at one end of the second elastic member (41) facing the mounting plate (11), and the second elastic member (41) applies a pushing force to the positioning block (42) to move toward the mounting plate (11); A limiting hole (43) is provided on the mounting plate (11), and the limiting hole (43) is located on the rotation path of the positioning block (42).

4. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The positioning block (42) is a spherical positioning block or a hemispherical positioning block; the limiting hole (43) is a round hole that matches the shape of the positioning block (42).

5. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The mounting plate (11) has a limiting groove (111) extending toward the limiting hole (43) on the side facing the assist mechanism (3). In the linkage state, the positioning block (42) is located in the limiting groove (111).

6. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as described in claim 5, characterized in that: In the linkage state, there is a gap between the positioning block (42) and the sidewall of the limiting groove (111).

7. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage assembly (2) is connected to a protruding block (21) that cooperates with the assist mechanism (3); the assist mechanism (3) includes a drive block (32) that cooperates with the protruding block (21) and a stop protrusion (35) located at one end of the drive block (32) facing the protruding block (21), the stop protrusion (35) being located on the side of the drive block (32) away from the linkage assembly (2).

8. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod in the connecting rod assembly (2) that interacts with the assist mechanism (3) has a first rotation axis (A1); when the assist mechanism (3) is located at the preset position, the center of curvature (E) of the mating surface (B) of the assist mechanism (3) and the connecting rod assembly (2) is located on the first line (L1) between the first rotation axis (A1) and the second rotation axis (A2) of the assist mechanism (3), or the center of curvature (E) of the mating surface (B) of the assist mechanism (3) and the connecting rod assembly (2) is located on the side of the first line (L1) away from the connecting rod assembly (2), or the center of curvature (E) of the mating surface (B) of the assist mechanism (3) and the connecting rod assembly (2) is located on the side of the first line (L1) facing the connecting rod assembly (2).

9. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage assembly (2) is connected to a protruding block (21) that cooperates with the assist mechanism (3); the mating surface (B) between the assist mechanism (3) and the protruding block (21) is arc-shaped.

10. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The link assembly (2) includes: The first link (22) is rotatably connected to the mounting plate (11), and the assist mechanism (3) cooperates with the first link (22); The second link (23) has one end rotatably connected to the fixed hinge (1) and the other end rotatably connected to the door body (30). The second link (23) intersects with the first link (22) and is rotatably connected at the intersection. The third link (24) is rotatably connected at one end to the door body (30) and rotatably connected at the other end to the first link (22).

11. The hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge device (10) further includes a movable hinge element (5) for fixing to the door body (30), and one end of the link assembly (2) for connecting to the door body (30) is connected to the movable hinge element (5).

12. A refrigeration device (100), comprising a housing (20) and a door (30) for opening or closing the housing (20), characterized in that: The refrigeration device (100) further includes a hinge device (10, 10a, 10b) as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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