A self-compensating positioning mechanism, a spit and a commercial kitchen device

Abstract

This application discloses a self-compensating positioning mechanism, a griddle, and a commercial kitchen appliance. The self-compensating positioning mechanism includes a rotating shaft assembly and a fixed base. The rotating shaft assembly includes a rotating shaft, a first torsion spring, a first fixing block, and a positioning element. The first torsion spring is sleeved on the outer surface of the rotating shaft, and the first fixing block is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The first torsion spring includes a first torsion arm and a second torsion arm, the first torsion arm being fixed to the first fixing block. The positioning element is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The fixed base includes a first fixing seat, on which a second insertion hole and a positioning ball are formed. The positioning ball is disposed in the second insertion hole, and the first fixing seat is disposed between the first torsion spring and the positioning element. The second torsion arm of the first torsion spring extends into the second insertion hole and abuts against the positioning ball, causing it to embed into the positioning groove. When the rotating shaft tends to rotate, the positioning groove compresses the positioning ball axially, thereby compressing the first torsion spring axially. The friction between the positioning ball and the positioning groove increases accordingly, forming a self-compensating suppression of the rotation tendency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of kitchen equipment technology, specifically to a self-compensating positioning mechanism, a griddle, and commercial kitchen equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Commercial kitchen equipment refers to all specialized appliances and machinery used in commercial catering establishments (such as restaurants, hotels, and canteens) for food processing, cooking, storage, and cleaning. As the modern catering industry increasingly demands higher efficiency, food quality, and operational safety, the functionality and reliability of commercial kitchen equipment face greater challenges. For equipment with moving parts (especially those that need to open, close, or move within a certain range), achieving stable, precise, and safe positioning is a key performance indicator. This type of equipment is widely used in various cooking scenarios, such as oven doors, dishwasher lids, and various cooking appliances with flip-top or cantilever structures.

[0003] Taking a double-sided grill (also known as a clamp grill or flat grill) commonly found in commercial kitchens as an example, its upper grill plate is rotatably mounted on a fixed frame via hinges or other connections. The operator lifts or lowers the upper grill plate to pick up and place food for cooking. To reduce the operator's workload and maintain the upper grill plate in the open position, existing grills generally employ spring-assisted operation to save the operator's effort, or a tiered limiting structure to allow the upper grill plate to stop at several preset angles (such as fully open, half-open, etc.). However, in practical applications, these structures have limitations. First, the tiered limiting structure can only provide a limited number of stopping positions. Second, the springs in the spring-assisted mechanism gradually lose elasticity due to continuous heating, metal fatigue accumulation, and frequent stress cycles, leading to spring failure. This causes the upper grill plate to lose effective torque support, potentially causing a violent impact on the food placed on the lower grill plate, or posing a direct risk of pinching injury to the operator's hands, thus creating a safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a self-compensating positioning mechanism, which can achieve precise positioning of the rotation angle of the rotating shaft and has long-term stability.

[0005] This application also proposes a grill.

[0006] This application also proposes a commercial kitchen device.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this application, a self-compensating positioning mechanism includes: a rotating shaft assembly, including a rotating shaft, a first torsion spring, a first fixing block, and a positioning member. The first torsion spring is sleeved on the outer surface of the rotating shaft and has a gap with the rotating shaft. The first fixing block is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The first torsion spring includes a first torsion arm and a second torsion arm. The first torsion arm is fixed to the first fixing block, and the positioning member is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. A fixed base includes a first fixed seat. The first fixed seat has a second insertion hole and a positioning ball. The positioning ball is disposed in the second insertion hole. The second torsion arm extends into the second insertion hole and abuts against the positioning ball. The first fixed seat is disposed between the first torsion spring and the positioning member. The positioning member has multiple positioning grooves on its circumferential path as it rotates with the rotating shaft. The positioning grooves can rotate with the rotating shaft to a position directly opposite the second insertion hole. The second torsion arm of the first torsion spring abuts against the positioning ball so that the positioning ball is embedded in the positioning groove.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this application, the positioning groove is spherical, and its inner wall surface is an arc-shaped surface with the same radius of curvature as the surface of the positioning ball.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this application, the positioning member has multiple positioning protrusions protruding along its circumferential path as it rotates with the shaft, and two adjacent positioning protrusions form a positioning groove.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this application, the positioning member includes a first positioning surface and a second positioning surface opposite each other along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the positioning groove includes a first positioning groove and a second positioning groove. The first positioning groove is disposed on the first positioning surface, and the second positioning groove is disposed on the second positioning surface. The first positioning groove is spherical, and its inner wall surface is an arc-shaped surface with the same radius of curvature as the surface of the positioning ball. The second positioning surface has a plurality of positioning protrusions protruding along its circumferential path as it rotates with the rotating shaft, and two adjacent positioning protrusions form the second positioning groove.

[0011] According to one embodiment of this application, the rotating shaft assembly further includes a first sleeve and a sleeve limiting block. The first sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the rotating shaft. A first torsion spring is sleeved on the outside of the first sleeve. The sleeve limiting block is disposed between the first torsion spring and the first fixed seat. The sleeve limiting block is fixed to the rotating shaft and abuts against the end of the first sleeve to limit its axial displacement.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this application, the rotating shaft assembly further includes a second torsion spring and a second fixing block. The second torsion spring is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft, and the second fixing block is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The second torsion spring and the first torsion spring are symmetrical about the perpendicular bisector of the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the second fixing block and the first fixing block are symmetrical about the perpendicular bisector of the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The first torsion spring and the second torsion spring have opposite directions of rotation. The second torsion spring includes a third torsion arm and a fourth torsion arm. The third torsion arm is fixedly connected to the second fixing block, and the fourth torsion arm is fixedly connected to the fixed base.

[0013] According to one embodiment of this application, the rotating shaft assembly further includes a blocking fixing block, which is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and a positioning member is located between the blocking fixing block and the first fixing block, with one end of the blocking fixing block abutting against the positioning member.

[0014] According to another embodiment of this application, a griddle includes: the aforementioned self-compensating positioning mechanism; a lower griddle plate including a first heating surface for placing and cooking food; an upper griddle plate including a second heating surface, the upper griddle plate being able to cover the lower griddle plate, wherein when the upper griddle plate covers the lower griddle plate, the second heating surface is close to the first heating surface, so as to cook the two opposite sides of the food simultaneously with the first heating surface; and a frame, wherein one end of the upper griddle plate is hinged to the frame via a pivot assembly of the self-compensating positioning mechanism, the lower griddle plate is fixedly connected to the frame, and the fixed base of the self-compensating positioning mechanism is fixedly connected to the frame.

[0015] According to another embodiment of this application, when the upper plate closes the lower plate, the first torsion spring of the rotating shaft mechanism stores elastic potential energy that can cause the first torsion spring to reset. This elastic potential energy is released when the upper plate is opened, so as to save the force to open the upper plate. When the upper plate moves from the open state to the closed state, the elastic potential energy of the first torsion spring accumulates to provide a buffer for the upper plate.

[0016] A commercial kitchen device according to another aspect of this application includes the aforementioned self-compensating positioning mechanism.

[0017] The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects: the first torsion arm of the first torsion spring is connected to the first fixed block fixed on the rotating shaft. The first torsion arm can rotate synchronously with the rotating shaft, while the second torsion arm is fixed in the first fixed seat and abuts against the positioning ball, so that the positioning ball is embedded in the positioning groove of the positioning block fixed on the rotating shaft, thereby realizing the positioning of the rotation angle of the rotating shaft. When the rotating shaft tends to rotate, the positioning groove exerts pressure on the positioning ball along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, causing the first torsion spring to be compressed axially. The first torsion spring reacts to the positioning ball, increasing the normal force on the groove wall of the positioning groove, and the frictional force increases accordingly, thereby forming an adaptive compensation and suppression of the rotation tendency. Even if the first torsion spring experiences fatigue attenuation due to long-term use, the elasticity reduction problem caused by fatigue of the first torsion spring can be automatically compensated by increasing the frictional force between the positioning ball and the groove wall of the positioning groove, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and long-term stability.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein: Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a griddle according to another embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a self-compensating positioning mechanism according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Front view of the self-compensating positioning mechanism; Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the center positioning component; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram of the positioning component; Figure 6 for Figure 3 A sectional view obtained by section line AA in the middle; Figure 7 for Figure 3 A sectional view obtained by the BB section line; Figure 8 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the first fixed base; Figure 9 for Figure 8 A structural schematic diagram of the first fixed base from another perspective; Figure 10 for Figure 3 A sectional view obtained by the CC section line.

[0020] Figure label: 1000, Self-compensating positioning mechanism; 2000, Furnace grating; 100. Rotating shaft assembly; 110. Rotating shaft; 120. First torsion spring; 121. First torsion arm; 122. Second torsion arm; 130. First fixing block; 131. First fixing hole; 132. First insertion hole; 140. Positioning component; 141. Positioning groove; 1411. First positioning groove; 1412. Second positioning groove; 142. First positioning surface; 143. Second positioning surface; 1431. Positioning protrusion; 144. Second fixing hole; 150. First sleeve; 160. Sleeve limiting block; 161. Third fixing hole; 170. Second torsion spring; 171. Third torsion arm; 172. Fourth torsion arm; 180. Second fixing block; 181. Fourth fixing hole; 182. Third insertion hole; 190. Blocking fixing block; 191. Fifth fixing hole; 200. Fixing base; 210. First fixing seat; 211. Second insertion hole; 212. Positioning ball; 220. Second fixing seat; 221. Fourth insertion hole; 230. Mounting base; 300, lower plate; 400, upper plate; 500, frame; 600, rotating rod. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are 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.

[0023] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0024] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0025] In the description of this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0026] Commercial kitchen equipment refers to all specialized appliances and machinery used in commercial catering establishments (such as restaurants, hotels, and canteens) for food processing, cooking, storage, and cleaning. As the modern catering industry increasingly demands higher efficiency, food quality, and operational safety, the functionality and reliability of commercial kitchen equipment face greater challenges. For equipment with moving parts (especially those that need to open, close, or move within a certain range), achieving stable, precise, and safe positioning is a key performance indicator. This type of equipment is widely used in various cooking scenarios, such as oven doors, dishwasher lids, and various cooking appliances with flip-top or cantilever structures.

[0027] Taking the double-sided grill (also known as a sandwich grill or flat grill) commonly found in commercial kitchens as an example, this type of equipment can efficiently heat both the top and bottom sides of food (such as meat patties, chicken cutlets, toast, etc.) simultaneously. The traditional structural design of this equipment is as follows: the upper grill plate is rotatably mounted on a fixed frame via hinges or other connections, and the operator lifts or lowers the upper grill plate to pick up and place food and press it for cooking. To reduce the operator's workload and ensure the upper grill plate remains open, existing grills generally employ two auxiliary structures: one is a spring-assisted mechanism, which uses the elastic force generated by the stretching or compression deformation of a spring to balance part of the weight of the upper grill plate, making it easier to open; the other is a segmented limiting structure, which uses limiting blocks with specific angle slots at the hinges to allow the upper grill plate to stop at several preset specific angles (such as fully open, half open, etc.). However, in practical applications, the above structure has limitations. First, regarding positioning flexibility, the segmented limiting structure can only provide a limited number of stopping positions, failing to meet the operator's need for stepless adjustment of the upper plate's opening and arbitrary angle suspension based on different food thicknesses or cooking methods. More importantly, under the harsh conditions of long-term high-temperature and high-frequency opening and closing in commercial kitchens, the springs in the spring-assisted mechanism will gradually experience elasticity decay and even breakage due to continuous heating, metal fatigue accumulation, and frequent stress cycles. Once the spring fails, the balancing force it provides will weaken or disappear, causing the upper plate to lose effective torque support. At this point, the upper griddle may fall uncontrollably due to its own weight, which can cause multiple adverse consequences: First, the sudden fall of the upper griddle may violently impact the food placed on the lower griddle, causing the food to be excessively squeezed and deformed, and juices to be lost, seriously affecting the appearance and taste of the finished product, and even causing one side to be burnt and the other side to be uncooked due to uneven contact pressure; Second, this unexpected fall poses a direct risk of pinching injury to the operator's hands. At the same time, if the operator is operating under the upper griddle, it may also cause serious burn accidents, posing a safety hazard.

[0028] Therefore, this application proposes a self-compensating positioning mechanism that can achieve precise positioning of the rotation angle of the rotating shaft and has long-term stability.

[0029] Please see Figure 2 In one embodiment of this application, the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 includes a rotating shaft assembly 100 and a fixed base 200. The fixed base 200 includes a mounting seat 230. The self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 is fixed to the base of an external device through the mounting seat 230. The two opposite end faces of the mounting seat 230 are both formed as upright plates. Corresponding through holes are provided on the upright plates for the rotating shaft 110 in the rotating shaft assembly 100 to pass through. The rotating shaft 110 can rotate around its own axis on the mounting seat 230.

[0030] The rotating shaft assembly 100 also includes a first torsion spring 120 and a first fixing block 130 sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft 110. The first fixing block 130 is fixedly connected to the outside of the rotating shaft 110. Please refer to... Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 8 Understanding that the first fixing block 130 has a first insertion hole 132 at one end facing the first torsion spring 120, and the first torsion spring 120 has a first torsion arm 121 and a second torsion arm 122 arranged opposite to each other, wherein the first torsion arm 121 faces the first fixing block 130 and extends into the first insertion hole 132, thereby fixing the first torsion arm 121, and the first torsion arm 121 of the first torsion spring 120 can rotate together with the rotating shaft 110; the fixing base 200 also includes a first fixing seat 210, the first fixing seat 210 is disposed on one side of the second torsion arm 122, and the first fixing seat 210 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 230, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 10 As shown, the first fixed base 210 has a second insertion hole 211 at one end facing the second torsion arm 122. The second torsion arm 122 is inserted into the second insertion hole 211 and is limited and fixed. Thus, the second torsion arm 122 is always constrained in the second insertion hole 211 when the rotating shaft 110 rotates.

[0031] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 The rotating shaft assembly 100 shown also includes a positioning member 140, which is fixedly connected to the outside of the rotating shaft 110. The positioning member 140 is located on the side of the first fixed seat 210 away from the first torsion spring 120 and is in close contact with the first fixed seat 210. Please further combine Figure 10Understandably, the second insertion hole 211 is formed as a through hole, and the positioning member 140 is provided with multiple positioning grooves 141 on the side facing the first fixed seat 210. The positioning grooves 141 are evenly distributed around the circumference of the rotating shaft 110. The positioning member 140 rotates synchronously with the rotating shaft 110, and the positioning grooves 141 are aligned with the second insertion hole 211 of the first fixed seat 210 in sequence as the rotating shaft 110 rotates. Correspondingly, the first fixed seat 210 is also provided with a positioning ball 212 in the second insertion hole 211. The second torsion arm 122 extends into the second insertion hole 211 and contacts the positioning ball 212. Under the thrust of the second torsion arm 122, the positioning ball 212 is embedded into the corresponding positioning groove 141, so as to achieve precise locking of the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 110.

[0032] It is worth noting that when the rotating shaft 110 tends to rotate, the positioning groove 141 exerts pressure on the positioning ball 212 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 110, causing the first torsion spring 120 to compress axially. The torsion spring 120 then acts on the positioning ball 212, increasing its normal force on the groove wall of the positioning groove 141, and consequently increasing the frictional force. This forms an adaptive compensation and suppression against the rotational tendency. Even if the first torsion spring 120 experiences fatigue decay due to long-term use, the elasticity reduction caused by fatigue can be automatically compensated by increasing the frictional force between the positioning ball 212 and the groove wall of the positioning groove 141, thereby improving positioning accuracy and long-term stability.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the rotating shaft assembly 100 also includes a blocking fixing block 190. The blocking fixing block 190 is located on the side of the positioning member 140 away from the first fixing seat 210 and is in close contact with the positioning member 140. The blocking fixing block 190 is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft 110 and fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 110 to abut against the positioning member 140 to prevent it from being displaced along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 110 due to long-term force, so as to ensure that the fitting accuracy between the positioning groove 141 and the positioning ball 212 remains stable during long-term use.

[0034] It is understood that the positioning component 140, the first fixing block 130, and the blocking fixing block 190 can be fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 110 by means of threaded fastening, welding, or snap-fit ​​connection. In this embodiment, the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 is specifically described using threaded fastening as an example. Figure 3 and Figure 7As shown, the first fixing block 130 has three first fixing holes 131 radially along the rotating shaft 110. Each first fixing hole 131 is a threaded hole. The three first fixing holes 131 connect inward to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 and outward to the outside. The included angle between the axes of two adjacent first fixing holes 131 is 120°, thus forming a structure with uniform circumferential force. After screwing the fastening screw into the threaded hole, the positioning member 140 can be firmly locked to the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 110, ensuring that there is no relative sliding between it and the rotating shaft 110. Similarly, as... Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the positioning member 140 also has three second fixing holes 144 formed as threaded holes along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 110. The positioning member 140 is fastened to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 through the second fixing holes 144. Similarly, the blocking fixing block 190 is provided with three fifth fixing holes 191 formed as threaded holes. The blocking fixing block 190 is fastened to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 through the fifth fixing holes 191.

[0035] Of course, the number of threaded holes mentioned above is not limited to three; it can be increased to four or more depending on the actual load requirements.

[0036] In addition, such as Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, there can be multiple first insertion holes 132, which are evenly distributed circumferentially along the rotating shaft 110 to facilitate adjustment of the preset torque of the first torsion spring 120 as needed; similarly, as Figure 3 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, multiple second sockets 211 can be provided on the first fixed base 210, and each second socket 211 is equipped with a corresponding positioning ball 212 to facilitate multi-level precise adjustment of the preset torque of the first torsion spring 120. In addition, by providing multiple first sockets 132 and multiple second sockets 211, when the elasticity of the first torsion spring 120 decreases due to fatigue, the first torsion spring 120 can be manually adjusted by switching the positions of the first torsion arm 121 and the second torsion arm 122 to the first socket 132 and the second socket 211, so that the first torsion spring 120 can be restored to the required preset torque.

[0037] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the positioning member 140 includes a first positioning surface 142 and a second positioning surface 143 opposite to each other along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 110. Both the first positioning surface 142 and the second positioning surface 143 are provided with positioning grooves 141. The positioning groove 141 on the first positioning surface 142 is the first positioning groove 1411, which is formed in a spherical shape, and its inner wall surface is an arc-shaped surface with the same radius of curvature as the surface of the positioning ball 212. The positioning groove 141 on the second positioning surface 143 is formed as the second positioning groove 1412. Multiple positioning protrusions 1431 protrude from the second positioning surface 143, and each positioning protrusion 1431 is evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. Thus, the second positioning groove 1412 is surrounded by two adjacent positioning protrusions 1431.

[0038] In some embodiments, the positioning protrusion 1431 of the second positioning surface 143 further extends a section of inclined surface in the circumferential direction. The inclined surface extends to the second positioning surface 143 and can provide guidance for the sliding of the positioning ball 212 on the second positioning surface 143, so that it can smoothly slide into the adjacent positioning groove 141 when the torque of the torsion spring changes, avoiding jamming. In addition, when the rotating shaft 110 has a tendency to rotate, the inclined surface can exert pressure on the positioning ball 212 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 110, causing the first torsion spring 120 to be compressed axially. The torsion spring 120 reacts to the positioning ball 212, increasing the normal force on the groove wall of the positioning groove 141, and the frictional force increases accordingly, thereby forming an adaptive compensation suppression of the rotation tendency.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the rotating shaft assembly 100 also includes a first sleeve 150 and a sleeve limiting block 160. The first sleeve 150 is sleeved on the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 and can rotate relative to the rotating shaft 110. A first torsion spring 120 is sleeved on the outside of the first sleeve 150. The sleeve limiting block 160 is disposed between the first torsion spring 120 and the first fixed seat 210. The sleeve limiting block 160 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 110 and abuts against the end of the first sleeve 150. It can be understood that the first torsion spring 120 rotates with the rotating shaft 110. The first sleeve 150 will rotate synchronously, while the first fixed seat 210 remains fixed during the rotation of the shaft 110. To prevent the first sleeve 150, along with the torsion spring, from moving axially along the shaft 110 towards the first fixed seat 210 and interfering with it, a sleeve limiting block 160 is provided between the first torsion spring 120 and the first fixed seat 210. This block can effectively constrain the axial displacement of the first sleeve 150, ensuring that it only rotates circumferentially and does not move axially along the shaft 110.

[0040] It is worth noting that the sleeve limiting block 160 and the rotating shaft 110 can also be fixedly connected by thread fastening. The sleeve limiting block 160 has three third fixing holes 161 formed as threaded holes along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 110. The three third fixing holes 161 are connected inward to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 and outward to the outside. The included angle between the hole axes of two adjacent third fixing holes 161 is 120°, thus forming a structure with uniform force in the circumference. After the fastening screw is screwed into the threaded hole, the positioning part 140 can be firmly locked to the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 110, ensuring that there is no relative sliding between it and the rotating shaft 110.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the rotating shaft assembly 100 also includes a second torsion spring 170 and a second fixing block 180. The second torsion spring 170 is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft 110, and the second fixing block 180 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 110. The second fixing block 180 is located on the rotating shaft 110 at one end away from the blocking fixing block 190. The fixed base 200 also includes a second fixing seat 220, which is fixed to the fixed base 200. The second fixing seat is close to the blocking fixing block 190 and located on the side of the blocking fixing block 190 away from the positioning member 140. The second torsion spring 170 includes a third torsion arm 171 and a fourth torsion arm 172. The third torsion arm 171 is fixedly connected to the second fixing block 180, and the fourth torsion arm 172 is fixedly connected to the fixed base 200. When the rotating shaft 110 rotates, the first torsion spring 120 and the second torsion spring 170 synchronously store or release elastic potential energy. Specifically, the second fixing block 180 is provided with a third insertion hole 182, and the third torsion arm 171 is inserted into the third insertion hole 182 to achieve a rigid connection between the third torsion arm 171 and the second fixing block 180. The second fixing seat 220 is provided with a fourth insertion hole 221, and the fourth torsion arm 172 is inserted into the fourth insertion hole 221 to achieve a rigid connection with the second fixing seat 220. Thus, the second torsion spring 170 and the first torsion spring 120 are symmetrical about the perpendicular bisector of the axis of rotation 110, and the second fixing block 180 and the first fixing block 130 are symmetrical about the perpendicular bisector of the axis of rotation 110.

[0042] Furthermore, the rotating shaft assembly 100 also includes a second sleeve, which is sleeved on the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 and can rotate relative to the rotating shaft 110. A second torsion spring 170 is sleeved on the outside of the second sleeve, and the second torsion spring 170 will drive the second sleeve to rotate synchronously as the rotating shaft 110 rotates.

[0043] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3In the embodiment, the first torsion spring 120 and the second torsion spring 170 rotate in opposite directions. The first torsion spring 120 and the second torsion spring 170 are both located between the first fixing block 130 and the second fixing block 180. The rotating shaft 110 transmits elastic potential energy to the two torsion springs or receives elastic potential energy from the torsion springs through the first fixing block 130 and the second fixing block 180, respectively. On the one hand, by setting the second torsion spring 170 with the opposite rotation direction to the first torsion spring 120, the axial force generated by the first torsion spring 120 can be effectively balanced, reducing the risk of off-center loading of the rotating shaft assembly 100 as a whole. On the other hand, the reaction force generated by the second torsion spring 170 on the second fixing block 180 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 110 can make the first torsion spring 120 and the first fixing block 130 of the rotating shaft assembly 100 always tend to press towards the positioning member 140.

[0044] It is worth noting that the second fixing block 180 and the rotating shaft 110 can also be fixedly connected by thread fastening. The second fixing block 180 has three fourth fixing holes 181 formed as threaded holes along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 110. The three fourth fixing holes 181 are connected inward to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 110 and outward to the outside. The included angle between the hole axes of two adjacent fourth fixing holes 181 is 120°, thus forming a structure with uniform force in the circumference. After the fastening screw is screwed into the threaded hole, the positioning part 140 can be firmly locked to the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 110, ensuring that there is no relative sliding between it and the rotating shaft 110.

[0045] Please see Figure 1 Another embodiment of this application discloses a griddle 2000, which includes the aforementioned self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000, a lower griddle 300, an upper griddle 400, and a frame 500. The lower griddle 300 includes a first heating surface for placing and cooking food. The upper griddle 400 includes a second heating surface and is capable of covering the lower griddle 300. When the upper griddle 400 covers the lower griddle 300, the second heating surface is close to the first heating surface, so as to be in sync with the first heating surface. The food is cooked on two opposite sides at the same time; wherein, the fixed base 200 of the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 is fixedly connected to the frame 500, the lower plate 300 is fixedly connected to the frame 500, and the upper plate 400 is hinged to the fixed base 200 through the rotating shaft assembly 100 of the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000, thereby hinged to the frame 500. Thus, the upper plate 400 can move closer to or further away from the lower plate 300 through the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 and achieve multi-angle positioning.

[0046] In other words, the grill 2000 is a flip-top grill 2000 with an upper grill plate 400. The upper grill plate 400 also has a second heating surface for cooking food. The upper grill plate 400 and the lower grill plate 300 work together to achieve even heating of food and meet the needs of making specific dishes (such as melted cheese). The grill 2000 also includes two rotating rods 600, which are located on opposite sides of the upper grill plate 400. The lower ends of the two rotating rods 600 are rigidly connected to both ends of the rotating shaft 110, and the upper ends of the two rotating rods 600 are connected by a handle. The user can control the rotation angle of the rods by operating the handle. The middle part of the rotating rod 600 is hinged to the upper grill plate 400, and the upper grill plate 400 can move as the rotating rod 600 rotates.

[0047] By applying the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 of one embodiment of this application to the griddle 2000, the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 110 is positioned. When the rotating shaft 110 tends to rotate, the positioning groove 141 exerts pressure on the positioning ball 212 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 110, causing the first torsion spring 120 to compress axially. The first torsion spring 120 reacts to the positioning ball 212, increasing its normal force on the groove wall of the positioning groove 141, and the frictional force increases accordingly, thereby forming an adaptive compensation and suppression of the rotational tendency. Even if the first torsion spring 120 experiences fatigue attenuation due to long-term use, the elasticity reduction problem caused by fatigue of the first torsion spring 120 can be automatically compensated by increasing the frictional force between the positioning ball 212 and the groove wall of the positioning groove 141, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the opening and closing of the upper griddle 400 in the griddle 2000 and its long-term stability.

[0048] In some embodiments, when the upper flap 400 closes the lower flap 300, the first torsion spring 120 of the rotating shaft 110 mechanism stores elastic potential energy that can cause the first torsion spring 120 to reset. This elastic potential energy is released when the upper flap 400 is opened, so as to save the force required to open the upper flap 400. When the upper flap 400 moves from the open state to the closed state, the elastic potential energy of the first torsion spring 120 accumulates to provide a buffer for the upper flap 400.

[0049] In other words, both the first torsion spring 120 and the second torsion spring 170 have pre-stored elastic potential energy. When the user operates the lever 600 to open the upper plate 400, the first torsion spring 120 and the second torsion spring 170 in the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 provide upward torque for the rotation of the lever 600, reducing the force required by the user. When the user operates the lever 600 to close the upper plate 400 close to the lower plate 300, the torsion spring in the rotating shaft 110 structure always provides upward elastic potential energy, providing a buffer for the closing process of the upper plate 400. Moreover, as the downward rotation angle of the lever 600 increases, the upward buffering force provided by the torsion spring is greater, which can better prevent the food on the lower plate 300 from being crushed when the upper plate 400 is closed.

[0050] It is understood that the self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 of this application is not limited to the griddle 2000. Another embodiment of this application discloses a commercial kitchen equipment, such as ovens, dishwashers and flip-top integrated stoves, which are devices that need to overcome gravity to open and close. They can all include the above-mentioned self-compensating positioning mechanism 1000 to achieve precise positioning of the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 110 and have long-term stability.

[0051] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. A self-compensating positioning mechanism, characterized in that, include: A rotating shaft assembly includes a rotating shaft, a first torsion spring, a first fixing block, and a positioning member. The first torsion spring is sleeved on the outer surface of the rotating shaft and has a gap with the rotating shaft. The first fixing block is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The first torsion spring includes a first torsion arm and a second torsion arm. The first torsion arm is fixed to the first fixing block. The positioning member is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. A fixed base includes a first fixed base, on which a second insertion hole and a positioning ball are provided. The positioning ball is disposed in the second insertion hole, and a second torsion arm extends into the second insertion hole and abuts against the positioning ball. The first fixing seat is disposed between the first torsion spring and the positioning member. The positioning member has multiple positioning grooves on its circumferential path as it rotates with the rotating shaft. The positioning grooves can rotate with the rotating shaft to a position directly opposite the second insertion hole. The second torsion arm of the first torsion spring abuts against the positioning ball so that the positioning ball is embedded in the positioning groove.

2. The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning groove is spherical, and its inner wall is an arc-shaped surface with the same radius of curvature as the surface of the positioning ball.

3. The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning element has multiple positioning protrusions protruding along its circumferential path as it rotates with the shaft, and two adjacent positioning protrusions form the positioning groove.

4. The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning element includes a first positioning surface and a second positioning surface opposite each other along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The positioning groove includes a first positioning groove and a second positioning groove. The first positioning groove is disposed on the first positioning surface, and the second positioning groove is disposed on the second positioning surface. The first positioning groove is spherical, and its inner wall surface is an arc-shaped surface with the same radius of curvature as the surface of the positioning ball. The second positioning surface has a plurality of positioning protrusions protruding along its circumferential path as it rotates with the rotating shaft. Two adjacent positioning protrusions form the second positioning groove.

5. The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating shaft assembly further includes a first sleeve and a sleeve limiting block. The first sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the rotating shaft. The first torsion spring is sleeved on the outside of the first sleeve. The sleeve limiting block is disposed between the first torsion spring and the first fixed seat. The sleeve limiting block is fixed to the rotating shaft and abuts against the end of the first sleeve to limit its axial displacement.

6. The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating shaft assembly further includes a second torsion spring and a second fixing block. The second torsion spring is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft, and the second fixing block is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The second torsion spring and the first torsion spring are symmetrical about the perpendicular bisector of the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the second fixing block and the first fixing block are symmetrical about the perpendicular bisector of the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The first torsion spring and the second torsion spring have opposite directions of rotation. The second torsion spring includes a third torsion arm and a fourth torsion arm. The third torsion arm is fixedly connected to the second fixing block, and the fourth torsion arm is fixedly connected to the fixing base.

7. The self-compensating positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating shaft assembly further includes a blocking and fixing block, which is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The positioning member is located between the blocking and fixing block and the first fixing block, with one end of the blocking and fixing block facing the positioning member abutting against the positioning member.

8. A griddle, characterized in that, include: The self-compensating positioning mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The bottom plate includes a first heating surface for placing and cooking food. The upper griddle includes a second heating surface, which can cover the lower griddle. When the upper griddle covers the lower griddle, the second heating surface is close to the first heating surface so as to cook the two opposite sides of the food simultaneously with the first heating surface. The frame has one end of the upper plate hinged to it via the rotating shaft assembly of the self-compensating positioning mechanism, the lower plate fixedly connected to the frame, and the fixed base of the self-compensating positioning mechanism fixedly connected to the frame.

9. The griddle according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the upper plate covers the lower plate, the first torsion spring of the rotating shaft mechanism stores elastic potential energy that can cause the first torsion spring to return to its original position. This elastic potential energy is released when the upper plate is opened, so as to save the force required to open the upper plate. When the upper plate moves from the open state to the closed state, the elastic potential energy of the first torsion spring accumulates to provide cushioning for the upper plate.

10. A commercial kitchen appliance, characterized in that, Includes the self-compensating positioning mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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