Side-by-side refrigerator

Abstract

The application relates to a double-door refrigerator, which comprises a first door body, a cabinet and a turnover beam. The first door body is hinged to the cabinet, and the first door body is provided with a rotating shaft. The turnover beam is rotationally connected to the first door body around the rotating shaft, and the side surface of the turnover beam is provided with a guide structure. The cabinet is provided with a sliding channel, and the sliding channel is arranged towards the first door body. The turnover beam has a vertical state and a horizontal state. When the first door body is opened, the turnover beam is in the vertical state. With the closing of the first door body, the guide structure abuts against the sliding channel and moves along the sliding channel, so that the turnover beam rotates around the rotating shaft to the horizontal state. The double-door refrigerator provided by the application can solve the problems that the turnover beam tongue and the guide groove abut against each other to realize the turnover of the turnover beam, the turnover beam is easy to fail, and the cold air in the refrigeration chamber is easy to leak through the guide groove to generate condensation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigerator technology, and in particular to a side-by-side refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] In multi-door refrigerators on the market, the refrigerator compartment doors typically use a side-by-side design. A flip-up beam is usually mounted on the left or right door. The function of the flip-up beam is to block the gap between the left and right doors, ensuring a tight seal and preventing condensation. When the door is closed, the flip-up beam rotates to a position parallel and flush with both doors, with the gap between the left and right refrigerator doors positioned precisely in the middle of the beam. When it's necessary to open the refrigerator door with the flip-up beam, the beam will rotate to a position perpendicular to that side of the door.

[0003] The typical flip-up mechanism of a refrigerator door hinge involves a guide tongue at the top of the hinge, and a guide groove corresponding to the guide tongue on the top of the inner liner. The hinge tongue engages with the guide groove to flip the door. However, with prolonged use, the refrigerator door bears weight (e.g., the door is near the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment where heavy items like beverages are placed), and the refrigerator's own weight causes the hinges connecting the door to deform, leading to the door sagging. Consequently, the hinge installed on the door sags along with the door, causing the guide tongue to lose contact with the guide groove, rendering the hinge ineffective and unable to flip. Furthermore, the guide groove in the inner liner allows cold air to easily leak through, leading to condensation at the guide groove location. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a side-by-side refrigerator to solve the problems in the relevant structure where the flip beam tongue abuts against the guide groove to achieve the flip beam flipping is prone to failure, and the cold air in the refrigerator compartment is prone to leakage through the guide groove, resulting in condensation.

[0005] A side-by-side refrigerator includes a first door, a cabinet, and a flip beam. The first door is hinged to the cabinet and has a pivot. The flip beam is rotatably connected to the first door around the pivot. A guide structure is provided on the side of the flip beam, and a slide is provided on the cabinet, with the slide facing the first door. The flip beam has a vertical state and a horizontal state. When the first door is opened, the flip beam is in the vertical state. As the first door is closed, the guide structure abuts against the slide and moves along the slide, so that the flip beam rotates around the pivot to the horizontal state.

[0006] In one embodiment, the guide structure is configured as a roller, and the slide has a guide ramp for engaging with the roller. It is understood that this configuration reduces friction between the roller and the guide ramp, allowing the roller to slide more smoothly along the guide ramp to rotate the tilting beam 30.

[0007] In one embodiment, the cabinet has a refrigerator compartment with a partition inside. A slide rail is located at one end of the partition near the first door. It is understood that with this arrangement, the partition serves as a space divider within the refrigerator compartment. By placing the slide rail at one end of the partition near the first door, it not only facilitates the cooperation between the slide rail and the guide structure (rollers), but also eliminates the need for additional structures on the cabinet for mounting the slide rail.

[0008] In one embodiment, the guide ramp is configured as an arc surface, and has a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other. The first end protrudes from the edge of the partition, and the guide ramp is tangent to the edge of the partition at the second end. It is understood that this configuration makes the guide ramp more aligned with the movement trajectory of the roller, resulting in a closer fit between the roller and the guide ramp. The guide ramp acts as a barrier to prevent the roller from rolling towards the first end, thus helping to keep the tilting beam horizontal. Furthermore, because the guide ramp is tangent to the edge of the partition at the second end, the guide ramp and the edge of the partition can be smoothly connected, thus avoiding a protrusion at the junction of the guide ramp and the edge of the partition, which could cause jitter when the roller slides.

[0009] In one embodiment, the slide is detachably mounted to the partition, and the mounting position of the slide relative to the partition is configured to be adjustable. It is understood that with this configuration, when the slide is damaged, it can be removed from the partition and replaced without replacing the entire partition. Furthermore, the mounting position of the slide relative to the partition can be adjusted according to actual needs, thereby making the relative position of the slide and the roller more closely matched.

[0010] In one embodiment, the French door refrigerator further includes a resilient reset member, which connects the first door to the tilting beam. The resilient reset member applies a force to the tilting beam to keep it vertical. Understandably, with this configuration, the resilient reset member serves to reset the tilting beam.

[0011] In one embodiment, the resilient reset element is configured as a spring. It is understood that this configuration simplifies the structure of the resilient reset element and facilitates assembly.

[0012] In one embodiment, the tilting beam has a cavity with an opening communicating with the cavity, at least a portion of the roller is mounted in the cavity and extends out of the cavity through the opening. It is understood that this configuration, with the tilting beam being a hollow structure, helps to reduce weight, and by mounting at least a portion of the roller in the cavity, the tilting beam and roller assembly structure becomes more compact, making full use of space.

[0013] In one embodiment, a roller shaft is provided inside the cavity, and the roller is rotatably connected to the roller shaft.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first door body includes a main body layer and an inner liner layer. The width of the inner liner layer is smaller than the width of the main body layer, so that the edges of the inner liner layer and the edges of the main body layer are spaced apart and enclose an assembly space. The vertically positioned flip beam is housed within the assembly space. It is understood that this arrangement makes the assembly of the first door body and the flip beam more compact.

[0015] Compared to existing technologies, the side-by-side refrigerator provided in this application utilizes a guide structure and a sliding track. During the switching process from open to closed, as the first door rotates towards the interior, the guide structure abuts against the sliding track and moves along it under the compression of the track, thus achieving rotation around the pivot to a horizontal position. Compared to related structures where the flip beam tongue abuts against the guide groove to achieve the flip beam's rotation, this application achieves the flip beam rotation through the cooperation of the guide structure and the sliding track. The contact area between the guide structure and the sliding track is larger, reducing the likelihood of poor contact leading to flip beam failure. Even if the first door sinks, misalignment between the guide structure and the sliding track can be prevented by increasing the track width. Furthermore, the side-by-side refrigerator provided in this application eliminates the guide groove located at the top of the refrigerator's inner liner, preventing cold air leakage through the guide groove and thus solving the problem of condensation easily occurring at the guide groove location. Moreover, since the guide structure is located on the side of the flip beam and the slide is set towards the first door, when the first door is closed, the guide structure and slide are hidden inside the side-by-side refrigerator, making the side-by-side refrigerator look more concise. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 An isometric drawing of the side-by-side refrigerator provided in this application;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An enlarged view at point A;

[0019] Figure 3 A front view of the side-by-side refrigerator provided in this application;

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the French door refrigerator at point BB when the first door is open.

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 3 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the French door refrigerator at point BB when the first door is closed.

[0022] Reference numerals: 100, French door refrigerator; 101, first door; 11, pivot; 12, main body layer; 13, inner liner layer; 14, assembly space; 20, cabinet; 21, slide rail; 211, guide ramp; 211a, first end; 211b, second end; 22, refrigerator compartment; 221, partition; 30, flip beam; 301, cavity; 302, opening; 303, roller shaft; 32, roller; 40, elastic reset element. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0024] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] Multi-door refrigerators on the market typically use a side-by-side door design for the refrigerator compartment. A flip-up beam is usually mounted on the left or right door. The function of the flip-up beam is to block the gap between the two doors, ensuring a tight seal and preventing condensation. When the door is closed, the flip-up beam rotates to a parallel position against both doors, with the door gap between the two sides centered on the beam. When the door with the flip-up beam needs to be opened, the beam rotates to a position perpendicular to that door. The flip-up beam typically operates as follows: a guide tongue is located at the top of the beam, and a guide groove is formed on the top of the refrigerator liner corresponding to the tongue. The tongue abuts against the guide groove to rotate the beam. However, with prolonged use, the refrigerator door may sag due to weight-bearing factors, such as the area near the refrigerator compartment wall where heavy items like beverages are placed, and the refrigerator's own weight. This can cause the hinges connecting the doors to deform. As a result, the flip beam installed on the door sinks down along with the door, causing the flip beam tongue to not contact the guide groove, thus rendering the flip beam ineffective and unable to flip. Furthermore, because the refrigerator liner has guide grooves, cold air in the refrigerator compartment can easily leak through the guide grooves, leading to condensation easily forming at the guide groove location.

[0029] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a side-by-side refrigerator 100 to solve the problems in the related structure where the flip beam tongue abuts against the guide groove to achieve the flip beam flipping is prone to failure, and the cold air in the refrigerator compartment is prone to leakage through the guide groove and condensation.

[0030] Please see Figures 1 to 5 This application provides a side-by-side refrigerator 100. Among them, Figure 1An isometric view of the side-by-side refrigerator 100 provided in this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 An enlarged view at point A; Figure 3 A front view of the side-by-side refrigerator 100 provided in this application; Figure 4 for Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of the side-by-side refrigerator 100 at BB when the first door is open; Figure 5 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the French door refrigerator 100 at point BB when the first door is closed.

[0031] The side-by-side refrigerator 100 includes a cabinet 20, a flip beam 30, a first door 101, and a second door. The first door 101 and the second door are hinged to the cabinet 20 and arranged opposite to each other. The first door 101 is provided with a pivot 11, and the flip beam 30 is rotatably connected to the first door 101 around the pivot 11. The flip beam 30 has a guide structure on its side, and the cabinet 20 has a slide 21, which faces the first door 101. The flip beam 30 has a vertical state and a horizontal state. When the first door 101 is opened, the flip beam 30 is in the vertical state. As the first door 101 is closed, the guide structure abuts against the slide 21 and moves along the slide 21, so that the flip beam 30 rotates around the pivot 11 to the horizontal state.

[0032] It should be noted that the vertical state refers to the state where the flip beam 30 rotates to be perpendicular to the first door body 101, and the horizontal state refers to the state where the flip beam 30 rotates to be parallel and in contact with the first door body 101. By setting the guide structure and the slide 21, when the first door body 101 switches from open to closed, as the first door body 101 rotates towards the direction closer to the box body 20, the guide structure can abut against the slide 21 and move along the slide 21 under the squeezing action of the slide 21, thereby realizing the rotation around the pivot 11 to the horizontal state. Compared with the form in related structures where the flip beam tongue abuts against the guide groove to realize the flip beam flipping, this application realizes the rotation of the flip beam 30 by cooperating with the guide structure and the slide 21. The cooperation area between the guide structure and the slide 21 is larger, and the problem of flip beam failure due to poor contact between the guide structure and the slide 21 is less likely to occur. Even if the first door body 101 sinks, the misalignment between the guide structure and the slide 21 can be avoided by increasing the width of the slide 21. Furthermore, the side-by-side refrigerator 100 provided in this application eliminates the guide groove located at the top of the refrigerator liner, preventing cold air leakage from the refrigerator compartment and thus solving the problem of condensation easily occurring at the guide groove location. Moreover, since the guide structure is located on the side of the flip beam 30 and the slide rail 21 faces the first door 101, when the first door 101 is closed, the guide structure and slide rail 21 are hidden inside the side-by-side refrigerator 100, resulting in a cleaner and more streamlined appearance.

[0033] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The guide structure is configured as rollers 32, and the slide 21 has a guide ramp 211, which is used to abut against the rollers 32. The friction between the rollers 32 and the guide ramp 211 is smaller, so that the rollers 32 can slide more smoothly along the guide ramp 211 to drive the tilting beam 30 to tilt.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the cabinet has a refrigerator compartment 22, and a partition 221 is provided inside the refrigerator compartment 22. A slide 21 is located at one end of the partition 221 near the first door 101. The partition 221 is a structure used to divide the space inside the refrigerator compartment 22. By setting the slide 21 at one end of the partition 221 near the first door 101, it is not only convenient for the slide 21 to cooperate with the guide structure (roller 32), but also eliminates the need to add an additional structure for installing the slide 21 on the cabinet 20.

[0035] Optionally, in one embodiment, the slide 21 is detachably mounted to the partition 221, and the mounting position of the slide 21 relative to the partition 221 is adjustable. Thus, when the slide 21 is damaged, it can be removed from the partition 221 for replacement without replacing the entire partition 221. Furthermore, the mounting position of the slide 21 relative to the partition 221 can be adjusted according to actual needs, thereby making the relative position of the slide 21 and the roller 32 more aligned. For example, with the use of the side-by-side refrigerator 100, when the first door 101 sinks due to its own weight and the load, causing the roller 32 to sink as well, the mounting position of the slide 21 relative to the partition 221 can be adjusted downwards to make the relative position of the slide 21 and the roller 32 more aligned. Alternatively, the mounting position of the slide 21 relative to the partition 221 can be adjusted left or right.

[0036] In other embodiments, the slide 21 may be configured to be integrally formed with the partition 221, specifically, the slide 21 and the partition 221 are integrally injection molded.

[0037] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the guide slope 211 is configured as an arc surface. Since the tilting beam 30 rotates around the rotating shaft 11, the movement trajectory of the roller 32 located on the side of the tilting beam 30 is an arc line rotating around the rotating shaft 11. By setting the guide slope 211 as an arc surface, the movement trajectory of the guide slope 211 and the roller 32 are better matched, thereby making the roller 32 fit more closely with the guide slope 211.

[0038] Specifically, the guide ramp 211 has a first end 211a and a second end 211b disposed opposite to each other. The first end 211a protrudes from the edge of the partition 221, and the guide ramp 211 is tangent to the edge of the partition 221 at the second end 211b. That is, along the direction from the first end 211a to the second end 211b, the height of the guide ramp 211 protruding from the partition 221 gradually decreases. As the first door 101 switches from open to closed, the roller 32 slides from the first end 211a toward the second end 211b, driving the tilting beam 30 to rotate from a vertical state to a horizontal state. Furthermore, the guide ramp 211 can block the roller 32 to prevent it from rolling toward the first end 211a, thereby helping the tilting beam 30 to maintain a horizontal state. Furthermore, since the guide slope 211 is tangent to the edge of the partition 221 at the second end 211b, the guide slope 211 and the edge of the partition 221 can be smoothly connected, thereby avoiding the appearance of a protrusion at the junction of the guide slope 211 and the edge of the partition 221, which would cause the roller 32 to vibrate when sliding.

[0039] For example, in one embodiment, the slide 21 is wedge-shaped and the thickness of the slide 21 is greater than the thickness of the partition 221.

[0040] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the tilting beam 30 has a cavity 301, and the tilting beam 30 has an opening 302 communicating with the cavity 301. At least a portion of the roller 32 is installed in the cavity 301, and at least a portion extends out of the cavity 301 through the opening 302. That is, the tilting beam 30 is configured as a hollow structure, which helps to reduce weight. Furthermore, by installing at least a portion of the roller 32 in the cavity 301, the assembly structure of the tilting beam 30 and the roller 32 is more compact, making full use of space.

[0041] For example, the opening 302 is opened at the corner position of the flip beam 30, and one-quarter of the outer periphery of the roller 32 is located inside the cavity 301, while the other outer periphery extends out of the cavity 301 through the opening 302.

[0042] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, a roller shaft 303 is provided inside the cavity 301, and a roller 32 is rotatably connected to the roller shaft 303. Specifically, the roller shaft 303 extends along the height direction of the side-by-side refrigerator 100.

[0043] like Figure 3As shown, the first door body 101 includes a main body layer 12 and an inner liner layer 13. The width of the inner liner layer 13 is smaller than the width of the main body layer 12, so that the edges of the inner liner layer 13 and the edges of the main body layer 12 are spaced apart and enclosed to form an assembly space 14. The vertically positioned flip beam 30 is housed in the assembly space 14. This makes the assembly of the first door body 101 and the flip beam 30 more compact.

[0044] The rotating shaft 11 is located on the main body layer 12, and the number of rotating shafts 11 can be configured to be multiple, with the multiple rotating shafts 11 distributed at intervals along the height direction of the side-by-side refrigerator 100. In this way, the flip beam 30 can be more firmly connected to the first door body.

[0045] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 The side-by-side refrigerator 100 also includes an elastic reset member 40. The elastic reset member 40 connects the first door 101 and the tilting beam 30, and applies a force to the tilting beam 30 to keep it vertical. Specifically, as the first door 101 closes, the tilting beam 30 rotates from a vertical to a horizontal position, causing the elastic reset member 40 to deform and accumulate elastic potential energy. When the first door 101 opens, as it rotates away from the refrigerator body 20, the roller 32 disengages from the guide ramp 211, and the tilting beam 30 returns to a vertical position under the elastic force of the elastic reset member 40. In other words, the elastic reset member 40 serves to reset the tilting beam 30.

[0046] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown, the elastic reset element 40 is configured as a spring. Specifically, it is a tension spring. Tension springs have a relatively simple structure and are easy to assemble. Specifically, one end of the tension spring is connected to the first door body 101, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the flip beam 30. Of course, the elastic reset element 40 can also be configured as a torsion spring or other elastic structures, as long as it can apply a force to the flip beam 30 to keep the flip beam 30 in a vertical state.

[0047] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A side-by-side refrigerator, characterized in that, The side-by-side refrigerator (100) includes a first door (101), a cabinet (20), and a flip beam (30). The first door (101) is hinged to the cabinet (20). The first door (101) is provided with a pivot (11). The flip beam (30) is rotatably connected to the first door (101) around the pivot (11). The flip beam (30) is provided with a guide structure on its side. The cabinet (20) is provided with a slide (21). The slide (21) is arranged facing the first door (101). The flip beam (30) has a vertical state and a horizontal state. When the first door (101) is opened, the flip beam (30) is in a vertical state. As the first door (101) is closed, the guide structure abuts against the slide (21) and moves along the slide (21) so that the flip beam (30) rotates around the pivot (11) to a horizontal state.

2. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide structure is configured as a roller (32), and the slide (21) has a guide slope (211) for engaging with the roller (32).

3. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The box has a refrigerator compartment (22), and a partition (221) is provided in the refrigerator compartment (22). The slide (21) is located at one end of the partition (221) near the first door (101).

4. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide slope (211) is configured as an arc surface, and the guide slope (211) has a first end (211a) and a second end (211b) arranged opposite to each other. The first end (211a) protrudes from the edge of the partition (221), and the guide slope (211) is tangent to the edge of the partition (221) at the second end (211b).

5. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The slide (21) is detachably mounted on the partition (221), and the mounting position of the slide (21) relative to the partition (221) is adjustable.

6. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side-by-side refrigerator (100) also includes an elastic reset member (40), which connects the first door (101) and the flip beam (30). The elastic reset member (40) is used to apply force to the flip beam (30) so that the flip beam (30) remains vertical.

7. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The elastic reset element (40) is configured as a spring.

8. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flip beam (30) has a cavity (301) and an opening (302) communicating with the cavity (301). At least a portion of the roller (32) is installed in the cavity (301) and at least a portion extends out of the cavity (301) through the opening (302).

9. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cavity (301) is provided with a roller shaft (303), and the roller (32) is rotatably connected to the roller shaft (303).

10. The side-by-side refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first door body (101) includes a main body layer (12) and an inner liner layer (13). The width of the inner liner layer (13) is smaller than the width of the main body layer (12) so that the edge of the inner liner layer (13) is spaced apart from the edge of the main body layer (12) to form an assembly space (14). The vertically positioned flip beam (30) is housed in the assembly space (14).

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