Door case apparatus and automatic door opening and closing method

Abstract

The application relates to a door box device and an automatic door opening and closing method. The door box device comprises a box assembly, a door assembly rotatably arranged on the box assembly, a driving assembly arranged between the box assembly and the door assembly and used for applying a size-adjustable torque to the door assembly to automatically open and close the door assembly in a range larger than a preset door opening angle, and a lock assembly arranged between the box assembly and the door assembly and switched between a retracted locking state, an extended locking state and an extended unlocking state; when the lock assembly is switched from the retracted locking state to the extended locking state, the lock assembly pushes the door assembly forward to the preset door opening angle; when the lock assembly is switched between the extended locking state and the extended unlocking state, the lock assembly unlocks or locks the door assembly at the preset door opening angle; and when the lock assembly is switched from the extended locking state to the retracted locking state, the lock assembly pulls the door assembly at the preset door opening angle backward.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of home appliance technology, and in particular to a door box device and an automatic door opening and closing method. Background Technology

[0002] Door-mounted appliances, such as built-in dishwashers, are commonly used home appliances. To improve the user's door opening and closing experience, some door-mounted appliances use a hinge spring system to balance or differentiate the torque generated by the hinge spring with the door's weight torque, allowing the door to hover or remain stationary at a certain angle. This hinge spring system mainly consists of a spring, a cord, and a hinge. The hinge is positioned between the door and the cabinet, and the spring is connected to the hinge via the cord to apply a tensile torque to the door. This system only allows the door to hover or remain stationary at a certain angle; it cannot achieve automatic opening and closing and still requires manual operation.

[0003] To achieve automatic door opening and closing, some door enclosures incorporate a drive motor between a tension spring and the enclosure body. The motor alters the position of the tension spring, thereby changing the torque exerted by the pull cord on the door, thus enabling automatic opening and closing. However, at the final stage of closing (i.e., when the door is closed at a small angle), the driving force provided by the motor must overcome not only the door's own weight but also the door sealing force. This necessitates the motor to provide an extremely high driving force to achieve automatic closing at a small angle. Furthermore, limitations in motor power and installation space make it difficult to achieve automatic closing at small angles using only a drive motor. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to address the problem that existing door box devices cannot achieve automatic closing at small angles by relying solely on drive motors. This application provides a door box device and an automatic door opening and closing method that can achieve automatic opening and closing at all angles using a low-power drive motor, thereby improving the user experience.

[0005] In one embodiment of this application, a door box device is provided, comprising:

[0006] Box assembly;

[0007] A door assembly is rotatably disposed on the box assembly;

[0008] A drive assembly, disposed between the housing assembly and the door assembly, is used to apply an adjustable torque to the door assembly to automatically open and close the door within a range greater than a preset opening angle; and

[0009] A locking assembly is disposed between the box assembly and the door assembly, and switches between a retracted locked state, an extended locked state, and an extended unlocked state;

[0010] When the lock assembly switches from the retracted locked state to the extended locked state, the lock assembly pushes the door assembly forward to the preset opening angle; when the lock assembly switches between the extended locked state and the extended unlocked state, the lock assembly unlocks or locks the door assembly at the preset opening angle; when the lock assembly switches from the extended locked state to the retracted locked state, the lock assembly pulls the door assembly at the preset opening angle backward.

[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the preset door opening angle is between 1° and 4°.

[0012] In one embodiment of this application, the box assembly includes a base and a box body mounted on the base; the door assembly is rotatably connected to the base; the drive assembly is disposed between the base and the door assembly; and the lock assembly is disposed between the top of the box body and the door assembly.

[0013] In one embodiment of this application, the lock assembly includes a lock body mounted on the housing and having a latch, and a latch mounted on the door assembly; when the lock assembly is in the retracted locked state, the latch retracts and locks the latch; when the lock assembly is in the extended locked state, the latch extends and locks the latch; when the lock assembly is in the extended unlocked state, the latch extends and releases the latch.

[0014] In one embodiment of this application, the extension distance of the locking tongue is between 10 mm and 30 mm.

[0015] In one embodiment of this application, the lock body includes a housing fixedly connected to the box body, a push rod mechanism movably disposed within the housing, a first drive mechanism disposed within the housing and drivenly connected to the push rod mechanism, a pair of grippers rotatably disposed within the push rod mechanism, a signal connection plate slidably disposed between the two grippers and connected to the push rod mechanism, a first micro switch mounted on the housing and cooperating with the push rod mechanism, and a second micro switch mounted on the housing and cooperating with the signal connection plate.

[0016] In one embodiment of this application, the push rod mechanism includes a drive plate that is slidably mounted on the housing and drivenly connected to the first drive mechanism, a push plate that is slidably mounted on the housing and elastically connected to the drive plate, a locking body that is slidably disposed on the push plate, and a swing rod that is rotatably disposed on the push plate and whose two ends are respectively limitedly connected to the drive plate and the locking body; two grippers are rotatably disposed on the push plate and abut against the locking body.

[0017] In one embodiment of this application, one end of the swing arm abuts against the drive plate, and the other end of the swing arm is rotatably inserted into the locking body; the push rod mechanism further includes a locking spring disposed between the locking body and the push plate, for applying a force toward the claw to the locking body; the signal connection plate is slidably disposed on the push plate, and the signal connection plate is elastically connected to the locking body.

[0018] In one embodiment of this application, the drive assembly includes a second drive mechanism mounted on the base and a flexible member drivenly connected to the second drive mechanism, the flexible member being limitedly connected to the door assembly;

[0019] The second drive mechanism includes a second drive motor mounted on the base, a lead screw that is driven by the second drive motor and extends back and forth, and a linkage component that is slidably disposed on the base and threadedly connected to the lead screw; the linkage component is limitedly connected to one end of the flexible component;

[0020] The drive assembly also includes an elastic element disposed on the base, the elastic element being limited and connected to the linkage element.

[0021] According to another aspect of this application, this application further provides an automatic door opening and closing method, including the steps of:

[0022] During the opening process:

[0023] The control lock assembly switches from the retracted locked state to the extended locked state to push the door assembly forward to the preset opening angle;

[0024] Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended locked state to the extended unlocked state, thereby releasing the lock on the door assembly; and

[0025] The drive component is controlled to reduce the torque applied to the door component, so that the door component opens automatically within a range greater than the preset opening angle;

[0026] During the closing process:

[0027] Control the operation of the drive component to increase the torque applied to the door component, so that the door component automatically closes to the preset opening angle;

[0028] Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended unlocked state to the extended locked state to lock the door assembly; and

[0029] Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended locking state to the retracted locking state, so that the door assembly can be pulled back to automatically close the door within a range smaller than the preset opening angle.

[0030] In summary, because the lock assembly directly pulls the door assembly backward to close the door during the small-angle automatic closing process, and the lever arm of the lock assembly applying force to the door assembly is relatively large, the lock assembly can apply a large torque to the door assembly with a small force. Therefore, the door assembly can overcome the door sealing force under the action of the lock assembly alone. This allows the drive assembly to provide a small driving force to overcome the weight of the door assembly itself, so as to achieve small-angle automatic closing with a low-power drive motor and improve the user experience.

[0031] Furthermore, during the process of opening the door at a small angle, the lock assembly directly pushes the door assembly forward to open the door, and the lock assembly always locks the door assembly during this process. This can effectively prevent the door assembly from opening too quickly under the action of door sealing force and / or other door-pushing forces, and avoid the problem of shaking caused by being out of sync with the motor of the drive assembly. This helps to ensure the smoothness of automatic door opening at a small angle. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a door box device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the state of the door box device according to the above embodiment of this application when it is at a predetermined door opening angle is shown;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the state of the door box device according to the above embodiments of this application when the door is closed is shown;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the drive assembly and displacement hinge assembly in the door box device according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0036] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the state in which the lock assembly in the door box device according to the above embodiments of this application is in a retracted and locked state is shown;

[0037] Figure 6 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the retracted and locked state is shown;

[0038] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the retracted and locked state is shown, omitting the upper housing and push plate.

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the state in which the lock assembly is in the extended locked state in the door box device according to the above embodiments of this application is illustrated.

[0040] Figure 9 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the extended locked state is shown;

[0041] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the extended locked state is shown, omitting the upper housing and push plate.

[0042] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the extended locked state is shown with the lower housing omitted.

[0043] Figure 12 A schematic diagram showing the state in which the lock assembly in the door box device according to the above embodiments of this application is in the extended unlocked state is shown;

[0044] Figure 13 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the extended unlocked state is shown;

[0045] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the lock assembly in the extended unlocked state is shown, omitting the upper housing and push plate.

[0046] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the door opening process of an automatic door opening and closing method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the closing process of the automatic door opening and closing method according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.

[0048] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0049] 10. Box assembly; 11. Base; 12. Box body; 20. Door assembly; 30. Drive assembly; 31. Second drive mechanism; 311. Second drive motor; 312. Lead screw; 313. Linkage component; 32. Flexible component; 33. Guide wheel assembly; 331. First guide wheel; 332. Second guide wheel; 34. Elastic component; 40. Lock assembly; 401. Retracted locked state; 402. Extended locked state; 403. Extended unlocked state; 41. Lock body; 410. Lock tongue; 411. Housing; 412. Push rod Mechanism; 4121, Drive plate; 4122, Push plate; 4123, Locking body; 4124, Rocker arm; 4125, Locking spring; 413, First drive mechanism; 4131, First drive motor; 4132, Transmission gear set; 414, Claw gripper; 415, Signal connection plate; 416, First micro switch; 417, Second micro switch; 42, Locking latch; 50, Displacement hinge assembly; 51, Hinge base frame; 52, Hinge bracket; 53, Link assembly; 531, First link; 532, Second link.

[0050] The above description of the main component symbols, together with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0051] 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.

[0052] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0053] 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.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] Considering that existing door lockers typically have a door seal between the lock and the door to improve the sealing effect after closing, the equivalent force F3 exerted by the door seal on the lock at the final stage of closing (such as when closing at a small angle between 0° and 2°) is usually 10N to 30N, and the lever arm of the equivalent force F3 is quite large, typically 600mm to 650mm; while the lever arm of the pull force exerted by the drive motor on the door through the pull rope is very small, typically 15mm. Therefore, to overcome the door seal force, the drive motor needs an additional force F0 = F3 × 650 ÷ 15 = 43F3 on the pull rope, meaning the additional driving force F0 of the drive motor is approximately between 430N and 1300N. However, due to space and cost constraints, the output driving force of the drive motor is usually less than 200N, so the force exerted by the drive motor on the pull rope alone cannot overcome the door seal force, thus failing to achieve automatic closing at small angles. Therefore, the applicant has designed a door box device and an automatic door opening and closing method, which can achieve automatic door opening and closing at all angles using a low-power drive motor, thereby improving the user experience.

[0056] Specifically, see the attached document. Figures 1 to 14 As shown, one embodiment of this application provides a door enclosure device, which may include an enclosure assembly 10, a door assembly 20 rotatably disposed on the enclosure assembly 10, a drive assembly 30, and a lock assembly 40. The drive assembly 30 is disposed between the enclosure assembly 10 and the door assembly 20, and is used to apply an adjustable torque to the door assembly 20 to automatically open and close the door within a range greater than a preset opening angle θ. The lock assembly 40 is disposed between the enclosure assembly 10 and the door assembly 20, and switches between a retracted locking state 401, an extended locking state 402, and an extended unlocking state 403. It is understood that the door enclosure device of this application may, but is not limited to, be implemented as other embedded devices such as an embedded dishwasher or an embedded refrigerator; furthermore, the door enclosure device of this application may also include, but is not limited to, functional entities capable of performing functions such as dishwashing or refrigeration, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0057] like Figures 2 to 11 As shown, when the lock assembly 40 switches from the retracted locking state 401 to the extended locking state 402, the lock assembly 40 pushes the door assembly 20 forward to the preset opening angle θ, so that the door assembly 20 automatically opens within a range smaller than the preset opening angle θ; as Figures 8 to 14As shown, when the lock assembly 40 switches between the extended locking state 402 and the extended unlocking state 403, the lock assembly 40 unlocks or locks the door assembly 20 at the preset opening angle θ; when the lock assembly 40 switches from the extended locking state 402 to the retracted locking state 401, the lock assembly 40 pulls the door assembly 20 at the preset opening angle θ backward, so that the door assembly 20 automatically closes within a range smaller than the preset opening angle θ.

[0058] More specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the preset door opening angle θ mentioned in this application can be between 1° and 4°. Preferably, the preset door opening angle θ is between 2° and 3°. It is understood that the preset door opening angle θ mentioned in this application refers to the angle between the door assembly 20 and the box assembly 10 when the lock assembly 40 is in the extended locked state 402 or the extended unlocked state 403; furthermore, when the door box device has finished closing, the angle between the door assembly 20 and the box assembly 10 is zero.

[0059] Thus, when automatic door opening is required, the lock assembly 40 first switches from the retracted locking state 401 to the extended locking state 402 to push the door assembly 20 forward to 2° to 3°, and then switches from the extended locking state 402 to the extended unlocking state 403 to unlock the door assembly 20 at 2° to 3°. At this time, the door assembly 20 can continue to automatically open from 2° to 3° under the combined action of its own gravity and the driving force of the drive assembly 30, so as to realize the automatic opening of the door assembly 20 at all angles.

[0060] Similarly, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when automatic closing is required, the door assembly 20 can automatically close under the combined action of its own gravity and the driving force of the drive assembly 30, so that the door assembly 20 rotates to 2° to 3°. At this time, the lock assembly 40 first switches from the extended unlock state 403 to the extended lock state 402 to lock the door assembly 20 at 2° to 3°, and then switches from the extended lock state 402 to the retracted lock state 401 to pull the door assembly 20 backward to complete the closing, thereby realizing the automatic closing of the door assembly 20 at all angles.

[0061] It is worth noting that, during the automatic closing process at a small angle, the lock assembly 40 directly pulls the door assembly 20 backward to close the door, and the lever arm of the lock assembly 40 applying force to the door assembly 20 is relatively large. This allows the lock assembly 40 to apply a small force to the door assembly 20 and thus a large torque. As a result, the door assembly 20 can overcome the door sealing force under the action of the lock assembly 40 alone. This allows the drive assembly 30 to provide a small driving force to overcome the weight of the door assembly 20, thereby achieving automatic closing at a small angle with a low-power drive motor and improving the user experience.

[0062] Furthermore, during the process of opening the door at a small angle, the lock assembly 40 directly pushes the door assembly 20 forward to open the door, and during this process, the lock assembly 40 always locks the door assembly 20. This can effectively prevent the door assembly 20 from opening too quickly under the action of door sealing force and / or other door-pushing force, and avoid the problem of vibration caused by being out of sync with the motor of the drive assembly 30. This helps to ensure the smoothness of automatic door opening at a small angle.

[0063] For example, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the enclosure assembly 10 includes a base 11 and a housing 12 mounted on the base 11. The door assembly 20 is rotatably connected to the base 11. A drive assembly 30 is disposed between the base 11 and the door assembly 20 to conceal the drive assembly 30 at the bottom of the enclosure, thus ensuring the overall aesthetics of the enclosure. A lock assembly 40 is disposed between the top of the housing 12 and the door assembly 20 to maximize the lever arm of the lock assembly 40 in applying force to the door assembly 20, thereby reducing the required output force of the lock assembly 40.

[0064] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the lock assembly 40 includes a lock body 41 mounted on the housing 12 and having a latch 410, and a latch 42 mounted on the door assembly 20. When the lock assembly 40 is in the retracted locked state 401, the latch 410 of the lock body 41 retracts and locks the latch 42; when the lock assembly 40 is in the extended locked state 402, the latch 410 of the lock body 41 extends and locks the latch 42; when the lock assembly 40 is in the extended unlocked state 403, the latch 410 of the lock body 41 extends and releases the latch 42.

[0065] Optionally, the extension distance of the latch 410 of the lock body 41 is between 10mm and 30mm. Preferably, the extension distance of the latch 410 of the lock body 41 is between 20mm and 30mm. It is understood that the extension distance mentioned in this application refers to the distance the latch 410 moves when the lock assembly 40 switches from the retracted locking state 401 to the extended locking state 402.

[0066] Optionally, when the lock assembly 40 is in the retracted locked state 401, the locking force applied by the bolt 410 of the lock body 41 to the latch 42 is greater than or equal to 30N, so as to overcome the door sealing force on the door assembly 20.

[0067] Optionally, such as Figures 5 to 14 As shown, the lock body 41 includes a housing 411 fixedly connected to the housing 12, a push rod mechanism 412 movably disposed within the housing 411, a first drive mechanism 413 disposed within the housing 411 and drivenly connected to the push rod mechanism 412, a pair of grippers 414 rotatably disposed on the push rod mechanism 412, a signal connection plate 415 slidably disposed between the two grippers 414 and connected to the push rod mechanism 412, a first micro switch 416 mounted on the housing 411 and cooperating with the push rod mechanism 412, and a second micro switch 417 mounted on the housing 411 and cooperating with the signal connection plate 415. It is understood that the pair of grippers 414 mentioned in this application cooperate to form the bolt 410 of the lock body 41; of course, in other embodiments of this application, the bolt 410 of the lock body 41 may also be composed of other components such as latches. Furthermore, the housing 411 of this application can be formed by fixing an upper housing and a lower housing together, which will not be described in detail here.

[0068] In addition, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when the lock assembly 40 is in the retracted locked state, the first micro switch 416 is triggered by the push rod mechanism 412; when the lock assembly 40 is in the extended locked state and extended unlocked state, the first micro switch 416 is not triggered. When the latch 42 contacts the signal connection plate 415, the second micro switch 417 is triggered by the signal connection plate 415; when the latch 42 disengages from the signal connection plate 415, the second micro switch 417 is not triggered.

[0069] In this way, when a door opening signal is received and the door needs to be opened automatically, such as... Figures 6 to 11 As shown, firstly, the first drive mechanism 413 is controlled to move, driving the push rod mechanism 412 forward, so that the two grippers 414 grip the latch 42 and move forward with the push rod mechanism 412. At the same time, the push rod mechanism 412 disengages from the first micro switch 416 to interrupt the triggering, indicating that the lock assembly 40 begins to switch from the retracted locking state 401 to the extended locking state 402; as Figures 12 to 14As shown, when the door assembly 20 is pushed forward to the preset opening angle θ, the first drive mechanism 413 is controlled to further operate, so that the two grippers 414 open through the push rod mechanism 412 to release the latch 42, so that the lock assembly 40 completes the switch from the extended locked state 402 to the extended unlocked state 403. In addition, when the first micro switch 416 is interrupted, the drive assembly 30 is controlled to perform the opening action, so that the door assembly 20 continues to automatically open from the preset opening angle under the combined action of its own gravity and the driving force of the drive assembly 30; at this time, the latch 42 disengages from the second micro switch 417 to interrupt the triggering, indicating that the latch 42 has disengaged from the two grippers 414.

[0070] When a closing signal is received, indicating that the door needs to close automatically, the drive component 30 is controlled to operate, causing the door component 20 to automatically close to the preset opening angle under the combined action of its own gravity and the driving force of the drive component 30; at this time, if Figure 11 As shown, the latch 42 enters the two grippers 414 and contacts the signal connection plate 415 to trigger the second micro switch 417. When the second micro switch 417 is triggered, as... Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the first drive mechanism 413 is first controlled to operate, so that the push rod mechanism 412 causes the two grippers 414 to close and hold the latch 42, thereby allowing the lock assembly 40 to switch from the extended unlocked state 403 to the extended locked state 402; as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first drive mechanism 413 is further controlled to drive the push rod mechanism 412 to move backward, causing the two grippers 414 to hold the latch 42 and follow the push rod mechanism 412 to move backward until the push rod mechanism 412 triggers the first micro switch 416, indicating that the lock assembly 40 has completed the switch from the extended locked state 402 to the retracted locked state 401. It can be understood that when the first micro switch 416 is triggered by the push rod mechanism 412, the first drive mechanism 413 and the drive assembly 30 are controlled to stop operating, thus completing all the actions of automatic door closing. Afterward, other tasks that need to be performed in the closed state, such as cleaning, can be executed.

[0071] Optionally, such as Figures 6 to 14As shown, the push rod mechanism 412 includes a drive plate 4121 slidably mounted on the housing 411 and drivenly connected to the first drive mechanism 413, a push plate 4122 slidably mounted on the housing 411 and elastically connected to the drive plate 4121, a locking body 4123 slidably disposed on the push plate 4122, and a swing rod 4124 rotatably disposed on the push plate 4122 and whose two ends are respectively limitedly connected to the drive plate 4121 and the locking body 4123. Two grippers 414 are rotatably disposed on the push plate 4122 and abut against the locking body 4123.

[0072] Thus, as Figures 5 to 7 As shown, when the lock assembly 40 is in the retracted locked state 401, the push plate 4122 contacts the first micro switch 416 to be triggered; the locking body 4123 abuts against the two claws 414 to prevent the claws 414 from rotating relative to the push plate 4122, causing the two claws 414 to close and hold the latch 42. When it is necessary to open the door, as... Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the first drive mechanism 413 actuates to drive the drive plate 4121 to move forward, and the drive plate 4121 drives the push plate 4122, the locking body 4123, the swing rod 4124, the signal connection plate 415, and the gripper 414 to move forward synchronously until the push plate 4122 is limited by the housing 411 to stop moving forward, causing the locking assembly 40 to switch from the retracted locking state 401 to the extended locking state 402. Thereafter, as... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, as the first drive mechanism 413 further moves to drive the drive plate 4121 to continue moving forward, the rocker arm 4124 will rotate under the push of the drive plate 4121, thereby driving the locking body 4123 to move backward and disengage from the claw 414, so that the locking body 4123 releases the restriction on the claw 414 to allow the claw 414 to rotate relative to the push plate 4122, that is, the lock assembly 40 switches from the extended locking state 402 to the extended unlocking state 403; at this time, the latch 42 can easily disengage from the claw 414, so that the door assembly 20 can continue to open under the action of the drive assembly 30.

[0073] Optionally, such as Figure 7 , Figure 10 as well as Figure 14 As shown, one end of the rocker arm 4124 abuts against the drive plate 4121, and the other end of the rocker arm 4124 is rotatably inserted into the locking body 4123; the push rod mechanism 412 also includes a locking spring 4125 disposed between the locking body 4123 and the push plate 4122, for applying a force toward the gripper 414 to the locking body 4123.

[0074] Thus, as Figure 11 As shown, when the door assembly 20 closes to the preset opening angle under the action of the drive assembly 30, the latch 42 enters the gripper 414 to contact the signal connection plate 415 and trigger the second micro switch 417; at this time, the first drive mechanism 413 actuates to drive the drive plate 4121 to move backward and remove the pushing force applied to the rocker arm 4124, while the locking body 4123 moves forward under the action of the locking spring 4125 to abut against the gripper 414, so that the locking body 4123 drives the gripper 414 to close and restricts the gripper 414 relative to the push plate 4124. 122 rotates, that is, the lock assembly 40 switches from the extended unlocked state 403 to the extended locked state 402; thereafter, as the first drive mechanism 413 further moves to drive the drive plate 4121 to continue to move backward, the drive plate 4121 will drive the push plate 4122, the locking body 4123, the swing rod 4124, the signal connection plate 415 and the gripper 414 to move backward synchronously until the push plate 4122 triggers the first micro switch 416 to stop moving backward, so that the lock assembly 40 switches from the extended locked state 402 to the retracted locked state 401.

[0075] Optionally, such as Figure 11 As shown, the signal connection plate 415 is slidably disposed on the push plate 4122 and elastically connected to the locking body 4123. Thus, when the locking body 4123 disengages from the gripper 414 to allow the lock assembly 40 to be in the extended unlocked state 403, if the latch 42 enters the gripper 414 to abut against the signal connection plate 415, the signal connection plate 415 will move backward to trigger the second micro switch 417; if the latch 42 disengages from the gripper 414 to disengage from the signal connection plate 415, the signal connection plate 415 will move forward under elastic force to disengage from the second micro switch 417, preventing the second micro switch 417 from being triggered. This allows for precise sensing of the latch 42's position via the second micro switch 417, enabling determination of whether the latch 42 has entered or disengaged from the gripper 414. It is understood that the elastic connection mentioned in this application may refer to a connection through an elastic element such as a spring, which will not be elaborated further in this application.

[0076] Optionally, such as Figure 7 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 as well as Figure 14As shown, the first drive mechanism 413 includes a first drive motor 4131 installed inside the housing 411 and a transmission gear set 4132 disposed between the first drive motor 4131 and the drive plate 4121 and meshing with each other, so that the first drive motor 4131 drives the drive plate 4121 to move forward or backward through the transmission gear set 4132 to realize the state switching of the lock assembly 40.

[0077] It is worth noting that the door assembly 20 of this application can be connected to the box assembly 10 via, but is not limited to, a hinge assembly. For example, the door assembly 20 can be connected to the base 11 of the box assembly 10 via a positioning hinge assembly or a displacement hinge assembly, both of which can achieve a rotatable connection of the door assembly 20 relative to the box assembly 10.

[0078] In the above embodiments of this application, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the door box device may further include a displacement hinge assembly 50 disposed between the door assembly 20 and the box assembly 10. The displacement hinge assembly 50 includes a hinge base frame 51 fixed to the base 11, a hinge bracket 52 fixed to the door assembly 20 and drivenly connected to the drive assembly 30, and a linkage assembly 53. The linkage assembly 53 includes a first link 531 whose two ends are rotatably connected to the hinge bracket 52 and the hinge base frame 51 respectively, and a second link 532 located above the first link 531 and whose two ends are rotatably connected to the hinge bracket 52 and the hinge base frame 51 respectively, to form a four-bar linkage structure.

[0079] Thus, since the second link 532 is located above the first link 531, during the opening process of the door cabinet, the rotation center of the door assembly 20 will move from the first link 531 toward the second link 532. This causes the rotation center of the door assembly 20 to rise as the opening angle increases, meaning the lower edge height of the door assembly 20 will increase during the opening process, thereby reducing the amount of cutting required by the kick plate. Similarly, the rotation center of the door assembly 20 will decrease as the closing angle increases, meaning the lower edge height of the door assembly 20 will decrease during the closing process, thereby reducing the gap between the door assembly 20 and the kick plate, which helps improve the aesthetics of the embedded installation of the door cabinet.

[0080] According to the above embodiments of this application, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the drive assembly 30 may include a second drive mechanism 31 mounted on the base 11 and a flexible member 32 drivenly connected to the second drive mechanism 31. The flexible member 32 is limitedly connected to the hinge bracket 52 and is used to apply a tensile torque to the hinge bracket 52 under the drive of the second drive mechanism 31, which is opposite in direction to the gravitational torque of the door assembly 20 and adjustable in magnitude.

[0081] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the second drive mechanism 31 includes a second drive motor 311 mounted on the base 11, a lead screw 312 that is connected to the second drive motor 311 and extends back and forth, and a linkage 313 that is slidably disposed on the base 11 and threadedly connected to the lead screw 312; the linkage 313 is limitedly connected to one end of the flexible member 32.

[0082] Preferably, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the second drive motor 311 is located at the rear of the base 11. Thus, when the lead screw 312 rotates under the drive of the second drive motor 311, the linkage 313 slides backward along the lead screw 312 to release the flexible member 32 and reduce the pulling torque applied to the door assembly 20, enabling the door assembly 20 to automatically open within a range greater than the preset opening angle. When closing is required, the lead screw 312 rotates in the opposite direction under the drive of the second drive motor 311, causing the linkage 313 to slide forward and pull the flexible member 32, increasing the pulling torque applied to the door assembly 20, enabling the door assembly 20 to automatically close within a range greater than the preset opening angle.

[0083] It is worth noting that during the opening and closing of the door, the part of the hinge bracket 52 connected to the flexible member 32 rotates with the door assembly 20, causing the direction of the reaction force exerted by the flexible member 32 on the second drive mechanism 31 to constantly change, which can easily damage the second drive mechanism 31. To solve this problem, such as... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the drive assembly 30 of this application may further include a guide wheel group 33 disposed between the second drive mechanism 31 and the hinge bracket 52. The flexible member 32 extends from the second drive mechanism 31 around the guide wheel group 33 to connect upward to the hinge bracket 52, so that the flexible segment of the flexible member 32 located between the second drive mechanism 31 and the guide wheel group 33 will not change its extension direction significantly when the door is opened.

[0084] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the guide wheel assembly 33 includes a first guide wheel 331 arranged on the base 11 and adjacent to the second drive motor 311. The flexible member 32 extends backward from the linkage member 313, passing around the first guide wheel 331 to connect forward to the hinge bracket 52, so that the flexible segment of the flexible member 32 located between the linkage member 313 and the first guide wheel 331 will not change its extension direction significantly when the door is closed. At the same time, during the opening and closing of the door, the flexible member 32 can pull the linkage member 313 substantially along the axial direction of the lead screw 312 under the guidance of the first guide wheel 331, preventing the lead screw 312 from being damaged.

[0085] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 4As shown, the guide wheel assembly 33 also includes a second guide wheel 332 located between the first guide wheel 331 and the hinge bracket 52 and adjacent to the lead screw 312. The flexible member 32 extends forward from the first guide wheel 331, passing over the second guide wheel 332 to connect upward to the hinge bracket 52. In this way, the portion of the flexible member 32 between the first guide wheel 331 and the hinge bracket 52 is recessed downward under the action of the second guide wheel 332. This not only increases the lever arm of the flexible member 32 applying tension to the hinge bracket 52, but also restricts the flexible member 32 to the bottom of the box assembly 10, so as to avoid other functional components such as air intake and exhaust assemblies and water tank assemblies on the box assembly 10, reducing the difficulty of arrangement.

[0086] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the drive assembly 30 also includes an elastic element 34 disposed on the base 11, which is limited and connected to the linkage element 313. Thus, when the second drive mechanism 31 is not in operation, the tension torque exerted by the flexible element 32 on the hinge bracket 52 under the action of the elastic element 34 can achieve torque balance with the gravitational torque of the door assembly 20, meaning the door assembly 20 can be suspended relative to the housing assembly 2, achieving door suspension. It is understood that the limiting connection mentioned in this application may include, but is not limited to, fixed connections, socket connections, and hook connections, which will not be elaborated further in this application.

[0087] In other words, the second drive motor 311 of the second drive mechanism 31 in this application does not require a large power; it only needs to provide a small driving force to disrupt the torque balance. This places lower requirements on the drive mechanism, helps reduce costs, and facilitates implementation. It is understood that the door box assembly in this application retains a conventional hinge spring system so that manual door opening and closing with a hovering function can still be completed when the second drive mechanism 31 is not in operation. That is to say, the automatic door opening and closing device 1 in this application can meet both manual and fully automatic door opening and closing needs.

[0088] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the elastic element 34 is implemented as a tension spring fitted onto the lead screw 312, and the rear end of the tension spring is fixedly connected to the linkage 313 to ensure that the tension spring is only subjected to axial force and to prevent the tension spring from being damaged.

[0089] It is worth noting that the front end of the tension spring in the drive assembly 30 can be adjusted and connected to the front of the base 11 via a snap-fit ​​plate and an adjusting screw. In this way, when the adjusting screw is rotated, the position of the front end of the tension spring will change to move away from or closer to the linkage 313, thereby changing the preload of the tension spring to adapt to the weight changes of the door assembly 20, thus meeting the suspension requirements of doors of different weights.

[0090] Furthermore, the flexible element 32 is implemented such that its two ends are respectively limited and connected to the elastic element 34 and the pull cord of the door assembly 20. For example, the two ends of the pull cord are respectively fixed by fastening rings after being folded in a U-shape, so that the two ends of the pull cord are respectively hooked to the rear end of the tension spring and the door assembly 20.

[0091] According to another aspect of this application, such as Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, one embodiment of this application further provides an automatic door opening and closing method, which may include the steps of:

[0092] During the opening process:

[0093] S110: Control the lock assembly to switch from the retracted locked state to the extended locked state, so as to push the door assembly forward to the preset opening angle;

[0094] S120: Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended locked state to the extended unlocked state, thereby releasing the lock on the door assembly; and

[0095] S130: Control the drive component to reduce the torque applied to the door component, so that the door component opens automatically within a range greater than the preset opening angle;

[0096] During the closing process:

[0097] S210: Control the operation of the drive component to increase the torque applied to the door component, so that the door component automatically closes to the preset opening angle;

[0098] S220: Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended unlocked state to the extended locked state to lock the door assembly; and

[0099] S230: Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended locking state to the retracted locking state, so as to pull the door assembly backward to automatically close the door within a range smaller than the preset opening angle.

[0100] It is worth noting that during the opening process, while steps S110 and S120 are being executed, step S130 is executed simultaneously, so that the drive component moves synchronously during the state switching of the lock component. This ensures that when the door component is at the preset opening angle, the pulling torque applied by the drive component to the door component is less than the gravitational torque of the door component, thus ensuring that the door component can open smoothly and automatically within a range greater than the preset opening angle.

[0101] Furthermore, during the closing process, while steps S220 and S230 are being executed, step S210 continues to be executed, causing the drive component to operate synchronously during the state switching of the lock component, so as to assist the lock component in pulling the door component backward, ensuring that the door component can smoothly and automatically close within a range smaller than the preset opening angle.

[0102] 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.

[0103] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and their descriptions are quite specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application's patent. 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.

Claims

1. A door-mounted equipment, characterized in that, include: Box assembly; A door assembly is rotatably disposed on the box assembly; A drive assembly is disposed between the box assembly and the door assembly for applying an adjustable torque to the door assembly so that the door assembly automatically opens and closes within a range greater than a preset opening angle. as well as A locking assembly is disposed between the box assembly and the door assembly, and switches between a retracted locked state, an extended locked state, and an extended unlocked state; When the lock assembly switches from the retracted locked state to the extended locked state, the lock assembly pushes the door assembly forward to the preset opening angle; when the lock assembly switches between the extended locked state and the extended unlocked state, the lock assembly unlocks or locks the door assembly at the preset opening angle; when the lock assembly switches from the extended locked state to the retracted locked state, the lock assembly pulls the door assembly at the preset opening angle backward.

2. The door box device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset door opening angle is between 1° and 4°.

3. The door box device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The box assembly includes a base and a box body mounted on the base; the door assembly is rotatably connected to the base; the drive assembly is disposed between the base and the door assembly; and the lock assembly is disposed between the top of the box body and the door assembly.

4. The door box device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lock assembly includes a lock body mounted on the housing and having a latch, and a latch mounted on the door assembly; when the lock assembly is in the retracted locked state, the latch retracts and locks the latch; when the lock assembly is in the extended locked state, the latch extends and locks the latch; when the lock assembly is in the extended unlocked state, the latch extends and releases the latch.

5. The door box device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The extension distance of the latch is between 10mm and 30mm.

6. The door box device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lock body includes a housing fixedly connected to the box body, a push rod mechanism movably disposed within the housing, a first drive mechanism disposed within the housing and drivenly connected to the push rod mechanism, a pair of grippers rotatably disposed within the push rod mechanism, a signal connection plate slidably disposed between the two grippers and connected to the push rod mechanism, a first micro switch mounted on the housing and cooperating with the push rod mechanism, and a second micro switch mounted on the housing and cooperating with the signal connection plate.

7. The door box device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The push rod mechanism includes a drive plate that is slidably mounted on the housing and drivenly connected to the first drive mechanism, a push plate that is slidably mounted on the housing and elastically connected to the drive plate, a locking body that is slidably disposed on the push plate, and a swing rod that is rotatably disposed on the push plate and whose two ends are respectively limitedly connected to the drive plate and the locking body; the two grippers are rotatably disposed on the push plate and abut against the locking body.

8. The door box device according to claim 7, characterized in that, One end of the swing arm abuts against the drive plate, and the other end of the swing arm is rotatably inserted into the locking body; the push rod mechanism also includes a locking spring disposed between the locking body and the push plate, for applying a force toward the claw to the locking body; the signal connection plate is slidably disposed on the push plate, and the signal connection plate is elastically connected to the locking body.

9. The door box device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a second drive mechanism mounted on the base and a flexible member drivenly connected to the second drive mechanism, the flexible member being limited and connected to the door assembly; The second drive mechanism includes a second drive motor mounted on the base, a lead screw that is driven by the second drive motor and extends back and forth, and a linkage component that is slidably disposed on the base and threadedly connected to the lead screw; the linkage component is limitedly connected to one end of the flexible component; The drive assembly also includes an elastic element disposed on the base, the elastic element being limited and connected to the linkage element.

10. An automatic door opening and closing method, characterized in that, Including the following steps: During the opening process: The control lock assembly switches from the retracted locked state to the extended locked state to push the door assembly forward to the preset opening angle; Control the lock component to switch from the extended locked state to the extended unlocked state to unlock the door component; as well as The drive component is controlled to reduce the torque applied to the door component, so that the door component opens automatically within a range greater than the preset opening angle; During the closing process: Control the operation of the drive component to increase the torque applied to the door component, so that the door component automatically closes to the preset opening angle; Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended unlocked state to the extended locked state to lock the door assembly; as well as Control the lock assembly to switch from the extended locking state to the retracted locking state, so that the door assembly can be pulled back to automatically close the door within a range smaller than the preset opening angle.

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