Drawer assembly and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model discloses a drawer assembly and a refrigerator. The drawer assembly comprises a drawer body, a first cover plate and a second cover plate. The drawer body is provided with a containing cavity and an opening communicated with the containing cavity. The first cover plate is movably arranged on the drawer body and has a closed state for covering at least part of the opening and an open state for opening the opening. The second cover plate is slidably connected to the first cover plate, and the second cover plate can cover at least part of the opening. The drawer assembly is convenient to push and pull in the refrigerator, articles in the drawer can be prevented from falling off, and the use experience of a user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of home appliance technology, and in particular to a drawer assembly and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, refrigerators are becoming increasingly common. Refrigerators typically include separate upper and lower compartments for storing items that need to be kept at different temperatures. For added convenience, refrigerators usually have drawers for storing various items.

[0003] In related technologies, items can be placed into drawers by squeezing them in. However, after the refrigerator is closed, the items tend to expand, and once frozen, the drawers become difficult to open. Furthermore, if the drawers are overcrowded, items may fall out when the drawer is pulled out, negatively impacting the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a drawer assembly and a refrigerator, which facilitates pushing and pulling in the refrigerator and can prevent items inside the drawer from falling out, thereby improving the user experience.

[0005] Specifically, this disclosure is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a drawer assembly is provided, including a drawer body, a first cover, and a second cover. The drawer body has a receiving cavity and an opening communicating with the receiving cavity. The first cover is movably disposed on the drawer body and has a closed state that covers at least part of the opening and an open state that opens the opening. The second cover is slidably connected to the first cover and is capable of covering at least part of the opening.

[0007] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects.

[0008] When using the drawer assembly, items are placed into the receiving cavity of the drawer body. After placement, the first cover is moved to cover at least part of the opening, and the second cover is moved to cover at least part of the opening as well. This ensures that items inside the drawer do not fall out under the action of the first and second covers, and that items inside the drawer assembly do not extend out and prevent the drawer assembly from being blocked. Furthermore, when it is necessary to retrieve items from the drawer assembly, the user can push the second cover to open the opening and retrieve the items from the drawer assembly. This method is convenient to operate and improves the user experience.

[0009] The technical solution disclosed herein will be further explained below.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first cover plate is slidably connected to the drawer body. Alternatively, the first cover plate is rotatably connected to the drawer body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first cover plate includes a first support member, a second support member disposed opposite to the first support member, and a receiving space. The second cover plate is slidably connected to at least one of the first and second support members and can be received within the receiving space.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second cover plate is provided with a first limiting member, which can abut against at least one of the first and second bearing members when the second cover plate covers at least part of the opening.

[0013] In one embodiment, the second support member is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the first limiting member, and when the second cover plate covers at least part of the opening, the first limiting member can abut against the side wall of the limiting groove.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first limiting member includes a first buffer portion that can abut against the sidewall of the limiting groove when the second cover plate covers at least part of the opening.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second cover plate has a protruding second limiting member. When the second cover plate is received in the receiving space, the second limiting member can abut against the first bearing member.

[0016] In one embodiment, the second limiting member includes a second buffer portion, which can abut against the first bearing member when the second cover is received in the receiving space.

[0017] In one embodiment, one of the first cover plate and the drawer body is provided with a slot, and the other is provided with a protrusion. When the first cover plate is in the closed state, the slot and the protrusion engage and are fixed in place.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator is also provided, including an inner liner and a drawer assembly as described in any of the above embodiments, the drawer assembly being disposed within the inner liner.

[0019] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects.

[0020] This drawer assembly facilitates easy pushing and pulling within the refrigerator and prevents items from falling out of the drawer, thus improving the user experience.

[0021] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this disclosure, are used to provide a further understanding of this disclosure. The illustrative embodiments of this disclosure and their descriptions are used to explain this disclosure and do not constitute an undue limitation of this disclosure.

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to one embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The refrigerator shown is a half-section view of AA.

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates the refrigeration principle of a refrigerator.

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the refrigerator's drawer assembly.

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The diagram shows the structure of the drawer assembly.

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the drawer assembly.

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the drawer assembly.

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 5 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the drawer assembly.

[0032] Figure 9 for Figure 8 The diagram shows a partially enlarged view of the drawer assembly.

[0033] Explanation of the reference numerals in the attached figures.

[0034] 1. Refrigerator; 10. Cabinet assembly; 11. Cabinet component; 12. Door component; 12a. First door; 12b. Second door; 13. Freezer compartment; 14. Refrigerated compartment; 15. Air duct; 16. Inner liner; 20. Compressor; 30. Condenser; 40. Evaporator; 50. Expansion valve; 100. Drawer assembly; 110. Drawer body; 111. Receiving cavity; 112. Opening; 113. Locking protrusion; 120. First cover plate; 121. First support member; 122. Second support member; 1221. Limiting groove; 123. Receiving space; 124. Locking slot; 130. Second cover plate; 131. First limiting member; 1311. First buffer part; 132. Mounting groove; 133. Second limiting member; 1331. Second buffer part; 140. Spindle. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0036] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. The singular forms “a” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0037] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0038] As people's living standards improve, refrigerators are becoming increasingly common. However, with a wide variety of refrigerators and brands available, consumers have many choices. How to win over consumers and enhance product competitiveness has become an increasingly important issue for refrigerator manufacturers.

[0039] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, this disclosure provides a refrigerator 1, including a cabinet assembly 10, a compressor 20, a condenser 30, an evaporator 40, and an expansion valve 50. The cabinet assembly 10 includes a cabinet component 11, a door component 12, a freezer compartment 13, and a refrigerator compartment 14. The freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerator compartment 14 are respectively disposed within the cabinet component 11. The door component includes a first door 12a and a second door 12b. The first door 12a is rotatably connected to the cabinet component to open or close the freezer compartment 13. The second door 12b is rotatably connected to the cabinet component to open or close the freezer compartment 13. The compressor 20, condenser 30, evaporator 40, and expansion valve 50 are respectively disposed within the cabinet component 11, and at least a portion of the evaporator 40 is disposed within the freezer compartment 13.

[0040] Combination Figure 3 As shown, when the refrigerator 1 is running, the compressor 20 outputs high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, which is then delivered to the condenser 30. The condenser 30 condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant into medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. This medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then undergoes expansion and throttling through the expansion valve 50, further reducing its pressure and temperature. The resulting low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant flows out of the expansion valve 50 and into the evaporator 40. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates into gaseous refrigerant within the evaporator 40. Since at least a portion of the evaporator 40 is located within the freezer compartment 13, the refrigerant absorbs a large amount of heat from the freezer compartment 13 during evaporation, thereby lowering the temperature within the freezer compartment 13 and facilitating the freezing of items, thus achieving the cooling function of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerant exiting the evaporator 40 is then returned to the compressor 20, forming a refrigerant circuit. In this way, the refrigerant continuously circulates within the refrigerant circuit to maintain the freezing environment of the freezer compartment 13 (e.g., below -1°C).

[0041] See you later Figure 2 As shown, an air duct 15 is provided between the refrigerated compartment 14 and the frozen compartment 13, which facilitates the transfer of some of the cold air from the frozen compartment 13 to the refrigerated compartment 14 through the air duct 15, so as to reduce or maintain the low temperature environment (e.g., 2°C to 8°C) of the refrigerated compartment 14.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, along the height direction of the refrigerator 1, the freezer compartment 13 is located below the refrigerator compartment 14. The refrigerator 1 also includes a first fan (not labeled) disposed on the cabinet component 11. The air inlet or outlet of the first fan is connected to the air duct 15 and is used to transport part of the cold air from the freezer compartment 13 into the refrigerator compartment 14.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the height direction of refrigerator 1 is the Z-axis direction.

[0044] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the freezer compartment 13 is covered with an insulation layer (not shown) to separate the evaporator 40 from the compressor 20 and the condenser 30.

[0045] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the freezer compartment 13 is covered with an insulation layer (not shown).

[0046] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 1 further includes a heat dissipation assembly (not shown) disposed on the cabinet component 11, which is capable of dissipating heat from the condenser 30.

[0047] In some embodiments, the cabinet component 11 also includes a fresh-keeping compartment disposed on the cabinet component 11, which is located between the refrigerated compartment 14 and the frozen compartment 13 along the height direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0048] Refrigerators typically include separate upper and lower compartments for storing items that require different temperatures. For convenient placement of items, refrigerators usually have drawers. In some cases, items are placed into the drawers by squeezing them in; however, after the refrigerator is closed, the items tend to expand, and if they freeze, the drawers may become difficult to open. Furthermore, if drawers are overcrowded, items may fall out when pulled out, negatively impacting the user experience.

[0049] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a drawer assembly 100 that facilitates pushing and pulling in the refrigerator 1 and prevents items inside the drawer from falling out, thereby improving the user experience.

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the refrigerator 1 includes an inner liner 16 and a drawer assembly 100 disposed within the inner liner 16. The drawer assembly 100 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the inner liner 16, thereby allowing the drawer assembly 100 to be pulled out of or pushed into the inner liner 16.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the drawer assembly 100 includes a drawer body 110, a first cover 120, and a second cover 130. The drawer body 110 has a receiving cavity 111 and an opening 112 communicating with the receiving cavity 111. The first cover 120 is movably disposed on the drawer body 110 and has a closed state that covers at least part of the opening 112 and an open state that opens the opening 112. The second cover 130 is slidably connected to the first cover 120 and is capable of covering at least part of the opening 112.

[0052] Thus, when a user uses the drawer assembly 100, they place items into the receiving cavity 111 of the drawer body 110. After placement, the first cover 120 is moved to cover at least a portion of the opening 112, and the second cover 130 is moved to cover at least a portion of the opening 112. This ensures that items inside the drawer are prevented from falling out under the action of the first cover 120 and the second cover 130, and that items inside the drawer assembly 100 do not extend out and prevent the drawer assembly 100 from being unable to be opened. Furthermore, when the user needs to retrieve items from the drawer assembly 100, the user can push the second cover 130 to open the opening 112 and retrieve the items from the drawer assembly 100. This method is easy to operate and improves the user experience.

[0053] Understandably, when the first cover plate 120 is in the closed state, it may be that the first cover plate 120 partially covers the opening 112, or it may be that the first cover plate 120 completely covers the opening 112.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 120 is slidably connected to the drawer body 110. Thus, the first cover plate 120 can be switched between an open state and a closed state by sliding, which is simple to operate and easy to implement, thereby helping to reduce the manufacturing cost of the drawer assembly 100.

[0055] In one example, one of the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110 is provided with a sliding groove, and the other is provided with a slider adapted to the sliding groove. The first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110 are slidably connected to the sliding groove via the slider. Thus, the sliding of the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110 is achieved through the cooperation of the sliding grooves, a method with high reliability. Furthermore, the sliding groove also acts as a limit for the slider, allowing the first cover plate 120 to slide along the sliding groove during the sliding process, achieving high positioning and motion accuracy.

[0056] Of course, it should be noted that there are other ways to achieve the sliding connection between the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110, including sliding connection through guide rails, slide rails, etc.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the first cover plate 120 is rotatably connected to the drawer body 110. Thus, the first cover plate 120 can be switched between an open and closed state by rotation. This operation is simple, the structure is simple, and it is easy to implement, thereby helping to reduce the manufacturing cost of the drawer assembly 100.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, in one example, the drawer assembly 100 also includes a pivot 140, through which the first cover 120 is rotatably connected to the drawer body 110.

[0059] Of course, it should be noted that there are other ways to achieve the rotatable connection between the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110, including but not limited to shaft connection, hinge connection, plug connection, etc.

[0060] like Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the first cover 120 includes a first support member 121, a second support member 122 disposed opposite to the first support member 121, and a receiving space 123. The second cover 130 is slidably connected to at least one of the first support member 121 and the second support member 122 and can be received within the receiving space 123. Thus, when a user needs to take an item from the drawer assembly 100, the user pushes the second cover 130 to open the opening 112 to take the item from the drawer assembly 100, and by receiving the second cover 130 within the receiving space 123, the space occupied by the second cover 130 can be reduced.

[0061] It should be noted that the sliding connection between the second cover plate 130 and at least one of the first support member 121 and the second support member 122 includes the sliding connection between the second cover plate 130 and the first support member 121, the sliding connection between the second cover plate 130 and the second support member 122, and the sliding connection between the second cover plate 130 and both the first support member and the second support member 122.

[0062] Researchers have found in practice that when the second cover 130 moves within the containment space 123, sometimes pushing or pulling the second cover 130 out of the containment space 123 will affect the user experience.

[0063] Based on this, such as Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the second cover plate 130 is provided with a first limiting member 131. When the second cover plate 130 covers at least part of the opening 112, the first limiting member 131 can abut against at least one of the first support member 121 and the second support member 122. Thus, when the user uses the drawer assembly 100, the user pulls the second cover plate 130 to cover the opening 112 of the drawer body 110. If the user pulls the second cover plate 130 to a certain distance, the first limiting member 131 will abut against at least one of the first support member 121 and the second support member 122, thereby preventing the second cover plate 130 from being pulled out of the receiving space 123 by the user, thereby improving the user experience.

[0064] It should be noted that the first limiting member 131 being able to abut against at least one of the first bearing member 121 and the second bearing member 122 includes the first limiting member 131 being able to abut against the first bearing member 121, the first limiting member 131 being able to abut against the second bearing member 122, and the first limiting member 131 being able to abut against both the first bearing member 121 and the second bearing member 122 simultaneously.

[0065] like Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the second support member 122 is provided with a limiting groove 1221 adapted to the first limiting member 131. When the second cover plate 130 covers at least part of the opening 112, the first limiting member 131 can abut against the side wall of the limiting groove 1221. Thus, when the user pulls the second cover plate 130 and the first limiting member 131 and the second support member 122 abut against each other, the limiting groove 1221 of the second support member 122 and the first limiting member 131 abut against each other, so that the limiting groove 1221 can limit the first limiting member 131, thereby preventing the second cover plate 130 from being misaligned and stuck in the receiving space 123.

[0066] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the first limiting member 131 includes a first buffer portion 1311. When the second cover plate 130 covers at least part of the opening 112, the first buffer portion 1311 can abut against the side wall of the limiting groove 1221. Thus, when the user pulls the second cover plate 130 and the first limiting member 131 and the limiting groove 1221 abut against each other, the first buffer portion 1311 can buffer the force of the collision between the second cover plate 130 and the second support member 122, avoiding damage to the second cover plate 130 and the second support member 122 due to excessive force when the user pulls the second cover plate 130, thereby improving the reliability of the drawer assembly 100.

[0067] It should be noted that the first buffer part 1311 can be made of various materials, including but not limited to rubber, silicone, sponge and other materials with cushioning effect.

[0068] In one example, the material of the first limiting member 131 includes rubber, silicone, sponge, etc.

[0069] like Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the second cover plate 130 is provided with a mounting groove 132, and the first limiting member 131 protrudes from the second cover plate 130 through the mounting groove 132. In this way, by manufacturing the first limiting member 131 and the second cover plate 130 separately and then reassembling them, it is easy to replace the first limiting member 131 when it is damaged.

[0070] In other embodiments, the first limiting member 131 and the second cover plate 130 are integrally formed. This reduces assembly steps and improves the assembly efficiency of the drawer assembly 100.

[0071] like Figure 8 as well as Figure 9As shown, in some embodiments, the second cover 130 is provided with a second limiting member 133. When the second cover 130 is received in the receiving space 123, the second limiting member 133 can abut against the first supporting member 121. Thus, when a user needs to take an item from the drawer assembly 100, the user pushes the second cover 130 to open the opening 112 to take the item from the drawer assembly 100. If the user pushes the second cover 130 to a certain distance, the second limiting member 133 will abut against the first supporting member 121, thereby preventing the second cover 130 from being pushed out of the receiving space 123 by the user, thereby improving the user experience.

[0072] In addition, by providing a second limiting member 133 on the second cover plate 130, when the user needs to pull the second cover plate 130, the user can pull the second limiting member 133 to pull the second cover plate 130, thereby making it convenient for the user to pull the second cover plate 130.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second limiting member 133 and the second cover plate 130 are integrally formed. This reduces assembly steps and improves the assembly efficiency of the drawer assembly 100.

[0074] like Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the second limiting member 133 includes a second buffer portion 1331. When the second cover plate 130 is received in the receiving space 123, the second buffer portion 1331 can abut against the first support member 121. Thus, when the user pushes the second cover plate 130 to a certain distance and the second limiting member 133 abuts against the first support member 121, the second buffer portion 1331 can buffer the force of the collision between the second cover plate 130 and the first support member 121, avoiding damage to the second cover plate 130 and the second support member 122 caused by excessive force when the user pushes the second cover plate 130, thereby improving the reliability of the drawer assembly 100.

[0075] It should be noted that the material of the second buffer part 1331 can be of various types, including but not limited to rubber, silicone, sponge and other materials with cushioning effect.

[0076] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, one of the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110 is provided with a slot 124, and the other is provided with a protrusion 113. When the first cover plate 120 is in the closed state, the slot 124 and the protrusion 113 are engaged and fixed. Thus, when a user uses the drawer assembly 100, they place an item into the receiving cavity 111 of the drawer body 110. After placement, the first cover plate 120 is moved to cover at least part of the opening 112. At this time, the first cover plate 120 is in the closed state, and the slot 124 and the protrusion 113 are engaged and fixed, thereby fixing the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110 relatively to ensure that the items in the drawer assembly 100 are contained within the receiving cavity and preventing items from falling out.

[0077] It should be noted that one of the first cover plate 120 and the drawer body 110 is provided with a slot 124 and the other is provided with a protrusion 113. This includes the first cover plate 120 being provided with a slot 124, the drawer body 110 being provided with a protrusion 113, and the first cover plate 120 being provided with a protrusion 113 and the drawer assembly 100 being provided with a slot 124.

[0078] 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.

[0079] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this disclosure, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A drawer assembly, characterized in that: include: A drawer body is provided with a receiving cavity and an opening communicating with the receiving cavity; A first cover plate, movably disposed on the drawer body, and having a closed state for covering at least a portion of the opening and an open state for opening the opening; as well as The second cover plate is slidably connected to the first cover plate, and the second cover plate can cover at least a portion of the opening.

2. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cover plate is slidably connected to the drawer body; or, the first cover plate is rotatably connected to the drawer body.

3. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cover plate includes a first bearing member, a second bearing member arranged opposite to the first bearing member, and a receiving space; the second cover plate is slidably connected to at least one of the first bearing member and the second bearing member, and can be received in the receiving space.

4. The drawer assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second cover plate is convexly provided with a first limiting member, and when the second cover plate covers at least a portion of the opening, the first limiting member can abut against at least one of the first supporting member and the second supporting member.

5. The drawer assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second bearing member is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the first limiting member, and when the second cover plate covers at least a portion of the opening, the first limiting member can abut against a side wall of the limiting groove.

6. The drawer assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first limiting member includes a first buffer portion, and when the second cover plate covers at least a portion of the opening, the first buffer portion can abut against a side wall of the limiting groove.

7. The drawer assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second cover plate is convexly provided with a second limiting member; when the second cover plate is received in the receiving space, the second limiting member can abut against the first bearing member.

8. The drawer assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second position-limiting member includes a second buffer portion, and when the second cover plate is received in the receiving space, the second buffer portion can abut against the first bearing member.

9. The drawer assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: One of the first cover plate and the drawer body is provided with a card slot, and the other is provided with a card convex; when the first cover plate is in the closed state, the card slot is fixedly engaged with the card convex.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that: It comprises an inner container and the drawer assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the drawer assembly is arranged in the inner container.

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