Household appliance

Abstract

A household appliance includes a housing defining at least one chamber, and a door movably connected to a front of the housing through a hinge to open or close at least a portion of the chamber, the hinge being provided in one of the housing and the door and including a shaft portion extending toward the other of the housing and the door, the household appliance further comprises a receiving groove formed in the other one of the box body and the door, a containing space is defined by the inner side wall of the receiving groove so as to receive the shaft part, on the plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft part, the section of the side wall comprises a first edge, a second edge and a third edge which are connected end to end, and the first edge, the second edge and the third edge are perpendicular to each other. And at least one wall of the first edge, the second edge and the third edge is arc-shaped. Through the hinge design of the scheme, interference between the door and the cabinet in the opening process can be reduced, the compatibility of the receiving groove is further high, and the cabinet door can be flexibly adapted to household appliances of different sizes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of household appliances, and more particularly to a household appliance. Background Art

[0002] Household appliances are widely used in people's daily life and work. For example, a refrigerator is the preferred appliance for storing and preserving items, and a microwave oven is used for heating or cooking food.

[0003] Generally, a household appliance uses a box body to form a chamber, and the chamber is closed by a door which is connected to the box body by a hinge. For example, a receiving groove is formed on the door, a hinge is installed on the box body, and a shaft of the hinge extends into the receiving groove. During the opening and closing of the door, the shaft rotates relative to the receiving groove.

[0004] With the development of home decoration, the integration of household appliances and home decoration is a very popular trend at present. Household appliances are installed in cabinets in an embedded manner, requiring a very small gap between the door of the household appliance and the cabinet, and at the same time, the door of the household appliance should be able to open at least 90°, which poses new challenges to the hinge. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] An object of embodiments of the present utility model is to provide an improved household appliance.

[0006] Therefore, embodiments of the present utility model provide a household appliance, including a box body and a door. The box body defines at least one chamber. The door is movably connected to the front of the box body through a hinge to open or close at least a part of the chamber. The hinge is disposed on one of the box body and the door and includes a shaft portion extending towards the other. The household appliance further includes: a receiving groove formed on the other of the box body and the door. An inner sidewall of the receiving groove defines a receiving space to receive the shaft portion. Wherein, on a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft portion, a cross-section of the inner sidewall includes a first side, a second side and a third side connected end to end. At least one of the first side, the second side and the third side is arc-shaped.

[0007] Most existing household appliances use a double-axis hinge to reduce the installation gap on the side of the box body, which is very complex in assembly, poor in stability and high in cost. In contrast, in this implementation, through a special design of the shapes of the shaft portion and the receiving groove, the shaft portion can move relative to the receiving groove in the receiving groove, so that the door can generate a displacement in the width direction of the household appliance, making it possible to reduce the interference between the door and the cabinet during the opening process through the hinge. Further, the receiving groove is surrounded by at least one arc and a straight line or surrounded by multiple arcs, with strong compatibility and can flexibly adapt to household appliances of different sizes.

[0008] Optionally, during the opening process of the door, the shaft portion moves relative to the receiving groove within the receiving groove, and at least three points on the outer sidewall of the shaft portion are in contact with and tangent to the inner sidewall of the receiving groove. Thus, while the door moves away from the cabinet body, it also moves towards the non-hinge side, thereby reducing the distance by which the door extends beyond the side of the cabinet body and reducing interference with the cabinet during the opening process of the door.

[0009] Optionally, the hinge includes only one shaft portion. Thus, the variable-track movement of the door is achieved through a simple single shaft to meet the installation requirements of the built-in refrigerator, and the implementation complexity is low.

[0010] Optionally, the first side, the second side, and the third side are all arc-shaped. Thus, the receiving groove is formed by connecting three circular arcs end to end, and can enclose a larger accommodating space to accommodate a thicker shaft portion, improving the structural strength of the hinge, or can release more space for the door or cabinet body where the receiving groove is opened to arrange other components for household appliances.

[0011] Optionally, the first side, the second side, and the third side are bent in a direction away from the accommodating space respectively. Thus, the three convex circular arcs are connected end to end to form a receiving groove, and the enclosed accommodating space is larger, capable of receiving a thicker shaft portion and meeting the requirement for stronger hinge shaft strength.

[0012] Optionally, the first side, the second side, and the third side are bent towards the accommodating space respectively. Thus, the entire receiving groove occupies less installation space on the door or cabinet body, and is suitable for household appliances with limited space.

[0013] Optionally, the extending lengths of the first side, the second side, and the third side are equal and the radii of curvature are equal. Thus, the appearance of the household appliance can be made more beautiful and it is easy to manufacture.

[0014] Optionally, there is an arc transition between any two of the first side, the second side, and the third side, or a flat buffer section is provided at the connection of any two of the first side, the second side, and the third side. Thus, it is convenient for processing and can also release more space for the door or cabinet body where the receiving groove is located.

[0015] Optionally, when the door is in the closed position of closing the chamber, the third side is farther away from the cabinet body compared to the first side and the second side, the third side is a straight line, and the first side and the second side are arc-shaped. Thus, the receiving groove can be arranged as close as possible to the front panel of the door, and can support the door more reliably.

[0016] Optionally, the outer contour of the shaft portion projected along the axial direction includes a first arc segment, a second arc segment, a third arc segment, and a fourth arc segment connected end to end. Among them, the extension lengths of the first arc segment and the third arc segment are greater than those of the second arc segment and the fourth arc segment. Thus, the elliptical shaft portion cooperates with the receiving groove, enabling the door to move away from the cabinet while also moving towards the non-hinge side / hinge side during the door opening process.

[0017] Optionally, the radius of curvature of the first arc segment is equal to that of the third arc segment; and / or, the radius of curvature of the second arc segment is equal to that of the fourth arc segment; and / or, the radius of curvature of the first arc segment is greater than that of the second arc segment; and / or, the radius of curvature of the first arc segment is less than the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped side among the first side, the second side, and the third side. Thus, a line contact is maintained between any side of the shaft portion and the inner side wall of the contacting receiving groove. In other words, the shaft portion remains tangent to the inner side wall of the receiving groove during the door opening and closing processes, ensuring smooth movement of the shaft portion relative to the receiving groove during door opening and closing.

[0018] Optionally, during the process of the door opening the chamber, the process of the relative movement between the shaft portion and the receiving groove in the receiving groove driving the movement of the door includes: a first stage, the door moves away from the cabinet while also moving towards the non-hinge side; a second stage, the door moves away from the cabinet while also moving towards the hinge side; a third stage, the door moves towards the cabinet while also moving towards the non-hinge side. Thus, through the hinge, a phased and differentiated control of the door movement trajectory is achieved, and the door will not touch the side wall of the cabinet throughout the process from closing to opening to the maximum angle, reducing the reserved gap on the side of the zero-clearance refrigerator, saving space, being more aesthetically pleasing, and having a low implementation cost. Specifically, the movement trajectory in the first stage is suitable for reducing the degree of the door protruding beyond the side of the cabinet, avoiding interference between the door and the side wall of the cabinet. The movement trajectory in the second stage is suitable for exposing more of the chamber, for example, making it easier to pull out the drawer inside the chamber. The movement trajectory in the third stage is suitable for enabling the household appliance to open at a larger angle when embedded in the cabinet. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a partial enlarged view of area A in

[0021] Figure 3 is Figure 2 a schematic diagram of the hinge in

[0022] Figure 4 isFigure 2 Schematic diagram of the cooperation between the central shaft part and the receiving groove;

[0023] Figure 5 is Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cooperation between the central shaft part and the receiving groove in a variation of the illustrated embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the receiving groove in a variation of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figures 7 to 11 Schematic diagram of the cooperation between the central shaft part and the receiving groove during the door opening process of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the central shaft part in a variation of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] In the drawings:

[0028] 1 - Household appliance; 10 - Cabinet; 102 - Drawer; 11 - Door; 110 - Front panel; 12 - Receiving groove; 12a - First side; 12b - Second side; 12c - Third side; 2 - Hinge; 21 - Central shaft part; 21a - First arc segment; 21b - Second arc segment; 21c - Third arc segment; 21d - Fourth arc segment; 211 - Cylinder; 22 - Plate part; 221 - Fixing hole; 3 - Side wall of the cabinet; C - Rotation center of the door; s1 - Movement trajectory of the rotation center of the door during opening and closing of the door; x1 - First reference line; y1 - Second reference line; L - Spacing between the door and the side wall of the cabinet; x - Width direction of the household appliance; y - Depth direction of the household appliance; z - Height direction of the household appliance. Detailed implementation manners

[0029] To make the above - mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present utility model more obvious and understandable, the following will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present utility model with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a household appliance 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] The household appliance 1 can be a refrigeration appliance or a dishwasher, a microwave oven, an oven, a steam box, or a steam - baking integrated machine. Next, taking a refrigeration appliance as an example, the specific content of this implementation solution will be elaborated in detail. The refrigeration appliance can be, for example, a refrigerator, a cold storage cabinet, a wine cabinet, etc. Figure 1 Taking a side - by - side refrigerator as an example for exemplary display, in practical applications, the relevant designs of this implementation solution regarding the hinge and the receiving groove adapted to the hinge can also be applied to various forms of refrigerators such as multi - door refrigerators, single - door refrigerators, and cross - door refrigerators.

[0032] For ease of description, in this embodiment, the width direction of the household appliance 1 is recorded as the x direction, the depth direction is recorded as the y direction, and the height direction is recorded as the z direction. In this embodiment, the front and rear directions refer to the y direction and the opposite direction thereof, wherein the front or the front side refers to the direction facing the user when the household appliance 1 is in use, and the rear or the rear side refers to the direction away from the user when the household appliance 1 is in use.

[0033] Specifically, combined Figures 1 to 4 The household appliance may include a housing 10 and a door 11, wherein the housing 10 defines at least one chamber, and the door 11 is movably connected to the front of the housing 10 to open or close at least a portion of the chamber. Taking a refrigerator as an example, the chamber may be, for example, a freezing chamber, a refrigerating chamber, a temperature-changing chamber, and the like.

[0034] In some embodiments, the door 11 may include an insulating space filled with insulating material. When the door 11 closes the chamber, the insulating layer formed by the insulating space has the effect of isolating heat to ensure that the chamber has a better refrigeration / freezing effect. The door 11 may include a front panel 110, a rear wall facing the box body 10 when the door 11 is closed, and a frame (also known as a door edge card) arranged along the four sides of the door 11. The insulating space is located between the front panel 110 and the rear wall. In some embodiments, the front panel 110 forms at least a portion of the front boundary of the insulating space so that the insulating material contacts the rear side of the front panel 110. In other embodiments, another layer of door panel may be provided on the rear side of the front panel 110. The front panel 110 may be a metal door shell, a glass plate, or a ceramic plate.

[0035] Further, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the door 11 can be movably connected to the box body 10 via the hinge 2. Figure 3 , the hinge 2 may include an axis portion 21 and a plate portion 22. The plate portion 22 may be fixed to one of the housing 10 and the door 11 and extend toward the other, and the axis portion 21 may be provided at the non-fixed end (i.e., the extended portion) of the plate portion 22. For example, the figure takes the plate portion 22 being fixed to the housing 10 and extending toward the door 11 as an example for exemplary display, and the plate portion 22 may be provided with a plurality of fixing holes 221 for screws and other fixing members to pass through so as to fix the plate portion 22 to the housing 10. In the assembled state shown in the figure, the plate portion 22 may be a plate-shaped body substantially perpendicular to the z direction, and the axis portion 21 extends from the plate portion 22 toward the door 11 along the z direction. In some embodiments, the housing 10 and the door 11 may be provided with a matching groove (not shown in the figure) for accommodating at least a portion of the hinge 2, and the portion of the hinge 2 located in the matching groove is flush with the surface of the housing 10 or the door 11 where the matching groove is located. As a result, the appearance of the household appliance 1 is smoother, which is conducive to improving the aesthetics.

[0036] Further reference Figure 2, the household appliance 1 may further include a receiving groove 12, which is formed in the other of the cabinet 10 and the door 11. The inner sidewall of the receiving groove 12 defines a receiving space for receiving the shaft portion 21. For example, the receiving groove 12 may be a through groove that penetrates from head to tail. A blind hole is formed in the frame of the door 11 (e.g., the upper clamping edge) to prevent air leakage, and the receiving groove 12 is installed in the blind hole. Taking Figure 1 and Figure 2 the upper hinge shown as an example, the upper hinge refers to the hinge 2 located above the door 11 along the z direction. The upper clamping edge of the door 11 may be provided with a receiving groove 12 that opens upward, and the shaft portion 21 extending downward from the plate portion 22 extends into the receiving groove 12 from the opening, as Figure 2 shown.

[0037] Furthermore, during the movement of the door 11 relative to the cabinet 10, the shaft portion 21 moves relative to the receiving groove 12 within the receiving groove 12. In the illustrated embodiment where the receiving groove 12 is located on the door 11 and the hinge 2 is located on the cabinet 10, the shaft portion 21 remains stationary during the opening and closing of the door 11, and the receiving groove 12 rotates and moves around the shaft portion 21 as the door 11 moves. In practical applications, it may also be that the receiving groove 12 is located on the cabinet 10 and the hinge 2 is located on the door 11. At this time, during the opening and closing of the door 11, the receiving groove 12 remains stationary, and the shaft portion 21 rotates and moves within the receiving groove 12 as the door 11 moves.

[0038] Furthermore, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft portion 21 (e.g., the z direction) (e.g., the plane formed by the x direction and the y direction), the cross-section of the inner sidewall of the receiving groove 12 may include a first side 12a, a second side 12b, and a third side 12c that are connected end to end. That is to say, the receiving groove 12 is triangular and includes three inner sidewalls, and there is a non-zero and non-180° angle between any two of the three inner sidewalls, and the three inner sidewalls are connected end to end to enclose a receiving space.

[0039] Furthermore, at least one of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c is arc-shaped. That is, at least one of the three inner sidewalls of the receiving groove 12 is non-planar. The non-planar means that the inner sidewall is bent in the x direction and the y direction. For any one of the three inner sidewalls of the receiving groove 12, the inner sidewall is parallel to the z direction. That is, the projections of the respective inner sidewalls of the receiving groove 12 along the z direction respectively overlap with the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c. Therefore, the description of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c in this embodiment is essentially a description of the inner sidewalls of the receiving groove 12 corresponding to the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c respectively.

[0040] As described above, by adopting this implementation solution, through the special design of the shapes of the shaft portion 21 and the receiving groove 12, the shaft portion 21 can move relative to the receiving groove 12 within the receiving groove 12, so that the door 11 can be displaced in the width direction (e.g., the x direction) of the household appliance 1, making it possible to reduce the interference between the door 11 and the cabinet during the opening process through the hinge. Further, the receiving groove 12 is surrounded by at least one arc and a straight line or surrounded by multiple arcs, with strong compatibility and can flexibly adapt to different sizes of household appliances 1.

[0041] In a specific implementation, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c can all be arc-shaped. Thus, the receiving groove 12 is formed by connecting three arcs end to end, which can enclose a larger accommodation space to accommodate a thicker shaft portion 21, improving the structural strength of the hinge, or can release more space for the door 11 or the box body 10 where the receiving groove 12 is opened to arrange other components for the household appliance 1.

[0042] Specifically, the bending directions of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c can be the same.

[0043] For example, the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c can be bent respectively in the direction away from the accommodation space, as Figure 4 shown. Thus, the receiving groove 12 formed by connecting three convex arcs end to end forms a quasi-triangle (e.g., a fat triangle), enclosing a larger accommodation space (compared with the triangular receiving groove 12 formed by enclosing with three straight line segments), and can receive a thicker shaft portion 21, meeting the stronger hinge 2 strength requirements.

[0044] Another example is that the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c can be bent respectively towards the accommodation space, as Figure 5 shown. Thus, the installation space occupied by the receiving groove 12 on the door 11 or the box body 10 is smaller (compared with the triangular receiving groove 12 formed by enclosing with three straight line segments), and is suitable for household appliances 1 with limited space. For example, for an ultra-thin door body, a quasi-triangle (e.g., a thin triangle) receiving groove 12 formed by enclosing with three concave arcs can be adopted, thus taking into account both the hinge design and the door 11 with better strength.

[0045] In a variation, the bending orientation of at least one of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c can be different from the other two sides. For example, referring to Figure 6 , the third side 12c can be bent towards the accommodation space, while the first side 12a and the second side 12b are bent in the direction away from the accommodation space. Thus, the shape design of the receiving groove 12 is more flexible and can better adapt to different sizes of household appliances 1.

[0046] In a variant, the straight line of at least one of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c. For example, assuming that when the door 11 is in the closed position of the closed chamber, the third side 12c is farther from the box body 10 than the first side 12a and the second side 12b, as Figure 7 shown, the first side 12a can be a straight line, and the second side 12b and the third side 12c can be arcs. Thus, the receiving groove 12 can be arranged as close as possible to the front panel 110 of the door 11, so that the support point provided by the shaft portion 21 to the door 11 is located in front of the center of gravity of the door 11 in the y direction, thereby being able to support the door 11 more reliably.

[0047] For another example, the first side 12a can be a straight line, and the second side 12b and the third side 12c are arcs and bend in a direction away from the accommodation space. For another example, the second side 12b can be a straight line, and the first side 12a and the third side 12c are arcs and one of them bends towards the accommodation space and the other bends in a direction away from the accommodation space. For still another example, the first side 12a is an arc, and the second side 12b and the third side 12c are straight lines.

[0048] In a specific implementation, the extension lengths of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c are equal and the radii of curvature are equal. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of the receiving groove 12 is a regular shape (for example, a quasi-equilateral triangle), which can make the appearance of the household appliance 1 more beautiful and easier to manufacture.

[0049] In a variant, the extension length of at least one of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c is different from that of the other sides, and / or the radius of curvature of at least one side is different from that of the other sides. For example, continuing to refer to Figure 6 , the radius of curvature of the third side 12c is smaller than the radii of curvature of the first side 12a and the second side 12b, and the radii of curvature of the first side 12a and the second side 12b can be equal.

[0050] In a specific implementation, an arc transition can be made between any two of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown. Or, a planar buffer section can be provided at the connection of any two of the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c, as Figure 6 shown.

[0051] Specifically, the connection of any two adjacent inner sidewalls of the receiving groove 12 can be designed as a small arc or a small straight edge. That is to say, on the premise of not affecting the movement of the shaft portion 22 in the receiving groove 12, a part of the vertex of the receiving groove 12 can be cut off to form an irregular polygon.

[0052] Thus, it is convenient for processing and can also release more space for the door 11 or the box body 10 where the receiving groove 12 is located.

[0053] In a variant, the receiving groove 12 can cut off any number of vertices on the basis of the illustrated triangular shape to form a structure such as a quadrilateral, a pentagon, or a hexagon.

[0054] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to Figures 3 to 5 , the outer contour of the shaft portion 21 projected along the axial direction (for example, the z direction) can be elliptical. That is to say, the shaft portion 21 can be designed as a camshaft.

[0055] Specifically, the outer contour of the shaft portion 21 projected along the axial direction (for example, the z direction) can include a first arc segment 21a, a second arc segment 21b, a third arc segment 21c, and a fourth arc segment 21d that are connected end to end. Among them, the extension lengths of the first arc segment 21a and the third arc segment 21c are greater than the extension lengths of the second arc segment 21b and the fourth arc segment 21d.

[0056] Furthermore, the first arc segment 21a and the third arc segment 21c can be of equal length. Similarly, the second arc segment 21b and the fourth arc segment 21d can be of equal length.

[0057] In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the first arc segment 21a can be equal to the radius of curvature of the third arc segment 21c. Similarly, the radius of curvature of the second arc segment 21b can be equal to the radius of curvature of the fourth arc segment 21d.

[0058] Furthermore, the first arc segment 21a is tangent to the adjacent second arc segment 21b. Similarly, the first arc segment 21a is tangent to the adjacent fourth arc segment 21d.

[0059] Furthermore, the second arc segment 21b is tangent to the adjacent first arc segment 21a. Similarly, the second arc segment 21b is tangent to the adjacent third arc segment 21c.

[0060] In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the first arc segment 21a is smaller than the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped sides among the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c. The larger the radius of curvature, the smaller the curvature. By reasonably designing the curvatures of the first arc segment 21a and the inner side wall of the curved surface in the receiving groove 12 respectively, it is ensured that any side of the shaft portion 21 and the inner side wall of the receiving groove 12 in contact maintain line contact. In other words, the shaft portion 21 remains tangent to the inner side wall of the receiving groove 12 during the opening and closing of the door 11, ensuring smooth movement of the shaft portion 21 relative to the receiving groove 12 during the opening and closing of the door.

[0061] For example, with reference to Figure 4, the first side 12a, the second side 12b, and the third side 12c are all arcs and have the same radius of curvature, and the radius of curvature of these three sides is greater than the radius of curvature of the first arc segment 21a.

[0062] In a specific implementation, through the cooperation of the shaft portion 21 and the receiving groove 12, during the opening process of the door 11, the shaft portion 21 moves relative to the receiving groove 12 within the receiving groove 12, driving the door 11 to move both away from the cabinet 10 and generate displacements in the x-direction and its opposite direction. Specifically, the cooperation between the elliptical shaft portion 21 and the arcuate triangular receiving groove 12 enables the inner side wall of the receiving groove 12 to move along the outer side wall of the shaft portion 21 during the movement of the door 11 relative to the cabinet 10 (i.e., during the opening process of the door 11), and at least three points of the outer side wall of the shaft portion 21 are in contact with and tangent to the inner side wall of the receiving groove 12. Thus, during the opening process of the door 11, while moving away from the cabinet 10, the door 11 also moves towards the non-hinge side / hinge side, thereby reducing the distance by which the door 11 extends beyond the side of the cabinet 10 and reducing the interference with the cabinet during the door opening process.

[0063] In some embodiments, during the relative movement of the shaft portion 21 within the receiving groove 12, the outer side wall of the shaft portion 21 and the inner side wall of the receiving groove 12 can, for example, maintain four-point contact and tangency. Thereby, the stability and reliability of the movement of the shaft portion 21 within the receiving groove 12 can be improved.

[0064] Furthermore, during the process of opening and closing the door 11, as the shaft portion 21 rotates within the receiving groove 12, the rotation center C of the door 11 (i.e., the center of the receiving groove 12) will change during the rotation process. The movement trajectory of the rotation center C of the door 11 during the opening and closing of the door 11 is denoted as s1. Figures 7 to 11 Exemplarily show the change process of the rotation center C of the door 11 along the movement trajectory s1 during the opening process of the door 11, and conversely, the change process of the rotation center C of the door 11 along the movement trajectory s1 during the closing process of the door 11.

[0065] In a typical application scenario, continue to refer to Figures 7 to 11 , for household appliances 1 installed in an embedded manner (such as an embedded refrigerator, also known as a zero-embedded refrigerator), it is necessary to be able to be embedded in a matching embedded cabinet (such as a cabinet), and the distance L between the side wall of the household appliance 1 and the side wall 3 of the cabinet after embedding is usually required to be kept within 4 millimeters (mm). Through the cooperation of the elliptical shaft portion 21 and the triangular-like receiving groove 12, it is possible to ensure that the opening and closing of the door 11 will not bump into the side wall 3 of the cabinet on the premise that the distance L meets the design requirement of not exceeding 4 mm.

[0066] Specifically, in the initial state, that is, the door 11 is located at Figure 7In the closed position shown (where the opening angle of the door 11 is 0°), the side surface of the door 11 is flush with the side surface of the cabinet body 10 (corresponding to the second reference line y1), and the front surface 110 of the door 11 is also flush with the front surface of the side wall 3 of the cabinet (corresponding to the first reference line x1). In some embodiments, the door 11 does not extend beyond the side surface of the cabinet body 10 in the closed state.

[0067] In the first stage of opening the chamber of the door 11, that is, when the door 11 moves from Figure 7 the shown 0° opening to Figure 8 the shown 30° opening position, while the door 11 moves away from the cabinet body 10, it also moves towards the non-hinge side (i.e., the side away from the side wall 3 of the cabinet shown in the figure), thereby reducing the distance by which the door 11 extends beyond the side surface of the cabinet body 10 (i.e., the second reference line y1). Refer to Figure 7 and 8 , as the rotation center C of the door 11 moves along the movement trajectory s1 in the upper left quarter stroke, although the corner of the door 11 will slightly extend beyond the side surface of the cabinet body 10 (i.e., the second reference line y1) during the opening of the door 11, it will not touch the side wall 3 of the cabinet. Thus, through the hinge, the movement trajectory of the door 11 in the first stage is adapted to reduce the degree to which the door 11 extends beyond the side surface of the cabinet body 10, avoiding interference between the door 11 and the side wall of the cabinet (i.e., the side wall 3 of the cabinet).

[0068] When the door 11 is opened from 30° to 60°, that is, when the door 11 moves from Figure 8 the shown position to Figure 9 the shown position, the rotation center C of the door 11 moves away from the cabinet body 10 and also moves towards the hinge side (i.e., the side close to the side wall 3 of the cabinet shown in the figure). During this process, the rotation center C of the door 11 moves along the movement trajectory s2 in the lower left quarter stroke. Since the corner of the door 11 has rotated towards the non-hinge side as the opening angle of the door 11 changes, even if the door 11 as a whole moves towards the hinge side, the corner will not touch the side wall 3 of the cabinet.

[0069] When the door 11 is opened from 60° to 90°, that is, when the door 11 moves from Figure 9 the shown position to Figure 10During the position shown, the rotation center C of the door 11 moves along the movement trajectory s1 for a quarter stroke in the lower right direction. While the door 11 moves away from the cabinet body 10, it also moves towards the hinge side, making it easier to pull out the drawer 102. Specifically, at least one drawer 102 can be provided in the chamber for storing items. After opening the door 11, the drawer 102 can be pulled out or pushed back into the chamber. The movement trajectory s1 achieved through the cooperation of the elliptical shaft portion 21 and the arc-shaped triangular receiving groove 12 causes the entire door 11 to approach the side wall 3 of the cabinet when the door 11 is opened by 90°. Thus, the drawer 102 can be made wider, which is beneficial for increasing the actual usable volume of the user. The process of opening the door 11 from 30° to 90° can be recorded as the second stage of the movement of the door 11 driven by the hinge 2. During this stage, the entire door 11 moves away from the cabinet body 10 while also moving towards the hinge side to expose more of the chamber, for example, making it easier to pull out the drawer inside the chamber.

[0070] Furthermore, the door 11 moves from Figure 7 the closed state shown via Figure 8 , Figure 9 the position shown to Figure 10 the position where it is opened to 90°. During this process, the dimension of the door 11 exceeding the side surface of the cabinet body 10 (i.e., exceeding the second reference line y1) is less than or equal to 4 mm. Thus, it is ensured that the door 11 will not collide with the side wall 3 of the cabinet during the opening process, enabling the household appliance 1 described in this embodiment to be suitable for the built-in installation method.

[0071] When the door 11 is opened by more than 90° (recorded as the third stage of the movement of the door 11 driven by the hinge 2), that is, when the door 11 moves from Figure 10 the position shown to Figure 11 the position where it is opened to 120°. During this period, the rotation center C of the door 11 moves along the movement trajectory s1 for a quarter stroke in the upper right direction. While the door 11 moves towards the cabinet body 10, it also moves towards the non-hinge side, enabling a larger opening angle when the household appliance 1 is embedded in the cabinet.

[0072] Therefore, by adopting this embodiment, the phased and differential control of the movement trajectory of the door 11 is achieved through the hinge 2, and the door 11 will not touch the side wall 3 of the cabinet from closing to opening to the maximum angle. It can reduce the reserved gap on the side of the zero-clearance refrigerator (i.e., the illustrated spacing L), save space, be more aesthetically pleasing, and have a low implementation cost.

[0073] In a specific implementation, the hinge 2 includes only one shaft portion 21. This one shaft portion 21 can be a single shaft in the physical sense. For example, Figures 3 to 11In the illustrated embodiment, only one shaft portion 21 is accommodated in the same receiving groove 12, and the relative movement of the shaft portion 21 relative to the receiving groove 12 drives the door 11 to achieve a rail-changing movement (that is, the door 11 also generates a displacement in the x direction during the rotation around the hinge 2). Thus, the rail-changing movement of the door 11 is realized by a simple single shaft to meet the installation requirements of the built-in refrigerator, and the implementation complexity is low.

[0074] In some embodiments, the shaft portion 21 may include multiple cylindrical bodies spliced along the axial direction (for example, the z direction).

[0075] In some embodiments, the shaft portion 21 may include multiple cylindrical bodies 211 distributed in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction (for example, the z direction), as Figure 12 shown. The outer contour of the projections of the multiple cylindrical bodies 211 in the z direction is an ellipse, as Figure 12 shown by the dashed line in. The multiple cylindrical bodies 211 may be respectively fixed to the plate portion 22, or the multiple cylindrical bodies 211 may be adhesively bonded together and then fixed to the plate portion 22 together. When the shaft portion 21 moves relative to the receiving groove 12 in the receiving groove 12, the multiple cylindrical bodies 211 move synchronously and along the same movement trajectory as a whole. Thus, cylindrical bodies 211 of different sizes can be selected to synthesize shaft portions 21 of different shapes according to the required outer contour shape.

[0076] In some embodiments, the materials of different cylindrical bodies 211 may be different. For example, the cylindrical bodies 211 near the outer contour may be made of a more wear-resistant material, and the cylindrical bodies 211 near the center may be made of a material with better strength.

[0077] Although the specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even when a single embodiment is described only with respect to a specific feature. The feature examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, unless otherwise stated. In a specific implementation, the technical features of one or more dependent claims may be combined with the technical features of the independent claim, and the technical features from the corresponding independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner rather than only through the specific combinations listed in the claims.

[0078] Although the present utility model is disclosed as above, the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the present utility model should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising a housing (10) and a door (11), wherein the housing (10) defines at least one chamber, and the door (11) is movably connected to the front of the housing (10) via a hinge (2) to open or close at least a portion of the chamber, wherein the hinge (2) is provided on one of the housing (10) and the door (11) and comprises an axis (21) extending toward the other thereof, wherein: Also includes: A receiving groove (12) is provided in the other of the box body (10) and the door (11), and the inner side wall of the receiving groove (12) encloses a receiving space for receiving the shaft portion (21), wherein, on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft portion (21), the cross section of the inner side wall includes a first side (12a), a second side (12b) and a third side (12c) connected end to end, and at least one of the first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c) is arc-shaped.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the opening process of the door (11), the shaft portion (21) moves relative to the receiving groove (12) in the receiving groove (12), and the outer wall of the shaft portion (21) and the inner wall of the receiving groove (12) maintain at least three-point contact and tangency; and / or The hinge (2) comprises only one shaft portion (21).

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c) are all arc-shaped.

4. The household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c) are respectively bent in a direction away from the accommodating space, or the first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c) are respectively bent towards the accommodating space.

5. The household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c) have the same extension length and the same curvature radius.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: An arc transition is provided between any two of the first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c), or a plane buffer section is provided at the connection between any two of the first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c).

7. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the door (11) is in a closed position closing the chamber, the third side (12c) is farther away from the box body (10) than the first side (12a) and the second side (12b), the third side (12c) is a straight line, and the first side (12a) and the second side (12b) are arc-shaped.

8. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer contour of the shaft portion (21) projected along the axial direction includes a first arc segment (21a), a second arc segment (21b), a third arc segment (21c) and a fourth arc segment (21d) connected end to end, wherein the extension length of the first arc segment (21a) and the third arc segment (21c) is greater than the extension length of the second arc segment (21b) and the fourth arc segment (21d).

9. The household appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that: The radius of curvature of the first arc segment (21a) is equal to the radius of curvature of the third arc segment (21c); and / or The curvature radius of the second arc segment (21b) is equal to the curvature radius of the fourth arc segment (21d); and / or The curvature radius of the first arc segment (21a) is greater than the curvature radius of the second arc segment (21b); and / or The curvature radius of the first arc segment (21a) is smaller than the curvature radius of the arc-shaped sides among the first side (12a), the second side (12b) and the third side (12c).

10. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the period when the door (11) opens the chamber, the relative movement of the shaft portion (21) in the receiving groove (12) and the receiving groove (12) drives the movement of the door (11), including: in a first stage, the door (11) moves in a direction away from the box body (10) and also moves toward the non-hinge (2) side; in a second stage, the door (11) moves in a direction away from the box body (10) and also moves toward the hinge (2) side; in a third stage, the door (11) moves in a direction close to the box body (10) and also moves toward the non-hinge (2) side.

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