Door opening device for household appliance and household appliance

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a door opening device for a household appliance. The household appliance includes an appliance body defining an interior space and an opening thereof, and a door rotatably connected to the appliance body to open or close the opening. The door opening device includes: a gear configured to be adapted to be mounted to an appliance main body; the driving device is arranged to be suitable for driving the gear to rotate; and the rack is arranged to be suitable for generating force enabling the door to be opened under the driving of the gear, and the rack is meshed with the gear and is provided with a first connecting structure suitable for rotatably connecting the rack to the door. The utility model further provides a corresponding household appliance. According to some embodiments of the present application, an optional door opening device for a household appliance can be provided. Particularly, the door opening device is simple in structure, small in size and / or not prone to clamping stagnation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a door opening device for a household appliance and a household appliance. Background Art

[0002] At present, in some household appliances, a door opening device for opening the door of the household appliance may be provided for user convenience. The existing door opening devices have the problems of complex structure, large size, and easy occurrence of self-locking or blocking.

[0003] Among existing door opening devices, some utilize a rack and pinion mechanism to push the door. Both the gear and rack are mounted on the appliance body, not connected to the door. Driven by the gear, the rack moves along a linear track, acting as a push rod to open the door. These door opening devices often require complex transmission mechanisms. Furthermore, the rack may become stuck during movement.

[0004] For example, door opening devices that include a worm gear assembly as a transmission mechanism are also known. These door opening devices are not only complex in structure but also prone to self-locking when the door opening device loses power, resulting in users being unable to close or open the door of the household appliance if the appliance loses power or the door opening device malfunctions. Utility Model Content

[0005] The basic purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide an alternative door opening device for household appliances and the household appliance. The door opening device and the household appliance according to the present application can especially overcome at least one of the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, embodiments of the present application provide a door opening device for a household appliance. The household appliance includes an appliance body defining an interior space and an opening thereof, and a door rotatably connected to the appliance body to open or close the opening. The door opening device includes: a gear configured to be mounted to the appliance body; a drive device configured to rotate the gear; and a rack configured to generate a force to open the door when driven by the gear, the rack meshing with the gear and provided with a first connection structure configured to rotatably connect the rack to the door.

[0007] The gear can rotate under the drive of the drive device, thereby driving the rack to move. According to the present application, the door opening device does not restrict the rack to move along a specific linear trajectory. Instead, the rack is engaged with the gear on one hand and rotatably connected to the door on the other. Therefore, when the gear rotates, the rack can rotate around the gear and move in a tangential direction at the point where it meshes with the gear. As a result, the rack can push the door. Thus, the exemplary embodiment of the present application provides an alternative door opening device for household appliances. The door opening device has a relatively simple structure.

[0008] During the operation of the door opener, the rack remains connected to the door and can continually provide the force to push the door open. If necessary, the rack can also provide the force to close the door by rotating the gear in the opposite direction.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the door opening device may further include a swing arm adapted to maintain meshing of the rack and the gear. The gear is rotatably arranged about a second axis, and the swing arm is swingably arranged about the second axis along a swing path. The rack is movably connected to the swing arm along a tangential direction of the swing path. The swing arm is adapted to restrict relative movement of the rack relative to the swing arm in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction and away from the second axis. This allows the rack and the gear to be maintained in meshing in a convenient manner.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the swing arm may include an arm body and a protrusion. The arm body may extend in a radial direction relative to the second axis. The protrusion may protrude from the arm body in the direction of the second axis. The rack may be provided with a guide groove extending along the main extension direction of the rack, and the protrusion is movably arranged in the guide groove along the guide groove. By means of the cooperation between the protrusion and the guide groove, it is possible to reliably achieve that the rack is movably connected to the swing arm along the tangential direction of the swing trajectory of the swing arm and the swing arm limits the relative movement of the rack relative to the swing arm in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction, without the need for a complicated structure and installation process.

[0011] The “main extension direction” of an object means a direction extending parallel to the longest side of the smallest imaginary cuboid that happens to completely enclose the object.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the swing arm may include an arm body and a hook portion. The arm body may extend in a radial direction relative to the second axis. The hook portion may hook onto the rack at least radially outward relative to the second axis. Using this swing arm, it is also possible to reliably achieve a configuration in which the rack is movably connected to the swing arm in a direction tangential to the swing arm's swing trajectory, and the swing arm restricts relative movement of the rack relative to the swing arm in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction, without requiring a complex structure or installation process.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the swing arm may include: a first arm portion swingably arranged about a second axis; a second arm portion connected to a rack, thereby allowing the rack to move in a tangential direction of the swing arm's swing trajectory and restricting relative movement of the rack relative to the second arm portion in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction; and a clutch mechanism, wherein, in a connected state, the second arm portion is immovably connected to the first arm portion in a first position, thereby maintaining the rack in meshing with the gear by the first and second arms; and, in a disengaged state, the clutch mechanism allows the second arm portion to be displaced relative to the first arm to a second position, the second position being further away from the second axis than the first position, thereby allowing the rack to disengage from the gear. The clutch mechanism allows the connection between the first and second arms to be adjusted. Furthermore, the meshing state of the rack and the gear can be adjusted. This allows the rack to disengage from the gear, for example, in the event of a power outage or malfunction in the door opening device, thereby preventing the door opening device from jamming when a user opens or closes the door. In addition, it can prevent the user from being affected by the resistance brought by the door opening device when manually opening and closing the door, and prevent the force applied by the user to the door from being reversely transmitted to the driving device to cause damage or malfunction.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, when the clutch mechanism is in the disengaged state, the second arm portion is movably connected to the first arm portion only in a radial direction relative to the second axis. Thus, when the clutch mechanism switches between the connected and clutched states, the second arm portion is restricted to movement relative to the first arm only in this radial direction. This helps ensure that the clutch mechanism reliably switches between the connected and clutched states.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the first arm portion may be provided with a groove extending in a radial direction relative to the second axis, and the second arm portion may include a slider at least partially disposed within the groove. This enables the swing arm to achieve reliable state switching using a simple and compact structure.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the clutch mechanism may include an electromagnet and a magnetic body respectively fixed to one and the other of the first arm and the second arm. In the connected state of the clutch mechanism, the electromagnet is energized and applies an attractive force to the magnetic body, and the first arm is immovably connected to the second arm by means of the attractive force. This configuration enables the clutch mechanism to achieve state switching in a simple and convenient manner. It is particularly advantageous to use an electromagnet to achieve state switching of the clutch mechanism. For example, when the door opening device is powered off, the electromagnet can be powered off synchronously, thereby switching the clutch mechanism to a disengaged state. Thereby, the door opening device can be effectively prevented from getting stuck when the power is off. When the door opening device is powered on again, the electromagnet can be powered on again synchronously, thereby switching the clutch mechanism to a connected state. This makes it possible to simplify the control operation of the clutch mechanism.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the clutch mechanism may further include a spring, wherein the spring is arranged to provide a radially outward force relative to the second axis to the second arm portion, which helps to disengage the auxiliary rack from the meshing with the gear.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the drive device may include a drive motor directly connected to the gear. This simplifies the structure of the door opening device and reduces its size. In particular, there is no need for a worm gear mechanism between the drive motor and the gear. In the event of a power outage, this worm gear mechanism may become stuck, hindering the opening and closing of the door.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the rack can be configured to extend along a straight line. Such a door opening device can have a simple structure without being implemented by complex parts.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present application, embodiments of the present application provide a household appliance, comprising an appliance body defining an interior space and an opening thereof, a door rotatably connected to the appliance body about a first axis to open or close the opening, and a door opening device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The gear of the door opening device is mounted to the appliance body, and the rack of the door opening device is rotatably connected to the door.

[0021] The household appliance may be, in particular, a refrigerator. In a refrigerator, due to factors such as the heavy weight of the door, the strong suction force of the door seal, and internal negative pressure, a significant resistance must be overcome to open the door. The door opening device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application can reliably overcome significant resistance and is particularly suitable for refrigerators.

[0022] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, when the door is closed, the rack can extend in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the door. Therefore, a longer lever arm can be obtained at the starting point of the door's opening stroke. For example, due to the suction force of the door seal and / or the internal negative pressure, the resistance to be overcome is the largest at the starting point of the door's opening stroke. Accordingly, it is particularly advantageous to have a longer lever arm at the starting point of the door's opening stroke. This helps to reduce the performance requirements for the drive device. After the door is opened to a certain angle, the door seal no longer provides suction force, the negative pressure in the internal space is eliminated, and the resistance to be overcome to further open the door is reduced.

[0023] By "principal plane" of an object is meant the plane parallel to the largest surface of the smallest imaginary cuboid that would still completely enclose the object.

[0024] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the angle between the rack and the main plane of the door can decrease as the door's opening angle increases during the door's opening stroke. As the angle between the rack and the main plane of the door decreases, the lever arm required by the rack to rotate the door decreases accordingly. This change adapts to the changes in the force required to open the door. In particular, the lever arm changes gradually. This prevents sudden changes in the driving force required by the drive device during the door's opening process.

[0025] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the rack is rotatably connected to the door about a third axis. The third axis may be parallel to the first axis. Optionally, the distance between the third axis and the first axis is greater than 1 / 5 of the door width and / or less than 1 / 3 of the door width. Alternatively or additionally, the distance between the third axis and the first axis is greater than 15 cm and / or less than 30 cm. This helps reduce the size of the door opening device.

[0026] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, when the door is at its maximum opening angle, the gear may be at least partially located on the side of the plane containing the first and third axes that faces the opening. As a result, the angle β between the rack and the main plane of the door does not decrease to 0° during the door's opening stroke. This helps prevent the door opening mechanism from getting stuck during the door's opening stroke.

[0027] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, the rack can be arranged with teeth on the side facing the first axis that mesh with the gear. This helps to obtain a longer lever arm when the rack is used to push the door open, and the door opening device can have a more compact structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the principles, features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. The accompanying drawings include:

[0029] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Schematically showing a perspective view and a partially enlarged view of a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 Schematically shows a perspective view of a door opening device for a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 and Figure 5 A partial view of a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown from a top view;

[0032] Figure 6 and Figure 7 schematically showing a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a door opening device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application; and

[0033] Figure 8 and Figure 9 A door opening device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0034] Reference Signs List

[0035] 1. Device body

[0036] 11 Interior Space

[0037] 12 Opening

[0038] 2 doors

[0039] 3 Door opening device

[0040] 31 Gear

[0041] 32 drive unit

[0042] 33 rack

[0043] 331 First connection structure

[0044] 332 guide slot

[0045] 34 Swing Arm

[0046] 341 Arm body

[0047] 342 protrusion

[0048] 343 Hook

[0049] 344 First Arm

[0050] 3441 Groove

[0051] 345 Second Arm

[0052] 3451 Slider

[0053] 346 Clutch Mechanism

[0054] 3461 Electromagnet

[0055] 3462 Magnetic Material

[0056] 3463 Spring DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by this application more clearly understood, this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and multiple exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] First, for ease of understanding, let's go back to the description in the background technology section. The door opening devices for household appliances in the prior art have problems such as complex structure, large size, and easy self-locking or jamming.

[0059] In response to at least one of the above technical problems or other possible technical problems, an exemplary embodiment of the present application provides a door opening device for a household appliance and a corresponding household appliance.

[0060] To better understand this application, exemplary embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the directional terms used in the description refer to the normal use of household appliances. These terms are for ease of description and should not be construed as absolute limitations on the corresponding features. In some of the drawings, arrows schematically illustrate the height direction H, width direction W, and depth direction D, which are perpendicular to each other.

[0061] In the exemplary embodiment according to the present application, a household appliance configured as a refrigerator will be taken as an example for description. However, it should be understood that the household appliance according to the present application may also be other household appliances, such as a washing machine, a dryer, a microwave oven, etc.

[0062] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The figures schematically show a perspective view and a partially enlarged view of a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the household appliance is a refrigerator.

[0063] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the household appliance comprises an appliance body 1 and a door 2. The appliance body 1 defines an interior space 11 and an opening 12 of the interior space 11. The door 2 is rotatably connected to the appliance body 1 to open or close the opening 12. Figure 1 The door 2 is shown in a closed state. Figure 2 The state in which the door 2 is opened is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the door 2 can rotate relative to the appliance body 1 around the first axis A1. Taking a refrigerator as an example, by opening the door 2, the opening 12 can be opened, so that the user can put items to be cooled into the internal space 11 or take items out of the internal space 11 through the opening 12. In order to maintain the low temperature environment of the internal space 11 of the refrigerator, the door 2 of the refrigerator usually has an insulating structure and therefore has a large weight. At the same time, the door 2 of the refrigerator is also provided with a door seal to further prevent heat exchange between the internal space 11 of the refrigerator and the external environment when the door 2 is closed. The suction force of the door seal makes the door 2 more difficult to open. In addition, when the refrigerator maintains a low temperature environment, a negative pressure will be formed in the internal space 11, which further increases the resistance that needs to be overcome to open the door 2.

[0064] In order to facilitate the use of the user, the household appliance further comprises a door opening device 3. The door opening device 3 comprises a gear 31, a driving device 32 (see Figure 3 ) and a rack 33. Gear 31 is mounted to appliance body 1. Drive device 32 is configured to rotate gear 31. Rack 33 is configured to generate a force to open door 2 when driven by gear 31. Rack 33 meshes with gear 31 and is rotatably connected to door 2. Accordingly, rack 33 is provided with a first connecting structure 331 for rotatably connecting rack 33 to door 2.

[0065] Driven by the drive device 32, the gear 31 can rotate around the second axis A2, thereby driving the rack 33 to move. According to the present application, the door opening device 3 does not restrict the rack 33 from moving along a specific straight line trajectory, but rather enables the rack 33 to be engaged with the gear 31 on the one hand and rotatably connected to the door 2 on the other hand. Therefore, when the gear 31 rotates, the rack 33 can rotate around the gear 31 and move in the tangential direction of the meshing position with the gear 31. Thereby, the rack 33 can push the door 2. The exemplary embodiment of the present application provides an optional door opening device 3 for household appliances. The door opening device 3 particularly has a simpler structure. In addition, this door opening device 3 is not prone to getting stuck.

[0066] The door opening device 3 can function as an auxiliary door opening device, assisting in opening door 2 when the user manually opens the door. It can also function as a primary door opening device, automatically opening door 2 in response to a user's door opening command (e.g., a voice command or an operation command such as pressing a door opening button). The door opening device 3 can also open door 2 to a specific opening angle by rotating gear 31 by a specific angle. For example, depending on the desired opening angle of door 2, the door opening device 3 can rotate gear 31 by a corresponding angle to automatically open door 2 to the desired opening angle.

[0067] During the operation of the door opening device 3, the rack 33 remains connected to the door 2 and can continuously provide a force to push the door 2 open. When necessary, the rack 33 can also provide a force to close the door 2 by rotating the gear 31 in the opposite direction.

[0068] The first connection structure 331 can be configured as a hole, for example. A pivot shaft fixed to the door 2 can extend into the hole, so that the rack 33 can rotate relative to the door 2.

[0069] Alternatively, the first connecting structure 331 may be formed as a protruding shaft, which may extend into a hole formed on the door 2 , so that the rack 33 may rotate relative to the door 2 .

[0070] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the rack 33 can be constructed to extend along a straight line. This door opening device 3 can have a simple structure without being implemented by complex parts.

[0071] See also Figure 2 The rack 33 may be rotatably connected to the door 2 about a third axis A3. The third axis A3 may be parallel to the first axis A1.

[0072] Optionally, the distance between the third axis A3 and the first axis A1 can be greater than 1 / 5 of the width of the door 2. This helps achieve a longer lever arm when the rack 33 is used to push the door 2 open, thereby reducing the force required by the gear 31 to drive the rack 33. The force required by the drive device 32 can also be reduced accordingly. This helps eliminate the transmission mechanism between the drive device 32 and the gear 31 and can reduce the size of the drive device 32. Consequently, the size of the door opening device 3 can be reduced.

[0073] The distance between the third axis A3 and the first axis A1 may be less than 1 / 3 of the width of the door 2 , which helps to reduce the size of the rack 33 and thus the door opening device 3 .

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment according to the present application, the distance between the third axis A3 and the first axis A1 may be greater than 15 cm and / or less than 30 cm, which helps to reduce the size of the door opening device 3 .

[0075] Alternatively, the rack 33 may be arranged with teeth on the side facing the first axis A1 that mesh with the gear 31. This helps achieve a longer lever arm when the rack 33 is used to push the door 2 open. This reduces the force required by the gear 31 to drive the rack 33, allowing the door opening device 3 to have a more compact structure.

[0076] In another embodiment, it is also feasible that the rack 33 is provided with teeth meshing with the gear 31 on the side facing away from the first axis A1 .

[0077] Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the gear 31 and rack 33 of the door opening mechanism 3 are arranged above the appliance body 1. Throughout the entire opening stroke of the door 2, the door opening mechanism 3 operates reliably without jamming or interference. The door opening mechanism 3 does not substantially undesirably restrict the opening angle of the door 2. Alternatively or additionally, the gear 31 and rack 33 of the door opening mechanism 3 may be arranged below the appliance body 1.

[0078] In other embodiments, for example, in a washing machine, it is also feasible to arrange the gear 31 and the rack 33 of the door opening device 3 at other positions.

[0079] Figure 3Schematically shows a perspective view of a door opening device 3 for a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the door opening device 3 includes: a gear 31 configured to be mounted on the appliance body 1; a driving device 32 configured to drive the gear 31 to rotate; and a rack 33 configured to generate a force to open the door 2 under the drive of the gear 31. The rack 33 is engaged with the gear 31 and is provided with a first connecting structure 331 configured to rotatably connect the rack 33 to the door 2.

[0080] The drive device 32 may include a drive motor directly connected to the gear 31. "Direct drive" means that there is no other transmission mechanism between the drive motor and the gear 31. For example, the gear 31 may be directly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor or integrated with the output shaft of the drive motor. In this way, the structure of the door opening device 3 can be simplified and the volume of the door opening device 3 can be reduced. In particular, there is no need to provide a worm gear mechanism between the drive motor and the gear 31. In the event of a power outage, the worm gear mechanism may become stuck, resulting in obstruction of the opening and closing of the door 2.

[0081] Figure 3 It is shown that the door opening device 3 may also include a swing arm 34 suitable for keeping the rack 33 engaged with the gear 31. The swing arm 34 is swingably arranged along a swing trajectory around the second axis A2. It should be understood that the swinging of the swing arm 34 is associated with the rotation of the gear 31 but is not synchronized. The swing angle of the swing arm 34 is not consistent with the rotation angle of the gear 31. The rack 33 is movably connected to the swing arm 34 along the tangential direction of the swing trajectory. The swing arm 34 limits the relative movement of the rack 33 with respect to the swing arm 34 in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction and away from the second axis A2. Thereby, the rack 33 can be kept engaged with the gear 31 in a manner that is easy to implement.

[0082] In this embodiment, the swing arm 34 may include an arm body 341 and a protrusion 342. The arm body 341 may extend in a radial direction relative to the second axis A2. The protrusion 342 may protrude from the arm body 341 in the direction of the second axis A2. The rack 33 may be provided with a guide groove 332 extending along the main extension direction of the rack 33, and the protrusion 342 may be movably arranged in the guide groove 332 along the guide groove 332. With the help of the cooperation between the protrusion 342 and the guide groove 332, it is possible to reliably achieve the movability of the rack 33 to the swing arm 34 along the tangential direction of the swing trajectory of the swing arm 34 and the swing arm 34 can restrict the relative movement of the rack 33 with respect to the swing arm 34 in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction, without requiring a complicated structure and installation process. It should be understood that the "tangential direction of the swing trajectory" refers to the tangential direction at the current position of the swing arm 34.

[0083] The following combination Figure 4 and Figure 5 The construction and operation process of the door opening device 3 are further described. Figure 4 and Figure 5 A partial view of a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown in a top view. Figure 4 The door 2 is shown in a closed state. Figure 5 The state in which the door 2 is opened is shown.

[0084] like Figure 4 As shown, when the door 2 is closed, the rack 33 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the door 2. When the door 2 is closed, the force applied to the door 2 by the rack 33 may be perpendicular to the door 2. Thus, a longer lever arm can be obtained at the starting point of the opening stroke of the door 2. For example, due to the suction force of the door seal and / or the negative pressure in the internal space 11, the resistance to be overcome is the largest at the starting point of the opening stroke of the door 2. Accordingly, it is particularly advantageous to have a longer lever arm at the starting point of the opening stroke of the door 2. This helps to reduce the performance requirements for the drive device 32. After the door 2 is opened to a certain angle, the door seal no longer provides suction force, and the negative pressure in the internal space 11 is eliminated, and the resistance to be overcome to further open the door 2 is reduced.

[0085] In order to open the door 2, the gear 31 can rotate in the counterclockwise direction. The gear 31 drives the rack 33 to push the door 2 outward. At the same time, the rack 33 can rotate around the second axis A2.

[0086] Figure 5 The door 2 is shown to be opened to an opening angle α, and the angle between the rack 33 and the main plane of the door 2 is β. Figure 4 In the state shown, the angle β between the rack 33 and the main plane of the door 2 is 90°. Figure 5 In the state shown, the angle β between the rack 33 and the main plane of the door 2 is reduced to less than 90°.

[0087] Optionally, during the opening stroke of door 2, the angle β between rack 33 and the main plane of door 2 can decrease as the opening angle of door 2 increases. As angle β decreases, the lever arm required by rack 33 to rotate door 2 decreases accordingly. This variation adapts to the changes in the force required to open door 2. In particular, the lever arm changes gradually. This prevents sudden changes in the driving force required by drive device 32 during the opening process of door 2.

[0088] As the gear 31 rotates, the swing arm 34 swings about the second axis A2. The swing arm 34 follows a circular arc about the second axis A2. During the swinging process, the protrusion 342 of the swing arm 34 moves within the guide groove 332 of the rack 33. The interaction between the protrusion 342 and the guide groove 332 limits the distance of the rack 33 relative to the second axis A2, thereby maintaining meshing between the rack 33 and the gear 31. At the same time, the rack 33 is allowed to rotate relative to the second axis A2 and to move along its main extension direction relative to the second axis A2.

[0089] Figure 5 A dashed line schematically illustrates a portion of the door 2 at its maximum opening angle. When the door 2 is at its maximum opening angle, the gear 31 is at least partially located on the side of the plane defined by the first axis A1 and the third axis (denoted here as A3') facing the opening 12. As a result, the angle β between the rack 33 and the main plane of the door 2 does not decrease to 0° during the opening stroke of the door 2. This helps prevent the door opening mechanism 3 from getting stuck during the opening stroke of the door 2.

[0090] Figure 6 and Figure 7 A perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a door opening device 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application are schematically shown. Figure 7 The cutting position can be seen in Figure 6 The cross section line AA in FIG. Figure 3 The embodiment shown is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. The difference is that, in this embodiment, the swing arm 34 of the door opening device 3 may include an arm body 341 and a hook portion 343. The arm body 341 extends in a radial direction relative to the second axis A2. The hook portion 343 hooks the rack 33 at least radially outward relative to the second axis A2. Figure 7 As shown, the arm body 341 and the hook portion 343 may, for example, form a U-shaped groove with its opening 12 oriented toward the gear 31. The rack 33 is confined within the U-shaped groove, preventing it from radially moving away from the second axis A2. Simultaneously, the rack 33 is movable within the U-shaped groove in a tangential direction perpendicular to the swing path of the swing arm 34. Using this type of swing arm 34, it is possible to reliably achieve a movably coupled rack 33 in a tangential direction to the swing path of the swing arm 34, and to restrict relative movement of the rack 33 relative to the swing arm 34 in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction, without requiring a complex structure or assembly process.

[0091] In other embodiments, other methods are also feasible for maintaining the meshing of the rack 33 and the gear 31. For example, a guide groove can be provided on the device body 1 according to the predetermined motion trajectory of the rack 33, and the rack 33 can be provided with a guide protrusion that extends into the guide groove. During the movement of the rack 33, the guide protrusion can slide within the guide groove, thereby maintaining the meshing of the rack 33 and the gear 31.

[0092] Figure 8 and Figure 9 A door opening device 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0093] The door opening device 3 may include a gear 31 , a drive device 32 (not shown here), a rack 33 and a swing arm 34 as described above.

[0094] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the swing arm 34 may include a first arm portion 344 and a second arm portion 345. The first arm portion 344 is arranged to swing around the second axis A2. The second arm portion 345 is connected to the rack 33 so as to allow the rack 33 to move in the tangential direction of the swing trajectory of the swing arm 34 and to limit the relative movement of the rack 33 relative to the second arm portion 345 in the direction perpendicular to the tangential direction. As an example, the above combined Figure 3 The protrusion 342 of the swing arm 34 described above can be integrated into the second arm portion 345. The second arm portion 345 can be connected to the rack 33 using the protrusion 342. The second arm portion 345 can also be connected to the rack 33 in other ways. For example, the second arm portion 345 can be formed in a U-shape so as to hook the rack 33.

[0095] The swing arm 34 may further include a clutch mechanism 346. The clutch mechanism 346 may connect the second arm portion 345 to the first arm portion 344 in a first position so as to be immovably connected thereto in a connected state, thereby maintaining the rack 33 in mesh with the gear 31 by the first arm portion 344 and the second arm portion 345. Figure 8 The clutch mechanism 346 can allow the second arm portion 345 to shift to a second position relative to the first arm portion 344 in the disengaged state. The second position is further away from the second axis A2 than the first position, thereby allowing the rack 33 to disengage from the gear 31. Figure 9. With the aid of the clutch mechanism 346, the connection state between the first arm 344 and the second arm 345 can be adjusted. Furthermore, the meshing state of the rack 33 and the gear 31 can be adjusted. Thus, the rack 33 can be disengaged from the gear 31, for example, when the door opening device 3 is powered off or fails, thereby preventing the door opening device 3 from getting stuck when the door 2 is opened or closed. In addition, during the normal operation of the door opening device 3 to open or close the door 2, the clutch mechanism 346 can also disengage the rack 33 from the gear 31 when the user manually applies an opening or closing force to the door 2, thereby preventing the force from being transmitted in reverse to the drive device 32 to cause damage or failure, and preventing the user from being affected by the resistance caused by the door opening device 3 when manually opening and closing the door 2. For example, when the door opening device 3 automatically opens the door 2, the clutch mechanism 346 keeps the rack 33 meshed with the gear 31. During this time, if the user manually operates the door 2 in the opening or closing direction, the clutch mechanism 3 disengages the rack 33 from the gear 31. As a result, the user does not feel any resistance from the door opening device 3 when manually operating the door 2. Furthermore, the force applied by the user to the door 2 is not transmitted to the gear 31 and the drive device 32.

[0096] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, when the clutch mechanism 346 is in the disengaged state, the second arm portion 345 is movably connected to the first arm portion 344 only in a radial direction relative to the second axis A2. Thus, when the clutch mechanism 346 switches between the connected and clutched states, the second arm portion 345 is restricted from moving relative to the first arm portion 344 only in this radial direction. This helps ensure that the clutch structure reliably switches between the connected and clutched states.

[0097] For example, the first arm portion 344 may be provided with a groove 3441 extending in a radial direction relative to the second axis A2. The second arm portion 345 may include a slider 3451 at least partially disposed within the groove 3441. The slider 3451 can slide within the groove 3441 from a first position to a second position, thereby disengaging the rack 33 from engagement with the gear 31. Conversely, when it is necessary to reengage the rack 33 with the gear 31, the slider 3451 can return from the second position to the first position along the groove 3441. This allows the swing arm 34 to achieve reliable state switching using a simple and compact structure.

[0098] exist Figure 8 and Figure 9In the illustrated embodiment, the clutch mechanism 346 may include an electromagnet 3461 and a magnetic body 3462, respectively fixed to one of the first arm 344 and the other of the second arm 345. The magnetic body 3462 may be made of a magnetic material (e.g., iron, cobalt, nickel, ferrite, etc.). Alternatively, the electromagnet 3461 may be fixed to the first arm 344, and the magnetic body 3462 may be fixed to the second arm 345. When the clutch mechanism 346 is in an engaged state, the electromagnet 3461 is energized and applies an attractive force to the magnetic body 3462. The first arm 344 can be immovably connected to the second arm 345 by means of this attractive force. This maintains the meshing of the rack 33 and the gear 31. Accordingly, when the clutch mechanism 346 is disengaged, the electromagnet 3461 can be de-energized, thereby at least significantly reducing or eliminating the attractive force applied to the magnetic body 3462. In this case, the clutch mechanism 346 allows the second arm 345 to shift to a second position relative to the first arm 344 in a direction away from the second axis A2, thereby allowing the rack 33 to disengage from the gear 31. This configuration enables the clutch mechanism 346 to achieve state switching in a simple and convenient manner. It is particularly advantageous to use the electromagnet 3461 to achieve state switching of the clutch mechanism 346. For example, when the door opening device 3 is powered off, the electromagnet 3461 can be powered off synchronously, thereby switching the clutch mechanism 346 to a disengaged state. In this way, the door opening device 3 can be effectively prevented from getting stuck when the power is off. When the door opening device 3 is powered on again, the electromagnet 3461 can be powered on again synchronously, thereby switching the clutch mechanism 346 to a connected state. This makes it possible to simplify the control operation of the clutch mechanism 346.

[0099] It should be understood that the electromagnet 3461 of the clutch mechanism 346 can also be energized or de-energized independently of the overall energized state of the door opening device 3. For example, when the door opening device 3 automatically opens the door 2, if the user manually operates the door 2 to accelerate the opening of the door 2, the electromagnet 3461 can be de-energized to disengage the rack 33 from the gear 31.

[0100] The clutch mechanism 346 may further include a spring 3463. The spring 3463 is configured to apply a radially outward force relative to the second axis A2 to the second arm 345. The second arm 345 can be moved to a second position farther from the second axis A2 by means of the spring 3463. This helps disengage the auxiliary rack 33 from engagement with the gear 31.

[0101] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the direction of the current flowing through the electromagnet 3461 can be changed to allow the electromagnet 3461 to exert an attractive or repulsive force on the magnetic body 3462. When the electromagnet 3461 exerts an attractive force on the magnetic body 3462, the second arm 345 can be immovably connected to the first arm 344 by virtue of the attractive force, placing the clutch mechanism 346 in a connected state. When the electromagnet 3461 exerts a repulsive force on the magnetic body 3462, the second arm 345 can be displaced relative to the first arm 344 to a second position by virtue of the repulsive force.

[0102] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even when only a single embodiment is described with respect to specific features. The feature examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive, unless otherwise stated. In specific implementations, multiple features may be combined with each other, depending on actual needs and where technically feasible. In particular, features in different embodiments may also be combined with each other. Various replacements, changes, and modifications may also be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A door opening device for a household appliance, the household appliance comprising an appliance body (1) defining an interior space (11) and an opening (12) thereof, and a door (2) rotatably connected to the appliance body (1) to open or close the opening (12), characterized in that: The door opening device (3) comprises: a gear (31) configured to be mounted to the appliance body (1); a drive device (32) arranged to drive the gear (31) in rotation; and A rack (33) is arranged to generate a force to open the door (2) under the drive of the gear (31), the rack (33) is engaged with the gear (31) and is provided with a first connecting structure (331) suitable for rotatably connecting the rack (33) to the door (2).

2. The door opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door opening device (3) also includes a swing arm (34) suitable for keeping the rack (33) engaged with the gear (31), the gear (31) is rotatably arranged around a second axis, the swing arm (34) is swingably arranged around the second axis along a swing trajectory, the rack (33) is movably connected to the swing arm (34) along a tangential direction of the swing trajectory, and the swing arm (34) limits the relative movement of the rack (33) relative to the swing arm (34) in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction and away from the second axis.

3. The door opening device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The swing arm (34) includes an arm body (341) and a protrusion (342), wherein the arm body (341) extends in a radial direction relative to the second axis, and the protrusion (342) protrudes from the arm body (341) in the direction of the second axis, the rack (33) is provided with a guide groove (332) extending in a main extension direction of the rack (33), and the protrusion (342) is movably arranged in the guide groove (332) along the guide groove (332); or The swing arm (34) includes an arm body (341) and a hook portion (343), wherein the arm body (341) extends in a radial direction relative to the second axis, and the hook portion (343) hooks the rack (33) at least radially outside relative to the second axis.

4. The door opening device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The swing arm (34) comprises: a first arm portion (344) arranged to be swingable about a second axis; a second arm portion (345) connected to the rack (33) so as to allow the rack (33) to move in a tangential direction of the swinging trajectory of the swinging arm (34) and to restrict relative movement of the rack (33) relative to the second arm portion (345) in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction; and A clutch mechanism (346) is provided. The clutch mechanism (346) connects the second arm (345) to the first arm (344) in a first position so as to be immovably connected thereto in a connected state, thereby keeping the rack (33) engaged with the gear (31) by the first arm (344) and the second arm (345). The clutch mechanism (346) allows the second arm (345) to shift to a second position relative to the first arm (344) in a disengaged state. The second position is further away from the second axis than the first position, thereby allowing the rack (33) to disengage from the gear (31).

5. The door opening device according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the disengaged state of the clutch mechanism (346), the second arm portion (345) is movably connected to the first arm portion (344) only in a radial direction relative to the second axis.

6. The door opening device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first arm portion (344) is provided with a groove (3441) extending in a radial direction relative to the second axis, and the second arm portion (345) includes a slider (3451) at least partially arranged in the groove (3441).

7. The door opening device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clutch mechanism (346) includes an electromagnet (3461) and a magnetic body (3462) respectively fixed to one and the other of the first arm (344) and the second arm (345), wherein, in the connected state of the clutch mechanism (346), the electromagnet (3461) is energized and applies an attractive force to the magnetic body (3462), and the first arm (344) is connected to the second arm (345) in an immovable manner by means of the attractive force.

8. The door opening device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clutch mechanism (346) further comprises a spring (3463) arranged to provide a radially outward force relative to the second axis to the second arm portion (345).

9. The door opening device according to any one of claims 1-3 and 5-8, characterized in that: The drive device (32) comprises a drive motor connected to the gear (31) in a direct drive manner; and / or The rack (33) is configured to extend along a straight line.

10. A household appliance, characterized in that: The household appliance comprises an appliance body (1) defining an interior space (11) and an opening (12) thereof, a door (2) rotatably connected to the appliance body (1) about a first axis to open or close the opening (12), and a door opening device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a gear (31) of the door opening device (3) is mounted to the appliance body (1), and a rack (33) of the door opening device (3) is rotatably connected to the door (2).

11. The household appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that When the door (2) is closed, the rack (33) extends in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the door (2); and / or In the opening stroke of the door (2), the angle between the rack (33) and the main plane of the door (2) decreases as the opening angle of the door (2) increases.

12. The household appliance according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The rack (33) is rotatably connected to the door (2) about a third axis, wherein The third axis is parallel to the first axis; and / or The distance between the third axis and the first axis is greater than 1 / 5 of the width of the door (2) and / or less than 1 / 3 of the width of the door (2); and / or The distance between the third axis and the first axis is greater than 15 cm and / or less than 30 cm.

13. The household appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that When the door (2) is at the maximum opening angle, the gear (31) is at least partially located on the side of the plane where the first axis and the third axis lie facing the opening (12).

14. The household appliance according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The rack (33) is arranged to be provided with teeth meshing with the gear (31) on the side facing the first axis.

15. The household appliance according to claim 10, 11 or 13, characterized in that The household appliance is a refrigerator.

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