Hinge structure and household appliance

Abstract

The utility model discloses a hinge structure and household electrical appliance relates to refrigeration equipment technical field, the hinge structure includes hinge main part and adjusting piece, hinge main part has first side and second side in the first direction, the first side of hinge main part is used for setting towards the box, the hinge main part is provided with connecting hole, the second side of hinge main part is used for setting towards the box. The hinge main body is used for being fixed to a box body through a connecting piece penetrating through the connecting hole, and a mounting hole is formed in the hinge main body in the first direction; the adjusting part is movably installed in the installation hole in the first direction so that the adjusting part can be exposed out of the first side of the hinge body, the length of the part, exposed out of the first side of the hinge body, of the adjusting part can be adjusted, and the adjusting part can be adjusted in the first direction through the adjusting part which can be adjusted in the first direction. And the distance between the hinge main body and the box body is adjustable, so that the door body mounted on the hinge main body is adjustable in the first direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, in particular to a hinge structure and a household appliance. Background Art

[0002] In the modern home appliance industry, double-door refrigerators are widely popular for their convenient opening and closing methods and well-organized storage space. The doors are attached to the refrigerator body via dual-axis hinges, a design that not only ensures door stability and durability but also makes the refrigerator more convenient to use.

[0003] However, due to the influence of the manufacturing and transportation process, when the refrigerator door is installed on the cabinet, there is an assembly error in the front-to-back distance of the door. Especially for double-door refrigerators, if there is a certain assembly error between the two doors, the flatness of the two doors will be inconsistent from the appearance, affecting the user's perception. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a hinge structure and a household appliance, aiming to provide a hinge structure that enables a refrigerator door to be adjusted at an opening end close to or away from a refrigerator body.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the hinge structure proposed in the present invention includes:

[0006] a hinge body having a first side and a second side in a first direction, the first side of the hinge body being arranged toward the box, a connecting hole being provided on the hinge body, the hinge body being fixed to the box body via a connecting member passing through the connecting hole, and a mounting hole being provided on the hinge body along the first direction; and

[0007] An adjusting member is movably mounted on the mounting hole along the first direction, so that the adjusting member can expose the first side of the hinge body, and the length of the exposed first side of the hinge body is adjustable.

[0008] In one embodiment, the hinge body has a driving surface arranged along the circumference of the mounting hole, and a mating surface abutting against the driving surface is formed on the adjusting member, and at least one of the driving surface and the mating surface is inclined toward the first side or the second side of the hinge body along the circumference of the mounting hole.

[0009] In one embodiment, a dimension d of at least one of the driving surface and the mating surface in the first direction is d≤2 mm.

[0010] In one embodiment, the mounting hole is configured as a stepped hole, and is formed with an annular stepped surface facing the first side of the hinge body, and the annular stepped surface forms the driving surface.

[0011] In one embodiment, the adjusting member includes a main body and a convex portion, the main body is located on the side of the annular step surface facing the first side of the hinge body, the main body is partially protruded on a side surface facing the annular step surface to form the convex portion, and the mating surface is formed on the periphery of the convex portion.

[0012] In one embodiment, the adjusting member is provided with an external thread, and the side wall of the mounting hole is provided with an internal thread.

[0013] In one embodiment, an adjustment slot is provided at one end of the adjustment member facing the second side of the hinge body, and the adjustment slot is exposed in the mounting hole.

[0014] In one embodiment, at least two connecting holes are provided, and the mounting hole is provided between the two connecting holes.

[0015] The present invention further provides a household appliance, comprising:

[0016] The box body has a cavity with an opening at one end, wherein the opening is provided at one end of the cavity in the first direction;

[0017] a hinge structure mounted on the open end of the box; and

[0018] a door body rotatably mounted on the hinge structure about a rotation axis in a second direction so as to open and close the opening during its rotation stroke;

[0019] Wherein, the hinge structure includes:

[0020] a hinge body having a first side and a second side in a first direction, the first side of the hinge body being arranged toward the box, a connecting hole being provided on the hinge body, the hinge body being fixed to the box body via a connecting member passing through the connecting hole, and a mounting hole being provided on the hinge body along the first direction; and

[0021] An adjusting member is movably mounted on the mounting hole along the first direction, so that the adjusting member can expose the first side of the hinge body, and the length of the exposed first side of the hinge body is adjustable.

[0022] In one embodiment, the household appliance includes a refrigerator or a freezer.

[0023] In the technical solution of the present utility model, the hinge body can be fixed to the opening of one end of the box in the first direction through a connecting piece, and the door body is rotatably installed on the hinge body to cover the open end of the box. Because the adjusting piece is adjustable in the first direction, the length of the first side of the hinge body exposed can be adjusted. Because the first side of the hinge body faces the box, when the hinge body is fixed to the box through the connecting piece, the end face of the adjusting piece exposed on the first side of the hinge body abuts against the box, then the distance between the hinge body and the box depends on the exposed length of the adjusting piece. By setting the adjusting piece adjustable in the first direction, the distance between the hinge body and the box is adjustable, so that the door body installed on the hinge body is adjustable in the first direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a hinge structure provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the middle adjustment member exposing the first side of the hinge body;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram from another perspective;

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded diagram of the middle hinge structure;

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle adjustment member;

[0030] Figure 6 for Figure 4 Side view of the middle adjustment member.

[0031] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0032] 100. Hinge structure; 1. Hinge body; 11. First side; 12. Second side; a. Connecting hole; b. Mounting hole; 10. Driving surface; 2. Adjusting member; 20. Mating surface; 21. Main body; 22. Protrusion; 2a. Adjusting slot.

[0033] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0036] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0037] The utility model provides a hinge structure so that a refrigerator door can be adjusted at an opening end close to or away from a refrigerator body.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hinge structure 100 is used for a household appliance, which includes a box body, a hinge structure 100 and a door body. The box body has a cavity with an opening at one end, and the opening is arranged at one end of the cavity in the first direction; the hinge structure 100 is installed at the open end of the box body; the door body is rotatably installed on the hinge structure 100 around a rotation axis in the second direction to open and close the opening during its rotation stroke.

[0039] The housing is configured as the outer shell of the household appliance, and the housing has at least one cavity (compartment) and an opening at one end thereof. The opening allows a user to conveniently take items into and out of the cavity. The opening is provided at an end of the cavity in the first direction.

[0040] It should be noted that the second direction generally refers to a direction intersecting the first direction. When the first direction is set to be front-to-back, the second direction can be understood as left-to-right or up-to-down. It is understood that when the household appliance is set to be a refrigerator, the first direction can be understood as front-to-back, and the second direction can be understood as up-to-down.

[0041] The hinge structure 100 is installed at the open end of the box body and is responsible for supporting and connecting the door body. The hinge structure 100 allows the door body to rotate freely within a certain range to open and close the opening.

[0042] It should be noted that the principle of the door body and the hinge structure 100 cooperating to achieve rotation is as follows: the hinge structure 100 includes a hinge body 1, which is provided with a main shaft and a secondary shaft. The hinge structure 100 can be installed at the top or bottom of the refrigerator door. The bottom or top of the door body is provided with grooves that match the main and secondary shafts of the hinge. The grooves not only provide support but also ensure that the door body can slide and rotate smoothly on the secondary shaft.

[0043] During installation, the hinge structure 100 is fixed to the refrigerator body by screws or other fixing members, while ensuring that the main shaft and the secondary shaft are accurately embedded in the grooves of the door body.

[0044] See also Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment of the present utility model, the hinge structure 100 includes a hinge body 1 and an adjusting member 2, the hinge body 1 having a first side 11 and a second side 12 in a first direction, the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 is used to be set toward the box body, the hinge body 1 is provided with a connecting hole a, the hinge body 1 is fixed to the box body by a connecting member passing through the connecting hole a, and the hinge body 1 is provided with a mounting hole b along the first direction; the adjusting member 2 is movably installed in the mounting hole b along the first direction, so that the adjusting member 2 can expose the first side 11 of the hinge body 1, and the length of the exposed first side 11 of the hinge body 1 is adjustable.

[0045] The hinge body 1 has two side surfaces, a first side 11 facing the box body, and a second side 12 facing outward.

[0046] The connection hole a is provided on the hinge body 1 and is used to secure the connection between the hinge body 1 and the housing. The connection hole a is where the hinge body 1 is connected to the connection hole a on the housing via a connecting member (such as a screw, pin, etc.). Passing the connecting member through the connection hole a securely secures the hinge body 1 to the housing, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the hinge.

[0047] The adjusting member 2 can move along the first direction within the mounting hole b, that is, the position of the adjusting member 2 is adjustable and can be moved as needed. The adjusting member 2 can expose the first side 11 of the hinge body 1, and the exposed length is adjustable. The adjusting member 2 is abutted against the box body. When the hinge body 1 is fixed to the box body through the connecting member, the user can flexibly adjust the position of the adjusting member 2 according to the situation, indirectly making the position of the hinge body 1 in the first direction adjustable, thereby making the position of the door body in the first direction adjustable.

[0048] In the technical solution of the present invention, the hinge body 1 can be fixed to the opening of one end of the box in the first direction through a connecting piece, and the door body is rotatably installed on the hinge body 1 to cover the open end of the box. Because the adjusting piece 2 is adjustable in the first direction, the length of the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 exposed is adjustable. Because the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 faces the box, when the hinge body 1 is fixed to the box through the connecting piece, the end face of the adjusting piece 2 exposed on the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 abuts against the box, then the distance between the hinge body 1 and the box depends on the exposed length of the adjusting piece 2. By setting the adjusting piece 2 adjustable in the first direction, the distance between the hinge body 1 and the box is adjustable, so that the door body installed on the hinge body 1 is adjustable in the first direction.

[0049] There are many ways to achieve the movement of the adjusting member 2 in the first direction, for example, it can be through a threaded connection, or interference fit adjustment, or a plurality of adjusting parts are provided on the adjusting member 2 along the first direction, each adjusting part can cooperate with a matching part on the hinge body 1, etc.

[0050] Specifically, see Figure 4 and Figure 5In one embodiment, the hinge body 1 has a driving surface 10 arranged along the circumference of the mounting hole b, and a mating surface 20 is formed on the adjusting member 2 to abut against the driving surface 10, and at least one of the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 is inclined toward the first side 11 or the second side 12 of the hinge body 1 along the circumference of the mounting hole b.

[0051] It is understood that the driving surface 10 refers to the surface on the hinge body 1 that can cooperate with the adjusting member 2 to achieve the adjustment function. The driving surface 10 can contact the mating surface 20 of the adjusting member 2, thereby providing the necessary support and driving effect during operation. The adjusting member 2 achieves fine-tuning of the door body by contacting the driving surface 10 of the hinge body 1. The mating surface 20 refers to the surface of the adjusting member 2 that contacts the driving surface 10 of the hinge body 1.

[0052] It should be noted that at least one of the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 is arranged at an angle, which means that the driving surface 10 can be arranged as an inclined surface, or the mating surface 20 can be arranged as an inclined surface, or even the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 can be arranged as an inclined surface together. When the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 are arranged as inclined surfaces together, it can be understood that in the initial state, the inclination direction of the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 are consistent, forming two complementary inclined surfaces. When the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 rotate relative to each other, the end point of the mating surface 20 closest to the driving surface 10 in the first direction can also abut against the driving surface 10 to achieve adjustment in the first direction.

[0053] It should also be noted that the direction of inclination can be toward the first side 11 or the second side 12 of the hinge body 1. Regardless of whether the inclined surface formed by the driving surface 10 and / or the mating surface 20 is toward the first side 11 or the second side 12 of the hinge body 1, the driving surface 10 and / or the mating surface 20 has a relatively higher side and a relatively lower side in the radial direction of the mounting hole b.

[0054] In this way, the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 are in contact with each other, and when the adjusting member 2 is rotated, the point where the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 are mated slides along the circumference of the mounting hole b. When the adjusting member 2 is rotated and slides in a direction (i.e., a higher point) toward the inclined surface and gradually tilts toward the first side 11 of the hinge body 1, the longer the length of the adjusting member 2 exposed on the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 is; when the adjusting member 2 is rotated and slides in a direction (i.e., a higher point) toward the inclined surface and gradually tilts toward the second side 12 of the hinge body 1, the shorter the length of the adjusting member 2 exposed on the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 is.

[0055] Therefore, the position of the hinge body 1 in the first direction can be achieved by adjusting the rotation direction of the adjusting member 2 in real time according to the length of the adjusting member 2 that needs to be exposed on the first side 11 of the hinge body 1.

[0056] Specifically, see Figure 6 In this embodiment, a dimension d of at least one of the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 in the first direction is d, and d≤2 mm.

[0057] It is understandable that to adjust the position of the door body in the first direction, generally only fine-tuning is required. If the distance to be adjusted is too large, it means that there are certain problems with the manufacturing quality of the box body or the door body and other components.

[0058] By setting the size of at least one of the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 in the first direction to within 2 mm, the adjustable stroke of the adjusting member 2 in the first direction is set to at least 2 mm, which can cover the maximum adjustment requirement of the door body in the first direction.

[0059] d can be set to 0.2mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.3mm, 1.7mm, 1.9mm..., because the range of d is small, the small stroke of the adjusting member 2 is adjusted by cooperating with the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20. Compared with the threaded cooperation method of setting a thread between the adjusting member 2 and the mounting hole b, the rotation stroke is converted into a movable stroke along the first direction. Because the adjusted stroke is too small, the smaller pitch may cause insufficient thread strength, and the thread is prone to tearing or damage. At the same time, the processing accuracy and equipment capacity will limit the minimum pitch of the thread. In order to provide reliability and load-bearing capacity, a larger pitch needs to be set, so the restriction of the adjustment stroke is in conflict with the size of the pitch. Therefore, by setting the inclined drive form of the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20, the cooperation between the adjusting member 2 and the hinge body 1 can be stable.

[0060] Specifically, see Figure 4 In this embodiment, the mounting hole b is configured as a stepped hole, and is formed with an annular stepped surface facing the first side 11 of the hinge body 1 , and the annular stepped surface forms the driving surface 10 .

[0061] The adjusting member 2 is installed in the stepped hole, and the stepped hole is docked with the end position of the hinge body 1 to ensure the adaptability between the two.

[0062] The annular step surface is not only provided as a support surface, but also assumes a driving function, and may be used to transmit force or motion when the hinge is working. Such a configuration improves the stability, durability or functionality of the hinge structure 100.

[0063] Furthermore, in order to enhance the stability between the adjusting member 2 and the hinge body 1, please refer to Figure 5 In this embodiment, the adjusting member 2 includes a main body 21 and a convex portion 22. The main body 21 is located on the side of the annular step surface facing the first side 11 of the hinge body 1. The main body 21 is partially protruded on one side of the annular step surface to form the convex portion 22, and the mating surface 20 is formed on the periphery of the convex portion 22.

[0064] In this way, there is a mutual restriction between the outer peripheral wall of the protrusion 22 and the inner wall surface of the mounting hole b, so that when the adjusting member 2 rotates, the protrusion 22 can further provide stable support in the circumferential direction, and in the first direction, the mating surface 20 between the adjusting member 2 and the mounting hole b is increased, further improving the stability during rotation.

[0065] Furthermore, in some other embodiments, the adjusting member 2 is provided with external threads, and the side wall of the mounting hole b is provided with internal threads. By providing a threaded connection between the adjusting member 2 and the mounting hole b, in some cases, the rotational travel can be directly converted into a movable travel along the first direction by means of the threaded connection.

[0066] Of course, in the case where the adjusting member 2 and the hinge body 1 are driven by the driving surface 10 and the mating surface 20 , a screw connection structure is provided between the adjusting member 2 and the hinge body 1 to provide an additional stable connection for the adjusting member 2 .

[0067] Further, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the rotation of the adjusting member 2, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 In this embodiment, an adjustment groove 2a is provided at one end of the adjustment member 2 facing the second side 12 of the hinge body 1, and the adjustment groove 2a is exposed in the mounting hole b.

[0068] It is understandable that the adjustment slot 2a can be set as a straight slot, a cross slot, a hexagonal slot, etc., so that the torque can be transmitted to the adjustment member 2 through the adjustment slot 2a by matching the adjustment tool with the adjustment slot 2a.

[0069] Of course, in addition to setting the adjustment slot 2a, other adjustment parts can also be set at the end of the adjustment member 2 facing the second side 12 of the hinge body 1. For example, it can be directly extended from the mounting hole b and set in the form of a knob, or the cross-section of the end face of the adjustment member 2 can be set to a polygon, and the torque can be transmitted through an adjustment tool with a driving slot that matches it.

[0070] Further, see Figure 4 In this embodiment, at least two connection holes a are provided, and the mounting hole b is provided between the two connection holes a. By providing multiple connection holes a and increasing the number of connection holes a and the number of connection members, the load applied to the hinge body 1 can be distributed to multiple points, reducing the stress on each connection point, lowering the risk of connection failure, and reducing material fatigue or damage caused by stress concentration.

[0071] The mounting hole b is set at a position between the two connecting holes a. The two connecting holes a adjust their own locking lengths according to the length of the adjusting member 2 extending from the first side 11 of the hinge body 1, thereby improving the reliability of the overall system, especially under high load or extreme environment.

[0072] The present invention also provides a household appliance, which includes a box body, a door body and a hinge structure 100. The specific structure of the hinge structure 100 refers to the above embodiment. Since the household appliance adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described one by one here.

[0073] Specifically, the household appliance includes a refrigerator or a freezer. Taking the household appliance as an example, when the door body needs to be adjusted forward and backward, it is first necessary to loosen the connecting member (screw) between the hinge body 1 and the box body, and use a tool such as a screwdriver to cooperate with the adjustment slot 2a to rotate and adjust the adjustment member 2. The mating surface 20 on the adjustment member 2 is relatively displaced in the forward and backward direction relative to the driving surface 10 of the hinge body 1, so that the end of the adjustment member 2 close to the first side 11 protrudes from the first side 11 of the hinge body 1, thereby adjusting the size of the gap between the hinge body 1 and the box body, thereby realizing the forward and backward adjustment function of the refrigerator door body.

[0074] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hinge structure, characterized in that: include: a hinge body having a first side and a second side in a first direction, the first side of the hinge body being arranged toward the box, a connecting hole being provided on the hinge body, the hinge body being fixed to the box body via a connecting member passing through the connecting hole, and a mounting hole being provided on the hinge body along the first direction; and An adjusting member is movably mounted on the mounting hole along the first direction, so that the adjusting member can expose the first side of the hinge body, and the length of the exposed first side of the hinge body is adjustable.

2. The hinge structure according to claim 1, wherein: The hinge body has a driving surface arranged along the circumference of the mounting hole, and the adjusting member has a mating surface formed thereon that abuts against the driving surface. At least one of the driving surface and the mating surface is inclined toward the first side or the second side of the hinge body along the circumference of the mounting hole.

3. The hinge structure according to claim 2, wherein: A dimension d of at least one of the driving surface and the mating surface in the first direction is d≤2 mm.

4. The hinge structure according to claim 2, wherein: The mounting hole is configured as a stepped hole, and is formed with an annular stepped surface facing the first side of the hinge body, wherein the annular stepped surface forms the driving surface.

5. The hinge structure according to claim 4, wherein: The adjusting member includes a main body and a convex portion. The main body is located on the side of the annular step surface facing the first side of the hinge body. The main body is partially protruded on a side surface facing the annular step surface to form the convex portion, and the mating surface is formed on the periphery of the convex portion.

6. The hinge structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The adjusting member is provided with an external thread, and the side wall of the mounting hole is provided with an internal thread.

7. The hinge structure according to claim 1, wherein: An adjusting slot is provided at one end of the adjusting member facing the second side of the hinge body, and the adjusting slot is exposed in the mounting hole.

8. The hinge structure according to claim 1, wherein: At least two connecting holes are provided, and the mounting hole is provided between the two connecting holes.

9. A household appliance, characterized in that: include: The box body has a cavity with an opening at one end, wherein the opening is provided at one end of the cavity in the first direction; The hinge structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, mounted at the open end of the box; and The door body is rotatably mounted on the hinge structure around a rotation axis in a second direction so as to open and close the opening during its rotation stroke.

10. The household appliance according to claim 9, wherein The household appliance includes a refrigerator or a freezer.

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