Ball assembly and microwave oven

Abstract

The utility model provides a ball assembly and a microwave oven, the ball assembly comprises: a base installed on a cavity bottom plate of the microwave oven, the upper part of the base being provided with an accommodating cavity; the ball is rotatably assembled in the accommodating cavity; the upper cover is detachably connected with the base and used for being matched with the containing cavity to limit the balls; the upper cover is provided with an avoiding hole, and the upper portion of the ball protrudes out of the avoiding hole and then abuts against a glass rotating disc of the microwave oven so as to support the glass rotating disc. According to the ball assembly and the microwave oven disclosed by the utility model, the situation that a powder spraying layer falls off and even is rusted due to the fact that a cavity bottom plate is rubbed by a traditional roller bracket in the rotating process can be avoided; the ball assembly is in point contact with the glass turntable, so that the running resistance is small and the noise is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a ball assembly and a microwave oven. Background Art

[0002] Microwave ovens use high-frequency microwaves emitted by magnetrons to act on water molecules in food, using the heat generated by the high-speed movement and friction of water molecules to quickly heat food. They have become one of the indispensable cooking appliances in modern families.

[0003] To ensure that food is heated evenly, a rotatable glass turntable is generally installed at the bottom of the microwave oven cavity. The rotating glass turntable drives the food to rotate, thereby heating the food evenly and achieving a good cooking effect. To ensure that the glass turntable does not tilt in the cavity, a roller bracket is usually installed at its bottom for support. The roller bracket is provided with a circular roller, which slides relative to the cavity when the glass turntable rotates. For example, application number 201922182925.3 is the applicant's prior application, which discloses a roller bracket including a bracket body, a plurality of fixed shafts provided on the bracket body, a connecting strip formed between two adjacent fixed shafts, and a buffer portion provided on at least one connecting strip. The buffer portion includes an outer buffer surface and / or an inner buffer. This solution can effectively prevent the roller bracket from breaking or being damaged, but there are problems such as poor positioning accuracy, which makes the roller bracket prone to deviation and skew when placed in the cavity. In severe cases, the glass turntable may become stuck and unable to rotate, affecting the uniformity of heating the food and even causing microwave focusing. In addition, the rolling of the roller in the cavity will continuously wear the metal surface, causing rust on the bottom of the cavity, seriously affecting the customer experience.

[0004] In view of this, the present utility model is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0005] The problem solved by the utility model is that the rotation support structure of the existing microwave oven is unreasonable, which will continuously wear the metal surface of the cavity bottom plate and even cause rust.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the utility model provides a ball assembly for a microwave oven, comprising:

[0007] A base is mounted on the cavity bottom plate of the microwave oven, and an accommodating cavity is provided on the upper portion of the base;

[0008] A ball, rotatably assembled into the accommodating cavity;

[0009] The upper cover is detachably connected to the base and is used to cooperate with the accommodating cavity to limit the ball; the upper cover is provided with a avoidance hole, and the upper part of the ball protrudes out of the avoidance hole and abuts against the glass turntable of the microwave oven to support it.

[0010] This setting fixes the ball assembly on the cavity bottom plate, preventing the traditional roller bracket from rubbing against the cavity bottom plate during rotation, causing the powder coating to fall off or even rust; the ball assembly and the glass turntable are in point contact, with low running resistance and low noise.

[0011] Preferably, a drainage hole is provided at the lowest point of the accommodating cavity, and a reinforcing rib is provided on the inner wall of the accommodating cavity, one end of the reinforcing rib is connected to the drainage hole; there are multiple reinforcing ribs and they are arranged in a circular array with the drainage hole as the center.

[0012] This setting can utilize reinforcing ribs to increase the mechanical strength of the accommodating cavity and even the entire base, while changing the surface contact between the ball and the accommodating cavity to line contact between the ball and the reinforcing ribs, resulting in low friction resistance and low energy consumption; in addition, the reinforcing ribs can play a drainage role, enabling water entering the accommodating cavity to flow more smoothly downward to the drainage hole.

[0013] Preferably, the reinforcing rib is formed by a protrusion from the accommodating cavity, and its projection on a horizontal plane is a straight line segment. This configuration allows the base to have a certain degree of deformation without being prone to breakage, facilitating assembly between the base and the cavity floor; it also minimizes the contact distance between the ball bearing and the reinforcing rib, reducing rolling resistance.

[0014] Preferably, the base and the upper cover are detachably connected via an assembly structure, the assembly structure comprising a buckle and a mounting slot, the buckle being located on one of the base and the upper cover, the mounting slot being located on the other of the base and the upper cover, and the buckle being limitedly assembled into the mounting slot. This arrangement is structurally simple and has high assembly efficiency.

[0015] Preferably, a limiting structure is provided between the base and the upper cover. The limiting structure includes a limiting block and a limiting notch. The limiting block is located on one of the base and the upper cover, and the limiting notch is located on the other of the base and the upper cover. After installation, the limiting block is located within the mounting groove. This arrangement can pre-position the assembly structure for installation, improving assembly efficiency. Furthermore, the mounting groove can increase the stress-bearing and deformation capacity of the main structure, facilitating assembly and disassembly.

[0016] Preferably, the assembly structure is disposed on the outer periphery of the base, and the assembly structure and the limiting structure are at the same height and spaced apart from each other. This arrangement ensures stable and reliable assembly, avoids uneven force distribution, and does not interfere with the assembly of other structures. For example, the assembly structure may be located on the left and right sides of the base, and the limiting structures may be located on the left and right sides of the base.

[0017] Preferably, the lower portion of the base is a hollow structure with stoppers provided on the outer side walls, two of which are symmetrically arranged on either side of the lower portion of the base; a first notch is provided at the lower end of the base, the first notch being located between the stoppers, thereby causing the lower end of the base to deform under force to facilitate assembly with the cavity floor. This arrangement is simple in structure, enables rapid assembly with the cavity floor, and provides high installation efficiency and good stability.

[0018] Preferably, the cavity bottom plate is provided with a limiting hole, and a retaining rib is provided on the outer periphery of the limiting hole. The retaining rib is located below the limiting hole, and the stopper abuts against the lower edge of the retaining rib after assembly. This arrangement enables the stopper to abut against the lower edge of the retaining rib, thereby limiting the ball assembly in the vertical direction and achieving high assembly accuracy.

[0019] Preferably, the upper cover partially fits over the base, with the outer diameters of the base and upper cover being D1 and D2, respectively, and the diameter of the retaining hole being D3, where D1 < D3 < D2. Because the upper cover is larger than the retaining hole, the assembled ball assembly is inserted into the retaining hole and supported by the cavity bottom plate. The retaining ribs horizontally limit the left and right, front and back sides of the ball assembly, making it less likely to loosen or fall off after assembly, providing stable and reliable support for the glass turntable.

[0020] The present invention provides a microwave oven, comprising a cavity, specifically a cavity bottom plate, on which a connector is provided for driving a glass turntable to rotate; the microwave oven also comprises the above-mentioned ball assembly, wherein the ball assembly has multiple components and is evenly spaced along the outer periphery of the connector for providing rolling support for the periphery of the glass turntable.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the ball assembly and microwave oven described in the present invention have the following beneficial effects: 1) The set ball assembly prevents the traditional roller bracket from rubbing against the cavity bottom plate during rotation, causing the powder coating layer to fall off or even rust; 2) The ball assembly and the glass turntable are in point contact, with low running resistance and low noise; 3) The provision of multiple ball assemblies can provide stable support for the glass turntable, avoiding abnormal situations such as offset during use, and providing a good user experience; 4) By optimizing the structure of the ball assembly, the height of the ball assembly protruding from the cavity bottom plate is low, occupying less space in the cavity, and providing a better user experience; 5) The structure is simple, the assembly is stable and reliable, and it is easy to produce and process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a microwave oven in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a roller bracket in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the ball assembly in the cavity according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the ball assembly and the cavity along the AA side;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the explosion of the ball assembly in the cavity according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of the ball assembly and the cavity along the AA side;

[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0030] Figure 9 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the ball assembly described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 1-Door assembly; 2-Control panel; 3-Cavity; 31-Cavity bottom plate; 311-Limiting hole; 312-Support platform; 313-Guard rib; 4-Connector; 5-Roller bracket; 51-Bracket; 52-Roller; 6-Glass turntable; 7-Ball assembly; 71-Base; 711-Accommodating chamber; 7111-First chamber; 7112-Second chamber; 712-Drainage hole; 713-Snap; 714-Block; 715-Reinforcement rib; 716-First notch; 717-Limiting block; 72-Ball; 73-Upper cover; 731-Mounting slot; 732-Avoidance hole; 733-Limiting notch; 8-Motor bracket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following is a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The technical features of the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections; they can refer to direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative use of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0036] As a common household appliance, microwave ovens are popular among people for their advantages of convenient and quick heating of food and simple operation. A conventional microwave oven is provided with a glass turntable 6 for placing food and a roller bracket 5 for supporting the glass turntable 6 in the heating chamber. The glass turntable 6 is driven to rotate by a motor 8 provided at the bottom of the heating chamber. The roller bracket 5 includes a bracket 51 and a rotatable roller 52 provided on the edge of the bracket 51. Figure 1-2 shown.

[0037] However, this solution has the following drawbacks: 1) If the roller bracket 5 is offset, it will cause uneven heating and even the risk of microwave focusing; 2) The roller 52 is in contact with the lower surface of the cavity 3 for a long time, which will cause the powder layer on the metal surface to fall off; 3) The roller bracket 5 is made of plastic and is very likely to break or damage if accidentally dropped during cleaning. To address this, the applicant proposes the following technical solution:

[0038] like Figure 3-9 As shown, a ball assembly 7 for a microwave oven comprises:

[0039] A base 71 is mounted on the cavity bottom plate 31 of the microwave oven, and an accommodating cavity 711 is provided on the upper portion of the base 71;

[0040] The ball 72 is rotatably assembled into the accommodating cavity 711;

[0041] The upper cover 73 is detachably connected to the base 71 and is used to cooperate with the accommodating cavity 711 to limit the ball 72; the upper cover 73 is provided with an avoidance hole 732, and the upper part of the ball 72 protrudes from the avoidance hole 732 and abuts against the glass turntable 6 of the microwave oven to support it.

[0042] This arrangement fixes the ball assembly 7 on the cavity bottom plate 31, preventing the traditional roller bracket 5 from rubbing against the cavity bottom plate 31 during rotation, causing the powder coating layer to fall off or even rust; the ball assembly 7 and the glass turntable 6 are in point contact, with low operating resistance and low noise.

[0043] As an example of this new use, the accommodating chamber 711 includes a first chamber 7111 and a second chamber 7112. The first chamber 7111 is hemispherical, and the second chamber 7112 is cylindrical and located above the first chamber 7111. The upper cover 73 is detachably attached to the second chamber 7112. This arrangement can define the assembly position of the ball 72 while providing installation space for the upper cover 73, thereby minimizing the height of the ball assembly 7 within the chamber 3 and providing a better user experience.

[0044] Preferably, a drainage hole 712 is provided at the lowest point of the accommodating cavity 711, and a reinforcing rib 715 is provided on the inner wall of the accommodating cavity 711, and one end of the reinforcing rib 715 is connected to the drainage hole 712; there are multiple reinforcing ribs 715 and they are arranged in a circular array with the drainage hole 712 as the center.

[0045] This arrangement can utilize the reinforcing ribs 715 to increase the mechanical strength of the accommodating cavity 711 and even the entire base 71, while changing the surface contact between the ball 72 and the accommodating cavity 711 to line contact with the reinforcing ribs 715, resulting in low friction resistance and low energy consumption; in addition, the reinforcing ribs 715 can play a drainage role, enabling water entering the accommodating cavity 711 to flow more smoothly downward to the drainage hole 712.

[0046] Preferably, the reinforcing rib 715 is formed by a raised portion of the accommodating cavity 711, and its projection on a horizontal plane is a straight line segment. This configuration allows the base 71 to have a certain degree of deformation without being prone to breakage, facilitating assembly between the base 71 and the cavity bottom plate 31. It also minimizes the contact distance between the ball bearing 72 and the reinforcing rib 715, reducing rolling resistance.

[0047] As an example of the present invention, the base 71 and the upper cover 73 are detachably connected via an assembly structure, which includes a buckle 713 and a mounting slot 731. The buckle 713 is located on one of the base 71 and the upper cover 73, and the mounting slot 731 is located on the other of the base 71 and the upper cover 73. The buckle 713 is limitedly assembled into the mounting slot 731. This arrangement is simple in structure and has high assembly efficiency.

[0048] As an example of the present invention, a limiting structure is provided between the base 71 and the upper cover 73. The limiting structure includes a limiting block 717 and a limiting notch 733. The limiting block 717 is located on one of the base 71 and the upper cover 73, and the limiting notch 733 is located on the other of the base 71 and the upper cover 73. After installation, the limiting block 717 is located within the mounting groove 731. This arrangement can pre-position the assembly structure for installation, improving assembly efficiency. At the same time, the mounting groove 731 allows the main structure to have a certain amount of deformation space, facilitating assembly and disassembly.

[0049] Preferably, the assembly structure is disposed on the outer periphery of the base 71, and the assembly structure and the limiting structure are at the same height and spaced apart from each other. This arrangement ensures stable and reliable assembly, avoids uneven force distribution, and does not interfere with the assembly of other structures. For example, the assembly structure is located on the left and right sides of the base 71, and the limiting structures are located on the left and right sides of the base 71.

[0050] As an example of the present invention, the lower portion of the base 71 is a hollow structure with stoppers 714 provided on the outer sidewalls. Two stoppers 714 are symmetrically arranged on either side of the lower portion of the base 71. A first notch 716 is provided at the lower end of the base 71, located between the stoppers 714. This allows the lower end of the base 71 to deform to facilitate assembly with the cavity bottom plate 31. This arrangement is simple in structure, enables rapid assembly with the cavity bottom plate 31, and provides high installation efficiency and excellent stability.

[0051] As an example of the present invention, the cavity bottom plate 31 is provided with a limiting hole 311, and a retaining rib 313 is provided on the outer periphery of the limiting hole 311. The retaining rib 313 is located below the limiting hole 311, and the stopper 714 abuts against the lower edge of the retaining rib 313 after assembly. This arrangement enables the stopper 714 to abut against the lower edge of the retaining rib 313, thereby limiting the vertical position of the ball assembly 7 and achieving high assembly accuracy.

[0052] Preferably, the upper cover 73 partially fits over the base 71. The outer diameters of the base 71 and upper cover 73 are D1 and D2, respectively. The diameter of the retaining hole 311 is D3, where D1 < D3 < D2. Because the upper cover 73 is larger than the retaining hole 311, the assembled ball assembly 7 is inserted into the retaining hole 311 and supported by the cavity bottom plate 31. The retaining ribs 313 can horizontally limit the left and right, front and back sides of the ball assembly 7. After assembly, it is not likely to loosen or fall off, providing stable and reliable support for the glass turntable 6.

[0053] The present utility model also provides a microwave oven, including a cavity 3, wherein the cavity 3 is specifically a cavity bottom plate 31, and a connector 4 is provided on the cavity bottom plate 31 for supporting a glass turntable 6; the microwave oven also includes the above-mentioned ball assembly 7, and the ball assembly 7 has multiple and is distributed at equal intervals along the outer peripheral side of the connector 4, for providing rolling support for the periphery of the glass turntable 6.

[0054] During assembly, the ball 72 is placed in the accommodating cavity 711, and then force is applied to the upper cover 73 to snap it into place on the base 71 to form the ball assembly 7; then the ball assembly 7 is aligned with the limiting hole 311 and a downward force is applied, the base 71 is deformed by the force and inserted into the limiting hole 311, and the block 714 abuts against the lower edge of the rib 313.

[0055] Preferably, the cavity bottom plate 31 partially protrudes upward to form a support platform 312, and a motor bracket 8 is provided on the lower side of the support platform 312 for fixing the motor; the connector 4 partially passes through the support platform 312 and is connected to the drive shaft of the motor.

[0056] The microwave oven also includes a door assembly 1 and a control panel 2. A first opening is formed on one side of the cavity 3, and the door assembly 1 is openably and closably arranged at the first opening. The control panel 2 is located on one side of the door assembly 1. Its specific structure and assembly relationship are all existing technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0057] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A ball assembly for a microwave oven, characterized in that: include: A base (71) is mounted on the cavity bottom plate (31) of the microwave oven, and a receiving cavity (711) is provided on the upper portion of the base (71); A ball (72) rotatably assembled into the accommodating cavity (711); An upper cover (73) is detachably connected to the base (71) and is used to cooperate with the accommodating cavity (711) to limit the position of the ball (72); the upper cover (73) is provided with a relief hole (732), and the upper part of the ball (72) protrudes from the relief hole (732) and abuts against the glass turntable (6) of the microwave oven to support it.

2. The ball assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A drainage hole (712) is provided at the lowest point of the accommodating cavity (711), and a reinforcing rib (715) is provided on the inner side wall of the accommodating cavity (711), one end of the reinforcing rib (715) being connected to the drainage hole (712); the reinforcing ribs (715) are multiple and arranged in a circular array with the drainage hole (712) as the center.

3. The ball assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The reinforcing rib (715) is formed by a protrusion of the accommodating cavity (711), and its projection on the horizontal plane is a straight line segment.

4. The ball assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The base (71) and the upper cover (73) are detachably connected via an assembly structure, wherein the assembly structure comprises a buckle (713) and a mounting groove (731), wherein the buckle (713) is located on one of the base (71) and the upper cover (73), and the mounting groove (731) is located on the other of the base (71) and the upper cover (73), and the buckle (713) is limitedly assembled into the mounting groove (731).

5. The ball assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: A limiting structure is provided between the base (71) and the upper cover (73), the limiting structure comprising a limiting block (717) and a limiting notch (733), the limiting block (717) being located on one of the base (71) and the upper cover (73), the limiting notch (733) being located on the other of the base (71) and the upper cover (73), and the limiting block (717) being located in the installation groove (731) after installation.

6. The ball assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that The assembly structure is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the base (71); the assembly structure and the limiting structure are at the same height and are spaced apart from each other.

7. The ball assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The lower part of the base (71) is a hollow structure and a stopper (714) is provided on the outer side wall. There are two stoppers (714) symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lower part of the base (71); a first notch (716) is provided at the lower end of the base (71), and the first notch (716) is located between the stoppers (714), so that the lower end of the base (71) is deformed by force to facilitate assembly with the cavity bottom plate (31).

8. The ball assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The cavity bottom plate (31) is provided with a limiting hole (311), a retaining rib (313) is provided on the outer peripheral side of the limiting hole (311), the retaining rib (313) is located at the lower side of the limiting hole (311), and the retaining block (714) abuts against the lower edge of the retaining rib (313) after assembly.

9. The ball assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The upper cover (73) is partially sleeved on the base (71), the outer diameters of the base (71) and the upper cover (73) are D1 and D2 respectively, and the aperture of the limiting hole (311) is D3, wherein D1<D3<D2.

10. A microwave oven, characterized in that: The microwave oven comprises a cavity (3), wherein the cavity (3) is specifically a cavity bottom plate (31), and a connector (4) is provided on the cavity bottom plate (31) for driving a glass turntable (6) to rotate; the microwave oven also comprises a ball assembly (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ball assemblies (7) are provided in plurality and are distributed at equal intervals along the outer peripheral side of the connector (4) for providing rolling support for the periphery of the glass turntable (6).

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