Locking piece, lifting mechanism and household appliance

Abstract

The utility model discloses a locking piece, lifting mechanism and household appliance relates to household appliance technical field, the locking piece includes lock body, first guide rail and first limit portion, the lock body is used for installing the first shelf, the side of lock body in the left-right direction is the installation side, the first guide rail is arranged on the installation side, the first guide rail extends in the arc shape, and the first limit portion is arranged on the first guide rail. The first guide rail is arranged on the first storage rack and is bent upwards in the direction from front to back, the two ends of the first guide rail are correspondingly a first front end and a first rear end, the first guide rail is used for being in sliding fit with the first sliding part on the swing arm, and the first limiting part is arranged corresponding to the first rear end and used for limiting the first storage rack when the first storage rack moves to the top locking position. The first sliding part is arranged on the first guide rail to limit the first sliding part, the first guide rail is integrally arranged in an arc-shaped extending mode, and compared with the scheme that the first guide rail is arranged to be a plurality of guide sections, for example, the first guide rail is arranged to be an arc-shaped guide section and a horizontal guide section combination, the structure is simple, and arrangement of a locking piece is simplified.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on April 30, 2024, with application number 202420943980.8 and application name “Lifting Mechanism and Dishwasher”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into the application. Technical Field

[0002] The utility model relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a locking member, a lifting mechanism and a household appliance. Background Art

[0003] In household appliances with internal spaces, movable storage structures such as shelves that can be extended from the interior of the household appliances are usually provided. In the prior art, there are some movable storage structures that have both a pull-out function and a lifting function.

[0004] In some household appliances, storage racks are usually placed at the bottom of the household appliances. During use, operations such as taking and putting tableware require frequent bending. In order to reduce the frequency of bending during use of the storage rack, the prior art uses a lifting mechanism to lift the storage rack before use, which can reduce the frequency of bending.

[0005] In some current household appliances, the shelf can be lifted. After the shelf is lifted to a suitable position, the shelf needs to be locked to reduce the risk of instability of the shelf during use by the user. Utility Model Content

[0006] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a locking member, a lifting mechanism, and a household appliance, which aims to lock the lifting mechanism by means of a locking block to reduce the risk of instability of the storage rack during use by the user. However, how to provide a relatively simple limiting structure on the locking block to simplify the user's operation is also an urgent problem to be solved.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the locking member proposed in the present invention is used in a lifting mechanism of a household appliance and is arranged on a first shelf. The locking member cooperates with a swing arm of the lifting mechanism to restrict relative movement between the swing arm and the first shelf when the swing arm swings the first shelf upward to the top lifting limit position and the first shelf moves to the top locking position. The locking member includes:

[0008] The lock body, one side of which in the left-right direction is the installation side;

[0009] a first guide rail, disposed on the mounting side, extending in an arc shape and bending upward in a front-to-rear direction, with two ends of the first guide rail corresponding to a first front end and a first rear end, and configured to slidably engage with a first sliding portion on the swing arm; and

[0010] The first limiting portion is provided corresponding to the first rear end, and the first limiting portion is used to limit the first sliding portion when the first storage rack moves to the top locking position.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first guide rail is configured as a first guide groove, and a first slot opening is formed on the lock body at a first front end thereof for the first sliding portion on the swing arm to slide into;

[0012] The first limiting portion includes a groove section at a first rear end of the first guide groove.

[0013] In one embodiment, a retaining rib is provided on the inner side wall of the groove section at the first rear end of the first guide groove.

[0014] In one embodiment, all of the first guide rails are located on the same circular arc curve.

[0015] In one embodiment, the locking member further includes a second guide rail, the second guide rail being located on the rear side of the first guide rail, the second guide rail being configured to slidably engage with the second sliding portion of the swing arm, the second guide rail including a first curved section, the first curved section being curved downward from front to rear, the two ends of the first curved section corresponding to a second front end and a second rear end;

[0016] The locking member further includes a second limiting portion, which is provided corresponding to the second rear end of the first curved section, and is used to limit the second sliding portion up and down.

[0017] In one embodiment, the concave side of the first curved section faces downward; and / or,

[0018] The first curved section is configured to be arc-shaped.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first curved section is configured as a second guide groove, a second front end of the second guide groove is formed with a second groove opening on the front side surface of the lock body for the second sliding portion on the swing arm to slide into, and a second rear end of the second guide groove is formed with a third groove opening on the lower side surface of the lock body;

[0020] A stop surface is formed at a rear end edge of the second guide groove and at a rearward position, and the stop surface forms the second limiting portion.

[0021] In one embodiment, the lower side surface of the lock body forms the abutment surface.

[0022] The present invention further provides a lifting mechanism for lifting a first shelf of a household appliance, so that the first shelf can be switched between a bottom position to be lifted and a top lifting limit position. The lifting mechanism includes a locking member and further includes:

[0023] a fixed arm, for being mounted in the receiving cavity of the household appliance;

[0024] a swing arm assembly comprising at least one swing arm, wherein a first hinged mounting portion and a second hinged mounting portion are correspondingly provided at both ends of the swing arm, wherein the first hinged mounting portion is mounted on the fixed arm, and the second hinged mounting portion is used to be directly or indirectly mounted on the first storage rack;

[0025] Wherein, the locking member includes:

[0026] The lock body, one side of which in the left-right direction is the installation side;

[0027] a first guide rail, disposed on the mounting side, extending in an arc shape and bending upward in a front-to-rear direction, with two ends of the first guide rail corresponding to a first front end and a first rear end, and configured to slidably engage with a first sliding portion on the swing arm; and

[0028] The first limiting portion is provided corresponding to the first rear end, and the first limiting portion is used to limit the first sliding portion when the first storage rack moves to the top locking position.

[0029] In one embodiment, the lifting mechanism further includes a first guide rail, the first guide rail including a plurality of slide rails that are telescopically and slidably connected to each other, the plurality of slide rails including at least a first slide rail and a tail slide rail, the first slide rail being directly or indirectly connected to the second hinged mounting portion, and the tail slide rail being connected to the first storage rack;

[0030] The swing arm can swing the first shelf forward and upward from the bottom waiting-to-lift position to the top lifting limit position. When the first shelf is at the top lifting limit position, the multi-section slide rails extend forward and backward and can slide relatively to each other, so that the first shelf can slide forward to the top locking position.

[0031] In one embodiment, two swing arms are provided, and the lifting mechanism further includes a connector connected to the first section of the slide rail, and the second hinged mounting portions of the two swing arms are both hinged to the connector.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first guide rail is configured as a first guide groove, and the locking member further includes a second guide rail, the second guide rail is located at the rear side of the first guide rail, and the second guide rail is configured as a second guide groove;

[0033] The swing arm includes a swing arm body, and a protrusion extends laterally from one end of the swing arm body where the second hinged mounting portion is provided. A first sliding portion is provided on the protrusion, and a second sliding portion is provided on the swing arm body. The first sliding portion can slide in the first guide groove, and the second sliding portion can slide in the second guide groove.

[0034] The present invention further provides a household appliance, comprising a housing, a lifting mechanism, and a first shelf, wherein the housing forms a receiving cavity, a fixed arm of the lifting mechanism is disposed on a side wall of the receiving cavity, the first shelf is hingedly connected to a swing arm of the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism enables the first shelf to be lifted and switched between a bottom position to be lifted and a top lifting limit position, wherein the lifting mechanism includes a locking member, and the lifting mechanism further comprises:

[0035] a fixed arm, for being mounted in the receiving cavity of the household appliance;

[0036] a swing arm assembly comprising at least one swing arm, wherein a first hinged mounting portion and a second hinged mounting portion are correspondingly provided at both ends of the swing arm, wherein the first hinged mounting portion is mounted on the fixed arm, and the second hinged mounting portion is used to be directly or indirectly mounted on the first storage rack;

[0037] Wherein, the locking member includes:

[0038] The lock body, one side of which in the left-right direction is the installation side;

[0039] a first guide rail, disposed on the mounting side, extending in an arc shape and bending upward in a front-to-rear direction, with two ends of the first guide rail corresponding to a first front end and a first rear end, and configured to slidably engage with a first sliding portion on the swing arm; and

[0040] The first limiting portion is provided corresponding to the first rear end, and the first limiting portion is used to limit the first sliding portion when the first storage rack moves to the top locking position.

[0041] In one embodiment, a second shelf is further provided in the accommodating cavity, and corresponding to the top lifting limit position, the lower end of the first shelf is higher than the lower end of the second shelf.

[0042] In one embodiment, the household appliance includes a dishwasher, the first rack is configured as a lower basket, and the second rack includes an upper basket.

[0043] In the technical solution of the utility model, the locking member includes a lock body, a first guide rail and a first limiting portion, the lock body being used to be installed on the first rack, one side of the lock body in the left and right directions being the installation side, the first guide rail being arranged on the installation side, the first guide rail extending in an arc shape, and being bent upward in the direction from front to rear, the two ends of the first guide rail corresponding to the first front end and the first rear end, the first guide rail being used to slidably cooperate with the first sliding portion on the swing arm, the first limiting portion being arranged corresponding to the first rear end, the first limiting portion being used to limit the first sliding portion when the first rack moves to the top locking position, the first guide rail extending in an arc shape as a whole, compared with the solution of setting the first guide rail as a plurality of guide sections, such as a solution of setting the first guide rail as a combination of an arc guide section and a horizontal guide section, the structure is simple, and the setting of the locking member is simplified. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] 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.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of a locking member provided by the present utility model;

[0046] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main structure of the middle locking member;

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the swing arm provided by the utility model;

[0048] Figure 4 The household appliance provided by the utility model (the first shelf is at the bottom storage position, and the swing arm of the lifting mechanism is at the lower swing limit position, and includes Figure 1 The locking parts and Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the swing arm in FIG;

[0049] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the main structure of a household appliance;

[0050] Figure 6 for Figure 4 The diagram includes a three-dimensional structure diagram of a lifting mechanism and a first storage rack;

[0051] Figure 7 for Figure 4 The main structural diagram of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack is included;

[0052] Figure 8 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the household appliance in FIG (the first shelf is at the bottom position to be lifted, and the swing arm of the lifting mechanism is at the lower swing limit position);

[0053] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the main structure of a household appliance;

[0054] Figure 10 for Figure 8 The diagram includes a three-dimensional structure diagram of a lifting mechanism and a first storage rack;

[0055] Figure 11 for Figure 8 The main structural diagram of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack is included;

[0056] Figure 12 for Figure 8 The diagram includes a partial cross-sectional view of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack;

[0057] Figure 13 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the household appliance in FIG (the first shelf is in the top raised position, and the swing arm of the lifting mechanism is in the upper swing limit position);

[0058] Figure 14 for Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the main structure of a household appliance;

[0059] Figure 15 for Figure 13 The diagram includes a three-dimensional structure diagram of a lifting mechanism and a first storage rack;

[0060] Figure 16 for Figure 13 The main structural diagram of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack is included;

[0061] Figure 17 for Figure 13 The diagram includes a partial cross-sectional view of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack;

[0062] Figure 18 for Figure 13 The main structural diagram of the lifting mechanism, the first rack and the second rack is included;

[0063] Figure 19 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the household appliance (the first shelf is in the top locking position, and the swing arm of the lifting mechanism is in the upper swing limit position);

[0064] Figure 20 for Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the main structure of a household appliance;

[0065] Figure 21 for Figure 19 The diagram includes a three-dimensional structure diagram of a lifting mechanism and a first storage rack;

[0066] Figure 22 for Figure 19 The main structural diagram of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack is included;

[0067] Figure 23 for Figure 19 It includes a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the lifting mechanism and the first storage rack.

[0068] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0069] 100. Lifting mechanism; 1. Fixed arm; 2. Swing arm; 21. First hinged mounting portion; 22. Second hinged mounting portion; 23. First sliding portion; 24. Second sliding portion; 25. Protrusion; 3. Connector; 4. First guide rail; 41. First slide rail; 42. Tail slide rail; 5a. Locking member; 51. First guide rail; 51a. First guide slot; 511. First front end; 512. First rear end; 513. Clamping rib; 514. First slot opening; 52. First limiting portion; 53. Second guide rail; 53a. Second guide slot; 531. Second front end; 532. Second rear end; 533. Second slot opening; 534. Third slot opening; 54. Second limiting portion; 54a. Stop surface;

[0070] 1000, household appliance; 200, housing; 201, accommodating cavity; 300, first storage rack; 400, second storage rack.

[0071] 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

[0072] 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 creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. 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.

[0075] In household appliances with internal spaces, movable storage structures such as shelves that can be extended from the interior of the household appliances are usually provided. In the prior art, there are some movable storage structures that have a pull-out function and a lifting function. In some household appliances, the shelves are usually placed at the bottom of the household appliances. During use, operations such as taking and putting tableware require frequent bending. In order to reduce the frequency of bending during use of the shelves, the prior art uses a lifting mechanism to lift the shelves before use, which can reduce the frequency of bending. In some current household appliances, the shelves can be lifted. After the shelves are lifted to a suitable position, the shelves need to be locked to reduce the risk of instability of the shelves during use by users. However, how to provide a relatively simple limiting structure on the locking block to simplify user operation is also an urgent problem to be solved.

[0076] The present invention proposes a locking member 5a, see Figures 1 to 2In one embodiment of the present invention, the locking member 5a is used on the lifting mechanism 100 of the household appliance 1000 and is arranged on the first rack 300 to cooperate with the swing arm 2 to limit the relative movement between the swing arm 2 and the first rack 300 when the swing arm 2 swings the first rack 300 upward to the top lifting limit position and the first rack 300 moves forward to the top locking position. The locking member 5a includes a lock body, a first guide rail 51 and a first limiting portion 52. The lock body is used to be installed on the first rack 300. The lock body is located on the left and right sides. The side in the direction is the installation side; the first guide rail 51 is arranged on the installation side, the first guide rail 51 extends in an arc shape, and is bent upward in the direction from front to back, and the two ends of the first guide rail 51 correspond to the first front end 511 and the first rear end 512, and the first guide rail 51 is used to slide with the first sliding part 23 on the swing arm 2; the first limiting part 52 is arranged corresponding to the first rear end 512, and the first limiting part 52 is used to limit the first sliding part 23 when the first storage rack 300 moves to the top locking position.

[0077] In the technical solution of the present utility model, the locking member 5a includes a lock body, a first guide rail 51 and a first limiting portion 52. The lock body is used to be installed on the first storage rack 300. One side of the lock body in the left-right direction is the installation side. The first guide rail 51 is provided on the installation side. The first guide rail 51 extends in an arc shape and is bent upward in the direction from front to back. The two ends of the first guide rail 51 correspond to a first front end 511 and a first rear end 512. The first guide rail 51 is used to slidably cooperate with the first sliding portion 23 on the swing arm 2. The first limiting portion 52 is provided corresponding to the first rear end 512. The first limiting portion 52 is used to limit the first sliding portion 23 when the first storage rack 300 moves to the top locking position. The first guide rail 51 is extended in an arc shape as a whole. Compared with the solution of providing the first guide rail 51 with multiple guide sections, such as a combination of an arc guide section and a horizontal guide section, the structure is simple, and the arrangement of the locking member 5a is simplified.

[0078] It should be noted that, in the present invention, the user is used as a reference for direction, forward is the direction toward the user, or the direction from the back side of the household appliance 1000 toward the side of the household appliance 1000 with a door; backward is the direction opposite to the forward direction, specifically the direction away from the user, or the direction from the side of the household appliance 1000 with a door toward the back side of the household appliance 1000; the up and down directions are the directions with gravity as a reference.

[0079] One side of the lock body in the left-right direction is the mounting side, and the side of the lock body opposite the mounting side is fixedly mounted on the first storage rack 300, thereby being able to move with the first storage rack 300. Furthermore, because the first storage rack 300 is supported on the swing arm 2 via the lock body, the locking member 5a needs to have a certain degree of hardness and strength, and can be made of a variety of materials.

[0080] Specifically, the lock body can be made of a metal alloy such as steel or aluminum alloy, an inorganic non-metallic material such as ceramic, or a polymer material such as plastic. This invention does not limit the material as long as it can support the first storage rack 300 after loading. In some embodiments, the lock body is made of plastic.

[0081] The first guide rail 51 extends in an arc shape. It can be understood that the first guide rail 51 can be composed of a plurality of arc segments, and the bending radii of the plurality of arc segments can be set to be different, or some can be set to be the same and some can be set to be different.

[0082] In some embodiments, the entire first guide rail 51 is arranged on the same arc curve. This arrangement provides a consistent bending radius throughout the first guide rail 51, facilitating the shaping of the first guide rail 51. Furthermore, during the sliding engagement of the first sliding portion 23 with the first guide rail 51, stability is improved, and the first limiting portion 52 also effectively limits the first sliding portion 23, resulting in a better effect.

[0083] The first limiting portion 52 is provided corresponding to the first rear end 512. When the first rack 300 is lifted to the top lifting limit position, the user only needs to continue to pull the first rack 300 forward, and the first sliding portion 23 on the swing arm 2 slides to the first limiting portion 52 and is limited by the first limiting portion 52. During the entire lifting and locking process, the user first pulls the first rack 300 forward to allow the first rack 300 to move forward and lift upward, and then pulls the first rack 300 forward to lock the first rack 300. During the entire process, the user only needs to pull the first rack 300 forward to complete the lifting and locking, which is highly easy to operate.

[0084] It should be emphasized that the number of the guide rails and the sliding parts is not limited, and can be one or more, etc., and is not limited here. The specific implementation forms of the guide rails and the sliding parts are not limited, and the guide rails can be configured as guide grooves, and the sliding parts can be configured as sliding columns, pulleys, etc., or the guide rails can be configured as guide ribs, and the sliding parts can be configured as sliding grooves. For example, the sliding part includes two sliding columns arranged at intervals, and the interval between the two sliding columns constitutes the sliding groove. The sliding part can also be directly set as a sliding protrusion, and then a sliding groove is opened on it, etc., and is not limited here.

[0085] The specific implementation form of the first limiting portion 52 is not limited, and it can be in the form of a limiting groove, a limiting rib, a limiting surface, etc., which is not limited here.

[0086] In some embodiments, see Figures 1 to 2 The first guide rail 51 is set as a first guide groove 51a, and a first slot opening 514 is formed on the lock body at the first front end 511 of the first guide groove 51a for the first sliding portion 23 on the swing arm 2 to slide into. The first limiting portion 52 includes a slot section at the first rear end 512 of the first guide groove 51a, that is, the first limiting portion 52 is set as a part of the first guide groove 51a, which simplifies the setting method of the locking member 5a and has a better effect.

[0087] It can be understood that when the first sliding portion 23 is set as a sliding column, when the sliding column is in the groove section at the first rear end 512 of the first guide groove 51a, the sliding column abuts against the upper side wall and / or lower side wall of the first guide groove 51a to limit its position.

[0088] In some embodiments, see Figures 1 to 2 A retaining rib 513 is provided on the inner side wall of the groove section at the first rear end 512 of the first guide groove 51a. By providing the retaining rib 513, a damping structure is formed to hold the first sliding portion 23 in place, so as to remind the user that the first storage rack 300 has been moved into place, thereby helping to improve the user experience.

[0089] The clamping rib 513 can be one or more, and the present invention does not limit this. In some embodiments, two clamping ribs 513 are provided, and the two clamping ribs 513 are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the first guide groove 51a. In this way, by providing two clamping ribs 513, the passing width of the first guide groove 51a can be further reduced, the interference amount of the first sliding part 23 can be increased, and the feedback force of the damping can be improved.

[0090] It is understandable that there are many ways to form the clamping rib 513 and the lock body. For example, the clamping rib 513 and the lock body can be integrally formed or assembled, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0091] The locking member 5a is applied to a locking lifting mechanism 100, and the lifting mechanism 100 is applied to a household appliance 1000. The following describes some specific structures of the household appliance 1000 so as to better illustrate how the locking member 5a is applied to the lifting mechanism 100 and provides a detailed description of the locking of the first storage rack 300 after lifting.

[0092] The household appliance 1000 may be a dishwasher, an oven, a toaster oven, a refrigerator, etc. The household appliance 1000 includes a housing 200, wherein a receiving cavity 201 is formed in the housing 200. A first storage rack 300 is connected to the receiving cavity 201 via a lifting mechanism 100. Utensils to be placed on the first storage rack 300 include tableware such as bowls, plates, chopsticks, and cutlery, as well as baked ingredients or items to be refrigerated.

[0093] It should be noted that some household appliances 1000 have only one shelf, such as the first shelf 300. Some may have multiple shelves. In embodiments where multiple shelves are provided in the household appliance 1000, two shelves may be provided. For example, when the first shelf 300 and the second shelf 400 are positioned in an upper and lower relationship, they may be referred to as an upper shelf and a lower shelf. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the first shelf 300 corresponds to the lower shelf, and the second shelf 400 corresponds to the upper shelf.

[0094] The first rack 300 needs to be moved out of the accommodating cavity 201 of the household appliance 1000, then lifted to a suitable position, and finally locked in a suitable position. Specifically, after the door of the household appliance 1000 is opened, the user needs to put items in or take out items from the first rack 300. The user often pulls the first rack 300 forward. During the movement of the first rack 300, a complex movement process occurs, that is, the first rack 300 moves forward and upward at the same time. At this time, the lifting mechanism 100 will follow the movement and support the first rack 300.

[0095] The first rack 300 has several important positions during its movement, the most common of which are the bottom storage position (such as the attached Figures 4 to 7 As shown), the bottom position to be lifted (as shown in the attached Figures 8 to 12 As shown), top lifting limit position (as shown in the attached Figures 13 to 18shown) and top locked position (as shown in the attached Figures 19 to 23 shown).

[0096] When the first storage rack 300 has four positions, namely, a bottom storage position, a bottom position to be lifted, a top lifting limit position, and a top locking position, when the swing arm 2 is at the lower swing limit position, the corresponding first storage rack 300 is at the bottom storage position and the bottom position to be lifted; when the swing arm 2 is at the upper swing limit position, the corresponding first storage rack 300 is at the top lifting limit position and the top locking position.

[0097] Please refer to the following for details Figures 19 to 23 The first storage rack 300 moves forward a certain distance in the top locking position relative to the top lifting limit position, and the first sliding portion 23 of the swing arm 2 slides from the tail end of the first guide rail 51 to the first limiting portion 52. The first sliding portion 23 of the swing arm 2 is limited by the first limiting portion 52, and the swing arm 2 is at the upper swing limit position.

[0098] The first guide rail 51 and the first sliding portion 23 form a sliding fit structure group. The sliding fit structure group may be provided in one or more forms. In the embodiment where one sliding fit structure group is provided, the stability is poor during the locking process between the first storage rack 300 and the swing arm 2 by the locking member 5a.

[0099] In an embodiment in which two sliding fitting structure groups are provided, the locking member 5a further comprises a second guide rail 53, which is located on the rear side of the first guide rail 51, and the second guide rail 53 is used to slide with the second sliding portion 24 of the swing arm 2, and the second guide rail 53 comprises a first curved section, which is curved downward from the front to the rear, and the two ends of the first curved section correspond to a second front end 531 and a second rear end 532; the locking member 5a further comprises a second limiting portion 54, which is provided corresponding to the second rear end 532 of the first curved section, and the second limiting portion 54 is used to limit the second sliding portion 24 up and down.

[0100] In the technical solution of this embodiment, two sliding matching structure groups are formed by the cooperation between the first guide rail 51 and the first sliding part 23, and the cooperation between the second guide rail 53 and the second sliding part 24, thereby improving the stability of the first storage rack 300 when lifting and locking.

[0101] It should be noted that the first guide rail 51 is bent upward from the front to the rear, and the second guide rail is bent downward from the front to the rear. When the first sliding part 23 and the second sliding part 24 both cut into their respective corresponding guide rails, the direction and timing of movement can be set to be inconsistent, thereby improving the stability of the first storage rack 300 when lifting and locking.

[0102] The first guide rail 51 is bent upward from the front to the rear, and can be extended upward from the first front end 511 to the first rear end 512, or can be extended upward first and then downward from the front to the rear, etc., which is not limited here. In one embodiment, when the swing arm 2 is in the lower limit position, it is vertically downward (see FIG. Figure 11 ), and in the upper swing limit position, the swing arm 2 is arranged to be tilted upward (see Figure 16 and Figure 22 ), therefore, when the swing arm 2 rotates from the lower swing limit position to the upper swing limit position, the rotation angle of the swing arm 2 is set to an obtuse angle. At this time, the trajectory of the first sliding part 23 should be to move upward first and then downward.

[0103] In the technical solution of this embodiment, the first guide rail 51 extends upward and then downward in the direction from front to back, and the first rear end 512 of the first guide rail 51 is lower than the highest point of the first guide rail 51, so that the first guide rail 51 matches the trajectory of the first sliding part 23, so that the rotation angle of the swing arm 2 can be set at an obtuse angle, so that the first storage rack 300 can be higher than the existing one when it is in the top raised position.

[0104] The second guide rail 53 is curved downward from front to back. During the lifting process, the second sliding portion 24 moves downward while the first sliding portion 23 moves upward. The two movements are in different directions, which can guide the movement trajectory of the first storage rack 300 during the lifting process, thereby improving its stability during movement. The first guide rail 51 and the second guide rail 53 are provided. One of the first guide rail 51 and the second guide rail 53 can guide the swing arm 2 in the vertical direction, while the other can guide the swing arm 2 in the front-to-back direction, further improving the stability of the first storage rack 300 during movement.

[0105] The specific implementation forms of the second guide rail 53 and the first guide rail 51 are not limited. They can both be set as guide grooves, or both can be set as guide ribs, or one of them can be set as a guide rib and the other can be set as a guide groove, etc., which is not limited here.

[0106] The concave side of the first curved section faces downward so that the movement trajectory of the first curved section can match the sliding path of the second sliding part 24, so that the second guide rail 53 can guide the second sliding part 24 to move to the second limiting part 54 to limit the second limiting part 54 up and down.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first curved section is configured in an arc shape. The arc shape enables the second sliding portion 24 to slide smoothly along the second guide rail 53, thereby facilitating the second guide rail 53 to guide the movement of the second sliding portion 24. Of course, in other embodiments, the first curved section may also be configured in a compound curve, etc., which is not limited by the present invention.

[0108] The specific implementation form of the second limiting portion 54 is not limited, and it can be in the form of a limiting groove, a limiting rib, a limiting surface, etc., which is not limited here.

[0109] The specific implementation form of the second guide rail 53 is not limited. It can be in the form of a guide groove, a guide rib, etc., which is not limited here.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first curved section is configured as a second guide groove 53a, and a second front end 531 of the second guide groove 53a is formed with a second groove opening 533 on the front side surface of the lock body for the second sliding portion 24 on the swing arm 2 to slide into, and a second rear end 532 of the second guide groove 53a is formed with a third groove opening 534 on the lower side surface of the lock body, and a stop surface 54a is formed at the rear end edge and rearward position of the second guide groove 53a, and the stop surface 54a forms the second limiting portion 54. When the lifting mechanism 100 lifts the first storage rack 300 upward to the upper limit position, the second sliding portion 24 slides along the second guide groove 53a to the stop surface 54a to limit the upward rotation of the swing arm 2.

[0111] In the technical solution of the present invention, the specific formation method of the stop surface 54a is not limited. For example, a limiting rib can be protruded on the side surface of the installation side of the lock body, and the stop surface 54a can be formed by the lower surface of the limiting rib; or a notch can be formed on the side surface of the installation side of the lock body, and the notch is connected to the second guide groove 53a, and the upper wall surface of the notch forms the stop surface 54a. All of the above are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0112] In some embodiments, the lower side surface of the lock body directly forms the stop surface 54a, and the lower side surface of the lock body constitutes the second limiting portion 54. There is no need to additionally set the second limiting portion 54, which facilitates production and processing and saves costs.

[0113] To achieve the above objectives, the present application further provides a lifting mechanism 100 for lifting a first storage rack 300 of a household appliance 1000, so that the first storage rack 300 can be switched between a bottom position to be lifted and a top lifting limit position, and the first storage rack 300 has a locked position and an unlocked position corresponding to the top lifting limit position. The lifting mechanism 100 includes a fixed arm 1, a swing arm 2 assembly, and a locking member 5a. The fixed arm 1 is mounted in a receiving cavity 201 of the household appliance 1000; the swing arm 2 assembly includes at least one swing arm 2, and a first hinged mounting portion 21 and a second hinged mounting portion 22 are formed on the swing arm 2. The first hinged mounting portion 21 is mounted on the fixed arm 1, and the second hinged mounting portion 22 is directly or indirectly mounted on the first storage rack 300. The specific structure of the locking member 5a is similar to that of the above embodiments. Since the lifting mechanism 100 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0114] In the technical solution of this embodiment, when the first rack 300 is lifted to the top lifting limit position, the user only needs to continue to pull the first rack 300 forward. The first rack 300 continues to move forward, and the first sliding portion 23 on the first guide rail 51 slides onto the first limiting portion 52 and is limited by the first limiting portion 52. During the entire lifting and locking process, the user first pulls the first rack 300 forward to allow the first rack 300 to move forward and lift upward, and then pulls the first rack 300 forward to lock the first rack 300. During the entire process, the user only needs to pull the first rack 300 forward to complete the lifting and locking, which is highly easy to operate.

[0115] In the process of completing the above-mentioned action, the first storage rack 300 and the swing arm 2 need to move relative to each other in the front-to-back direction. Specifically, in some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 100 also includes a first guide rail 4, which includes a plurality of slide rails that are telescopically and slidably connected to each other. The plurality of slide rails include at least a first slide rail 41 and a tail slide rail 42. The first slide rail 41 is directly or indirectly connected to the second hinged mounting portion 22, and the tail slide rail 42 is connected to the first storage rack 300.

[0116] The swing arm 2 can swing the first storage rack 300 forward and upward from the bottom waiting-to-lift position to the top lifting limit position. When the first storage rack 300 is in the top lifting limit position, the multi-section slide rails extend forward and backward and can slide relative to each other, so that the first storage rack 300 can slide forward to the top locking position. By providing the first guide rail 4, the first storage rack 300 can move in the front-to-back direction relative to the swing arm 2, thereby realizing forward pull-locking.

[0117] It should be noted that the number of sections of the first guide rail 4 is not limited, for example, it can be 2 sections, 3 sections or more sections.

[0118] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 100 further includes a connector 3 connected to the first slide rail 41 . The connector 3 is connected between the swing arm 2 and the first slide rail 41 , making the arrangement between the two more flexible.

[0119] The connecting member 3 is connected to the first section of the slide rail 41, and the connection can be achieved by bonding or welding, that is, the connecting member 3 can be glued to the first section of the slide rail 41; of course, welding can also be used, for example, the connecting member 3 and the first section of the slide rail 41 are both set to metal materials, such as iron or steel, and the connecting member 3 can be welded to the first section of the slide rail 41.

[0120] In some embodiments, the connecting member 3 and the first section of the slide rail 41 are integrally formed, that is, the connecting member 3 and the first section of the slide rail 41 are one component, which reduces the number of parts and saves assembly time and cost.

[0121] In the technical solution of this embodiment, by setting the relative movement between the first section slide rail 41 and the tail section slide rail 42 of the slide rail structure, the first storage rack 300 can be moved linearly in the front-back direction relative to the connecting member 3, and the first storage rack 300 can also be slid forward to the top locking position.

[0122] In some embodiments, two swing arms 2 are provided, and the second hinged mounting portions 22 of the two swing arms 2 are both hingedly connected to the connecting member 3. The two swing arms 2, the fixed arm 1, and the connecting member 3 can form a four-bar linkage structure, which is a parallelogram four-bar linkage mechanism, thereby improving the stability of the first storage rack 300 during the lifting process.

[0123] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 11 and Figure 22The first guide rail 51 is configured as a first guide groove 51a. The locking member 5a further includes a second guide rail 53 located behind the first guide rail 51 and configured as a second guide groove 53a. The swing arm 2 includes a main body of the swing arm 2. A protrusion 25 extends laterally from one end of the main body of the swing arm 2 provided with the second hinged mounting portion 22. The protrusion 25 is provided with a first sliding portion 23. A second sliding portion 24 is provided on the main body of the swing arm 2. The first sliding portion 23 is capable of sliding within the first guide groove 51a, and the second sliding portion 24 is capable of sliding within the second guide groove 53a.

[0124] The first sliding portion 23 and the second sliding portion 24 are provided on one of the swing arms 2 , thereby improving the stability of the lifting mechanism 100 during the lifting process.

[0125] In addition, only the first sliding portion 23 is provided on the protrusion 25 , and the second sliding portion 24 is provided on the main body of the swing arm 2 , which has a simple structure and simplifies the arrangement of the swing arm 2 .

[0126] The present application also proposes a household appliance 1000, comprising a shell 200, a lifting mechanism 100 and a first storage rack 300, wherein the shell 200 forms a storage chamber 201; the lifting mechanism 100 comprises a lifting mechanism 100 as described above, wherein a fixed arm 1 of the lifting mechanism 100 is provided on a side wall of the storage chamber 201; the first storage rack 300 is hingedly connected to a swing arm 2 of the lifting mechanism 100; the lifting mechanism 100 enables the first storage rack 300 to be raised and lowered and switched between a bottom position to be raised and a top lifting limit position.

[0127] In some household appliances 1000, some have one, some have two, and some have more shelves. In the technical solution of the present invention, a second shelf 400 is further provided in the accommodating cavity 201. Corresponding to the top lifting limit position, the lower end of the first shelf 300 protrudes upward from the lower end of the second shelf 400. That is, at the lifting limit position of the first shelf 300, the lifting height of the first shelf 300 is higher than that of the second shelf 400. At this time, the lifting height is larger, which reduces the frequency of users bending over and improves the user experience.

[0128] It should be noted that, in an embodiment in which there are two shelves in the household appliance 1000, the first shelf 300 is a lower shelf and the second shelf 400 is an upper shelf. When the first shelf 300 is in the top storage position and the second shelf 400 is in the accommodating cavity 201, the first shelf 300 is below the second shelf 400, and the two are arranged opposite to each other.

[0129] In view of some of the above embodiments, the user needs to alternately use the first rack 300 and the second rack 400. That is, when the first rack 300 is raised, the second rack 400 should be kept in the accommodating cavity 201 as much as possible; when the second rack 400 is used, the first rack 300 should be kept in the accommodating cavity 201 as much as possible, or the second rack 400 should not be raised as much as possible.

[0130] Of course, with respect to the upper end of the first rack 300 and the upper end of the second rack 400, in some embodiments, corresponding to the top lifting limit position and the top lifting locking position of the first rack 300, the upper end of the first rack 300 protrudes upward from the upper end of the second rack 400, that is, under the premise that the depths of the first rack 300 and the second rack 400 are the same, the first rack 300 can be located at a higher position.

[0131] In a product corresponding to the household appliance 1000 being a dishwasher, the first rack 300 corresponds to the lower basket of the dishwasher, and the second rack 400 corresponds to the upper basket of the dishwasher. When the lower basket of the dishwasher is in use, the lifting mechanism 100 lifts the lower basket of the dishwasher to a position higher than the upper basket. In this state, the operating height is the same as when the user uses the upper basket of the dishwasher, or a higher height, which provides a better user operating experience.

[0132] The following describes the process of a user using the household appliance 1000 based on the relevant structure of the household appliance 1000, with the first rack 300 as a reference:

[0133] 1. The first storage rack 300 is in the bottom storage position, such as Figure 4-8 As shown:

[0134] This state is the state in which the user has not used it, has just started using it, or has finished using it. In these states, the first rack 300 is in the receiving cavity 201 of the household appliance 1000. Figures 4 to 8 It can be seen that the first storage rack 300 is received in the accommodating cavity 201 , at which time the distance between the first section slide rail 41 and the tail section slide rail 42 of the first guide rail 4 is the smallest or the overlapping distance is the largest, and the swing arm 2 is at the lower swing limit position.

[0135] 2. The first shelf 300 is at the bottom position to be lifted, such as Figure 9-12 As shown:

[0136] This state is when the user pulls out the first rack 300 from the accommodating cavity 201, or when the user lowers the first rack 300 after using the first rack 300. In these states, the first rack 300 is at the opening of the accommodating cavity 201. Figure 9-12 It can be seen that at this time, the distance between the first section slide rail 41 and the tail section slide rail 42 of the first guide rail 4 is relatively large or the overlapping distance is small, the first storage rack 300 moves forward a distance relative to the accommodating cavity 201, and the swing arm 2 is still at the lower swing limit position.

[0137] 3. The first storage rack 300 is at the top lifting limit position, such as Figure 13-18 As shown:

[0138] This state is when the user lifts the first rack 300, or when the user exits the locked state after using the first rack 300. In these states, the first rack 300 is at the maximum height of the lift. Figure 13-18 It can be seen that at this time, the distance between the first section slide rail 41 and the tail section slide rail 42 of the first guide rail 4 is relatively large or the overlapping distance is small, and the distance between the first shelf 300 at the bottom position to be lifted or the overlapping distance has not changed, and the swing arm 2 is at the upper swing limit position.

[0139] 4. The first storage rack 300 is in the top locking position, as shown in FIG. Figure 19-23 As shown:

[0140] This state is a locked state after the user lifts the first shelf 300. At this time, the user can take out and put down the items to be placed. In these states, the first shelf 300 is at the maximum height of the lift. Figure 19-23 It can be seen that at this time, the distance between the first section slide rail 41 and the tail section slide rail 42 of the first guide rail 4 is the largest or the overlapping distance is the smallest, the first storage rack 300 moves forward a certain distance in the top locking position relative to the top lifting limit position, and the swing arm 2 is still in the upper swing limit position.

[0141] The following is an introduction to the complete user process:

[0142] When the user needs to use the household appliance 1000, the user first opens the door of the household appliance 1000, and then pulls the first shelf 300 forward from the bottom storage position out of the accommodating cavity 201 to the bottom lifting position; under the swinging action of the swing arm 2 of the lifting mechanism 100, the user continues to pull the first shelf 300 forward and upward, so that the first shelf 300 moves from the bottom lifting position to the top lifting limit position; the user continues to pull the first shelf 300 forward, and the first shelf 300 moves from the top lifting limit position to the top locking position. In the locked state, the user can take and place items to be placed in the first shelf 300 without bending over frequently.

[0143] When the user finishes taking or placing items to be placed, the user pushes the first rack 300 backward to unlock the first rack 300 and move it from the top unlocked position to the top lifting limit position; the user lowers the first rack 300 to move it from the top lifting limit position to the bottom position to be lifted; the user continues to push the first rack 300 backward to move it from the bottom position to be lifted to the bottom storage position. When the first rack 300 is in the bottom storage position, the user can close the door to complete the use of the household appliance 1000.

[0144] 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 locking member, used in a lifting mechanism of a household appliance and disposed on a first shelf, for cooperating with a swing arm of the lifting mechanism to restrict relative movement between the swing arm and the first shelf when the swing arm swings the first shelf upward to the top lifting limit position and the first shelf moves to the top locking position, characterized in that: The locking member comprises: The lock body, one side of which in the left-right direction is the installation side; a first guide rail, disposed on the mounting side, extending in an arc shape and bending upward in a front-to-rear direction, with two ends of the first guide rail corresponding to a first front end and a first rear end, and configured to slidably engage with a first sliding portion on the swing arm; and The first limiting portion is provided corresponding to the first rear end, and the first limiting portion is used to limit the first sliding portion when the first storage rack moves to the top locking position.

2. The locking member according to claim 1, wherein: The first guide rail is configured as a first guide groove, and a first slot opening is formed on the lock body at a first front end thereof for the first sliding portion on the swing arm to slide into; The first limiting portion includes a groove section at a first rear end of the first guide groove.

3. The locking member according to claim 2, wherein: A retaining rib is provided on the inner side wall of the groove section at the first rear end of the first guide groove.

4. The locking member according to claim 1, wherein: All of the first guide rails are located on the same circular arc curve.

5. The locking member according to claim 1, wherein: The locking member further includes a second guide rail, the second guide rail being located at the rear side of the first guide rail, the second guide rail being configured to slidably engage with the second sliding portion of the swing arm, the second guide rail including a first curved section, the first curved section being curved downward from front to rear, the two ends of the first curved section corresponding to a second front end and a second rear end; The locking member further includes a second limiting portion, which is provided corresponding to the second rear end of the first curved section, and is used to limit the second sliding portion up and down.

6. The locking member according to claim 5, wherein: The concave side of the first curved section faces downward; and / or, The first curved section is configured to be arc-shaped.

7. The locking member according to claim 5, wherein: The first curved section is configured as a second guide groove, a second front end of the second guide groove is formed with a second groove opening on the front side surface of the lock body for the second sliding portion on the swing arm to slide into, and a second rear end of the second guide groove is formed with a third groove opening on the lower side surface of the lock body; A stop surface is formed at a rear end edge of the second guide groove and at a rearward position, and the stop surface forms the second limiting portion.

8. The locking member according to claim 7, wherein: The lower side surface of the lock body forms the abutment surface.

9. A lifting mechanism for lifting a first shelf of a household appliance, so that the first shelf can be switched between a bottom position to be lifted and a top lifting limit position, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises: a fixed arm, for being mounted in the receiving cavity of the household appliance; a swing arm assembly comprising at least one swing arm, wherein a first hinged mounting portion and a second hinged mounting portion are correspondingly provided at both ends of the swing arm, wherein the first hinged mounting portion is mounted on the fixed arm, and the second hinged mounting portion is used to be directly or indirectly mounted on the first storage rack; and The locking member is the locking member according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The lifting mechanism according to claim 9, wherein: The lifting mechanism further includes a first guide rail, the first guide rail including a plurality of slide rails that are telescopically and slidably connected to each other, the plurality of slide rails including at least a first slide rail and a tail slide rail, the first slide rail being directly or indirectly connected to the second hinged mounting portion, and the tail slide rail being connected to the first storage rack; The swing arm can swing the first shelf forward and upward from the bottom waiting-to-lift position to the top lifting limit position. When the first shelf is at the top lifting limit position, the multi-section slide rails extend forward and backward and can slide relatively to each other, so that the first shelf can slide forward to the top locking position.

11. The lifting mechanism according to claim 10, wherein: Two swing arms are provided, and the lifting mechanism further comprises a connecting piece connected to the first section of the slide rail, and the second hinged mounting parts of the two swing arms are both hinged to the connecting piece.

12. The lifting mechanism according to claim 9, wherein: The first guide rail is configured as a first guide groove, and the locking member further includes a second guide rail, the second guide rail is located at the rear side of the first guide rail, and the second guide rail is configured as a second guide groove; The swing arm includes a swing arm body, and a protrusion extends laterally from one end of the swing arm body where the second hinged mounting portion is provided. A first sliding portion is provided on the protrusion, and a second sliding portion is provided on the swing arm body. The first sliding portion can slide in the first guide groove, and the second sliding portion can slide in the second guide groove.

13. A household appliance, characterized in that: include: a housing, forming a receiving cavity; A lifting mechanism, comprising the lifting mechanism according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the fixed arm of the lifting mechanism is provided on the side wall of the accommodating cavity; and a first storage rack, hingedly connected to the swing arm of the lifting mechanism; The lifting mechanism enables the first storage rack to switch between a bottom position to be lifted and a top lifting limit position.

14. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein A second storage rack is further provided in the accommodating cavity. Corresponding to the top lifting limit position, the lower end of the first storage rack is higher than the lower end of the second storage rack.

15. The household appliance according to claim 14, characterized in that The household appliance includes a dishwasher, the first rack is configured as a lower basket, and the second rack includes an upper basket.

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