Hinge assembly and household equipment with same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a hinge assembly which comprises a hinge body, and the hinge body comprises a hinge shaft extending in the vertical direction and a hinge shaft plate perpendicularly connected with the hinge shaft. The hinge shaft plate comprises a main plate extending in the horizontal direction and a turning plate extending from the transverse end of the main plate and perpendicular to the main plate. The hinge assembly further comprises a hinge base plate and a connecting piece used for connecting the turning plate and the hinge base plate in a matched mode in the transverse direction. According to the utility model, the hinge can be installed and fixed when the door body is in a closed state, the working difficulty of field workers is simplified, and the working efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of equipment door connection technology, and in particular to a hinge assembly and a household appliance having the hinge assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In general, the doors of household appliances are connected to the cabinet via hinges to open and close. Traditional hinge installation methods are quite cumbersome. For example, installing hinge components on a refrigerator cabinet requires hanging the door on the cabinet after the cabinet has been foamed. Because the door obstructs the installation position of the hinge components, the door needs to be opened to install the hinge shaft into the trim sleeve on the door. The positioning hinge needs to be adjusted to the designated position. The operator needs to hold the door open and use screws to fasten the hinge to the front beam surface of the appliance. The entire process is inconvenient and difficult to complete alone. For doors that are heavy or have a large display area, one installer is needed to assist in holding the door while another installer is responsible for installing the hinge. It requires the cooperation of two people to complete the installation, which increases the manpower consumption on the production line, the difficulty and intensity of installation, and reduces production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a hinge assembly and a household appliance having the hinge assembly, so as to simplify the hinge installation method and improve the door installation efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly including a hinge body, the hinge body including a hinge shaft extending in a vertical direction, and a hinge shaft plate perpendicularly connected to the hinge shaft; the hinge shaft plate including a main plate extending in a horizontal direction, and a flap extending perpendicularly to the main plate from one end of the main plate laterally.

[0005] The hinge assembly further includes a hinge base plate and a connector for mateably connecting the flap to the hinge base plate in the lateral direction.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hinge substrate includes a first substrate parallel to the motherboard and a second substrate extending perpendicularly to the first substrate from one end of the first substrate near the flip plate; the first substrate is used to cooperate with and connect to the motherboard, and the second substrate is used to cooperate with and connect to the flip plate.

[0007] In one embodiment of this utility model, the first substrate is provided with at least one positioning protrusion, and the main board is provided with at least one positioning through hole corresponding to each of the at least one positioning protrusion. The at least one positioning protrusion is inserted into the at least one positioning through hole corresponding to it.

[0008] In one embodiment of this utility model, the flip plate has a first fixing hole extending through the thickness direction; the second substrate has a second fixing hole extending through the thickness direction in conjunction with the first fixing hole; the connector passes through the first fixing hole and the second fixing hole to fasten the flip plate and the second substrate in the lateral direction.

[0009] In one embodiment of this utility model, the motherboard is L-shaped and includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part arranged perpendicularly to each other. The first connecting part is used to connect to the first substrate, and the hinge shaft is connected to the end of the second connecting part away from the first substrate.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a household appliance, including a housing, a door for opening or closing the housing, and a hinge assembly as described above for pivotally connecting the door to the front wall of the housing.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a reinforcing iron is provided on the inner side of the front wall of the box, and the hinge base plate further includes a third base plate that is connected to the reinforcing iron on the inner side of the front wall of the box; the front wall of the box has a hinge clearance groove that extends through the thickness direction, the hinge base plate passes through the hinge clearance groove, and the third base plate extends from the hinge clearance groove toward the inner side of the box.

[0012] As one embodiment of this utility model, the reinforcing iron is provided with a slot that cooperates with the hinge clearance groove to allow the hinge base plate to pass through. The third base plate is arranged parallel to the reinforcing iron and is fastened to the side of the reinforcing iron facing the inside of the box.

[0013] In one embodiment of this utility model, the hinge base plate is integrally formed with the reinforcing iron and is formed by bending the reinforcing iron.

[0014] In one embodiment of this utility model, the reinforcing iron includes a main body parallel to the front wall and a folding plate extending perpendicular to the front wall toward the inner side of the box. The third base plate passes through the hinge clearance groove and is connected to the folding plate in parallel with each other, and is fastened to the bottom of the folding plate.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The hinge assembly proposed by this utility model has a simple structure. By setting the hinge shaft plate including a main plate extending in the horizontal direction and a flap extending perpendicularly to the main plate from one end of the main plate in the horizontal direction, and fixing the flap and the hinge base plate that is connected to the flap in the horizontal direction by the connecting piece, the hinge connection is completed in the left and right direction of the door. This avoids the problem of needing to open the door because the installation part is blocked by the door. The hinge connection does not require opening the door for installation, which reduces the complexity of assembling the door of household appliances, improves on-site assembly efficiency, and reduces labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a top view of a household appliance with a hinge assembly according to the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional enlarged view of the hinge assembly connected to the housing after the door of the household appliance according to this utility model has been removed;

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Enlarged 3D view of the central hinge assembly connected to the door body;

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the central hinge assembly connected to the inside of the enclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the central hinge assembly;

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 Top view of the central hinge assembly;

[0022] Figure 7 yes Figure 2 Exploded view of the central hinge assembly;

[0023] Figure 8 This is another embodiment of the hinge assembly connecting the housing according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 9 This is another embodiment of the hinge assembly connecting the box body according to the present utility model; Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Please refer to them. Figures 1 to 9 The figure shown is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] It should be understood that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, in this application, the terms “up,” “down,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the user’s facing side of the door of the household appliance being in front, and are used only for ease of description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, and at least two.

[0028] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set", "connect", "connect", "fixed" and other such terms should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part.

[0029] This utility model provides a hinge assembly and a household appliance having the hinge assembly. Figures 1 to 9 An embodiment according to the present invention is shown.

[0030] like Figure 1 The household appliance 100 shown includes a housing 10, a door 20 for opening or closing the housing 10, and a hinge assembly 30 for pivotally connecting the door 20 to the housing 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, the household appliance 100 is described using a refrigerator as an example. It should be noted that the household appliance 100 can also be other refrigeration equipment, disinfection equipment, or other household appliances connected by hinges.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the box body 10 has a front wall 101. In this embodiment, the front wall 101 is generally planar, which facilitates a stable connection with the hinge assembly 30. One or more hinge assemblies 30 can be provided as needed, and can be connected to the top, bottom or side of the front wall of the box body 10. In this embodiment, the hinge assembly 30 is described as being connected to the top of the front wall 101 of the box body.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the end of the door body 20 has an end cap 201, and the end cap 201 is provided with an opening from the top of the door body 10 upwards, for cooperating with the hinge connection port 202 of the hinge assembly 30.

[0034] The door 20 is connected to the hinge assembly 30 via the hinge port 202, and is pivotally connected to the front wall 101 of the box via the hinge assembly 30, so that the door 20 can pivot around the hinge assembly 30 to open or close the box 10, and the door 20 and the hinge assembly 30 can remain relatively fixed in the vertical direction.

[0035] Reference Figures 2 to 7The hinge assembly 30 is connected between the door body 20 and the box body 10, and includes a hinge body 1, a hinge base plate 2, and a connector 3. The hinge body 1 and the hinge base plate 2 are respectively fixedly connected to the door body 20 and the box body 10, and the connector 3 connects the hinge body 1 and the hinge base plate 2 accordingly.

[0036] Specifically, the hinge body 1 includes a hinge shaft 11 extending in a vertical direction, which can be considered as the height direction of the box. In this embodiment, the hinge shaft 11 includes a first hinge shaft 111 and a second hinge shaft 112. The first hinge shaft 111 and the second hinge shaft 112 are arranged approximately parallel to the front wall 101 of the box and are inserted into the hinge port 202 of the door end cover 201 to realize the connection between the hinge assembly 30 and the door 20.

[0037] In some other embodiments, the hinge axis 11 may also be set as a single axis as needed, and a hinge port 202 matching the single axis may be provided on the door body 20.

[0038] The hinge body 1 also includes a hinge shaft plate 12 that is perpendicularly connected to the hinge shaft 11. The hinge shaft plate 12 includes a main plate 121 extending in a horizontal direction. The main plate 121 is generally L-shaped and includes a first connecting part 1211 and a second connecting part 1212 that are perpendicularly connected to each other. The first connecting part 1211 is used to cooperate with the hinge base plate 2, and the second connecting part 1212 is used to connect to the hinge shaft 11.

[0039] In this embodiment, the second connecting portion 1212 is disposed near the door body 20, extending in a long strip shape in the transverse direction. One end is connected to the first hinge shaft 111 and the second hinge shaft 112, and the other end is integrally connected to the first connecting portion 1211. The transverse direction can be considered as the left-right direction of the box body. The first connecting portion 1211 extends from the second connecting portion 1212 toward the box body 10.

[0040] like Figure 7 As shown, the second connecting part 1212 has two horizontally arranged through holes 1213 for the hinge shaft 11 to be sleeved on, corresponding to the first hinge shaft 111 and the second hinge shaft 112; the second connecting part 1212 is connected to the hinge shaft 11 at one end away from the first connecting part 1211, so that the hinge shaft 11 has sufficient rotation space when inserted into the hinge port 202 of the door end cover 201, so as to avoid interference with the hinge base plate 2 when the door 20 rotates, which would affect the normal opening and closing of the door 20.

[0041] The hinge plate 12 also includes a flap 122 extending perpendicularly to the motherboard 121 from one end in the lateral direction. That is, the flap 122 can be disposed on the left or right side of the motherboard 121 and is formed by bending upward or downward from the motherboard 121. In this embodiment, the flap 122 is disposed at one end of the first connecting part 1211 in the lateral direction near the hinge axis 11, that is, the right end of the first connecting part 1211, and is disposed to extend upward perpendicularly to the motherboard 121.

[0042] In some other embodiments, the flap 122 may also be located at the end of the first connecting portion 1211 that is laterally away from the hinge axis 11, i.e., the left end of the first connecting portion 1211.

[0043] The flap 122 extends along the front-rear direction of the box 10 from the end of the first connecting part 1211 near the box 10 to the end of the second connecting part 1212 near the box 10.

[0044] The hinge substrate 2 includes a first substrate 21 parallel to the main board 121, and a second substrate 22 extending perpendicularly to the first substrate 21 from one end of the first substrate 21 in the lateral direction near the flip plate 122, that is, the second substrate 22 is formed by bending upward or downward from the first substrate 21; and the second substrate 22 is parallel to the flip plate 122 and extends in the same direction.

[0045] The first substrate 21 is used to cooperate and connect with the main board 121, and the second substrate 22 is used to cooperate and connect with the flip plate 122.

[0046] In this embodiment, the second substrate 22 is disposed at the right end of the first substrate 21 and extends upward from the first substrate 21. The first substrate 21 is connected to the lower part of the main board 121, and the second substrate 22 is connected to the right side of the flip plate 122. The first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 partially cover the outside of the flip plate 122 and the first connecting part 1211, supporting the hinge shaft plate 12.

[0047] When the hinge plate 12 is placed on the first base plate 21, the flap 122 abuts against the second base plate 22, and the end of the second base plate 22 away from the housing 10 abuts against the second connecting part 1212, making the fit between the hinge base plate 2 and the hinge plate 12 tighter.

[0048] The connector 3 is used to connect the flap 122 and the hinge base plate 2 in the lateral direction. In this embodiment, the connector 3 fastens the flap 122 and the second base plate 22 of the hinge base plate 2 to the left and right directions of the housing 10.

[0049] When the door 20 needs to be installed on the box 10, the hinge body 1 is pre-installed on the door 20 through the hinge shaft 11. The hinge base plate 2 can be pre-connected to the front wall 101 of the box. The pivotal connection between the door 20 and the box 10 can be achieved simply by fixing the hinge shaft plate 12 and the hinge base plate 2 together.

[0050] The connecting piece 3 can fasten the flap 122 and the hinge base plate 2 to the left and right directions of the housing 10. There is no need to open the door 20 and hold the door 20 to adjust the positioning hinge assembly 30 to the front wall 101 of the equipment housing. The hinge assembly 30 can be installed directly in the left and right directions of the housing 10 while the door 20 is closed, which reduces the complexity of production and installation and saves labor costs.

[0051] Specifically, the flip plate 122 has a first fixing hole 1221 extending through the thickness direction; the second substrate 22 has a second fixing hole 221 extending through the thickness direction to cooperate with the first fixing hole 1221; the connector 3 passes through the first fixing hole 1221 and the second fixing hole 221 to fasten the flip plate 122 and the second substrate 22 in the lateral direction.

[0052] Of course, there is no single way to fasten the flap 122 to the second substrate 22. It can also be fastened by screws, welding or riveting.

[0053] The first substrate 21 is provided with at least one positioning protrusion 31, and the main board 121 is provided with at least one positioning through hole 32 corresponding to each of the at least one positioning protrusion 31. The at least one positioning protrusion 31 is inserted into the at least one positioning through hole 32 corresponding to it.

[0054] The at least one positioning protrusion 31 can position the hinge plate 12 relative to the housing 10 in the lateral or left-right direction. When the hinge plate 12 is connected to the first base plate 21 through the positioning protrusion 31, the positioning protrusion 31 can also provide a certain supporting force to keep the first base plate 21 and the hinge plate 12 in a stable horizontal fit.

[0055] In this embodiment, the hinge plate 12 is partially overlapped above the first base plate 21, and the hinge plate 12 and the first base plate 21 are in close contact with each other and both extend in the horizontal direction. When installing the door body 20, it is only necessary to fit the hinge plate 12 into the positioning protrusion 31 through the positioning through hole 32 to pre-position the overall connection position and perform preliminary fixation. The positioning method is simple, requires no adjustment, and provides convenience for subsequent fastening connection.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The inner side of the front wall 101 of the box is provided with a reinforcing iron 5 parallel to the front wall 101. The reinforcing iron 5 can improve the stability of the hinge assembly 30 connected to the front wall 101 of the box and enhance the ability to bear the weight load of the door 20.

[0057] The hinge base plate 2 includes a third base plate 23 that is connected to the reinforcing iron 5 on the inner side of the front wall 101 of the housing. The front wall 101 of the housing has a hinge clearance groove 4 that extends through the thickness direction. The first base plate 21 extends from the hinge clearance groove 4 to the outer side of the housing 10. The third base plate 23 extends from the hinge clearance groove 4 toward the inner side of the housing 10 and is connected to the reinforcing iron 5 on the inner side of the front wall 101 of the housing.

[0058] During use, the hinge base plate 2 is subjected to tensile and shear forces transmitted from the hinge shaft plate 12. Unlike traditional front hinges that can only bear the load with fixing screws, the mating structure of the third base plate 23 and the reinforcing iron 5 on the inner side of the front wall 101 of the box in this application will also disperse the stress and reduce the possibility of deformation of the front wall 101 of the box.

[0059] The following will explain in detail the connection structure between the third substrate 23 and the reinforcing iron 5:

[0060] Reference Figure 8 In one specific embodiment, the third substrate 23 is vertically connected to the first substrate 21, and the reinforcing iron 5 is provided with a slot 6 that cooperates with the hinge relief groove 4 to allow the hinge substrate 2 to pass through. The hinge substrate 2 is provided to pass through the hinge relief groove 4 and the slot 6, and is connected to the reinforcing iron 5 in parallel, and is fastened to the side of the reinforcing iron 5 facing the inside of the housing 10.

[0061] In this embodiment, the hinge base plate 2 is inserted into the hinge clearance groove 4 and the slot 6 of the reinforcing iron 5 in the front wall 101 of the box. The third base plate 22 is arranged parallel to the front wall 101 of the box and abuts against the side of the reinforcing iron 5 facing the inside of the box 10. The first base plate 21 vertically connected to it extends from the hinge clearance groove 4 to the outside of the box 10. The third base plate 23 is provided with corresponding connection holes 231 in the front wall 101 of the box and the reinforcing iron 5, and is fastened by screws passing through the front wall 101 of the box.

[0062] Of course, in some other embodiments, the third substrate 23 can also be fastened to the housing 10 by welding or riveting.

[0063] Reference Figure 4In another embodiment, the hinge base plate 2 is integrally formed with the reinforcing iron 5 and is formed by bending the reinforcing iron 5. The hinge base plate 2 and the reinforcing iron 5 form an L-shaped integral structure, which is inserted into the hinge clearance groove 4 of the front wall 101 of the box.

[0064] The third substrate 22 is the part of the reinforcing iron 5 located on the inner side of the front wall of the housing 10 and connected to the first substrate 21. The first substrate 21 is perpendicular to the reinforcing iron 5 and parallel to the main board 121 of the hinge shaft plate 12. In this way, it is not necessary to manufacture the reinforcing iron 5 and the hinge substrate 2 separately, and the step of connecting and fixing the third substrate 23 to the reinforcing iron 5 is also eliminated, simplifying the process.

[0065] Reference Figure 9 In another embodiment, the reinforcing iron 5 includes a main body parallel to the front wall and a folding plate 7 extending perpendicular to the front wall toward the inside of the housing 10. The third base plate 23 passes through the hinge relief groove 4 and is connected to the folding plate 7 in parallel with each other, and is fastened to the bottom of the folding plate 7.

[0066] The third substrate 23 is provided with a connection hole 231 corresponding to the folding plate 7, and the third substrate 23 and the folding plate 7 are fastened together in the vertical direction by screws passing through the connection hole 231.

[0067] Of course, in some other embodiments, the third substrate 23 can also be fastened to the folding plate 7 by welding or riveting.

[0068] Because the hinge body 1 and the hinge base plate 2 are separate, the third base plate 23 can be pre-fastened to the front wall of the box 10 and foamed together with the box 10. The hinge assembly 30 can be stably connected to the front wall of the box 10 during the manufacturing stage of the box 10. Subsequently, only the hinge body 1 and the hinge base plate 2 installed on the door 20 need to be fitted and fixed, which is simple to operate and improves the efficiency of door installation.

[0069] In summary, the hinge assembly of this utility model allows for more time-saving and labor-saving door installation. By setting a hinge shaft plate that is perpendicularly connected to the hinge axis, and a hinge base plate that is connected in conjunction with the hinge shaft plate, and by using a connector to fix the hinge shaft plate and the hinge base plate in the lateral direction, the installation can be completed without opening the door, reducing the complexity of assembling household appliance doors, improving on-site assembly efficiency, and reducing labor costs.

[0070] In the embodiments provided by this utility model, it should be understood that the above-described implementation of the structure is merely illustrative. For example, the division of the modules is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0071] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly, characterized in that, The hinge assembly includes a hinge body, the hinge body includes a hinge shaft extending in a vertical direction, and a hinge shaft plate perpendicularly connected to the hinge shaft; the hinge shaft plate includes a main plate extending in a horizontal direction, and a flap extending perpendicularly to the main plate from one end of the main plate laterally. The hinge assembly further includes a hinge base plate and a connector for mateably connecting the flap to the hinge base plate in the lateral direction.

2. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hinge substrate includes a first substrate parallel to the motherboard and a second substrate extending perpendicularly to the first substrate from one end of the first substrate near the flip plate; the first substrate is used to cooperate with and connect to the motherboard, and the second substrate is used to cooperate with and connect to the flip plate.

3. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first substrate has at least one positioning protrusion, and the main board has at least one positioning through hole corresponding to each of the at least one positioning protrusion. The at least one positioning protrusion is inserted into the at least one positioning through hole corresponding to it.

4. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flap has a first fixing hole extending through the thickness direction; the second substrate has a second fixing hole extending through the thickness direction, which matches the first fixing hole; the connector passes through the first fixing hole and the second fixing hole to fasten the flap and the second substrate together in the lateral direction.

5. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The motherboard is L-shaped and includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part arranged perpendicularly to each other. The first connecting part is used to connect to the first substrate, and the hinge shaft is connected to the end of the second connecting part away from the first substrate.

6. A household appliance, comprising a housing and a door for opening or closing the housing, characterized in that, It also includes a hinge assembly as described in any one of claims 1-5 that pivotally connects the door to the front wall of the housing.

7. The household appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner side of the front wall of the box is provided with a reinforcing iron, and the hinge base plate also includes a third base plate that is connected to the reinforcing iron on the inner side of the front wall of the box; the front wall of the box has a hinge clearance groove that extends through the thickness direction, the hinge base plate passes through the hinge clearance groove, and the third base plate extends from the hinge clearance groove toward the inner side of the box.

8. The household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The reinforcing iron has a slot that cooperates with the hinge clearance slot to allow the hinge base plate to pass through. The third base plate is arranged parallel to the reinforcing iron and is fastened to the side of the reinforcing iron facing the inside of the box.

9. The household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hinge base plate is integrally formed with the reinforcing iron and is formed by bending the reinforcing iron.

10. The household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The reinforcing iron includes a main body parallel to the front wall and a folding plate extending perpendicular to the front wall toward the inside of the box. The third base plate passes through the hinge clearance groove and is connected to the folding plate in parallel with each other, and is fastened to the bottom of the folding plate.

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