Hinge assembly and refrigerator
By utilizing the threaded engagement and transmission of the hinge shaft, gears, and adjustment knobs in the hinge assembly, the problem of loosening and misalignment of the refrigerator door during transportation is solved, enabling convenient height adjustment and sealing of the refrigerator door, thus improving the refrigerator's performance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-20
AI Technical Summary
Refrigerator doors are prone to loosening and misalignment during transportation, resulting in poor sealing and affecting refrigeration and freezing performance.
A hinge assembly is provided, including a hinge shaft, a meshing first gear and a second gear, and an adjustment knob. Through threaded engagement and meshing transmission, the circumferential rotation of the adjustment knob is converted into the axial movement of the hinge shaft, thereby realizing the height adjustment of the refrigerator door.
The height of the refrigerator door can be easily adjusted to ensure a tight seal between the door and the cabinet, improving usability and reducing design complexity and production costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN224017041U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular, to a hinge assembly and a refrigerator. BACKGROUND
[0002] A refrigerator is an important appliance in daily life. If the refrigerator is subjected to jolts during transportation, the refrigerator door may become loose and dislocated in the height direction. In order to ensure the sealing effect of the refrigerator, the cooperation between the door body and the cabinet of the refrigerator is required to be high. When the refrigerator door is dislocated, the refrigerator door and the cabinet cannot be sealed and cooperated, which affects the refrigeration and freezing effect. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION
[0003] To overcome the problems in the related art, the present disclosure provides a hinge assembly and a refrigerator.
[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a hinge assembly is provided, comprising:
[0005] a hinge shaft capable of moving in an axial direction to adjust the height of a refrigerator door;
[0006] a first gear and a second gear engaged with each other;
[0007] an adjustment knob capable of being operated to drive the first gear to rotate;
[0008] wherein the hinge shaft and the second gear are threadedly engaged with each other, so as to be capable of converting the circumferential rotation of the adjustment knob into the axial movement of the hinge shaft.
[0009] Optionally, the thread angle of the hinge shaft is less than or equal to the equivalent friction angle between the hinge shaft and the second gear.
[0010] Optionally, the hinge shaft comprises a threaded segment and a light shaft segment, and a circular truncated cone is arranged between the threaded segment and the light shaft segment, and the circular truncated cone is adapted to support the refrigerator door.
[0011] Optionally, the first gear is provided with a first mounting hole, the adjustment knob is provided with a first shaft segment capable of extending into the first mounting hole, and an anti-rotation structure is arranged between the first shaft segment and the first mounting hole, and the anti-rotation structure is configured to enable the first gear to rotate coaxially with the adjustment knob.
[0012] Optionally, the anti-rotation structure comprises a first anti-rotation plane arranged on the inner wall of the first mounting hole, and a second anti-rotation plane arranged on the outer wall of the first shaft segment, and the first anti-rotation plane and the second anti-rotation plane are parallel.
[0013] Optionally, a first end of the first shaft segment is provided with an operation end, and the other end of the first shaft segment is provided with a second shaft segment, wherein the operation end abuts against a side end surface of the first gear, the second shaft segment penetrates through the other side end surface of the first gear, and the hinge assembly further comprises a limiting piece which is in locking cooperation with the second shaft segment and abuts against the other side end surface of the first gear.
[0014] Optionally, the limiting piece is configured as a ring capable of being sleeved on the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft segment, wherein one of the inner wall surface of the limiting piece and the second shaft segment is provided with a buckle, and the other is provided with a clamping groove capable of being clamped with the buckle.
[0015] Optionally, the hinge assembly further comprises a hinge shell with an opening at the top and a hinge body detachably covering the opening at the top of the hinge shell, and the first gear and the second gear are accommodated in the interior of the hinge shell.
[0016] Optionally, the hinge assembly further comprises a locking screw which penetrates into the hinge body and can be screwed to press against the end surface of the first gear.
[0017] Optionally, the hinge body is provided with a second mounting hole through which the hinge shaft penetrates, the hinge shaft is provided with a limiting groove extending along the axial direction of the hinge shaft, the second mounting hole is provided with a protrusion, and the limiting groove and the protrusion cooperate to limit the circumferential rotation of the hinge shaft.
[0018] Optionally, one of the hinge shell and the end surface of the first gear is provided with a ring-shaped sliding rail, and the other is provided with a sliding block cooperating with the ring-shaped sliding rail.
[0019] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a refrigerator is provided, comprising a refrigerator door and the hinge assembly of any of the above, wherein the hinge shaft is capable of moving in the axial direction to drive the refrigerator door to move in the height direction.
[0020] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: the hinge assembly provided by the present disclosure, when adjusting the height of the refrigerator door, the adjusting knob is rotated manually or by a tool, and under the meshing transmission between the first gear and the second gear and the threaded cooperation between the second gear and the hinge shaft, the circumferential rotation of the adjusting knob is converted into the axial movement of the hinge shaft, and the axial movement of the hinge shaft further drives the refrigerator door to move in the height direction. That is, the entire adjustment process can be completed only by operating the adjusting knob, so that the height of the refrigerator door can be adjusted more conveniently, the refrigerator door can be sealed and cooperated with the cabinet, and the use effect of the refrigerator is ensured.
[0021] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description
[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hinge assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a hinge assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0025] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the structure of a hinge assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0026] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram illustrating the meshing of a first gear and a second gear according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0027] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of a hinge assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a hinge assembly in different states according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures
[0030] 1-Hinge shaft, 11-Threaded section, 111-Limiting groove, 12-Optical shaft section, 13-Frustum, 2-First gear, 21-First mounting hole, 211-First anti-rotation plane, 22-Slider, 3-Second gear, 4-Adjusting knob, 41-First shaft section, 411-Second anti-rotation plane, 42-Operating end, 43-Second shaft section, 431-Snap fastener, 5-Limiting component, 51-Slot, 61-Hinge housing, 611-Annular slide rail, 62-Hinge body, 621-Second mounting hole, 622-Protrusion, 7-Locking screw. Detailed Implementation
[0031] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.
[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this disclosure exemplarily provides a hinge assembly suitable for adjusting the height of a refrigerator door. Specifically, the hinge assembly provided in this disclosure includes a hinge shaft 1, a meshing first gear 2 and a second gear 3, and an adjustment knob 4. The hinge shaft 1 is capable of axial movement to adjust the height of the refrigerator door. Figure 6 The diagram shows hinge shaft 1 driven to its lowest and highest positions, which determine the lowest and highest adjustment positions of the refrigerator door. Adjustment knob 4 can be operated to drive first gear 2 to rotate. A threaded engagement exists between hinge shaft 1 and second gear 3 to convert the circumferential movement of adjustment knob 4 into axial movement of hinge shaft 1.
[0033] The adjustment knob 4 can be operated manually or with a tool. For example, the adjustment knob 4 may have a Phillips head groove that can engage with a screwdriver. To convert the circumferential rotation of the adjustment knob 4 into the axial movement of the hinge shaft 1, there are two sets of transmission relationships in the transmission chain from the adjustment knob 4 to the hinge shaft 1. Specifically, there is the meshing transmission between the first gear 2 and the second gear 3, and the threaded engagement between the second gear 3 and the hinge shaft 1. Manually or with a tool, turning the adjustment knob 4 drives the first gear 2 to rotate. The rotation of the first gear 2 drives the second gear 3 to rotate. The rotation of the second gear 3 drives the hinge shaft 1 to reciprocate along its own axis, thereby adjusting the height of the refrigerator door.
[0034] The threaded engagement between the second gear 3 and the hinge shaft 1 can be considered as a lead screw and nut mechanism. The second gear 3 has an internal thread to act as the driving nut of the lead screw and nut, and the hinge shaft 1 has an external thread to act as the driving lead screw of the lead screw and nut. In this lead screw and nut mechanism, the axial movement of the hinge shaft 1 can be achieved by restricting the axial movement of the second gear 3 and the circumferential movement of the hinge shaft 1.
[0035] The entire adjustment process for the refrigerator door can be completed simply by operating adjustment knob 4, allowing for convenient adjustment of the door height and ensuring a tight seal between the door and the refrigerator body, thus guaranteeing optimal refrigeration and freezing performance. Furthermore, manual or tool-assisted door height adjustment eliminates the need for a drive motor or other similar devices, reducing space requirements and lowering design complexity and production costs.
[0036] To ensure self-locking after the refrigerator door height is adjusted to the required position, and to make the reverse transmission efficiency of the multi-stage transmission mechanism zero, the thread helix angle of the hinge shaft 1 can optionally be configured to be less than or equal to the friction equivalent angle between the hinge shaft 1 and the second gear 3, which helps to improve the reliability of the hinge assembly in adjusting the refrigerator door height.
[0037] In some implementations, such as Figure 3As shown, the hinge shaft 1 can be constructed including a threaded section 11 and a smooth shaft section 12, with a frustum 13 positioned between the threaded section 11 and the smooth shaft section 12. The frustum 13 is suitable for supporting the refrigerator door. The hinge shaft 1 is a one-piece structure, with a thread machined at one end to ensure the structural strength of the hinge shaft 1 and improve the reliability of refrigerator door adjustment. The threaded section 11 is used to engage with the second gear 3, the smooth shaft section 12 can extend into the refrigerator door, and the frustum 13 supports the refrigerator door, thereby enabling the refrigerator door to move up and down.
[0038] To achieve the operation of the adjustment knob 4 driving the first gear 2 to rotate, such as... Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the first gear 2 is provided with a first mounting hole 21, and the adjustment knob 4 is provided with a first shaft segment 41 that can extend into the first mounting hole 21. An anti-rotation structure is provided between the first shaft segment 41 and the first mounting hole 21. The anti-rotation structure is configured to make the first gear 2 rotate coaxially with the adjustment knob 4.
[0039] In some embodiments, the anti-rotation structure includes a first anti-rotation plane 211 disposed on the inner wall of the first mounting hole 21, and a second anti-rotation plane 411 disposed on the outer wall of the first shaft segment 41, wherein the first anti-rotation plane 211 and the second anti-rotation plane 411 are parallel. The first anti-rotation plane 211 and the second anti-rotation plane 411 may each comprise two oppositely disposed planes. By providing anti-rotation planes in the first mounting hole 21 and the first shaft segment 41 respectively, it is possible to synchronously drive the first gear 2 to rotate during the operation of the adjustment knob 4, and it also serves to prevent installation errors, thereby improving the installation efficiency of the adjustment knob 4, and the structure is simple and the fit is reliable.
[0040] In other embodiments, in addition to the above-mentioned method of setting an anti-rotation plane to form an anti-rotation structure, multiple anti-rotation grooves can be provided circumferentially at intervals on the inner wall of the first mounting hole 21. The anti-rotation grooves extend axially, and multiple anti-rotation protrusions that cooperate with the anti-rotation grooves are provided circumferentially at intervals on the outer wall of the first shaft segment 41. This is similar to the spline fit between shafts, which can also achieve the purpose of synchronously driving the first gear 2 to rotate during the operation of the adjustment knob 4.
[0041] To improve the installation reliability of the adjustment knob 4 and prevent accidental detachment during processes such as transportation, in some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, one end of the first shaft segment 41 is provided with an operating end head 42, and the other end of the first shaft segment 41 is provided with a second shaft segment 43. The operating end head 42 abuts against the first side end face of the first gear 2, and the second shaft segment 43 extends out through the other side end face of the first gear 2. The hinge assembly also includes a limiting member 5, which locks into the second shaft segment 43 and abuts against the other side end face of the first gear 2. In this way, the operating end head 42 and the limiting member 5 can be clamped between the two end faces of the first gear 2, thereby reliably fixing the adjusting knob 4 and preventing accidental detachment during transportation.
[0042] In some embodiments, the limiting member 5 can be constructed as an annular shape that can be fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the second shaft segment 43. The inner wall of the limiting member 5 and one of the second shaft segment 43 are provided with a snap fastener 431, and the other is provided with a groove 51 that engages with the snap fastener 431. This annular limiting member 5 is relatively easy to install; it only needs to be fitted axially onto the second shaft segment 43. In other embodiments, the second shaft segment 43 can also be constructed as a C-shape or other forms, which will not be elaborated here.
[0043] The operating end 42 abuts against the end face of the first gear 2, and the limiting member 5 abuts against the end face of the first gear 2. This contact can be direct or indirect. For example, in the embodiment described later, which includes a hinge housing 61 and a hinge body 62, the hinge body 62 has a receiving groove for accommodating the operating end 42, and the receiving groove has a stepped surface. The hinge housing 61 has a through hole for the second shaft segment 43 to pass through. The diameter of the hinge shaft 1 gradually decreases from the operating end 42, the first shaft segment 41, and the second shaft segment 43. The end face of the operating end 42 abuts against the stepped surface, and the annular limiting member 5 is accommodated in the through hole and locked in place with the second shaft segment 43. In other embodiments, the operating end 42 can also directly abut against the end face of the first gear 2, in which case the hinge body 62 may not have a stepped surface.
[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the hinge assembly provided in this disclosure further includes a hinge shell 61 with an opening at the top and a hinge body 62 that detachably covers the opening at the top of the hinge shell 61. The first gear 2 and the second gear 3 are housed inside the hinge shell 61. The hinge body 62 is connected to the refrigerator body, and the hinge shaft 1 is connected to the refrigerator door. By including the hinge shell 61 and the hinge body 62 in the hinge assembly, the structural strength of the hinge assembly is enhanced. Furthermore, housing the first gear 2 and the second gear 3 inside the hinge shell 61 helps save space and ensures smooth opening and closing of the refrigerator door.
[0045] To ensure that the refrigerator door height remains stable after being adjusted to the desired position, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, the hinge assembly further includes a locking screw 7, which passes through the hinge housing 61 and can be tightened to press against the end face of the first gear 2. When adjusting the refrigerator door height, the locking screw 7 can be unscrewed to disengage from the end face of the first gear 2, allowing the first gear 2 to rotate smoothly via the adjustment knob 4. When the refrigerator door is adjusted to the desired height, the locking screw 7 is screwed in to press against the end face of the first gear 2, locking the first gear 2 by the friction between the two. Maintaining the adjusted refrigerator door height can be achieved either solely by the locking screw 7, solely by the aforementioned method where the thread helix angle of the hinge shaft 1 is less than or equal to the equivalent friction angle between the hinge shaft 1 and the second gear 3, or a combination of both methods.
[0046] To limit the axial movement of the second gear 3, for example, the hinge housing 61 and the hinge body 62 can be used to stop the gear 3 at its two end faces, as long as it does not affect the circumferential rotation of the second gear 3. To limit the circumferential rotation of the hinge shaft 1, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the hinge body 62 is provided with a second mounting hole 621 for the hinge shaft 1 to pass through. The hinge shaft 1 is provided with a limiting groove 111, which extends axially along the hinge shaft 1. The second mounting hole 621 is provided with a protrusion 622. The limiting groove 111 and the protrusion 622 cooperate to restrict the circumferential rotation of the hinge shaft 1. In the figure, the limiting groove 111 is provided in the threaded section 11. In other embodiments, the limiting groove 111 may also be provided in the optical axis section 12, and the protrusion 622 is correspondingly provided in the second mounting hole 621 or on the refrigerator door. Alternatively, in other embodiments, for example, the optical axis section 12 may be a non-cylindrical shape such as a rectangular prism. Correspondingly, a rectangular groove is provided in the hinge body 62 or on the refrigerator door, which can also achieve the restriction of the circumferential rotation of the hinge shaft 1. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this.
[0047] In some implementations, reference is also made to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, one of the end faces of the hinge housing 61 and the first gear 2 is provided with an annular slide rail 611, and the other is provided with a slider 22 that mates with the annular slide rail 611. The slide rail and groove mate between the hinge housing 61 and the first gear 2, which serves both as a positioning tool and as a motion guide.
[0048] In some implementations, such as Figure 1As shown, the adjustment knob 4 does not protrude from the upper surface of the hinge body 62, thereby preventing accidental operation. Furthermore, the adjustment knob 4 can be provided with a cross-shaped groove, allowing operation with tools such as screwdrivers. In addition, other feature grooves that can mate with tools, such as slotted grooves, can also be used in this disclosure, and will not be elaborated further here.
[0049] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator is also provided, including a refrigerator door and a hinge assembly as described in any of the above embodiments, and having all its beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here. The hinge shaft 1 is capable of axial movement to drive the refrigerator door to move in the height direction.
[0050] In the above detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific aspects of this disclosure by way of illustration. In this regard, terms indicating direction or positional relationship, such as “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential,” are used with reference to the orientation of the described figures. Since components of the described device can be positioned in multiple different orientations, directional terms are used for illustrative purposes and not for limitation. It should be understood that other aspects can be utilized and structural or logical changes can be made without departing from the concept of this disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be considered limiting.
[0051] It should be understood that, unless otherwise specifically indicated, features of various embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be combined with each other. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one of the relevant listed items and any combination of any two or more; similarly, “at least one of…” includes any one of the relevant listed items and any combination of any two or more.
[0052] It should be understood that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "joining," "attaching," "installing," "connecting," "linking," "fixing," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms herein based on the specific circumstances.
[0053] Furthermore, the term "above" as used herein with respect to components, elements, or material layers formed or located "above" a surface may be used to indicate that the component, element, or material layer is "indirectly" positioned (e.g., placed, formed, deposited, etc.) on the surface such that one or more additional components, elements, or layers are arranged between the surface and the component, element, or material layer. However, the term "above" as used with respect to components, elements, or material layers formed or located "above" a surface may also optionally have a specific meaning: that the component, element, or material layer is "directly" positioned (e.g., placed, formed, deposited, etc.) on the surface, for example, in direct contact with the surface.
[0054] Although terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used herein to describe various components, parts, regions, layers, or sections, these components, parts, regions, layers, or sections are not limited to these terms. Rather, these terms are used only to distinguish one component, part, region, layer, or section from another. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the examples described herein, the first component, part, region, layer, or section mentioned in the examples may also be referred to as the second component, part, region, layer, or section. 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 herein, “a plurality” means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0055] It should be understood that spatial relative terms, such as “above,” “upper,” “below,” and “lower,” are used herein to describe the relationship between one element and another shown in the figures. In addition to the orientation depicted in the figures, these spatial relative terms are also intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as “above” or “upper” relative to another element would be “below” or “lower” relative to that other element. Thus, depending on the spatial orientation of the device, the term “above” encompasses both above and below orientations. Devices may have other orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.
[0056] Furthermore, the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as advantageous compared to other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the term “exemplary” is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner. As used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, “X applies A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive arrangements. That is, “X applies A or B” satisfies any of the foregoing instances if X applies A; X applies B; or both X applies A and B. Additionally, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context to refer to the singular form, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims are generally understood to mean “one or more.”
[0057] Similarly, although this disclosure has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification and drawings. This disclosure includes all such modifications and variations and is limited only by the scope of the claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the components described above (e.g., elements, resources, etc.), unless otherwise indicated, the terminology used to describe such components is intended to correspond to any component (functionally equivalent) that performs the specific function of the described component, even if structurally not equivalent to the disclosed structure. Furthermore, although specific features of this disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Moreover, with regard to the terms “comprising,” “owning,” “having,” “having,” or variations thereof as used in the detailed description or claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “including.”
[0058] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.
[0059] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A hinge assembly, characterized in that, include: The hinge axis can move axially to adjust the height of the refrigerator door; The first and second gears mesh with each other; as well as The adjustment knob can be operated to drive the first gear to rotate; The first gear is provided with a first mounting hole, and the adjustment knob is provided with a first shaft segment that can extend into the first mounting hole. An anti-rotation structure is provided between the first shaft segment and the first mounting hole. The anti-rotation structure is configured to make the first gear rotate coaxially with the adjustment knob. The hinge shaft and the second gear are threaded together to convert the circumferential rotation of the adjustment knob into the axial movement of the hinge shaft.
2. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thread helix angle of the hinge shaft is less than or equal to the equivalent friction angle between the hinge shaft and the second gear.
3. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hinge shaft includes a threaded section and a smooth section, and a frustum is provided between the threaded section and the smooth section, the frustum being adapted to support the refrigerator door.
4. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-rotation structure includes a first anti-rotation plane disposed on the inner wall of the first mounting hole and a second anti-rotation plane disposed on the outer wall of the first shaft segment, wherein the first anti-rotation plane and the second anti-rotation plane are parallel.
5. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end of the first shaft segment is provided with an operating end head, and the other end of the first shaft segment is provided with a second shaft segment. The operating end head abuts against one side end face of the first gear, and the second shaft segment extends out through the other side end face of the first gear. The hinge assembly also includes a limiting member, which locks into the second shaft segment and abuts against the other side end face of the first gear.
6. The hinge assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The limiting member is constructed as an annular structure that can be fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft segment. The inner wall surface of the limiting member and the second shaft segment are provided with a buckle, and the other is provided with a groove that can engage with the buckle.
7. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a hinge housing with an opening at the top and a hinge body that detachably covers the opening at the top of the hinge housing, wherein the first gear and the second gear are housed inside the hinge housing.
8. The hinge assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hinge assembly also includes a locking screw that passes through the hinge body and can be tightened to press against the end face of the first gear.
9. The hinge assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hinge body is provided with a second mounting hole for the hinge shaft to pass through. The hinge shaft is provided with a limiting groove that extends along the axial direction of the hinge shaft. The second mounting hole is provided with a protrusion. The limiting groove and the protrusion cooperate to restrict the circumferential rotation of the hinge shaft.
10. The hinge assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, One of the end faces of the hinge housing and the first gear is provided with an annular slide rail, and the other is provided with a slider that cooperates with the annular slide rail.
11. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a refrigerator door and a hinge assembly according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the hinge axis is movable axially to drive the refrigerator door to move in the height direction.