refrigerator

Abstract

This utility model relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet, an inner liner, and a drawer assembly installed in any compartment. The drawer assembly includes a drawer, a sealing cover, a first bracket, a second bracket, a cover lifting mechanism, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The drawer has an opening at its upper end, which is covered by the sealing cover. The first bracket is installed in the cabinet or the inner liner, and the second bracket is also installed in the cabinet or the inner liner. The drawer is slidably supported between the first and second brackets. The cover lifting mechanism lifts the sealing cover during the drawer's withdrawal, separating the sealing cover from the drawer. The first driving mechanism contacts the drawer during withdrawal, causing the sealing cover to move together with the drawer until the sealing cover separates from the drawer. The second driving mechanism contacts the drawer during drawer retraction, causing the sealing cover to move together with the drawer until the drawer is fully retracted. According to this utility model, a refrigerator with a highly airtight drawer that automatically opens and closes with the withdrawal action can be provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for airtight storage spaces in refrigerators (such as food moisture protection and humidity control), airtight drawers have gained attention. Existing airtight drawers fall into two categories: manual-opening and ring-sealed. In manual-opening drawers, the lid must be manually lifted before the drawer can be pulled out, or the lid must be lifted using the slide rails on either side of the drawer, making operation cumbersome and impossible with one hand. Ring-sealed drawers achieve a seal by installing a sealing ring at the drawer opening, but this typically uses a soft rubber strip for flat pressing, resulting in poor sealing (e.g., the sealing strip loses its elasticity) and poor cleaning (e.g., stains easily accumulate in the sealing grooves).

[0003] In addition, the following problems exist in the existing airtight drawers: (1) Inconvenient operation: Manually opening the lid requires two steps, and it is impossible to achieve the continuous action of "pulling out and opening the lid"; (2) Structural defects: The linkage mechanism has too large a stroke, resulting in a high failure rate and high maintenance costs; (3) Sealing failure: The rubber strip is prone to aging and deformation, and gaps are generated when the drawer deforms, leading to sealing failure; (4) Movement interference: The opening angle of the lid is insufficient (<120°), affecting the storage and retrieval of items; and (5) Lack of buffer: The lid impacts and generates noise when quickly pulled out. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator with a drawer that has high sealing performance and can automatically open and close with the pull-out action.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the refrigerator of this utility model includes a cabinet and an inner liner. The cabinet is divided into multiple compartments. The refrigerator also includes a drawer assembly installed in any of the multiple compartments. The drawer assembly includes a drawer, a sealing cover, a first bracket, a second bracket, a cover lifting mechanism, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The drawer has an opening at its upper end, and the sealing cover covers the opening. The first bracket is installed on the cabinet or the inner liner, and the second bracket is installed on the cabinet or the inner liner. The drawer is slidably supported between the first bracket and the second bracket. The cover lifting mechanism lifts the sealing cover during the drawer's withdrawal, causing the sealing cover to separate from the drawer. The first driving mechanism contacts the sealing cover during the drawer's withdrawal and moves the sealing cover and the drawer together until the sealing cover separates from the drawer. The second driving mechanism moves the sealing cover and the drawer together during the drawer's retraction until the drawer is fully retracted.

[0006] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, the lid lifting mechanism may sequentially lift different parts of the sealing lid during the process of pulling out the drawer.

[0007] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, the lid lifting mechanism may include: a first upper guide rail groove formed on the first bracket; a second upper guide rail groove formed separately from the first upper guide rail groove on the first bracket; a third upper guide rail groove formed on the second bracket; a fourth upper guide rail groove formed separately from the third upper guide rail groove on the second bracket; a first guide post formed on the first corner of the sealing cover and inserted into the first upper guide rail groove; a second guide post formed between the first and second corners of the sealing cover and inserted into the second upper guide rail groove; a third guide post formed on the third triangular portion of the sealing cover and inserted into the third upper guide rail groove; and a fourth guide post formed between the third and fourth corners of the sealing cover and inserted into the fourth upper guide rail groove. A guide rod capable of rotating in one direction and resetting is formed in the first upper guide rail groove.

[0008] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, the guide rod can also be reset by the elastic force of the first spring.

[0009] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, the first driving mechanism may include: a pair of lower guide rail grooves formed on the first bracket and the second bracket respectively, and formed in a stepped shape; and a pair of levers formed on opposite sides of the drawer and capable of moving up and down, and respectively inserted into the pair of lower guide rail grooves. Alternatively, the first driving mechanism may include a pair of levers formed on the back of the drawer and capable of moving left and right, with a second spring installed inside the levers.

[0010] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, the second driving mechanism may be a protrusion formed on the drawer or a protrusion formed on the rear of the sealing cover.

[0011] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, a limiting part may be formed at at least one end of the first upper guide rail groove to the fourth upper guide rail groove. The limiting part is a movable part capable of circumferential rotation and includes a locking hook.

[0012] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, the sealing cover may be supported between the first bracket and the second bracket via the cover lifting mechanism.

[0013] Alternatively, in the refrigerator described above, steps that slidably support the drawer may be formed at the bottom of the first bracket and the second bracket, respectively.

[0014] According to this utility model, a refrigerator with a drawer that has high sealing performance and can automatically open and close with the pull-out action can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model will become clearer from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a side view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an intermediate stage in the extraction process of the drawer assembly according to this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the final stage of the drawer assembly extraction process according to this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in a variation of this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a side view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in a variation of this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical or equivalent elements are marked with the same symbols, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right are not specifically described, but are based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. Moreover, the scale of the drawings is not limited to the scale shown in the illustrations, except as used in the actual drawings.

[0024] Furthermore, it should be understood that the embodiments listed in this specification are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. Rather, as those skilled in the art will understand, the present invention includes various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

[0025] In this specification, it should be understood that terms such as “comprising,” “including,” and “having” mean the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0026] The refrigerator described in this embodiment includes a cabinet and an inner liner, and the cabinet is divided into multiple compartments. These multiple compartments may include at least one of the following: a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, a variable temperature compartment, and an intermediate compartment. However, it is not limited to these, and the multiple compartments may also include other arbitrary functional compartments.

[0027] The refrigerator according to this embodiment also includes a drawer assembly 10 installed in any one of the multiple compartments. Hereinafter, an example of the specific structure of the drawer assembly 10 will be described in detail.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in this embodiment.

[0029] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a side view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in this embodiment.

[0031] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the drawer assembly 10 includes a drawer 11, a sealing cover 12, a first bracket 13, a second bracket 14, a cover lifting mechanism 15, a first driving mechanism 16, and a second driving mechanism (not shown).

[0032] Drawer 11 is a container for storing items, formed into a generally rectangular shape with an opening at the top and an opening 111 at the top.

[0033] The sealing cover 12 is formed in a generally plate shape and covers the opening 111 to seal the drawer 11 to achieve the sealing function of moisture prevention, moisture retention and other sealing of the items.

[0034] The first bracket 13 is installed on the cabinet or inner liner, and the second bracket 14 is installed on the cabinet or inner liner. The drawer 11 is slidably supported between the first bracket 13 and the second bracket 14 to allow the drawer 11 to be pulled out or reset.

[0035] The lid lifting mechanism 15 lifts the sealing cover 12 during the process of drawing the drawer 11 out, thus separating the sealing cover 12 from the drawer 11. In addition, the lid lifting mechanism 15 can lift different parts of the sealing cover 12 sequentially during the process of drawing the drawer 11 out, thereby solving the problem of excessive resistance when the sealing cover 12 is opened. That is, by controlling the stroke of the upper guide rail groove to control the opening sequence of different parts of the sealing cover 12, the air pressure difference resistance when the sealing cover 12 is opened can be reduced.

[0036] As an example of a specific structure of the cover lifting mechanism 15, for example, Figure 2 As shown, the cover lifting mechanism 15 may include: a first upper guide groove 151 formed on the first bracket 13; a second upper guide groove 152 formed separately from the first upper guide groove 151 on the first bracket 13; a third upper guide groove 153 formed on the second bracket 14; a fourth upper guide groove 154 formed separately from the third upper guide groove 153 on the second bracket 14; and a first guide post 155 formed at the first corner of the sealing cover 12. Figure 2 The upper left corner of the cover 12 is inserted into the first upper guide groove 151; the second guide post 156 is formed at the first and second corners of the sealing cover 12. Figure 2 The lower left corner of the sealing cover 12 is inserted into the second upper guide groove 152; the third guide post 157 is formed in the third triangular part of the sealing cover 12. Figure 2 The upper right corner of the sealing cover 12 is inserted into the third upper guide groove 153; and the fourth guide post 158 ​​is formed in the triangular part and the fourth corner of the sealing cover 12. Figure 2 The lower right corner of the first upper guide groove 151 is inserted into the fourth upper guide groove 154. Additionally, the first upper guide groove 151 has a groove that allows it to move in one direction (…). Figure 2 The guide rod 159 (rotates counterclockwise) and can return to its original position. Additionally, as... Figure 3 As shown, the guide rod 159 is reset by the elastic force of the first spring 160.

[0037] The first driving mechanism 16 comes into contact with the sealing cover 12 during the process of the drawer 11 being pulled out, thereby driving the sealing cover 12 to move together with the drawer 11 until the sealing cover 12 separates from the drawer 11.

[0038] As an example of the specific structure of the first driving mechanism 16, for example, Figure 2 As shown, the first driving mechanism 16 includes: a pair of lower guide rail grooves 161, 161, which are respectively formed on the first bracket 13 and the second bracket 14 and are formed in a stepped shape; and a pair of levers 162, 162, which are respectively formed on a pair of opposite sides of the drawer 11 and can move up and down, and are respectively inserted into the pair of lower guide rail grooves 161, 161.

[0039] During the resetting process of drawer 11, the second driving mechanism drives the sealing cover 12 to move together with drawer 11 until drawer 11 is fully reset. As an example of the specific structure of the second driving mechanism, for example, the second driving mechanism can be a protrusion formed on drawer 11, the structure of the protrusion on drawer 11 pushes the sealing cover 12 when drawer 11 is reset. The second driving mechanism can also be a protrusion formed on the rear of sealing cover 12, in which drawer 11 contacts and engages with protrusion during reset, pushing sealing cover 12 to move backward.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the sealing cover 12 can be supported between the first bracket 13 and the second bracket 14 via the cover lifting mechanism 15. This ensures that the sealing cover can automatically open and close as the drawer is pulled out.

[0041] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, at the bottom of the first bracket 13 and the second bracket 14, respectively, step portions 131 and 141 that can slidably support the drawer 11 can be formed.

[0042] The following describes the process of pulling out and resetting the drawer assembly 10. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an intermediate stage in the extraction process of the drawer assembly according to this embodiment. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the final stage of the drawer assembly extraction process according to this embodiment.

[0043] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, when drawer 11 is pulled outward, lever 162 mounted on drawer 11 pushes sealing cover 12 outward together; the guide stroke of the first upper guide rail groove 151, which is equipped with a resettable guide rod 159, precedes that of the second upper guide rail groove 152, the third upper guide rail groove 153, and the fourth upper guide rail groove 154. That is, the first guide post 155 on sealing cover 12 slides into the first upper guide rail groove 151 on the first bracket 13 before the other second guide posts 156, the third guide posts 157, and the fourth guide posts 158. Thus, the first guide post 155 passes through the first upper guide rail groove 151 via the guide rod. The step section of 159 is raised before the second guide post 156, the third guide post 157, and the fourth guide post 158. Therefore, the sealing cover 12 at the first guide post 155 opens first, before the other parts. As the drawer 11 is pulled outward, the remaining three guide posts 156-158 also enter the sliding engagement, and the sealing cover 12 is raised upward as a whole until each guide post 155-158 moves to the end of each upper guide rail groove 151-154 (left end in the figure). At this time, the lever 162 moves downward and disengages from the contact engagement with the sealing cover 12 under the constraint of the lower guide rail groove 161, and no longer pushes the sealing cover 12. Additionally, during the return stroke of drawer 11, the structure on drawer 11 pushes the sealing cover 12 to return to its original position, and the lever 162 returns to its original position along the lower guide rail groove 161. The first guide post 155 to the fourth guide post 158 ​​move along the same sliding trajectory during return. At this time, the first guide post 155 slides along the first upper guide rail groove 151 in the space below the guide rod 159. After the first guide post 155 passes the guide rod 159, the guide rod 159 returns to its original position under the elastic force of the first spring 160.

[0044] In this embodiment, it is possible to prevent items from falling out of the drawer and to prevent external substances from entering the drawer. Additionally, an air circulation channel can be provided on the side of the drawer to improve cooling efficiency.

[0045] The general structure of the drawer assembly involved in the modified example of this embodiment will be described below. Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in a variation of this embodiment. Figure 7 This is a side view showing the general structure of the drawer assembly involved in a variation of this embodiment.

[0046] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the drawer assembly 10A involved in this modification differs from the drawer assembly 10 involved in the above embodiment in the following two main aspects: it has a first driving mechanism including a pair of levers 161A, 161A instead of the first driving mechanism 16 described above; and it also has a limiting part 17.

[0047] like Figure 6 As shown, the first driving mechanism involved in this modification includes a pair of levers 161A and 161A respectively formed on the back of the drawer 11 and capable of moving left and right. Furthermore, a second spring (not shown) is installed inside the lever 161A, allowing the lever 161A to move left and right through the extension and contraction of the spring. Thus, the lever 161A, installed on the rear side of the drawer 11, pushes the sealing cover 12 along each of the upper guide rail grooves 151-154. At this time, the lever 161A is not compressed under the action of the internal spring, so that during the process of the drawer 11 being pulled out, the lever 161A contacts the sealing cover 12, causing the sealing cover 12 to move together with the drawer 11. After each guide post 155-158 moves to the end of each of the upper guide rail grooves 151-154, the drawer 11 continues to move outward. At this time, the lever 161A is compressed and does not contact the sealing cover 12.

[0048] In addition, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, a limiting part 17 is formed at the end of the third upper guide groove 153. The limiting part 17 can be a limiting structure or a limiting component. In this way, the sealing cover 12 can be prevented from moving freely.

[0049] Specifically, the limiting part 17 can be a movable part capable of circumferential rotation, and includes a locking hook part 171. Thus, when the drawer 11 is pulled outward ( Figure 7 (From center to left), the sealing cover 12 moves upward along the upper guide rail grooves 151-154 under the support of the guide posts 155-158. Then, the guide post 157 contacts the limiting part 17, and the limiting part 17 is lifted upward due to the collision contact. The guide post 157 moves to the end of the third upper guide rail groove 153, and the locking hook part 171 falls down and locks the guide post 157, thereby playing a limiting role. In addition, the limiting part can be formed at at least one end of the first to fourth upper guide rail grooves, and is not limited to the method described above, which is formed only at the end of the third upper guide rail groove 153.

[0050] According to this utility model, a refrigerator with a drawer that has high sealing performance and can automatically open and close with the pull-out action can be provided.

[0051] The embodiments of this utility model have been described above; however, this utility model is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make modifications and variations to this utility model as needed without departing from its essential spirit and scope. All such modifications and variations fall within the scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, wherein, The refrigerator includes a cabinet and an inner liner, and the cabinet is divided into multiple compartments. The refrigerator also includes a drawer assembly installed in any of the multiple compartments. The drawer assembly includes a drawer, a sealing cover, a first bracket, a second bracket, a cover lifting mechanism, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The drawer has an opening at the top. The sealing cap covers the opening. The first bracket is installed on the housing or the inner liner, and the second bracket is installed on the housing or the inner liner. The drawer is slidably supported between the first bracket and the second bracket. The lid lifting mechanism lifts the sealing lid during the process of the drawer being pulled out, thereby separating the sealing lid from the drawer. The first actuating mechanism contacts the sealing cover during the process of the drawer being pulled out, thereby causing the sealing cover to move together with the drawer until the sealing cover separates from the drawer. During the process of the drawer resetting, the second driving mechanism drives the sealing cover to move together with the drawer until the drawer is fully reset.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, wherein, The lid lifting mechanism sequentially lifts different parts of the sealing lid as the drawer is pulled out.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, wherein, The cover lifting mechanism includes: The first upper guide rail groove is formed in the first bracket; The second upper guide rail groove is formed separately from the first upper guide rail groove in the first bracket; The third upper guide rail groove is formed in the second bracket; The fourth upper guide rail groove is formed separately from the third upper guide rail groove in the second bracket; A first guide post is formed at the first corner of the sealing cover and inserted into the first upper guide rail groove; The second guide post is formed between the first and second corner portions of the sealing cover and inserted into the second upper guide rail groove; A third guide post, formed in the triangular portion of the sealing cover and inserted into the third upper guide groove; and A fourth guide post is formed between the third and fourth corner portions of the sealing cover and inserted into the fourth upper guide groove. A guide rod capable of rotating in one direction and resetting is formed in the first upper guide rail groove.

4. The refrigerator as described in claim 3, wherein, The guide rod is reset by the elastic force of the first spring.

5. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The first driving mechanism includes: A pair of lower guide rail grooves, respectively formed on the first bracket and the second bracket, and formed in a stepped shape; and A pair of levers, each formed on a pair of opposite sides of the drawer and capable of moving up and down, are respectively inserted into the pair of lower guide rail slots.

6. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The first actuating mechanism includes a pair of levers formed on the back of the drawer and capable of moving left and right. A second spring is installed inside the lever.

7. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The second actuating mechanism is a protrusion formed in the drawer or a protrusion formed at the rear of the sealing cover.

8. The refrigerator as described in claim 3, wherein, A limiting portion is formed at at least one end of each of the first to the fourth upper guide rail grooves. The limiting part is a movable component capable of circumferential rotation and includes a locking hook.

9. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The sealing cap is supported between the first bracket and the second bracket via the cap lifting mechanism.

10. The refrigerator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, At the bottom of the first bracket and the second bracket, respectively, a step portion is formed to slidably support the drawer.

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