An automatically opening and closing drawer and a vehicle-mounted refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model relates to automatic control technical field especially a kind of drawer and vehicle refrigerator of automatic opening and closing to solve the problem that existing automatic drawer technology is difficult to take into account complex motion curve and high-speed stability. Including drawer body, drawer support and guide pillar. Drawer support is connected with the bottom of drawer body, is provided with rotating wheel;The axis direction of guide pillar is parallel with the movement direction of drawer body, guide pillar is provided with push groove, the path of rotating wheel is converted into the linear motion of drawer support and drawer body by push groove by limiting rotating wheel. Push groove sets the whole trajectory of drawer movement, thereby realizes the accurate control to drawer opening and closing speed and position, discards complex sensor and electric control system, finally achieves the beneficial effect that operation is stable, control is simple and reliability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automation control technology, and in particular to an automatically opening and closing drawer and a vehicle refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] With the popularization of automation technology, automatic drawer systems are increasingly used in automotive storage, car refrigerators, office furniture, and industrial equipment. Currently, automatic drawer opening methods on the market are mainly divided into two categories: pop-up and fully automatic. Pop-up drawers only pop out automatically when opened using a spring or pneumatic device; they still require manual operation to close. This semi-automatic design is not conducive to user experience, especially in situations where the driver operates the drawer or where it is frequently used.

[0003] To achieve fully automatic opening and closing, existing technologies mostly employ pull-rope, lead screw, synchronous belt, or rack and pinion transmission structures. While these methods can achieve basic automation, they share the following common drawbacks:

[0004] Low motion control precision: The rope-type structure relies on flexible transmission, which is prone to stretching deformation and wear, resulting in inaccurate motion trajectory; although the lead screw and gear rack types can achieve linear motion, it is difficult to program complex displacement and speed curves, such as the "fast-slow-stop" mode, which cannot meet the requirements of high-precision automation.

[0005] Poor operational stability: Screw and gear drives are prone to vibration and noise when running at high speeds, and synchronous belt drives require regular tension adjustment, otherwise slippage or shaking may occur, affecting system stability.

[0006] Insufficient synchronization of multiple workstations: Existing systems typically require an independent drive unit for each drawer, resulting in high costs, system complexity, and difficulty in ensuring synchronized movement of multiple drawers, leading to low integration.

[0007] Large structural space requirements: Gear rack and pinion and lead screw mechanisms require more installation space, which is not conducive to compact layout; rope type requires additional tensioning device, increasing volume.

[0008] Complex control and low reliability: These transmission methods rely on electronic sensors and complex control systems to regulate motion, which increases the number of failure points, increases maintenance costs, and results in poor reliability in the long term.

[0009] Therefore, the development of an automatic drawer opening and closing system that is precise in motion, simple to control, and highly reliable has become an urgent need in the industry. Utility Model Content

[0010] This invention provides an automatically opening and closing drawer and a car refrigerator to solve the problem that existing automatic drawer technology is unable to simultaneously handle complex motion curves and high-speed stability.

[0011] To alleviate the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0012] An automatically opening and closing drawer, comprising:

[0013] Drawer body;

[0014] The drawer support is connected to the bottom of the drawer body and is equipped with casters;

[0015] The guide column has its axis parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer body. The guide column is equipped with a push groove, which converts the rotational motion of the guide column into the linear motion of the drawer support and the drawer body by restricting the path of the rotating wheel.

[0016] Furthermore,

[0017] The profile of the push groove is constructed to include at least one section of groove with continuously varying curvature;

[0018] or,

[0019] The profile of the push groove is composed of multiple segments with different geometric shapes.

[0020] Furthermore,

[0021] It also includes a slide rail base and two slide rails mounted on both sides of the slide rail base;

[0022] The guide post is mounted on the slide rail base;

[0023] The drawer support is mounted on two slide rails.

[0024] Furthermore,

[0025] The slide rail base is provided with a first guide post support and a second guide post support;

[0026] The first guide post support and the second guide post support are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the center line of the sliding rail base in the direction of movement. One end of the guide post is installed on the first guide post support, and the other end of the guide post passes through the second guide post support and is connected to the motor shaft of the motor.

[0027] Furthermore,

[0028] One side of the drawer support has an upward-folding bend with a socket hole, and the drawer body has a socket terminal corresponding to the socket hole.

[0029] The drawer support has fasteners on its sides for securing the drawer body.

[0030] Furthermore,

[0031] The bent component is located on the outside of the second guide column support, and the drawer body abuts against the bent component.

[0032] Furthermore,

[0033] The drawer support is equipped with a latch that engages with the drawer slide.

[0034] Furthermore,

[0035] The drawer support has an inner limiting member at the end of the drawer in the closing direction, towards the slide rail base, and the slide rail base has an outer limiting member at the end of the drawer in the opening direction.

[0036] The inner and outer limiters restrict the movement of the drawer body.

[0037] Furthermore,

[0038] It also includes a housing, with slide rail base insertion holes inside the housing;

[0039] The slide rail base is equipped with a connector that corresponds to the insertion hole.

[0040] A vehicle refrigerator includes the aforementioned automatically opening and closing drawer.

[0041] The beneficial effects of the automatically opening and closing drawer in this invention are analyzed as follows:

[0042] This solution, based on the camshaft principle, directly converts the continuous rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion of the drawer by using a guide post with a specific contoured push groove that works in conjunction with a rotating wheel on the drawer bracket. The push groove sets the entire trajectory of the drawer's movement, thus achieving precise control over the drawer's opening and closing speed and position. This eliminates the need for complex sensors and electronic control systems, ultimately achieving the beneficial effects of smooth operation, simple control, and high reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments or related technologies of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 An exploded view of an automatically opening and closing drawer provided for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0045] Figure 2 A structural diagram of an automatically opening and closing drawer after removing the drawer support and drawer body, provided for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0046] Figure 3A structural diagram of an automatically opening and closing drawer after removing the drawer body, provided for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0047] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view;

[0048] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view of AA;

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatically opening and closing drawer provided for an embodiment of this utility model from one perspective.

[0050] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the box from one perspective.

[0051] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a structure with a sliding rail base installed on the box.

[0052] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the drawer locking inside the box.

[0053] Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the drawer opening from the box.

[0054] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the box from another perspective.

[0055] Icons: 100-Drawer body; 110-Plug-in terminal; 200-Drawer support; 210-Rotating wheel; 220-Bending component; 230-Fixing component; 240-Snap-on; 250-Inner limit component; 300-Guide column; 310-Push groove; 400-Slide rail base; 410-First guide column support component; 420-Second guide column support component; 430-Plug-in connector; 440-Outer limit component; 500-Slide rail; 600-Box body; 610-Slide rail base plug-in hole; 700-Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail step by step with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] This embodiment discloses an automatically opening and closing drawer; please refer to [other documentation / reference]. Figures 1 to 11 The drawer includes:

[0058] The drawer body 100, drawer support 200, and guide column 300 are included. The drawer support 200 is connected to the bottom of the drawer body 100 and is equipped with a rotating wheel 210. The axis of the guide column 300 is parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer body 100. The guide column 300 is equipped with a push groove 310, which converts the rotational motion of the guide column 300 into the linear motion of the drawer support 200 and the drawer body 100 by restricting the path of the rotating wheel 210.

[0059] When an external power drives the guide column 300 to rotate around its axis, the side wall of the push groove 310 constrains and pushes the rotating wheel 210, thereby directly converting the continuous rotational motion of the guide column 300 into the linear motion of the drawer support 200 and the drawer body 100 along a set path. This basic configuration eliminates complex sensors and electronic control circuits. By pre-designing the spatial trajectory of the push groove 310, the displacement, velocity, and even acceleration curves during the drawer opening and closing process can be physically defined, achieving the fundamental goals of smooth operation, simple control, and high reliability. Furthermore, the transmission pair can also adopt other equivalent forms. For example, the rotating wheel 210 can be replaced with a sliding pin offset from the axis of the guide column 300, with the end of the sliding pin embedded in the push groove 310 and sliding within it; or, the rotating wheel 210 can use a needle roller bearing with an outer raceway and a cage to reduce rolling friction with the side wall of the push groove 310. The guide post 300 itself does not have to be a cylinder with a uniform cross section. It can be a stepped shaft with a larger end diameter to enhance the rigidity of the support part. In addition to the common rectangular shape, the cross-sectional shape of the push groove 310 can also be a dovetail shape or an arc shape to better restrain the tendency of the sliding pin or the rotating wheel 210 to disengage.

[0060] Considering that simple straight lines or constant curvature grooves may cause motion impact or fail to achieve complex speed curves, the contour of the push groove 310 is specially constructed in this alternative solution. It can be designed as a curved groove with a continuously and smoothly changing curvature, such as using a high-order polynomial or a gradually changing spiral, thereby achieving a stepless smooth transition of drawer speed and effectively suppressing vibration and noise. Another feasible construction method is to connect multiple segments of different geometric shapes to form the contour of the push groove 310, such as including a steep arc segment for rapid start-up, a straight segment for uniform speed operation, and a gentle curved segment for buffer stop. This segmented design gives motion planning greater flexibility and specificity, enabling "fast-slow-stop" motion modes through purely mechanical configuration. Furthermore, the extension form of the push groove 310 can be more diverse. For example, the push groove 310 does not have to be a single-threaded closed loop, but rather adopts a double-headed or multi-headed spiral form. This allows the drawer to complete one cycle of multiple reciprocating motions when the guide post 300 rotates once, suitable for specific applications requiring rapid and high-frequency opening and closing. Alternatively, the depth of the push groove 310 can vary along its path to provide tactile feedback or achieve differential transmission ratios in different sections through combinations of shallow and deep sections.

[0061] To ensure that the aforementioned drive mechanism can stably and accurately guide the drawer's movement and withstand possible lateral forces and loads, this solution further introduces a guiding and load-bearing structure. Specifically, the system also includes a slide rail base 400 as the mounting foundation, and two parallel slide rails 500 symmetrically mounted on both sides of the base. The guide column 300 is mounted on the slide rail base 400, while the drawer bracket 200 is connected to the sliding portion of the two slide rails 500. Thus, the slide rail 500 system undertakes all the support and precise linear guidance functions, constraining the drawer's degree of freedom perpendicular to the direction of movement; the drive pair composed of the guide column 300 and the rotating wheel 210 is used to provide power and trajectory control. This separation of drive and guiding functions not only reduces the rigidity requirements of the guide column 300 and its push groove 310, reducing wear, but also ensures that even under uneven loads or external interference, the drawer can maintain extremely high operational stability and trajectory repeatability. The slide rail 500 offers a wide range of expansion options. For example, it can be a high-load-capacity ball-bearing linear slide rail 500 with an internal circulating ball bearing system; or a low-noise roller-type slide rail 500, where multiple V-shaped rollers roll on the guide rail for guidance; for low-cost or light-load applications, a simple polymer sliding strip combined with a metal guide groove is also an effective expansion option. The structure of the slide rail base 400 can also be modified, for example, using an open C-shaped steel or aluminum profile as the base frame, with the slide rail 500 and guide post 300 supports directly fixed in the grooves of the profile, facilitating standardized production and length cutting.

[0062] Furthermore, to ensure the dynamic stability and transmission accuracy of the guide post 300 during high-speed rotation, the support and driving methods of the guide post 300 need to be optimized. To address the issue that the guide post 300 may experience deflection due to its large span, thus affecting the meshing accuracy of the grooved wheel, this solution includes a first guide post support 410 and a second guide post support 420 along the length of the slide rail base 400. The first guide post support 410 is typically a fixed seat with bearings, used to support one end of the guide post 300; the second guide post support 420 is a support block with a through hole, through which the other end of the guide post 300 passes and is directly connected to the output shaft of the motor 700 via a coupling. This two-end support architecture greatly enhances the rigidity of the guide post 300 system, ensuring rotational concentricity, thus laying the foundation for stable force transmission between the rotating wheel 210 and the pushing groove 310. Meanwhile, placing the motor 700 at one end of the slide rail base 400 for direct drive creates an extremely short transmission chain. This not only provides rapid response and high efficiency but also facilitates the synchronous drive of multiple drawer units sharing a single long guide column 300. Only an independent push groove 310 needs to be created at the corresponding axial position of the guide column 300, making it possible for applications requiring multi-station linkage and high synchronization precision. The support method for the guide column 300 can be further expanded. For example, one or more intermediate auxiliary support bearings can be added between the two main support components to prevent vibration of the extra-long guide column 300. The motor 700 can also be driven not directly, but through a set of reduction gears or synchronous pulleys to obtain greater output torque or to allow the motor 700 to be arranged on the side. The drive source itself is not limited to a rotary motor 700; it can be a rotary cylinder or a hydraulic motor to adapt to different power environments.

[0063] Considering that the drawer body 100, as a functional component, needs to be easy to install and disassemble while ensuring a secure connection with the drive mechanism, this design includes an upwardly folded bending member 220 on one side of the drawer support 200, with a plug-in hole on the bending member 220. Correspondingly, matching plug-in terminals 110 are provided on the bottom or side wall of the drawer body 100. During assembly, the drawer body 100 can be quickly positioned and installed by engaging the plug-in terminals 110 with the plug-in holes. Furthermore, an independent fixing member 230, such as a screw or elastic claw, is added to the side of the drawer support 200 for auxiliary reinforcement after insertion. The plug-in terminal 110 can be designed as a plastic part with a beveled guide head, and the plug-in hole corresponds to a flared opening, achieving self-centering. Alternatively, the fixing member 230 can be secured magnetically instead of mechanically, with a magnet embedded in the bottom of the drawer body 100 and a magnetic guide plate or another magnet installed at the corresponding position on the support, achieving quick tool-free fixing and separation through magnetic attraction.

[0064] This design incorporates a dedicated fastening mechanism between the drawer support 200 and the moving rail of the slide rail 500. Specifically, at least one elastic latch 240 is integrally formed or independently installed on the side wall or bottom where the drawer support 200 contacts the moving rail of the slide rail 500. This latch 240 is typically made of a resilient engineering plastic or a heat-treated, elastic metal sheet, and includes a body fixed to the support, a cantilever beam capable of elastic deformation, and a hook-shaped or wedge-shaped locking protrusion at the end of the cantilever beam. Correspondingly, a groove, recess, or flange matching the shape of the locking protrusion is precisely stamped or machined onto the surface of the moving rail of the slide rail 500. During assembly, the operator simply aligns the locking protrusion of the latch 240 on the drawer bracket 200 with the guide ramp or guide groove on the slide rail 500, applies a certain amount of pressure or makes a small sliding motion along the installation direction. After the locking protrusion contacts the ramp, it will cause the elastic cantilever beam to bend and deform until it slides completely into the corresponding slot or hooks the flange. At this time, the cantilever beam springs back, and the locking protrusion and the slot are tightly engaged, thus achieving a firm and accurate mechanical lock between the drawer bracket 200 and the slide rail 500 without the use of any additional tools.

[0065] To further enhance the ease of assembly and reliability of connection between the drawer support 200 and the slide rail 500, this solution introduces a quick-locking mechanism between them. Specifically, a flexible snap-fit ​​structure 240 is designed on the contact surface between the drawer support 200 and the slide rail 500, while the slide rail 500 has a corresponding slot or flange. During installation, simply align the drawer support 200 with the slide rail 500 and press or slide it to lock the snap-fit ​​240 into place. The slight deformation capability of the flexible snap-fit ​​240 can also absorb minor vibrations generated during operation, helping to reduce abnormal noise and maintain quiet operation of the system over a long period of time. The connection methods can be further diversified. For example, the snap-fit ​​240 can be designed as a manually operable slider-type latch to provide clearer indication of locked and unlocked status. In addition to the snap-fit ​​240, a combination of screws and elongated holes can also be used to achieve slight adjustments in the installation position to compensate for accumulated assembly errors. Alternatively, a wedge-shaped insert can be used in conjunction with a locking screw. After insertion, tightening the screw will generate a huge clamping force, which is suitable for heavy-duty applications.

[0066] To prevent overshoot due to machining errors, wear, or control accidents, this solution incorporates an independent mechanical limiting structure. An inner limiting member 250 extends downwards on the side of the drawer support 200 facing the inside of the drawer (the end in the closing direction); correspondingly, an outer limiting member 440 extends upwards on the side of the slide rail base 400 facing the outside of the drawer (the end in the opening direction). When the drawer moves to its fully closed or fully open limit position, the inner limiting member 250 and the outer limiting member 440 (or their corresponding structures along the movement path) will mechanically collide and interfere, thus physically preventing further drawer movement. For example, the contact ends of the inner and outer limiting members 440 can be fitted with silicone or polyurethane buffer caps to achieve soft contact. Furthermore, a microswitch can be integrated inside the limiting member. When the limiting member is triggered, the microswitch actuates and sends a position signal to the control system, thus achieving electromechanical double protection and facilitating the implementation of more complex linkage control logic.

[0067] To facilitate the integration of the aforementioned automatic drawer opening and closing mechanism into various cabinet products, this solution employs a modular installation interface. The entire mechanism can be integrated onto a single slide rail base 400 module, with standardized connectors 430 located at the rear or end. Matching slide rail base insertion holes 610 are pre-installed on the inner wall of the target cabinet 600 (e.g., refrigerator cabinet, storage cabinet). During installation, simply align the connectors 430 of the entire module with the slide rail base insertion holes 610 on the cabinet 600, push them in, and lock them in place. This modular design allows the high-performance automatic drawer drive system to function as a plug-and-play standard component, quickly adapting to different end products, significantly shortening product development cycles, reducing assembly complexity, and facilitating future functional upgrades and maintenance. The installation interface can be expanded more flexibly and reliably; for example, the connector 430 can be designed with a spring-loaded locking tongue that automatically locks upon insertion, requiring a tool to press the tongue before removal. In addition to plug-in connection, a sliding rail connection combined with tail screw locking can also be used. First, slide the module into the rail from the side of the housing 600, and then tighten the positioning screw. For applications requiring higher connection strength, multiple mounting lugs can be provided on the back of the rail base 400, which can be directly connected and fixed to the reinforcing ribs inside the housing 600 with bolts.

[0068] The modular, automatically opening and closing drawers described above can be integrated into the refrigerator's body 600 as its storage units. A motor 700, powered by the vehicle's power supply, drives the guide column 300 to rotate, allowing the user to control the smooth opening and closing of the drawers via the refrigerator's control panel or remote control. This technology provides a precise, programmable motion curve, ensuring the drawers maintain their predetermined trajectory even in the vibration environment of a moving vehicle, preventing accidental sliding or impacts; its compact and efficient mechanical structure adapts to the strictly limited layout requirements of in-vehicle spaces.

[0069] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and not to limit it. Although the 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 or all of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatically opening and closing drawer, characterized in that: include: Drawer body (100); A drawer support (200) is connected to the bottom of the drawer body (100) and is provided with casters (210). The guide column (300) has an axis parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer body (100). The guide column (300) is provided with a push groove (310). The push groove (310) converts the rotational motion of the guide column (300) into the linear motion of the drawer support (200) and the drawer body (100) by restricting the path of the rotating wheel (210).

2. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The profile of the push groove (310) is constructed to include at least one section of groove with continuously varying curvature; or, The profile of the push groove (310) is composed of multiple segments with different geometric shapes.

3. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a slide rail base (400) and two slide rails (500) mounted on both sides of the slide rail base (400); The guide post (300) is mounted on the slide rail base (400); The drawer bracket (200) is mounted on the two slide rails (500).

4. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The slide rail base (400) is provided with a first guide post support (410) and a second guide post support (420). The first guide post support (410) and the second guide post support (420) are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the center line of the movement direction of the slide rail base (400). One end of the guide post (300) is installed on the first guide post support (410), and the other end of the guide post (300) passes through the second guide post support (420) and is connected to the motor shaft of the motor (700).

5. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drawer support (200) has an upwardly folding bending member (220) on one side, and the bending member (220) has a plug hole. The drawer body (100) has a plug terminal (110) corresponding to the plug hole. The drawer support (200) is provided with a fastener (230) on its side for fixing the drawer body (100).

6. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bending member (220) is located outside the second guide post support member (420), and the drawer body (100) abuts against the bending member (220).

7. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The drawer support (200) is provided with a buckle (240) that engages with the slide rail (500).

8. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The drawer support (200) is provided with an inner limiting member (250) at the end of the drawer closing direction toward the slide rail base (400), and the slide rail base (400) is provided with an outer limiting member (440) at the end of the drawer opening direction. The inner limiter (250) and the outer limiter (440) define the travel distance of the drawer body (100).

9. The automatically opening and closing drawer according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a housing (600), the housing (600) having a slide rail base insertion hole (610) inside; The slide rail base (400) is provided with a connector (430) corresponding to the insertion hole.

10. A vehicle-mounted refrigerator, characterized in that: Including the automatically opening and closing drawer as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images