A refrigerator

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of household appliances, and particularly relates to a refrigerator, which realizes locking and limiting of a drawer and a refrigerator body through a connecting assembly. Under the cooperation of a clamping protrusion and an elastic clamping jaw, when the drawer is pushed back, the drawer realizes locking and limiting through the connecting assembly, so as to prevent the drawer from having a sliding trend and thus causing the problem of poor sealing and fresh-keeping performance. Moreover, the process of back-pushing and limiting locking of the drawer is relatively smooth, and the click sound and the sense of abruptness are relatively small, which is beneficial to improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more particularly to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators are common household appliances that are widely used. Users can store food using refrigerators.

[0003] Currently, upright refrigerators have pull-out drawers in the upper refrigerator compartment. When the drawer is pushed back, a relatively sealed storage space is formed inside to achieve the effect of sealing and preserving freshness.

[0004] However, because the drawer lacks a limit locking device, it will still tend to slide out after being pushed back, resulting in poor sealing and poor preservation. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a refrigerator.

[0006] This disclosure provides a refrigerator, including: The refrigerator body has a storage space formed inside it; A drawer is provided within the storage space; A connecting component for locking the drawer and the refrigerator body; the connecting component includes a latching protrusion disposed on one of the drawer and the refrigerator body, and a resilient latching claw disposed on the other of the two; The locking protrusion and the elastic locking claw are disposed opposite to each other. The locking protrusion has an outer inclined wall that gradually expands outward toward the elastic locking claw. The end of the elastic locking claw facing the locking protrusion gradually converges inward. The elastic locking claw and the outer inclined wall elastically abut against each other to confine the locking protrusion within the elastic locking claw.

[0007] Therefore, with the cooperation of the latch and the elastic claw, when the drawer is pushed back, the drawer can be locked in place by the connecting component to prevent the drawer from sliding and thus causing poor sealing and preservation performance. Moreover, the process of the drawer being pushed back and locked in place is relatively smooth, with less clicking sound and jarring, which helps to improve the user experience.

[0008] In some embodiments, the elastic claw includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced claws, which gradually converge toward the locking protrusion. This improves the circumferential limiting effect of the elastic claw on the locking protrusion and enhances connection reliability.

[0009] In some embodiments, the end of the claw facing the latch protrusion is folded outward to form a guide portion. This facilitates the alignment of the latch protrusion with the elastic claw and improves smoothness.

[0010] In some embodiments, the end of the latch protrusion facing the elastic claw is provided with a rounded corner portion that smoothly transitions with the outer inclined wall. Thus, the rounded corner portion not only improves safety and prevents scratches, but also facilitates smoother insertion between the latch protrusion and the elastic claw, and, guided by the rounded corner portion, promotes the outward expansion and deformation of the elastic claw.

[0011] In some embodiments, the elastic claw further includes a base, and a plurality of claws are disposed on the base, the base and the plurality of claws being integrally formed. This facilitates mass production and manufacturing, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

[0012] In some embodiments, the elastic claw further includes a support rib, one end of which is connected to the claw and the other end to the base. This improves the structural strength of the claw.

[0013] In some embodiments, the base is provided with a connecting portion for connection with the drawer or the refrigerator body. Thus, the resilient latches can be detached and connected to the drawer or refrigerator body via the connecting portion, facilitating the assembly of the resilient latches.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer inclined wall and / or the inner wall surface of the elastic claw are provided with an anti-slip layer. This increases the contact friction between the elastic claw and the outer inclined wall, preventing the claw protrusion from easily slipping out of the elastic claw and further improving reliability.

[0015] In some embodiments, the connecting assembly further includes an elastic band that is fitted over the elastic claw. This improves the retraction capability of the elastic claw and extends its service life.

[0016] In some embodiments, a connecting seat for fixing the elastic band is provided outside the elastic claw. This allows the elastic band to be fixed in place, preventing it from shifting back and forth. Attached Figure Description

[0017] 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.

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigerator described in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drawer structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembly of the connection component described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic claw described in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembly of the connection component described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 2 ; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection components described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1 ; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection components described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 2 ; Figure 9 For along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction; Figure 10 for Figure 9 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle.

[0020] in: 1. Refrigerator body; 11. Shelves; 2. Drawer; 3. Connecting component; 31. Snap protrusion; 311. Outer inclined wall; 312. Rounded corner; 32. Elastic claw; 321. Support claw; 3211. Guide part; 322. Base; 3221. Connecting part; 323. Support rib. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure, the solutions disclosed herein will be further described below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0022] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this disclosure, but this disclosure may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some, and not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0023] Refrigerators, as common household appliances in daily life, are widely used. Users can store food in refrigerators. Currently, upright refrigerators have pull-out drawers in the upper refrigerator compartment. When the drawer is pushed back, a relatively sealed storage space is formed inside. In order to further improve the sealing effect of the drawer, elastic sealing strips are often installed inside the refrigerator or on the drawer.

[0024] Because the drawer lacks a locking device, it is easy for the drawer to pop out during the process of pushing it back, due to the elastic resistance of the sealing strip. Even if the drawer is already in the pushed-back state, it is still easy for it to slide out under the influence of the refrigerator door opening and closing or other factors, resulting in poor sealing and poor preservation effect.

[0025] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes a refrigerator, which is provided with a connecting component for connecting the drawer and the refrigerator body. When the drawer is pushed back, the connecting component can lock the drawer in place to prevent the drawer from sliding and thus causing poor sealing and preservation performance. Moreover, the process of the drawer being pushed back and locked in place is relatively smooth, with less clicking sound and jarring, which helps to improve the user experience.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerator in this embodiment includes a refrigerator body 1, a drawer 2, and a connecting assembly 3 for locking the drawer 2 and the refrigerator body 1 together. Storage space is formed within the refrigerator body 1. For example... Figure 2 As shown, drawer 2 has an open top structure and can be pulled out into the storage space.

[0027] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, a shelf panel 11 can be installed in the storage space of the refrigerator body 1, and the drawer 2 is specifically installed below the shelf panel 11. When the drawer 2 is pushed back, a relatively sealed storage space is formed between the drawer 2 and the shelf panel 11. In addition to the above method, a drawer frame assembly for accommodating the drawer 2 can also be independently installed in the storage space of the refrigerator body 1. The drawer frame assembly has an internally hollow thin-shell structure, and the drawer 2 can be pulled out and installed in the drawer frame assembly. When the drawer 2 is pushed back, the drawer 2 can form a relatively sealed storage space with the drawer frame assembly. The design can be selected according to actual needs.

[0028] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the connecting component 3 includes a latching protrusion 31 and an elastic latching claw 32.

[0029] In some embodiments, the latch 31 may be disposed on the drawer 2, and the elastic latch 32 may be disposed on the refrigerator body 1. The latch 31 and the elastic latch 32 are disposed opposite to each other, and the latch 31 can extend into and be inserted into the elastic latch 32. The latch 31 has an outer inclined wall 311 that gradually expands outward toward the elastic latch 32. Exemplarily, the outer inclined wall 311 may be a conical wall, a pyramidal wall, or other conical wall structure, so that the latch 31 presents a conical structure with one end thicker and the other end narrower. The elastic latch 32 gradually converges inward toward the end facing the latch 31, and when the drawer 2 is pushed back, as... Figures 6-10 As shown, the latch 31 is inserted into the elastic claw 32, which elastically abuts against the outer inclined wall 311. Guided by the outer inclined wall 311, the elastic claw 32 gradually expands and then contracts to tightly confine the latch 31 within the elastic claw 32. The latch 31 and the elastic claw 32 work together smoothly and slowly under the guidance of the outer inclined wall 311, without any clicking or jerking sensation. This achieves both drawer locking and improved user experience.

[0030] In some embodiments, the elastic claw 32 can also be disposed on the drawer 2 and the latch 31 can be disposed on the refrigerator body 1, which can also achieve the above purpose and the above effect. The choice depends on the actual design requirements. The accompanying drawings of this embodiment only take the latch 31 disposed on the drawer 2 and the elastic claw 32 disposed on the refrigerator body 1 as an example, including but not limited to the above-mentioned disposal methods.

[0031] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the elastic claw 32 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced claws 321, which gradually converge toward the protrusion 31. Exemplarily, there may be two, three, four or more claws 321. In this embodiment, three or four claws are preferred to improve the circumferential limiting effect of the elastic claw 32 on the protrusion 31 and improve the connection reliability.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 10 As shown, the end of the claw 321 facing the protrusion 31 is folded outward to form a guide portion 3211, so that a flanged structure is formed at the end of the claw 321. When the protrusion 31 is inserted into the elastic claw 32, the protrusion 31 abuts against the guide portion 3211 to facilitate the alignment of the protrusion 31 with the elastic claw 32 and improve smoothness.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 10As shown, the end of the latching protrusion 31 facing the elastic claw 32 is provided with a rounded corner portion 312 that smoothly transitions with the outer inclined wall 311. On the one hand, the rounded corner portion 312 can improve safety and prevent scratches to users or maintenance personnel. On the other hand, the rounded corner portion 312 can further improve the smoothness of the insertion between the latching protrusion 31 and the elastic claw 32. The rounded corner portion 312 contacts the elastic claw 32, and under the guiding action of the rounded corner portion 312, it is conducive to the outward expansion deformation of the elastic claw 32. In addition, in some embodiments, it is preferable to provide both the guide portion 3211 and the rounded corner portion 312. The rounded corner portion 312 and the guide portion 3211 make contact, which is more conducive to improving the smoothness of the insertion process.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the elastic claw 32 also includes a base 322, and multiple claws 321 are disposed on the base 322. The base 322 and the multiple claws 321 are integrally formed, which is conducive to mass production and manufacturing, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the base 322 may be provided with a connecting part 3221 for connecting with the drawer 2 or the refrigerator body 1, so as to realize the detachable connection of the elastic claw 32 with the drawer 2 or the refrigerator body 1. Exemplarily, the connecting part 3221 is a through hole for fasteners to pass through, and the base 322 can be fixedly installed in a designated position by fasteners such as bolts or screws. Alternatively, the connecting part 3221 may also be a snap-fit ​​structure, with a corresponding slot provided on the drawer 2 or the refrigerator body 1, which can also realize the connection and assembly of the elastic claw 32. The structure of the connecting part 3221 includes, but is not limited to, the structures shown in the accompanying drawings and the structures listed in the embodiments, and will not be listed one by one in this embodiment.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the elastic claw 32 also includes a support rib 323. One end of the support rib 323 is connected to the claw 321, and the other end is connected to the base 322. The support rib 323 can also be integrally formed with the claw 321 and the base 322. Preferably, the support rib 323 is disposed on the outside of the claw 321 to support the claw 321, so as to improve the structural strength of the claw 321.

[0037] In some embodiments, an anti-slip layer may be provided on the outer inclined wall 311 of the latching protrusion 31 and the inner wall surface of the elastic claw 32. Optionally, the anti-slip layer may be an anti-slip rubber layer to increase the contact friction between the elastic claw 32 and the outer inclined wall 311, so as to prevent the latching protrusion 31 from easily slipping off the elastic claw 32, thereby further improving reliability. Alternatively, an anti-slip layer may be provided only on the outer inclined wall 311 of the latching protrusion 31 or only on the inner wall surface of the elastic claw 32, depending on the actual situation. In addition, the anti-slip layer may also be a frosted layer formed on the outer inclined wall 311 and the elastic claw 32. This embodiment does not specifically limit the form of the anti-slip layer, and any form of anti-slip layer falls within the protection scope of this application.

[0038] In some embodiments, the connecting component 3 further includes an elastic band, which is fitted over the elastic claw 32. Exemplarily, the elastic band is fitted over the end of the elastic claw 32 facing the latch protrusion 31, that is, over the retracted end of the elastic claw 32. It is understood that after prolonged use, the elastic claw 32 will experience fatigue, and its elastic retracting force will decrease. Therefore, an elastic band can be added to the retracted end of the elastic claw 32 to improve its retracting ability and extend its service life.

[0039] Furthermore, to secure the elastic band and prevent its position from shifting when the elastic claw 32 expands and deforms, a connecting seat for securing the elastic band can be provided outside the elastic claw 32. Optionally, the connecting seat can be located on the outside of the claw 321 and integrally formed with the claw 321. The connecting seat can be a ring-shaped or U-shaped locking seat, with the elastic band passing through it. Alternatively, the connecting seat can also adopt other structural forms, including but not limited to the structures listed in this embodiment.

[0040] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0041] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement it. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not to be limited to the embodiments described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: The refrigerator body (1) has a storage space inside. A drawer (2) is provided in the storage space and can be pulled out; A connecting component (3) is used to lock the drawer (2) and the refrigerator body (1); the connecting component (3) includes a latching protrusion (31) disposed on one of the drawer (2) and the refrigerator body (1), and a resilient latching claw (32) disposed on the other. The locking protrusion (31) and the elastic locking claw (32) are disposed opposite to each other. The locking protrusion (31) has an outer inclined wall (311) that gradually expands outward toward the elastic locking claw (32). The end of the elastic locking claw (32) facing the locking protrusion (31) gradually converges inward. The elastic locking claw (32) and the outer inclined wall (311) elastically abut against each other to confine the locking protrusion (31) within the elastic locking claw (32).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic claw (32) includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced claws (321), which gradually converge toward the protrusion (31).

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The claw (321) has a guide portion (3211) that is folded outward at one end facing the latch (31).

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the card protrusion (31) facing the elastic claw (32) is provided with a rounded corner (312) that smoothly transitions with the outer inclined wall (311).

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic claw (32) also includes a base (322), and a plurality of claws (321) are disposed on the base (322), and the base (322) and the plurality of claws (321) are integrally formed.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic claw (32) also includes a support rib (323), one end of which is connected to the claw (321) and the other end is connected to the base (322).

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The base (322) is provided with a connecting part (3221) for connecting to the drawer (2) or the refrigerator body (1).

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The outer inclined wall (311) and / or the inner wall of the elastic claw (32) are provided with an anti-slip layer.

9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The connecting component (3) also includes an elastic band, which is fitted over the elastic claw (32).

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The elastic claw (32) is provided with a connecting seat for fixing the elastic rubber band.

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