Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which smoothness of opening of a door body and stability of kinetic are secured.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes a box body and a door body, where the door body is rotatably supported by a hinge positioned in an upper end of the door body and a hinge positioned in a lower end of the door body and a first trajectory groove and a second trajectory groove are respectively provided in the upper end and the lower end of the door body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims priority based on Chinese patent applications with application numbers 202110844775.7 filed on July 26, 2021 and invention title "Refrigerator", 202110846078.5 filed on July 26, 2021 and invention title "Refrigerator", and 202110844802.0 filed on July 26, 2021 and invention title "Refrigerator", and all of the disclosed contents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the technical field of household electrical appliances, and in particular, to refrigerators.

Background Art

[0003] The hinge structure of the door body of a refrigerator is mostly of a single - axis type. Through the fitting of the hinge shaft and the shaft bush of the door body, the door body is realized to rotate around the hinge shaft. In the process of opening such a door body with a hinge structure, the corner of the door body exceeds the side surface of the door body.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a box body and a door body, wherein the door body is rotatably supported by a hinge located at the upper end of the door body and a hinge located at the lower end of the door body, and a first track groove and a second track groove are respectively provided at the upper end and the lower end of the door body.

[0005] The hinge located at the upper end of the door body includes a hinge plate connected to the upper end of the box body, and a first hinge shaft and a second hinge shaft that form a rotation axis by being connected to the hinge plate. The hinge located at the lower end of the door body includes a hinge plate connected to the lower end of the box body, and a first hinge shaft and a second hinge shaft that form the rotation axis by being connected to the hinge plate. The first hinge shaft fits into the first locus groove, and the second hinge shaft fits into the second locus groove. When the hinge plate is located on the right side of the box body, the right side surface of the door body is the side wall. When the hinge plate is located on the left side of the box body, the left side surface of the door body is the side wall. When the door body is in the closed state, the first hinge shaft is closer to the side wall than the second hinge shaft and is away from the front wall of the door body. The first locus groove has a first positioning position and a second positioning position. The movement locus of the first hinge shaft from the first positioning position to the second positioning position in the first locus groove is the first positioning locus line. Correspondingly, the second locus groove has a first guide position and a second guide position. The movement locus of the second hinge shaft from the first guide position to the second guide position in the second locus groove is the first guide locus line. When the door body opens from the closed state to the first state, the first hinge shaft moves from the first positioning position to the second positioning position along the first positioning locus line with respect to the first locus groove. At the same time, the second hinge shaft moves from the first guide position to the second guide position along the first guide locus line with respect to the second locus groove. The second positioning position is closer to the side wall and away from the front wall than the first positioning position. The first positioning locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall. The second guide position is closer to the side wall and away from the front wall than the first guide position. The first guide locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall. The first locus groove further has a third positioning position. The movement locus of the first hinge shaft from the second positioning position to the third positioning position in the first locus groove is the second positioning locus line. Correspondingly, the second locus groove further has a third guide position. The movement locus of the second hinge shaft from the second guide position to the third guide position in the second locus groove isa second guide locus line, and when the door body continues to open from the first state to the second state, the first hinge shaft moves from the second positioning position to the third positioning position along the second positioning locus line with respect to the first locus groove, and the second hinge shaft moves from the second guide position to the third guide position along the second guide locus line with respect to the second locus groove, and the third positioning position is closer to the front wall and the side wall than the second positioning position, and the second positioning locus line extends from the second positioning position to the third positioning position in a direction approaching the front wall and the side wall, and the third guide position is closer to the second guide position the second guide locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, the opening angle of the door body in the second state is less than 90°, when the door body continues to open from the second state to a state of an opening angle of 90°, the position of the first hinge shaft in the first locus groove remains unchanged, the door body rotates about the first hinge shaft, the second hinge shaft moves along the third guide locus line in the second locus groove to a fourth guide position, the third guide locus line has an arc shape, and the fourth guide position is away from the front wall and closer to the side wall than the third guide position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] In order to clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on the drawings provided without any creative efforts.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail by way of exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that the elements, structures, and features of one embodiment can be beneficially combined with other embodiments without the need for further explanation.

[0008] In the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is merely for facilitating and simplifying the description of the present disclosure, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific direction or be configured or operate in a specific direction. Therefore, these terms should not be construed as limitations on the present disclosure.

[0009] Terms such as "first", "second", "third", "fourth", and "fifth" are used only for explanatory purposes and are not to be construed as explicitly or implicitly representing relative importance or implicitly representing the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features "first", "second", "third", "fourth", and "fifth" can include one or more of the said features explicitly or implicitly.

[0010] In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly defined and specified, the terms "mounting", "connecting", and "coupling" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection, or it may be directly connected, indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or connected inside two elements. Those skilled in the art can specifically understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the side facing the user during the usage period of the refrigerator is defined as the front side, and the side opposite to the front side is defined as the rear side.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a box body 10 having a storage chamber 20, a door body 30 connected to the box body 10 so as to open and close the storage chamber 20, and a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage chamber 20.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cold air supply device includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion device, and generates cold air by the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant.

[0014] In some embodiments, the box body 10 includes an inner shell that defines the storage chamber 20, an outer shell that is connected to the outside of the inner shell to form the appearance of the refrigerator 1, and a heat insulator that is disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell to insulate the storage chamber 20.

[0015] In some embodiments, the box body 10 includes a horizontal partition plate that divides the storage chamber 20 into an upper storage chamber 21 and a lower storage chamber 22, and a vertical partition plate that divides the lower storage chamber 22 into two parts. The upper storage chamber 21 may be used as a refrigerating chamber for storing food in the refrigerating mode by maintaining the air temperature at about 0°C to 5°C. The lower storage chamber 22 may be used as a freezing chamber for storing food in the freezing mode by maintaining the air temperature at 0°C to -30°C.

[0016] In some embodiments, the storage chamber 20 has a front portion that is open so that food can be put in and taken out, and the open front portion of the storage chamber 20 may be opened and closed by a rotatable door body 30.

[0017] In some embodiments, the door body 30 is rotatably supported by a hinge located at the upper part and a hinge located at the lower part. For example, the hinge may be disposed at the upper part of the door body 30 to rotatably support the door body 30.

[0018] Figure 2 is a top view of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of region A in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an exploded view of a hinge at the upper right corner of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the hinge includes a first hinge shaft 41, a second hinge shaft 42, a first track groove 50, and a second track groove 60. The first hinge shaft 41 fits into the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 fits into the second track groove 60. In the process of the door body 30 rotating to open and close, the first hinge shaft 41 moves relatively within the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 moves relatively within the second track groove 60.

[0019] Regarding the hinge at the upper end of the door body 30, it includes a hinge plate 40 connected to the upper end of the box body 10. The first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are connected to the hinge plate 40, thereby forming a rotation axis. In some embodiments, the hinge plate 40, the first hinge shaft 41, and the second hinge shaft 42 are integrally formed. In some other embodiments, the hinge plate 40, the first hinge shaft 41, and the second hinge shaft 42 are provided separately and assembled with each other.

[0020] Referring to Figure 4, the hinge plate 40 includes a connection portion 401 having a substantially horizontal plate shape and connected to the box body 10, and a first extension portion 402 extending forward from the connection portion 401 and having a horizontal plate shape. The connection portion 401 may be fastened to the box body 10 by fasteners such as screws, pins, bolts, etc.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are formed on the first extension portion 402 and extend vertically downward.

[0022] Figure 5 is a bottom view of a hinge at the lower end of a door body of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. Figure 6 is an exploded view of a hinge at the lower end of a door body of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, regarding the hinge at the lower end of the door body 30, the connection portion 401 is connected to the front end face of the box body 10. The first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 extend upward on the hinge plate 40.

[0023] Corresponding to the position of the hinge plate 40, a first track groove 50 and a second track groove 60 are respectively provided at the upper end and the lower end of the door body 30.

[0024] For the convenience of explanation, the side surface of the door body 30 closer to the hinge plate 40 among the left side surface and the right side surface is called the side wall 32. For example, when the hinge plate 40 is located on the right side of the box body 10, the right side surface of the door body 30 is the side wall 32, and when the hinge plate 40 is located on the left side of the box body 10, the left side surface of the door body 30 is the side wall 32. The front wall 31 and the side wall 32 of the door body 30 intersect to form a side edge 33.

[0025] Continuing to refer to FIG. 2, a reference plane O is defined as the plane where the side surface of the box body 10 close to the hinge plate 40 is located. The side closer to the cabinet of the reference plane O is the outside, and the opposite side is the inside. When the refrigerator is placed in the cabinet 100 and used, in order to avoid factors such as the unevenness of the user's floor and the deformation of the cabinet, the cabinet is usually provided to be separated from the side surface of the refrigerator (i.e., the reference plane O) by α = 5 mm. In order to ensure that the door body 30 of the refrigerator is normally opened, during the rotation process of the door body 30, the side edge 33 of the door body 30 cannot exceed the side surface of the box body 10 (i.e., the reference plane O). Otherwise, the side edge 33 will collide with the cabinet 100 and the door body 30 cannot be opened normally.

[0026] Therefore, in order for the side edge portion 33 not to exceed the side surface of the box body 10, the door body 30 needs to be movable inward during the rotation process. When the hinge plate 40 is provided on the right side of the door body 30, the inside is the left side. That is, the door body 30 is movable to the left. When the hinge plate 40 is provided on the left side of the door body 30, the inside is the right side. That is, the door body 30 is movable to the right.

[0027] There is a relative movement relationship between the first trajectory groove 50 and the first hinge shaft 41, and there is a relative movement relationship between the second trajectory groove 60 and the second hinge shaft 42. Therefore, in the process of the door body 30 opening, when the first trajectory groove 50 and the second trajectory groove 60 are taken as the static reference objects, it is equivalent to the first hinge shaft 41 moving within the first trajectory groove 50 and the second hinge shaft 42 moving within the second trajectory groove 60. For the convenience of explanation, the present disclosure will be described by taking the first trajectory groove 50 and the second trajectory groove 60 as the reference objects and the way that the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 move relative to the reference objects.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, when the door body 30 rotates and opens from the closed state to an opening angle of 90°, the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 with respect to the first trajectory groove 50 extends substantially in a direction approaching the side wall 32 and the front wall 31, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 42 with respect to the second trajectory groove 60 extends substantially in a direction away from the front wall 31 and approaching the side wall 32, so that the door body 30 moves a certain distance inward while rotating. Therefore, in the process of the door body 30 opening, since the side edge 33 exceeds the reference plane O and interferes with the cabinet, the problem that the door body 30 cannot be opened normally is avoided.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 7, when the door body 30 is in the closed state, the first hinge shaft 41 is closer to the side wall 32 and farther from the front wall 31 than the second hinge shaft 42. The vertical distance L1 in the front-rear direction between the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 satisfies 2.5 mm ≤ L1 ≤ 10 mm, and the vertical distance L2 in the left-right direction between the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 satisfies 7.5 mm ≤ L2 ≤ 30 mm. For example, when L1 = 5 mm and L2 = 15 mm, and the thickness of the door body 30 is set within the range of 44 mm to 53 mm, in the process of the door body 30 opening, the distance that the corner of the door body 30 exceeds the side surface of the box body 10 is always small, specifically less than 3 mm.

[0030] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a hinge when the door body of a refrigerator according to some embodiments is in a closed state. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 8, when the door body 30 is in a closed state, the first hinge shaft 41 is located at the end of the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 is located at the end of the second track groove 60. Thereby, the initial ends of the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 may be determined. The first track groove 50 extends from the initial end to the other end in a direction approaching the side wall 32 and the front wall 31 substantially. The second track groove 60 extends from the initial end to the other end in a direction away from the front wall 31 and approaching the side wall 32 substantially. The first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 extend in a direction approaching the side wall 32 so that the door body 30 can move inward with respect to the hinge plate 40.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the door body 30 is in a closed state, there is a gap between the second hinge shaft 42 and the lower end of the second track groove 60, so that when the door body 30 is strongly thrown out, the second hinge shaft 42 does not contact the lower end of the second track groove 60, avoiding the door body 30 from being bounced.

[0032] Hereinafter, the detailed process of the door body 30 rotating and opening from the closed state will be described.

[0033] The first stage

[0034] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the hinge in FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 10, the first track groove 50 has a first positioning position 51 and a second positioning position 52. The movement track of the first hinge shaft 41 from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52 in the first track groove 50 is the first positioning track line. Correspondingly, the second track groove 60 has a first guide position 61 and a second guide position 62, and the movement track of the second hinge shaft 42 from the first guide position 61 to the second guide position 62 in the second track groove 60 is the first guide track line.

[0035] FIG. 11 is a view showing a door body of a refrigerator in a first state according to some embodiments. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 11, when the door body 30 rotates and opens from the closed state shown in FIG. 8 to the first state shown in FIG. 11, the first hinge shaft 41 moves from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52 along the first positioning locus line with respect to the first locus groove 50. At the same time, the second hinge shaft 42 moves from the first guide position 61 to the second guide position 62 along the first guide locus line with respect to the second locus groove 60.

[0036] Here, the second positioning position 52 is farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first positioning position 51, and the first positioning locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall 31 and approaching the side wall. In this way, the first hinge shaft 41 moves in a direction approaching the side wall 32 and away from the front wall 31, which corresponds to the door body 30 having the first locus groove 50 moving a first distance in a direction away from the side wall 32 (inward direction) and a certain distance in a direction approaching the front wall 31 (front direction). Thereby, the inward movement of the door body 30 can prevent the side edge 33 from exceeding the side surface of the cabinet body 10 and contacting the cabinet. When the door body 30 has just opened, the right rear end of the door body 30 rotates backward with respect to the first hinge shaft 41, and along with the inward movement of the door body 30, the door seal 30a of the door body 30 contacts and rubs against the front side surface of the cabinet body 10. However, in the present disclosure, by providing the door body 30 to move forward, the friction between the door seal 30a and the front side surface of the cabinet body 10 can be avoided, and the service life of the door seal 30 can be increased.

[0037] The second guide position 62 is farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the first guide position 61, and the first guide locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall 31 and approaching the side wall 32.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first positioning locus line is the first straight line 512, and the first guide locus line is the second straight line 612. However, in other embodiments, the first positioning locus line and the first guide locus line may be curves.

[0039] When the door body 30 of the refrigerator is in the first state (as shown in FIG. 11), the opening angle of the door body 30 is within the range of about 5° to 10°, and the distance β that the side edge 33 exceeds the side surface of the box body 10 is about 2 mm.

[0040] At this stage, the included angle between the first straight line 512 and the second straight line 612 is greater than 45°. Thereby, the included angle between the first straight line 512 and the second straight line 611 is small, and when they are substantially parallel to each other, the swing of the door body 30 can be avoided, and the stability during the rotation of the door body 30 can be enhanced.

[0041] The second stage

[0042] Referring to FIG. 10, the first track groove 50 further has a third positioning position 53. The movement track of the first hinge shaft 41 from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 in the first track groove 50 is the second positioning track line. Correspondingly, the second track groove 60 further has a third guide position 63. The movement track of the second hinge shaft 42 from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63 in the second track groove 60 is the second guide track line.

[0043] FIG. 13 is a view showing the door body of the refrigerator in the second state according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 13, when the door body 30 continues to open from the first state shown in FIG. 11 to the second state shown in FIG. 13, the opening angle of the door body in the second state is less than 90°. The first hinge shaft 41 moves from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 along the second positioning track line with respect to the first track groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 moves from the second guide position 62 to the third guide position 63 along the second guide track line with respect to the second track groove 60.

[0044] Here, the third positioning position 53 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the second positioning position 52. The second positioning track line extends from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 in a direction approaching the front wall 31 and the side wall 32, and the door body 30 moves inward by a second distance.

[0045] The third guide position 63 is closer to the side wall 32 away from the front wall 31 than the second guide position 62, and the second guide locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall 31 and approaching the side wall 32.

[0046] In some embodiments, the second positioning locus line is the first curve 523, and the second guide locus line is the second curve 623. However, in other embodiments, the second positioning locus line and the second guide locus line may be straight lines.

[0047] When the door body 30 is in the closed state, the center of curvature of the first curve 523 is located on the side closer to the front wall of the first curve 523, and the center of curvature of the second curve 623 is located on the side closer to the side edge of the second curve 623.

[0048] In the present disclosure, when the door body 30 is opened, the process of the door body 30 moving inward is divided into a stage of moving along a straight line to the first state and a stage of moving along a curve to the second state. Thereby, when the door body rotates at a large angle only along a straight line or rotates at a large angle only along a curve, since the trajectories are nearly parallel, it is possible to avoid the door body 30 swinging.

[0049] In some embodiments, in the process of the door body 30 opening from the closed state to the second state, the side edge 33 of the door body 30 rotates outside the reference plane O and moves inward. In this process, the distance β that the side edge portion 33 exceeds the reference plane O is always smaller than the distance α (5 mm) between the reference plane O and the cabinet, ensuring that no interference occurs due to the contact between the side edge 33 and the cabinet. Also, the side edge 33 of the door body 30 is outside the reference plane O, thereby avoiding the user feeling discontinuity when opening the door by moving the door body 30 a large distance inside the reference plane O.

[0050] In some embodiments, the distance from the second positioning position 52 to the third positioning position 53 is greater than the distance from the first positioning position 51 to the second positioning position 52. That is, the length of the first straight line 512 is smaller than the length of the first curve 523, and the length of the second straight line 612 is smaller than the length of the second curve 623. In this way, the first hinge axis 41 and the second hinge axis 42 perform linear motion at a small distance only immediately after the start, and then perform curvilinear motion at a large angle. The curvilinear motion can ensure the smoothness in the motion process of the door body 30 and prevent the user from feeling discontinuity due to the inward movement of the door body 30 during the linear motion.

[0051] In some embodiments of the second stage, the first curve 523 and the second curve 623 each include at least two curve segments that tend to have a decreasing curvature.

[0052] In this way, as the curve curvature decreases, the distance that the door body 30 moves inward at a unit angle decreases. That is, in the process of the door body 30 rotating and opening and moving inward, the inward movement of the door body 30 slows down, and the smoothness of the door body 30 during the movement process is ensured.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, in some embodiments of the curvature change, the first curve 523 includes a first curve section 5231 and a third curve section 5232 that are sequentially connected, and the second curve 623 includes a second curve section 6231 and a fourth curve section 6232 that are sequentially connected. The curvature of the third curve segment 5232 is smaller than the curvature of the first curve segment 5231, and the curvature of the fourth curve segment 6232 is smaller than the curvature of the second curve segment 623.

[0054] When the first hinge axis 41 moves along the first curve segment 5231, the second hinge axis 42 moves along the second curve segment 6231. In such a process, when the door body 30 is opened to a unit angle, the inward movement distance of the door body 30 is d1. When the first hinge axis 41 continues to move along the third curve segment 5232, the second hinge axis 42 moves along the fourth curve segment 6232. In such a process, when the door body 30 is opened to a unit angle, the inward movement distance of the door body 30 is d2. d2 is smaller than d1 (i.e., d2 < d1). As a specific example, d2 may be 1 / 2 of d1.

[0055] In other embodiments, each of the first curve 523 and the second curve 623 may include three or more curve segments with gradually decreasing curvature.

[0056] In some other embodiments of the curvature change, the curvatures of the first curve 523 and the second curve 623 gradually decrease respectively. Thereby, it is also ensured that the movement of the door body 30 slows down in the process of the door body 30 rotating and opening and moving inward, and the smoothness in the movement process of the door body 30 is ensured.

[0057] The third stage

[0058] FIG. 14 is a view showing the door body of a refrigerator in an open state up to 90° according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 14, when the door body 30 continues to open from the second state shown in FIG. 13 to the state of an open angle of 90° shown in FIG. 14, the door body 30 only performs a rotational movement, and the position of the first hinge axis 41 in the first track groove 50 remains unchanged. The door body 30 rotates about the first hinge axis as the center, and the second hinge axis 42 moves along the third guide track line in the second track groove 60 to the fourth guide position 64. The third guide track line is a third curve and presents an arc shape, and the fourth guide position 64 is farther from the front wall 31 and closer to the side wall 32 than the third guide position 63.

[0059] In some embodiments, when the door body 30 is in an open state up to an opening angle of 90°, there is a vertical gap γ between the front wall 31 or the side edge 33 of the door body 30 and the side surface (reference plane O) of the box body 10. That is, the front wall 31 of the door body 30 is located inside the reference plane O, and the distance from the front wall 31 to the reference plane O is γ>0. Thus, the door body 30 can continue to open to a small angle without interfering with the cabinet. In such an example, when the refrigerator is installed in the cabinet, the door body 30 may open to an opening angle greater than 90°, and the opening angle is within the range of about 105° - 110°.

[0060] In order to enable the refrigerator to open to a large angle when the refrigerator is not fitted into the cabinet, in this embodiment, the first trajectory groove 50 and the second trajectory groove 60 are extended.

[0061] The fourth stage

[0062] Referring to FIG. 10, the first trajectory groove 50 further has a first end position 54, and the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 from the third positioning position 53 in the first trajectory groove 50 to the first end position is the third positioning trajectory line. Correspondingly, the second trajectory groove 60 further has a second end position 65, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 42 from the fourth guide position 64 in the second trajectory groove 60 to the second end position 65 is the fourth guide trajectory line.

[0063] FIG. 15 is a view showing the door body of the refrigerator in the maximum open state according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 15, when the door body 30 continues to open from the opening angle of 90° as shown in FIG. 14, the first hinge shaft 41 moves along the third positioning trajectory line from the third positioning position 53 to the first end position 54 with respect to the first trajectory groove 50, and the second hinge shaft 42 moves along the fourth guide trajectory line from the fourth guide position 64 to the second end position 65 with respect to the second trajectory groove 60.

[0064] Here, the first end position 54 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the third positioning position 53, and the third positioning locus line extends from the third positioning position 53 to the first end position in a direction approaching the front wall 30 and the side wall 30. The second end position 65 is closer to the front wall 31 and the side wall 32 than the fourth guide position 64, and the fourth guide locus line extends from the fourth guide position 64 to the second end position 65 in a direction approaching the front wall 32 and the side wall 31.

[0065] In the above description, the extending direction of the locus line refers to the moving direction of the first hinge shaft 41 with respect to the first locus groove 50 or the moving direction of the second hinge shaft 42 with respect to the second locus groove 60 in the process of opening the door body 30.

[0066] In this embodiment, the third positioning locus line is the fourth curve 534, and the fourth guide locus line is the fifth curve 645. However, in other embodiments, the third positioning locus line and the fourth guide locus line may be straight lines.

[0067] If the movement locus at this stage is the same as that of the previous stage, that is, when the door body 30 only performs rotational movement, within a long rotation range, the door body 30 is likely to swing due to the movement tendencies of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 being parallel to each other. Therefore, at this stage, the side edge of the door body 30 is set to move a certain distance forward and inward while rotating so that the movement loci of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 have an included angle at any point.

[0068] Specifically, the included angle between the tangents at any corresponding points of the movement loci of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 is greater than 30° to ensure the stability of the movement of the door body 30.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the first hinge shaft 41 mainly serves as a positioning function, and the second hinge shaft 42 mainly serves as a guiding function. Among the two hinge shafts, the first hinge shaft 41 is the main shaft, and the second hinge shaft 42 is the auxiliary shaft, and the force mainly concentrates on the main shaft. Therefore, the length of the first hinge shaft 41 is provided to be greater than the length of the second hinge shaft 42. Correspondingly, the first track groove 50 is provided to be deeper than the second track groove 60. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the situation that the second hinge shaft 42 is too long and the material cost is wasted, and it is also possible to avoid the situation that the track groove is easily separated from the hinge shaft when the first hinge shaft 41 is short when the door body is tilted, ensuring structural reliability while saving material costs.

[0070] Also, since the force concentrates on the first hinge shaft 41, the diameter of the first hinge shaft may be provided to be larger than the diameter of the second hinge shaft 42. In this way, the first hinge shaft 41 is thick, can withstand large applied forces well, and has sufficient strength to receive the biasing force when the door body is tilted. On the other hand, since the second track groove 60 is long and occupies a large space in the thickness direction of the door body, the second hinge shaft 42 can be provided to be thin, and correspondingly, the second track groove 60 can be made narrow, thereby enabling the door body to be designed thinner, reducing the thickness of the entire refrigerator, and having the advantage of miniaturization.

[0071] FIG. 16 is a view showing the hinge shafts of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 16, a shaft bushing 90 is provided outside the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42, and the shaft bushing 90 is rotatable with respect to the shaft. In the process of the two-axis hinge moving, the shaft bushing 90 rotates with respect to the hinge shaft, and the shaft bushing 90 slides with respect to the track groove, thereby reducing friction and improving the service life. The shaft bushing 90 may be made of wear-resistant POM. The shaft bushing 90 may be connected to the hinge shaft via a bearing, or may be connected to the hinge plate 40 via a bearing.

[0072] In other embodiments, a POM bushing may be provided on the inner wall of the trajectory groove, and the hinge shaft may move within the bushing.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIGS. 17 to 20, the door body 30 includes a mounting block 70. The mounting block 70 is attached to a position facing the hinge plate 40 of the door body 30, and the first trajectory groove 50 and the second trajectory groove 60 are provided in the mounting block 70.

[0074] The mounting block 70 includes an upper mounting block 71 provided at the upper end of the door body 30 and a lower mounting block 72 provided at the lower end of the door body 30.

[0075] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the upper mounting block 71 may include a plate body 711 and a second extending portion 712 formed by extending downward from the lower surface of the plate body 711. The first trajectory groove 50 and the second trajectory groove 60 are recessed downward from the upper surface of the plate body 711 to the second extending portion 712. The shape of the second extending portion 712 corresponds to the trajectory groove.

[0076] An upper receiving groove 34 is correspondingly provided at the upper end of the door body 30. The upper mounting block 71 is inserted into the upper receiving groove 34, and the plate body 711 and the door body 30 are fastened together by screws or the like.

[0077] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the lower mounting block 72 has the same configuration as the plate body 711, the second extending portion 712, and the trajectory groove of the upper mounting block 71. The second extending portion 712 of the lower mounting block 72 is formed by the upper surface of the plate body 711 extending upward. Also, the first trajectory groove 50 and the second trajectory groove 60 are recessed upward from the lower surface of the plate body 711 to the second extending portion 712. Further, a lower receiving groove 36 is correspondingly provided at the lower end of the door body 30. The lower mounting block 72 is inserted into the lower receiving groove 36, and the plate body 711 is fastened to the door body 30 by screws or the like.

[0078] The upper mounting block 71 and the lower mounting block 72 may be made of POM. POM has strong friction resistance characteristics and can increase the service life of the hinge.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 6, the lower mounting block 72 may include a locking hook structure. Specifically, the lower mounting block 72 includes a locking hook 721 provided inside the plate body 711. The locking hook 721 extends inward and is bent toward the rear side. The opening of the locking hook 721 faces the direction of the plate body 711, and the free end of the locking hook 721 is located on the rear side.

[0080] On the inner side of the hinge plate 40 located at the lower end of the door body 30, a stopper portion 403 extending outward is provided. When the door body 30 is in the closed state, the locking hook 721 on the door body 30 hooks the stopper portion 403 on the hinge plate 40, thereby locking the door body 30 and preventing the influence of the poor closing of the door body 20 on the refrigeration and freezing effects of the refrigerator. When the door body 30 is opened, the locking hook 721 is deformed by receiving a force, thereby overcoming the stopper of the stopper portion 403 and disengaging from the stopper portion 403.

[0081] The locking hook 721 may include a root portion 7211 and a hook portion 7212. The root portion 7211 is connected to the plate body 711, and the hook portion 7212 is connected to the root portion 7211 and bent backward. A screw penetrates through the root portion 7211 and is connected to the door body 30 in order to enhance the connection strength between the root portion 7211 and the door body. Thereby, when the locking hook 721 disengages from the stopper portion 403, only the hook 7212 is deformed.

[0082] The free ends of both the hook portion 7212 and the stopper portion 403 are arc-shaped, which is advantageous for the hook portion 7232 to hook or disengage from the stopper portion 403 along the arc.

[0083] In some embodiments, the door body 30 may be provided with a first convex portion 37 and a second convex portion 38. When the door body 30 is in the closed state, the first convex portion 37 and the second convex portion 38 are provided substantially in the front-rear direction. Also, there is a gap groove 39 between the first convex portion 37 and the second convex portion 38, and a part 7211a of the root portion 7211 is inserted into the gap groove 39. In this way, due to the position limitation of the first convex portion 37 and the second convex portion 38, deformation of the root portion 7211 in the front-rear direction can be avoided.

[0084] Note that the lock hook 721 may be provided on the upper mounting block 71, and the stopper portion 403 may be provided on the hinge plate 40 located at the upper end of the door body 30 accordingly.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present application, a position limiting structure for limiting that the door body 30 is opened to the maximum angle is provided between the door body 30 and the hinge plate 40, and damage to the mounting block 70 when the door is opened to a certain angle with a large force is avoided.

[0086] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 19 and 21, a position limiting block 80 is provided at the lower end of the door body 30, and the position limiting block 80 is located at the tip of the lower mounting block 72. When the door body 30 rotates to the maximum allowable position, the position limiting block 80 abuts against the side surface 404 of the hinge plate 40 to prevent the door body 30 from continuing to rotate.

[0087] The position limiting block 80 may be a sheet metal member and includes an insertion portion 81, a position limiting portion 82, and a reinforcing portion 83.

[0088] The insertion portion 81 is plate-shaped and is mounted in the lower accommodation groove 36 of the door body 30. The plate body 711 of the lower mounting block 72 sandwiches the insertion portion 81 from the lower end on the door body 30 to fix the position limiting block 80 to the door body 30.

[0089] The reinforcing portion 83 and the fitting portion 81 are formed at a right angle. That is, in the assembled state, the fitting portion 81 is in the horizontal state, and the reinforcing portion 83 is in the vertical state. The reinforcing portion 83 is formed by bending the tip of the fitting portion 81 downward.

[0090] The position limiting portion 82 is in a block shape and is formed by a part of the lower end of the reinforcing portion 83 continuously extending downward. The position limiting portion 82 extends vertically from the lower surface of the door body 30. Thus, when the position limiting block 80 rotates to the maximum angle under the drive of the door body 30, the position limiting portion 82 is restricted by the side surface 404 of the hinge plate 40 to stop the opening of the door body 30.

[0091] Since the stopper block 80 is sandwiched between the lower mounting block 72 and the door body 30, the connection structure between the stopper block 80 and the door body 30 can be omitted, the product structure can be simplified, and there is an advantage that the structure is simple.

[0092] Note that the stopper block 80 may be provided at the upper end of the door body 30, and this will not be further described here.

[0093] When the distance between the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 is large, when the door body 30 is inclined or when the two shafts are not parallel to each other, the movement of the hinge is greatly affected, and furthermore, it may also affect the normal rotation of the hinge. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 18, when the thickness of the plate body 711 of the mounting block 70 is denoted as L1 and the minimum wall thickness between the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 is denoted as L2, L2 is equal to (0.5 - 1)L1 (i.e., L2 = (0.5 - 1)L1). In this way, the distance between the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 can be reduced. When the door body 30 is slightly inclined or when the two shafts are not parallel to each other, the influence on the movement of the hinge is small, and the strength of the mounting block 70 is not affected.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are provided on the mounting block 70, and the mounting block 70 is attached to the door body 30. However, in other embodiments, the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 may be directly provided on the door body 30.

[0095] Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, the positions corresponding to the hinge plates 40 at the upper end of the door body 30 are recessed downward, thereby forming the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60. The positions corresponding to the hinge plates 40 at the lower end of the door body 30 are recessed upward, thereby forming the first track groove and the second track groove 60.

[0096] Specifically, the door body 30 includes a door shell 301 and a protrusion 302 extending vertically from the door shell 301 into the interior of the door shell 301. The first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 are formed by the outer end surface of the door shell 301 being recessed inwardly by the protrusion 302.

[0097] Here, the protrusion 302 may be integrally formed with the door shell 301. The protrusion 302 includes a first protrusion 303 and a second protrusion 304. The shape of the first protrusion 303 corresponds to the first track groove 50, and the shape of the second protrusion 304 corresponds to the second track groove 60.

[0098] When the thickness of the door shell 301 is denoted as H1 and the minimum wall thickness between the first track groove 50 and the second track groove 60 is denoted as H2, H2 is equal to (0.5 - 1)H1 (i.e., H2 = (0.5 - 1)H1). In this way, the distance between the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 can be reduced. When the door body is slightly inclined or the two shafts are not parallel to each other, the influence on the movement of the hinge is small, and the strength of the mounting block 70 is not affected.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are provided on the hinge plate 40. Correspondingly, the first locus groove 50 and the second locus groove 60 are provided on the door body 30. In other embodiments, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 may be provided on the door body 30, and the first locus groove 50 and the second locus groove 60 may be provided on the hinge plate 40. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second locus groove 60 may be provided on the hinge plate 40, and the second hinge shaft 42 and the first locus groove 50 may be provided on the door body 30. Alternatively, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second locus groove 60 may be provided on the door body 30, and the second hinge shaft 42 and the first locus groove 50 may be provided on the hinge plate 40.

[0100] In the present application, when the door body 30 is first opened, it moves inward by a first distance and then moves forward by a certain distance. Moving the first distance inward can prevent interference between the door body 30 and the cabinet, and moving forward by a certain distance can avoid wear due to friction between the door seal 30a and the front side of the box body 10.

[0101] In the present application, the process of rotational opening and inward movement of the door body 30 is divided into two stages: when the door is opened from the closed state to the first state, the movement trajectories of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are straight lines; when the door continues to open from the first state to the second state, the movement trajectories of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 are curves. From the first state along a straight line to the second state along a curve, when the door body rotates at a large angle only along a straight line or only along a curve, the trajectories are close to parallel, so it is possible to avoid the door body 30 from wobbling. In addition, the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 perform linear motion for a small distance only immediately after the start, and then perform curvilinear motion at a large angle. The curvilinear motion ensures the smoothness of the movement process of the door body 30 and can prevent the user from feeling discontinuity when the door body 30 moves inward during the linear motion.

[0102] In the present application, when the door body 30 is opened from the first state to the second state, the movement curve trajectories of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 each include at least two curve segments showing a tendency of decreasing curvature. Thereby, the distance that the door body 30 moves inward at a unit angle decreases, and it is ensured that the movement of the door body 30 slows down during the process of rotating and opening and moving inward, and the smoothness during the movement process of the door body 30 is ensured.

[0103] In the present application, when the door body 30 continues to open from an opening angle of 90°, the movement trajectory of the first hinge shaft 41 is the fourth curve 534, and the movement trajectory of the second hinge shaft 42 is the fifth curve 645. Thereby, the movement trajectories of the first hinge shaft 41 and the second hinge shaft 42 can have an included angle at any point, avoiding the swing when the door body 30 rotates within a large angle range, and ensuring the stability of the movement of the door body 30.

[0104] In the present application, during the entire process of opening the door body 30, the first hinge shaft moves from one end of the first trajectory groove to the other end of the first trajectory groove, and the second hinge shaft moves from one end of the second trajectory groove to the other end of the second trajectory groove, without retracting during the movement process. Thereby, the smoothness of the opening of the door body 30 is ensured.

[0105] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but do not limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical scope related to the present disclosure all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should conform to the protection scope of the claims.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0106] 1 Refrigerator 10 Cabinet, 20 Storage Chamber, 21 Upper Storage Chamber, 22 Lower Storage Chamber 30 Door Body, 301 Door Shell, 302 Protrusion, 303 First Protrusion, 304 Second Protrusion, 31 Front Wall, 32 Side Wall, 33 Side Ridge, 34 Upper Accommodation Groove, 36 Lower Accommodation Groove, 37 First Convex Portion, 38 Second Convex Portion, 39 Gap Groove 40 hinge plate, 401 connection part, 402 first extending part, 403 stopper part, 41 first hinge shaft, 42 second hinge shaft, 50 first track groove, 51 first positioning position, 512 first straight line, 52 second positioning position, 523 first curve, 5231 first curve segment, 5232 third curve segment, 53 third positioning position, 534 fourth curve, 54 first end position, 60 second track groove, 61 first guide position, 612 second straight line, 62 second guide position, 623 second curve, 6231 second curve segment, 6232 fourth curve segment, 63 third guide position, 634 third curve, 64 fourth guide position, 645 fifth curve, 65 second end position, 70 mounting block, 71 upper mounting block, 711 plate body, 712 second extending part, 72 lower mounting block, 721 locking hook, 7211 base part, 7212 hook part, 80 position limiting block, 81 insertion part, 82 position limiting part, 83 reinforcing part, 90 shaft bushing, 100 cabinet.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, A box body and a door body, the door body being rotatably supported by a hinge located at an upper end of the door body and a hinge located at a lower end of the door body, the upper end and the lower end of the door body being provided with a first locus groove and a second locus groove, respectively; The hinge located at the upper end of the door body includes a hinge plate connected to the upper end of the box body, and a first hinge shaft and a second hinge shaft that form a rotation shaft by being connected to the hinge plate, The hinge located at the lower end of the door body includes a hinge plate connected to the lower end of the box body, and a first hinge shaft and a second hinge shaft that form the rotation shaft by being connected to the hinge plate, The first hinge axis fits into the first track groove, and the second hinge axis fits into the second track groove; When the hinge plate is located on the right side of the box body, the right side surface of the door body is a side wall, and when the hinge plate is located on the left side of the box body, the left side surface of the door body is a side wall; When the door body is in a closed state, the first hinge shaft is closer to the side wall and farther from the front wall of the door body than the second hinge shaft; the first locus groove has a first positioning position and a second positioning position, and a motion locus of the first hinge shaft in the first locus groove from the first positioning position to the second positioning position is a first positioning locus line; correspondingly, the second locus groove has a first guide position and a second guide position, and a motion locus of the second hinge shaft in the second locus groove from the first guide position to the second guide position is a first guide locus line; when the door body is opened from the closed state to the first state, the first hinge shaft moves from the first positioning position to the second positioning position along the first positioning locus line with respect to the first locus groove, and at the same time, the second hinge shaft moves from the first guide position to the second guide position along the first guide locus line with respect to the second locus groove, the second positioning position is farther away from the front wall and closer to the side wall than the first positioning position, and the first positioning locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, the second guide position is farther away from the front wall and closer to the side wall than the first guide position, and the first guide locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall and closer to the side wall, the first locus groove further has a third positioning position, and a motion locus of the first hinge shaft in the first locus groove from the second positioning position to the third positioning position is a second positioning locus line; correspondingly, the second locus groove further has a third guide position, and a motion locus of the second hinge shaft in the second locus groove from the second guide position to the third guide position is a second guide locus line; When the door body continues to open from the first state to the second state, the first hinge shaft moves from the second positioning position to the third positioning position along the second positioning locus line with respect to the first locus groove, and the second hinge shaft moves from the second guide position to the third guide position along the second guide locus line with respect to the second locus groove, the third positioning position is closer to the front wall and the side wall than the second positioning position, and the second positioning locus line extends from the second positioning position to the third positioning position in a direction approaching the front wall and the side wall, the third guide position is further from the front wall and closer to the side wall than the second guide position, and the second guide locus line extends in a direction away from the front wall and approaching the side wall, In the second state, the opening angle of the door body is less than 90°, When the door body continues to open from the second state to a state of an open angle of 90°, the position of the first hinge shaft in the first locus groove remains unchanged, the door body rotates about the first hinge shaft as a center of a circle, and the second hinge shaft moves along a third guide locus line in the second locus groove to a fourth guide position, the third guide locus line has an arc shape, and the fourth guide position is farther from the front wall and closer to the side wall than the third guide position. refrigerator.

2. When the door body is in the closed state, a first distance between the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft in a front-rear direction is 2.5 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and a second distance between the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft in a left-right direction is 7.5 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. When the door body is in the closed state, the first hinge shaft is located at an end of the first locus groove, and the second hinge shaft is located at an end of the second locus groove.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. When the door body is in the closed state, a gap exists between the second hinge shaft and the end wall of the second locus groove. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

5. The refrigerator includes: the first positioning locus line and the first guide locus line are curved lines; the second positioning locus line and the second guide locus line are curved lines; a distance from the second positioning position to the third positioning position is greater than a distance from the first positioning position to the second positioning position; The length of the first hinge shaft is greater than the length of the second hinge shaft; During the entire process of opening the door body, the first hinge shaft moves from one end to the other end of the first locus groove, and the second hinge shaft moves from one end to the other end of the second locus groove.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

6. The refrigerator further includes a mounting block, the mounting block being attached to a position facing the hinge plate of the door body, and the first locus groove and the second locus groove being provided in the mounting block.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

7. The mounting block includes a first mounting block provided at an upper end of the door body and a second mounting block provided at a lower end of the door body.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6.

8. The first mounting block includes a plate body and a second extension portion formed by extending downward from a lower surface of the plate body, and the first locus groove and the second locus groove are recessed downward from an upper surface of the plate body to the second extension portion.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

9. The first groove in the first mounting block is deeper than the second groove.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

10. The refrigerator includes: A first receiving groove is provided at an upper end of the door body, and the first mounting block is inserted into the first receiving groove; a second receiving groove is provided at a lower end of the door body corresponding to the second receiving groove, and the second mounting block is inserted into the second receiving groove.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

11. The second mounting block includes a plate body and a second extension portion, the second extension portion of the second mounting block is formed by an upper surface of the plate body extending upward, and the first locus groove and the second locus groove are recessed upward from a lower surface of the plate body to the second extension portion.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

12. the second mounting block includes a plate, a second extension, and a lock hook provided on the inside of the plate, the lock hook extends on the inside of the plate and bends toward the rear side of the door body, an opening of the lock hook faces the plate, and a free end of the lock hook is located on the rear side of the door body; The hinge plate located at the lower end of the door body includes a stopper portion, the stopper portion is provided on the inside of the hinge plate and extends outward, When the door body is in the closed state, a lock hook on the door body hooks onto the stopper portion on the hinge plate to lock the door body, When the door body is opened, the lock hook is deformed by the force, and overcomes the stopper of the stopper part, and is released from the stopper part.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

13. The lock hook includes a fixing portion and a hook portion, the fixing portion is connected to the plate body, the hook portion is connected to the fixing portion and bent backward, and a screw passes through the fixing portion and is connected to the door body. Refrigerator according to claim 12.

14. The refrigerator further includes a position limiting block, the position limiting block being provided at a lower end of the door body, and the position limiting block being sandwiched by the door body with the second mounting block; When the door body rotates to the maximum allowable position, the position limiting block abuts against a side surface of the hinge plate, thereby preventing the door body from continuing to rotate.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

Images