Hinge assembly and washing machine

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of washing machines, and provides a hinge assembly and a washing machine. The hinge assembly is used for mounting the door of the washing machine on a front panel of the washing machine. The hinge assembly comprises a plurality of hinge bodies and connecting members. When the door of the washing machine is mounted on the front panel, the hinge bodies are mounted on the front side of the front panel; the plurality of hinge bodies are sequentially spaced apart in a first direction, and the first direction is the height direction of the front panel; the distance between the highest hinge body and the lowest hinge body among the plurality of hinge bodies is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of a laundry loading opening on the front panel; and the front panel and the hinge bodies are fixedly connected by means of the connecting members. According to the hinge assembly provided by the present application, by providing the plurality of hinge bodies, the connection strength between the door of the washing machine and the front panel is improved; and by increasing the span of hinged positions on the door of the washing machine in the height direction, the shake amplitude of the door of the washing machine can be reduced, making the door less prone to wobbling vigorously, thereby enabling the door of the washing machine to be stably mounted on the front panel.

Description

Hinge assembly and washing machine Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202422170352.3, filed on September 04, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application belongs to the technical field of washing machines, and in particular relates to a hinge assembly and a washing machine. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a washing machine, the washing machine door is usually installed on the front panel of the cabinet by a hinge assembly. When the washing machine door is relatively light, the existing hinge assembly can stably support the washing machine door on the cabinet. However, when the door of the washing machine is heavy, the existing hinge assembly is difficult to stably support the washing machine door on the cabinet. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a hinge assembly and a washing machine to solve the technical problem that the hinge assembly is difficult to stably support a heavy washing machine door on the cabinet.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present application is:

[0006] The first aspect of the present application provides a hinge assembly for installing a washing machine door on a front panel of a washing machine, comprising a plurality of hinge bodies and a connecting piece, in a state where the washing machine door is installed on the front panel:

[0007] The hinge bodies are installed on the front side of the front panel; the plurality of hinge bodies are sequentially and spaced apart along a first direction, the first direction being the height direction of the front panel; the distance between the highest one of the plurality of hinge bodies and the lowest one of the plurality of hinge bodies is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of a laundry loading opening on the front panel; and

[0008] The front panel and the hinge bodies are fixedly connected by the connecting piece.

[0009] In an embodiment, the hinge body comprises a body hook and a body part, the body hook being connected to the body part, the body hook comprising a connecting arm and a hook part, the two ends of the connecting arm being connected to the body part and the hook part respectively, the hook part protruding from the connecting arm along a second direction, the second direction being the width direction of the front panel.

[0010] In an embodiment, a guide slope is provided on the side surface of the side of the hook part connected to the connecting arm, the guide slope extending along the second direction, and the guide slope tilting in a direction away from the connecting arm along a direction from top to bottom.

[0011] In an embodiment, two or more body hooks are provided on each body part.

[0012] In an embodiment, there are two or more body hooks distributed along a third direction, which is at an angle to the first direction.

[0013] In an embodiment, the hinge assembly further comprises a reinforcing plate, which is installed on the rear side of the front panel; the reinforcing plate, the front panel and the hinge body are fixedly connected by the connecting member; the first pre-positioning hole is provided on the front panel, the second pre-positioning hole is provided on the reinforcing plate, and the body hook is sequentially inserted into the first pre-positioning hole and the second pre-positioning hole.

[0014] In an embodiment, the reinforcing plate comprises a reinforcing plate hook and a reinforcing plate body, the reinforcing plate hook is provided on the reinforcing plate body, and the third pre-positioning hole is provided on the front panel, and the reinforcing plate hook is inserted into the third pre-positioning hole.

[0015] In an embodiment, an avoiding slot is provided on each hinge body, which is used to accommodate the reinforcing plate hook.

[0016] In an embodiment, a wire passing hole is provided on the reinforcing plate and the front panel, one side of the wire passing hole on the reinforcing plate is provided with the reinforcing plate hook, and the other side is provided with at least one second pre-positioning hole.

[0017] In an embodiment, the side of the hinge body close to the front panel has a chamfer.

[0018] In an embodiment, the connecting member is a screw or a bolt, and two or more connecting members are connected to each hinge body.

[0019] The second aspect of the present application provides a washing machine, which comprises a cabinet, a washing machine door and a hinge assembly provided by any of the above technical solutions, and the washing machine door is supported on the front panel of the cabinet by the hinge assembly.

[0020] In an embodiment, a hinge slot is provided on the front panel, and the hinge body of the hinge assembly is arranged in the hinge slot.

[0021] In an embodiment, the hinge slot comprises a slot bottom surface and a slot side surface, the slot bottom surface and the slot side surface are smoothly connected, along the slot depth direction from the slot bottom surface to the opening of the hinge slot, the slot side surface is inclined away from the center of the hinge slot, and the inclination angle of the slot side surface with respect to the slot depth direction is less than or equal to the inclination angle of the guide inclined surface on the hinge body with respect to the slot depth direction.

[0022] The application has the beneficial effects that the hinge assembly provided by the application has multiple hinge bodies, so that the connection strength between the washing machine door and the front panel is improved; the distance between the highest hinge body and the lowest hinge body is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening on the front panel, so that the span of the hinge position on the washing machine door in the height direction is increased, the shaking amplitude of the washing machine door is reduced, the door is not prone to large swing, and the stability is increased; in addition, the hinge positions at a far distance can also more evenly disperse the stress generated by the door during opening and closing, and reduce local stress concentration.

[0023] The washing machine provided by the application embodiment comprises the hinge assembly, so the washing machine has all the beneficial effects of the hinge assembly, which will not be described here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the application embodiments, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0025] Fig. 1 is a front appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly provided by the application embodiment;

[0026] Fig. 2 is a back appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly provided by the application embodiment;

[0027] Fig. 3 is a front appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly connecting the washing machine door and the front panel provided by the application embodiment;

[0028] Fig. 4 is a back appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly connecting the washing machine door and the front panel provided by the application embodiment;

[0029] Fig. 5 is an appearance schematic diagram of the reinforcing plate provided by the application embodiment;

[0030] Fig. 6 is a partial enlarged view of D in Fig. 5;

[0031] Fig. 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the reinforcing plate positioned on the front panel provided by the application embodiment;

[0032] Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view of E in Fig. 7;

[0033] Fig. 9 is an appearance schematic diagram of the hinge body provided by the application embodiment;

[0034] Fig. 10 is a partial enlarged view of B in Fig. 9;

[0035] Fig. 11 is a partial enlarged view of A in Fig. 4;

[0036] Fig. 12 is a schematic view of an appearance of a front panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion C in Fig. 12;

[0038] Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a cross section of a main body hook in one of states during insertion into a front panel and a reinforcing plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 15 is a schematic view of a cross section of a main body hook in one of states during insertion into a front panel and a reinforcing plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig. 16 is a schematic view of a cross section of a main body hook in one of states during insertion into a front panel and a reinforcing plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig. 17 is a schematic view of a cross section of a main body hook in one of states during insertion into a front panel and a reinforcing plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig. 18 is a schematic view of a cross section of a main body hook during insertion into a front panel and a reinforcing plate according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Fig. 18 is a schematic view of a cross section of a main body hook during insertion into a front panel and a reinforcing plate according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] To make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described by reference to the drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present application, but cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "a plurality of" refers to two or more (including two).

[0046] In the description of the present application, it needs to be understood that the terms "length", "width", "thickness", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0047] In order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the present application, the terms "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art can understand that the terms "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the terms "first", "second" and the like do not necessarily mean different.

[0048] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0049] In the present application, "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships; for example, A and / or B can mean that there are three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " in this paper generally represents that the front and rear associated objects have an "or" relationship.

[0050] It should be noted that in the present application, the words "in an embodiment", "exemplarily", "for example" and the like are used to indicate as an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "in an embodiment", "exemplarily", "for example" in the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, the words "in an embodiment", "exemplarily", "for example" and the like are intended to present the relevant concept in a specific way.

[0051] Please refer to FIG. 1-4, FIG. 1 is a front appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application; FIG. 2 is a back appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application; FIG. 3 is a front appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 1 connecting the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3 provided in the embodiment of the present application; FIG. 4 is a back appearance schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 1 connecting the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3 provided in the embodiment of the present application. Before describing the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment, for the convenience of description, the following directional definitions are made: the hinge assembly 1 can be calibrated by the following three mutually perpendicular axes: the horizontal axis X, the vertical axis Y and the height axis Z. As shown in FIG. 1, the direction along the height axis Z is defined as the first direction, and when the washing machine is placed on the workbench, the first direction is the height direction of the washing machine, the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3; the horizontal axis X is the longitudinal direction of the washing machine, which is also the axial direction of the washing machine drum, and the vertical axis Y is the width direction of the front panel 3.

[0052] The embodiment provides a hinge assembly 1 for installing the washing machine door 2 on the front panel 3 of the washing machine. Through the hinge assembly 1, the washing machine door 2 can be supported on the front panel 3, and the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3 can be rotationally connected to facilitate opening and closing of the washing machine door 2.

[0053] The hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment comprises a plurality of hinge bodies 11 and a connecting piece 13, and the connecting piece 13 is used to fix the hinge bodies 11 on the front panel 3.

[0054] The hinge assembly 1 further comprises a hinge ligand, the hinge ligand is rotationally connected with the corresponding hinge body 11, the hinge body 11 is fixed on the front panel 3, and the hinge ligand is fixed on the washing machine door 2, thereby realizing the rotational connection between the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3. In addition, when the washing machine door 2 is installed on the front panel 3 of the washing machine through the hinge assembly 1, the hinge bodies 11 can be connected with the front panel 3 first, and then the hinge ligands are fixed on the washing machine door 2.

[0055] In the embodiment, the connecting piece 13 is used to fix the hinge bodies 11 on the front panel 3, that is, the hinge bodies 11 can be fixed on the front panel 3 through the connecting piece 13, and preferably the hinge bodies 11 are detachably fixed on the front panel 3 through the connecting piece 13. As for the fixing of the hinge ligand and the washing machine door 2, preferably the hinge ligand is detachably fixed on the washing machine door 2.

[0056] In the embodiment, the plurality of hinge bodies 11 are sequentially and spacedly arranged along a first direction, wherein the first direction is a height direction of the front panel 3. By arranging the plurality of hinge bodies 11, the connection strength between the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3 is improved. As to the specific number of the hinge bodies 11, for example, the number of the hinge bodies 11 can be two, three, four, etc. Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which show that the hinge assembly 1 includes two hinge bodies 11.

[0057] When the washing machine door 2 is installed on the front panel 3 by using the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment, the hinge bodies 11 are installed on the front side of the front panel 3, and the plurality of hinge bodies 11 are sequentially and spacedly arranged along the height direction of the front panel 3. The side of the front panel 3 which is attached to the washing machine door 2 is the front side of the front panel 3. Please refer to FIG. 3, which shows that the hinge bodies 11 are installed on the front side of the front panel 3, and the plurality of hinge bodies 11 are sequentially arranged on the front panel 3 along the direction of the Z axis in FIG. 3.

[0058] In order to improve the stability of the washing machine door 2 on the front panel 3, the distance between the highest one of the plurality of hinge bodies 11 and the lowest one of the plurality of hinge bodies 11 is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3.

[0059] Please refer to FIG. 3, which shows that the washing machine door 2 is installed on the front panel 3 by using the hinge assembly 1. FIG. 3 shows that the front panel 3 is provided with the laundry putting opening 36, and when the washing machine is used, the laundry is put into the drum of the washing machine through the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3. The position on the washing machine door 2 where the hinge body 11 is connected is called the hinged position. If the hinged position on the washing machine door 2 has a large span along the height direction, the shaking amplitude of the washing machine door 2 can be reduced, the door is less likely to swing greatly, and the stability is improved.

[0060] In the embodiment, the distance between the highest one of the plurality of hinge bodies 11 and the lowest one of the plurality of hinge bodies 11 is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3, so as to increase the span of the hinged position on the washing machine door 2 along the height direction, and thus the washing machine door 2 is stably installed on the front panel 3. The hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment is particularly suitable for the washing machine door 2 with a heavy weight, so as to stably install the washing machine door 2 with a heavy weight on the front panel 3. For example, please refer to FIG. 3, which shows that the washing machine door 2 is in a rectangular shape, the volume of the washing machine door 2 is large, and the weight of the washing machine door 2 is heavy. By using the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment, the washing machine door 2 can be stably installed on the front panel 3.

[0061] The hinge assembly 1 provided by the embodiment improves the connecting strength between the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3 by arranging multiple hinge bodies 11 along the height direction of the front panel 3. The distance between the highest hinge body 11 and the lowest hinge body 11 is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3, so as to increase the span of the hinge positions on the washing machine door 2 along the height direction, and then realize the stable installation of the washing machine door 2 on the front panel 3. In addition, the hinge positions on the washing machine door 2 which are far away from each other can also more evenly disperse the stress generated during the opening and closing of the door, and reduce the local stress concentration.

[0062] In some embodiments, the hinge assembly 1 includes two hinge bodies 11, and the distance between the two hinge bodies 11 is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3. For example, the hinge body 11 arranged at the high position is close to the highest position of the laundry putting opening 36 in height, and the hinge body 11 arranged at the low position is close to the lowest position of the laundry putting opening 36 in height. In a specific example, the height of the hinge body 11 arranged at the high position is higher than the height of the highest position of the laundry putting opening 36, and the height of the hinge body 11 arranged at the low position is lower than the height of the lowest position of the laundry putting opening 36. For example, while the distance between the two hinge bodies 11 is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3, the highest hinge body 11 is located at 2 / 3 to 4 / 5 of the height of the washing machine door 2, and the lowest hinge body 11 is located at 1 / 6 to 1 / 3 of the height of the washing machine door 2. In this way, the washing machine door 2 can be stably installed on the front panel 3.

[0063] In an embodiment, the hinge assembly 1 further includes a reinforcing plate 12, which is arranged on the back side of the front panel 3. The side of the front panel 3 opposite to the side which is in contact with the washing machine door 2 is the back side of the front panel 3. The reinforcing plate 12 is fixedly connected to the front panel 3 by a connecting piece 13, that is, the reinforcing plate 12, the front panel 3 and the hinge body 11 are fixedly connected by the connecting piece 13.

[0064] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which show the reinforcing plate 12. Preferably, the reinforcing plate 12 is in the shape of a long strip, and each hinge body 11 is connected to the reinforcing plate 12 by a corresponding connecting piece 13. In a specific embodiment, please refer to FIG. 1, there are two hinge bodies 11, and the two hinge bodies 11 are arranged at the two ends of the reinforcing plate 12. In another specific embodiment, there are three hinge bodies 11, two of which are arranged at the two ends of the reinforcing plate 12, and the other one is arranged at the middle position of the reinforcing plate 12.

[0065] For example, the reinforcing plate 12 is provided with a long hole, and the long hole is provided on the reinforcing plate 12 to reduce the weight of the reinforcing plate 12, save materials, and reduce costs.

[0066] Please refer to FIG. 4, when the hinge assembly 1 is connected to the front panel 3, the reinforcing plate 12 is installed on the rear side of the front panel 3, the hinge body 11 is located on the front side of the front panel 3, and the connecting piece 13 penetrates through the reinforcing plate 12, the front panel 3, and is inserted into the corresponding hinge body 11.

[0067] In this embodiment, the reinforcing plate 12 is provided, which can improve the strength of the installation of the hinge body 11 on the front panel 3, and is further conducive to the stable installation of the washing machine door 2 on the front panel 3.

[0068] In an embodiment, two or more connecting pieces 13 are connected to each hinge body 11.

[0069] Please refer to FIG. 2, which shows the connecting piece 13. In this embodiment, two or more connecting pieces 13 are connected to each hinge body 11 to improve the strength of the installation of the hinge body 11 on the front panel 3. The number of connecting pieces 13 connected to each hinge body 11 can be the same, and the number of connecting pieces 13 connected to each hinge body 11 can also be different. Preferably, the same number of connecting pieces 13 is connected to each hinge body 11.

[0070] In a specific embodiment, please refer to FIG. 2, four connecting pieces 13 are connected to each hinge body 11, that is, each hinge body 11 is fixed to the front panel 3 by four connecting pieces 13, please refer to FIG. 2, and preferably the four connecting pieces 13 are arranged in a rectangular array.

[0071] Preferably, the connecting piece 13 is a screw or a bolt. The hinge body 11 is fixed to the front panel 3 by the screw or the bolt, which has the advantages of reliable connection, convenient adjustment and disassembly, reusability, and low cost.

[0072] As introduced above, the hinge body 11 is fixed to the front panel 3, and the hinge ligand is fixed to the washing machine door 2. Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, when the hinge body 11 is fixed to the front panel 3, the screw or the bolt (i.e. the connecting piece 13) penetrates through the reinforcing plate 12, the front panel 3, and is inserted into the hinge body 11. The hinge body 11 is provided with a threaded hole, and the screw or the bolt (i.e. the connecting piece 13) is inserted into the threaded hole of the hinge body 11. For the connection between the washing machine door 2 and the hinge ligand, preferably, the washing machine door 2 and the hinge ligand are detachably connected by the screw or the bolt.

[0073] Please refer to FIG. 5-FIG. 8, FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the appearance of the reinforcing plate 12 in this embodiment, FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of D in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the reinforcing plate 12 positioned on the front panel 3, and FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of E in FIG. 7.

[0074] In one embodiment, the reinforcing plate 12 comprises a reinforcing plate hook 121 and a reinforcing plate body 122, the reinforcing plate hook 121 is arranged on the reinforcing plate body 122, the front panel 3 is provided with a third positioning hole 32, and the reinforcing plate hook 121 is inserted into the third positioning hole 32.

[0075] Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, which show the reinforcing plate hook 121 arranged on the reinforcing plate body 122. Please refer to FIG. 8, which shows the reinforcing plate hook 121 inserted into the third positioning hole 32 on the front panel 3, so that the reinforcing plate 12 is hung on the rear side of the front panel 3.

[0076] In this embodiment, by arranging the reinforcing plate hook 121, the reinforcing plate hook 121 can be inserted into the third positioning hole 32 on the front panel 3 before the reinforcing plate 12 is fixed on the front panel 3 by the connecting piece 13, so that the reinforcing plate 12 is positioned on the rear side of the front panel 3 in advance, and then the connecting piece 13 can pass through the reinforcing plate 12 and the front panel 3.

[0077] Preferably, the reinforcing plate hook 121 is integrally formed with the reinforcing plate body 122, for example, the reinforcing plate hook 121 is stamped.

[0078] As for the number of reinforcing plate hooks 121 on the reinforcing plate body 122, preferably, two or more reinforcing plate hooks 121 are arranged on the reinforcing plate body 122, so as to facilitate the stable pre-positioning of the reinforcing plate 12 on the front panel 3. For example, two, three or four reinforcing plate hooks 121 are arranged on the reinforcing plate body 122. As for the distribution of the reinforcing plate hooks 121 on the reinforcing plate body 122, preferably, the reinforcing plate hooks 121 are distributed at both ends of the reinforcing plate body 122, so as to facilitate the stable pre-positioning of the reinforcing plate 12 on the front panel 3. In a specific example, please refer to FIG. 5, which shows that two reinforcing plate hooks 121 are arranged on the reinforcing plate body 122, and the two reinforcing plate hooks 121 are respectively close to both ends of the reinforcing plate body 122.

[0079] For example, please refer to FIG. 6, the reinforcing plate hook 121 is L-shaped. That is, the reinforcing plate hook 121 comprises a horizontal part and a vertical part, one end of the horizontal part is connected with the reinforcing plate body 122, and the other end is connected with the upper end face of the vertical part.

[0080] Regarding the third pre-positioning hole 32, in one embodiment, please refer to Fig. 8, the third pre-positioning hole 32 comprises a third upper half hole 321 and a third lower half hole 322, the third lower half hole 322 is arranged below the third upper half hole 321, and the third upper half hole 321 and the third lower half hole 322 are in communication. Please refer to Fig. 8, the width of the third upper half hole 321 along the Y-axis direction is greater than the width of the third lower half hole 322 along the Y-axis direction, and the width of the reinforcing plate hook 121 along the Y-axis direction is less than the width of the third upper half hole 321 along the Y-axis direction, so as to facilitate the reinforcing plate hook 121 to be inserted into the third upper half hole 321 along the X-axis direction, and then the reinforcing plate hook 121 is moved downward so that the reinforcing plate hook 121 is hung in the third lower half hole 322.

[0081] As introduced above, the connecting piece 13 passes through the reinforcing plate 12. Please refer to Figs. 5 and 6, the reinforcing plate 12 is shown to be provided with reinforcing plate connecting holes 1222 cooperating with the connecting piece 13, and in Fig. 5, it is shown that four reinforcing plate connecting holes 1222 in a rectangular array are arranged at each end of the reinforcing plate 12. Please refer to Fig. 8, the connecting piece 13 is shown to pass through the reinforcing plate connecting holes 1222.

[0082] Please refer to Figs. 9-13, Fig. 9 is a schematic view of the appearance of the hinge body 11 provided in the embodiment of the present application; Fig. 10 is a partial enlarged view of B in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a partial enlarged view of A in Fig. 4; Fig. 12 is a schematic view of the appearance of the front panel 3 provided in the embodiment of the present application; and Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view of C in Fig. 12.

[0083] In one embodiment, the hinge body 11 comprises a body hook 111 and a body part 112, and the body hook 111 is connected to the body part 112.

[0084] Please refer to Figs. 9 and 10, the body part 112 and the body hook 111 arranged on the body part 112 are shown. By arranging the body hook 111, the hinge body 11 can be positioned on the front panel 3 in advance before the connecting piece 13 is used to fix the hinge body 11 to the front panel 3, thereby facilitating the connecting piece 13 to pass through the front panel 3 and be inserted into the body part 112 of the hinge body 11.

[0085] For example, the body hook 111 is hung on the front panel 3; or, the body hook 111 is hung on the reinforcing plate 12. Please refer to Fig. 11, which shows that the body hook 111 is inserted through the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12 and hung on the reinforcing plate 12, so that the hinge body 11 is pre-positioned on the front side of the front panel 3. Specifically, the front panel 3 is provided with a first pre-positioning hole 31, and the reinforcing plate 12 is provided with a second pre-positioning hole 1221, and the body hook 111 is sequentially inserted into the first pre-positioning hole 31 and the second pre-positioning hole 1221. Please refer to Fig. 11, which shows the second pre-positioning hole 1221 on the reinforcing plate 12, and please refer to Fig. 13, which shows that the front panel 3 is provided with the first pre-positioning hole 31. When the reinforcing plate 12 is positioned on the rear side of the front panel 3, the first pre-positioning hole 31 on the front panel 3 is in communication with the corresponding second pre-positioning hole 1221 on the reinforcing plate 12, and the body hook 111 is sequentially inserted into the first pre-positioning hole 31 and the second pre-positioning hole 1221.

[0086] For example, the body part 112 is provided with more than one body hook 111. Preferably, each body part 112 is provided with more than two body hooks 111, which can not only disperse the force, but also limit the swing of the hinge body 11, and further limit the swing of the washing machine door 2. When each body part 112 is provided with more than two body hooks 111, the hinge body 11 is stably pre-positioned on the front side of the front panel 3, and the connecting piece 13 is conveniently inserted through the front panel 3 and the body part 112 of the hinge body 11.

[0087] When each body part 112 is provided with more than two body hooks 111, in a specific embodiment, on the same body part 112, there are at least two body hooks 111 distributed along the third direction, and the third direction has an angle with the first direction.

[0088] Specifically, please refer to Fig. 9, which shows two body hooks 111 provided on the body part 112. The first direction is the height direction of the front panel 3, that is, the Z-axis direction in Fig. 9. In Fig. 9, the upper body hook 111 is not located directly above the lower body hook 111, that is, the distribution direction between the two body hooks 111 has an angle with the Z-axis direction, wherein the distribution direction between the two body hooks 111 is the third direction. In this embodiment, by providing at least two body hooks 111 distributed along the third direction on the same body part 112, the force can be dispersed, so as to further facilitate the stable pre-positioning of the hinge body 11 on the front side of the front panel 3.

[0089] On the same body part 112, there are at least two body hooks 111 distributed along the third direction, for example, when three body hooks 111 are arranged on the body part 112, the three body hooks 111 are respectively a first body hook, a second body hook and a third body hook, the distribution of the first body hook and the second body hook can be arranged along the third direction, and the distribution of the second body hook and the third body hook can be arranged along the first direction.

[0090] Preferably, the body hook 111 is integrally formed with the body part 112, for example, the body hook 111 is integrally formed with the body part 112 by casting.

[0091] As introduced above, the connecting piece 13 passes through the reinforcing plate 12 and the front panel 3 and is inserted into the hinge body 11. Please refer to FIG. 9, which shows the hinge connection holes 1122 on the body part 112 cooperating with the connecting piece 13. In the case that the connecting piece 13 is a screw or a bolt, the hinge connection hole 1122 is a threaded hole, and the body part 112 is threadedly connected with the connecting piece 13. Please refer to FIG. 9, which shows four hinge connection holes 1122 respectively near the four corners of the body part 112, which can facilitate the stable fixation of the hinge body 11 on the front side of the front panel 3.

[0092] Preferably, each hinge body 11 is provided with an avoiding slot 1121 for accommodating the reinforcing plate hook 121. Please refer to FIG. 9, which shows the avoiding slot 1121. When the reinforcing plate 12 is positioned on the rear side of the front panel 3 through the reinforcing plate hook 121, and the hinge body 11 is positioned on the front side of the front panel 3 through the body hook 111, the reinforcing plate hook 121 corresponds to the avoiding slot 1121 to prevent interference between the reinforcing plate hook 121 and the hinge body 11. In a specific example, as shown in FIG. 9, the body part 112 is provided with a plurality of holes for weight reduction, one of which is used as the avoiding slot 1121.

[0093] In the embodiment based on the reinforcing plate 12 comprising the reinforcing plate hook 121 and the hinge body 11 comprising the body hook 111, the installation of the hinge assembly 1 on the front panel 3 is as follows: first, the reinforcing plate hook 121 is hung on the third predetermined positioning hole 32 of the front panel 3, i.e., the reinforcing plate 12 is first positioned on the front panel 3, then the body hook 111 is sequentially inserted into the first predetermined positioning hole 31 of the front panel 3 and the second predetermined positioning hole 1221 of the reinforcing plate 12, the hinge body 11 is hung on the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, then the connecting piece 13 is sequentially passed through the reinforcing plate 12, the front panel 3 and inserted into the hinge body 11, thereby fixing the hinge body 11 on the front panel 3, fixing each hinge body 11 on the front panel 3, and achieving the installation of the hinge assembly 1 on the front panel 3.

[0094] Regarding the main hook 111, in one embodiment, referring to FIG. 10, the main hook 111 includes a connecting arm 1111 and a hook portion 1112, two ends of the connecting arm 1111 are connected to the main body portion 112 and the hook portion 1112 respectively, and the hook portion 1112 protrudes from the connecting arm 1111 along a second direction, which is the width direction of the front panel 3.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 10, the second direction is parallel to the Y axis, the Z axis is the vertical direction, the second direction is the width direction of the front panel 3, and the hook portion 1112 protrudes from the connecting arm 1111 along the second direction.

[0096] Regarding the hook portion 1112 protruding from the connecting arm 1111 along the second direction, for example, both ends of the hook portion 1112 protrude from the connecting arm 1111 along the horizontal direction (Y axis direction); or, one end of the hook portion 1112 protrudes from the connecting arm 1111 along the horizontal direction, referring to FIG. 10, which schematically shows that the hook portion 1112 protrudes from the connecting arm 1111 along the direction indicated by the arrow away from the Y axis.

[0097] The main hook 111 can be hung on the front panel 3, or the main hook 111 can be hung on the reinforcing plate 12. When the main hook 111 is hung on the front panel 3, the main hook 111 is inserted into the front panel 3 until the connecting arm 1111 is inserted into the front panel 3 and the hook portion 1112 is located at the rear side of the front panel 3, and then the main hook 111 is hung on the front panel 3 by moving a small stroke downward (i.e., along the direction indicated by the arrow away from the Z axis) so that the hook portion 1112 is attached to the rear side surface of the front panel 3. When the main hook 111 is hung on the reinforcing plate 12, the main hook 111 is inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12 until the connecting arm 1111 is inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12 and the hook portion 1112 is located at the rear side of the reinforcing plate 12, and then the main hook 111 is hung on the reinforcing plate 12 by moving a small stroke downward so that the hook portion 1112 is attached to the rear side surface of the reinforcing plate 12.

[0098] In the example that the main body hook 111 is hung on the reinforcing plate 12, the first positioning hole 31 on the front panel 3 and the second positioning hole 1221 on the reinforcing plate 12 can be set in the same shape. For example, referring to FIG. 13, the first positioning hole 31 comprises a first upper half hole 311 and a first lower half hole 312, both of which are rectangular holes, the first upper half hole 311 is arranged above the first lower half hole 312, the first upper half hole 311 and the first lower half hole 312 are connected, the length of the first upper half hole 311 along the Y-axis is greater than the length of the first lower half hole 312 along the Y-axis, and the length of the hook portion 1112 along the Y-axis is smaller than the length of the first upper half hole 311 along the Y-axis and greater than the length of the first lower half hole 312 along the Y-axis. When the main body hook 111 is inserted into the first positioning hole 31, the main body hook 111 is first inserted into the first upper half hole 311, and then moved downward to insert the connecting arm 1111 into the first lower half hole 312.

[0099] In this embodiment, the hook portion 1112 protrudes from the connecting arm 1111 in the horizontal direction, so that when the main body hook 111 is hung on the reinforcing plate 12 or the front panel 3, the hinge main body 11 can be positioned on the front side of the front panel 3 by moving downward a small stroke. In particular, a groove is usually provided on the front side of the front panel 3 to accommodate the hinge main body 11, and during the process of positioning the hinge main body 11 on the front side of the front panel 3, the stroke of the main body hook 111 moving downward is limited by the size of the groove, that is, the stroke of the hinge main body 11 moving downward is small. The hook portion 1112 protruding from the connecting arm 1111 in the horizontal direction just meets the requirement of completing the hooking within the small stroke, and is beneficial to reducing the size of the groove on the front panel 3 in the height direction.

[0100] In an embodiment, a wire passing hole is arranged on the reinforcing plate 12 and the front panel 3.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 11, the wire passing hole on the reinforcing plate 12, i.e., the reinforcing plate wire passing hole 1223, is shown; and referring to FIG. 13, the wire passing hole on the front panel 3, i.e., the front panel wire passing hole 35, is shown. When the reinforcing plate 12 is positioned on the rear side of the front panel 3, the front panel wire passing hole 35 is opposite to the reinforcing plate wire passing hole 1223, and the wire can pass through the front panel wire passing hole 35 and the reinforcing plate wire passing hole 1223.

[0102] In this embodiment, the wire passing holes are arranged on the reinforcing plate 12 and the front panel 3, so as to facilitate the traction of the wire to the inside of the washing machine door.

[0103] For example, the front panel wire passing hole 35 and the reinforcing plate wire passing hole 1223 are in the same shape, for example, both of which are rectangular.

[0104] Please see FIG. 11, the reinforcing plate hook 121 is located on one side of the through hole (i.e., the reinforcing plate through hole 1223) on the reinforcing plate 12, and there is more than one second positioning hole 1221 arranged on the other side of the through hole (i.e., the reinforcing plate through hole 1223) on the reinforcing plate 12. For example, when there is one second positioning hole 1221 arranged on the reinforcing plate 12, the reinforcing plate hook 121 and the second positioning hole 1221 are arranged on the two sides of the reinforcing plate through hole 1223, respectively; please see FIG. 11, when there are two second positioning holes 1221 arranged on the reinforcing plate 12, the reinforcing plate hook 121 and one second positioning hole 1221 are arranged on the two sides of the reinforcing plate through hole 1223 along the Y-axis direction, respectively, and the other second positioning hole 1221 is located on the upper side of the reinforcing plate through hole 1223.

[0105] Please see FIGS. 14-17, which are cross-sectional views of the process of inserting the main hook 111 into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12 in different states, respectively. FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the main hook 111 before being inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, FIGS. 15-16 show cross-sectional views of the main hook 111 being inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, and FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the main hook 111 being inserted into place.

[0106] In an embodiment, please see FIGS. 14-17, a guide slope 1113 is arranged on the side of the side surface of the hook portion 1112 connected to the connecting arm 1111, the guide slope 1113 extends along the second direction, and the guide slope 1113 inclines away from the connecting arm 1111 along the direction from top to bottom (i.e., along the direction away from the Z-axis arrow).

[0107] Regarding the guide slope 1113, for example, the side surface of the hook portion 1112 connected to the connecting arm 1111 is referred to as a first side surface, the lower edge of the first side surface is processed as an inverted right angle, and the guide slope 1113 is formed on the side surface of the side surface of the hook portion 1112 connected to the connecting arm 1111, please see FIGS. 14-17, which show the guide slope 1113.

[0108] Regarding the guide slope 1113, in another specific example, the side surface of the hook portion 1112 connected to the connecting arm 1111 is referred to as a first side surface, the first side surface includes a first region, a second region, and a third region, the first region, the second region, and the third region are arranged in sequence along the direction from top to bottom, the first region, the second region, and the third region all extend along the second direction, the first region is a vertical plane, the second region inclines away from the connecting arm 1111 along the direction from top to bottom to form the guide slope 1113, and the third region is a vertical plane.

[0109] When the main body hook 111 is inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, since the guide inclined surface 1113 is arranged on the hook portion 1112, in the process of gradually inserting the main body hook 111 into the reinforcing plate 12, the guide inclined surface 1113 slides between the lower edge of the first upper half hole 311 on the front panel 3 and the lower edge of the first upper half hole 12211 on the reinforcing plate 12, the main body hook 111 moves to the reinforcing plate 12 while descending, and after the main body hook 111 is moved into position, the hook portion 1112 is located at the lowest position and abuts against the rear side surface of the reinforcing plate 12. In this scenario, when the main body hook 111 is inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, the guide inclined surface 1113 abuts against the reinforcing plate 12 to guide the main body hook 111 to be inserted obliquely downward into the reinforcing plate 12.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 14, the front panel 3 is generally provided with hinge grooves 33, the number of the hinge grooves 33 is consistent with the number of the hinge bodies 11, and the hinge grooves 33 are sequentially and spacedly arranged along the height direction of the front panel 3. When the hinge bodies 11 are installed on the front panel 3, the hinge bodies 11 are placed in the hinge grooves 33. By arranging the hinge grooves 33 matched with the hinge bodies 11, when the washing machine door 2 is installed on the front panel 3 of the washing machine by using the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment, the washing machine door 2 can be as close as possible to the front panel 3 when the washing machine door 2 is in the closed state.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 14, the hinge groove 33 includes a groove bottom surface 331 and a groove side surface 332. When the hinge groove 33 is processed and formed, the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332 are generally connected in a smooth transition. Referring to FIG. 14, the arc transition surface 333 is formed between the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332, so as to reduce the stress concentration of the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332. In addition, along the direction from the groove bottom surface 331 to the opening of the hinge groove 33, the groove side surface 332 is inclined away from the center of the hinge groove 33, so as to facilitate the processing and forming of the hinge groove 33.

[0112] The groove side surface 332 includes an upper groove side surface, a lower groove side surface, a left groove side surface and a right groove side surface. The upper groove side surface and the lower groove side surface are arranged opposite to each other along the height direction of the front panel 3, and the left groove side surface and the right groove side surface are arranged opposite to each other along the width direction of the front panel 3. Referring to FIG. 14, if the hinge body 11 abuts against the upper groove side surface in the groove side surface 332 or if the hinge body 11 abuts against the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side surface and the groove bottom surface 331.

[0113] Based on the setting of the guide slope 1113, since the main hook 111 moves in a downward inclined path during the hooking process, rather than a right-angled path of first moving in the groove depth direction and then moving downward, the operating space in the hinge groove 33 corresponding to the upper part of the main body part 112 is reduced, and there is no need to reserve a space on the groove bottom surface 331 which is greater than or equal to the downward movement stroke of the main hook 111. Alternatively, the groove bottom surface 331 and the upper groove side surface are designed to be smoothly transitioned, and the area of the groove bottom surface 331 can ensure that the main body part 112 can be attached to the groove bottom surface 331 after the main hook 111 is moved into position.

[0114] Conversely, in the case where the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332 are designed to be smoothly transitioned, but the hook part 1112 is not provided with the guide slope 1113, the movement path of the main hook 111 is an L-shaped path of first moving horizontally inward and then moving vertically downward. If the groove bottom surface 331 is not large enough, the main body part 112 will interfere with the groove side surface 332, and it will be difficult to hook into position. Therefore, the length of the groove bottom surface 331 of the hinge groove 33 in the height direction needs to be increased to prevent the interference of the upper groove side surface and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side surface and the groove bottom surface 331 with the hinge main body 11.

[0115] Since the hook part 1112 in the present embodiment is provided with the guide slope 1113, when the hinge main body 11 abuts against the upper groove side surface in the groove side surface 332 or abuts against the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side surface and the groove bottom surface 331, although the hook part 1112 is not completely located at the rear side of the reinforcing plate 12, the hinge main body 11 can move downwardly and gradually move in the direction of being inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, until the hinge main body 11 is installed into position and clamped on the reinforcing plate 12.

[0116] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the guide slope 1113 is provided on the hook part 1112, which can reduce the length of the hinge groove 33 in the height direction and avoid a large gap between the hinge main body 11 and the upper groove side surface in the groove side surface 332, thereby preventing dust accumulation and improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0117] In addition, as described above, the hook part 1112 protrudes in the horizontal direction from the connecting arm 1111, and the main hook 111 is inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12. As long as the hook part 1112 is attached to the rear side of the reinforcing plate 12 by moving a small stroke downwardly, the main hook 111 can be hooked on the reinforcing plate 12. Since the downward movement stroke is small, the gap between the hinge main body 11 and the upper groove side surface in the groove side surface 332 can be further reduced, and since the downward movement stroke is small, the length of the hinge groove 33 in the height direction can be reduced.

[0118] Next, the process of inserting the main hook 111 into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14-17.

[0119] Please see FIG. 14-FIG. 17, the second positioning hole 1221 is arranged on the reinforcing plate 12, the second positioning hole 1221 includes a second upper half hole 12211 and a second lower half hole 12212, both of which are rectangular holes, the second upper half hole 12211 is arranged above the second lower half hole 12212, the second upper half hole 12211 and the second lower half hole 12212 are connected, the length of the second upper half hole 12211 along the horizontal direction is greater than the length of the second lower half hole 12212 along the horizontal direction, and the length of the hook part 1112 along the horizontal direction is less than the length of the second upper half hole 12211 along the horizontal direction and greater than the length of the second lower half hole 12212 along the horizontal direction.

[0120] Please see FIG. 14, a schematic diagram of the main hook 111 not inserted into the first positioning hole 31 on the front panel 3 and the second positioning hole 1221 on the reinforcing plate 12 is shown.

[0121] Please see FIG. 15, a schematic diagram of the main hook 111 inserted into the first positioning hole 31 on the front panel 3 and the second positioning hole 1221 on the reinforcing plate 12 is shown, at this time, the hook part 1112 of the main hook 111 is inserted into the second upper half hole 12211, the hook part 1112 of the main hook 111 is not inserted to the back side of the reinforcing plate 12, and there is a gap between the hinge body 11 and the groove bottom surface 331.

[0122] Based on FIG. 15, continue to insert the main hook 111 inward, due to the guiding effect of the upper groove side in the groove side 332 and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side and the groove bottom surface 331, the main hook 111 can be moved downward at the same time, and can be inserted to the position shown in FIG. 16. Please see FIG. 16, a guide inclined surface 1113 is shown, due to the guide inclined surface 1113 arranged on the hook part 1112, the abutting edge 1224 on the reinforcing plate 12 can be avoided, so that under the guidance of the upper groove side in the groove side 332 and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side and the groove bottom surface 331, the main hook 111 can be moved downward.

[0123] Please see FIG. 17, at this time, the main hook 111 is assembled in place, the connecting arm 1111 of the main hook 111 is inserted into the second lower half hole 12212 of the second positioning hole 1221, the length of the connecting arm 1111 along the horizontal direction is close to the length of the second lower half hole 12212 along the horizontal direction, the connecting arm 1111 is limited in the second lower half hole 12212, at the same time, the hook part 1112 of the main hook 111 abuts against the back side of the reinforcing plate 12, and the hinge body 11 abuts against the groove bottom surface 331.

[0124] In an embodiment, the hinge body 11 has a chamfer 1123 near one side of the front panel 3.

[0125] Please refer to FIG. 14, which shows that the edge of the hinge body 11 close to the front panel 3 is provided with a chamfer 1123. During the process of inserting the body hook 111 into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12, the chamfer 1123 contacts the upper groove side in the groove side 332 and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side and the groove bottom surface 331.

[0126] In this embodiment, by providing the chamfer 1123 on the side of the hinge body 11 close to the front panel 3, when the hinge body 11 contacts the upper groove side in the groove side 332 and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side and the groove bottom surface 331, the distance between the hinge body 11 and the front panel 3 can be reduced, thereby facilitating the insertion of the body hook 111 into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12. In addition, by providing the chamfer 1123 on the side of the hinge body 11 close to the front panel 3, it can avoid the edge of the hinge body 11 close to the front panel 3 from being easily scratched by the installer, thereby improving safety.

[0127] This embodiment provides a washing machine, which comprises a cabinet, a washing machine door 2 and the hinge assembly 1 in any of the above embodiments, and the washing machine door 2 is supported on the front panel 3 of the cabinet by the hinge assembly 1.

[0128] The hinge assembly 1 comprises a plurality of hinge bodies 11 and a connecting piece 13 for fixing the hinge bodies 11 on the front panel 3. The hinge assembly 1 further comprises a hinge ligand, which is rotatably connected with the corresponding hinge body 11, and the hinge body 11 is fixed on the front panel 3 by the connecting piece 13, preferably the hinge body 11 is detachably fixed on the front panel 3 by the connecting piece 13, and the hinge ligand is fixed on the washing machine door 2, preferably the hinge ligand is detachably fixedly connected with the washing machine door 2, thereby facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3.

[0129] The washing machine provided in this embodiment can improve the connection strength between the washing machine door 2 and the front panel 3 because the hinge assembly 1 comprises a plurality of hinge bodies 11. In addition, the distance between the highest hinge body 11 and the lowest hinge body 11 in the hinge assembly 1 is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening 36 on the front panel 3, which can increase the span of the hinge position on the washing machine door 2 in the height direction, thereby realizing the stable installation of the washing machine door 2 on the front panel 3, and for the washing machine door 2 with heavier weight, the stable installation of the washing machine door 2 on the front panel 3 can also be realized.

[0130] In an embodiment, the front panel 3 is provided with a hinge groove 33, and the hinge body 11 of the hinge assembly 1 is arranged in the hinge groove 33.

[0131] The number of the hinge grooves 33 is consistent with the number of the hinge bodies 11, and the hinge grooves 33 are distributed along the height direction of the front panel 3 in sequence and at intervals, and the hinge bodies 11 are placed in the hinge grooves 33 when the hinge bodies 11 are installed on the front panel 3. By providing the hinge grooves 33 on the front panel 3, when the washing machine door 2 is installed on the front panel 3 of the washing machine by using the hinge assembly 1 provided in the embodiment, the washing machine door 2 can be as close to the front panel 3 as possible when the washing machine door 2 is in the closed state.

[0132] In an embodiment, the hinge groove 33 comprises a groove bottom surface 331 and a groove side surface 332, and the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332 are connected in a smooth transition manner. Along the groove depth direction from the groove bottom surface 331 to the opening of the hinge groove 33 towards the hinge body 11, the groove side surface 332 is inclined away from the center of the hinge groove 33.

[0133] The groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332 are connected in a smooth transition manner. Please refer to FIGS. 14-17, which show that a circular arc transition surface 333 is formed between the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332. By providing the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332 in a smooth transition manner, the stress concentration of the groove bottom surface 331 and the groove side surface 332 is reduced.

[0134] Please refer to FIGS. 14-17, along the direction from the groove bottom surface 331 to the opening of the hinge groove 33, the groove side surface 332 is inclined away from the center of the hinge groove 33, so as to facilitate the processing and forming of the hinge groove 33.

[0135] In the embodiment, the inclination angle of the groove side surface 332 with respect to the groove depth direction is less than or equal to the inclination angle of the guide inclined surface 1113 on the hinge body 11 with respect to the groove depth direction.

[0136] Please refer to FIG. 18, which is a sectional front view of the body hook 111 when it is inserted into the front panel 3 and the reinforcing plate 12. In FIG. 18, the angle b between the guide inclined surface 1113 and the horizontal direction (i.e., the groove depth direction) is shown, and the inclination angle a of the groove side surface 332 with respect to the groove depth direction is also shown. In the embodiment, the inclination angle of the groove side surface 332 with respect to the groove depth direction is less than or equal to the angle between the guide inclined surface 1113 on the hinge body 11 and the horizontal direction, i.e., the angle a is less than or equal to the angle b.

[0137] Please see Fig. 15, which shows a schematic view of the main hook 111 inserted into the first predetermined positioning hole 31 on the front panel 3 and the second predetermined positioning hole 1221 on the reinforcing plate 12, at which time the hook portion 1112 of the main hook 111 is inserted into the second upper half hole 12211. On the basis of Fig. 15, continue to insert the main hook 111 inwardly, due to the guiding effect of the upper groove side in the groove side 332 and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side and the groove bottom surface 331, the main hook 111 can be simultaneously moved downwardly, and can be inserted to a position as shown in Fig. 16. Please see Fig. 16, which shows a guiding slope 1113, due to the fact that the inclination angle of the groove side 332 relative to the groove depth direction is less than or equal to the included angle between the guiding slope 1113 on the hinge main body 11 and the horizontal direction, under the guidance of the upper groove side in the groove side 332 and the arc transition surface 333 between the upper groove side and the groove bottom surface 331, the guiding slope 1113 on the hook portion 1112 can avoid the abutting edge 1224 on the reinforcing plate 12, so that the main hook 111 can be moved downwardly.

[0138] Therefore, in the present embodiment, by setting the inclination angle of the groove side 332 relative to the groove depth direction to be less than or equal to the inclination angle of the guiding slope 1113 on the hinge main body 11 relative to the groove depth direction, the hinge groove 33 cooperates with the guiding slope 1113 on the hook portion 1112, and thus the length of the hinge groove 33 along the height direction can be reduced, and the gap between the hinge main body 11 and the upper groove side in the groove side 332 can also be avoided, thereby preventing dust accumulation and improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0139] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application, and any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for mounting a washing machine door (2) to a front panel (3) of a washing machine, characterized in that, The laundry machine door (2) comprises a plurality of hinge bodies (11) and connecting pieces (13), and the laundry machine door (2) is installed on the front panel (3) in a state that: The hinge bodies (11) are installed on the front side of the front panel (3); the hinge bodies (11) are arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the first direction is the height direction of the front panel (3); the distance between the highest one of the hinge bodies (11) and the lowest one of the hinge bodies (11) is not less than two-thirds of the diameter of the laundry putting opening on the front panel (3); and The front panel (3) and the hinge bodies (11) are fixedly connected by the connecting pieces (13).

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein, The hinge body (11) comprises a body hook (111) and a body part (112), the body hook (111) is connected to the body part (112), the body hook (111) comprises a connecting arm (1111) and a hook part (1112), the two ends of the connecting arm (1111) are connected to the body part (112) and the hook part (1112) respectively, and the hook part (1112) protrudes from the connecting arm (1111) along a second direction, and the second direction is the width direction of the front panel (3).

3. The hinge assembly of claim 2, wherein, A guide inclined surface (1113) is formed on the side surface of the side of the hook part (1112) connected to the connecting arm (1111), the guide inclined surface (1113) extends along the second direction, and the guide inclined surface (1113) is inclined to the direction away from the connecting arm (1111) along the direction from top to bottom.

4. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 2-3, wherein, At least two body hooks (111) are arranged on each body part (112).

5. The hinge assembly of claim 4, wherein, There are at least two body hooks (111) distributed along a third direction, and the third direction forms an angle with the first direction.

6. The hinge assembly according to any one of claims 2-5, further comprising a reinforcing plate (12) installed on the back side of the front panel (3); the reinforcing plate (12), the front panel (3) and the hinge bodies (11) are fixedly connected by the connecting pieces (13); the front panel (3) is provided with first predetermined positioning holes (31), the reinforcing plate (12) is provided with second predetermined positioning holes (1221), and the body hooks (111) are sequentially inserted into the first predetermined positioning holes (31) and the second predetermined positioning holes (1221).

7. The hinge assembly of claim 6, wherein, The reinforcing plate (12) comprises a reinforcing plate hook (121) and a reinforcing plate body (122), the reinforcing plate hook (121) is arranged on the reinforcing plate body (122), the front panel (3) is provided with third predetermined positioning holes (32), and the reinforcing plate hook (121) is inserted into the third predetermined positioning holes (32).

8. The hinge assembly of claim 7, wherein, Each hinge body (11) is provided with an avoiding groove (1121) for accommodating the reinforcing plate hook (121).

9. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 7-8, wherein, The reinforcing plate (12) and the front panel (3) are provided with wire passing holes, and the wire passing hole on the reinforcing plate (12) is provided with the reinforcing plate hook (121) on one side and at least one second positioning hole (122) on the other side.

10. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The hinge body (11) is chamfered near one side of the front panel (3).

11. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The connecting piece (13) is a screw or a bolt, and two or more connecting pieces (13) are connected to each hinge body (11).

12. A laundry machine characterized by A washing machine comprising a cabinet, a washing machine door (2) and the hinge assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the washing machine door (2) is supported on the front panel (3) of the cabinet by the hinge assembly (1).

13. The laundry machine according to claim 12, characterized in that, The front panel (3) is provided with a hinge groove (33), and the hinge body (11) of the hinge assembly (1) is arranged in the hinge groove (33).

14. A laundry washing machine as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, The hinge groove (33) comprises a groove bottom surface (331) and a groove side surface (332), the groove bottom surface (331) and the groove side surface (332) are connected in a smooth transition, along the groove depth direction from the groove bottom surface (331) to the opening of the hinge groove (33), the groove side surface (332) is inclined away from the center of the hinge groove (33), and the inclination angle of the groove side surface (332) with respect to the groove depth direction is less than or equal to the inclination angle of the guide inclined surface (1113) on the hinge body (11) with respect to the groove depth direction.

15. A laundry washing machine as claimed in any one of the claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The number of the hinge grooves (33) is consistent with the number of the hinge bodies (11).

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