CN106568283B

CN106568283B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN106568283B
Application number: CN201510650907.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 卢志山; 鲁松涛; 章传; 洪涛
Original assignee: Bo Xihua Electric Jiangsu Co Ltd; BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: Bo Xihua Electric Jiangsu Co Ltd; BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2015-10-10
Filing date: 2015-10-10
Publication date: 2021-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-10
Also published as: EP3153800B1; CN106568283A; EP3153800A1

Abstract

A refrigerator comprises a box body (1) and a door (2) which are hinged with each other, wherein the door (2) is provided with a heat insulating material and a transverse end cover (3); the door further comprises a stop mechanism (4) for limiting the opening degree of the door (2); the second side (3b) of the transverse end cover (3) facing away from the heat insulation material is provided with a groove (35), and the stop mechanism (4) comprises a fixing part (41) which is positioned in the groove (35) and is in contact with at least one side wall of the groove (35), and a stopping part (42) which extends out of the groove (35); the stopping part (42) is suitable for abutting against the hinge (5) when the door (2) is opened to a preset angle so as to prevent the door (2) from being opened continuously. The invention has the advantages that when the stopping part is abutted against the hinge to bear force, the side wall in contact with the fixing part and the heat insulation material outside the corresponding side wall can support the stopping mechanism to prevent the fixing part from deforming under the action of force.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background

The hinged door is a door commonly used in a refrigerator, one side of the door is hinged with a box body through a hinge, and the door rotates around the hinge to realize opening or closing actions. When the refrigerator is used, if the opening degree of the door is too large, the door may collide with a cabinet, a wall body or other objects of the refrigerator to be damaged, and therefore, the maximum opening degree of the door needs to be limited.

In order to limit the maximum opening of the door, the prior refrigerator is generally provided with a stop mechanism on the transverse end cover of the door, and when the door is opened to a certain degree, the stop mechanism is abutted against the hinge, so that the door is prevented from being opened continuously.

In the existing refrigerator, when the stop mechanism is installed, a metal reinforcing sheet with a screw hole is generally required to be arranged on the other side of the transverse end cover, and then the stop mechanism is fixed on the metal reinforcing sheet through a screw so as to enhance the strength of the stop mechanism. In the foaming process of the refrigerator, the foaming material is easy to enter the screw hole to cause leakage.

In addition, the metal sheet is generally mounted on the transverse end cover in a sticking manner, and the metal sheet is easy to shift in the foaming process of the refrigerator, so that the mounting of the stop mechanism is difficult.

If the metal reinforcing sheet is not used, the stopper mechanism mounted on the outer side of the transverse end cap is not strong enough and is easily damaged.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of the above technical problems and to provide an improved refrigerator.

To this end, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising: a box body; a door hingedly connected to the cabinet, the door having an insulating material and a transverse end cap having a first side facing the insulating material and a second side facing away from the insulating material; the stop mechanism comprises a fixing part fixed on the second side and a stopping part which is used for abutting against the hinge when the door is opened to a preset angle so as to prevent the door from being opened continuously; the second side of the transverse end cover is provided with a groove which is recessed towards the first side, the fixing part is at least partially positioned in the groove and is in contact with at least one side wall of the groove, and the stopping part is connected with the fixing part and extends out of the groove.

Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme of the invention has the advantages that the groove is arranged on the second side of the transverse end cover and used for accommodating the fixing part of the stop mechanism, and the fixing part is in contact with at least one side wall of the groove so as to reinforce the strength of the stop mechanism through the side wall of the groove and the heat insulation material outside the side wall. When the stopping part is abutted against the hinge and is subjected to acting force exerted by the hinge, the side wall in contact with the fixing part and the heat insulating material outside the corresponding side wall can support the stopping mechanism, so that the stopping mechanism is prevented from being deformed under stress. Therefore, even if the refrigerator door is not additionally provided with the metal reinforcing sheet, the stop mechanism can still have enough strength. Therefore, an additional metal reinforcing sheet does not need to be arranged on the positioning mechanism, and the technical problem caused by the use of the metal reinforcing sheet is solved.

The transverse end cover of the invention can be an upper end cover or a lower end cover of a door.

Optionally, the recess has a first side wall remote from the hinge in a thickness direction of the door; the groove has a second sidewall away from the hinge in a width direction of the door; the fixing portion is in contact with at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall are respectively crossed with the component force of the acting force applied to the fixing part, and respectively form supporting force opposite to the component force to the fixing part.

Optionally, the first side wall and the second side wall are perpendicular to each other and connected to each other.

Optionally, the fixing portion includes a bottom plate parallel to the bottom wall of the groove and a side plate parallel to the side wall of the groove; the side plates are in contact with corresponding side walls of the grooves. The side plates can increase the contact area of the fixing part with the first side wall and the second side wall, increase the stress area and increase the strength of the fixing part.

Optionally, a fillet is formed between the side plate and the bottom plate, so that stress concentration at a junction of the side plate and the bottom plate is avoided.

Optionally, the bottom plate is attached to the bottom wall of the groove. When the stopping part is abutted against the hinge or the box body and is acted by force, the bottom wall of the groove and the heat insulating material outside the bottom wall can also play a role in supporting the stopping mechanism.

Optionally, the stopping portion is located at a side of the groove close to the hinge in the thickness direction of the door, and contacts with a side wall of the groove at a corresponding side. The side wall of the groove can provide supporting force for the stopping part, and the stopping part is prevented from deforming or breaking when being stressed.

Optionally, the stopping portion is plate-shaped, has a first portion, and is connected to the fixing portion, and the first portion is attached to the sidewall of the groove and extends out of the groove along the height direction of the door; and the second part is connected with the part of the first part extending out of the groove, and is positioned on one side close to the hinge of the first part along the width direction of the door and used for abutting against the hinge. The whole stopping part is plate-shaped, so that the forming is convenient.

Optionally, the stop mechanism is integrally formed from plastic.

Optionally, the fixing part is connected with the groove through a screw; the bottom wall of the groove is provided with a fixing stud, and the fixing stud and the fixing part are respectively provided with fixing holes which are coaxial with each other and are connected with the screw through the fixing holes. The fixing part is directly connected with the groove through a screw, and the assembly is simple.

Optionally, the inner wall of the fixing hole is smooth, and the screw is a self-tapping screw.

Optionally, one end of the fixing stud is flush with the bottom wall of the groove, and the other end of the fixing stud extends to the outside of the groove.

Optionally, the outer circumferential surface of the fixing stud is connected with a reinforcing rib, and the reinforcing rib is further connected with the outer surface of the groove. The strength of the fixed stud can be well increased through the reinforcing ribs, and the stud is prevented from being damaged when stressed.

Optionally, the reinforcing ribs are provided in plurality and evenly distributed around the outer circumferential surface of the fixing stud.

Optionally, the fixing stud, the reinforcing rib and the groove are integrally formed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a state in which a door is opened to a predetermined angle in a bottom view;

FIG. 2 illustrates a first exploded perspective view of the transverse end cap showing the external configuration of the groove in the transverse end cap;

FIG. 3 illustrates a second exploded perspective view of the transverse end cap showing the internal structure of the groove in the transverse end cap;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 1, shown in phantom;

fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the catch mechanism.

Detailed Description

In order to make the aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, which is shown in fig. 1 and includes a cabinet 1, a door 2 connected to the cabinet 1 by a hinge 5, and a stop mechanism 4 for limiting an opening degree of the door 2. The stop mechanism 4 is used to prevent the door 2 from opening further when the door 2 is opened to a predetermined angle.

The door 2 has an insulating material (not shown in the figures) and a transverse end cap 3, which transverse end cap 3 is located at the end of the insulating material in the height direction and comprises a first side 3a facing the insulating material and a second side 3b facing away from the insulating material. Wherein, one end or both ends of the door 2 along the height direction can be provided with a transverse end cover 3. In fig. 1, the transverse end cap 3 is located at the lower end of the door 2, the direction shown in fig. 1 being the bottom direction.

Referring to fig. 2, the lateral cover 3 includes a vertical plate 31 extending in a height direction (Z direction in fig. 2) of the door 2, and a horizontal plate 32 extending in a thickness direction (Y direction in fig. 2) of the door 2, the vertical plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32 being connected to each other and forming an L-shaped structure. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 3c are provided between the vertical plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32, which are arranged in the width direction (X direction in fig. 2) of the door 2, and the reinforcing ribs 3c are also L-shaped and are connected to the vertical plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32 at both sides of the L-shape, respectively.

When foaming, the first side 3a of the transverse end cap 3, that is, the L-shaped space formed between the vertical plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32, is filled with an insulating material. As in fig. 3, the second side 3b of the transverse end cap 3 can be considered as the side of the horizontal plate 32 facing away from the insulating material.

As shown in fig. 1, the hinge 5 includes a hinge shaft 51, and a fixing piece 52 fixedly connected to the cabinet 1, the fixing piece 52 being rotatably connected to the hinge shaft 51 and rotatable with respect to the hinge shaft 51 to allow the door 2 to be opened or closed by rotation.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the side of the transverse end cover 3 close to the box body 1 is provided with a mounting portion for mounting the hinge 5, and the mounting portion comprises a hinge hole 33 for accommodating a hinge shaft 51 and an accommodating groove 34 for accommodating a fixing piece 52. Wherein fig. 2 shows the structure of the first side 3a of the transverse end cap 3, wherein the outer part of the receiving groove 34 is shown; fig. 3 shows the structure of the second side 3b of the transverse end cap 3, in which the interior of the receiving groove 34 is shown. As can be seen in fig. 2, 3, the opening of the receiving groove 34 is located on the side of the transverse end cap 3 opposite the insulating material, i.e. the opening of the receiving groove 34 is located on the second side 3b of the transverse end cap 3 and is recessed towards the first side 3 a.

When the door 2 is closed, a portion of the fixing piece 52 is rotated into the receiving groove 34; when the door 2 is opened, the fixing piece 52 is gradually moved out of the receiving groove 34 by rotation (see fig. 1).

With continued reference to fig. 2 in conjunction with fig. 3, the second side 3b of the transverse end cap 3 has a groove 35 recessed toward the first side 3a, more precisely, the groove 35 is provided on the second side 3b of the horizontal plate 32 (the side facing away from the insulating material), and the groove 35 opens in the same direction as the receiving groove 34, both facing away from the insulating material. Wherein fig. 2 shows the exterior of the groove 35; fig. 3 shows the interior of the groove 35.

When foaming, the first side of the horizontal plate 32 is filled with insulation material, and the outside of the recess 35 will also be filled with insulation material.

Referring to fig. 4, the stop mechanism 4 includes a fixing portion 41 located in the recess 35 and contacting at least one sidewall of the recess 35, and a stopping portion 42 extending out of the recess 35, wherein the stopping portion 42 is connected to the fixing portion 41. Wherein the stopping portion 42 is adapted to abut against the fixing plate 52 of the hinge 5 when the door 2 is opened to a predetermined angle to prevent relative rotation between the fixing plate 52 and the hinge shaft 51, thereby preventing the door 2 from being opened further.

Specifically, the stopper portion 42 extends toward the end of the lateral end cover 3 connected to the case 1. The projections of the stopper portion 42 and the hinge shaft 51 have an overlapping portion in the thickness direction (Y direction) of the door 2. When the fixing piece 52 is connected to the hinge shaft 51, the projection of the stopper portion 42 and the fixing piece 52 in the thickness direction (Y direction) also has an overlapping portion. And, the stopper portion 42 is located between the hinge shaft 51 and the fixing piece 52 in the rotational direction of the door 2 when opened. Thus, when the door 2 is opened to a predetermined angle, the stopper portion 42 will abut against the fixing piece 52, thereby hindering the door 2 from being opened further.

As described above, the fixing portion 41 is in contact with at least one sidewall of the recess 35 to reinforce the strength of the stopper mechanism 4 by the sidewall of the recess 35 and the heat insulating material outside the sidewall. When the stopper portion 42 abuts against the fixing piece 52 of the hinge 5 and receives the urging force of the fixing piece 52, the urging force is transmitted to the side wall contacting the recess 35 via the fixing piece 52 and the fixing portion 41, and at this time, the corresponding side wall and the heat insulating material outside the side wall can support the fixing portion 41.

Further, as shown in fig. 3, the groove 35 is substantially rectangular, and in the thickness direction (Y direction in fig. 3) of the door 2, the groove 35 has a first side wall 351 distant from the hinge 5; the groove 35 has a second side wall 352 away from the hinge 5 in the width direction (X direction in fig. 3) of the door 2. The fixing portion 41 is in contact with at least one of the first and

second sidewalls

351 and 352.

As shown in fig. 5, when the stopper mechanism 4 abuts against the hinge 5, the stopper mechanism 4 receives a force F from the hinge 5. The decomposition of this force F results in a first component F1 in the thickness direction of the door 2 and a second component F2 in the width direction of the door 2. The first sidewall 351 intersects the first component force F1 and the second sidewall 352 intersects the second component force F2.

That is, when the force F is transmitted to the fixing portion 41 of the stopping mechanism 4, the fixing portion 41 receives the first component force F1 and the second component force F2. If the fixing portion 41 contacts the first sidewall 351, the first sidewall 351 will form a supporting force against the first component F1 to the fixing portion 41, so as to prevent the fixing portion 41 from being deformed by the first component F1; if the fixing portion 41 is in contact with and against the second sidewall 352, the second sidewall 352 will form a supporting force against the second component F2 for the fixing portion 41, so as to prevent the fixing portion 41 from being deformed by the second component F2.

In this embodiment, the fixing portion 41 is in contact with the first sidewall 351 and the second sidewall 352 simultaneously.

Here, the first and

second sidewalls

351 and 352 may be adjacent or not adjacent as long as the first and

second sidewalls

351 and 352 intersect with the first and second components F1 and F2, respectively. In this embodiment, the first sidewall 351 and the second sidewall 352 are perpendicular to each other and connected to each other.

With continued reference to fig. 3 in conjunction with fig. 4, the fixing portion 41 includes a bottom plate 411 parallel to the bottom wall of the recess 35, and a side plate 412 parallel to the side wall of the recess 35. The fixing portion 41 is in contact with the corresponding side wall through the side plate 412.

Specifically, the fixing portion 41 is provided with side plates 412 connected to the bottom plate 411 on a side facing the first side wall 351 and a side facing the second side wall 352, respectively, and is in contact with the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352 through the corresponding side plates 412, respectively. The side plates 412 can increase the contact area between the fixing portion 41 and the first and

second side walls

351 and 352, increase the force-bearing area, and increase the strength of the fixing portion 41.

In which, a fillet is formed between the side plate 412 and the bottom plate 411, so that the stress concentration at the boundary between the side plate 412 and the bottom plate 311 can be reduced, and the strength of the fixing portion 41 can be improved.

The bottom plate 411 is attached to the bottom wall of the groove 35, and the fixing portion 41 is supported by the bottom wall of the groove 35, so that the supporting strength of the stopper mechanism 4 is enhanced.

The fixing portion 41 and the recess 35 may be connected by adhesion, bolts, or screws. In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the fixing portion 41 is connected to the groove 35 by a screw 44.

Specifically, a fixing stud 353 (fig. 2) is disposed on the bottom wall of the groove 35, fixing holes coaxial with each other are disposed on the fixing stud 353 and the fixing portion 41, respectively, and the diameters of the two fixing holes are the same. The number of the fixing studs 353 can be set according to the area of the bottom wall of the groove 35 and the fixing requirement, and two fixing studs 353 are provided in this embodiment.

The fixing hole of the fixing stud 353 is defined as a first fixing hole 354 (fig. 3), and the fixing hole of the fixing portion 41 is defined as a second fixing hole 43 (fig. 4). The screw 44 passes through the first fixing hole 354 and the second fixing hole 43 to connect the fixing stud 353 and the fixing portion 41.

The first fixing hole 354 and the second fixing hole 43 are unthreaded holes, the inner walls thereof are smooth, and the screws 44 are self-tapping screws.

Since the bottom plate 411 of the fixing portion 41 is attached to the bottom wall of the groove 35, one end of the fixing stud 353 is flush with the bottom wall of the groove 35, and the other end extends to the outside of the groove 35. That is, the fixing stud 353 is connected to the outside of the groove 35 and communicates with the inside of the groove 35 through the first fixing hole 354.

In order to enhance the strength of the fixing stud 353, a reinforcing rib 355 is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing stud 353, and the reinforcing rib 355 is also connected to the outer surface of the groove 35.

The plurality of reinforcing ribs 355 are uniformly distributed around the outer circumferential surface of the fixing stud 353.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the fixing studs 353 and the reinforcing ribs 355 are integrally formed with the grooves 35. The transverse end cap 3 is manufactured by an injection molding process, and the fixing stud 353, the rib 355 and the groove 35 are formed together during the injection molding.

Further, the stopper portion 42 is located on a side of the groove 35 close to the hinge 5 in the thickness direction of the door 2, and is in contact with a side wall of the groove 35 on the corresponding side, which is referred to as a third side wall 356. When the stopping portion 42 is forced against the hinge 5, the third sidewall 356 can provide a certain supporting force to the stopping portion 42, so as to prevent the stopping portion 42 from bending or breaking.

The shape of the contact surface between the stopper portion 42 and the third sidewall 356 is not limited, and is set mainly according to the shape of the stopper portion 42, and may be continuous or discontinuous surface contact, line contact, or point contact.

In this embodiment, the stopper portion 42 is in surface contact with the third side wall 353. Specifically, the stopper portion 42 is plate-shaped, and has a first portion 421 and a second portion 422 connected thereto.

The first portion 421 is connected to the fixing portion 41, and the first portion 421 is partially attached to the third sidewall 356 of the recess 35 and extends out of the recess 35 along the height direction of the door 2. In other words, the area of the first portion 421 located in the groove 35 and the third sidewall 356 are parallel to each other and attached to each other. The shape of the portion of the first portion 421 protruding the groove 35 is not limited. In this embodiment, for process convenience, the first portion 421 is plate-shaped and located on the same plane, that is, the extending portion of the first portion 421 is also parallel to the third sidewall 353.

The second portion 422 is connected to a portion of the first portion 421 protruding out of the recess 35, and the second portion 422 is located on a side of the first portion 421 near the hinge 5 in the width direction of the door 2, for abutting against the hinge 5. The shape of the second portion 422 may not be limited, but for process convenience, the second portion 422 may also be plate-shaped, parallel to the first portion 421, and in the same plane as the first portion 421.

In this embodiment, the whole stopping portion 42 is plate-shaped and substantially located on the same plane.

Wherein, one end of the second part 422 close to the hinge 5 has a convex surface 423 facing the hinge 5, and the part where the convex surface 423 is located is bent away from the hinge 5. As shown in fig. 1, the fixing piece 52 of the hinge 5 has a circular shape at a portion connected to the hinge shaft 51, and the radial dimension of the circular area is larger than that of the hinge shaft 51. When the stopping portion 42 rotates to abut against the hinge 5, the convex surface 423 is in rolling contact with the outer surface of the circular area along with the rotation of the door 2, so that the second portion 422 is prevented from being stuck in the circular area, and the rotation of the door 2 is prevented from being influenced.

In other embodiments, if the distance between the second portion 422 and the fixing piece 52 in the thickness direction of the door 2 is sufficiently large, the second portion 422 may be flat, without being provided with a convex surface.

Wherein the stop mechanism 4 is integrally formed of plastic. That is, the fixing portion 41 and the stopper portion 42 are integrated.

Although the present invention is disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a box body (1);

a door (2) connected to the cabinet (1) by a hinge (5), the door (2) having an insulating material and a transverse end cap (3), the transverse end cap (3) having a first side (3a) facing the insulating material and a second side (3b) facing away from the insulating material;

the stop mechanism (4) comprises a fixing part (41) fixed on the second side (3b) and a stopping part (42) which is used for abutting against the hinge (5) when the door (2) is opened to a preset angle so as to prevent the door (2) from being opened continuously;

characterized in that the second side (3b) of the transverse end cap (3) has a recess (35) recessed towards the first side (3a), the fixing portion (41) being at least partially located in the recess (35) and in contact with at least one side wall (351, 352) of the recess (35), the stop portion (42) being connected to the fixing portion (41) and projecting outside the recess (35); the fixing part (41) comprises a bottom plate (411) parallel to the bottom wall of the groove (35) and a side plate (412) parallel to the side wall of the groove (35); the side plates (412) are in contact with corresponding side walls (351, 352) of the groove (35), the side plates and the stops being connected to different sides of the bottom plate;

the stopper portion (42) is plate-shaped and includes:

the first part (421) is connected with the fixing part (41), and the first part (421) is partially attached to the side wall of the groove (35) and extends out of the groove (35) along the height direction of the door (2);

and the second part (422) is connected with the part of the first part (421) extending out of the groove (35), and the second part (422) is positioned on one side, close to the hinge (5), of the first part (421) along the width direction of the door (2) and is used for abutting against the hinge (5).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the groove (35) has a first side wall (351) distant from the hinge (5) in a thickness direction of the door (2);

the groove (35) has a second side wall (352) distant from the hinge (5) in the width direction of the door (2);

the side plate (412) is in contact with at least one of the first side wall (351) and the second side wall (352).

3. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewalls (351, 352) are perpendicular to each other and connected to each other.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a rounded corner is formed between the side panel (412) and the bottom panel (411).

5. A refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that said bottom plate (411) is attached to the bottom wall of said recess (35).

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the stopper portion (42) is located on a side of the recess (35) adjacent to the hinge (5) in a thickness direction of the door (2) and contacts a side wall (356) of the recess (35) on a corresponding side.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stopper mechanism (4) is integrally molded from plastic.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion (41) is connected to the recess (35) by a screw (44);

the bottom wall of the groove (35) is provided with a fixing stud (353), the fixing stud (353) and the fixing part (41) are respectively provided with fixing holes (354 and 43) which are coaxial with each other, and the fixing stud and the fixing part are connected with the screw (44) through the fixing holes (354 and 43).

9. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fixing holes (354, 43) have smooth inner walls, and the screw (44) is a self-tapping screw.

10. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fixing stud (353) has one end flush with the bottom wall of the groove (35) and the other end extending outside the groove (35).

11. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 10, wherein a reinforcing rib (355) is attached to an outer circumferential surface of the fixing stud (353), and the reinforcing rib (355) is further attached to an outer surface of the groove (35).

12. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reinforcing ribs (355) are provided in plural number and uniformly distributed around the outer circumferential surface of the fixing stud (353).

13. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 11-12, wherein the fixing stud (353) and the reinforcing rib (355) are integrally formed with the groove (35).