CN108166875B

CN108166875B - Household appliance

Info

Publication number: CN108166875B
Application number: CN201711454074.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 熊卫华; 唐东伟; 仇灿华; 许平平
Original assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Washing Appliances Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Washing Appliances Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-12-28
Filing date: 2017-12-28
Publication date: 2023-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-28
Also published as: CN108166875A

Abstract

The invention discloses a household appliance which comprises a base, a hinge assembly and a balance assembly, wherein the hinge assembly is arranged on the base, a plurality of clamping positions with different distances from the hinge assembly are formed on the side face of the base, the balance assembly comprises an elastic piece and a fixing piece, the fixing piece is detachably clamped at one clamping position, and the elastic piece is connected with the fixing piece and the hinge assembly. According to the household appliance, the fixing sheets are clamped at different clamping positions to adjust the tightness of the elastic piece when the door body is opened, so that the balance assembly can adapt to door bodies with different weights, and the cost of the household appliance is reduced.

Description

Household appliance

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a household appliance.

Background

In the related art, when a door body of a home appliance, such as a dishwasher, is opened, it is necessary to balance the weight of the door body by a tension spring. However, the weights of the doors of different models are different, and the stretching forces of the required tension springs are also different, so that the tension springs or the machine body structure are required to be designed according to the doors of different models, and the cost of the household appliance is high.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide a home appliance.

The household appliance comprises a base, a hinge assembly and a balance assembly, wherein the hinge assembly is arranged on the base, a plurality of clamping positions with different distances from the hinge assembly are formed on the side face of the base, the balance assembly comprises an elastic piece and a fixing piece, the fixing piece is detachably clamped at one clamping position, and the elastic piece is connected with the fixing piece and the hinge assembly.

According to the household appliance, the fixing sheets are clamped at different clamping positions to adjust the tightness of the elastic piece when the door body is opened, so that the balance assembly can adapt to door bodies with different weights, and the cost of the household appliance is reduced.

In some embodiments, the side surface of the base is provided with a groove, the elastic element is accommodated in the groove, and the bottom surface of the groove is formed with the plurality of clamping positions.

In certain embodiments, the household appliance comprises a liner disposed on the base.

In some embodiments, the fixing piece includes a body and a connecting portion protruding from the body, the body is clamped at the clamping position, and the elastic piece is connected to the connecting portion.

In some embodiments, the connecting portion is provided with a connecting hole, the elastic member includes a spring portion and a connecting end connected to an end of the spring portion, the connecting end is in a hook shape, and the connecting end penetrates through the connecting hole and is hooked on the connecting portion.

In some embodiments, the body is provided with a through hole, the connecting portion is connected to two opposite side walls of the through hole, the transverse dimension of the through hole is larger than that of the connecting portion, and the through hole is communicated with the connecting hole.

In some embodiments, the hinge assembly includes a hinge body and a hinge bracket rotatably coupled to the hinge body, the hinge bracket mounted to the base, the hinge body for coupling to the door body.

In some embodiments, the hinge assembly includes a rotation shaft that passes through the hinge bracket and the hinge body.

In certain embodiments, the hinge assembly includes a friction plate disposed between the hinge body and the hinge bracket.

In some embodiments, the household appliance comprises two hinge assemblies and two balancing assemblies, and two opposite side surfaces of the base are respectively provided with one hinge assembly and one balancing assembly.

Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of embodiments of the invention.

Drawings

The foregoing and/or additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become apparent and may be better understood from the description of embodiments with reference to the following drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the home appliance at II in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial structural schematic view of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fixing piece of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of a hinge assembly and a balance assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an exploded schematic view of a hinge assembly of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of main reference numerals:

the household appliance 10, the base 12, the clamping position 121, the mounting groove 122, the groove 123, the projection 124, the hinge assembly 14, the hinge body 142, the hinge bracket 144, the limiting part 145, the rotating shaft 146, the friction plate 148, the balance assembly 16, the elastic part 161, the spring part 1612, the connecting end 1614, the fixing piece 162, the body 1622, the through hole 1623, the connecting part 1624, the connecting hole 1625, the liner 18 and the opening 182.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary only for explaining the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, are merely for convenience in describing the present invention and simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more, unless explicitly defined otherwise.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be mechanically connected, electrically connected or can be communicated with each other; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communicated with the inside of two elements or the interaction relationship of the two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

In the present invention, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include both the first and second features being in direct contact, as well as the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact with each other through additional features therebetween. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "over" and "on" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is less level than the second feature.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the invention. In order to simplify the present disclosure, components and arrangements of specific examples are described below. They are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples, which are for the purpose of brevity and clarity, and which do not themselves indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and/or arrangements discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the application of other processes and/or the use of other materials.

Referring to fig. 1-3, a household appliance 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base 12, a hinge assembly 14 and a balancing assembly 16, wherein the hinge assembly 14 is mounted on the base 12, a plurality of clamping positions 121 with different distances from the hinge assembly 14 are formed on a side surface of the base 12, the balancing assembly 16 includes an elastic member 161 and a fixing plate 162, the fixing plate 162 is detachably clamped at one of the clamping positions 121, and the elastic member 161 is connected with the fixing plate 162 and the hinge assembly 14.

According to the household appliance 10 provided by the embodiment of the invention, the fixing piece 162 is clamped at different clamping positions 121 to adjust the tightness of the elastic piece 161 when the door body is opened, so that the balance assembly 16 can adapt to door bodies with different weights, and the cost of the household appliance 10 is reduced.

The household appliance 10 may be an appliance having a door, such as a dishwasher, microwave oven, electric steamer, washing machine, etc. The door body is rotatably coupled to the base 12 by a hinge assembly 14. When the user uses the household appliance 10, if the door body needs to be replaced or the tensile force of the elastic member 161 becomes smaller due to long-term use, the tensile force of the elastic member 161 can be adjusted by replacing the clamping position 121 of the fixing piece 162.

Specifically, the sides of the base 12 are formed with recessed mounting slots 122, and the hinge assembly 14 is partially mounted within the mounting slots 122. The mounting slot 122 is sized and shaped to correspond to the shape of the hinge assembly 14. In this manner, hinge assembly 14 may be stably mounted within mounting slot 122, making the door more stable during opening and closing.

In one example, the elastic member 161 is a tension spring, and it is understood that in other examples, the elastic member 161 may be other elastic members 161 that meet the elastic requirement.

In some embodiments, the side surface of the base 12 is provided with a groove 123, the elastic member 161 is accommodated in the groove 123, and a plurality of clamping positions 121 are formed on the bottom surface of the groove 123.

In this way, the elastic member 161 is prevented from protruding from the side of the base 12, resulting in an increase in the volume of the home appliance 10. Meanwhile, the groove 123 can guide the expansion and contraction of the elastic member 161, and the movement stability of the elastic member 161 is improved.

Specifically, the groove 123 communicates with the mounting groove 122. In this way, the elastic member 161 and the hinge assembly 14 can be connected at the concave part of the side surface of the base 12, so that the elastic member 161 and the hinge assembly 14 can be protected, and the connection between the elastic member 161 and the hinge assembly 14 is more stable; on the other hand, space can be saved, which contributes to the reduction of the volume of the household appliance 10.

The latching 121 may be implemented by providing a protrusion 124 protruding from the inner surface of the recess 123. When the clamping position 121 clamped by the fixing piece 162 needs to be adjusted, the fixing piece 162 is translated out of the groove 123, taken out of the opening of the groove 123 and clamped into the other clamping position 121 from the opening of the groove 123. The process of replacing the clamping position 121 is convenient, so that the assembly efficiency is improved, and the production cost is reduced.

In certain embodiments, the household appliance 10 includes a liner 18, the liner 18 being disposed on the base 12.

In this way, the articles to be treated can be placed in the inner container 18 for treatment, thereby realizing the function of the household appliance 10. For example, when the household appliance 10 is a dishwasher, the articles to be washed may be placed into the inner container 18 for washing; when the household appliance 10 is a microwave oven or an electric oven, the food to be heated can be placed into the inner container 18 for heating.

Specifically, the liner 18 defines an opening 182, and the hinge assembly 14 is disposed on the base 12 proximate the opening 182. When the door is rotatably coupled to the base 12 by the hinge assembly 14, the door can rotate relative to the base 12 and open and close the opening 182. In this way, the household appliance 10 forming the pull-down door body can increase the operation space in the horizontal direction relative to the side pull door body, and is convenient for a user to put articles into the inner container 18 or take articles out from the inner container 18.

Referring to fig. 4, in some embodiments, the fixing piece 162 includes a main body 1622 and a connecting portion 1624 protruding from the main body 1622, the main body 1622 is clamped in the clamping position 121, and the elastic member 161 is connected to the connecting portion 1624.

Thus, the fixing piece 162 has a more reasonable structure, so that the elastic member 161 and the fixing piece 162 can be well connected.

Specifically, the body 1622 is sheet-shaped, the edge of the sheet-shaped body 1622 is clamped in the clamping position 121, and the connecting portion 1624 is arranged at the middle part of the sheet-shaped body 1622. In this way, the body 1622 is uniformly stressed, extending the service life of the balance assembly 16.

Preferably, the fixing piece 162 is made of metal, such as stainless steel, and the body 1622 and the connecting portion 1624 are integrally formed. This can increase the strength of the fixing piece 162, making the fixing piece 162 more durable.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the connecting portion 1624 is provided with a connecting hole 1625, the elastic member 161 includes a spring portion 1612 and a connecting end 1614 connected to an end of the spring portion 1612, the connecting end 1614 is in a hook shape, and the connecting end 1614 is inserted through the connecting hole 1625 and hooked on the connecting portion 1624.

Thus, the elastic member 161 can be more conveniently and rapidly connected with the fixing piece 162.

Specifically, the spring portion 1612 and the connecting end 1614 are formed by bending a single wire. In this way, the elastic member 161 is more stable and reliable.

The size of the connecting hole 1625 corresponds to the cross-sectional size of the connecting end 1614, so that the connecting end 1614 is prevented from shaking when the connecting end 1614 is inserted into the connecting hole 1625 and hooked on the connecting portion 1624, and the connecting end 1614 is prevented from being separated from the connecting hole 1625.

In some embodiments, the body 1622 is provided with a through hole 1623, the connecting portion 1624 is connected to two opposite side walls of the through hole 1623, the lateral dimension D1 of the through hole 1623 is greater than the lateral dimension D2 of the connecting portion 1624, and the through hole 1623 communicates with the connecting hole 1625.

In this way, the connection end 1614 is conveniently passed through the connection hole 1625 and hooked at the connection part 1624, contributing to an improvement in the assembly efficiency of the home appliance 10, thereby reducing the production cost.

It can be appreciated that when the connection end 1614 passes through the connection hole 1625, the connection end 1614 can pass through the through hole 1623 and the connection hole 1625 from one side of the connection portion 1624 and then pass out to the other end of the connection portion 1624, which is equivalent to increasing the size of the connection hole 1625, so that the connection end 1614 passes through the connection hole 1625 more simply.

In some embodiments, hinge assembly 14 includes a hinge body 142 and a hinge bracket 144, hinge body 142 and hinge bracket 144 rotatably coupled, hinge bracket 144 mounted to base 12, and hinge body 142 for coupling to a door.

In this manner, the door is rotatably coupled with respect to the base 12 due to the rotatable coupling of the hinge body 142 and the hinge bracket 144.

Specifically, a limiting portion 145 is formed at the top of the hinge bracket 144, and the limiting portion 145 is used to limit the maximum rotation angle of the hinge body 142 with respect to the hinge bracket 144. In the embodiment of the invention, the maximum rotation angle is 90 degrees. When the hinge body 142 is rotated to 90 degrees with respect to the hinge bracket 144, the door body is rotated to be parallel to the horizontal plane. In this way, the door is prevented from tilting downward relative to the horizontal plane, which would cause difficulty in closing the door by the user, due to an excessive angle of rotation of the door relative to the base 12.

In some embodiments, hinge assembly 14 includes a pivot shaft 146, and pivot shaft 146 extends through hinge bracket 144 and hinge body 142.

In this way, a rotational connection of the hinge body 142 and the hinge bracket 144 is achieved.

Specifically, when the fixing piece 162 is clamped in the clamping position 121, the elastic piece 161 can be in a pre-tensioned state, when the door rotates relative to the base 12, for example, in the process of opening or closing the door, the elastic piece 161 tightens the hinge body 142, and the rotating shaft 146 penetrates through the hinge body 142, so that the pressure between the hinge body 142 and the rotating shaft 146 can be increased, the friction force between the hinge body 142 and the rotating shaft 146 is increased, the friction force born by the hinge body 142 is opposite to the rotation direction of the hinge body 142, the hinge body 142 rotates more stably, the phenomenon that the door falls too fast due to the overlarge weight of the door when the door rotates along with the hinge body 142 is effectively avoided, the door can be kept stable when rotating, and the door can stay in an intermediate position between the opened state and the closed state.

Further, the balancing assembly 16 further includes a connecting member 164, the connecting member 164 connects the elastic member 161 and the hinge body 142, the connecting member 164 includes a straight section 1642 and a turning section 1644, the turning section 1644 is curved to be arc-shaped, the turning section 1644 is connected to the hinge body 142, the straight section 1642 is connected to the elastic member 161, and a tangential direction of an end of the turning section 1644 near the hinge body 142 is near to a vertical direction. In this way, the direction of the tensile force applied to the hinge body 142 by the elastic member 161 can be changed to be close to the vertical direction, one end of the hinge body 142 connected with the connecting member 164 is always subjected to a substantially vertical downward tensile force, the door body is connected to one side of the hinge body 142 far away from the connecting member 164, when the door body rotates, the hinge body 142 rotates around the rotating shaft 146, the hinge body 142 forms a lever structure taking the rotating shaft 146 as a fulcrum, and one end of the hinge body 142 connected with the connecting member 164 applies an upward acting force to the door body, so as to balance the gravity of the door body, thereby helping to avoid the door body from falling too fast when the user operates the door body to rotate downwards, and helping to save more effort when the user operates the door body to rotate upwards.

In the embodiment of the present invention, one end of the hinge body 142 connected to the connecting member 164 is hooked, and the hinge body 142 hooks the end of the turn section 1644. The connecting member 164 is, for example, a deformable metal sheet. The counterbalance assembly 16 also includes an arcuate section 166, with the connector 164 being deflected by an outer side of the arcuate section 166. The outer side of the arc-shaped portion 166 is arc-shaped, and is provided with an arc-shaped accommodating groove 167, and the connecting piece 164 is accommodated in the accommodating groove 167, so that the connecting piece 164 is more stable when moving, and is not easy to deviate from the expansion and contraction direction of the elastic piece 161.

The arcuate outer side of the arcuate portion 166 contacts the connector 164, and friction is provided between the arcuate portion 166 and the connector 164 as the door rotates, thereby helping to maintain stability as the door rotates.

In certain embodiments, hinge assembly 14 includes a friction plate 148, friction plate 148 disposed between hinge body 142 and hinge bracket 144.

In this way, the friction force applied to the hinge body 142 is increased to balance the gravity of the door body, so that the door body is more stable in the opening and closing process.

Specifically, opposite surfaces of the friction plate 148 are respectively in contact with the hinge bracket 144 and the hinge body 142, so that both the hinge bracket 144 and the hinge body 142 are rubbed by the friction plate 148, so that when the hinge body 142 rotates relative to the hinge bracket 144, the friction force to be overcome is increased, thereby balancing the door body better when the door body rotates, and helping to stay at any position between the opened and closed states.

In some embodiments, the household appliance 10 includes two hinge assemblies 14 and two balancing assemblies 16, and two opposite sides of the base 12 are respectively provided with one hinge assembly 14 and one balancing assembly 16.

In this way, the door is balanced when rotated relative to the base 12.

Specifically, both sides of the door body are respectively connected to one hinge body 142. The two balance assemblies 16 and the two hinge assemblies 14 are configured and dimensioned to be identical such that the door is forced to be identical on both sides when the door is rotated relative to the base 12.

In the description of the present specification, reference to the terms "certain embodiments," "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "an exemplary embodiment," "an example," "a particular example," or "some examples" means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one feature. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, unless specifically defined otherwise.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and not to be construed as limiting the invention, and that variations, modifications, alternatives and variations may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. The household appliance is characterized by comprising a base, a hinge assembly and a balance assembly, wherein the hinge assembly is arranged on the base, a plurality of clamping positions with different distances from the hinge assembly are formed on the side surface of the base, the balance assembly comprises an elastic piece and a fixing piece, the fixing piece is detachably clamped at one clamping position, and the elastic piece is connected with the fixing piece and the hinge assembly;

the side surface of the base is provided with a groove, the elastic piece is accommodated in the groove, and the bottom surface of the groove is provided with a plurality of clamping positions;

the clamping position is provided with a protruding block protruding out of the inner surface of the groove, and the fixing piece can translate outwards of the groove, is taken out of the opening of the groove and is clamped into the other clamping position from the opening of the groove.

2. The household appliance of claim 1, wherein the household appliance comprises a liner disposed on the base.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the fixing piece comprises a body and a connecting portion protruding out of the body, the body is clamped at the clamping position, and the elastic piece is connected with the connecting portion.

4. A household appliance as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connection part is provided with a connection hole, the elastic member comprises a spring part and a connection end connected to the end of the spring part, the connection end is in a hook shape, and the connection end penetrates through the connection hole and is hooked on the connection part.

5. The household appliance according to claim 4, wherein the body is provided with a through hole, the connecting portion is connected to two opposite side walls of the through hole, the transverse dimension of the through hole is larger than that of the connecting portion, and the through hole is communicated with the connecting hole.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a hinge body and a hinge bracket, the hinge body and the hinge bracket are rotatably connected, the hinge bracket is mounted on the base, and the hinge body is used for connecting a door body.

7. The household appliance of claim 6, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a rotating shaft that passes through the hinge bracket and the hinge body.

8. The household appliance of claim 7, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a friction plate disposed between the hinge body and the hinge bracket.

9. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the household appliance comprises two hinge assemblies and two balancing assemblies, and two opposite side surfaces of the base are respectively provided with one hinge assembly and one balancing assembly.