CN114961482A

CN114961482A - Hinge assembly with multiple switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with hinge assembly

Info

Publication number: CN114961482A
Application number: CN202110216911.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 赵弇锋; 夏恩品; 王常志; 李康
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-26
Filing date: 2021-02-26
Publication date: 2022-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-26
Also published as: CN114961482B

Abstract

The invention discloses a hinge assembly with a plurality of switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with the hinge assembly.

Description

Hinge assembly with multiple switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with hinge assembly

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a hinge assembly with a plurality of switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with the same.

Background

Generally, a refrigerator body and a door body of the refrigeration equipment are moved relatively by a hinge assembly.

The hinge assembly in the prior art is exposed to the outside and is easily polluted by external impurities, and the appearance of the whole refrigeration equipment is poor and the user experience is poor due to the exposure of the hinge assembly.

In view of the above, there is a need for an improved hinge assembly to solve the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a hinge assembly with a plurality of switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with the hinge assembly.

In order to achieve one of the above objects, an embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge assembly with a plurality of switching members, including a first hinge member disposed on a box body, a second hinge member disposed on a door body, and a switching assembly connecting the first hinge member and the second hinge member, where the switching assembly is formed by stacking a plurality of switching members along a first direction, and when the switching assembly is in a closed state, outer edges of the plurality of switching members exposed outside are flush, and the first direction is a stacking direction of the first hinge member, the switching assembly, and the second hinge member.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, an outer contour formed by the plurality of switching members is a rectangular frame structure.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the hinge assembly further includes a cover plate located on a side of the switching assembly close to the second hinge member, and an outer edge of the cover plate is flush with an outer edge of the plurality of switching members exposed outside when the switching assembly is in the closed state.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the cover plate is connected to the switching assembly.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the switching component includes a first slide plate group and a second slide plate group stacked in the first direction, and when the switching component is in a closed state, outer edges of the first slide plate group and the second slide plate group are flush.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the switching member includes a first lining, a first slide, an intermediate lining, a second slide, and a second lining in this order in a direction in which the first hinge member faces the second hinge member, and outer edges of the first lining, the first slide, the intermediate lining, and the second slide are flush when the switching member is in the closed state.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first lining, the first vane, and the intermediate lining are stacked in this order to form the first vane group, and the second vane and the second lining are stacked to form the second vane group.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the switching component is movably connected to the first hinge member and the second hinge member, when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, the second hinge member and the switching component move together relative to the first hinge member, and then the switching component is stationary relative to the first hinge member, and the second hinge member moves relative to the switching component.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the first hinge element and the switching assembly are connected by a first shaft body group and a first slot body group which are matched with each other, the second hinge element and the switching assembly are connected by a second shaft body group and a second slot body group which are matched with each other, the hinge assembly further comprises a locking part, when the second hinge element is opened in a direction away from the first hinge element, the locking part locks the second hinge element so that the second hinge element and the switching assembly move together relative to the first hinge element, the first shaft body group moves in the first slot body group, and then the locking part locks the first hinge element and unlocks the second hinge element, the switching assembly is relatively static with the first hinge element, and the second hinge element moves relative to the switching assembly, the second shaft body group moves in the second groove body group.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the first shaft body group includes a first rotation shaft, the second shaft body group includes a second rotation shaft, and when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, the second hinge member and the switching unit rotate about the first rotation shaft as a center axis, and then the second hinge member rotates about the second rotation shaft as a center axis.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, when the first rotation axis is a central axis, the first rotation axis has a first distance from a front end surface of the housing, and when the second rotation axis is a central axis, the second rotation axis has a second distance from a front end surface of the housing, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, when the first rotation axis is a central axis, a third distance is provided between the first rotation axis and an outer side surface of the housing, and when the second rotation axis is a central axis, a fourth distance is provided between the second rotation axis and an outer side surface of the housing, and the fourth distance is smaller than the third distance.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the switching assembly includes a first slide plate group and a second slide plate group stacked in the first direction, the switching assembly locks the second hinge member when the hinge assembly is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle, the first slide plate group, the second slide plate group and the second hinge member are relatively stationary and move together relative to the first hinge member, the first slide plate group moves relative to the second slide plate group to lock the first hinge member and unlock the second hinge member when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle to the second opening angle, the first hinge member, the first slide plate group and the second slide plate group are relatively stationary when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle to the maximum opening angle, the second hinge member moves relative to the switch assembly.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the first hinge element and the switching assembly are connected by a first shaft group and a first groove group which are matched with each other, and the second hinge element and the switching assembly are connected by a second shaft group and a second groove group which are matched with each other.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the first shaft group includes a first shaft and a second shaft, the first groove group includes a first groove matched with the first shaft and a second groove matched with the second shaft, the second shaft group includes a third shaft and a fourth shaft, the second groove group includes a third groove matched with the third shaft and a fourth groove matched with the fourth shaft, the first hinge element includes the first shaft and the second shaft, the second hinge element includes the third groove and the fourth groove, and the switching element includes the first groove, the second groove, the third shaft and the fourth shaft.

As a further improvement of the first embodiment of the present invention, the first slot includes a first upper slot located in the first slide plate group and a first lower slot located in the second slide plate group, the first upper slot includes a first upper free section, the first lower slot includes a first lower free section, the second slot includes a second upper slot located in the first slide plate group and a second lower slot located in the second slide plate group, the second upper slot includes a second upper free section, the second lower slot includes a second lower free section, the third slot includes a third free section, the fourth slot includes a fourth free section, the first slot includes a locking section, the second slot includes a limiting section, when the hinge assembly is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle, the first slide plate group and the second slide plate group are relatively stationary, the first upper free section and the first lower free section are overlapped to form a first free section, the second upper free section and the second lower free section are overlapped to form a second free section, the first shaft body moves in the first free section, the second shaft body moves in the second free section, the third shaft body and/or the fourth shaft body is/are limited at the limit section so that the switching component limits the second hinge piece, when the hinge component is in the process of continuously opening from a first opening angle to a second opening angle, the first sliding vane group and the second sliding vane group move relatively to enable the second hinge piece to be separated from the limit of the switching component, and the first shaft body and/or the second shaft body is limited at the locking section so that the switching component limits the first hinge piece, when the hinge component is in the process of continuously opening from the second opening angle to a maximum opening angle, the third shaft body moves at the third free section, and the fourth shaft body moves at the fourth free section.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the locking section includes a first upper locking section located on the first upper tank body, a first lower locking section located on the first lower tank body, a second upper locking section located on the second upper tank body, and a second lower locking section located on the second lower tank body, the limiting section includes a fourth limiting section located on the fourth tank body, when the hinge assembly is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle, the fourth shaft body is limited on the fourth limiting section, when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuously opening from the first opening angle to the second opening angle, the first shaft body is simultaneously limited on the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section, the second shaft body is simultaneously limited on the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section, and the fourth shaft body is separated from the fourth limiting section.

As a further improvement of the first embodiment of the present invention, the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section are always offset from each other, and the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section are always offset from each other.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, the first slide group includes the third shaft extending to the third tank, and the second slide group includes the fourth shaft extending to the fourth tank.

In order to achieve one of the above objects, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigeration apparatus, including a box body, a door body, and a hinge assembly connecting the box body and the door body, where the hinge assembly is the hinge assembly according to any one of the above technical solutions.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the box body includes a receiving chamber and a pivoting side connected to the hinge assembly, and when the door body is in an opening process, the hinge assembly at least drives the door body to move from the pivoting side towards the receiving chamber.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that: according to the switching piece, the plurality of switching pieces are exposed outside, the outer edges of the switching pieces are flush, and the attractiveness of the periphery of the switching assembly can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in a closed state according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a closed condition;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a first exploded condition;

fig. 4 is a schematic view of a fully inserted state of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a second exploded condition;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a third exploded condition;

fig. 7 is a plan view of the refrigerator in a closed state according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a closed condition;

FIG. 9 is a top cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a closed condition;

FIG. 10 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention in a closed condition;

fig. 11 is a plan view of the refrigerator in a first intermediate opening angle according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a first intermediate opening angle;

FIG. 13 is a top cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a first intermediate opening angle;

FIG. 14 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a first intermediate opening angle;

fig. 15 is a plan view of the refrigerator in a second intermediate opening angle according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a second intermediate opening angle;

FIG. 17 is a top cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a second intermediate opening angle;

FIG. 18 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a second intermediate opening angle;

fig. 19 is a plan view of the refrigerator in the first opening angle according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a first open angle;

FIG. 21 is a top cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a first open angle;

FIG. 22 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a first open angle;

fig. 23 is a plan view of the refrigerator in the second opening angle according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a second open angle;

FIG. 25 is a top cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a second open angle;

FIG. 26 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a second opening angle;

fig. 27 is a plan view of the refrigerator in the maximum opening angle according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a maximum opening angle;

FIG. 29 is a top cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a maximum opening angle;

FIG. 30 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention at a maximum opening angle;

fig. 31 to 33 are schematic views of a hinge assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention, and structural, methodological, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art according to these embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention.

In the various drawings of the present invention, some dimensions of structures or portions are exaggerated relative to other structures or portions for convenience of illustration, and thus, are used only to illustrate the basic structure of the subject matter of the present invention.

Also, terms such as "upper," "above," "lower," "below," "left," "right," and the like, used herein to denote relative spatial positions, are used for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative positional terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Referring to fig. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of a refrigeration apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The refrigeration apparatus 100 includes a cabinet 10, a door 20, and a hinge assembly 30 connecting the cabinet 10 and the door 20.

The refrigeration apparatus 100 may be a refrigerator, a freezer, a wine cabinet, etc., and the refrigeration apparatus 100 is taken as the refrigerator as an example.

In addition, the hinge assembly 30 is not only applicable to the refrigeration apparatus 100, but also applicable to other occasions, such as a cabinet, a wardrobe, etc., and the present invention is exemplified by the hinge assembly 30 applied to the refrigerator 100, but not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, a hinge assembly 30 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown.

The hinge assembly 30 includes a first hinge 31 provided to the cabinet 10, a second hinge 32 provided to the door 20, and a switching assembly 40 connecting the first hinge 31 and the second hinge 32.

Here, the "first hinge 31 provided in the case 10" means that the first hinge 31 is connected to the case 10, and the first hinge 31 may be a separate member attached to the case 10 or a member directly integrally formed on the case 10.

Similarly, the phrase "the second hinge piece 32 provided to the door body 20" means that the second hinge piece 32 is connected to the door body 20, and the second hinge piece 32 may be an independent component attached to the door body 20 or a component directly integrally molded with the door body 20.

The switching component 40 is positioned between the first hinge part 31 and the second hinge part 32, the first hinge part 31 and the switching component 40 can interact, the second hinge part 32 and the switching component 40 can interact, and the switching component 40 is used for controlling the working sequence of the first hinge part 31 and the second hinge part 32.

Specifically, the switching assembly 40 is movably connected to the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, when the second hinge member 32 is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member 31, the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 move together relative to the first hinge member 31, and then the switching assembly 40 is stationary relative to the first hinge member 31, and the second hinge member 32 moves relative to the switching assembly 40.

Here, "the second hinge member 32 is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member 31" means that the second hinge member 32 is applied in a direction to drive the second hinge member 32 to move in a direction away from the first hinge member 31, i.e., corresponding to an opening process of the hinge assembly 30.

It can be understood that, when the hinge assembly 30 is mounted to the refrigerator 100, the opening process of the hinge assembly 30 corresponds to the opening process of the door 20.

In the present embodiment, the switching assembly 40 controls the switching operation between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, that is, the switching assembly 40 controls the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40 to move relatively, and then controls the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 to move relatively, in the present embodiment, the opening and closing process of the door 20 is controlled by controlling the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 to work relatively to the switching assembly 40 in turn, so that the degree of freedom of the opening and closing process of the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 can be improved.

It is understood that the switching assembly 40 can realize the switching operation between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 by a mechanical structure, an electric control, or the like.

In the present embodiment, the switching assembly 40 controls the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 to sequentially operate in a first order when the hinge assembly 30 is in the opening process, and controls the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 to sequentially operate in a second order when the hinge assembly 30 is in the closing process, the first order being opposite to the second order.

Here, the "first order" and the "second order" refer to a sequential operation order between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32.

The embodiment can effectively control the working sequence between the first hinge 31 and the second hinge 32 through the action of the switching assembly 40, avoid the mutual interference between the door body 20 and the cabinet in the opening and closing process due to the disordered sequence between the first hinge 31 and the second hinge 32, and is suitable for the field of embedded refrigerators.

In the present embodiment, when the door 20 is in the opening process, at least a portion of the hinge assembly 30 moves relative to the cabinet 10 and the door 20.

Here, the phrase "at least a portion of the hinge assembly 30 moves relative to the body 10 and the door 20" means that at least a portion of the hinge assembly 30 moves relative to the body 10 and the door 20 at the same time, that is, at least a portion of the hinge assembly 30 is interposed between the body 10 and the door 20 rather than being completely embedded in the body 10 or the door 20.

Generally, in the existing refrigerator structure, the hinge assembly is usually embedded in the refrigerator body and the door body, that is, the hinge assembly is relatively static with respect to the refrigerator body or the door body, so that the movement track of the door body 20 is greatly limited.

At least part of the hinge assembly 30 of the present embodiment moves relative to the refrigerator body 10 and the door 20, so that the degree of freedom of the opening and closing process of the door 20 can be effectively improved, and the movement track of the door 20 can be effectively controlled, so as to adapt to various application scenarios of the refrigerator 100.

In this embodiment, the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40 are connected by the first shaft sets 311 and 312 and the first slot sets 411 and 412 which are matched with each other, the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 are connected by the second shaft sets 321 and 322 and the second slot sets 421 and 422 which are matched with each other, the hinge assembly 40 further includes a locking portion, when the second hinge member 32 is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member 31, the locking portion locks the second hinge member 32 so that the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 move together relative to the first hinge member 31, the first shaft sets 311 and 312 move in the first slot sets 411 and 412, and then the locking portion locks the first hinge member 31 and unlocks the second hinge member 32, the switching assembly 40 and the first hinge member 31 are relatively stationary, the second hinge member 32 moves relative to the switching assembly 40, and the second shaft sets 321 and 322 move in the second slot sets 421 and 421, 422.

That is, in the present embodiment, the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 are coupled to the switching unit 40 by the shaft and the groove to perform relative movement, and the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 are locked and unlocked by the locking portion, so that the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 can be sequentially operated, but in other embodiments, the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 may be coupled to the switching unit 40 by another structure.

Specifically, in the opening process of the refrigerator 100, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α 1, the locking portion locks the second hinge member 32, the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 move together relative to the first hinge member 31, the

first shaft groups

311 and 312 move in the first

slot body groups

411 and 412, when the door 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle α 1 to the second opening angle α 2, the locking portion locks the first hinge member 31 and unlocks the second hinge member 32, and when the door 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle α 2 to the maximum opening angle α 3, the switching assembly 40 and the first hinge member 31 are relatively stationary, the second hinge member 32 moves relative to the switching assembly 40, and the

second shaft groups

321 and 322 move in the second

slot body groups

421 and 422.

The present embodiment can effectively control the motion trajectory of the door 20 by providing the switching assembly 40, and particularly, the hinge assembly 30 of the present embodiment is suitable for an embedded application scenario.

Referring to fig. 4, a simple schematic view in which the hinge assembly 30 is assembled to the refrigerator 100 and the refrigerator 100 is embedded in the cabinet 200 will be described as an example.

The box 10 includes an opening 102 and a front end surface 103 surrounding the opening 102, the box 10 further includes an accommodating chamber D and an outer side surface 13 adjacent to the hinge assembly 30 and on an extension section of a rotation path of the door 20, the door 20 includes a front wall 21 far away from the accommodating chamber D and a side wall 22 always sandwiched between the front wall 21 and the accommodating chamber D, and a side edge 23 is provided between the front wall 21 and the side wall 22.

The first shaft sets 311 and 312 include first rotating shafts 311, the second shaft sets 321 and 322 include second rotating shafts 321, when the second hinge element 32 is opened in a direction away from the first hinge element 31, the second hinge element 32 and the switching assembly 40 rotate around the first rotating shafts 311, and then the second hinge element 32 rotates around the second rotating shafts 321.

Here, the "rotation axis" is defined as a central axis corresponding to the rotation of the door 20, that is, the door 20 rotates around the rotation axis to open, and the rotation axis may be a fixed axis during the opening of the door 20 or a variable axis during the opening of the door 20.

Specifically, in the opening process of the refrigerator 100, when the door 20 is in the closed state and is opened to the first opening angle α 1, the door 20 rotates around the first rotating shaft 311 as a central axis, and when the door 20 is continuously opened from the second opening angle α 2 to the maximum opening angle α 3, the door 20 rotates around the second rotating shaft 321 as an axis.

Here, when the first rotation shaft 311 is a central axis, the first rotation shaft 311 has a first distance from the front end surface 103 of the housing 10, and when the second rotation shaft 321 is a central axis, the second rotation shaft 321 has a second distance from the front end surface 103 of the housing 10, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

When the first rotation shaft 311 is a central axis, the first rotation shaft 311 has a third distance from the outer side surface 13 of the housing 10, and when the second rotation shaft 321 is a central axis, the second rotation shaft 321 has a fourth distance from the outer side surface 13 of the housing 10, the fourth distance being smaller than the third distance.

The concrete description is as follows:

in some movement trajectories of the refrigerator 100, the first rotating shaft 311 and the second rotating shaft 321 move relative to the door body 20, or the hinge assembly 30 further includes other shafts matching the first rotating shaft 311 and the second rotating shaft 321, and for simplicity of description, it is simply regarded that the door body 20 firstly rotates around the first rotating shaft 311, and then is switched to rotate around the second rotating shaft 321 through the switching assembly 40.

In practice, in order to improve the insertion effect, it is preferable that the refrigerator 100 is completely inserted into the cabinet 200, and the refrigerator 100 is a free-insertion type refrigerator, that is, the front end 201 of the cabinet 200 is located on the same plane with the front wall 21 of the door 20 far from the cabinet 10, or the front wall 21 of the door 20 does not protrude out of the front end 201 of the cabinet 200 at all.

In the prior art, all refrigerators are single-shaft refrigerators, and a certain distance needs to be kept between a rotating shaft of the refrigerator and the side wall and the front wall of the refrigerator, so that enough space can be provided for satisfying foaming or other processes, that is, the rotational shaft position of the conventional refrigerator is approximately at the first rotational shaft 311 position in fig 4, in this case, after the single-axis refrigerator is inserted into the cabinet 200, since the corner 203 of the cabinet 200 between the front end 201 and the inner wall 202 is disposed corresponding to the side edge 23 of the door body 20, when the door 20 is opened, the side edge 23 interferes with the door 20 to limit the maximum opening angle of the door 20, in order to ensure the normal opening of the door 20, the prior art generally increases the distance between the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 and the refrigerator 100, this spacing needs to be roughly around 10cm, which would seriously affect the embedding effect and would be detrimental to the rational use of limited space.

Referring to fig. 4, a shaded area represents the door 20 in a closed state, when the door 20 is in an opening process, if the door 20 always rotates around the first rotation axis 311 (i.e. the prior art), referring to the dashed door 20 'in fig. 4, since the first rotation axis 311 is close to the front end surface 103, that is, the first axis 311 is far away from the front end 201 of the cabinet 200, after the door 20' is opened to a certain angle, the edge 203 of the cabinet 200 interferes with the door 20 'to limit the maximum opening angle of the door 20'.

In the present embodiment, the second rotating shaft 321 is located on the switching assembly 40, and in the opening process of the door 20, the switching assembly 40 moves relative to the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 to make the second rotating shaft 321 gradually far away from the front end surface 103, that is, the second rotating shaft 321 gradually moves toward the direction close to the front end 201 of the cabinet 200, that is, the whole door 20 moves toward the direction far away from the box 10, referring to the door solid line 20 in fig. 4, the interference effect of the corner 203 of the cabinet 200 on the door 20 is greatly reduced, and the corner 203 of the cabinet 200 interferes with each other when the door 20 is opened to a larger angle, so that the maximum opening angle of the door 20 is greatly increased.

That is to say, in the embodiment, the switching component 40 functions to enable the door 20 to rotate around the second rotation axis 321, so that the maximum opening angle of the door 20 can be effectively increased on the premise that the refrigerator 100 is freely embedded into the cabinet 200, the refrigerator 100 can be conveniently operated by a user, and the user experience can be greatly improved.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the distance between the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 and the refrigerator 100 does not need to be increased, and the refrigerator 100 and the cabinet 200 can be seamlessly connected, thereby greatly improving the embedding effect.

In addition, the switching component 40 of the present embodiment drives the second rotating shaft 321 to gradually move toward the front end 201 of the cabinet 200, and simultaneously drives the second rotating shaft 321 to gradually approach the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200, that is, when the door body 20 rotates around the second rotating shaft 321 as an axis, the second rotating shaft 321 is closer to the front end 201 and the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 than the first rotating shaft 311, so that the maximum opening angle of the door body 20 can be increased, and the opening degree of the door body 20 can be increased by moving the door body 20 away from the cabinet 10, thereby facilitating opening and closing of racks, drawers, and the like in the cabinet 10, or facilitating taking and placing of articles.

Of course, the second rotating shaft 321, which is finally used as a rotating shaft, may be located at other positions, for example, when the door 20 rotates around the second rotating shaft 321, the second rotating shaft 321 is closer to the front end 201 of the cabinet 200 than the first rotating shaft 311, and the second rotating shaft 321 is farther away from the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 than the first rotating shaft 311.

It can be understood that, the switching assembly 40 controls the switching sequence of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 during the opening and closing processes of the door 20, so as to effectively prevent the door 20 from interfering with the cabinet 200 during the opening and closing processes.

The specific design of the hinge assembly 30 of the present embodiment may be referred to the following examples, it being understood that the following are merely illustrative examples, and in other embodiments, the hinge assembly 30 may be of other configurations.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the switching assembly 40 includes a first slide plate set 401 and a second slide plate set 402 stacked in a first direction, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α 1, the switching assembly 40 locks the second hinge member 32, the first slide plate set 401, the second slide plate set 402 and the second hinge member 32 are relatively stationary and move together relative to the first hinge member 31, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle α 1 to the second opening angle α 2, the first slide plate set 401 moves relative to the second slide plate set 402 to lock the first hinge member 31 and unlock the second hinge member 32, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle α 2 to the maximum opening angle α 3, the first hinge member 31, the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are relatively stationary, the second hinge member 32 moves relative to the switching assembly 40, the first direction is a stacking direction of the first hinge member 31, the switching member 40, and the second hinge member 32.

It can be understood that when the hinge assembly 30 is mounted to the refrigerator 100, the opening angle of the hinge assembly 30 corresponds to the opening angle of the door 20.

Specifically, the first hinge element 31 is connected to the switching assembly 40 through the

first shaft assemblies

311 and 312 and the

first slot assemblies

411 and 412 which are matched with each other, and the second hinge element 32 is connected to the switching assembly 40 through the

second shaft assemblies

321 and 322 and the

second slot assemblies

421 and 422 which are matched with each other.

The first shaft set 311, 312 includes a first shaft 311 and a second shaft 312, the first slot set 411, 412 includes a first slot 411 matched with the first shaft 311 and a second slot 412 matched with the second shaft 312, the second shaft set 321, 322 includes a third shaft 321 and a fourth shaft 322, the second slot set 421, 422 includes a third slot 421 matched with the third shaft 321 and a fourth slot 422 matched with the fourth shaft 322.

Here, the first shaft 311 is located at one of the first hinge 31 and the switching member 40, and the first slot 411 is located at the other of the first hinge 31 and the switching member 40.

The second shaft 312 is located on one of the first hinge 31 and the switching assembly 40, and the second slot 412 is located on the other of the first hinge 31 and the switching assembly 40.

The third shaft 321 is located on one of the second hinge 32 and the switching assembly 40, and the third slot 421 is located on the other of the second hinge 32 and the switching assembly 40.

The fourth shaft 322 is located at one of the second hinge 32 and the switch assembly 40, and the fourth slot 422 is located at the other of the second hinge 32 and the switch assembly 40.

That is, the distribution of the hinge assembly 30 may include various situations, and specifically, according to the present embodiment, the first hinge element 31 includes the first shaft 311 and the second shaft 312, the second hinge element 32 includes the third slot 421 and the fourth slot 422, and the switching assembly 40 includes the first slot 411, the second slot 412, the third shaft 321 and the fourth shaft 322 as an example.

It can be seen that the first hinge member 31 and the switching member 40 of the present embodiment are coupled to each other in a biaxial double-groove manner, and the second hinge member 32 and the switching member 40 are coupled to each other in a biaxial double-groove manner, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In other embodiments, a single-shaft single-groove fit may be included, for example, the first shaft assembly includes a first shaft, the first groove assembly includes a first groove that mates with the first shaft, and/or the second shaft assembly includes a third shaft, and the second groove assembly includes a third groove that mates with the third shaft.

Of course, the first hinge member 31 and the switching member 40 may be in a single-shaft single-groove fit form, and the second hinge member 32 and the switching member 40 may be in a double-shaft double-groove fit form, or the first hinge member 31 and the switching member 40 may be in a double-shaft double-groove fit form, and the second hinge member 32 and the switching member 40 may be in a single-shaft single-groove fit form, or of course, other numbers of shaft bodies and groove bodies may be in a fit form.

In the present embodiment, with reference to fig. 5 and fig. 6, the first slot 411 includes a first upper slot 413 located in the first slide plate set 401 and a first lower slot 414 located in the second slide plate set 402, the first upper slot 413 includes a first upper free section 4131, and the first lower slot 414 includes a first lower free section 4141.

The second slot 412 includes a second upper slot 415 located in the first slide stack 401 and a second lower slot 416 located in the second slide stack 402, the second upper slot 415 including a second upper free section 4151, and the second lower slot 416 including a second lower free section 4161.

Third slot 421 includes a third free segment 4211.

Fourth channel 422 includes a fourth free segment 4221.

The

first slot group

411, 412 includes locking

sections

4132, 4142, 4152, 4162, and the

second slot group

421, 422 includes a position-limiting section 4222.

The locking

sections

4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 comprise a first upper locking section 4132 located in the first upper slot 413, a first lower locking section 4142 located in the first lower slot 414, a second upper locking section 4152 located in the second upper slot 415, and a second lower locking section 4162 located in the second lower slot 416, and the retaining section 4222 comprises a fourth retaining section 4222 located in the fourth slot 422.

First upper locking section 4132 communicates with first upper free section 4131, first lower locking section 4142 communicates with second lower free section 4141, second upper locking section 4152 communicates with second upper free section 4151, and second lower locking section 4162 communicates with second lower free section 4161.

The first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142 are always offset from each other, and the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162 are always offset from each other.

Here, "constantly staggered from each other" means that the first upper locking stage 4132 and the first lower locking stage 4142 do not completely overlap each other and the second upper locking stage 4152 and the second lower locking stage 4162 do not completely overlap each other even when the door body 20 is opened.

Of course, the arrangement positions, the number and the like of the locking

segments

4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 and the position-limiting segment 4222 are not limited to the above description, for example, the third slot 421 may also include the position-limiting segment 4222, or the first upper slot 413 and the first lower slot 414 may not include the locking segments and the like.

In the present embodiment, the first slide group 401 is closer to the first hinge member 31 than the second slide group 402, that is, the first hinge member 31, the first slide group 401, the second slide group 402, and the second hinge member 32 are stacked in sequence.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the hinge assembly 30 further includes a first rivet tab 4111 and a second rivet tab 4121, when the first shaft 311 extends into the first slot 411, the first rivet tab 4111 is located below the second slide plate set 402 and is sleeved on the first shaft 311, so as to prevent the first shaft 311 from separating from the first slot 411, and similarly, when the second shaft 312 extends into the second slot 412, the second rivet tab 4121 is located below the second slide plate set 402 and is sleeved on the second shaft 312, so as to prevent the second shaft 312 from separating from the second slot 412.

The first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are coupled to each other through the fifth shaft 50.

Here, the first and

second vane groups

401 and 402 are provided with first and second through

holes

4014 and 4024, and an independent rivet is inserted as the fifth shaft body 50 through the first and second through

holes

4014 and 4024.

Specifically, the fifth shaft 50 includes a rivet post 51 and a rivet post gasket, the end of the rivet post 51 with a larger size is located below the second through hole 4024, the end of the rivet post 51 with a smaller size sequentially extends into the second through hole 4024 and the first through hole 4014, and the rivet post gasket is located above the first through hole 4014 and is matched with the rivet post 51 to lock the rivet post 51, which may be in other matching forms.

Thus, the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 can be connected with each other, that is, the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 can move relatively, and the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 cannot be separated from each other.

It should be noted that the first through hole 4014 and the second through hole 4024 are matched with the fifth shaft 50, and the first vane group 401 rotates in place relative to the second vane group 402.

In other embodiments, a through hole may be provided in one of the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402, and a fifth shaft 50 is provided in the other, so that the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 are coupled with each other by the cooperation of the fifth shaft 50 and the through hole, but not limited thereto.

In addition, the first vane group 401 includes a third shaft 321, the third shaft 321 extends to a third groove 421 beyond the second vane group 402, the second vane group 402 includes a fourth shaft 322, and the fourth shaft 322 extends to a fourth groove 422.

That is, the third shaft 321 and the fourth shaft 322 of the present embodiment are located in different sets of sliders, but not limited thereto.

Next, a specific operation flow of the hinge assembly 30 will be described.

Referring to fig. 7 to 22, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α 1, the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are relatively stationary, the first upper free section 4131 and the first lower free section 4141 are overlapped to form a first free section S1, the second upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 are overlapped to form a second free section S2, the first shaft body 311 moves in the first free section S1, the second shaft body 312 moves in the second free section S2, and the third shaft body 321 and/or the fourth shaft body 322 is/are limited by the limit section 4222, so that the switching assembly 40 limits the second hinge element 32.

Here, the phrase "the third shaft body 321 and/or the fourth shaft body 322 are limited in the limit section 4222" means that the third shaft body 321 is limited in the limit section 4222 (i.e., the limit section 4222 is located in the third groove 421) and the fourth shaft body 322 is not limited, or the third shaft body 321 is not limited and the fourth shaft body 322 is limited in the limit section 4222 (i.e., the limit section 4222 is located in the fourth groove 422), or both the third shaft body 321 and the fourth shaft body 322 are limited in the limit section 4222 (i.e., the limit section 4222 is located in both the third groove 421 and the fourth groove 422).

Specifically, the fourth shaft 322 is limited by the fourth limit section 4222, and the second hinge element 32 is in a locked state.

Here, since the first upper free segment 4131 and the first lower free segment 4141 are always recombined into the first free segment S1, and the second upper free segment 4151 and the second lower free segment 4161 are always recombined into the second free segment S2, that is, the motion trajectories of the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are completely the same, and the first shaft 311 moves in the first free segment S1, and the second shaft 312 moves in the second free segment S2, in the process, the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are not mutually staggered all the time, that is, the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are kept stationary relative to each other, so as to prevent the first upper free segment 4131 and the first lower free segment 4141 from being staggered, and to prevent the second upper free segment 4151 and the second lower free segment 4161 from being staggered each other, so as to ensure that the first shaft 311 moves smoothly in the first free segment S1, and the second shaft 312 moves smoothly in the second free segment S2.

Referring to fig. 23 to 26, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of continuously opening from the first opening angle α 1 to the second opening angle α 2, the first slide set 401 and the second slide set 402 move relatively to separate the second hinge element 32 from the limit of the switching assembly 40, and the first shaft 311 and/or the second shaft 312 are limited by the locking

sections

4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 to limit the first hinge element 31 by the switching assembly 40.

Here, "the first and second slide plate sets 401 and 402 move relatively to separate the second hinge element 32 from the position of the switching component 40, and the first and/or

second shaft bodies

311 and 312 are limited by the locking

sections

4132, 4142, 4152, and 4162 to limit the position of the switching component 40 on the first hinge element 31" means that there is no mutual limit between the switching component 40 and the second hinge element 32 due to the relative movement between the switching component 40 and the second hinge element 32, and there is no mutual limit between the switching component 40 and the second hinge element 32 due to the relative movement between the switching component 40 and the first hinge element 31 to limit the position of the switching component 40 and the first hinge element 31.

In one example, the first shaft 311 is simultaneously constrained by the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, the second shaft 312 is simultaneously constrained by the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, and the fourth shaft 322 is disengaged from the fourth constraining section 4222, as follows:

when the door 20 is opened to the first opening angle α 1, the second shaft 312 moves from the second free section S2 to the second lower locking section 4162 for limiting, at this time, the first shaft 311 and the second shaft 312 cannot move relative to the first free section S1 and the second free section S2 any more, and at this time, the first shaft 311 is adjacent to the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, the second shaft 312 is adjacent to the second upper locking section 4152, and the track of the first upper locking section 4132 and the track of the second upper locking section 4152 are adapted to the movement path of the first shaft 311 and the second shaft 312.

When the door 20 continues to be opened based on the first opening angle α 1, the door 20 drives the second hinge element 32 connected to the door 20 to move, the second hinge element 32 applies an acting force to the third shaft 321 and the fourth shaft 322 through the third free section 4211 and the fourth limiting section 4222, and the third shaft 321 and the fourth shaft 322 drive the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 to move.

Specifically, at this time, the first shaft 311 is adjacent to the first upper locking section 4132, the second shaft 312 is adjacent to the second upper locking section 4152, the first sliding plate set 401 can move by a first angle relative to the first shaft 311 and the second shaft 312 until the first shaft 311 is limited by the first upper locking section 4132 and the second shaft 312 is limited by the second upper locking section 4152, and meanwhile, the second sliding plate set 402 moves by a second angle relative to the first shaft 311 with the fifth shaft 50 as a center until the first shaft 311 is limited by the second locking section 4152, during this process, the second shaft 312 is always in contact with the second lower locking section 4162, and the second angle is greater than the first angle.

That is to say, the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 both rotate a certain angle, and the rotation angle of the second slide plate set 402 is greater than that of the first slide plate set 401, and the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 also generate relative motion to be staggered with each other.

It can be understood that the rotation processes of the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 are not in a certain sequence, and the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 may rotate simultaneously, for example, the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 rotate synchronously within a certain rotation angle range, and then the first slide plate group 401 and the second slide plate group 402 are staggered.

In practical operation, the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 drive the first slot 411 and the second slot 412 to rotate relative to the first shaft 311 and the second shaft 312, respectively, the first shaft 311 is separated from the first free section S1 and abuts against the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, that is, the first shaft 311 is simultaneously limited at the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, the second shaft 312 is separated from the second free section S2 and abuts against the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, that is, the second shaft 312 is simultaneously limited at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, and meanwhile, the movement of the second slide plate set 402 causes the fourth shaft 322 to be separated from the fourth limiting section 4222.

It can be understood that when the first shaft 311 is located at the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, since the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are staggered, the first upper free section 4131 and the first lower free section 4141 which are originally overlapped with each other are also staggered with each other, and at this time, the staggered first upper free section 4131 and the first lower free section 4141 limit the first shaft 311 from being separated from the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, so that the first shaft 311 can be ensured to be always kept at the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142 in the process of continuously opening the door 20.

Similarly, when the second shaft 312 is located at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, since the first slide plate set 401 and the second slide plate set 402 are staggered, the second upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 which are originally overlapped with each other are also staggered with each other, and at this time, the staggered second upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 limit the second shaft 312 from being separated from the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, so that the second shaft 312 is always kept at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162 in the process of continuously opening the door 20.

In addition, the rotation angle of the second slide plate set 402 is greater than the rotation angle of the first slide plate set 401, that is, the second slide plate set 402 and the first slide plate set 401 are staggered from each other, so that the locking effect between the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40 can be further improved, and it is ensured that the first shaft body 311 is always kept at the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, and the second shaft body 312 is always kept at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162.

Referring to fig. 27 to 30, when the hinge assembly 30 continues to open from the second opening angle α 2 to the maximum opening angle α 3, the third shaft body 321 moves in the third free segment 4211, and the fourth shaft body 322 moves in the fourth free segment 4221.

It can be seen that, in the present embodiment, the switching assembly 40 unlocks and locks the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, so that the sequential switching of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 can be effectively controlled, and the door body 20 can be stably opened.

It can be understood that, when the door 20 is in the closing process, that is, when the door 20 is closed from the maximum opening angle α 3, the switching component 40 can also effectively control the sequential switching of the first hinge component 31 and the second hinge component 32, that is, when the door 20 is in the process of closing from the maximum opening angle α 3 to the second opening angle α 2, the third shaft 321 moves in the third free section 4211, the fourth shaft 322 moves in the fourth free section 4221, and the switching component 40 locks the first hinge component 31, when the door 20 is in the process of closing from the second opening angle α 2 to the first opening angle α 1, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 relatively move to separate the first hinge component 31 from the limit of the switching component 40, and the fourth shaft 322 is limited in the fourth limit section 4222, the switching component 40 locks the second hinge component 32, when the door 20 is in the process of closing from the first opening angle α 1 to the complete closing, the first shaft 311 moves in the first free section S1, and the second shaft 312 moves in the second free section S2.

In other words, the closing process of the door 20 and the opening process of the door 20 are processes in reverse order, and the switching sequence of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 in the opening and closing processes of the door 20 can be effectively controlled by the unlocking and locking actions of the switching assembly 40 on the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32.

In the present embodiment, the first shaft 311 and the third shaft 321 are offset from each other.

When the door 20 is in the process of opening to the first opening angle α 1 in the closed state, the door 20 rotates around the first shaft 311 as a central axis, and when the door 20 continues to open from the second opening angle α 2 to the maximum opening angle α 3, the door 20 rotates around the third shaft 321 as an axis.

When the first shaft 311 is used as a central axis, a first distance is formed between the first shaft 311 and the front end surface 103 of the casing 10, a third distance is formed between the first shaft 311 and the outer side surface 13 of the casing 10, when the third shaft 321 is used as a central axis, a second distance is formed between the third shaft 321 and the front end surface 103 of the casing 10, a fourth distance is formed between the third shaft 321 and the outer side surface 13 of the casing 10, the second distance is greater than the first distance, and the fourth distance is smaller than the third distance.

Referring to the foregoing description, the hinge assembly 30 of the present embodiment may be applicable to a built-in cabinet or a scene where a space accommodating the refrigerator 100 is small.

In addition, it should be noted that the motion trajectory of the door 20 can be effectively controlled through a specific design of the shaft slot, in the present embodiment, the box 10 includes a pivoting side P connected to the hinge assembly 30, when the door 20 is in the opening process, the hinge assembly 30 at least drives the door 20 to move from the pivoting side P toward the accommodating chamber D, so as to avoid the door 20 interfering with a peripheral cabinet or wall in the opening process, and the following example can be referred to for the specific design of the shaft slot.

In one example, the first free section S1 includes an initial position a1 and a stop position a2 that are oppositely disposed, and the second free section S2 includes a first section L1, a second section L2 and a third section L3 that are sequentially connected.

Referring to fig. 7 to 10, when the door 20 is in the closed state, the first shaft 311 is located at the initial position a1, the second shaft 312 is located at an end of the first segment L1 away from the second segment L2, and the fourth shaft 322 is located at the position-limiting segment 4222, so that the switching assembly 40 limits the second hinge element 32.

Referring to fig. 11 to 22, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α 1, the first shaft 311 rotates in situ at the initial position a1, the second shaft 312 moves in the first section L1 around the first shaft 311, the door 20 rotates in situ relative to the box 10, and then the second shaft 312 moves in the second section L2 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the initial position a1 to the stop position a2, the door 20 moves from the pivot side P toward the accommodating chamber D, and then the second shaft 312 moves in the third section L3 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the stop position a2 toward the initial position a1, and the door 20 moves from the accommodating chamber D toward the pivot side P.

Specifically, referring to fig. 11 to 14, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first intermediate opening angle α 11, the first shaft 311 rotates in situ at the initial position a1, the second shaft 312 moves in the first segment L1 around the first shaft 311, and the door 20 rotates in situ relative to the box 10.

Here, when the door 20 is in the process of being opened from the closed state to the first intermediate opening angle α 11, the door 20 rotates in place relative to the box 10, that is, the door 20 only rotates without generating displacement in other directions, so that the door 20 cannot be normally opened due to displacement in a certain direction of the door 20 can be effectively avoided.

Referring to fig. 15 to 18, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the first intermediate opening angle α 11 to the second intermediate opening angle α 12, the second shaft 312 moves in the second segment L2 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the initial position a1 to the stop position a2, and the door 20 moves from the pivot side P toward the accommodating chamber D.

Here, when the door 20 is in the process of continuously opening from the first intermediate opening angle to the second intermediate opening angle, the door 20 moves toward one side of the accommodating chamber D, that is, at this time, the door 20 rotates relative to the box 10 and also displaces relative to the box 10 along the first direction X, so that the distance that the door 20 protrudes out of the box 10 toward the side away from the accommodating chamber D during the rotation process is greatly reduced, that is, the displacement of the door 20 along the first direction X offsets the portion of the door 20 protruding out of the box 10 along the second direction Y during the rotation process, thereby preventing the door 20 from interfering with the peripheral cabinet or wall during the opening process, and being suitable for the embedded cabinet or the scene with a small space for accommodating the refrigerator 100.

Here, the first direction X is a direction in which the pivot side P faces the accommodation chamber D, and the second direction Y is a direction in which the accommodation chamber D faces the pivot side P.

Referring to fig. 19 to 22, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the second intermediate opening angle α 12 to the first opening angle α 1, the second shaft 312 moves in the third segment L3 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the stop position a2 to the initial position a1, and the door 20 moves from the accommodating chamber D to the pivot side P.

Here, when the door 20 is in the process of being opened from the second intermediate opening angle to the first opening angle α 1, the door 20 moves toward one side of the pivot side P, that is, at this time, the door 20 rotates relative to the box 10 and displaces along the second direction Y relative to the box 10, so that the door 20 can be kept away from the box 10 as far as possible, the opening degree of the box 10 is ensured, and the problem that drawers, shelves and the like in the box 10 cannot be opened due to interference of the door 20 is avoided.

Referring to fig. 23 to 26, when the door body 20 is in the process of continuously opening from the first opening angle α 1 to the second opening angle α 2, the fourth shaft 322 is separated from the position-limiting section 4222, and the first shaft 311 and/or the second shaft 312 is limited by the locking

sections

4132, 4142, 4152, 4162, so that the switching assembly 40 limits the first hinge member 31.

Referring to fig. 27 to 30, when the door 20 is continuously opened from the second opening angle α 2 to the maximum opening angle α 3, the third shaft 321 rotates in situ in the third free section 421, the fourth shaft 322 moves in the fourth free section 4221 around the third shaft 321, and the door 20 continuously rotates in situ relative to the box 10.

It is understood that the motion track of the refrigerator 100 is not limited to the above description, and in other examples, other forms of motion may be generated between the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40, or other forms of motion may be generated between the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40, so that various application scenarios may be adapted, and may be determined according to practical situations.

For example, the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 moves only from the pivot side P toward the accommodating chamber D during the opening process to avoid the door 20 from interfering with the surrounding cabinet or wall during the opening process, or the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 moves away from the front end surface 103 of the refrigerator body 10 during the opening process to avoid the door 20 from interfering with the door seal, or the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 moves only from the accommodating chamber D toward the pivot side P during the opening process to increase the opening degree of the refrigerator body 10, or the gravity center of the door 20 of the refrigerator 100 moves toward the direction close to the refrigerator body 10 during the opening process to avoid the refrigerator from toppling over, and so on.

Fig. 31 to 33 are views showing a hinge assembly 30b according to a second embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the hinge assembly 30b includes a first hinge member 31b disposed on the box 10, a second hinge member 32b disposed on the door 20, and a switching assembly 40b connecting the first hinge member 31b and the second hinge member 32b, wherein the switching assembly 40b is formed by stacking a plurality of switching members 41b in a first direction, and when the switching assembly 40b is in a closed state, outer edges 42b of the plurality of switching members 41b exposed outside are flush.

Here, the switching assembly 40b is interposed between the first hinge 31b and the second hinge 32b, and when the hinge assembly 30b is mounted to the refrigerator 100, the switching assembly 40b is generally exposed above or below the door 20, which affects the appearance, and the plurality of switching members 41b in the present embodiment are exposed at the same level at the outer edge, which can improve the appearance of the periphery of the switching assembly 40 b.

In addition, "the outer edges 42b of the plurality of switches 41b exposed to the outside are flush" means that the entire outer edges of the switch assembly 40b are flush when viewed from the side of the hinge assembly 30b, but there may be a portion of the outer edges of the switches 41b that is not exposed to the outside due to the retracted arrangement, and at this time, the outer edges of the portion of the switches 41b may not be flush with the outer edges of the other switches 41 b.

In the present embodiment, the outer contour of the plurality of switching elements 41b has a rectangular frame structure, and in this case, the entire switching unit 40b exposed to the outside has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

In the present embodiment, when the switching member 40b is in the closed state, at least a part of the outer edge 42b of the plurality of switching pieces 41b exposed outside is flush with at least a part of the outer edge of the first hinge piece 31 b.

Here, when the hinge assembly 30b is in the closed state, the entire outer edge 42b of the switching assembly 40b is flush with the outer edge of the first hinge member 31b in a region near the outside of the refrigerator 100 (i.e., a visually visible region), and thus, the entire aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator 100 may be further improved.

In the present embodiment, the hinge assembly 30b further includes a cover plate 80b positioned on a side of the switching assembly 40b adjacent to the second hinge member 32b, and an outer edge 83b of the cover plate 80b is flush with an outer edge 42b of the plurality of switching members 41b exposed outside when the switching assembly 40b is in the closed state.

Here, the switching element 40b is interposed between the first hinge element 31b and the second hinge element 32b, when the second hinge element 32b and the switching element 40b move relatively, one side of the switching element 40b close to the second hinge element 32b is exposed, and the cover plate 80b is disposed to shield one side of the switching element 40b close to the second hinge element 32b, so as to prevent external dust or impurities from entering the switching element 40b, and improve the overall appearance.

It will be appreciated that a cover plate may be provided on the side of the switch assembly 40b adjacent the first hinge member 31b, if desired.

In addition, the cover plate 80b is connected to the switching member 40b such that the cover plate 80b is movable together with the switching member 40b with respect to the first and

second hinge members

31b and 32 b.

In this embodiment, referring to fig. 32 and 33, the switching assembly 40b includes a first slide plate group 401b and a second slide plate group 402b stacked in the first direction, and when the switching assembly 40b is in the closed state, outer edges of the first slide plate group 401b and the second slide plate group 402b are flush.

Specifically, in the direction from the first hinge member 31b to the second hinge member 32b, the switch assembly 40b includes a first lining 4011b, a first slide 4012b, an intermediate lining 4013b, a second slide 4021b, and a second lining 4022b in this order, and when the switch assembly 40b is in the closed state, the outer edges of the first lining 4011b, the first slide 4012b, the intermediate lining 4013b, and the second slide 4021b are flush.

In this embodiment, the second lining 4022b is set in a retracted manner, that is, the outer edge of the second lining 4022b is not flush with the outer edge of the second blade 4021b, the cover plate 80b is fixed below the second blade 4021b, and the second lining 4022b may be located in a space formed by the cover plate 80b and the second blade 4021 b.

Here, the first pad 4011b, the first vane 4012b, and the intermediate pad 4013b are stacked in this order to form the first vane group 401b, and the second vane 4021b and the second pad 4022b are stacked to form the second vane group 402b, but not limited thereto.

Typically, the first liner 4011b, the intermediate liner 4013b, and the second liner 4022b are made of a plastic material, for example, POM (polyoxymethylene).

The first slide piece 4012b and the second slide piece 4021b are made of a metal material, such as stainless steel or Q235 steel.

Here, the plastic material is used to wrap the sliding piece made of metal, so that the first sliding piece 4012b and the second sliding piece 4021b can be prevented from directly contacting and mutual friction interference, and the second sliding piece 4021b directly contacts the middle gasket 4013b in the first sliding piece set 401b, so that the structure of the second sliding piece set 402b can be simplified, and the overall thickness of the switching assembly 40b can be reduced.

It can be understood that, when the first slide plate group 401b includes the third shaft 321b, the second slide plate group 402b includes the fourth shaft 322b, and the second hinge element 32b includes the third slot 421b and the fourth slot 422b, respectively, the cover plate 80b has the first through hole 84b for the third shaft 321b to pass through and the second through hole 85b for the fourth shaft 322b to pass through.

For the hinge assembly 30b of the second embodiment and other descriptions of the refrigerator 100, reference may be made to the foregoing embodiments, which are not described herein again.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, for example, if technologies in different embodiments can be used in a superimposed manner to achieve corresponding effects, the technical solutions are also within the scope of the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. The hinge assembly with the plurality of switching pieces is characterized by comprising a first hinge piece arranged on a box body, a second hinge piece arranged on a door body and a switching assembly connected with the first hinge piece and the second hinge piece, wherein the switching assembly is formed by stacking the plurality of switching pieces along a first direction, when the switching assembly is in a closed state, the outer edges of the plurality of switching pieces exposed outside are flush, and the first direction is the stacking direction of the first hinge piece, the switching assembly and the second hinge piece.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein an outer profile formed by the plurality of switching pieces has a rectangular frame structure.

3. The hinge assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate on a side of the switching assembly proximate the second hinge member, an outer edge of the cover plate being flush with an outer edge of the plurality of switches exposed when the switching assembly is in the closed state.

4. The hinge assembly of claim 3, wherein the cover plate is coupled to the switching assembly.

5. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the switching assembly comprises a first set of vanes and a second set of vanes stacked in the first direction, outer edges of the first set of vanes and the second set of vanes being flush when the switching assembly is in a closed state.

6. The hinge assembly of claim 5, wherein the switching assembly comprises, in order from the first hinge member toward the second hinge member, a first lining, a first sliding piece, a middle lining, a second sliding piece, and a second lining, and wherein outer edges of the first lining, the first sliding piece, the middle lining, and the second sliding piece are flush when the switching assembly is in the closed state.

7. The hinge assembly of claim 6, wherein the first liner sheet, the first vane, and the center liner sheet are stacked in sequence to form the first vane pack, and the second vane and the second liner sheet are stacked to form the second vane pack.

8. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly movably couples the first hinge member and the second hinge member, and wherein the second hinge member and the switch assembly move together relative to the first hinge member when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, and wherein the switch assembly is then stationary relative to the first hinge member and the second hinge member moves relative to the switch assembly.

9. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the first hinge member is coupled to the switching assembly by a first shaft assembly and a first slot assembly that mate with each other, the second hinge member is coupled to the switching assembly by a second shaft assembly and a second slot assembly that mate with each other, the hinge assembly further comprising a locking portion that locks the second hinge member such that the second hinge member moves with the switching assembly relative to the first hinge member when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, the first shaft assembly moves within the first slot assembly and then the locking portion locks the first hinge member and unlocks the second hinge member, the switching assembly is stationary relative to the first hinge member, and the second hinge member moves relative to the switching assembly, the second shaft body group moves in the second groove body group.

10. The hinge assembly of claim 9, wherein the first shaft assembly includes a first rotation shaft, and the second shaft assembly includes a second rotation shaft, and when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, the second hinge member and the switching assembly rotate about the first rotation shaft, and then the second hinge member rotates about the second rotation shaft.

11. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein the first rotation axis has a first distance from a front end surface of the case when the first rotation axis is a central axis, and the second rotation axis has a second distance from the front end surface of the case when the second rotation axis is a central axis, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

12. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein the first rotation shaft has a third distance from an outer side surface of the housing when the first rotation shaft is a central axis, and the second rotation shaft has a fourth distance from the outer side surface of the housing when the second rotation shaft is a central axis, the fourth distance being smaller than the third distance.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the switching assembly includes first and second sets of slides stacked in the first direction, the switching assembly locking the second hinge member when the hinge assembly is in the process of opening from a closed state to a first opening angle, the first, second and second sets of slides being relatively stationary and moving together relative to the first hinge member, the first set of slides moving relative to the second set of slides locking the first hinge member and unlocking the second hinge member when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle to a second opening angle, the first, first and second sets of slides being relatively stationary when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle to a maximum opening angle, the second hinge member moves relative to the switch assembly.

14. The hinge assembly of claim 13, wherein the first hinge element is coupled to the switching assembly via a first shaft assembly and a first slot assembly that are engaged with each other, and the second hinge element is coupled to the switching assembly via a second shaft assembly and a second slot assembly that are engaged with each other.

15. The hinge assembly of claim 14, wherein the first shaft set comprises a first shaft and a second shaft, the first slot set comprises a first slot cooperating with the first shaft and a second slot cooperating with the second shaft, the second shaft set comprises a third shaft and a fourth shaft, the second slot set comprises a third slot cooperating with the third shaft and a fourth slot cooperating with the fourth shaft, the first hinge member comprises the first shaft and the second shaft, the second hinge member comprises the third slot and the fourth slot, and the switching assembly comprises the first slot, the second slot, the third shaft, and the fourth shaft.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 15, wherein the first slot includes a first upper slot located in the first slide stack and a first lower slot located in the second slide stack, the first upper slot including a first upper free section, the first lower slot including a first lower free section, the second slot including a second upper slot located in the first slide stack and a second lower slot located in the second slide stack, the second upper slot including a second upper free section, the second lower slot including a second lower free section, the third slot including a third free section, the fourth slot including a fourth free section, the first slot including a locking section, the second slot including a stop section, the first slide stack and the second slide stack being stationary relative to each other when the hinge assembly is in the process of opening from a closed state to a first open angle, the first upper free section and the first lower free section are overlapped to form a first free section, the second upper free section and the second lower free section are overlapped to form a second free section, the first shaft body moves in the first free section, the second shaft body moves in the second free section, the third shaft body and/or the fourth shaft body is/are limited at the limit section so that the switching component limits the second hinge piece, when the hinge component is in the process of continuously opening from a first opening angle to a second opening angle, the first sliding vane group and the second sliding vane group move relatively to enable the second hinge piece to be separated from the limit of the switching component, and the first shaft body and/or the second shaft body is limited at the locking section so that the switching component limits the first hinge piece, when the hinge component is in the process of continuously opening from the second opening angle to a maximum opening angle, the third shaft body moves at the third free section, and the fourth shaft body moves at the fourth free section.

17. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the locking sections include a first upper locking section at the first upper slot, a first lower locking section at the first lower slot, a second upper locking section at the second upper slot, and a second lower locking section at the second lower slot, and the limiting sections include a fourth limiting section at the fourth slot, the fourth shaft being limited to the fourth limiting section when the hinge assembly is in the process of being opened from the closed state to the first opening angle, the first shaft being limited to both the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section when the hinge assembly is in the process of being continuously opened from the first opening angle to the second opening angle, the second shaft being limited to both the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section, and the fourth shaft body is separated from the fourth limiting section.

18. The hinge assembly of claim 17, wherein the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section are always offset from each other, and the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section are always offset from each other.

19. The hinge assembly of claim 15, wherein the first set of slides includes the third shaft extending to the third slot, and the second set of slides includes the fourth shaft extending to the fourth slot.

20. Refrigeration equipment, which is characterized by comprising a box body, a door body and a hinge assembly for connecting the box body and the door body, wherein the hinge assembly is the hinge assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 20, wherein the cabinet includes a receiving chamber and a pivoting side connected to the hinge assembly, the hinge assembly driving at least the door body to move from the pivoting side toward the receiving chamber when the door body is in an opening process.