CN117109238A - Refrigerator and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof, wherein the refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, a vacuum box, a vacuumizing assembly, a locking assembly and a sensor assembly; the vacuum box is arranged in the box body; the vacuum box comprises a box body with an opening at the front side and a door body which can be opened and closed at the opening of the box body; the locking assembly comprises a locking plate, a buckle plate and a driving unit; the vacuumizing assembly and the sensor assembly are electrically connected with the driving unit. When the locking plate is in the unlocking position, the locking plate and the buckle plate can be separated, so that the door body can be opened or closed to take and put articles in the vacuum box. The door body is covered on the box body, the locking plate is arranged at the locking position, the locking position is matched with the buckling position, and the door body is locked to move relative to the box body, so that the door body is sealed on the box body, the air leakage of the vacuum box is effectively avoided, and the storage of foods is effectively ensured. Through the electric connection of sensor subassembly and drive unit, control locking plate automatic rotation to realize the automatic locking to the vacuum box, in order to make things convenient for user's use.

Description

Refrigerator and control method thereof

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, in particular to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

Background

Along with the increasing living standard, the requirements of people on the quality of foods are higher, so that the storage time of the foods is longer, and the chromaticity, freshness and taste of the foods in the storage process are required to be kept to the greatest extent, namely the foods such as fruits, vegetables and meats. Generally, the most common means for prolonging the shelf life of food is to put food in a refrigerator, but the food stored in the refrigerator cannot ensure the loss of moisture and nutrient components, and most common means are that fruits and vegetables are shrunken, meat is air-dried, and the like, so that the taste and the taste of the food are seriously affected.

The vacuum fresh-keeping technology is widely applied to the food packaging technology at present, and the air in the sealed packaging bag/packaging container is pumped out to enable the packaging bag/packaging container to be pumped into a state close to vacuum, so that the spoilage of microorganisms in the packaging bag/packaging container to food and the loss of nutritional ingredients are effectively inhibited, and the quality guarantee period of the food is effectively prolonged. In the existing fresh-keeping technology of the refrigerator, the application of the vacuum fresh-keeping drawer is the most effective way for realizing the vacuum fresh-keeping technology of the refrigerator. The working principle of the vacuum fresh-keeping drawer is that an air extractor is added on a sealed drawer box, and the air extractor extracts air from the drawer, so that a low-pressure vacuum state is formed in the drawer, and the spoilage of microorganisms in the drawer to foods and the loss of nutritional ingredients can be effectively inhibited, thereby prolonging the shelf life of the foods.

In the related art, in order to secure the sealing of the vacuum drawer after the vacuum drawer is closed, a manual operation is required to seal the vacuum drawer, which is inconvenient for the use of the vacuum box in the refrigerator.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to provide a refrigerator for realizing automatic locking of a vacuum box.

In order to solve the technical problems, the application adopts the following technical scheme:

according to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a refrigerator including a cabinet, a vacuum box, a vacuum pumping assembly, a locking assembly, and a sensor assembly; the vacuum box is arranged in the box body; the vacuum box comprises a box body with an opening at the front side and a door body which can be opened and closed at the opening of the box body; the vacuumizing assembly is communicated with the inner space of the vacuum box and is used for vacuumizing the vacuum box; the locking assembly comprises a locking plate, a buckle plate and a driving unit, wherein the locking plate is slidably arranged on the periphery of the box body, the buckle plate is fixed on the door body, and the driving unit is used for driving and limiting the locking plate to slide; when the door body is covered on the box body, the locking plate slides along the sliding direction, so that the locking plate is switched between a locking position and an unlocking position; when the door body is in the unlocking position, the locking plate locks the buckle plate so as to lock the door body to move relative to the box body; when in the unlocking position, the locking plate is separated from the buckle plate; the sensor assembly is used for detecting the open and close states of the door body and the position of the locking plate; the vacuum pumping assembly and the sensor assembly are electrically connected to the driving unit.

In some embodiments of the application, the drive unit comprises a rotating wheel rotatably arranged outside the box body around the axis of the drive unit; the rotating wheel is abutted or connected with the locking plate so as to drive the locking plate to slide.

In some embodiments of the application, the locking assembly comprises a housing fixed to the outer periphery of the case, and the locking plate is slidably disposed on the housing; the sensor assembly comprises a detection unit and a monitoring unit, wherein the detection unit is arranged on the shell and used for detecting the position of the rotating wheel, and the monitoring unit is used for monitoring the opening and closing states of the door body.

In some embodiments of the present application, the detection unit includes a first micro switch disposed on the housing, a sliding member slidably disposed on the housing, and a reset member for driving the sliding member to move closer to or farther from the first micro switch; the sliding piece is clamped on the rotating wheel, and the rotating wheel can drive the sliding piece to slide after rotating; the rotating wheel and the reset piece are opposite to the driving force of the sliding piece, so that the sliding piece can be driven to abut against and be far away from the first micro switch.

In some embodiments of the present application, an arc rib is convexly arranged on one surface of the rotating wheel facing to or away from the box body, and the arc rib extends around the rotation center of the rotating wheel; a groove is formed in one side, facing the rotation center of the rotating wheel, of the arc-shaped rib; the arc rib is located one side of the sliding piece, which is opposite to the first micro switch, and one end of the sliding piece, which is opposite to the first micro switch, is lapped on one side of the arc rib, which is opposite to the rotating center of the rotating wheel.

In some embodiments of the application, the locking assembly comprises a housing fixed on the outer side of the box body, wherein a sliding groove is arranged on the housing; the slider portion is positioned within the sliding channel such that the slider is slidably disposed within the sliding channel.

In some embodiments of the present application, the restoring member is a compression spring, the restoring member is accommodated in the sliding groove, and two ends of the restoring member are respectively abutted to the housing and the sliding member.

In some embodiments of the present application, the monitoring unit includes a second micro switch disposed on the housing, a push plate slidably disposed on the housing, and an elastic element for driving the push plate to move toward the door body; the push plate is arranged opposite to the pinch plate, so that when the door body is closed, the pinch plate can push the push plate to move, and the push plate is abutted to or separated from the second micro switch.

According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a control method of a refrigerator including the above refrigerator, the control method comprising: when the sensor component receives a signal that the door body is closed on the box body, the driving unit is controlled to drive the locking plate to move, and the locking plate is driven to lock the buckle plate; after the sensor assembly receives a signal that the locking plate is in a locked position; and controlling the driving unit to stop working so as to keep the locking plate at the locking position.

In some embodiments of the present application, when the sensor assembly receives a door opening signal, the driving unit is controlled to operate so that the locking plate moves from a locking position to an unlocking position, and the locking plate and the buckle plate are separated so as to be capable of opening the door body; and when the sensor assembly receives a signal that the locking plate moves to the unlocking position, controlling the driving unit to stop working so as to keep the locking plate at the unlocking position.

According to the technical scheme, the application has at least the following advantages and positive effects:

in the application, when the locking plate is in the unlocking position, the locking plate and the buckle plate can be separated, so that the door body can be opened or closed to take and put articles in the vacuum box. The door body is covered on the box body, the locking plate is arranged at the locking position, the locking position is matched with the buckling position, and the door body is locked to move relative to the box body, so that the door body is sealed on the box body, the air leakage of the vacuum box is effectively avoided, and the storage of foods is effectively ensured. Through the electric connection of sensor subassembly and drive unit, control locking plate automatic rotation to realize the automatic locking to the vacuum box, in order to make things convenient for user's use.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a partial structural schematic view of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application, in which a cabinet is not shown.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the structure of a vacuum box of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a refrigerator embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the structure of a door body of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a structure of a locking assembly of an embodiment of a refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the structure of fig. 6 from another perspective.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of the structure of a buckle plate of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a view angle structure of a refrigerator embodiment case of the present application.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing another view angle structure of an outer case of the refrigerator embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of a locking plate of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of a structure of a rotating wheel of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of a detecting unit of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view showing the structure of a slider of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 15 is a schematic structural view of a monitoring unit of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged view at a in fig. 7.

The reference numerals are explained as follows: 100. a case; 200. a vacuum box; 210. a case body; 211. air holes; 220. a door body; 221. a sealing gasket; 300. a vacuum pumping assembly;

500. a locking assembly; 510. a locking plate; 511. a clamping groove; 512. a protruding portion; 513. a convex column; 520. a buckle plate; 521. a clamping column; 530. a housing; 531. a guide rib; 532. a limit rib; 533. a protruding shaft; 534. a clamping hole; 535. a sliding groove; 536. a limit groove; 537. a via hole; 540. a plunger; 550. a motor; 551. a screw rod; 560. a rotating wheel; 561. a pushing block; 562. arc ribs; 563. a groove; 570. an elastic member;

610. a detection unit; 611. a first microswitch; 612. a slider; 6121. a sliding rib; 6122. a protruding shaft; 613. a reset member; 620. a monitoring unit; 621. a second microswitch; 622. a push plate; 623. an elastic element.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments that embody features and advantages of the present application will be described in detail in the following description. It will be understood that the application is capable of various modifications in various embodiments, all without departing from the scope of the application, and that the description and illustrations herein are intended to be by way of illustration only and not to be construed as limiting the application.

In the description of the present application, 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", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings are merely for convenience in describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present application. 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 application, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more, unless explicitly defined otherwise.

For convenience of description and understanding, a direction facing a user is a front direction and a direction facing away from the user is a rear direction with reference to a state of the refrigerator when it is placed upright.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Referring to fig. 1, the present embodiment provides a refrigerator for storing articles at a low temperature. The refrigerator includes a cabinet 100, a door (not shown) rotatably covered on the cabinet 100, a vacuum box 200 provided in the cabinet 100, and a refrigerating assembly provided in the cabinet 100.

The cabinet 100 is formed with a refrigerating compartment having a front opening, and articles are stored at a low temperature in the refrigerating compartment. The refrigerated compartments generally include a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. The specific structure of the case 100 is referred to the structure of the case in the related art, and will not be described herein.

In this embodiment, the box door is rotatably covered on the box body 100, so as to open or close the refrigerating compartment of the box body 100, and take and put articles in the refrigerating compartment. In some embodiments, the door is a drawer door that slidably covers the front side of the cabinet 100.

The refrigerating assembly is used for releasing heat in the refrigerator to the external environment so as to provide cold energy for the refrigerating compartment, so that the low-temperature environment in the refrigerating compartment is maintained. The refrigeration assembly comprises a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, capillary vessels and the like. The specific structure and connection relation of the refrigeration assembly refer to the refrigeration assembly in the related art, and are not described herein.

Fig. 2 is a partial structural schematic view of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application, in which a cabinet is not shown. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the structure of a vacuum box of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application. Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of a case 210 of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application.

Referring to fig. 1 to 4, a vacuum box 200 is provided in the case 100 for vacuum-preserving food. In some embodiments, the vacuum box 200 is disposed on a side of the box door facing the box 100. The vacuum box 200 includes a box body 210 having a front opening, and a door 220 openably and closably covering the opening of the box body 210. The door 220 serves to close or open the case 210 to take and store articles in the vacuum case 200.

The case 210 is accommodated in the cooling compartment of the case 100. The case 210 forms a hollow chamber with a front side opened to form an inner space within the case 210.

The outside of the case 210 is provided with an air hole 211 penetrating into the case 210. In this embodiment, the air holes 211 are disposed on the left and right sides of the case 210, and the openings of the air holes 211 are disposed vertically.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of a door 220 of an embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present application.

Referring to fig. 2 to 5, the door 220 is of a drawer type structure, a drawer portion of which is used to support articles and is disposed in the case 210, and the door 220 is slidably disposed on the case 210. In some embodiments, the door 220 has a plate-like structure, and the door 220 is detachably engaged with the case 210, or the door 220 is rotatably engaged with the case 210.

The door 220 is provided with a flexible gasket 221 on a side facing the case 210, the gasket 221 is in an annular structure, and when the door 220 is covered on the case 210, the gasket 221 is attached to and hermetically connected to the front side surface of the case 210.

In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the case 210 is provided with a vacuum pumping assembly 300, and the vacuum pumping assembly 300 is communicated with the inner space of the vacuum case 200 for pumping vacuum to the vacuum case 200. Specifically, the vacuum pumping assembly 300 is connected to the inner space of the case 210 through a pipe, and when the door 220 is closed onto the case 210, the vacuum pumping assembly 300 pumps vacuum into the vacuum case 200 to form a vacuum environment in the vacuum case 200 for vacuum storage of the articles.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural view of a locking assembly 500 of an embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present application. Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the structure of fig. 6 from another perspective.

Referring to fig. 2 to 7, in the present embodiment, a locking assembly 500 is disposed on the vacuum box 200, and the locking assembly 500 can lock the relative movement between the box 210 and the door 220, so as to lock the door 220 on the box 210, thereby effectively ensuring the sealing of the vacuum box 200.

The locking assembly 500 includes a locking plate 510 slidably disposed at the outer circumference of the case 210, a buckle plate 520 fixed to the door 220, a driving unit for driving and restricting the locking plate 510 from sliding, and a housing 530. The driving unit drives the locking plate 510 to slide so that the locking plate 510 is switched between the locking position and the unlocking position. When the door 220 is covered on the box 210, the locking plate 510 locks the buckle 520 at the locking position to lock the door 220 to move relative to the box 210; in the unlocking position, the locking plate 510 and the buckle 520 are separated, and the door 220 can move relative to the case 210, so that the door 220 can be opened.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a buckle 520 of an embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present application.

Referring to fig. 2 to 8, the buckle 520 is disposed corresponding to the locking plate 510 and extends toward the case 210. In this embodiment, the door 220 is disposed at the front side of the box 210, the buckle 520 extends backward from the door 220, a space is provided between the buckle 520 and the outer side of the box 210, and a locking post 521 protrudes from the buckle 520 toward the box 210, so that a locking position is formed on the buckle 520. In some embodiments, the clip 521 protrudes from a side of the clip 520 facing away from the case 210.

In this embodiment, the buckle 520 is disposed corresponding to the left and right outer sides of the case 210, and the clamping posts 521 extend in the left and right direction toward the left and right sides of the case 210. In some embodiments, the buckle 520 is disposed corresponding to the upper and lower outer sides of the case 210, and the clamping posts 521 extend toward the corresponding upper and lower sides of the case 210 along the up and down direction.

In some embodiments, the buckle 520 has a buckling groove formed thereon, and the buckling groove is a buckling position.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing a view angle structure of a case 530 of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application. Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing another view angle structure of a refrigerator embodiment case 530 according to the present application.

Referring again to fig. 6 to 10, the housing 530 is fixed to the outer side surface of the case 210, the housing 530 is disposed corresponding to the buckle 520, and the housing 530 and the buckle 520 are disposed corresponding to the same side of the case 210. The housing 530 may be a structure separately fixed to the case 210. The housing 530 may also be part of the case 210, with the housing 530 being formed on the case 210. The locking plate 510 and the driving unit are both provided on the housing 530.

The housing 530 is disposed corresponding to the left and right sides of the case 210, and guide ribs 531 spaced apart in the front-rear direction are disposed on a surface of the housing 530 facing or facing away from the case 210. The locking plate 510 is limited between the two guide ribs 531 so as to be capable of sliding along with the extending direction of the guide ribs 531, the guide ribs 531 extend in the up-down direction, and the locking plate 510 is disposed in the guide ribs 531 to slide in the up-down direction. In other embodiments, the ribs 531 extend in a vertical plane and are angled with respect to both the up and down direction and the moisture direction.

In this embodiment, the guide rib 531 is disposed on a surface of the housing 530 facing the box 210, and the buckle 520 is disposed on a surface of the housing 530 facing away from the box 210 after the door 220 is covered on the box 210. The surface of the housing 530 facing away from the case 210 is provided with a through via 537, and the via 537 penetrates into a space between the two guide ribs 531. The locking post 521 of the buckle 520 passes through the through hole 537 to engage with the locking plate 510.

In some embodiments, the housing 530 and the buckle 520 are disposed corresponding to the upper and lower sides of the case 210, the guide ribs 531 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and the guide ribs 531 extend in the left-right direction.

In this embodiment, a limiting rib 532 is formed on the housing 530; in this embodiment, the limiting rib 532 is perpendicular to the guiding rib 531, so that the housing 530 forms a step at the limiting rib 532, so as to be able to abut against the locking plate 510 at the limiting rib 532, and limit the sliding of the locking plate 510. In some embodiments, the spacing rib 532 may be angled with respect to the guide rib 531.

The housing 530 is further provided with a protruding shaft 533 protruding therefrom, and the protruding shaft 533 and the guide rib 531 are located on the same side of the housing 530.

The housing 530 is further provided with a locking hole 534, and an axis of the locking hole 534 extends along the sliding direction of the locking plate 510. In this embodiment, the card hole 534 extends in the up-down direction.

The housing 530 is provided with a sliding slot 535; the sliding groove 535 is provided on a side of the housing 530 facing the rotating wheel 560. In this embodiment, the glide channel 535 extends vertically. In some embodiments, the glide channel 535 extends in either direction.

The shell 530 is provided with spacing groove 536 towards the one side of buckle 520, and spacing groove 536 extends along fore-and-aft direction, and spacing groove 536 corresponds buckle 520 setting, and the lateral wall that spacing groove 536 extends along fore-and-aft direction is protruding to be equipped with spacing knot.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of a locking plate 510 according to an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Referring to fig. 6 to 11, a locking plate 510 is slidably disposed at the outer circumference of the case 210. The locking plate 510 is limited between the two guide ribs 531 and can slide along the sliding direction of the guide ribs 531, so that the locking plate 510 is slidably disposed on the housing 530. In some embodiments, the locking plate 510 is slidably disposed on the cassette 210.

The locking plate 510 and the buckle plate 520 are spaced apart in a direction away from the case 210. In this embodiment, the buckle 520 is located on a side of the locking plate 510 facing away from the case 210. In other embodiments, the pinch plate 520 is located on a side of the locking plate 510 facing the cassette 210. The locking plate 510 is provided with a clamping groove 511 towards the pinch plate 520 to form a locking position; the clamping posts 521 on the buckle 520 can extend into and be clamped in the clamping grooves 511.

In the present embodiment, the lock plate 510 slides in the sliding direction, so that the lock plate 510 is switched between the lock position and the unlock position; when the door 220 is covered on the box 210, the locking position and the buckling position are matched at the locking position, so that the door 220 is locked against the movement of the box 210, and the sealing of the door 220 on the box 210 is ensured. When the door 220 is closed onto the case 210, in the unlock position, the lock position and the lock position are separated, and the lock plate 510 releases the lock of the buckle 520, so that the door 220 can move relative to the case 210, and the door 220 can be opened.

When the locking plate 510 is in the unlocking position, the locking plate 510 and the buckle 520 can be separated, so that the door 220 can be opened or closed to take and put the article in the vacuum box 200. The door 220 is covered on the box 210, the locking plate 510 is at the locking position, the locking position is matched with the buckling position, and the door 220 is locked against the movement of the box 210, so that the door 220 is sealed on the box 210, the air leakage of the vacuum box 200 is effectively avoided, and the storage of food is effectively ensured.

In this embodiment, the locking position is a locking groove 511 on the locking plate 510, the buckling position is a locking post 521 on the buckling plate 520, and the locking plate 510 slides up and down, so that the locking plate 510 and the buckling plate 520 can be matched. In some embodiments, the locking position is a corresponding locking post 521, the buckle 520 is a corresponding locking groove 511, the locking plate 510 slides in the up-down direction, and the locking post 521 extends into and is limited in the locking groove 511 in the up-down direction, so as to limit the movement of the buckle 520.

In this embodiment, the locking groove 511 on the locking plate 510 is open to one surface of the buckle 520; the front side of the slot 511 is provided with an opening to form a hook structure. When the locking plate 510 is in the unlocking position, the door 220 is closed, and the locking posts 521 on the buckle 520 extend into the locking grooves 511 from the front to the rear at the front side opening of the locking grooves 511. The locking plate 510 is then slid in the up-down direction from the unlocking position to the locking position, so that the clamping post 521 slides in the up-down direction within the clamping groove 511, thereby locking the buckle 520 to the locking plate 510.

One end of the locking plate 510 is provided with a protruding boss 513, and the extending direction of the boss 513 is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking plate 510. The protruding column 513 is slidably inserted into the clamping hole 534 on the housing 530.

In this embodiment, the driving unit can drive the hand locking plate 510 to move between the unlocking position and the locking position. The locking plate 510 is provided with a protruding part 512; the extending direction of the protruding portion 512 is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the locking plate 510. When the locking plate 510 moves from the unlocking position to the locking position, the protruding portion 512 abuts against the limiting rib 532, so that the locking plate 510 is limited to the unlocking position.

The locking plate 510 is provided with a plunger 540; when the locking plate 510 is in the locking position, the plunger 540 seals the air hole 211; when the locking plate 510 is in the unlocked position, the plunger 540 and the air hole 211 are separated. The plunger 540 is provided at one end of the locking plate 510 in the sliding direction. In the present embodiment, the plunger 540 is disposed at the upper end of the locking plate 510, and the plunger 540 is disposed in the up-down direction. When a vacuum environment is formed in the vacuum box 200, the door 220 covers and is hermetically connected to the front side of the box 210. The locking plate 510 moves from the unlocking position to the locking position, and drives the plunger 540 to seal the air hole 211, thereby forming a sealed space in the vacuum box 200, and vacuum is drawn on the vacuum box 200 through the vacuum drawing assembly 300. When the door 220 needs to be opened, the locking plate 510 moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, so as to drive the plunger 540 and the air hole 211 to be separated, so as to release air to the vacuum box 200, and release negative pressure in the vacuum box 200, thereby facilitating the opening of the door 220.

In this embodiment, the air hole 211 is a circular hole, and the upper end of the plunger 540 is a conical structure, so that the air hole 211 can be inserted and sealed.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of a rotating wheel 560 according to an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Referring to fig. 6 to 12, the driving unit includes a motor 550, a rotating wheel 560 rotatably coupled to the case 210 or the housing 530 about its own axis, and an elastic member 570. The motor 550 is in transmission connection with the rotating wheel 560 so as to drive the rotating wheel 560 to rotate. In this embodiment, the rotating wheel 560 is sleeved on the protruding shaft 533 of the housing 530, so that the rotating wheel 560 is rotatably connected to the housing 530 around its own axis, and the rotating wheel 560 abuts against or is connected to the locking plate 510, so as to drive the locking plate 510 to slide.

In this embodiment, the rotating wheel 560 is provided with an eccentric propping block 561, and the propping block 561 is propped against the locking plate 510 to drive the locking plate 510 to move from the unlocking position to the locking position. Specifically, the abutment block 561 abuts against the lower end of the locking plate 510, and the rotation wheel 560 rotates to drive the locking plate 510 to slide upwards.

In this embodiment, the rotating wheels 560 are disposed at intervals on the axis of the rotating wheels 560 against the pushing blocks 561. A screw 551 is arranged between the rotating wheel 560 and the motor 550, and the screw 551 is connected with the motor 550 in a power transmission way. Teeth are arranged on the periphery of the rotating wheel 560; the screw 551 is engaged with teeth on the rotating wheel 560, so that the rotating wheel 560 is driven to rotate by the motor 550.

The screw 551, the rotating wheel 560, and the motor 550 are all disposed on the same side of the case 210 in the left-right direction. The screw 551 is vertically disposed, and the axis of the motor 550 is disposed front and rear, so that the driving unit occupies a smaller space in the left-right direction, thereby enabling the cassette 210 to be disposed more in the left-right direction, so that the effective volume of the vacuum cassette 200 is larger. In some embodiments, the screw 551 is disposed in the front-rear direction or in the up-down direction, and the motor 550 is disposed in the up-down direction or in the front-rear direction.

In some embodiments, the drive unit does not include a screw 551, and the output shaft of the motor 550 is fixedly connected to a swivel wheel 560. In other embodiments, the rotating wheel 560 includes only a knock block 561, one end of the knock block 561 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 550, and the other end is against the lock plate 510.

One surface of the rotating wheel 560 is convexly provided with an arc rib 562, and the arc rib 562 extends around the rotation center of the rotating wheel 560; the arc rib 562 is provided with a groove 563 at one side facing the rotation center of the rotation wheel 560, in this embodiment, the rotation wheel 560 is disposed at one side of the housing 530 facing the box 210, and the arc rib 562 is disposed at one side of the rotation wheel 560 facing the box 210. In some embodiments, arcuate ribs 562 are disposed on a side of the rotating wheel 560 opposite the cartridge 210.

Referring again to fig. 6 to 12, the elastic member 570 is configured to move the locking plate 510 from the locking position to the unlocking position. In this embodiment, the elastic member 570 is a compression spring, the elastic member 570 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the boss 513, and two ends of the elastic member 570 respectively abut against the locking plate 510 and the housing 530, so that the elastic force of the elastic member 570 drives the locking plate 510 to move. In other embodiments, the elastic member 570 is a tension spring, and the connecting sections of the elastic member 570 are fixedly connected to the housing 530 and the locking plate 510, respectively, so that the locking plate 510 is moved by the tension of the tension spring.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of a detecting unit 610 according to an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Referring to fig. 2 to 13, the refrigerator further includes a sensor assembly for detecting an opened and closed state of the door 220 and a position of the locking plate 510; the vacuum pumping assembly 300 and the sensor assembly are electrically connected to the driving unit, thereby controlling the locking plate 510 to automatically slide through the driving unit and limiting the locking plate 510.

The sensor assembly includes a sensing unit 610 provided on the housing 530 for sensing the position of the rotating wheel 560, and a monitoring unit 620 for monitoring the opened and closed state of the door 220.

The detection unit 610 includes a first micro switch 611 disposed on the housing 530, a sliding member 612 slidably disposed on the housing 530, and a reset member 613 for driving the sliding member 612 to move closer to or further from the first micro switch 611; the sliding piece 612 is clamped on the rotating wheel 560, and the rotating wheel 560 rotates to drive the sliding piece 612 to slide; the driving force of the rotating wheel 560 and the resetting piece 613 to the sliding piece 612 is opposite, so that the sliding piece 612 can be driven to abut against and be far away from the first micro switch 611.

In this embodiment, the restoring member 613 is a compression spring, the restoring member 613 is accommodated in the sliding groove 535, and two ends of the restoring member 613 are respectively abutted to the housing 530 and the sliding member 612.

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural view of a slider 612 according to an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application.

Referring to fig. 6 to 14, the sliding member 612 is located at a side of the housing 530 facing the case 210, a surface of the sliding member 612 facing the housing 530 is convexly provided with sliding ribs 6121, the sliding ribs 6121 extend along a sliding direction of the sliding member 612, and the sliding ribs 6121 are arranged in a plurality at intervals along a sliding direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. The sliding rib 6121 extends into and is retained within the sliding channel 535 such that the slider 612 is able to slide along the extension of the sliding channel 535. The slide 612 is partially positioned within the glide channel 535.

In this embodiment, the sliding member 612 slides in the up-down direction, the upper end of the sliding rib 6121 is closed, the reset member 613 is disposed in the sliding groove 535, and the upper and lower ends of the reset member 613 respectively abut or connect the upper end of the sliding rib 6121 and the lower wall of the sliding groove 535. The first micro switch 611 is disposed above the slider 612.

The lower end of the sliding member 612 is provided with a protruding shaft 6122, and the protruding shaft 6122 is snapped on one side of the arc rib 562 facing the rotation center of the rotation wheel 560. So that the end of the slider 612 facing away from the first micro switch 611 is overlapped on the side of the arc-shaped rib 562 facing the rotation center of the rotation wheel 560.

In this embodiment, the detecting units 610 are arranged in two groups at intervals, and the two sliders 612 of the two groups of detecting units 610 are arranged at intervals. When the sliding piece 612 is clamped on the arc rib 562, the corresponding sliding piece 612 and the corresponding first micro switch 611 are pulled to be separated. When the protruding shaft 6122 is clamped on the arc rib 562, the sliding piece 612 is separated from the corresponding first micro switch 611. During the rotation of the rotating wheel 560, the protruding shaft 6122 is engaged in the groove 563 of the arc rib 562, so that the sliding member 612 slides to abut against the first micro switch 611. By the abutment of the two sliders 612 against the two first microswitches 611, the lock position and the unlock position of the lock plate 510 are determined.

In some embodiments, the arcuate rib 562 is not provided with the groove 563, and a side of the arcuate rib 562 facing the rotation center of the rotation wheel 560 is convexly provided with the table structure. When the protruding shaft 6122 of the slider 612 is engaged with the arc rib 562, the slider 612 abuts against the corresponding first micro switch 611. In the rotating process of the rotating wheel 560, when the protruding shaft 6122 is clamped on the boss, the sliding piece 612 is driven to slide away from the corresponding first micro switch 611, so that the sliding piece 612 and the first micro switch 611 are separated. The locking position and the unlocking position of the locking plate 510 are determined by the separation of the two first micro switches 611 by the two sliders 612. In other embodiments, the detection unit 610 is a corresponding light sensor.

Fig. 15 is a schematic structural view of a monitoring unit 620 of an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present application. Fig. 16 is an enlarged view at a in fig. 7.

Referring to fig. 6 to 16, the monitoring unit 620 includes a second micro switch 621 disposed on the housing 530, a push plate 622 slidably disposed on the housing 530, and an elastic element 623 for driving the push plate 622 to move toward the door 220; the push plate 622 is disposed opposite the buckle 520 such that when the door 220 is closed, the buckle 520 can push the push plate 622 to move so that the push plate 622 abuts against or separates from the second micro switch 621.

In this embodiment, the second micro switch 621 is fixed on the housing 530, the push plate 622 extends along the front-back direction, the push plate 622 is wholly or partially accommodated in the limit groove 536, and the limit button in the limit groove 536 limits the push plate 622 in the limit groove 536, so that the push plate 622 can slide back and forth in the limit groove 536.

In this embodiment, the elastic element 623 is a spring, and when the elastic element 623 abuts against the housing 530 and the push plate 622 to drive the push plate 622 to press against the second micro-switch, the rear end of the buckle 520 abuts against the push plate 622 when the door 220 is covered on the box 210, and pushes the push plate 622 to move backward, so that the push plate 622 and the second micro-switch 621 are separated.

In the embodiment, a controller is arranged in the refrigerator; the door 220 or a control board of the refrigerator is further provided with a door opening sensor for acquiring a signal for opening the door 220.

The door sensor for acquiring the opening or closing motion of the door 220 is provided on the sidewall of the case 100; when the door sensor acquires the user's action of being placed on the door 220 and the locking plate 510 is in the locked state, a door opening signal is sent to the sensor assembly.

Based on the above structure, the present embodiment further provides a control method of a refrigerator, including:

when the sensor assembly receives the signal that the door 220 is closed on the box 210, the driving unit is controlled to drive the locking plate 510 to move, so as to drive the locking plate 510 to lock the buckle 520. After the sensor assembly receives a signal that the lock plate 510 is in the locked position; the driving unit is controlled to stop to maintain the locking plate 510 at the locking position.

In this embodiment, the door 220 is pushed to cover the box 210, and the buckle 520 on the door 220 is pushed to move backward, so that the push plate 622 and the second micro switch 621 are separated. The second micro switch 621 transmits a signal to the controller, and the controller controls the motor 550 to rotate to drive the rotating wheel 560 to rotate, and the rotating wheel 560 rotates to drive the locking plate 510 to move from the unlocking position to the locking position, so that the clamping post 521 is clamped in the clamping groove 511. When the rotating wheel 560 rotates to the locking position, one sliding member 612 slides to be separated from the corresponding first micro switch 611, and the corresponding first micro switch 611 transmits a signal to the controller, and the controller controls the motor 550 to stop operating, thereby maintaining the locking position of the locking plate 510.

When the sensor assembly receives the door opening signal, the driving unit is controlled to work so that the locking plate 510 moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, and the locking plate 510 and the pinch plate 520 are separated so as to be capable of opening the door 220; when the sensor assembly receives a signal that the locking plate 510 is moved to the unlocking position, the driving unit is controlled to stop operating to maintain the locking plate 510 in the unlocking position.

In this embodiment, after the door opening sensor unlocks the signal for opening the door 220, the signal is transmitted to the controller, the controller controls the motor 550 to rotate, the motor 550 rotates, the locking plate 510 moves from the locking position to the unlocking position under the action of the elastic force of the elastic member 570, one sliding member 612 slides to be separated from the corresponding first micro switch 611, the corresponding first micro switch 611 transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller controls the motor 550 to stop working so as to keep the locking plate 510 at the unlocking position.

Through the electric connection of sensor subassembly and drive unit, control locking plate automatic rotation to realize the automatic locking to the vacuum box, in order to make things convenient for user's use.

While the application has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description and of limitation. As the present application may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a case;

a vacuum box provided in the case; the vacuum box comprises a box body with an opening at the front side and a door body which can be opened and closed at the opening of the box body;

the vacuumizing assembly is communicated with the inner space of the vacuum box and is used for vacuumizing the vacuum box;

the locking assembly comprises a locking plate, a buckle plate and a driving unit, wherein the locking plate is slidably arranged on the periphery of the box body, the buckle plate is fixed on the door body, and the driving unit is used for driving and limiting the locking plate to slide; when the door body is covered on the box body, the locking plate slides along the sliding direction, so that the locking plate is switched between a locking position and an unlocking position; when the door body is in the unlocking position, the locking plate locks the buckle plate so as to lock the door body to move relative to the box body; when in the unlocking position, the locking plate is separated from the buckle plate;

a sensor assembly for detecting an open/closed state of the door body and a position of the locking plate; the vacuum pumping assembly and the sensor assembly are electrically connected to the driving unit.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes a rotating wheel rotatably provided at the outer periphery of the case body around an axis thereof; the rotating wheel is abutted or connected with the locking plate so as to drive the locking plate to slide.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the locking assembly includes a housing fixed to an outer periphery of the case, the locking plate being slidably provided on the housing; the sensor assembly comprises a detection unit and a monitoring unit, wherein the detection unit is arranged on the shell and used for detecting the position of the rotating wheel, and the monitoring unit is used for monitoring the opening and closing states of the door body.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the detection unit includes a first micro switch provided on the housing, a slider slidably provided on the housing, and a reset member for driving the slider to move toward or away from the first micro switch; the sliding piece is clamped on the rotating wheel, and the rotating wheel can drive the sliding piece to slide after rotating; the rotating wheel and the reset piece are opposite to the driving force of the sliding piece, so that the sliding piece can be driven to abut against and be far away from the first micro switch.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the rotating wheel is provided with an arc rib protruding toward or away from one surface of the case, the arc rib extending around a rotation center of the rotating wheel; a groove is formed in one side, facing the rotation center of the rotating wheel, of the arc-shaped rib; the arc rib is located one side of the sliding piece, which is opposite to the first micro switch, and one end of the sliding piece, which is opposite to the first micro switch, is lapped on one side of the arc rib, which is opposite to the rotating center of the rotating wheel.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the locking assembly comprises a housing fixed to an outside of the case, and a sliding groove is provided on the housing; the slider portion is positioned within the sliding channel such that the slider is slidably disposed within the sliding channel.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the restoring member is a compression spring, the restoring member is accommodated in the sliding groove, and two ends of the restoring member are respectively abutted to the housing and the sliding member.

8. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the monitoring unit includes a second micro switch provided on the housing, a push plate slidably provided on the housing, and an elastic member for driving the push plate to move toward the door body; the push plate is arranged opposite to the pinch plate, so that when the door body is closed, the pinch plate can push the push plate to move, and the push plate is abutted to or separated from the second micro switch.

9. A control method of a refrigerator, characterized in that a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is provided, the control method comprising:

when the sensor component receives a signal that the door body is closed on the box body, the driving unit is controlled to drive the locking plate to move, and the locking plate is driven to lock the buckle plate;

after the sensor assembly receives a signal that the locking plate is in a locked position; and controlling the driving unit to stop working so as to keep the locking plate at the locking position.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein when the sensor assembly receives a door opening signal, the driving unit is controlled to operate so that the locking plate moves from a locking position toward an unlocking position, and the locking plate and the buckle plate are separated so that the door body can be opened; and when the sensor assembly receives a signal that the locking plate moves to the unlocking position, controlling the driving unit to stop working so as to keep the locking plate at the unlocking position.