CN220187202U - Drawer assembly for refrigerator and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a drawer assembly for a refrigerator, which comprises a main body part and a front cover part independent from the main body part, wherein the front cover part is connected with the main body part to jointly limit a storage space of the drawer assembly, the main body part is provided with a coherent upper surface forming an appearance surface of the drawer assembly and a matching area extending downwards from the upper surface, the matching area is suitable for matching with a corresponding matching area of the front cover part, and the front cover part is provided with side walls covering the matching area from two sides. And also relates to a corresponding refrigerator. According to the embodiment of the application, on one hand, the front cover part and the main body part are made of different materials under the condition of considering cost factors or appearance factors, and on the other hand, the upper surface of the main body part is used for shielding the matching area below the front cover part, so that the configuration requirement of the drawer conforming to the aesthetic appearance can be met even if the front cover part and the main body part are made in a split mode, dust accumulation is avoided, and the drawer is easy to clean.

Description

Drawer assembly for refrigerator and refrigerator

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a drawer assembly for a refrigerator and a corresponding refrigerator.

Background

Nowadays, as the living standard of people increases, refrigerators have gone into thousands of households. Various drawers are generally installed inside a refrigerator to allow a user to store different foods in a classified manner. For example, drawers having front side openings, which are generally formed in an integrally molded manner to form shallow drawers having a front panel of a height no higher than that of the drawer body, are typically formed in an integrally molded manner because of their smaller depth than conventional drawers; however, the integrally formed shallow drawer is disadvantageous in terms of maintaining uniformity in the style with other drawers formed separately, which in particular damages the integrity of the interior of the refrigerator. In the design and production process of the drawer, on the one hand, in order to avoid that the whole drawer is made of the same expensive material, on the other hand, in order to improve the universality of the drawer, a split forming mode is expected to be adopted in the aspect of manufacturing the drawer, but the manufacturing mode adopting the split forming mode is generally limited to the mode that the whole height of the front panel of the drawer is higher than that of the drawer body, so that the front panel of the drawer can be ensured to cover certain parts of the drawer body which are not wanted to be exposed, such as a notch and the like.

For this reason, there is still a real need for continued improvement in the configuration of drawers for refrigerators.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, it is an object of embodiments of the present application to provide an improved drawer assembly for a refrigerator and an improved refrigerator, so as to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned drawbacks and/or other possible drawbacks not mentioned herein.

According to a first aspect of the present application, embodiments of the present application provide a drawer assembly for a refrigerator, the drawer assembly comprising at least a main body part and a front cover part independent from the main body part, the front cover part being connected with the main body part to jointly define a storage space of the drawer assembly, wherein the main body part has: a coherent upper surface forming an exterior surface of the drawer assembly; and a mating region extending downwardly from the upper surface, the mating region adapted to mate with a corresponding mating region of the front cover member, the front cover member having side walls covering the mating region from both sides. In this way, on the one hand, the front cover part is constructed independently of the main body part, which is advantageous for the two parts to be manufactured from different materials, for example, taking into account cost factors or appearance factors, and on the other hand, the continuous upper surface of the main body part as the appearance surface of the drawer assembly can in particular conceal the mating region located thereunder, and the side walls of the front cover part can also conceal from both sides in particular certain undesirable mating parts in the mating region, since these mating parts in particular tend to cause dust to accumulate and are inconvenient to clean. Therefore, even if the front cover part and the main body part are manufactured in a split mode, the drawer can still meet various configuration requirements of the drawer, dust accumulation is avoided, cleaning is easy, and the industrial aesthetic feeling of the drawer assembly in appearance can be improved.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body member is configured to allow the front cover member to be screwed into the body member from below up to form the drawer assembly. In this way, the front cover member is mounted to the main body member by screwing from bottom to top, and it is not necessary to provide a special notch for mounting the front cover member from top to bottom in the upper portion of the main body member.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part is higher than or flush with the front cover part in the height direction of the drawer assembly. Thus, there is no need to ensure that the front cover member must be higher than the main body member to conceal certain unwanted exposed portions, such as the cutouts, which are particularly prone to dust accumulation and inconvenient to clean, as in the prior art.

According to an alternative embodiment, the upper surface of the body part comprises a smooth transition surface sloping downwards from back to front. Thus, not only can an open drawer be realized with a front lower than a rear, for example, by means of such a smooth transition surface, but the integrity of the drawer assembly itself is ensured, since the upper surface of the body part itself is continuously extended.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part and the front cover part are configured to be snapped onto each other in the mating region and the corresponding mating region by means of a snap-lock structure. Thus, by using the latch structure without the use of other additional attachment means (e.g., screws, etc.), the latch structure is not only technically easy to manufacture, but also easy to disassemble and install again.

According to an alternative embodiment, the mating region is configured on the front end and/or side of the body part. The front cover part is preferably arranged on the front side of the drawer, and the front cover part is preferably arranged on the front side of the drawer.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part has a forwardly open opening, and the front cover part has a front wall covering the opening from the front side. Thereby, unnecessary material of the front portion of the main body member can be reduced due to the presence of the front cover member, so that cost can be saved.

According to an alternative embodiment, the front cover part may be constructed as a transparent piece. Which is advantageous in that a user can easily observe the stored objects in the drawer through the front cover part in particular.

According to an alternative embodiment, the upper surface has a width covering the mating area in the width direction of the drawer assembly. Therefore, the upper surface can completely shield the matching area below the upper surface in the width direction, so that a user can not see the matching part which is not easy to reveal particularly when looking down from top to bottom, and the user experience is promoted.

According to an alternative embodiment, the upper surface is connected flush with the upper end of the front cover part. Thereby, the industrial aesthetic feeling of the drawer in appearance is further improved.

According to an alternative embodiment, the latch structure comprises a recess provided on the body part and a projection provided on the front cover part and adapted to occupy the recess. In this way, the front cover part and the main body part can be locked to each other by a simple locking method.

According to an alternative embodiment, the latch structure comprises a snap recess provided on the front cover part and a snap projection provided on the body part and adapted to project into the snap recess. In this way, the front cover part and the main body part can be locked to each other by a simple locking method.

According to an alternative embodiment, the latch structure comprises a first stop block provided on the body part and a second stop block provided on the front cover part and adapted to abut each other with the first stop block. In this way, the front cover part and the main body part can be locked to each other by a simple locking method.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first stop block is at least partially connected to the upper surface of the body part. By means of the first stop block being at least partially connected to the upper surface of the body part, it is thereby ensured that the first stop block is not easily broken when the first stop block and the second stop block abut each other.

According to an alternative embodiment, the second stop block is at least partially connected to a side wall of the front cover part. By means of the second stop block being at least partially connected to the side wall of the front cover part, it is thereby ensured that the second stop block is not easily broken when the first stop block and the second stop block abut against each other.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first stop block is configured as a stop protrusion and the second stop block is configured as a stop recess adapted to match the shape of the stop protrusion. Thus, this form-fitting stop relationship of the first stop block and the second stop block to each other is more advantageous for locking the front cover member and the body member to each other without being easily disengaged.

According to an alternative embodiment, the second stop is configured and adapted to provide the first stop with a force having an at least partly upward force component. This at least partially upward force component can thus advantageously decompose an excessive pulling force in the horizontal direction when the drawer is pulled by the user, in order to avoid breaking the first stop or the second stop.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first stop block and the second stop block have abutment inclined surfaces adapted to abut each other, the abutment inclined surfaces having a first slope. Thus, the first stop block and the second stop block can be tightly jointed together, so that when a user pulls the drawer, the acting force is ensured to be uniformly distributed on the leaning inclined plane and not concentrated at a certain position.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part has a lead-in chamfer in the mating region, the lead-in chamfer having a second slope. Thereby, the front cover part can advantageously be brought along the lead-in chamfer into the mating region during assembly to the body part for mounting positioning.

According to an alternative embodiment, the projection is configured to occupy the cavity from below. Thereby, the front cover member is more favorably assembled to the main body member from below.

According to an alternative embodiment, the projection is configured to be at least partially obscured by the upper surface of the body member. Thus, the parts that do not have to be revealed are shielded, in particular improving the overall industrial aesthetic of the drawer.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part has a first reinforcement structure for reinforcing the first stop, which first reinforcement structure is at least partly connected to the upper surface of the body part. By means of the first reinforcement structure being at least partially connected to the upper surface of the body part, in particular part of the force is thereby transmitted to the body of the body part, so that the first stop block itself is not subjected to excessive forces which are liable to cause breakage.

According to an alternative embodiment, the front cover part has a second reinforcement structure for reinforcing the second stop, which second reinforcement structure is at least partially connected to the side walls and/or the front wall of the front cover part. By at least partially connecting to the side walls and/or the front wall of the front cover part, in particular by transmitting part of the force to the body of the front cover part, the second stop piece itself is thus not subjected to excessive forces which can easily lead to breakage.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first slope is greater than the second slope. Thus, when the drawer is pulled by a user, the abutting inclined surfaces of the first stop block and the second stop block, which are abutted against each other and have a first slope, ensure that the front cover component and the main body component are fixed with each other, and the front cover component is not easy to be separated from the main body component through the guiding inclined surface having a second slope because the second slope is smaller than the first slope.

According to an alternative embodiment, the front cover part has a rest surface adapted to rest against the lead-in chamfer. Thereby, the abutment surface of the front cover member also abuts against the lead-in slope when the front cover member is engaged with the main body member, which forms a stable engagement structure.

According to an alternative embodiment, the front wall of the front cover part has at least one first reinforcement rib on the inside. In particular, the structural strength of the front cover member itself can be improved, and particularly, excessive deformation of the front wall can be prevented when the user directly acts on the front wall of the front cover member to pull the drawer.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first reinforcement structure is configured as a frame structure and/or a cantilever structure. This structure with a substantially uniform wall thickness is thus not only easy to injection mold, but also has an advantageous stiffening effect on the first stop block in terms of structural strength.

According to an alternative embodiment, the second reinforcing structure has at least one second reinforcing rib connected to the side wall. In particular, the structural strength of the second reinforcing structure itself can be increased, and the second reinforcing structure is less likely to be broken.

According to an alternative embodiment, the second reinforcing structure has at least one third reinforcing rib connected to the front wall. In particular, the structural strength of the second reinforcing structure itself can be increased, and the second reinforcing structure is less likely to be broken.

According to an alternative embodiment, the second reinforcement structure and the side walls form a reinforcement space adapted to accommodate the first reinforcement structure. Thus, in addition to the engagement of the first stop block and the second stop block against each other, the first reinforcing structure as a whole can be placed, for example, from top to bottom into the reinforcing space formed by the second reinforcing structure and the side wall of the front cover member, which further facilitates the non-releasable engagement relationship between the main body member and the front cover member.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first stiffener extends over the entire width of the front cover part. Thereby, the structural rigidity of the front cover member is further enhanced.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first stiffener is located at the uppermost end of the front cover part. Thus, for example, in the case where the front cover member is made of a transparent material, the front cover member is not perceived to be abrupt from the front view, thereby improving the industrial aesthetic feeling.

According to an alternative embodiment, the second reinforcement structure has two second reinforcing ribs configured on both ends of the second stop block. This makes it possible to disperse the stress of the second stopper at both ends, and to prevent the second stopper from being broken easily.

According to an alternative embodiment, the third stiffener comprises the bump as a first section and/or comprises a second section connected to the front wall straight or curved. This allows, on the one hand, not only the latching cam to function as a reinforcement bar, but also the provision of too many components, and on the other hand, the shaping of the third reinforcement bar itself to also allow the use of additional decorative components (for example decorative strips or decorative handles).

According to an alternative embodiment, the second section is configured as a corresponding section matching the side shape of the body part on the end faces of the two sides. In particular, it is ensured that the side edges of the body part can be engaged forward with the second section of the third reinforcement rib, on the one hand, to make the storage space of the drawer more complete without significant gaps, and on the other hand, in particular in the case of the use of additional decorative parts (for example decorative strips or decorative handles), to define an installation space for the insertion of the decorative parts.

According to an alternative embodiment, the drawer assembly further comprises a decorative member independent from the front cover member, the decorative member being connected with the front cover member to form at least a front side of the drawer assembly. Therefore, the decorative part not only can have an attractive effect on the front side of the drawer, but also can strengthen the structural rigidity of the front cover part to a certain extent, and especially can also ergonomically optimize the user experience when a user pulls the drawer.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part and the front cover part are constructed of different materials. Thus, the main body part and the front cover part which are made of different materials can meet different cost requirements and appearance requirements of the two parts.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part is integrally formed. Thus, not only the overall structural strength of the body part is ensured, but also additional assembly processes are saved.

According to an alternative embodiment, the front cover part is integrally formed. Thus, not only the overall structural strength of the front cover member is ensured, but also additional assembly processes are saved.

According to an alternative embodiment, the body part and the front cover part together define a receiving space adapted to receive the decorative part. Thus, the decorative member, the front cover member, and the main body member can be advantageously secured to each other to form a stable drawer shape.

According to an alternative embodiment, the decorative member extends over the entire width of the front cover member. Thus, the decorative member not only has a decorative effect over the entire width of the front cover member, but also has a reinforcing effect of improving the structural strength over the entire width of the front cover member.

According to an alternative embodiment, the accommodation space comprises a stepped space adapted to at least part of the outer contour of the decorative part. Thereby, it is possible to provide additional support to the decoration member to ensure that the decoration member is stably maintained in the receiving space even when the user pulls the drawer.

According to an alternative embodiment, the decorative part cooperates with the front cover part and/or the body part on both sides. By virtue thereof, the decorative part cooperates with at least one of the front cover part and the main body part on both sides, which further ensures that the decorative part advantageously increases the overall structural strength of the drawer as part of the drawer assembly.

According to a second aspect of the present application, embodiments of the present application provide a refrigerator comprising a refrigerator main body defining at least one storage space and at least one refrigerator door adapted to close the storage space, and at least one drawer assembly for a refrigerator provided in each of the embodiments of the first aspect described above, the drawer assembly being provided in the storage space. Thus, such a refrigerator has, among other things, the advantages mentioned in the embodiments of the first aspect described above.

According to an alternative embodiment, the drawer assembly is located at an uppermost layer of the storage space. Thus, even for the storage space located at a low position, the user can draw out the drawer and take out the stored article particularly conveniently.

Drawings

The principles, features and advantages of the present application may be better understood by describing the present application in more detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings include:

fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to another exemplary embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2, wherein the upper half of the drawing shows a first embodiment of the drawer assembly without the ornamental component and the lower half of the drawing shows a second embodiment of the drawer assembly with the ornamental component;

FIG. 4 shows a partial enlarged view of B1 and B2 shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of the drawer assembly from the direction C shown in FIG. 2, wherein the upper half of the drawing illustrates a first embodiment of the drawer assembly without the ornamental component and the lower half of the drawing illustrates a second embodiment of the drawer assembly with the ornamental component;

FIG. 6 shows a partial enlarged view of D1 and D2 shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates a partially cut-away perspective view of the drawer assembly from the direction C shown in FIG. 2, wherein the upper half of the drawing illustrates a first embodiment of the drawer assembly without the ornamental component and the lower half of the drawing illustrates a second embodiment of the drawer assembly with the ornamental component;

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged partial view of E1 and E2 shown in FIG. 7;

fig. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 illustrate an assembly process of the main body part and the front cover part with the drawer assembly having the decoration part as an example;

FIG. 14 illustrates a partially cut-away perspective view of the drawer assembly from another orientation, with the drawer assembly having a decorative member as an example;

fig. 15 shows a partial enlarged view of F shown in fig. 14; and

fig. 16 shows a schematic side view of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals:

900: a drawer assembly; 910: a body member; 911: a storage space; 912: an upper surface; 913: a cavity; 914: a snap-fit protrusion; 915: a first stopper; 916: an introduction slope; 917: a side edge; 920: a front cover member; 921: a sidewall; 922: a front wall; 923: a bump; 924: a snap notch; 925: a second stopper; 926: a rest surface; 927: a corresponding section; 928: a concave portion; 930: a decorative member; 100: a first reinforcing structure; 102: a lower side; 103: a front side; 200: a second reinforcing structure; 201: reinforcing the space; 202: an abutment side; 203: the front of the third reinforcing rib; 10: a mating region; 20: a corresponding mating region; 30: a latch structure; 80: a rear wall; 90: a front side; 1: a first reinforcing rib; 2: a second reinforcing rib; 3: a third reinforcing rib; 31: a first section; 32: a second section; 12: an accommodation space; 13: a stepped space; 1000: a refrigerator; 1001: a storage space; 800: a refrigerator main body; 700: a refrigerator door; h1: the overall height of the body member; h2: the overall height of the front cover member; w: a width; x: a width direction; y: a height direction; and z: in the depth direction.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous technical effects to be solved by the present application more apparent, the present application will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application, and that various embodiments may be described in conjunction with the same drawing or drawings, but not all features that appear in the same drawing as what an embodiment must possess.

Before beginning the description, it is noted that for convenience, it may be described herein using azimuth or direction terms with respect to a conventional use state of a refrigerator or a drawer for a refrigerator, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the present application, without causing any confusion. In this case, the azimuth term and the direction term should not be interpreted simply as azimuth or direction in any state. That is, the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "longitudinal", "transverse", "high", "front", "back", etc. in the description of the present application are merely for convenience of description and simplification of the description, and do not indicate or imply that the apparatus or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

In addition, in the description of the application, the expression "a and/or B" denotes all possible combinations of a and B, such as a alone, B alone or a and B. The terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Herein, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such feature.

Exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 illustrates a first drawer assembly 901 as a perspective view of a drawer assembly 900 for a refrigerator 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a second drawer assembly 902 as a drawer assembly 900 for a refrigerator 1000 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present application. For clarity, an xyz coordinate system is shown in fig. 1 and 2 and in subsequent figures, where x represents the width direction of the drawer assembly 900, y represents the height direction of the drawer assembly 900, and z represents the depth direction z that the drawer assembly 900 points from front to back.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the drawer assembly 900 includes at least a main body part 910 and a front cover part 920 independent from the main body part 910. Here, the main body member 910 is preferably integrally formed with itself, and the front cover member 920 is also integrally formed with itself. As shown, the front cover member 920 is coupled with the body member 910 to collectively define the storage space 911 of the drawer assembly 900. Within the scope of the application, two components are understood to be independent of one another, in particular, that the two components are manufactured at least independently of one another and then connected together, for example, in a detachable or non-detachable manner, for which purpose it is also understood that the two components are manufactured separately and not integrally. Thus, the main body member 910 and the front cover member 920 can be made of different materials, in particular. For example, the main body part 910 is formed of a non-transparent material to save costs, and the front cover part 920 is formed of a transparent material to enhance industrial aesthetic.

It should be particularly noted herein that at least two drawer assemblies 900 are illustrated in the drawings of the present application, including at least a first drawer assembly 901 and a second drawer assembly 902. First drawer assembly 901 as exemplarily shown in fig. 1, the main body part 910 is flush with the front cover part 920 in the height direction y of the drawer assembly 900, i.e., the overall height h1 of the main body part 910 is equal to the overall height h2 of the front cover part 920. As exemplarily shown in fig. 2, the main body part 910 is higher than the front cover part 920 in the height direction y of the drawer assembly 900, that is, the overall height h1 of the main body part 910 is greater than the overall height h2 of the front cover part 920. In a not shown embodiment of the application, however, the body part 910 can also be lower in the height direction y than the front cover part 920, i.e. the overall height h1 of the body part 910 is smaller than the overall height h2 of the front cover part 920.

Next, for simplicity of description, fig. 3 to 15 basically describe a first embodiment without the decoration member 930 and a second embodiment with the decoration member 930 as an example of the second drawer assembly 902, but it should be understood that both embodiments are equally applicable to the first drawer assembly 901 (as fig. 1 also exemplarily shows the decoration member 930) as well. Thus, unless otherwise indicated, the following description of the application in connection with the accompanying drawings shall also be applicable to other embodiments not explicitly shown within the scope of the application.

As can be seen in fig. 1 and 2, body member 910 has a continuous upper surface 912, and upper surface 912 forms the exterior surface of drawer assembly 900. The outer surface is to be understood in particular as the outer surface which is easily visible to the user during use of the drawer assembly, or the outer surface which is exposed. While the upper surface 912 shown in fig. 1 extends generally horizontally and straight as a whole, the upper surface 912 shown in fig. 2, starting from the rear wall 80 of the drawer assembly 900, comprises in particular a first surface which is firstly horizontally straight, then a second surface which is inclined downwards and finally a third surface which is again horizontally straight but has a lower height than the first surface, wherein the second surface is in particular configured as a smoothly transitional inclined surface. In addition, the body member 910 also has a mating region 10 extending downwardly from the upper surface 912, the mating region 10 being adapted to mate with a corresponding mating region 20 of the front cover member 920 (see in particular the description below in connection with fig. 4 and 6).

It can also be seen from fig. 1 and 2 that the configuration of the mating region 10 on the body part 910 is exemplified by its front end and sides. Drawer assembly 900 is preferably provided with mating fields 10 and corresponding mating fields 20 on both sides. Since drawer assembly 900 is preferably configured symmetrically left-right, the following description of one side (i.e., left or right) and the illustration of the view shall apply equally to the other side. As shown in fig. 1 and 2 in particular, the front cover member 920 has a front wall 922 and left and right side walls 921 that cover the fitting region 10 from both left and right sides, respectively (fig. 1 and 2 show only one side wall 921 for angular reasons). Preferably, the upper surface 912 of the main body part 910 in the region where it is connected with the front cover part 920 is connected flush with the uppermost end of the front cover part 920 in the height direction y (as shown in fig. 2) or flush with the uppermost end of the decorative part 930 (as shown in fig. 1). Within the scope of the present application, flushing is to be understood as meaning in particular visually continuous planes which are present within the tolerances applicable in the field under consideration (for example within 10%, preferably within 5%, particularly preferably within 2%), i.e. even if there is a height difference to some extent, this difference being equally applicable as long as it does not visually significantly impair its smoothness.

Fig. 3 shows an exploded perspective view taken along line A-A of fig. 2, wherein the upper half of the drawing shows a first embodiment of the drawer assembly 900 without the ornamental component 930 and the lower half of the drawing shows a second embodiment of the drawer assembly 900 with the ornamental component 930. Fig. 4 shows a partial enlarged view of B1 and B2 shown in fig. 3.

As shown in the lower half of fig. 3, drawer assembly 900 may also include a trim component 930 that is separate from front cover component 920, with trim component 930 being coupled to front cover component 920 to form at least front side 90 of drawer assembly 900 (also in contrast to fig. 7, which will be described below).

As can be seen from the lower half of fig. 3 in combination with fig. 1, the decorative member 930 is configured to extend over the entire width of the front cover member 920 (i.e. in the width direction x) and cooperate with the front cover member 920 and/or the body member 910, in particular on both sides, with each other (also in comparison to the E2 view of fig. 8, which will be described below).

As can be seen in fig. 3 in combination with fig. 2, the body member 910 has a forwardly open opening, and the front wall 922 of the front cover member 920 just covers this opening to form the front of the entire drawer assembly 900. In addition, the upper surface 912 preferably has a width w that shields the mating area 10 in the width direction x of the drawer assembly 900.

As can be seen from fig. 3, the body part 910 has straight or curved side edges 917 on both end faces, which side edges 917 preferably match the shape of the corresponding sections 927 of the front cover part 920 (compare fig. 4, for example).

As can be seen from fig. 4, in order to increase the structural strength of the front wall 922 of the front cover part 920, at least one first reinforcement rib 1 is provided on the inner side of the front wall 922 facing the storage space 911, which first reinforcement rib 1 preferably extends over the entire width of the front cover part 920 (i.e. in the width direction x) and is in particular located at the uppermost end of the front cover part 920. For the second embodiment with a decorative part 930, there is also a corresponding recess 928 (see also fig. 9, which will be described later) on the outside of the front wall 922 facing away from the storage space 911 where the first stiffener 1 is located, which not only provides the possibility of snapping the end of the decorative part 930, but also avoids the front wall 922 of the front cover part 920 from shrinking due to local excessive thickness.

FIG. 5 illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of the drawer assembly 900 from the direction C shown in FIG. 2, wherein the upper half of the drawing illustrates a first embodiment of the drawer assembly 900 without the decorative member 930 and the lower half of the drawing illustrates a second embodiment of the drawer assembly 900 with the decorative member 930; fig. 6 shows a partial enlarged view of D1 and D2 shown in fig. 5.

As can be seen from fig. 4 in combination with fig. 6, the front cover part 920 and the body part 910 are configured to be adapted to latch with each other in the mating region 10 and the corresponding mating region 20 by means of a latching structure 30. In particular, the latch structure 30 may include a cavity 913 provided on the body member 910 and a protrusion 923 provided on the front cover member 920, the protrusion 923 occupying the cavity 913 in a state where the front cover member 920 and the body member 910 are latched to each other (also refer to fig. 15 to be described later). Preferably, the latching structure 30 may include a latching recess 924 provided on the front cover part 920 and a latching protrusion 914 provided on the body part 910, the latching protrusion 914 protruding into the latching recess 924 in a state in which the front cover part 920 and the body part 910 are latched to each other. Particularly preferably, the latch structure 30 may include a first stopper 915 provided on the main body part 910 and a second stopper 925 provided on the front cover part 920, the first stopper 915 and the second stopper 925 being abutted against each other in a state where the front cover part 920 and the main body part 910 are latched to each other. As shown in fig. 4 and 6 in conjunction with fig. 8, which will be described below, the first stop 915 is configured as a stop projection, while the second stop 925 is configured as a stop recess that mates with the shape.

As can be seen in fig. 6, the first stop 915 is at least partially attached to the upper surface 912 of the body member 910. To strengthen the first stop 915, the body member 910 preferably also has a first reinforcing structure 100, which first reinforcing structure 100 is also at least partially attached to the upper surface 912 of the body member 910. It is particularly preferred that the first reinforcing structure 100 is configured as a cantilever structure and/or as a frame structure as shown in fig. 6, for example, i.e. as a hollow structure. Optionally, the body member 910 has a lead-in chamfer 916 in the mating zone 10. In particular, the distance between the lead-in chamfer 916 and the first stop block 915 or the first reinforcing structure 100 allows the second stop block 925 to enter the mating zone 10 to achieve abutment with the first stop block 915.

As can be seen in fig. 4, the second stop block 925 is at least partially connected to the side wall 921 of the front cover part 920. To strengthen the second stop block 925, the front cover part 920 preferably also has a second reinforcing structure 200, which second reinforcing structure 200 is at least partially connected to the side walls 921 and/or the front wall 922 of the front cover part 920. Preferably, the second reinforcing structure 200 may have at least one second reinforcing rib 2 connected to the side wall 921, two second reinforcing ribs 2 configured on both ends of the second stopper 925 being exemplarily shown in fig. 4. Further preferably, the second reinforcing structure 200 may also have at least one third stiffener 3 connected to the front wall 922, where the third stiffener 3 preferably comprises a bump 923 as the first section 31. Optionally, the third stiffener 3 may further comprise a second section 32 connected to the front wall 922, which second section 32 may extend straight, in particular vertically (as shown in B1 of fig. 4) or curved, in particular arched towards the storage space 911 (as shown in B2 of fig. 4). Here, the second section 32 extending straight may be integrally connected to the front wall 922 to enhance its structural strength, while the second section 32 extending curved may be configured as a corresponding section 927 matching the shape of the side 917 of the main body part 910 and may be connected to the first reinforcing rib 1 on the inner side of the front wall 922 in particular to enhance its structural strength. As can also be seen from fig. 4 in combination with fig. 6, the second reinforcing structure 200 and the side walls 921 form a reinforcing space 201 adapted to accommodate the first reinforcing structure 100.

FIG. 7 illustrates a partially cut-away perspective view of the drawer assembly 900 from the direction C shown in FIG. 2, wherein the upper half of the drawing illustrates a first embodiment of the drawer assembly 900 without the decorative member 930 and the lower half of the drawing illustrates a second embodiment of the drawer assembly 900 with the decorative member 930; fig. 8 shows a partial enlarged view of E1 and E2 shown in fig. 7.

As can be seen from fig. 8, the first stop 915 and the second stop 925 have abutment slopes adapted to abut each other, which have the same first slope. The first slope is preferably greater than the second slope that lead-in ramp 916 has (also compare fig. 6). That is, the abutment slope of the first and second stop blocks 915 and 925 is steeper than the lead-in slope 916.

As shown in fig. 8, the second stop 925 is configured to provide a force to the first stop 915 with an at least partially upward force component. That is, the two abutment inclined surfaces extend forward at least obliquely from top to bottom.

The case where the two abutment surfaces of the first and second stoppers 915 and 925 extend vertically from top to bottom is schematically shown at the left side of fig. 8 by a broken line S1, and the case where the two abutment surfaces of the first and second stoppers 915 and 925 extend obliquely rearward from top to bottom is schematically shown at the right side of fig. 8 by a broken line S2. Neither the situation shown at S1 nor the situation shown at S2, the force provided by the second stop block 925 to the first stop block 915 has an upward force component, which is particularly prone to causing the first stop block 915 and/or the second stop block 925 to break when the user pulls the drawer. While a more robust structure can be achieved according to embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 illustrate the assembly of the main body member 910 and the front cover member 920 with the drawer assembly 900 having the decoration member 930, and the decoration member 930 is not illustrated herein for clarity.

The position of the body part 910 and the front cover part 920 relative to each other before assembly is shown in fig. 9, and in the following fig. 10 to 13 only a partial cross section of the body part 910 and the front cover part 920 is shown for clarity to indicate their movement relationship to each other.

As can be seen first in fig. 10, the front cover part 920 has a rest surface 926, which rest surface 926 rests against the lead-in chamfer 916 of the body part 910 (also in contrast to fig. 13) in the final state of the assembly of the front cover part 920 and the body part 910 into the drawer assembly 900.

As can be seen from the assembly process of the front cover member 920 onto the body member 910 shown in fig. 10 to 13, the body member 910 is configured to allow the front cover member 920 to be screwed onto the body member 910 from below to above and preferably in a tilted posture toward the body member 910 to finally form an assembled state, i.e., to finally constitute the drawer assembly 900.

As shown in fig. 10, to be assembled to the main body part 910, the front cover part 920 is first required to be inclined with respect to the main body part 910, that is, inclined in a posture toward the main body part 910 (for example, inclined 30 ° toward the main body part 910 as compared with an upright posture) and at a lower height position with respect to the main body part 910. The front cover member 920 is then brought into proximity with the body structure 910 and the second stop block 925 is brought into the area of the first stop block 915 or mating area 10, as shown in fig. 11. Next, as shown in fig. 12, in order to bring the second stop block 925 and the first stop block 915 into abutment with each other with the abutment inclined surfaces adapted to abut against each other, the front cover part 920 is rotated (in the drawing, rotated clockwise, for example, by 30 ° to restore the original upright posture of the front cover part 920) such that the second stop block 925, which is configured as a stop recess, is exactly entirely abutted against the first stop block 915, which is configured as a stop projection, such that the second stop block 925 abuts with the abutment inclined surfaces against the corresponding abutment inclined surfaces of the first stop block 915 and the abutment side 202 of the second reinforcement structure 200 also abuts against the lower side 102 of the first reinforcement structure 100, in particular, at which time the abutment surface 926 of the front cover part 920 also abuts against the introduction inclined surface 916 of the body part 910, whereby the front cover part 920 and the body part 910 are latched to each other to form a stable state. For such a steady state, a user, for example, pulls the drawer assembly 900 outwardly (to the right as illustrated in the figures), some of the outwardly pulling force is transferred to the first stop 915 through the second stop 925, and because the abutment slope of the second stop 925 and the first stop 915 against each other is sloped upward, the force provided by the second stop 925 to the first stop 915 has an at least partially upward force component, thereby advantageously avoiding breakage of either the first stop 915 or the second stop 925 as a result of converting excessive pulling force into a downward force component.

As shown in fig. 13 in combination with fig. 8, in the case where the drawer assembly 900 includes a decoration member 930, the assembled main body member 910 and front cover member 920 together define a receiving space 12 adapted to receive the decoration member 930. As can be seen from fig. 13, the accommodation space 12 comprises a stepped space 13 adapted to at least part of the outer contour of the decorative part 930. Preferably, the receiving space 12 is bounded by at least a portion of the face of the first reinforcing structure 100 (e.g., the front face 103 shown in fig. 13) and a portion of the face of the second reinforcing structure 200 (e.g., the third stiffener front face 203 shown in fig. 13).

FIG. 14 illustrates a partially cut-away perspective view of drawer assembly 900 from another direction with drawer assembly 900 having a decorative member 930, but the decorative member 930 is not shown here for clarity; fig. 15 shows a partial enlarged view of F shown in fig. 14.

As shown in fig. 15 in combination with fig. 14, the bump 923 provided on the front cover member 920 occupies the cavity 913 provided on the main body member 910 from below. It is particularly advantageous here that the tab 923 is at least partially obscured by the upper surface 912 of the body member 910.

Fig. 16 shows a schematic side view of a refrigerator 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

As shown in fig. 16, a refrigerator 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application includes a refrigerator main body 800, the refrigerator main body 800 defining at least one storage space 1001. To close the at least one storage space 1001, the refrigerator 1000 further includes at least one refrigerator door 700. In fig. 16, there are schematically shown upper and lower two storage spaces 1001 and upper and lower refrigerator doors 700 closing the two storage spaces 1001, respectively. Here, the refrigerator 1000 further includes at least one drawer assembly 900 provided in the storage space 1001. Fig. 16 exemplarily shows that the refrigerator 1000 includes two drawer assemblies 900 located in the lower storage space 1001. Preferably, as also shown in fig. 16, the second drawer assembly 902 is positioned at the uppermost layer of the storage space 1001 as the drawer assembly 900, which can provide the user with a possibility of smoothly using the drawer assembly 900 in the lower storage space 1001 (e.g., pulling out the second drawer assembly 902 or directly taking out the storage from the second drawer assembly 902) even if the upper refrigerator door 700 is too thick to block the user's view.

Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, even where only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The characteristic examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, unless a different expression is explicitly made. In a specific implementation, the features may be combined with one another where technically feasible according to the actual requirements. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the application.

Claims (12)

1. A drawer assembly for a refrigerator, characterized in that,

the drawer assembly (900) includes at least:

a body member (910); and

a front cover member (920) independent with respect to the body member (910), the front cover member (920) being connected with the body member (910) to collectively define a storage space (911) of the drawer assembly (900),

wherein the body member (910) has:

a continuous upper surface (912), the upper surface (912) forming a cosmetic surface of the drawer assembly (900); and

an engagement region (10) extending downwardly from the upper surface (912), the engagement region (10) being adapted to engage with a corresponding engagement region (20) of the front cover member (920),

The front cover member (920) has side walls (921) covering the fitting region (10) from both sides.

2. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the body member (910) is configured to allow the front cover member (920) to be screwed into the body member (910) from below to above to form the drawer assembly (900); and/or

The main body part (910) is higher than or flush with the front cover part (920) in the height direction (y) of the drawer assembly (900); and/or

An upper surface (912) of the body member (910) includes a smooth transition surface sloping downward from back to front; and/or

The body part (910) and the front cover part (920) are configured to be snapped into each other in the mating region (10) and the corresponding mating region (20) by means of a snap-lock structure (30); and/or

The mating region (10) is formed on the front end and/or the side of the body part (910); and/or

The body member (910) has an opening opened forward, and the front cover member (920) has a front wall (922) covering the opening from the front side; and/or

The upper surface (912) has a width (w) covering the mating area (10) in a width direction (x) of the drawer assembly (900); and/or

The upper surface (912) is flush connected with the upper end of the front cover member (920).

3. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator as claimed in claim 2, wherein,

the latch structure (30) comprises:

-a cavity (913) provided on the body member (910) and-a bump (923) provided on the front cover member (920) and adapted to occupy the cavity (913); and/or

A snap recess (924) provided on the front cover member (920) and a snap projection (914) provided on the body member (910) and adapted to protrude into the snap recess (924); and/or

A first stop (915) provided on the body member (910) and a second stop (925) provided on the front cover member (920) and adapted to abut against the first stop (915).

4. A drawer assembly for a refrigerator as recited in claim 3, wherein,

the first stop block (915) is at least partially connected to an upper surface (912) of the body member (910); and/or

The second stop block (925) is at least partially connected to a side wall (921) of the front cover part (920); and/or

The first stop block (915) is configured as a stop projection, and the second stop block (925) is configured as a stop recess matching the stop projection in shape; and/or

The second stop block (925) is configured to provide the first stop block (915) with a force having an at least partially upward force component; and/or

The first stop block (915) and the second stop block (925) have abutment ramps adapted to abut each other, the abutment ramps having a first slope; and/or

The body part (910) has an lead-in chamfer (916) in the mating region (10), the lead-in chamfer (916) having a second slope; and/or

The bump (923) is configured to occupy the cavity (913) from below; and/or

The tab (923) is configured to be at least partially obscured by an upper surface (912) of the body member (910); and/or

-the body part (910) has a first reinforcement structure (100) for reinforcing the first stop block (915), the first reinforcement structure (100) being at least partially connected to an upper surface (912) of the body part (910); and/or

The front cover part (920) has a second reinforcement structure (200) for reinforcing the second stop (925), the second reinforcement structure (200) being at least partially connected to the side walls (921) and/or the front wall (922) of the front cover part (920).

5. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator as recited in claim 4, wherein,

The first slope is greater than the second slope; and/or

The front cover part (920) has a rest surface (926) adapted to rest against the lead-in ramp (916); and/or

The front wall (922) of the front cover part (920) is provided with at least one first reinforcing rib (1) on the inner side; and/or

The first reinforcement structure (100) is configured as a frame structure and/or a cantilever structure; and/or

-said second reinforcing structure (200) has at least one second reinforcing rib (2) connected to said side wall (921); and/or

-said second reinforcing structure (200) has at least one third reinforcing rib (3) connected to said front wall (922); and/or

The second reinforcement structure (200) and the side wall (921) form a reinforcement space (201) adapted to accommodate the first reinforcement structure (100).

6. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator as recited in claim 5, wherein,

the first stiffener (1) extends over the entire width of the front cover part (920); and/or

The first reinforcing rib (1) is positioned at the uppermost end of the front cover part (920); and/or

The second reinforcement structure (200) has two second reinforcing ribs (2) configured on both ends of the second stopper (925); and/or

The third stiffener (3) comprises the tab (923) as a first section (31) and/or comprises a second section (32) connected to the front wall (922) straight or curved.

7. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator as recited in claim 6, wherein,

the second section (32) is configured as a corresponding section (927) which matches the shape of the lateral edges (917) of the body part (910) on the end faces of the two sides.

8. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein,

the drawer assembly (900) further includes a trim component (930) that is independent from the front cover component (920), the trim component (930) being connected with the front cover component (920) to form at least a front side (90) of the drawer assembly (900); and/or

The main body member (910) and the front cover member (920) are constructed of different materials; and/or

The body member (910) is integrally formed; and/or

The front cover member (920) is integrally formed; and/or

The front cover member (920) is configured as a transparent member.

9. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator as recited in claim 8, wherein,

the body part (910) and the front cover part (920) together define a receiving space (12) adapted to receive the decorative part (930); and/or

The decorative member (930) extends over the entire width of the front cover member (920).

10. The drawer assembly for a refrigerator of claim 9, wherein,

The accommodation space (12) comprises a stepped space (13) adapted to at least part of the outer contour of the decorative part (930); and/or

The decorative member (930) cooperates with the front cover member (920) and/or the main body member (910) on both sides.

11. A refrigerator is characterized in that,

the refrigerator (1000) includes:

a refrigerator main body (800) defining at least one storage space (1001); and

-at least one refrigerator door (700) adapted to close the storage space (1001); and

at least one drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the drawer assembly (900) being provided within the storage space (1001).

12. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 11, wherein,

the drawer assembly (900) is located at an uppermost layer of the storage space (1001).