EP3153800A1

EP3153800A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP3153800A1
Application number: EP16191273.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tao Hong; Songtao Lu; Zhishan Lu; Chuan Zhang
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2015-10-10
Filing date: 2016-09-29
Publication date: 2017-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 2036-09-29
Also published as: CN106568283B; CN106568283A; EP3153800B1

Description

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Related Art

A hinged door is a common door of a refrigerator. One side of the door is hinged to a cabinet by using a hinge, and the door rotates around the hinge, so that the door is opened or closed. During use, if the door is overly opened, the door may collide with the cabinet of the refrigerator, a wall, or another object and therefore is damaged. Therefore, maximum openness of the door needs to be limited.
To limit maximum openness of a door, for an existing refrigerator, a stop mechanism is generally disposed on a transverse end cover of the door. When the door is opened to a certain degree, the stop mechanism abuts against the hinge to stop the door (2) from being opened continuously.
For the existing refrigerator, when the stop mechanism is installed, generally, a metal strengthening sheet with a screw hole needs to be disposed on another side of the transverse end cover, and then the stop mechanism is fixed to the metal strengthening sheet by using a screw, to enhance strength of the stop mechanism. In a foaming process of the refrigerator, a foaming material easily enters a screw hole, thereby causing leakage.
In addition, the metal sheet is generally installed on the transverse end cover in an adhesion manner. In foaming process of the refrigerator, displacement of the metal sheet easily occurs, which causes difficulty in installation of the stop mechanism.
If no metal strengthening sheet is used, the stop mechanism installed outside the transverse end cover is not strong enough and is likely damaged.

SUMMARY

An objective of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing at least one technical problem, so as to provide an improved refrigerator.
For this purpose, the present invention provides a refrigerator, including: a cabinet; a door connected to the cabinet through a hinge, the door having a heat-insulating material and a transverse end cover, and the transverse end cover having a first side facing the heat-insulating material and a second side away from the heat-insulating material; and a stop mechanism, the stop mechanism including a fixing portion fixed to the second side and a stop portion used to, when the door is opened to a predetermined angle, abut against the hinge to stop the door from being opened continuously, the second side of the transverse end cover has a recess recessed towards the first side, the fixing portion is at least partially located in the recess and is in contact with at least one sidewall of the recess, and the stop portion is connected to the fixing portion and extends out of the recess.
Compared with the prior art, the technical solutions of the present invention have advantages: The second side of the transverse end cover is provided with the recess for accommodating the fixing portion of the stop mechanism, and the fixing portion is in contact with at least one side wall of the recess, to enhance strength of the stop mechanism by using the side wall of the recess and a heat-insulating material outside the side wall. When the stop portion abuts against the hinge and is actuated by an acting force applied by the hinge, the side wall in contact with the fixing portion and a heat-insulating material outside the corresponding side wall are capable of supporting the stop mechanism, thereby preventing the stop mechanism under pressure from deformation. It can be seen that even if no metal strengthening sheet is additionally disposed on the door of the refrigerator, the stop mechanism is still strong enough. Therefore, no additional metal strengthening sheet needs to be disposed for the stop mechanism, so that a technical problem caused by use of the metal strengthening sheet is eliminated.
The transverse end cover described in the present invention may be an upper end cover or a lower end cover of the door.
Optionally, the recess has a first sidewall away from the hinge in a thickness direction of the door; the recess has a second sidewall away from the hinge in a width direction of the door; and the fixing portion is in contact with at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The first side wall and the second side wall separately intersect with component forces of an acting force applied to the fixing portion, and separately generate supporting forces against the component forces for the fixing portion.
Optionally, the first sidewall and the second sidewall are perpendicular and connected to each other.
Optionally, the fixing portion includes a bottom plate parallel to a bottom wall of the recess, and a side plate parallel to a sidewall of the recess; and the side plate is in contact with the corresponding sidewall of the recess. The side panel can increase a contact area between the fixing portion and both the first side wall and the second side wall, thereby increasing a force-bearing area and increasing strength of the fixing portion.
Optionally, the side plate and the bottom plate form a round corner therebetween, to avoid stress concentration created on a border between the side panel and the bottom plate.
Optionally, the bottom plate is attached to the bottom wall of the recess. When the stop portion abuts against the hinge or the cabinet and is actuated by the acting force, the bottom wall of the recess and a heat-insulating material outside the bottom wall can support the stop mechanism as well.
Optionally, the stop portion is located on a side of the recess, that is near the hinge along a thickness direction of the door, , and is in contact with a sidewall on a corresponding side of the recess. The side wall of the recess can support the stop portion, thereby avoiding the stop portion under pressure from deformation or rupture.
Optionally, the stop portion is plate-like, and has a first part connected to the fixing portion, the first part being partially attached to the sidewall of the recess and extending out of the recess along a height direction of the door; and a second part connected to a part of the first part, that extends out of the recess, along a width direction of the door, the second part being located on a side of the first part, near the hinge, ,to abut against the hinge. The entire the stop portion is plate-like, and is easily formed.
Optionally, the stop mechanism is integrally formed by plastics.
Optionally, the fixing portion is connected to the recess through a screw; and a bottom wall of the recess is provided with a fixing stud, and the fixing stud and the fixing portion are provided with fixing holes coaxial with each other and are connected by the screw through the fixing holes. The fixing portion is directly connected to the recess through the screw; therefore, assembly is simple
Optionally, inner walls of the fixing holes are smooth, and the screw is a self-tapping screw.
Optionally, one end of the fixing stud is flush with the bottom wall of the recess, and the other end extends to the outside of the recess.
Optionally, an outer peripheral surface of the fixing stud is connected to a reinforcing rib, and the reinforcing rib is further connected to an outer surface of the recess. The reinforcing rib can desirably enhance strength of the fixing stud, thereby avoiding the fixing stud under pressure from damage.
Optionally, there are multiple reinforcing ribs, and the multiple reinforcing ribs are evenly distributed around the outer peripheral surface of the fixing stud.
Optionally, the fixing stud, the reinforcing rib(s), and the recess are integrally formed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a state diagram along an upward direction in which a door is opened to a predetermined angle;
FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional exploded diagram 1 of a transverse end cover, where an external structure of a recess in the transverse end cover is shown;
FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional exploded diagram 2 of a transverse end cover, where an internal structure of a recess in the transverse end cover is shown;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged diagram of a part A outlined by a dashed line in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional diagram of a stop mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To make the foregoing objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and more understandable, the following describes specific embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator. Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator includes a cabinet 1, a door 2 connected to the cabinet 1 through a hinge 5, and a stop mechanism 4 for limiting openness of the door 2. When the door 2 is opened to a predetermined angle, the stop mechanism 4 is used stop the door 2 from being opened continuously.
The door 2 has a heat-insulating material (not shown in the figure) and a transverse end cover 3. The transverse end cover 3 is located at an end of the heat-insulating material along a height direction, and includes a first side 3a facing the heat-insulating material and a second side 3b away from the heat-insulating material. The transverse end cover 3 may be disposed on one end or two ends of the door 2 along the height direction. In FIG. 1, the transverse end cover 3 is located at a lower end of the door 2, and a direction shown in FIG. 1 is an upward direction.
Referring to FIG. 2, the transverse end cover 3 includes a perpendicular plate 31 extending along a height direction (a Z direction in FIG. 2) of the door 2, and a horizontal plate 32 extending along a thickness direction (a Y direction shown in FIG. 2) of the door 2. The perpendicular plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32 are connected to each other and form an L-shaped structure. Multiple reinforced ribs 3c arranged along a width direction (an X direction in FIG. 2) of the door 2 are disposed between the perpendicular plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32. The reinforced ribs 3c are also L-shaped, and reinforced ribs 3c on two edges of the L-shape are separately connected to the perpendicular plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32.
During foaming, the heat-insulating material fills the first side 3a of the transverse end cover 3, that is, L-shaped space formed between the perpendicular plate 31 and the horizontal plate 32 is filled with the heat-insulating material. As shown in FIG. 3, the second side 3b of the transverse end cover 3 may be considered as a side of the horizontal plate 32 away from the heat-insulating material.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the hinge 5 includes a hinged shaft 51, and a fixing plate 52 fixedly connected to the cabinet 1. The fixing plate 52 is rotatably connected to the hinged shaft 51, and may rotate with respect to the hinged shaft 51, so that the door 2 is opened or closed through rotation.
With reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a side of the transverse end cover 3 near the cabinet 1 is provided an installation portion on which the hinge 5 is installed. The installation portion includes a hinged hole 33 for accommodating the hinged shaft 51, and an accommodating groove 34 for accommodating the fixing plate 52. FIG. 2 shows a structure of the first side 3a of the transverse end cover 3, where the outside of the accommodating groove 34 is shown. FIG. 3 is a structure of the second side 3b of the transverse end cover 3, where the inside of the accommodating groove 34 is shown. It can be seen from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 that an opening of the accommodating groove 34 is located on the side of the transverse end cover 3 away from the heat-insulating material, that is, the opening of the accommodating groove 34 is located on the second side 3b of the transverse end cover 3 and is recessed toward the first side 3a.
When the door 2 is closed, a part of the fixing plate 52 enters the accommodating groove 34 through rotation; and when the door 2 is opened, the fixing plate 52 gradually moves out of the accommodating groove 34 through rotation (as shown in FIG. 1).
Still referring to FIG. 2 and with reference to FIG. 3, the second side 3 of the transverse end cover 3b has a recess 35 recessed toward the first side 3a. More accurately, the recess 35 is provided on the second side 3b (the side away from the heat-insulating material) of the horizontal plate 32. An opening direction of the recess 35 and an opening direction of the accommodating groove 34 are the same, and are away from the heat-insulating material. FIG. 2 shows the outside of the recess 35, and FIG. 3 shows the inside of the recess 35.
During foaming, the first side of the horizontal plate 32 is filled with the heat-insulating material; therefore, the outside of the recess 35 is filled with the heat-insulating material as well.
With reference to FIG. 4, the stop mechanism 4 includes a fixing portion 41 that is located in the recess 35, and is in contact with at least one side wall of the recess 35, and a stop portion 42 extending out of the recess 35. The stop portion 42 is connected to the fixing portion 41. The stop portion 42 is used to, when the door 2 is opened to the predetermined angle, abut against the fixing plate 52 of the hinge 5 to stop relative rotation between the fixing plate 52 and the hinged shaft 51, so as to stop the door 2 from being opened continuously.
Specifically, the stop portion 42 extends along an end, connected to the cabinet 1, of the transverse end cover 3. Along the thickness direction (the Y direction) of the door 2, projections of the stop portion 42 and the hinged shaft 51 overlap. When the fixing plate 52 is connected to the hinged shaft 51, projections of the stop portion 42 and the fixing plate 52 along the thickness direction (the Y direction) also overlap. Moreover, along a rotation direction of the door 2 when the door 2 is opened, the stop portion 42 is located between the hinged shaft 51 and the fixing plate 52. In this way, when the door 2 is opened to the predetermined angle, the stop portion 42 abuts against the fixing plate 52, thereby preventing the door 2 from being opened continuously.
As described above, the fixing portion 41 is in contact with the at least one side wall of the recess 35, so as to enhance strength of the stop mechanism 4 by using the side wall of the recess 35 and a heat-insulating material outside the side wall. When the stop portion 42 abuts against the fixing plate 52 of the hinge 5 and is actuated by an acting force of the fixing plate 52, the acting force is passed to the side wall in contact with the recess 35 through the fixing plate 52 and the fixing portion 41; in this case, the corresponding side wall and the heat-insulating material outside the side wall can support the fixing portion 41.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the recess 35 is approximately rectangular. Along the thickness direction (the Y direction in FIG. 3) of the door 2, the recess 35 has a first side wall 351 away from the hinge 5; and along the width direction (the X direction in FIG. 3) of the door 2, the recess 35 has a second side wall 352 away from the hinge 5. The fixing portion 41 is in contact with at least one of the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the stop mechanism 4 abuts against the hinge 5, the stop mechanism 4 is actuated by an acting force F from the hinge 5. The acting force F is divided into a first component force F1 along the thickness direction of the door 2 and a second component force F2 along the width direction of the door 2. The first side wall 351 intersects with the first component force F1, and the second side wall 352 intersects with the second component force F2.
That is, when the acting force F is passed to the fixing portion 41 of the stop mechanism 4, the fixing portion 41 is actuated by the first component force F1 and the second component force F2. If the fixing portion 41 is in contact with the first side wall 351, the first side wall 351 generates a supporting force against the first component force F1 for the fixing portion 41, thereby avoiding the fixing portion 41 actuated by the first component force F1 from deformation. If the fixing portion 41 is in contact with the second side wall 352 by abutting against the second side wall 352, the second side wall 352 generates a supporting force against the second component force F2 for the fixing portion 41, thereby avoiding the fixing portion 41 actuated by the second component force F2 from deformation.
In this embodiment, the fixing portion 41 is in contact with both the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352.
The first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352 may be adjacent or not as long as the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352 respectively intersects with the first component force F1 and the second component force F2. In this embodiment, the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352 are perpendicular and connected to each other.
Still referring to FIG. 3 and with reference to FIG. 4, the fixing portion 41 includes a bottom plate 411 parallel to a bottom wall of the recess 35, and a side plate 412 parallel to a sidewall of the recess 35. The fixing portion 41 is in contact with a corresponding sidewall through the side panel 412.
Specifically, the fixing portion 41 has side panels 412 connected to the bottom plate 411 that are disposed on both a side facing the first side wall 351 and a side facing the second side wall 352, and is separately in contact with and the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352 through the corresponding side panels 412. The side panel 412 can increase a contact area between the fixing portion 41 and both the first side wall 351 and the second side wall 352, thereby increasing a force-bearing area and increasing strength of the fixing portion 41.
The side plate 412 and the bottom plate 411 form a round corner therebetween, which can reduce stress concentration on a border between the side panel 412 and the bottom plate 311.
The bottom plate 411 is attached to the bottom wall of the recess 35. Supporting strength of the stop mechanism 4 is enhanced by supporting the fixing portion 41 by using the bottom wall of the recess 35.
The fixing portion 41 may be connected to the recess 35 by means of bonding, a bolt, or a screw. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the fixing portion 41 is connected to the recess 35 by using a screw 44.
Specifically, a bottom wall of the recess 35 is provided with a fixing stud 353 (in figure 2), and the fixing stud 353 and the fixing portion 41 are provided with fixing holes coaxial with each other. Diameters of the two fixing holes are the same. A quantity of fixing studs 353 may be set according to an area of the bottom wall of the recess 35 and a specified requirement. Two fixing studs 353 are disposed in this embodiment.
The fixing hole in the fixing stud 353 is defined as a first fixing hole 354 (in FIG. 3), and a fixing hole in the fixing portion 41 is defined as a second fixing hole 43 (in FIG. 4). The screw 44 passes through the first fixing hole 354 and the second fixing hole 43, to connect the fixing stud 353 and the fixing portion 41.
The first fixing hole 354 and the second fixing hole 43 are plain holes, and their inner walls are smooth. The screw 44 is a self-tapping screw.
Because the bottom plate 411 of the fixing portion 41 is attached to the bottom wall of the recess 35, one end of the fixing stud 353 is flush with the bottom wall of the recess 35, and the other end extends to the outside of the recess 35. That is, the fixing stud 353 is connected to the outside of the recess 35, and is in communication with the inside of the recess 35 through the first fixing hole 354.
To enhance strength of the fixing stud 353, an outer peripheral surface of the fixing stud 353 is connected to a reinforcing rib 355, and the reinforcing rib 355 is further connected to an outer surface of the recess 35.
There are multiple reinforcing ribs 355, and the multiple reinforcing ribs 355 are evenly distributed around the outer peripheral surface of the fixing stud 353.
It should be noted that in this embodiment, the fixing stud 353, the reinforcing rib 355, and the recess 35 are integrally formed. The transverse end cover 3 is manufactured by using an injection molding technique. During injection molding, the fixing stud 353, the reinforcing rib 355, and the recess 35 are formed together.
Further, the stop portion 42 is located on a side of the recess 35 that is near the hinge 5 along the thickness direction of the door 2, , and is in contact with a sidewall on a corresponding side of the recess 35; and the side wall is referred to as a third side wall 356. When the stop portion 42 abuts against the hinge 5 and is actuated by the hinge 5, the third side wall 356 can support the stop portion 42 to a certain degree, thereby avoiding the stop portion 42 from bending or rupture.
A shape of a contact surface between the stop portion 42 and the third side wall 356 is not limited, and is mainly set according to a shape of the stop portion 42, which may be a continuous or discontinuous surface contact, line contact, or point contact.
In this embodiment, the stop portion 42 in surface contact with the third side wall 353. Specifically, the stop portion 42 is plate-like, and has a first part 421 and a second part 422 that are connected.
The first part 421 is connected to the fixing portion 41, and the first part 421 is partially attached to the sidewall 356 of the recess 35, and extends out of the recess 35 along the height direction of the door 2. In other words, an area of the first part 421 in the recess 35 is parallel to and attached to the third side wall 356. A shape of a part of the first part 421 extending out of the recess 35 may not be limited. In this embodiment, for ease of processing, the entire first part 421 is plate-like and is located on a same plane, that is, the part of the first part 421 extending out of the recess 35 is also parallel to the third side wall 353.
The second part 422 is connected to the part of the first part 421 extending out of the recess 35. Along the width direction of the door 2, the second part 422 is located on a side of the first part 421 near the hinge 5, and is used to abut against the hinge 5. A shape of the second part 422 may not limited either, but for ease of processing, the second part 422 is also plate-like and is parallel to the first part 421 on a same plane.
It can be seen that, in this embodiment, the entire stop portion 42 is plate-like, and is basically located on a same plane.
An end of the second part 422 near the hinge 5 has a convex surface 423 facing the hinge 5, and the second part 422 is bent at a position of the convex surface 423 and away from the hinge 5. As shown in FIG. 1, a part in which the fixing plate 52 of the hinge 5 and the hinged shaft 51 are connected is circular, and a radial dimension of the circular area is greater than a radial dimension of the hinged shaft 51. When the stop portion 42 rotates to abut against the hinge 5, the convex surface 423 is in rolling contact with an outer surface of the circular area as the door 2 rotates, which avoids the second part 422 from being stuck in the circular area, thereby not affecting rotation of the door 2.
In another embodiment, if there is enough distance between the second part 422 and the fixing plate 52 along the thickness direction of the door 2, the second part 422 may be plate-like and no convex surface is disposed.
The stop mechanism 4 is integrally formed by plastics, that is, the fixing portion 41 and the stop portion 42 are integrated.
Although the present invention is disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit and the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should depend on what is defined by the scope of claims.

Claims

A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet (1);

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

a stop mechanism (4), the stop mechanism (4) comprising a fixing portion (41) fixed to the second side (3b) and a stop portion (42) used to, when the door (2) is opened to a predetermined angle, abut against the hinge (5) to stop the door (2) from being opened continuously,
characterized in that
the second side (3b) of the transverse end cover (3) has a recess (35) recessed towards the first side (3a), the fixing portion (41) is at least partially located in the recess (35) and is in contact with at least one sidewall (351, 352) of the recess (35), and the stop portion (42) is connected to the fixing portion (41) and extends out of the recess (35).
The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess (35) has a first sidewall (351) away from the hinge (5) in a thickness direction of the door (2);
the recess (35) has a second sidewall (352) away from the hinge (5) in a width direction of the door (2); and
the fixing portion (41) is in contact with at least one of the first sidewall (351) and the second sidewall (352).
The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that the first sidewall (351) and the second sidewall (352) are perpendicular and connected to each other.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing portion (41) comprises a bottom plate (411) parallel to a bottom wall of the recess (35), and a side plate (412) parallel to a sidewall of the recess (35); and
the side plate (412) is in contact with the corresponding sidewall (351, 352) of the recess (35).
The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that the side plate (412) and the bottom plate (411) form a round comer therebetween.
The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that the bottom plate (411) is attached to the bottom wall of the recess (35).
The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop portion (42) is located on a side of the recess (35) that is near the hinge (5) along a thickness direction of the door (2), and is in contact with a sidewall (356) on a corresponding side of the recess (35).
The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that the stop portion (42) is plate-like, and has a first part (421) connected to the fixing portion (41), the first part (421) being partially attached to the sidewall (356) of the recess (35) and extending out of the recess (35) along a height direction of the door (2); and a second part (422) connected to a part of the first part (421) that extends out of the recess (35), along a width direction of the door (2), the second part (422) being located on a side of the first part (421) near the hinge (5), to abut against the hinge (5).
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the stop mechanism (4) is integrally formed by plastics.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing portion (41) is connected to the recess (35) through a screw (44); and a bottom wall of the recess (35) is provided with a fixing stud (353), and the fixing stud (353) and the fixing portion (41) are provided with fixing holes (354, 43) coaxial with each other and are connected by the screw (44) through the fixing holes (354, 43).
The refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that inner walls of the fixing holes (354, 43) are smooth, and the screw (44) is a self-tapping screw.
The refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that one end of the fixing stud (353) is flush with the bottom wall of the recess (35), and the other end extends to the outside of the recess (35).
The refrigerator according to claim 12, characterized in that an outer peripheral surface of the fixing stud (353) is connected to a reinforcing rib (355), and the reinforcing rib (355) is further connected to an outer surface of the recess (35).
The refrigerator according to claim 13, characterized in that there are multiple reinforcing ribs (355), and the multiple reinforcing ribs (355) are evenly distributed around the outer peripheral surface of the fixing stud (353).
The refrigerator according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the fixing stud (353), the reinforcing rib(s) (355), and the recess (35) are integrally formed.