WO2019105473A1

WO2019105473A1 - Refrigerator and drawer assembly thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2019105473A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/118677
Authority: WO
Inventors: 刘昀曦; 刘浩泉; 王磊; 王晶
Original assignee: 青岛海尔股份有限公司; 青岛海尔特种制冷电器有限公司
Priority date: 2017-11-30
Filing date: 2018-11-30
Publication date: 2019-06-06
Also published as: CN108302888A; CN108302888B

Abstract

A refrigerator and a drawer assembly (20) thereof, the drawer assembly (20) for a refrigerator comprising a drawer body (300) having an upper opening (390) which is opened upward; an upper cover (400) provided above the drawer body (300); and a sealing strip (500) having a top portion fixed to the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper cover (400), and a bottom portion divided into an inner sealing layer (510) and an outer sealing layer (520) which are provided separately and extend continuously in the longitudinal direction of the sealing strip (500). When the upper cover (400) covers the upper opening (390), the sealing strip (500) is pressed upward by the drawer body (20), so that the inner sealing layer (510) and the outer sealing layer (520) are elastically deformed to closely seal the gap between the upper cover (400) and the drawer body (20).

Description

Refrigerator and drawer assembly

Technical field

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device, and more particularly to a refrigerator and a drawer assembly thereof.

Background technique

Currently, refrigerator drawers are generally located in the storage compartment, and the drawers usually have an upper opening for picking up food. As the demand for fresh food is increased, the drawer is required to have a good sealing property, so that the food has a longer preservation time and a better taste. Therefore, how to seal the upper side opening of the lid drawer after the drawer is closed becomes a problem to be solved.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a drawer assembly thereof capable of sealing an upper opening thereof when the drawer is in a closed state.

In one aspect, the invention provides a drawer assembly for a refrigerator, comprising:

a drawer body having an upper opening that is open upward;

An upper cover disposed above the drawer body;

a sealing strip, the top of which is fixed to the periphery of the lower surface of the upper cover, and the bottom portion is divided into an inner sealing layer and an outer sealing layer which are spaced apart and extend continuously along the longitudinal direction of the sealing strip, and the sealing strip is opened when the upper cover is open on the upper side The upper body is pressed upward by the drawer body to elastically deform the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer to tightly seal the gap between the upper cover and the drawer body.

Optionally, the periphery of the lower surface of the upper cover has a receiving groove that is open downward, and the top of the sealing strip is embedded in the receiving groove.

Optionally, the upper side opening edge of the drawer body has an outward cuff for sealing contact with the inner and outer sealing layers.

Optionally, the top surface of the flange is a flat surface.

Optionally, the upper side opening edge of the drawer body is buckled with a smooth outer surface made of a hard material, the outer surface of the outer casing being in sealing contact with the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer.

Optionally, the outer casing is made of a POM material.

Alternatively, the weather strip is made of a rubber material.

Optionally, the bottom portion of the inner seal layer and/or outer seal layer fork forms two sub-sealing layers.

In another aspect, the present invention also provides a refrigerator comprising a case defining a storage compartment and a drawer assembly according to any of the above, the drawer assembly being disposed in the storage compartment.

Optionally, the upper cover is fixed to the storage compartment, and the drawer body is disposed on the storage compartment back and forth.

In the drawer assembly for a refrigerator of the present invention, the bottom of the weather strip is divided into an inner seal layer and an outer seal layer. This makes it possible to form a double-layer sealing structure and enhance the sealing property. Moreover, the two sealing layers formed by the bottom portion of the sealing strip are thinner than the top portion, which can enhance the elastic deformation ability and enhance the sealing degree of the sealing body with the drawer body.

Further, in the drawer assembly for a refrigerator of the present invention, the upper surface of the upper side of the drawer body is fastened, and the outer surface of the hard outer casing is in sealing contact with the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer, and the inner sealing layer, the outer sealing layer and the outer surface The friction coefficient is small, which is favorable for the deformation of the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer, so that it can be more closely attached to the outer casing and improve the sealing performance. In addition, the use of a smooth surface of the outer casing in contact with the sealing strip can also reduce the friction, which is advantageous for pushing the drawer body backward.

Further, in the drawer assembly for a refrigerator of the present invention, the bottom portion of the inner seal layer and/or the outer seal layer is forked to form two sub-sealing layers, which can form a multi-layered sealing structure to further enhance the sealing property.

The above as well as other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the <

DRAWINGS

Some specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below by way of example, and not limitation. The same reference numbers in the drawings identify the same or similar parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the figure:

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic exploded view of a drawer assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the upper cover and the sealing strip of the drawer assembly of the embodiment shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the drawer assembly of the embodiment of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a schematic exploded view of a drawer assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of the drawer assembly of the embodiment shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of still another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerator and a drawer assembly thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator includes a case 10 and a drawer assembly 20. The casing 10 defines at least one storage compartment 101, such as three storage compartments 101 as shown in FIG. Some or all of the storage compartment 101 is provided with a drawer assembly 20.

The drawer assembly 20 includes a drawer body 300 and an upper cover 400 that defines a storage space for storing food items and has an upper side opening 390 that opens upwardly to facilitate access to items from the storage space. The upper cover 400 is disposed above the drawer body 300 for covering the upper side opening 390, thereby creating a sealed storage environment for the drawer body 300 to facilitate food preservation.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper cover 400 is fixed to the storage compartment 101, and the drawer body 300 is disposed in the storage compartment 101 in a front-rear manner and is located below the upper cover 400. The upper cover 400 just covers the upper side opening 390 of the drawer body 300 when the drawer body 300 is pushed into the storage compartment 101 in a closed state. When the drawer body 300 is pulled out of the storage compartment 101 (as shown in FIG. 1), the upper opening 390 of the drawer body 300 is exposed to facilitate user access to the article.

In other embodiments not shown, the upper cover 400 may not be fixed to the storage compartment 101, but may be fixed to the drawer body 300. After the user pulls out the drawer body 300, the upper cover 400 needs to be manually removed. To expose the upper side opening 390.

2 is a schematic exploded view of the drawer assembly 20 of one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the upper cover 400 and the sealing strip 500 of the drawer assembly 20 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2; A schematic cross-sectional view of the drawer assembly 20 of the illustrated embodiment. 3 and 4 are schematic views of the right upper structure of the drawer assembly 20 taken along a vertical plane extending left and right to illustrate the cross section of the weather strip 500.

As shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, the drawer assembly 20 of one embodiment of the present invention includes a drawer body 300, an upper cover 400, and a weather strip 500.

The sealing strip 500 can be a closed structure in the longitudinal direction that can be connected end to end, and can be made of a rubber material or other non-metallic material having elasticity to facilitate sealing.

The top of the weather strip 500 is fixed to the periphery of the lower surface of the upper cover 400, and the bottom portion is partitioned into two sealing layers, that is, an inner sealing layer 510 closer to the inner side of the drawer body 300, and an outer sealing layer 520 near the outer side of the drawer body 300. . Both the inner seal layer 510 and the outer seal layer 520 continuously extend along the length direction of the weather strip 500.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper cover 400 has a receiving groove 401 which is open downward, and the top of the weather strip 500 is fitted in the receiving groove 401. The sealing strip 500 has an interference fit with the receiving groove 401, so that the sealing strip 500 is fastened in the receiving groove 401 by the tensioning force, and the connection is stable and convenient to disassemble.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the edge of the upper side opening 390 of the drawer body 300 has an outward flange 310, and the top surface of the flange 310 is used for sealing contact with the inner sealing layer 510 and the outer sealing layer 520, and the purpose of providing the flange 310 is provided. It is to increase the sealing area. The top surface of the flange 310 can be a flat surface.

When the upper cover 400 does not cover the drawer body 300, the sealing strip 500 is in a relaxed state, and the two sealing layers are parallel to each other, as shown in FIG. When the upper cover 400 covers the drawer body 300, the weather strip 500 is pressed upward by the drawer body 300, clamped between the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper cover 400 and the top periphery of the drawer body 300, so that the inner sealing layer 510 and the outer The sealing layer 520 is elastically deformed to more tightly seal the gap between the upper cover 400 and the drawer body 300. For example, in Figure 4, inner seal layer 510 and outer seal layer 520 are deflected away from each other. The inner and outer sealing layers form a double-layer sealing structure, which enhances the sealing property. Moreover, the two sealing layers formed by the bottom portion of the sealing strip 500 make each sealing layer relatively thin (at least thinner than the top of the sealing strip), can improve its elastic deformation ability, and enhance its sealing fit with the drawer body 300. .

Figure 5 is a schematic exploded view of a drawer assembly 20 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a partial configuration of the drawer assembly 20 of the embodiment of Figure 5.

In other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper side opening 390 of the drawer body 300 is covered with a casing 600. The outer casing 600 is made of a hard material and has a smooth surface. The outer surface of the outer casing 600 is The inner seal layer 510 and the outer seal layer 520 are in sealing contact. The above hard material may be a POM material, and the POM material has high strength and rigidity, a small friction coefficient, and good wear resistance. In particular, the coefficient of friction is small, which can facilitate the deformation of the inner sealing layer 510 and the outer sealing layer 520, so that it can be more closely attached to the outer casing 600 to improve the sealing performance.

In addition, when the upper cover 400 is fixed in the storage compartment 101, when the drawer body 300 is pushed backward, the friction between the top of the drawer body 300 and the sealing strip 500 is relatively large, which will make the pushing more laborious. Therefore, the surface is utilized. The smooth outer casing 600 is in contact with the weather strip 500 and can also reduce friction, which is advantageous for pushing the drawer body backward.

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of still another embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the bottom portion of the inner seal layer and/or outer seal layer fork forms two sub-sealing layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the bottom portion of the outer seal layer 720 is forked to form two

sub-sealing layers

721, 722. The arrangement of the two sub-sealing layers enables the formation of a multi-layer sealing structure that further enhances the sealing.

In this regard, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the <RTIgt;the</RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; The content directly determines or derives many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be understood and construed as covering all such other modifications or modifications.

Claims

A drawer assembly for a refrigerator, comprising:

a drawer body having an upper opening that is open upward;

An upper cover disposed above the drawer body;

a sealing strip having a top portion fixed to a periphery of a lower surface of the upper cover, the bottom portion being partitioned into an inner sealing layer and an outer sealing layer which are spaced apart and each extend continuously along a length direction of the sealing strip, wherein the upper cover is sealed When the upper side opening is described, the sealing strip is pressed upward by the drawer body to elastically deform the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer to tightly seal the upper cover and the drawer body. gap.
The drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein:

The peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper cover has a receiving groove that is open downward, and the top of the sealing strip is embedded in the receiving groove.
The drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein:

The upper side opening edge of the drawer body has an outward flange, the top surface of the flange being for sealing contact with the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer.
A drawer assembly according to claim 3, wherein

The top surface of the flange is a plane.
The drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein:

The upper side opening edge of the drawer body is buckled with a smooth surface outer casing made of a hard material, the outer surface of the outer casing being in sealing contact with the inner sealing layer and the outer sealing layer.
A drawer assembly according to claim 5, wherein

The outer casing is made of a POM material.
The drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein:

The weather strip is made of a rubber material.
The drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein:

The inner seal layer and/or the bottom portion of the outer seal layer are forked to form two sub-sealing layers.
A refrigerator characterized by comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage compartment; and

A drawer assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8 disposed in the storage compartment.
The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein

The upper cover is fixed to the storage compartment, and the drawer body is detachably provided to the storage compartment.