CN114961482B

CN114961482B - Hinge assembly with a plurality of switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with same

Info

Publication number: CN114961482B
Application number: CN202110216911.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 赵弇锋; 夏恩品; 王常志; 李康
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-26
Filing date: 2021-02-26
Publication date: 2023-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-26
Also published as: CN114961482A

Abstract

The invention discloses a hinge assembly with a plurality of switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with the same, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a first hinge piece arranged on a box body, a second hinge piece arranged on a door body and a switching assembly connected with the first hinge piece and the second hinge piece, the switching assembly is formed by superposing the plurality of switching pieces along a first direction, when the switching assembly is in a closed state, the exposed outer edges of the plurality of switching pieces are flush, and the first direction is the superposition direction of the first hinge piece, the switching assembly and the second hinge piece.

Description

Hinge assembly with a plurality of switching pieces and refrigeration equipment with same

Technical Field

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

Background

In general, the relative movement between the cabinet and the door of the refrigeration equipment is achieved through a hinge assembly.

The hinge assembly in the prior art is exposed to the outside and is easy to be polluted by external impurities, and the hinge assembly is exposed to the outside, so that the whole refrigeration equipment is poor in appearance and poor in user experience.

In view of the above, there is a need for an improvement over existing hinge assemblies to address the above-described problems.

Disclosure of Invention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first liner, the first sliding sheet and the intermediate liner are stacked in order to form the first sliding sheet set, and the second sliding sheet and the second liner are stacked to form the second sliding sheet set.

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

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first hinge member is connected to the switching assembly through a first shaft body group and a first groove body group that are mutually matched, the second hinge member is connected to the switching assembly through a second shaft body group and a second groove body group that are mutually matched, the hinge assembly further includes a locking portion, when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, the locking portion locks the second hinge member so that the second hinge member moves together with the switching assembly relative to the first hinge member, the first shaft body group moves in the first groove body group, and then the locking portion locks the first hinge member and unlocks the second hinge member, the switching assembly is relatively stationary with the first hinge member, the second hinge member moves relative to the switching assembly, and the second shaft body group moves in the second groove body group.

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

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, when the first rotation axis is used as a central axis, a first distance is provided between the first rotation axis and the front end surface of the case, and when the second rotation axis is used as a central axis, a second distance is provided between the second rotation axis and the front end surface of the case, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.

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

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

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first hinge member is connected to the switching assembly through a first shaft body group and a first groove body group that are mutually matched, and the second hinge member is connected to the switching assembly through a second shaft body group and a second groove body group that are mutually matched.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first shaft body set includes a first shaft body and a second shaft body, the first shaft body set includes a first groove body matched with the first shaft body and a second groove body matched with the second shaft body, the second shaft body set includes a third shaft body and a fourth shaft body, the second groove body set includes a third groove body matched with the third shaft body and a fourth groove body matched with the fourth shaft body, the first hinge member includes the first shaft body and the second shaft body, the second hinge member includes the third groove body and the fourth groove body, and the switching assembly includes the first groove body, the second groove body, the third shaft body and the fourth shaft body.

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

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

As a further development of an embodiment of the invention, the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section are always offset from one another, and the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section are always offset from one another.

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

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

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the invention, the case comprises a receiving chamber and a pivoting side connected to the hinge assembly, the hinge assembly driving at least the door to move from the pivoting side towards the receiving chamber when the door is in the opening process.

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

Drawings

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

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

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

fig. 4 is a schematic view of a refrigerator full-built-in state according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

fig. 15 is a top view of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention at a second intermediate opening angle;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

fig. 23 is a top view of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention at a second opening angle;

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

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

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

fig. 27 is a top view of a refrigerator in a first embodiment of the present invention at a maximum opening angle;

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

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

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

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

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the invention and structural, methodological, or functional modifications of these embodiments that may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art are included within the scope of the invention.

In the various illustrations of the invention, certain dimensions of structures or portions may be exaggerated relative to other structures or portions for convenience of illustration, and thus serve only to illustrate the basic structure of the inventive subject matter.

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

Referring to fig. 1, a refrigeration appliance 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown.

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

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

In addition, the hinge assembly 30 is not only applicable to the refrigeration apparatus 100, but also applicable to other situations, such as a cabinet, a wardrobe, etc., and the present invention is described by way of example, but not limitation, in which the hinge assembly 30 is applied to the refrigerator 100.

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

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

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

Similarly, the term "second hinge member 32 provided in the door body 20" means that the second hinge member 32 is connected to the door body 20, and the second hinge member 32 may be a separate member attached to the door body 20 or may be a member integrally formed directly with the door body 20.

The switching assembly 40 is located between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40 can interact with each other, the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 can interact with each other, and the switching assembly 40 can control the working sequence of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32.

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

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

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

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

It will be appreciated that the switching assembly 40 may be mechanically or electrically controlled to effect switching between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32.

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

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

The working sequence between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 can be effectively controlled by the switching assembly 40, so that the mutual interference between the door body 20 and the cabinet in the opening and closing process caused by the disordered sequence between the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 is avoided, and the method is suitable for the field of embedded refrigerators.

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

Here, "at least part of the hinge assembly 30 moves relative to the case 10 and the door 20" means that at least part of the hinge assembly 30 moves simultaneously relative to the case 10 and the door 20, i.e., at least part of the hinge assembly 30 is sandwiched between the case 10 and the door 20, not completely embedded in the case 10 or the door 20.

Generally, in the conventional refrigerator structure, the hinge assembly is generally embedded in the case and the door, i.e., the hinge assembly is relatively stationary with respect to the case or the door, so that the movement track of the door 20 is greatly limited.

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

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

That is, the first hinge member 31, the second hinge member 32 and the switching unit 40 of the present embodiment are connected by the shaft and the groove to perform the relative movement, and the locking and unlocking of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 are performed in cooperation with the locking portion, so that the sequential operation of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 can be performed, however, in other embodiments, the first hinge member 31, the second hinge member 32 and the switching unit 40 may be engaged with each other by other structures.

Specifically, in the opening process of the refrigerator 100, when the door body 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the locking portion locks the second hinge member 32, the second hinge member 32 moves together with the switching assembly 40 relative to the first hinge member 31, the first shaft body groups 311 and 312 move in the first slot body groups 411 and 412, when the door body 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the locking portion locks the first hinge member 31 and unlocks the second hinge member 32, when the door body 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the switching assembly 40 and the first hinge member 31 are relatively stationary, the second hinge member 32 moves relative to the switching assembly 40, and the second shaft body groups 321 and 322 move in the second slot body groups 421 and 422.

The motion track of the door body 20 can be effectively controlled by arranging the switching component 40 in the present embodiment, and in particular, the hinge component 30 in the present embodiment is suitable for an embedded application scenario.

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

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

The first shaft body groups 311 and 312 include a first rotation shaft 311, the second shaft body groups 321 and 322 include a second rotation shaft 321, and when the second hinge member 32 is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member 31, the second hinge member 32 and the switching member 40 rotate about the first rotation shaft 311, and then the second hinge member 32 rotates about the second rotation shaft 321.

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

Specifically, to the opening process of the refrigerator 100, when the door 20 is in the process of being opened to the first opening angle α1 in the closed state, the door 20 is rotated about the first rotation shaft 311 as the central axis, and when the door 20 is in the process of being continuously opened to the maximum opening angle α3 from the second opening angle α2, the door 20 is rotated about the second rotation shaft 321 as the central axis.

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

When the first rotation shaft 311 is used as the central axis, a third distance is provided between the first rotation shaft 311 and the outer side 13 of the case 10, and when the second rotation shaft 321 is used as the central axis, a fourth distance is provided between the second rotation shaft 321 and the outer side 13 of the case 10, and the fourth distance is smaller than the third distance.

The concrete explanation is as follows:

in some motion tracks of the refrigerator 100, the first rotation shaft 311 and the second rotation shaft 321 may move relative to the door body 20, or the hinge assembly 30 may further include other shafts cooperating with the first rotation shaft 311 and the second rotation shaft 321, for simplicity, it is simply considered that the door body 20 rotates about the first rotation shaft 311 first and then is switched to rotate about the second rotation shaft 321 by the switching assembly 40.

In practice, in order to enhance the embedding effect, it is preferable that the refrigerator 100 is completely embedded in the cabinet 200, and the refrigerator 100 is a free embedded refrigerator, i.e., the front end 201 of the cabinet 200 is located on the same plane with the front wall 21 of the door 20 on the side far from the cabinet 10, or the front wall 21 of the door 20 does not protrude beyond the front end 201 of the cabinet 200 at all.

In the prior art, the refrigerator is a single-shaft refrigerator, and the rotation axis of the refrigerator needs to keep a certain distance from the side wall and the front wall of the refrigerator, so that enough space is needed to satisfy foaming or other processes, that is, the rotation axis of the existing refrigerator is located at the position of the first rotation axis 311 in fig. 4, in this case, after the single-shaft refrigerator is embedded into the cabinet 200, since the corner 203 of the cabinet 200 clamped between the front end 201 and the inner wall 202 is arranged corresponding to the side edge 23 of the door 20, when the door 20 is opened, the side edge 23 interferes with the door 20 to limit the maximum opening angle of the door 20, and in order to ensure the normal opening of the door 20, the conventional method is to increase the space between the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 and the refrigerator 100, which is about 10cm, which seriously affects the embedding effect and is unfavorable for the reasonable utilization of the limited space.

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

In the present embodiment, the second rotation shaft 321 is located on the switching component 40, and during the opening process of the door 20, the switching component 40 moves relative to the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, so that the second rotation shaft 321 gradually moves away from the front end surface 103, i.e. the second rotation shaft 321 gradually moves towards the direction close to the front end 201 of the cabinet 200, i.e. at this time, the whole door 20 moves towards the direction away from the case 10, referring to the solid line door 20 in fig. 4, the interference effect of the edges 203 of the cabinet 200 on the door 20 is greatly reduced, and the edges 203 of the cabinet 200 interfere with each other when the door 20 is opened to a larger angle, so that the maximum opening angle of the door 20 is greatly improved.

That is, the function of the switching assembly 40 in this embodiment can enable the later door 20 to rotate about the second rotation axis 321, so that the maximum opening angle of the door 20 can be effectively increased on the premise of ensuring that the refrigerator 100 is freely embedded into the cabinet 200, thereby facilitating the user to operate the refrigerator 100 and greatly improving the user experience.

In addition, the interval between the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 and the refrigerator 100 is not required to be increased, so that the refrigerator 100 and the cabinet 200 can be connected in a seamless manner, and the embedding effect is greatly improved.

In addition, the switching assembly 40 of the present embodiment drives the second rotation shaft 321 to gradually move towards the direction close to the front end 201 of the cabinet 200, and simultaneously drives the second rotation shaft 321 to gradually approach the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200, that is, when the door 20 rotates around the second rotation shaft 321, the second rotation shaft 321 is closer to the front end 201 and the inner wall 202 of the cabinet 200 than the first rotation shaft 311, so that the maximum opening angle of the door 20 can be increased, and the door 20 can be further separated from the box 10 to increase the opening of the box 10, thereby facilitating the opening and closing of racks, drawers, and the like in the box 10, or facilitating the picking and placing of objects.

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

It can be appreciated that the switching assembly 40 controls the switching sequence of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 during the opening and closing process of the door 20, so as to effectively avoid the interference between the door 20 and the cabinet 200 during the opening and closing process.

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

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the switching assembly 40 includes a first slider group 401 and a second slider group 402 stacked along a first direction, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the switching assembly 40 locks the second hinge member 32, the first slider group 401, the second slider group 402 and the second hinge member 32 are relatively stationary and move together relative to the first hinge member 31, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the first slider group 401 moves relative to the second slider group 402 to lock the first hinge member 31 and unlock the second hinge member 32, and when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the first hinge member 31, the first slider group 401 and the second slider group 32 are relatively stationary, and the second hinge member 32 moves relative to the switching assembly 40, and the first direction is the stacking direction of the first hinge member 31, the switching assembly 40 and the second hinge member 32.

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

Specifically, the first hinge member 31 is connected to the switching assembly 40 through the first shaft body groups 311 and 312 and the first slot body groups 411 and 412, and the second hinge member 32 is connected to the switching assembly 40 through the second shaft body groups 321 and 322 and the second slot body groups 421 and 422.

The first shaft body groups 311 and 312 include a first shaft body 311 and a second shaft body 312, the first groove body groups 411 and 412 include a first groove body 411 engaged with the first shaft body 311 and a second groove body 412 engaged with the second shaft body 312, the second shaft body groups 321 and 322 include a third shaft body 321 and a fourth shaft body 322, and the second groove body groups 421 and 422 include a third groove body 421 engaged with the third shaft body 321 and a fourth groove body 422 engaged with the fourth shaft body 322.

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

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

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

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

That is, the distribution of the hinge assembly 30 may include various situations, and in particular, according to the practical situation, the first hinge member 31 includes the first shaft body 311 and the second shaft body 312, the second hinge member 32 includes the third slot body 421 and the fourth slot body 422, and the switching assembly 40 includes the first slot body 411, the second slot body 412, the third shaft body 321 and the fourth shaft body 322.

It can be seen that the first hinge member 31 and the switching member 40 of the present embodiment are in a dual-axis dual-groove fit, and the second hinge member 32 and the switching member 40 are in a dual-axis dual-groove fit, but not limited thereto.

In other embodiments, a single-axis single-slot mating form may be included, for example, a first shaft set including a first shaft, a first slot set including a first slot that mates with the first shaft, and/or a second shaft set including a third shaft, a second slot set including a third slot that mates with the third shaft.

Of course, the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40 may be in a single-axis single-slot fit, the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 may be in a double-axis double-slot fit, or the first hinge member 31 and the switching assembly 40 may be in a double-axis double-slot fit, and the second hinge member 32 and the switching assembly 40 may be in a single-axis single-slot fit, or other shaft bodies or slot body fits.

In this embodiment, with continued reference to fig. 5 and 6, the first slot 411 includes a first upper slot 413 located in the first slider group 401 and a first lower slot 414 located in the second slider group 402, the first upper slot 413 includes a first upper free section 4131, and the first lower slot 414 includes a first lower free section 4141.

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

The third slot 421 includes a third free section 4211.

The fourth slot 422 includes a fourth free section 4221.

The first slot sets 411, 412 include locking segments 4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 and the second slot sets 421, 422 include a spacing segment 4222.

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

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

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

Here, "always offset from each other" means that the first upper locking segment 4132 and the first lower locking segment 4142 do not completely overlap each other and the second upper locking segment 4152 and the second lower locking segment 4162 do not completely overlap each other during the opening of the door body 20.

Of course, the installation positions, the number, etc. of the locking sections 4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 and the limiting sections 4222 are not limited to the above description, for example, the third groove 421 may also include the limiting sections 4222, or the first upper groove 413 and the first lower groove 414 do not include the locking sections, etc.

In the present embodiment, the first slider set 401 is closer to the first hinge member 31 than the second slider set 402, that is, the first hinge member 31, the first slider set 401, the second slider set 402 and the second hinge member 32 are stacked in order.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the hinge assembly 30 further includes a first riveting piece 4111 and a second riveting piece 4121, when the first shaft body 311 extends into the first slot body 411, the first riveting piece 4111 is located below the second slide sheet set 402 and is sleeved with the first shaft body 311, so that the first shaft body 311 is prevented from being separated from the first slot body 411, and similarly, when the second shaft body 312 extends into the second slot body 412, the second riveting piece 4121 is located below the second slide sheet set 402 and is sleeved with the second shaft body 312, so that the second shaft body 312 is prevented from being separated from the second slot body 412.

The first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are mutually matched and connected through the fifth shaft body 50.

Here, the first slider group 401 and the second slider group 402 are provided with a first through hole 4014 and a second through hole 4024, and independent caulking pieces pass through the first through hole 4014 and the second through hole 4024 as the fifth shaft body 50.

Specifically, the fifth shaft body 50 includes a rivet 51 and a rivet spacer, wherein one end of the rivet 51 having a larger size is located below the second through hole 4024, one end of the rivet 51 having a smaller size extends into the second through hole 4024 and the first through hole 4014 in sequence, and the rivet spacer is located above the first through hole 4014 and cooperates with the rivet 51 to lock the rivet 51, however, other cooperating forms are possible.

Thus, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 can be mutually matched, so that the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 can relatively move, and the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 can not be mutually separated.

The first through hole 4014 and the second through hole 4024 are matched with the fifth shaft 50, and the first slider set 401 is rotated in place relative to the second slider set 402.

In other embodiments, a through hole may be provided on one of the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402, and a fifth shaft 50 is provided on the other, so that the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are mutually matched through the cooperation of the fifth shaft 50 and the through hole, but not limited thereto.

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

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

Next, a specific working procedure of the hinge assembly 30 will be described.

Referring to fig. 7 to 22, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are relatively stationary, the first upper free section 4131 and the first lower free section 4141 overlap to form a first free section S1, the second upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 overlap to form a second free section S2, the first shaft 311 moves in the first free section S1, the second shaft 312 moves in the second free section S2, and the third shaft 321 and/or the fourth shaft 322 are limited by the limiting section 4222, so that the switching assembly 40 limits the second hinge member 32.

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

Specifically, the fourth shaft body 322 is limited to the fourth limiting segment 4222, and the second hinge member 32 is in a locked state.

Here, since the first upper free section 4131 and the first lower free section 4141 always overlap to form the first free section S1, and the second upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 always overlap to form the second free section S2, that is, the movement track of the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are identical, and the first shaft body 311 moves in the first free section S1, and simultaneously, the second shaft body 312 moves in the second free section S2, in this process, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are not staggered with each other, that is, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 remain relatively stationary, so that the first upper free section 4131 and the first lower free section 4141 are prevented from being dislocated with each other, and meanwhile, the second upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 are prevented from being dislocated with each other, so that smooth movement of the first shaft body 311 in the first free section S1 and smooth movement of the second shaft body 312 in the second free section S2 can be ensured.

Referring to fig. 23 to 26, when the hinge assembly 30 is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 move relatively to disengage the second hinge member 32 from the limit of the switching assembly 40, and the first shaft body 311 and/or the second shaft body 312 are limited on the locking sections 4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 to enable the switching assembly 40 to limit the first hinge member 31.

Here, "the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 move relatively to disengage the second hinge member 32 from the limit of the switching assembly 40, and the first shaft body 311 and/or the second shaft body 312 are limited by the locking sections 4132, 4142, 4152, 4162 to limit the switching assembly 40 to the first hinge member 31" means that the switching assembly 40 and the second hinge member 32 move relatively to each other so that no limit exists between the switching assembly 40 and the second hinge member 32, and the switching assembly 40 and the first hinge member 31 move relatively to each other so that the switching assembly 40 and the first hinge member 31 limit each other.

In an example, the first shaft body 311 is simultaneously located at the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, the second shaft body 312 is simultaneously located at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, and the fourth shaft body 322 is separated from the fourth limiting section 4222, which is described as follows:

When the door 20 is opened to the first opening angle α1, the second shaft body 312 moves from the second free section S2 to the second lower locking section 4162 and is limited, at this time, the first shaft body 311 and the second shaft body 312 cannot move relative to the first free section S1 and the second free section S2, and the first shaft body 311 is adjacent to the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, the second shaft body 312 is adjacent to the second upper locking section 4152, and the track of the first upper locking section 4132 and the second upper locking section 4152 is adapted to the movement path of the first shaft body 311 and the second shaft body 312.

When the door 20 is opened continuously based on the first opening angle α1, the door 20 drives the second hinge member 32 connected to the door 20 to move, and the second hinge member 32 applies a force to the third shaft 321 and the fourth shaft 322 through the third free section 4211 and the fourth limiting section 4222, so that the third shaft 321 and the fourth shaft 322 drive the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 to move.

Specifically, at this time, the first shaft body 311 is adjacent to the first upper locking section 4132, the second shaft body 312 is adjacent to the second upper locking section 4152, the first sliding vane set 401 may move by a first angle relative to the first shaft body 311 and the second shaft body 312 until the first shaft body 311 is limited to the first upper locking section 4132, and the second shaft body 312 is limited to the second upper locking section 4152, and at the same time, the second sliding vane set 402 moves by a second angle relative to the first shaft body 311 with the fifth shaft body 50 as a center of a circle until the first shaft body 311 is limited to the second locking section 4152, and during this process, the second shaft body 312 is always contacted with the second lower locking section 4162, and the second angle is greater than the first angle.

That is, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 rotate by a certain angle, and the rotation angle of the second sliding vane set 402 is larger than that of the first sliding vane set 401, and the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are also relatively moved to be staggered.

It is understood that the rotation process of the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 does not have a certain sequence, and the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 may rotate simultaneously, for example, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 rotate synchronously within a certain rotation angle range, and then the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are staggered.

In actual operation, the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 drive the first slot 411 and the second slot 412 to rotate relative to the first shaft 311 and the second shaft 312, respectively, the first shaft 311 is separated from the first free section S1 and is abutted to the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, i.e. the first shaft 311 is simultaneously located at the first upper locking section 4132 and the first lower locking section 4142, the second shaft 312 is separated from the second free section S2 and is abutted to the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, i.e. the second shaft 312 is simultaneously located at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, and meanwhile, the movement of the second sliding vane set 402 makes the fourth shaft 322 separate from the fourth limiting section 4222.

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

Similarly, when the second shaft body 312 is located at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, since the first sliding vane set 401 and the second sliding vane set 402 are staggered, the first upper free section 4151 and the second lower free section 4161 that are originally overlapped with each other are also staggered, and the staggered second upper free section 4151 and second lower free section 4161 limit the second shaft body 312 to separate from the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162, so as to ensure that the second shaft body 312 is always kept at the second upper locking section 4152 and the second lower locking section 4162 during the continuous opening of the door body 20.

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

Referring to fig. 27 to 30, when the hinge assembly 30 is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the third shaft 321 moves in the third free section 4211, and the fourth shaft 322 moves in the fourth free section 4221.

It can be seen that, in this embodiment, through the unlocking and locking actions of the switching component 40 on the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, the sequential switching of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32 can be effectively controlled, so that the door body 20 can be stably opened.

It can be appreciated that when the door 20 is in the closing process, i.e. the door 20 starts to be closed from the maximum opening angle α3, the switching assembly 40 can also effectively control the sequential switching of the first hinge member 31 and the second hinge member 32, i.e. when the door 20 is in the closing process from the maximum opening angle α3 to the second opening angle α2, the third shaft 321 moves in the third free section 4211, the fourth shaft 322 moves in the fourth free section 4221, the switching assembly 40 locks the first hinge member 31, when the door 20 is in the closing process from the second opening angle α2 to the first opening angle α1, the first slide group 401 and the second slide group 402 relatively move to disengage the first hinge member 31 from the limit of the switching assembly 40, and the fourth shaft 322 is limited in the fourth limit section 4222, the switching assembly 40 locks the second hinge member 32, and when the door 20 is in the closing process from the first opening angle α1 to the full closing process, the first shaft 311 moves in the first free section S1, and the second shaft 312 moves in the second free section S2.

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

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

When the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the door 20 rotates around the first shaft 311 as a central axis, and when the door 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the door 20 rotates around the third shaft 321 as an axis.

When the first shaft body 311 is used as a central shaft, a first distance is reserved between the first shaft body 311 and the front end face 103 of the box body 10, a third distance is reserved between the first shaft body 311 and the outer side face 13 of the box body 10, when the third shaft body 321 is used as a central shaft, a second distance is reserved between the third shaft body 321 and the front end face 103 of the box body 10, a fourth distance is reserved between the third shaft body 321 and the outer side face 13 of the box body 10, the second distance is larger than the first distance, and the fourth distance is smaller than the third distance.

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

In addition, it should be noted that, the motion track of the door body 20 can be effectively controlled by a specific shaft body groove design, in this embodiment, the case body 10 includes a pivot side P connected to the hinge assembly 30, when the door body 20 is in the opening process, the hinge assembly 30 drives at least the door body 20 to move from the pivot side P toward the accommodating chamber D, so as to avoid interference between the door body 20 and a peripheral cabinet or wall body during the opening process, and the specific design of the shaft body groove can be referred to as the following example.

In an example, the first free section S1 includes an initial position A1 and a stop position A2 that are disposed opposite to each other, and the second free section S2 includes a first section L1, a second section L2, and a third section L3 that are sequentially connected to each other.

Referring to fig. 7 to 10, when the door 20 is in the closed state, the first shaft 311 is located at the initial position A1, the second shaft 312 is located at an end of the first segment L1 away from the second segment L2, and the fourth shaft 322 is located at the limiting segment 4222, so that the switching assembly 40 limits the second hinge member 32.

Referring to fig. 11 to 22, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the first shaft 311 rotates in place at the initial position A1, the second shaft 312 moves in the first section L1 around the first shaft 311, the door 20 rotates in place relative to the case 10, then the second shaft 312 moves in the second section L2 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the initial position A1 to the stop position A2, the door 20 moves from the pivot side P toward the receiving chamber D, and then the second shaft 312 moves in the third section L3 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the stop position A2 toward the initial position A1, and the door 20 moves from the receiving chamber D toward the pivot side P.

Specifically, referring to fig. 11 to 14, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first intermediate opening angle α11, the first shaft 311 rotates in place at the initial position A1, and the second shaft 312 moves in the first section L1 around the first shaft 311, so that the door 20 rotates in place relative to the case 10.

Here, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the closed state to the first intermediate opening angle α11, the door 20 rotates in place relative to the case 10, that is, the door 20 only rotates without generating displacement in other directions, so that the door 20 cannot be opened normally due to displacement in a certain direction of the door 20 can be effectively avoided.

Referring to fig. 15 to 18, when the door 20 is in the process of being opened from the first intermediate opening angle α11 to the second intermediate opening angle α12, the second shaft 312 moves in the second section L2 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the initial position A1 to the stop position A2, and the door 20 moves from the pivot side P toward the receiving chamber D.

Here, when the door 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the first intermediate opening angle to the second intermediate opening angle, the door 20 moves toward the side of the accommodating chamber D, that is, the door 20 rotates relative to the case 10 and displaces relative to the case 10 along the first direction X, so that the distance that the door 20 protrudes from the case 10 toward the side far from the accommodating chamber D during rotation is greatly reduced, that is, the displacement of the door 20 along the first direction X counteracts the portion that protrudes from the case 10 along the second direction Y during rotation of the door 20, thereby avoiding interference between the door 20 and the surrounding cabinet or wall during opening, and being suitable for a scene with a small space of the embedded cabinet or accommodating the refrigerator 100.

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

Referring to fig. 19 to 22, when the door 20 is in the process of being opened from the second intermediate opening angle α12 to the first opening angle α1, the second shaft 312 moves in the third section L3 to drive the first shaft 311 to move from the stop position A2 toward the initial position A1, and the door 20 moves from the receiving chamber D toward the pivot side P.

Here, when the door 20 is in the process of opening from the second intermediate opening angle to the first opening angle α1, the door 20 moves toward one side of the pivoting side P, that is, the door 20 rotates relative to the case 10 and displaces relative to the case 10 along the second direction Y, so that the door 20 is far away from the case 10 as far as possible, the opening of the case 10 is ensured, and the problem that drawers, racks, and the like in the case 10 cannot be opened due to interference of the door 20 is avoided.

Referring to fig. 23 to 26, when the door 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the fourth shaft 322 is separated from the limiting segment 4222, and the first shaft 311 and/or the second shaft 312 are limited by the locking segments 4132, 4142, 4152, 4162, so that the switching assembly 40 limits the first hinge member 31.

Referring to fig. 27 to 30, when the door 20 is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the third shaft 321 rotates in situ in the third free section 421, the fourth shaft 322 moves in the fourth free section 4221 around the third shaft 321, and the door 20 continues to rotate in situ relative to the case 10.

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

For example, the door body 20 of the refrigerator 100 is moved toward the receiving chamber D only by the pivoting side P during the opening process to avoid interference of the door body 20 with a surrounding cabinet or wall body or the like during the opening process, or the door body 20 of the refrigerator 100 is moved toward the front end surface 103 away from the cabinet 10 during the opening process to avoid interference of the door body 20 with the door seal, or the door body 20 of the refrigerator 100 is moved toward the pivoting side P only by the receiving chamber D during the opening process to increase the opening degree of the cabinet 10, or the center of gravity of the door body 20 of the refrigerator 100 is moved toward the cabinet 10 during the opening process to avoid toppling of the refrigerator or the like.

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

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

Here, the switching unit 40b is sandwiched between the first hinge member 31b and the second hinge member 32b, and when the hinge unit 30b is mounted to the refrigerator 100, the switching unit 40b is generally exposed above or below the door body 20, which affects the aesthetic appearance, and the exposed outer edges of the plurality of switching units 41b in the present embodiment are flush, so that the aesthetic appearance of the periphery of the switching unit 40b can be improved.

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

In the present embodiment, the outer contour of the plurality of switching elements 41b is a rectangular frame structure, and at this time, the entire switching element 40b exposed to the outside is substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

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

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

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

Here, the switching component 40b is sandwiched between the first hinge member 31b and the second hinge member 32b, when the second hinge member 32b moves relative to the switching component 40b, a side of the switching component 40b close to the second hinge member 32b is exposed, and by providing the cover plate 80b, a shielding effect can be achieved on a side of the switching component 40b close to the second hinge member 32b, so that external dust or impurities can be prevented from entering the switching component 40b, and the overall aesthetic appearance can be improved.

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

In addition, the cover plate 80b is connected to the switching assembly 40b, so that the cover plate 80b can move together with the switching assembly 40b relative to the first hinge member 31b and the second hinge member 32 b.

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

Specifically, in the direction of the first hinge member 31b toward the second hinge member 32b, the switching assembly 40b sequentially includes a first liner 4011b, a first sliding sheet 4012b, an intermediate liner 4013b, a second sliding sheet 4021b, and a second liner 4022b, and when the switching assembly 40b is in the closed state, outer edges of the first liner 4011b, the first sliding sheet 4012b, the intermediate liner 4013b, and the second sliding sheet 4021b are flush.

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

The first liner 4011b, the first sliding sheet 4012b and the intermediate liner 4013b are stacked in sequence to form a first sliding sheet set 401b, and the second sliding sheet 4021b and the second liner 4022b are stacked to form a second sliding sheet set 402b, but not limited thereto.

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

The first sliding piece 4012b and the second sliding piece 4021b are made of metal, for example, stainless steel or Q235 steel.

Here, the first sliding piece 4012b and the second sliding piece 4021b are prevented from directly contacting and interfering with each other due to friction by wrapping the sliding piece made of metal with the plastic material, and the second sliding piece 4021b is directly contacted with the middle lining 4013b in the first sliding piece set 401b, so that the structure of the second sliding piece set 402b can be simplified, and the overall thickness of the switching assembly 40b can be further reduced.

It is understood that when the first slider group 401b includes the third shaft 321b, the second slider group 402b includes the fourth shaft 322b, and the second hinge member 32b includes the third groove 421b and the fourth groove 422b, the cover plate 80b has a first through hole 84b for the third shaft 321b to pass through and a second through hole 85b for the fourth shaft 322b to pass through.

The hinge assembly 30b of the second embodiment and other descriptions of the refrigerator 100 can refer to the previous embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

The foregoing embodiments are only for illustrating the technical aspects of the present invention, but not for limiting the technical aspects, although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, for example, if the techniques in different embodiments can be overlapped to achieve the corresponding effects at the same time, the embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent substitutions may be made to the technical solution of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. The hinge assembly is characterized by comprising a first hinge part arranged on a box body, a second hinge part arranged on a door body and a switching assembly connected with the first hinge part and the second hinge part, wherein the switching assembly is formed by superposing a plurality of switching parts along a first direction, when the switching assembly is in a closed state, the outer edges of the plurality of switching parts exposed out are flush, the first direction is the superposition direction of the first hinge part, the switching assembly and the second hinge part, the first hinge part is connected with the switching assembly through a first shaft body group and a first groove body group which are mutually matched, the second hinge part is connected with the switching assembly through a second shaft body group and a second groove body group which are mutually matched, and when the second hinge part is opened towards a direction far away from the first hinge part, the locking part locks the second hinge part so that the second hinge part moves together with the switching assembly, the second hinge part moves relative to the first hinge part, and the second hinge part moves relative to the first groove body group.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switching members form an outer contour having a rectangular frame configuration.

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

4. A hinge assembly according to claim 3, wherein the cover plate is connected to the switching assembly.

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

6. The hinge assembly of claim 5, wherein the switching assembly comprises a first liner, a first slide, an intermediate liner, a second slide, and a second liner in that order in a direction of the first hinge member toward the second hinge member, the outer edges of the first liner, the first slide, the intermediate liner, and the second slide being flush when the switching assembly is in a closed state.

7. The hinge assembly of claim 6, wherein the first liner, the first slide, and the intermediate liner are stacked in sequence to form the first slide set, and the second slide and the second liner are stacked to form a second slide set.

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

9. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the first shaft group includes a first rotation shaft, the second shaft group includes a second rotation shaft, and when the second hinge member is opened in a direction away from the first hinge member, the second hinge member and the switching assembly rotate about the first rotation shaft, and then the second hinge member rotates about the second rotation shaft.

10. The hinge assembly of claim 9, wherein when the first rotation axis is the central axis, a first distance is provided between the first rotation axis and the front end surface of the case, and when the second rotation axis is the central axis, a second distance is provided between the second rotation axis and the front end surface of the case, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

11. The hinge assembly of claim 9, wherein a third distance is provided between the first rotation axis and the outer side of the case when the first rotation axis is the central axis, and a fourth distance is provided between the second rotation axis and the outer side of the case when the second rotation axis is the central axis, the fourth distance being less than the third distance.

12. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly includes a first slide set and a second slide set stacked in the first direction, the switch assembly locking the second hinge member when the hinge assembly is in the process of opening from a closed state to a first open angle, the first slide set, the second slide set, and the second hinge member being relatively stationary and moving together with respect to the first hinge member, the first slide set moving with respect to the second slide set to lock the first hinge member and unlock the second hinge member when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from a second open angle to a maximum open angle, the first hinge member, the first slide set, and the second slide set being relatively stationary and the second hinge member moving with respect to the switch assembly.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 12, wherein the first hinge member is connected to the switching assembly by a first set of cooperating shafts and a first set of slots, and the second hinge member is connected to the switching assembly by a second set of cooperating shafts and a second set of slots.

14. The hinge assembly of claim 13, wherein the first shaft set comprises a first shaft and a second shaft, the first shaft set comprises a first shaft engaged with the first shaft and a second shaft engaged with the second shaft, the second shaft set comprises a third shaft and a fourth shaft, the second shaft set comprises a third shaft engaged with the third shaft and a fourth shaft engaged with the fourth shaft, the first hinge member comprises the first shaft and the second shaft, the second hinge member comprises the third shaft and the fourth shaft, and the switching assembly comprises the first shaft, the second shaft, the third shaft, and the fourth shaft.

15. The hinge assembly of claim 14, wherein the first slot includes a first upper slot in the first slider group and a first lower slot in the second slider group, the first upper slot includes a first upper free section, the first lower slot includes a first lower free section, the second slot includes a second upper slot in the first slider group and a second lower slot in the second slider group, the second upper slot includes a second upper free section, the second lower slot includes a second lower free section, the third slot includes a third free section, the fourth slot includes a fourth free section, the first slot includes a lock section, the second slot includes a limit section, the first slider group is stationary relative to the second slider group when the hinge assembly is in the process of opening from a closed state to a first opening angle, the first upper free section is in registration with the second slider group, the second free section is in registration with the second free section, the second free section is in registration with the second hinge assembly, the second free section is in registration with the second free section, the second free section is in registration with the second shaft or the second hinge assembly, the limit section is in registration with the second shaft or the second free section, the limit section is in registration with the second hinge assembly, the limit section is in the second shaft or the limit section is in registration with the first hinge assembly, the limit section is in the second shaft or the limit section is in the limit of movement, when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from the second opening angle to the maximum opening angle, the third shaft body moves in the third free section, and the fourth shaft body moves in the fourth free section.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 15, wherein the locking section comprises a first upper locking section located in the first upper slot, a first lower locking section located in the first lower slot, a second upper locking section located in the second upper slot, and a second lower locking section located in the second lower slot, the spacing section comprises a fourth spacing section located in the fourth slot, the fourth axis is limited in the fourth spacing section when the hinge assembly is in the process of opening from a closed state to a first opening angle, the first axis is simultaneously limited in the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section when the hinge assembly is in the process of continuing to open from a first opening angle to a second opening angle, the second axis is simultaneously limited in the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section, and the fourth axis is disconnected from the fourth spacing section.

17. The hinge assembly of claim 16, wherein the first upper locking section and the first lower locking section are always offset from each other and the second upper locking section and the second lower locking section are always offset from each other.

18. The hinge assembly of claim 14, wherein the first slider group includes the third shaft extending to the third slot, and the second slider group includes the fourth shaft extending to the fourth slot.

19. A refrigeration device comprising a cabinet, a door, and a hinge assembly connecting the cabinet and the door, wherein the hinge assembly is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The refrigeration unit of claim 19 wherein said housing includes a receiving chamber and a pivoting side to which said hinge assembly is connected, said hinge assembly driving at least said door to move from said pivoting side toward said receiving chamber when said door is in an open condition.