CN106595178A - Storage device and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a storage device and a refrigerator. The storage device includes a box body with a forward opening; a drawer, which can be pushed and pulled back and forth in the box body, and when it is fully pushed into the box body, its front plate covers the front opening; at least one electric lock device, which Configured to be controllably locked to secure the drawer to the case so that it cannot move forward when the drawer is fully pushed into the case, or in an unlocked state to unlock the drawer to allow it to move forward and at least one infrared sensor configured to sense a user's indication action and form an unlocking signal, the indication action including any action that blocks the sensing area of the infrared sensor; and a controller configured to receive the unlocking signal After that, control the electric lock device to enter the unlocked state. The storage device of the present invention can realize sealed storage of articles and is convenient for locking the drawer to the box body, and the locking and unlocking operations are also very simple.

Description

Storage and Refrigerator

technical field

The invention relates to a storage device for articles, in particular to a storage device and a refrigerator.

Background technique

At present, the storage devices provided in most refrigerators include multiple types, including multi-layer shelves, storage boxes and drawers located in the storage room, bottle holders located on the inner lining of the door, etc., to a certain extent. Classified storage of items is realized. However, the above-mentioned several storage devices still belong to the open type, and cannot realize the sealed storage of some special items.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, and provide a storage device capable of realizing sealed storage of articles.

Another object of the present invention is to facilitate the locking of the drawer to the cabinet, and make the locking and unlocking operations very simple.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator using the above storage device.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a storage device, comprising: a box body with a front opening;

A drawer, which can be pushed and pulled back and forth in the box, and when it is fully pushed into the box, its front plate covers the front opening;

At least one electric locking device configured to controllably lock the drawer to the case so that it cannot move forward when the drawer is fully pushed into the case, or to unlock the drawer to allow its forward-moving unlocked state; and

At least one infrared sensor configured to sense a user's indication action and form an unlocking signal, the indication action including any action that blocks the sensing area of the infrared sensor; and

The controller is configured to control the electric lock device to enter the unlocked state after receiving the unlocking signal.

Optionally, each electric lock device includes a first magnetic piece arranged on the box body and a second magnetic piece set on the drawer, and when the drawer is fully pushed into the box body, the first magnetic piece is positioned at the second magnetic piece directly behind; and the electric lock device is configured such that when it is in a locked state, the first magnetic part is attracted to the second magnetic part.

Optionally, the electric lock device is further configured such that when it is in an unlocked state, the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part repel each other.

Optionally, the first magnetic part is an electromagnet, and the second magnetic part is a permanent magnet; when the electromagnet is powered off, the iron core of the electromagnet is attracted to the permanent magnet, so that the electric lock device is in a locked state; and the electromagnetic When the iron is energized, the electromagnet and the permanent magnet repel each other, so that the electric lock device is in an unlocked state.

Optionally, the number of electric lock devices is four; the first magnetic parts of the four electric lock devices are respectively arranged in the four installation grooves opened at the four corners of the box close to the forward opening; and the four electric lock devices The second magnetic pieces are respectively fixedly arranged on the rear surface of the front panel of the drawer.

Optionally, a handle groove is provided on the front plate of the drawer for allowing human hands to reach in to pull the drawer, and the handle groove extends from one lateral end of the drawer to the other lateral end; and the infrared sensor is arranged on the box body and is located at the front At the rear of the board, the rear wall of the holding groove has an infrared channel that allows infrared rays to transmit forward. When the drawer is fully pushed into the box, the sensing area of the infrared sensor covers the inner space of the holding groove.

Optionally, there are two infrared sensors, which are respectively arranged on the two lateral side walls of the box and located behind the holding groove.

Optionally, the storage device further includes an unlocking reminder device configured to send a reminder to the user that the electric lock device has been unlocked when the electric lock device switches from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Optionally, the unlocking prompting device includes a hand position sensing device configured to sense the position of the hand in the grip groove; and a plurality of luminous bodies arranged from one lateral end of the front panel of the drawer to the other lateral end; and the unlocking prompting The device is configured so that when the electric lock device enters the unlocked state, the luminous body within a predetermined distance from the position of the human hand will give an indication.

Optionally, the unlocking prompting device includes a hand position sensing device configured to sense the position of the hand in the grip groove; and a plurality of vibrating bodies arranged from one lateral end of the front panel of the drawer to the other lateral end; and the unlocking prompting The device is configured to vibrate the vibrating body within a predetermined distance from the position of the human hand when the electric lock device enters the unlocked state.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a storage compartment and the storage device according to any one of the above, which is arranged in the storage compartment.

In the storage device of the present invention, the drawer is arranged in the box in a push-pull manner. After the drawer is fully pushed into the box body, its front panel closes the forward opening of the box body, realizing the sealed storage of the articles in the drawer. Moreover, the electric lock device can fix the drawer to the box after the drawer is fully pushed into the box, which improves the airtightness. Before opening the drawer, the user can block the sensing area of the infrared sensor with his hand, and then the controller can control the electric lock device to unlock, which is very convenient to operate.

Furthermore, the electric lock device uses the mutual attraction and repulsion of the first magnetic parts to realize the locking and unlocking of the drawer, and the structure is very ingenious. When the electric lock device is in an unlocked state, the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part repel each other and can also assist in opening the drawer.

Further, when the drawer is fully pushed into the box body, the sensing area of the infrared sensor covers the inner space of the handle groove. In this way, when the hand stretches into the grip groove and pulls the drawer, it enters the sensing area of the infrared sensor, so that the electric lock device enters an unlocked state.

Furthermore, the unlocking reminder device can send a reminder to the user that the electric lock device has been unlocked, so as to prevent the user from damaging the electric lock device by pulling the drawer forward when the electric lock device is not unlocked.

Those skilled in the art will be more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention according to the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings designate the same or similar parts or parts. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the attached picture:

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of the storage device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of the casing in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram after the first magnetic part in Fig. 3 is installed in the box;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view obtained by cutting the drawer in Fig. 3 on a vertical plane extending back and forth;

Fig. 7 is A-A sectional view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the storage device on a horizontal plane extending back and forth;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of part D of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the drawer, illustrating a form of an unlocking reminder device;

Fig. 11 is a front view of the drawer, illustrating another form of the unlocking reminder device.

detailed description

A storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 . Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of the storage device shown in Fig. 1 . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the embodiment of the present invention provides a storage device, which may generally include a box body 100 and a drawer 200 . Wherein, the box body 100 has a forward opening opened forward. The drawer 200 is used to place articles, and it is arranged in the box body 100 in a push-and-pull manner. The drawer 200 includes a front panel 210 and a body 220 fixed behind the front panel 210 . When the drawer 200 is fully pushed into the box body 100 (that is, in a state that cannot be pushed backward), its front panel 210 can cover the forward opening of the box body 100, so that a closed storage space is formed inside the box body 100 , to facilitate the sealed storage of items. The drawer 200 can be a common open-top structure, so that users can access items. In addition, the bottom or both sides of the drawer 200 can be installed on the slides provided on the inner wall of the box body 100 to reduce the resistance of the drawer 200 to push and pull back and forth. The slideway structure of the drawer 200 is a common structure in the prior art and will not be repeated Details.

In order to make the drawer 200 be fixed on the box body 100 after being fully pushed into the box body 100 and improve airtightness, the embodiment of the present invention particularly makes the storage device include at least one electric lock device 300, at least one infrared sensor 400 and a controller 800 . Wherein, the electric lock device 300 is configured to be in a locked state or an unlocked state controllably when the drawer 200 is fully pushed into the box body 100 . The locked state refers to a state in which the drawer 200 is fixed to the box body 100 so that it cannot move forward. At this time, a tight seal is achieved between the front panel 210 of the drawer 200 and the box body 100 . The unlocked state refers to the state in which the electric lock device 300 unlocks the drawer 200 to allow it to move forward relative to the box body 100 , and the user can pull the drawer 200 forward to access items. The infrared sensor 400 is configured to sense a user's pointing action and form an unlocking signal. The indication action includes any action of blocking the sensing area of the infrared sensor 400 . The controller 800 is electrically connected to the human infrared sensor 400 and the electric lock device 300 , and is configured to control the electric lock device 300 to enter the unlocked state after receiving the unlock signal transmitted by the human infrared sensor 400 .

When the drawer 200 is pulled by hand, the sensing area of the infrared sensor 400 needs to be covered all the time, so that the electric lock device 300 is always in an unlocked state. After the drawer 200 is closed (the drawer 200 is fully pushed into the casing 100), the hand leaves the sensing area of the outer sensor 400 to make the electric lock device 300 enter the locking state, and the drawer 200 is locked with the casing 100.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric lock device 300 includes a first magnetic member 310 disposed on the box body 100 and a second magnetic member 320 disposed on the drawer 200 . When the drawer 200 is fully pushed into the box body 100 , the first magnetic part 310 is located directly behind the second magnetic part 320 . The electric lock device 300 is configured such that the first magnetic part 310 is attracted to the second magnetic part 320 when it is in a locked state. Further, the electric lock device 300 can also be configured to make the first magnetic member 310 and the second magnetic member 320 repel each other when it is in the unlocked state, so that it can assist the opening process of the drawer 200, especially when When there are many articles contained in the drawer 200 and the opening process is laborious, this power-assisted effect will provide great convenience to the user.

Specifically, in order to realize the above functions, the first magnetic member 310 may be an electromagnet, and the second magnetic member 320 may be a permanent magnet. An electromagnet consists of an iron core and a wire wound around the iron core. When the electromagnet is powered off, the iron core of the electromagnet is attracted to the permanent magnet, so that the electric lock device 300 can be in the aforementioned locked state. When the electromagnet is energized, the electromagnet and the permanent magnet should be repelled so that the electric lock device 300 is in an unlocked state. In addition, in order to enhance the opening assist effect of the drawer 200 , in some embodiments, a load cell may be provided at the bottom of the drawer 200 to weigh the drawer 200 . The load cell transmits the quality signal of the drawer 200 to the controller 800, and the controller 800 calculates the friction force that the drawer 200 needs to overcome to move forward according to the quality of the drawer 200, so as to adjust the current of the electromagnet, and then adjust the electromagnet and the permanent The magnitude of the repulsive force between the magnets makes the magnitude of the repulsive force close to that of the frictional force, so that the drawer 200 moves forward slowly.

Certainly, the first magnetic member 310 may also be a permanent magnet, and the second magnetic member 320 may be an electromagnet. Only one of the first magnetic member 310 and the second magnetic member 320 is an electromagnet, and the other is a permanent magnet in order to reduce the number of electromagnets, save costs, and simplify control logic. Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, when the electric lock device 300 is in the locked state, the electromagnet is in the power-off state, and only when the electric lock device 300 is in the unlocked state, the electromagnet is powered on. In this way, the power consumption of the electromagnet can be saved, because the time of the electric lock device 300 in the locked state is much longer than the time in the unlocked state.

In some alternative embodiments, both the first magnetic member 310 and the second magnetic member 320 may be electromagnets. In this case, when the electric lock device 300 is in the locked state, the two electromagnets attract each other; and when the electric lock device 300 is in the unlocked state, the two electromagnets repel each other. The transformation of attractive force and repulsive force can be achieved by changing the direction of current in the wire, and the specific scheme does not need to be described here. Of course, in the unlocked state, the two electromagnets can also be powered off, so that there is neither attractive force nor repulsive force between them, and the drawer 200 moves forward completely under the manual pull of the user.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the box 100 in FIG. 3 , and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of installing the first magnetic member 310 in FIG. 3 on the box 100 . FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 introduce a preferred installation structure of the first magnetic member 310 and the second magnetic member 320 by taking the first magnetic member 310 as an electromagnet and the second magnetic member 320 as a permanent magnet as an example.

As shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5, in order to make the fixation between the drawer 200 and the box body 100 more stable when the electric lock device 300 is in the locked state, the number of the electric lock device 300 can be multiple, preferably four . The box body 100 can be a square structure, and the front panel 210 of the drawer 200 can also be a square structure. The box body 100 is provided with four installation grooves 110 near the four corners of its forward opening, the first magnetic parts 310 of the four electric lock devices 300 are arranged in the four installation grooves 110, and the rear of the first magnetic parts 310 is provided with useful The fixing part 330 (which can be a rubber part) to apply a pre-tightened fixing force to it. Cooperating with the first magnetic parts 310, the second magnetic parts 320 of the four electric lock devices 300 are respectively fixedly arranged on the rear surface of the front end plate 210 of the drawer 200, and each second magnetic part 320 is located on a first magnetic part. directly in front of piece 310.

In some embodiments, the installation groove 110 may be provided on the edge between the top surface and the side surface and on the edge between the bottom surface and the side surface of the box body 100 . An L-shaped slot cover 600 can also be provided to cover the installation slot 110 . In addition, when the drawer 200 is fully pushed into the box body 100, the periphery of the front end plate 210 can be completely covered by the inner wall of the box body 100 (as shown in Figure 5), and a sealing strip 500 can be provided at the inner wall of the box body 100, The rear surface of the front end plate 210 is sealed against it to improve the airtightness of the box body 100 .

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, in order to facilitate the user's operation, the front panel 210 of the drawer 200 is provided with a handle groove 212 for allowing people's hands to reach in to pull the drawer 200, and the handle groove 212 extends from one lateral end of the drawer 200 to The other end laterally (ie extending from the left end to the right end).

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the drawer 200 in FIG. 3 along a vertical plane extending back and forth, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 1 .

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the infrared sensor 400 can be arranged on the right side inner wall of the drawer 100 , and is on the extension line of the holding groove 212 above, it senses towards the left (it can also be arranged on the left inner wall of the drawer 100, and senses towards the right), so that the sensing area of the infrared sensor 400 can cover the inner space of the grip groove 212, no matter where the hand is Everything that enters the holding groove 212 can be sensed by the infrared sensor 400 . Moreover, during the whole process of pulling the drawer 200 forward, people's hands are all within the sensing area of the infrared sensor 400, so that the electric lock device 300 is always in an unlocked state.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the storage device with a horizontal plane extending back and forth, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of part D of Fig. 8 .

In other embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , the infrared sensor 400 is disposed on the box body 100 and located behind the front panel 210 . The rear wall of the holding groove 212 has an infrared channel that allows infrared rays to transmit forward. When the drawer 200 is fully pushed into the box body 100 , the sensing area of the infrared sensor 400 covers the inner space of the holding groove 212 . In this way, when the user's hand reaches into the grip groove 212 and pulls the drawer 200 , it enters the sensing area of the infrared sensor 400 , so that the electric lock device 300 enters an unlocked state.

Specifically, the number of infrared sensors 400 may be two, which are respectively disposed on two lateral side walls of the box body 100 and located behind the holding groove 212 . The two infrared sensors 400 can be arranged obliquely, so that the sensing area of the left infrared sensor 400 covers the left space (A1 area) of the holding groove 212, and the sensing area of the right infrared sensor 400 covers the holding area. The space on the right side of the groove 212 (A2 area). The infrared channel on the back wall of the holding groove 212 that allows infrared rays to transmit forward may be a plurality of openings 215, and each opening 215 is filled with a transparent material that allows infrared rays to pass through.

Alternatively, the rear wall of the entire holding groove 212 is directly made of a transparent material that allows infrared rays to pass through.

In some embodiments, the storage device may further include an unlocking reminder device 700 . The unlocking reminder device 700 is configured to send a reminder to the user that the electric lock device 300 has been unlocked when the electric lock device 300 is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state, so as to prevent the user from pulling the drawer 200 forward when the electric lock device 300 is not unlocked. Damage to the electric lock device 300. Specifically, the unlocking prompt device 700 may adopt the following two forms.

10 is a front view of the drawer 200, illustrating a form of an unlocking prompt device 700. As shown in FIG. The hand position sensing device 720 is configured to sense the position of the hand in the grip groove 212 . The hand position sensing device 720 can be an infrared distance sensor, which can be arranged on the left end or the right end of the holding groove 212, and determines the position of the hand in the holding groove 212 by sensing the distance between the hand and the infrared distance sensor itself. A plurality of illuminants 710 (which may be LED lamps) are arranged from one lateral end of the front panel 210 of the drawer 200 to the other lateral end. The unlocking reminder device 700 is configured to make the luminous body 710 within a predetermined distance from the position of the hand give an indication when the electric lock device 300 enters the unlocked state. For example, in Fig. 10, a plurality of illuminants 710 are arranged in a straight line. When the position of the human hand is in the B area shown in Fig. After the above indication by the luminous body 710 , it is known that the electric lock device 300 has entered the unlocked state, and the drawer 200 can be pulled forward.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the drawer 200 , illustrating another form of the unlocking reminder device 700 . As shown in FIG. 11 , the unlocking prompt device 700 includes a hand position sensing device 720 and a plurality of vibrating bodies 730 . Similar to the structure shown in FIG. 10 , the hand position sensing device 720 is configured to sense the position of the hand in the grip groove 212 . The hand position sensing device 720 can be an infrared distance sensor, which can be arranged on the left end or the right end of the holding groove 212, and determines the position of the hand in the holding groove 212 by sensing the distance between the hand and the infrared sensor itself. The plurality of vibrating bodies 730 are arranged from one lateral end of the front panel 210 of the drawer 200 to the other lateral end. The unlocking reminder device 700 is configured to vibrate the vibrating body 730 within a predetermined distance from the position of the human hand when the electric lock device 300 enters the unlocked state. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , a plurality of vibrating bodies 730 are arranged in a straight line. When the position of the human hand is in the area C shown in the figure, the vibrating body 730 closest to the area C is energized and vibrates. When people feel the vibration, they know that the electric lock device 300 has entered the unlocked state, and they can pull the drawer 200 forward. The vibrating body 730 can be a micro motor, which can generate vibration when it is energized and rotated.

Another aspect of the present invention also provides a refrigerator (not shown), which includes a storage compartment and the storage device of any one of the above embodiments, and the storage device is arranged in the storage compartment.

For example, in some embodiments, the storage device of the present invention can be used instead of the usual drawers in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator in the prior art, so as to realize frozen storage of items in the storage device. Moreover, as required by the user, the storage device can also be taken out of the refrigerator to be used as a portable refrigerating and freezing device.

In some other embodiments, a storage compartment (such as a freezer compartment) of the refrigerator can also be directly used as the cabinet 100 of the storage device of the embodiment of the present invention, and the drawer 200 is directly arranged in the storage compartment in a push-pull manner. .

So far, those skilled in the art should appreciate that, although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the disclosed embodiments of the present invention can still be used. Many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention are directly identified or derived from the content. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims (11)

1. A storage device, comprising: a box with a front opening; a drawer, which can be pushed and pulled back and forth in the box body, and when it is fully pushed into the box body, its front end plate covers the front opening; at least one electric locking device configured to controllably lock the drawer to the box so that it cannot move forward when the drawer is fully pushed into the box, or is in an unlocked state that unlocks the drawer to allow its forward movement; and at least one infrared sensor configured to sense a user's indication action and form an unlocking signal, the indication action including any action that blocks the sensing area of the infrared sensor; and A controller configured to control the electric lock device to enter the unlocked state after receiving the unlock signal. 2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein Each of the electric lock devices includes a first magnetic piece arranged on the box body and a second magnetic piece set on the drawer, and when the drawer is fully pushed into the box body, the first magnetic piece a magnetic member is located directly behind the second magnetic member; and The electric lock device is configured such that when it is in the locked state, the first magnetic part is attracted to the second magnetic part. 3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein The electric lock device is further configured such that when it is in the unlocked state, the first magnetic part repels the second magnetic part. 4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein The first magnetic part is an electromagnet, and the second magnetic part is a permanent magnet; When the electromagnet is powered off, the iron core of the electromagnet is attracted to the permanent magnet, so that the electric lock device is in the locked state; and When the electromagnet is energized, the electromagnet and the permanent magnet repel each other, so that the electric lock device is in the unlocked state. 5. The storage device of claim 2, wherein The quantity of described electric locking device is four; The first magnetic parts of the four electric lock devices are respectively arranged in the four installation grooves opened at the four corners of the box close to the forward opening; and The second magnetic parts of the four electric lock devices are respectively fixedly arranged on the rear surface of the front-end plate of the drawer. 6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein The front end plate of the drawer is provided with a holding groove for allowing human hands to reach in to pull the drawer, and the holding groove extends from one lateral end of the drawer to the other lateral end; and The infrared sensor is arranged on the box body and is located behind the front panel. The rear wall of the holding groove has an infrared channel that allows infrared rays to transmit forward. When the drawer is fully pushed into the box When in body, the sensing area of the infrared sensor covers the inner space of the holding groove. 7. The storage device of claim 6, wherein There are two infrared sensors, which are respectively arranged on the two lateral side walls of the box and located behind the holding groove. 8. The storage device of claim 6, further comprising: The unlocking reminder device is configured to send a reminder to the user that the electric lock device has been unlocked when the electric lock device switches from the locked state to the unlocked state. 9. The storage device according to claim 8, wherein the unlocking reminder device comprises: a human hand position sensing device configured to sense the position of a human hand within the grip groove; and a plurality of illuminants arranged from one lateral end of the front panel of the drawer to the other lateral end; and The unlocking reminder device is configured to make the luminous body within a predetermined distance from the position of the human hand give an indication when the electric lock device enters the unlocked state. 10. The storage device according to claim 8, wherein the unlocking reminder device comprises: a human hand position sensing device configured to sense the position of a human hand within the grip groove; and a plurality of vibrating bodies arranged from one lateral end of the front panel of the drawer to the other lateral end; and The unlocking reminder device is configured to cause the vibrating body within a predetermined distance from the position of the human hand to vibrate when the electric lock device enters the unlocked state. 11. A refrigerator comprising: storage compartments; and The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is arranged in the storage compartment.