CN111351302B

CN111351302B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN111351302B
Application number: CN201811584879.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 薛建军; 朱小兵; 张延庆; 杜启海
Original assignee: Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Chongqing Haier Refrigeration Electric Appliance Co Ltd
Current assignee: Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Chongqing Haier Refrigeration Electric Appliance Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-24
Filing date: 2018-12-24
Publication date: 2022-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-24
Also published as: CN111351302A

Abstract

The present invention discloses a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a box body and a door body for opening or closing the box body. The refrigerator further includes a distributor assembly disposed on the door body, and the distributor assembly includes A distribution part provided in the door body, a distributor door movably provided in the door body, a switch provided in the door body to control the ice or water from the distribution part, and the distribution part has a An outlet for ice or water, the door body is provided with a cavity, wherein the dispenser door can be operated to move from a first state to a second state, and in the first state, the dispenser door removes the The outlet is covered in the cavity, and the distributor door is away from the switch. In the second state, the distributor door moves relative to the door body to expose the outlet, and the distributor door trigger the switch. The structure of the dispenser assembly of the refrigerator is very simple, and the operation of taking ice or water is very convenient.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background

Generally, a refrigerator door is provided with a dispenser structure for dispensing ice or water, and some dispensers are exposed to the outside. Thus, the refrigerator is not only not beautiful as a whole, but also foreign materials can enter the inside of the dispenser, so that the sanitary condition is poor.

To solve the above technical problems, chinese patent application CN102395848A published on 28/3/2012 discloses a refrigerator in which a dispenser door is rotatably opened or is moved up and down by a rack and pinion to open the dispenser door. In addition, when taking ice or water, the dispenser door must be opened first, then the ice or water taking switch is operated, and the cup is placed below the ice/water taking opening to take ice/water, so that the whole operation process is very complicated and the use is very inconvenient.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a dispenser assembly with a very simple structure and a very convenient ice or water taking operation.

In order to achieve one of the above objects, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, including a cabinet, a door for opening or closing the cabinet, the refrigerator also comprises a distributor component arranged on the door body, the distributor component comprises a distribution part arranged on the door body, a distributor door movably arranged on the door body, and a switch arranged on the door body to control the ice or water outlet of the distribution part, the distribution part is provided with an outlet for the ice or water, the door body is provided with a cavity, wherein the dispenser door is operatively movable from a first state in which the dispenser door envelopes the outlet within the cavity to a second state, and the distributor door is far away from the switch, and in a second state, the distributor door moves relative to the door body to expose the outlet, and the distributor door triggers the switch.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the door body has a front surface, and the dispenser door is operable to move linearly back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the front surface.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser door has a front side exposed to the outside and a rear side opposite to the front side, and the rear side is provided with a protrusion, and when the dispenser door is in the second state, the protrusion abuts against the switch and triggers the switch.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the front side portion is provided with a cup position indicating portion where a user abuts a cup and pushes the dispenser door to move to the second state so that the cup is located below the outlet.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the door body is provided with a slide rail for guiding the dispenser door.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the door body is provided with a stopper that stops the dispenser door in a first state.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the invention, the stop member surrounds a circumference and the stop member covers the entire outer circumference of the dispenser door.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, a reset member is disposed between the dispenser door and the door body, and when the dispenser door is in a free state, the reset member urges the dispenser door to return from the second state to the first state.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the reset member is a compression spring, one end of the compression spring abuts against the door body, and the other end of the compression spring abuts against the dispenser door.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, an axis of the pressure spring intersects a center line of the outlet, and the axis of the pressure spring and the center line of the outlet define a vertical plane.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that: the dispenser door being operatively movable from a first state in which the dispenser door encases the outlet within the cavity and the dispenser door is remote from the switch to a second state; when ice or water is taken, the cup can be held and pushes the distributor door to move relative to the door body, so that the outlet is exposed, and the distributor door triggers the switch, and then ice or water is taken. Therefore, the dispenser assembly of the refrigerator is very simple in structure, in addition, a user does not need to operate the opening of the dispenser door firstly and then operate the switch to finally take ice or water, and only needs to hold the cup to push the dispenser door to move to expose the outlet and trigger the switch to take ice or water, so that the ice or water taking operation of the refrigerator provided by the invention is very convenient, and the user can use the refrigerator very conveniently and quickly.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a door body and a dispenser assembly of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the dispenser door is in a first state;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a door and dispenser assembly of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the dispenser door in a second position;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the door body and dispenser assembly of FIG. 1 with the dispenser door removed;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the door body and dispenser assembly of FIG. 3, with the dispenser door removed;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view of a door and dispenser assembly of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the dispenser door in a first position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial schematic view at A of FIG. 5;

fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view of a door body and a dispenser assembly of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the dispenser door is in a second state.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments shown in the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention, and structural, methodological, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art according to these embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention.

In the various illustrations of the present application, certain dimensions of structures or portions may be exaggerated relative to other structures or portions for ease of illustration and, thus, are provided to illustrate only the basic structure of the subject matter of the present application.

Also, terms used herein such as "upper," "above," "lower," "below," and the like, denote relative spatial positions of one element or feature with respect to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures for ease of description. The spatially relative positional terms 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 at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a refrigerator, as shown in fig. 1 to 7, the refrigerator includes a cabinet (not shown) defining storage compartments, and a door 10 for opening or closing the cabinet, wherein the number and the structural form of the storage compartments may be configured according to different requirements. The storage compartment typically includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment.

The refrigerator also comprises a distributor assembly arranged on the door body 10, the distributor assembly comprises a distribution part 14 arranged on the door body 10, a distributor door 12 movably arranged on the door body 10, and a switch 16 arranged on the door body 10 to control the distribution part 14 to produce ice or water, the distribution part 14 is provided with an outlet 18 for producing ice or water, a cavity 13 is arranged on the door body 10, the distributor door 12 can be moved to a second state from a first state in an operation mode, the outlet 18 is covered in the cavity 13 by the distributor door 12 in the first state, the distributor door 12 is far away from the switch 16, and in the second state, the distributor door 12 moves relative to the door body 10 to expose the outlet 18 and trigger the switch 16 by the distributor door 12.

In the preferred embodiment, the dispenser door 12 is operable to move from a first state in which the dispenser door 12 encases the outlet 18 within the cavity 13, to a second state in which the dispenser door 12 is remote from the switch 16; when ice or water is taken, the cup is held and pushed to move the dispenser door 12 relative to the door 10, so that the outlet 18 is exposed, and the dispenser door 12 triggers the switch 16, thereby taking ice or water. Therefore, the dispenser assembly of the refrigerator has a very simple structure, and in addition, a user does not need to operate the opening of the dispenser door 12 and then operate the switch 16 to finally take ice or water, but only needs to hold a cup to push the dispenser door 12 to move to expose the outlet 18 and trigger the switch 16 to take ice or water, so that the ice or water taking operation of the refrigerator provided by the invention is very convenient, and the user can use the refrigerator very conveniently and quickly.

Specifically, the dispensing part 14 includes a cover plate for opening or closing the outlet 18, a first motor driving the cover plate to move to open or close the outlet 18, an ice bank for storing ice, and a second motor feeding the ice in the ice bank into the outlet 18 to be discharged into a user cup. The refrigerator is also provided with a display panel, the display panel is provided with an ice taking button and a water taking button, the ice taking button and the water taking button are respectively connected with the distribution part 14, when ice needs to be taken and the ice taking button is pressed down, a user holds the cup and pushes the distributor door 12 to move so as to expose the position of the outlet 18, the distributor door 12 is pressed against the ice taking/water taking switch 16, the first motor drives the cover plate to move so as to open the outlet 18, and then the second motor acts to feed ice in the ice storage box into the outlet 18 so as to be discharged into the cup of the user.

The dispensing portion 14 also includes a water valve for controlling the outflow of water. The water intake action is similar to the ice intake action, when water is desired and the water intake button is pressed, the user holds the cup and pushes the dispenser door 12 to move to expose the outlet 18 position, and the dispenser door 12 presses against the ice/water intake switch 16, the first motor drives the cover plate to move to open the outlet 18, and finally the water valve opens to deliver water to the outlet 18 to flow into the user's cup. In addition, a groove 19 is formed on the door body 10 just below the outlet 18, and the groove 19 is used for accommodating possible dripping water so as not to flow out to contaminate the floor.

Specifically in the present embodiment, the door body 10 has a front surface 20, and the dispenser door 12 is operable to move linearly back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the front surface 20. That is, the dispenser door 12 moves linearly in the depth direction of the cabinet.

Further, the dispenser door 12 has a front side 22 exposed to the outside and a rear side 24 opposite to the front side 22, the rear side 24 is provided with a protrusion 26, and when the dispenser door 12 is in the second state, the protrusion 26 abuts against the switch 16 and activates the switch 16. Thereby making the triggering of the switch 16 more reliable.

The front side 22 is provided with a cup position indicator 28, and the user brings a cup into abutment with the cup position indicator 28 and pushes the dispenser door 12 to move to the second state so that the cup is located below the outlet 18. When a user desires to take ice or water, the user simply pushes the dispenser door 12 against the cup in the vertical direction corresponding to the cup position indicator 28 on the dispenser door 12 to move from the first state to the second state, so that the cup is just below the outlet 18 and the switch 16 is triggered to take ice or water. Specifically, the cup position indicating portion 28 is provided as a concave portion.

In order to make the movement of the door body 10 between the first state and the second state more stable and smooth, the door body 10 is provided with a slide rail 29 for guiding the dispenser door 12.

The door 10 is provided with a stopper 30, and the stopper 30 stops the dispenser door 12 in the first state. So that the dispenser door 12 is reliably stopped in the first state when the dispenser door 12 is not pushed, so that the dispensing portion 14 and the outlet 18 are not exposed.

Further, the stop 30 surrounds a circumference and the stop 30 covers the entire outer circumference of the dispenser door 12. The stop member 30 is fixedly arranged on the door body 10, the stop member 30 can completely shield a gap between the dispenser door 12 and the door body 10, and the stop member 30 can shield the sliding rail 29, so that the refrigerator is overall simple and beautiful. The outer surface of the stopper 30 slightly protrudes from the front surface 20 of the door body 10, the cross section of the stopper 30 is substantially L-shaped, one side of the stopper 30 abuts against the door body 10, and the end of the other side of the stopper 30 abuts against the dispenser door 12 to stop the dispenser door 12, so that the dispenser door 12 is in the first state.

A reset member 32 is disposed between the dispenser door 12 and the door body 10, and the reset member 32 urges the dispenser door 12 to return from the second state to the first state when the dispenser door 12 is in the free state. That is, when the user removes the cup after the ice or water is removed, the dispenser door 12 is automatically returned from the second state to the first state by the restoring member 32 without manually moving the dispenser door 12 to the first state such that the outlet 18 is not exposed.

In the preferred embodiment, the restoring member 32 is a compression spring 32, one end of the compression spring 32 abuts against the door body 10, and the other end of the compression spring 32 abuts against the dispenser door 12. Of course, the reset member 32 may be provided as other structural members as long as the reset member 32 can apply the restoring force to the dispenser door 12 to move from the second state to the first state.

The door body 10 is provided with a first receiving groove 34, and one end of the pressure spring 32 is received in the first receiving groove 34, but of course, a cylinder may be provided on the door body 10, and one end of the pressure spring 32 may be sleeved outside the cylinder. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the door 10 is provided with a first circular protrusion 36, and the first circular protrusion 36 defines the first receiving groove 34. The side wall of the first circular protrusion 36 is provided with a through-insertion hole for inserting a plug connector for preventing the pressure spring 32 from coming off. In addition, the rear side portion 24 of the dispenser door 12 is provided with a second housing groove 38, and the other end of the pressure spring 32 is housed in the second housing groove 38. Similarly, another cylinder may be provided on the rear side 24 of the dispenser door 12 to extend outward, and the other end of the compression spring 32 may be fitted around the other cylinder. Specifically, in the present embodiment, a second circular protrusion 40 extends outwardly from the rear portion 24 of the dispenser door 12, and the second circular protrusion 40 defines the second receiving groove 38.

Further, the axis of the compressed spring 32 intersects the center line of the outlet 18, and the axis of the compressed spring 32 and the center line of the outlet 18 define a vertical plane. The vertical plane here is referred to when the refrigerator is in use. So set up for when handheld cup promotes dispenser door 12 backward, dispenser door 12's the process of sliding is very steady, can not rock back and forth. Further, the center line of the cup position indicating portion 28 also intersects the axis of the pressure spring 32 in the vertical direction. Thereby making the indication of the cup position indicating part 28 more accurate, when the user holds the cup against the cup position indicating part 28 and pushes the dispenser door 12 backwards, the sliding process of the dispenser door 12 is not only smooth, but also the cup is located just below the outlet 18.

It should be understood that although the present description refers to embodiments, not every embodiment contains only a single technical solution, and such description is for clarity only, and those skilled in the art should make the description as a whole, and the technical solutions in the embodiments can also be combined appropriately to form other embodiments understood by those skilled in the art.

The above-listed detailed description is only a specific description of a possible embodiment of the present invention, and they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, a door body and a distributor assembly, wherein the door body is used for opening or closing the refrigerator body, the distributor assembly is arranged on the door body, the distributor assembly comprises a distribution part arranged on the door body, a distributor door movably arranged on the door body, and a switch arranged on the door body and used for controlling the distribution part to produce ice or water, the distribution part is provided with an outlet used for producing ice or water, and a cavity is arranged on the door body; the dispenser part also comprises a cover plate for opening or closing the outlet and a first motor for driving the cover plate to move so as to open or close the outlet, and when the dispenser door is in the second state, the first motor drives the cover plate to move so as to open the outlet.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door body has a front surface, and the dispenser door is operable to move linearly back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the front surface.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the dispenser door has a front side exposed to the outside and a rear side opposite the front side, the rear side having a protrusion thereon, the protrusion abutting the switch and activating the switch when the dispenser door is in the second state.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the front side is provided with a cup position indicating part, and a user abuts a cup at the cup position indicating part and pushes the dispenser door to move to the second state so that the cup is positioned below the outlet.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the door body is provided with a slide rail for guiding the dispenser door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a stopper is provided on the door body, and the stopper stops the dispenser door in the first state.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the stopper surrounds a circumference and the stopper covers an entire outer circumference of the dispenser door.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a reset member is provided between the dispenser door and the door body, and when the dispenser door is in a free state, the reset member urges the dispenser door to return from the second state to the first state.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the reset member is a compression spring, one end of the compression spring abuts against the door body, and the other end of the compression spring abuts against the dispenser door.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein an axis of the compression spring intersects a centerline of the outlet and the axis of the compression spring and the centerline of the outlet define a vertical plane.