CN118475807A - Drawer assembly for a household appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a drawer assembly (100) for a household appliance, in particular for a cooling appliance, comprising a line protection cover (1) having a longitudinal body (2) and a housing groove (3) extending longitudinally along the longitudinal body (2) for guiding a line (C). According to the proposed drawer assembly (100), the longitudinal body (2) has a strip-like portion (23) allowing the line (C) to extend along the housing groove (3), an enlarged portion (21) protruding radially outwards along the longitudinal body (2) for receiving the fitting (F) of the line (C), and a narrowed portion (22) provided at one end of the longitudinal body (2). The narrowing (22) is configured to be able to be inserted into an access opening (a) on a panel of the household appliance (P), the enlargement (21) being located between the narrowing (22) and the strip (23).

Description

Drawer assembly for a household appliance

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a drawer assembly according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background

In recent years, as people's diet life changes and products are updated, refrigerators become more multifunctional, and refrigerators having various structures and convenience devices have been introduced for convenience of users and for efficient use of internal spaces. Further, the refrigerator may be classified into various types according to an arrangement structure of the storage spaces and a structure of a door for opening and closing the storage spaces.

The refrigerator door may be classified as a rotary refrigerator door or a drawer type refrigerator door that opens and closes a storage space by rotation thereof. Drawer type refrigerator doors are typically located in a lower region of the refrigerator.

With the continued development of refrigerator technology, it is necessary to use more wiring harnesses between the storage space and the refrigerator door to provide the required power supply. As a result, more wiring harnesses are laid around the drawer assembly in the drawer type refrigerator door. In the push-pull process, because the wire harnesses are more in number, the wire harnesses are often wound together, so that the drawer is difficult to effectively use. In addition, these harnesses may also cause the appearance of the home appliance to be unsightly and pose a hazard to the user.

The prior art document No. WO2019242223 (A1) discloses a cable stop device for a bottom freezer refrigerator and a refrigerator having the same. The cable fixing device includes: a guide portion; a sliding rail structure provided at both ends of the guide portion, the sliding rail structure including a first sliding rail provided at an inner wall of the refrigerator cabinet and a rotating mechanism engaged with the first sliding rail; a rotating portion connected to the rotating mechanism; a linear motion portion provided on the guide portion; and a connection wire having a first end electrically connected to the power supply portion of the refrigerator cabinet and a second end extending to the inside of the freezing drawer of the refrigerator, the second end being wound around or extending through the linear motion portion from the rear portion thereof to the side wall of the freezing drawer. The rotation mechanism rotates in a circumferential direction under the drive of the movement of the engagement rotation mechanism, and the rotation mechanism rotates in a circumferential direction, so that the connection wire moves in a length direction of the guide portion under the drive of the linear movement portion to perform the retracting or releasing movement.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a drawer assembly for use in a cooling appliance, which ensures long-term maintenance of the line and line connection and improves user safety by preventing the line from coming into contact with the drawer assembly and the user, while being very simple in appearance and use.

The invention relates to a drawer assembly for a household appliance, in particular for a refrigerator, comprising a line protection cover. The line protection cover has a longitudinal body and a housing groove extending longitudinally along the longitudinal body for guiding the line. The longitudinal body has a strip portion allowing the line to extend along the housing groove, an enlarged portion protruding radially outwardly along the longitudinal body for receiving an adapter of the line, and a narrowed portion disposed at one end of the longitudinal body. The narrowed portion is configured to be insertable into an access opening on a panel of the household appliance. According to this arrangement, the enlarged portion is located between the narrowed portion and the strip portion. This three-part arrangement ensures that both the pipeline and the mating piece of the pipeline are safely carried along the pipeline protector cap and that no part of the pipeline is in direct contact with the drawer assembly. This also avoids the visibility of the pipeline and the interference of the user with the pipeline and the adapter when the drawer assembly is in use. Thus, long-term maintenance of the pipeline and pipeline connection is provided as well as user safety. The term "pipeline" may be used herein to refer to any kind of pipeline, such as a cable carrying electricity or a pipe carrying any kind of fluid (i.e. water) or gas.

In a possible embodiment, the drawer assembly comprises two opposing guide slides, wherein the strip-shaped portion is configured to be attached to at least one of said guide slides by means of at least one connecting bracket. Thereby, the line protection cover is attached to the drawer assembly without impeding the sliding movement of the drawer when in use.

In a possible embodiment, the drawer assembly comprises at least two brackets, each configured to be removably attachable to a connection lug located on the strip portion. With this arrangement, the line protection cover can be detachably secured to the guide slider, thereby providing easy removal of the line protection cover when needed. In one embodiment, the connecting bracket is Z-shaped.

In one possible embodiment, the narrowed portion has a spacing lug partially covering the housing slot for enclosing a corresponding length of the line within the narrowed portion such that the line is not in contact with a panel of the household appliance. This arrangement ensures that the line is fully engaged into the narrowed portion, thereby preventing the line from backing out of the housing slot, such that the line is not visible and accessible to a user when the drawer assembly is in use.

In one possible embodiment, the enlarged portion has at least two opposing retaining clips for retaining the adapter within the enlarged portion. This arrangement enables a specific fixing of the adapter, thus ensuring the safety of the pipeline and the user. Furthermore, the retaining clip also enables the adapter to be removably mounted into and removed from the housing.

In one possible embodiment, the enlarged portion further has at least two opposing securing ribs such that the adapter is securely secured in the enlarged portion. Thereby, the stability of the adapter when attached in the enlarged portion is enhanced. Thus, the adapter can be prevented from being unintentionally detached from the enlarged portion.

In a possible embodiment, the enlarged portion further comprises a support protrusion configured to enable the pipeline to be detached by forming a certain distance between the adapter and a surface of the enlarged portion facing the housing groove. This arrangement of the protrusions to a certain depth within the enlarged portion provides for ease of assembly enabling the adapter to be removed from the housing groove without damaging the pipeline.

In a possible embodiment, the panel of the household appliance is a door panel comprising a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall, wherein the door panel is provided with a line holder embedded between the first wall and the second wall and comprising a receiving opening on the first wall for enabling the line to be embedded in the door panel. With this arrangement, the line retainer provides an inlet for embedding the narrowed portion in the door panel, and also guides the line, thereby preventing the line from contacting any portion of the door panel. In one embodiment, the receiving opening is covered by an opening cover such that the opening cover allows the narrowed portion and the line to enter.

In a possible embodiment, the line holder is configured to be fixedly attachable to at least the second wall by means of a mounting interface. Accordingly, the position of the line holder on the door panel is fixed, thereby preventing damage to the line. In one embodiment, the mounting interface is attached to the second wall by means of an adhesive material.

In a possible embodiment, the line holder comprises an extended guide tube as a receiving opening for guiding and directing the line within the door panel. In this way, the pipeline can also remain guided within the door panel.

In a possible embodiment, the insulating material is arranged between the first wall and the second wall. This arrangement prevents tilting and shifting of the line holder, thereby providing complete securement of the line holder and line within the door panel. It also ensures maintenance of cool air within the drawer assembly by reducing heat exchange. Here, the heat insulating material may be any material that provides heat insulation between the first wall and the second wall. In one embodiment, the insulating material is polyurethane foam.

In a possible embodiment, the line holder has a carrier frame with more than one transfer hole. These transfer holes allow the insulation material to pass through the line holder when the insulation material is in a fluid state.

In a possible embodiment, the drawer assembly further comprises a sealing material between the first wall and the line holder such that the insulation material cannot leak into the line holder. This arrangement eliminates the risk of the insulation coming into contact with the pipeline, thereby protecting the pipeline from chemical damage.

In a possible embodiment, the pipeline is an electrical cable and the adapter is at least two corresponding cable connectors connected to each other. This arrangement provides current to the drawer assembly.

The invention also proposes a household appliance, in particular a refrigeration appliance, comprising a drawer assembly according to any of the previous embodiments. The present invention thus achieves a household appliance having the advantages described in the previous embodiments.

Drawings

The drawings are given for the purpose of illustrating the invention only, the advantages of the invention over the prior art are summarized above and described in detail below:

fig. 1 shows a detailed perspective view of a line protection cover according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows an extended perspective view of a line protection cover according to the invention.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed perspective view of the drawer assembly according to the present invention, wherein the line protection cover is connected to a panel of the home appliance.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a line holder according to the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a door panel with a line retainer according to the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a drawer assembly according to the present invention having a line protection cover, a line retainer, a sealing material, and a connection bracket.

Fig. 7 shows a top perspective view of a drawer assembly according to the present invention, wherein the line protection cover is connected to the door panel by means of a line retainer.

Fig. 8 shows a detailed perspective view of the drawer assembly according to the present invention, wherein the line protection cover is connected to the door panel, and the receiving opening is covered by the opening cover.

Fig. 9 shows a side view of a drawer assembly according to the present invention, wherein the line protection cover is attached to the guide slider and connected to the door panel.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of a drawer assembly according to the present invention, wherein the line protection cover is provided with a connection bracket and is connected to the door panel.

Fig. 11 shows a perspective view of a strip-shaped part of the line protection cover with a connection bracket according to the invention.

Fig. 12 shows a detailed perspective view of a strip-shaped part with a connecting lug according to the invention.

Fig. 13 shows a perspective view of a cooling appliance comprising a drawer assembly according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

The application relates to a drawer assembly (100) for a household appliance, in particular for a refrigeration appliance. As shown in fig. 2, the drawer assembly (100) has a line protection cover (1) and a housing groove (3) extending lengthwise along the longitudinal body (2) for guiding the line (C). The pipeline protection cover (1) mainly comprises three parts, namely a strip part (23), an expansion part (21) and a constriction part (22).

Fig. 1 shows an enlarged portion (21), in which enlarged portion (21) the adapter (F) of the line (C) is inserted when the drawer assembly (100) is in use. Thus, as shown in fig. 1, the enlarged portion (21) protrudes radially outwards of the longitudinal body (2) for housing the adapter (F). Referring again to fig. 1, the enlarged portion (21) has two fixing clips (211), two fixing ribs (212), and a supporting protrusion (213).

The retaining clip (211) is arranged for retaining the adapter (F) within the enlarged portion (21). On the other hand, the fixing rib (212) clamps the adapter (F) so that the adapter (F) is firmly fixed in the enlarged portion (21). From fig. 3 and 7, it can be seen that the adapter element (F) is inserted and fixed in the enlarged portion (21) by means of the fixing clip (211) and the fixing rib (212).

As shown in fig. 1, the supporting projection (213) is located on the surface of the enlarged portion (21) facing the housing groove (3). When the adapter is installed, it forms a mounting distance between the adapter (F) and the inner surface of the enlarged portion (21). The fitting (F) is assembled and disassembled by means of the distance. The "inner surface" here refers to the surface of the enlarged portion (21) facing the housing groove (3).

Fig. 2 shows that the enlarged portion (21) is located between the narrowed portion (22) and the strip portion (23). Thus, when the drawer assembly (100) is in use, the line (C) extends along the strip portion (23) and then through the enlarged portion (21) to the narrowed portion (22). The constriction (22) is responsible for transferring the line into the panel of the household appliance (P) so that the line (C) is not visible to the user. Referring to fig. 3, the narrowed portion (22) is provided at one end of the longitudinal body (2) to be embedded in a panel of the home appliance (P). When the drawer assembly (100) is in use, the user can only see the enlarged portion (21) and the strip portion (23) because the narrowed portion (22) is embedded in the access opening (a) on the panel of the household appliance (P). On the other hand, when the drawer assembly (100) is in use, the line (C) is hidden in the housing groove (3) and therefore also invisible to the user, since the user can only see the outer surface of the longitudinal body (2). The "outer surface" here refers to the surface of the enlarged portion (21) which does not face the housing groove (3).

Furthermore, a limiting lug (221) is provided on the constriction (22) which partially covers the housing groove (3). Fig. 1 also shows the narrowed portion (22) with a stop lug (221). As can be seen from fig. 3 and 7, the line (C) extends through the housing slot (3) so as to pass between the constriction (22) and the limit lug (221). Referring to fig. 3, the limit lugs (221) maintain the pipe (C) in engagement with the narrowed portion (22) and act to improve the guiding of the pipe (C) so as to prevent the pipe (C) from contacting the panel of the household appliance (P).

Referring to fig. 7, the panel of the home appliance (P) is a door panel (11), the door panel (11) including a first wall (12) and a second wall (13) spaced apart from the first wall (12). Furthermore, a line holder (4) is provided which engages in the door panel (11), the line holder (4) being located between the first wall (12) and the second wall (13). The line holder (4) comprises a receiving opening (5) on the first wall (12), which receiving opening (5) enables the line (C) to be embedded in the door panel (11). Thus, the line (C) passes from the narrowed portion (22) directly to the line holder (4) without contacting any portion of the door panel (11). The receiving opening (5) extends to the guide tube (6) to provide guidance for the pipeline (C) within the door panel (11).

Fig. 5, 7 and 8 show the line holder (4) embedded in the door panel (11). Correspondingly, the line holder (4) has a mounting interface (7) fixedly attached to the second wall (13) of the door panel (11). Further details of the line holder (4) can be seen from fig. 4. The carrier frame (8) has more than one transfer hole (81). The transfer hole (81) is configured to allow fluid material (e.g., insulation material) to pass through the line holder (4).

As shown in fig. 7, the drawer assembly (100) is also provided with a sealing material (14) positioned between the first wall (12) and the line holder (4). Fig. 6 also shows the sealing material (14) in an exploded perspective view. The sealing material (14) is annular and frames the receiving opening (5).

According to the invention, the line (C) is an electrical cable and the adapter (F) is at least two mutually connected corresponding cable connectors. Fig. 7 and 8 show an electrical cable and a corresponding cable connector, both of which are engaged into the longitudinal body (2).

Referring to fig. 8, the receiving opening (5) is covered by an opening cover (15) for further covering the pipeline (C). Accordingly, the constriction (22) engages into the access opening (a) through a hole having an area smaller than the area of the access opening (a).

According to the invention, as shown in fig. 9, the drawer assembly (100) comprises two opposing guide slides (9) such that the line protection cover (1) is attached to each or only one of said guide slides (9). Referring to fig. 9 and 10, two connection brackets (10) are provided on the strip portion (23) for connecting the guide slider (9) and the line protection cover (1).

Fig. 11 shows the connection bracket (10) in more detail. These connection brackets (10) are snapped onto the line protection cover (1) by means of connection lugs (231) provided on the strip-shaped portion (23). Referring to fig. 12, these connection lugs (231) are configured to allow the connection bracket (10) to be detachably attached.

As shown in fig. 13, the cooling appliance (B) is provided with the drawer assembly (100) according to the present invention. The cooling appliance (B) further comprises more than one shelf and/or compartment for storage and/or drawer. Referring to fig. 13, the drawer assembly (100) is located at the bottom of the cooling appliance (B) and slidably pulled out and pushed in so as to be opened and closed, respectively.

List of reference numerals:

100. Drawer assembly

1. Pipeline protective cover

2. Longitudinal body

21. Enlarged portion

211. Fixing clamp

212. Fixing rib

213. Support protrusion

22. Constriction part

221. Limiting lug

23. Strip-shaped part

231. Connecting lug

3. Shell groove

4. Pipeline retainer

5. Receiving opening

6. Guide tube

7. Mounting interface

8. Carrier frame

81. Transmission hole

9. Guide slider

10. Connecting support

11. Door plank

12. A first wall

13. A second wall

14. Sealing material

15. Opening cover

A. Access opening

P. Panel of household appliance

C. Pipeline line

F. Adapter fitting

B. Cooling device

Claims (15)

1. Drawer assembly (100) for a household appliance, in particular for a refrigeration appliance, the drawer assembly (100) comprising a line protection cover (1), the line protection cover (1) having a longitudinal body (2) and a housing groove (3) extending longitudinally along the longitudinal body (2) for guiding a line (C), characterized in that; the longitudinal body (2) has:

A strip-like portion (23) allowing the line (C) to extend along the housing groove (3),

-An enlarged portion (21) projecting radially outwards of the longitudinal body (2) for housing an adapter (F) of the line (C), and

-A constriction (22) provided at one end of the longitudinal body (2), the constriction (22) being configured to be able to be inserted into an access opening (a) on a panel of a household appliance (P), wherein the enlargement (21) is located between the constriction (22) and the strip (23).

2. Drawer assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the drawer assembly (100) comprises two opposing guide slides (9), wherein the strip-shaped portion (23) is configured to be attachable to at least one of the guide slides (9) by means of at least one connecting bracket (10).

3. The drawer assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the drawer assembly (100) includes at least two connection brackets (10), each connection bracket (10) being configured to be removably attachable to a connection lug (231) located on the strip portion (23).

4. A drawer assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the narrowed portion (22) has a limit lug (221), said limit lug (221) partially covering the housing slot (3) for enclosing a corresponding length of the line within the narrowed portion (22) so that the line (C) is not in contact with a panel of the household appliance (P).

5. Drawer assembly (100) according to any of the previous claims, wherein the enlarged portion (21) has at least two opposite fixing clips (211) for holding the adapter (F) inside the enlarged portion (21).

6. The drawer assembly (100) of claim 5, wherein the enlarged portion (21) further has at least two opposing securing ribs (212) such that the adapter member (F) is securely secured in the enlarged portion (21).

7. Drawer assembly (100) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the enlarged portion (21) further comprises a support protrusion (213), the support protrusion (213) being configured to enable the line (C) to be detached by forming a certain distance between the adapter member (F) and the surface of the enlarged portion (21) facing the housing groove (3).

8. Drawer assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the panel of the household appliance (P) is a door panel (11), the door panel (11) comprising a first wall (12) and a second wall (13) spaced apart from the first wall (12), wherein the door panel (11) is provided with a line holder (4), the line holder (4) being embedded between the first wall (12) and the second wall (13) and comprising a receiving opening (5) on the first wall (12) for enabling the line (C) to be embedded in the door panel (11).

9. Drawer assembly (100) according to claim 8, wherein the line holder (4) is configured to be fixedly attachable to at least the second wall (13) by means of the mounting interface (7).

10. Drawer assembly (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the line holder (4) comprises an extended guide tube (6) as a receiving opening (5) for guiding and directing the line (C) within the door panel (11).

11. The drawer assembly (100) of any of claims 8-10, wherein the insulating material is disposed between the first wall (12) and the second wall (13).

12. Drawer assembly (100) according to claim 11, wherein the line holder (4) has a carrier frame (8) with more than one transfer hole (81).

13. The drawer assembly (100) of claim 11 or 12, wherein the drawer assembly (100) further comprises a sealing material (14) between the first wall (12) and the line holder (4) such that the insulating material cannot leak into the line holder (4).

14. Drawer assembly (100) according to any of the previous claims, wherein the line (C) is an electrical cable and the adapter (F) is at least two respective cable connectors connected to each other.

15. Household appliance, in particular refrigeration appliance, wherein the household appliance comprises a drawer assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims.