IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,188,711
Granted Patent B2
US 12,188,711 · App. 18/029,223 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Refrigerator

Inventors: Peng Lyu (Shandong, CN); Hao Zhang (Shandong, CN); Wenchun Wang (Shandong, CN)
Assignees: HEFEI HAIER REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD; HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
F25D23/028F25D2323/021F25D2400/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,188,711
App. No.
18/029,223
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body ( 30 ), a first door body ( 10 ), a second door body ( 20 ), a vertical beam ( 50 ), and a driving mechanism ( 60 ). The driving mechanism ( 60 ) comprises a telescopic member ( 61 ) that may be at an extension position or at a retraction position; an elastic member ( 62 ); a rotating member ( 63 ) rotatable around a second vertical axis and a third vertical axis (X 3 ), with a sliding channel ( 631 ) formed thereon; and a sliding column ( 64 ). During the closing of the first door body ( 10 ) from an open state, the telescopic member ( 61 ) moves towards the retraction position from the extension position to drive the rotating member ( 63 ) to rotate around the second vertical axis (X 2 ), so that the sliding channel ( 631 ) pushes the sliding column ( 64 ) to drive the vertical beam ( 50 ) to rotate from a folded state to an unfolded state.

Claims (29)

1. A refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body with an open front side, a first door body and a second door body that are rotatably disposed on the front side of the refrigerator body in a side-by-side manner, a vertical beam that is mounted at an open end of the first door body to be rotatable around a first vertical axis, and at least one driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism comprises:

a telescopic member, telescopically mounted on the first door body in the thickness direction of the first door body, to be at an extension position where the rear end of the telescopic member projects and extends out of the surface of the inner side of the first door body, or at a retraction position of retracting from the extension position to the interior of the first door body by a preset distance;

an elastic member, configured to apply an elastic force to the telescopic member to prompt same to move towards the extension position;

a rotating member, mounted on the first door body to be rotatable around a second vertical axis, and mounted on the telescopic member to be rotatable around a third vertical axis, wherein a sliding channel is formed in the rotating member; and

a sliding column, directly or indirectly fixed to the vertical beam and slidable along the sliding channel; and the refrigerator is configured such that

when the first door body is in an open state, the telescopic member is at the extension position, and the vertical beam is in a folded state attached to the inner side of the first door body; and

during the closing of the first door body, the telescopic member is blocked by the refrigerator body and moves to the retraction position, to drive the rotating member to rotate around the second vertical axis, so that the sliding channel pushes the sliding column to drive the vertical beam to rotate to an unfolded state, so as to seal a gap between the first door body and the second door body.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein

the driving mechanism further comprises a connection rod, the connection rod is fixedly connected to the vertical beam and extends in a direction away from the vertical beam, and the sliding column is mounted at the end, away from the vertical beam, of the connection rod.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein

the end, close to the vertical beam, of the connection rod is rotatably mounted on the first door body so that the vertical beam rotates around the first vertical axis.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein

the telescopic member, the rotating member and the connection rod are arranged in the vertical direction in a staggered manner.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein

the second vertical axis, the third vertical axis and a central axis of the sliding column are coplanar; and

the second vertical axis is located between the third vertical axis and the sliding channel.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein

the refrigerator is configured such that when the vertical beam is in the folded state, the sliding column abuts against the end, away from the second vertical axis, of the sliding channel in the length direction.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein

a ratio of the distance between the end, away from the second vertical axis, of the sliding channel in the length direction and the second vertical axis to the distance between the third vertical axis and the second vertical axis is greater than 5.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotating member comprises an oblong ring part, and the sliding channel is formed on the inner side of the ring part.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein

the telescopic member is provided with two lugs extending away from each other in the width direction of the first door body;

the first door body is provided with two limit grooves to accommodate the two lugs respectively; and

there are two elastic members and both are compressed springs, each elastic member is connected between the rear surface of one lug and the rear wall of the corresponding limit groove, and

when the telescopic member is in an extending state, the lugs abut against the front walls of the limit grooves under the action of the elastic forces of the elastic members.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein

there are two driving mechanisms, and the two driving mechanisms are matched with the top and the bottom of the vertical beam respectively.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2023
From: LYU, PENG; ZHANG, HAO; WANG, WENCHUN
To: HEFEI HAIER REFRIGERATOR CO.,LTD; HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063189/0575 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202011116971.4 · Oct 19, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230375251A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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