Freezer and hinge for same

The present application relates to a freezer and a hinge for the same. The hinge comprises a base, in which a left side of the base is provided with a first flange portion, a right side of the base is provided with a second flange portion opposite to the first flange portion, and the first flange portion and the second flange portion is provided with sliding grooves opposite to each other; a connecting seat; a first pivot shaft; a second pivot shaft parallel to the first pivot shaft, in which both ends of the second pivot shaft may slide in the corresponding sliding grooves respectively; a guide rod; a supporting seat; a positioning part; a spring sheath fitted over the guide rod and movable between the positioning part and the supporting seat; and a spring fitted over the spring sheath.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a national phase entry under 35 USC § 371 of International Application PCT/CN2014/079107, filed Jun. 3, 2014, which claims the benefit of and priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201410174215.5 filed Apr. 25, 2014 and Chinese Patent Application No. 201420211756.6 filed Apr. 25, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a technical field of refrigeration devices, and specifically, more particularly to a freezer and a hinge for the same.

BACKGROUND

A hinge of a freezer industry is mostly made of metal materials, and performs transmission of a force by compression of a spring, which achieves an effect of opening and closing of a door body, but the mechanical movement results in certain friction noise between metals, mainly concentrated in positions such as the spring, a guide rod and a rotary shaft, etc. The spring of the hinge in the related art is easily deformed under a pressure when the door is opened, abrasion easily occurs between the guide rod of the hinge and a bearing shell or between the bearing shell and the rotary shaft, and it is found that the spring is easily damaged through a long-term experiment. Furthermore, the amount of extension and contraction of the spring of the hinge is constant and unadjustable; for example, an excessively great or small elastic force will result in inconvenience for use.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure seek to solve at least one of the problems existing in the prior art to at least some extent.

To this end, one objective of the present invention is to provide a hinge for a freezer, in which a spring is difficult to produce a bending deformation, the amount of extension and contraction of the spring is adjustable, and the noise is small.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a freezer having the above-described hinge.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present invention, a hinge for a freezer is provided, and includes a base, in which a left side of the base is provided with a first flange portion, a right side of the base is provided with a second flange portion opposite to the first flange portion, and the first flange portion and the second flange portion are provided with sliding grooves opposite to each other; a connecting seat pivotally connected to an upper part of the base, in which a left side of the connecting seat is provided with a third flange portion adjacent to the first flange portion, and a right side of the connecting seat is provided with a fourth flange portion adjacent to the second flange portion; a first pivot shaft provided to the upper part of the base, in which a left end of the first pivot shaft is pivotally connected to the first flange portion and third flange portion, and a right end of the first pivot shaft is pivotally connected to the second flange portion and the fourth flange portion; a second pivot shaft parallel to the first pivot shaft, in which a left end of the second pivot shaft is connected to the third flange, a right end thereof is connected to the fourth flange, and both ends of the second pivot shaft are slidable in the corresponding sliding grooves of the first flange portion and the second flange portion respectively; a guide rod, in which an upper end of the guide rod is pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft; a supporting seat provided to a lower part of the base, in which an lower end of the guide rod penetrates the supporting seat; a positioning part provided to the guide rod; a spring sheath fitted over the guide rod and movable between the positioning part and the supporting seat; and a spring fitted over the spring sheath and located between the positioning part and the supporting seat.

The hinge according to embodiments of the present invention, by providing the spring sheath between the guide rod and the spring, may effectively prevent the spring from bending towards a direction away from a center line of the guide rod, and avoid direct contact between the spring and the guide rod to prevent friction noise, which improves the performance of the product and improves the user's satisfaction.

In addition, the hinge according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention may further have additional technical features as follows:

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide rod is provided with an external thread, and the positioning part is a nut threaded to the guide rod.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a washer threaded to the guide rod is provided under the nut.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the spring sheath comprises a round tube portion fitted over the guide rod, and an annular flange portion provided on an upper end of the round tube portion, and an upper end of the annular flange portion abuts against a lower end of the washer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the nut is a hexagon nut.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide rod is a cylindrical guide rod.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a spacer located between a lower end of the spring and the supporting seat is fitted over the lower part of the guide rod.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper end of the guide rod is provided with a C-shaped connecting portion pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft and having an opening on an upper end thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second pivot shaft is provided with shaft sleeves located at two sides of the C-shaped connecting portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a freezer is provided, and includes the above-described hinge.

The freezer according to embodiments of the present invention, by providing the spring sheath between the guide rod and the spring, may effectively prevent the spring from bending towards a direction away from a center line of the guide rod, and avoid direct contact between the spring and the guide rod to prevent friction noise, which improves the performance of the product and improves the user's satisfaction.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the specification of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, etc. should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience and simplifying of description, and do not alone indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, or be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Therefore, these relative terms should not be construed to limit the present disclosure.

A hinge100for a freezer according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference toFIGS. 1 to 3.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, the hinge100according to embodiments of the present invention, includes a base10, a connecting seat20, a first pivot shaft30, a second pivot shaft40, a guide rod50, a supporting seat60, a positioning part70, a spring sheath80and a spring90.

Specifically, a left side of the base10is provided with a first flange portion11, a right side of the base10is provided with a second flange portion12opposite to the first flange portion11, the first flange portion11and the second flange portion12are provided with sliding grooves13opposite to each other, and for example, the sliding grooves13may be configured as arc shapes. The connecting seat20may be pivotally connected to an upper part of the base10, a left side of the connecting seat20is provided with a third flange portion21adjacent to the first flange portion11, and a right side of the connecting seat20is provided with a fourth flange portion22adjacent to the second flange portion12. Thus, it is convenient to assemble the first pivot shaft30and the second pivot shaft40to the base10and the connecting seat20.

The first pivot shaft30is provided to the upper part of the base10, in which a left end of the first pivot shaft30is pivotally connected to the first flange portion11and the third flange portion21, and a right end of the first pivot shaft30is pivotally connected to the second flange portion12and the fourth flange portion22. The second pivot shaft40is parallel to the first pivot shaft30, in which a left end of the second pivot shaft40is connected to the third flange, a right end thereof is connected to the fourth flange, and both ends of the second pivot shaft40may slide in the corresponding sliding grooves13of the first flange portion11and the second flange portion12respectively.

The supporting seat60is provided to an lower part of the base10, in which an lower end of the guide rod penetrates the supporting seat; an upper end of the guide rod50is pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft40, and the lower end of the guide rod50passes through a through hole61of the supporting seat60. The guide rod50is provided with the positioning part70, and the spring sheath80is fitted over the guide rod50and is movable between the positioning part70and the supporting seat60.

The spring90is fitted over the spring sheath80, in which an upper end of the spring90abuts against a lower end of the positioning part70, a lower end of the spring90abuts against an upper end of the supporting seat60, and a height of the spring90in an axial direction thereof is greater than or equal to that of the spring sheath80in an axial direction thereof. It should be understood that, the spring sheath80may effectively prevent the spring90from bending towards a direction away from a center line of the guide rod50, and avoid direct contact between the spring90and the guide rod50to prevent friction noise.

The hinge100according to embodiments of the present invention, by providing the spring sheath80between the guide rod50and the spring90, may effectively prevent the spring90from bending towards the direction away from the center line of the guide rod50, and avoid direct contact between the spring90and the guide rod50to prevent friction noise, which improves the performance of the product and improves the user's satisfaction.

Considering that the spring90has a certain service life, the spring90is prone to a fatigue failure after used for a period of time, which will weaken the elasticity of the spring90. In order to overcome the problem of reduction in the elasticity of the spring90due to the fatigue, in some specific examples of the present invention, the guide rod50may be a cylindrical guide rod, the cylindrical guide rod is provided with an external thread (not illustrated), and the positioning part70may be a nut threaded to the guide rod50, such as a hexagon nut. Thus, the elastic force of the spring90may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the positioning part70on the guide rod50. The nut may adjust the compression amount of the spring90by threaded connection with the guide rod50, and further make the hinge100meet the need of the product for the elastic force of the spring90under different conditions, by controlling the magnitude of the elastic force of the spring90.

As shown inFIG. 2, the nut tends to move in an axial direction of the guide rod50under an effect of the elastic force of the spring90. In order to prevent the nut from moving in the axial direction of the guide rod50under the effect of the elastic force of the spring90, a washer71threaded to the guide rod50is provided under the nut according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that, the washer71may also be threaded to the guide rod50, so as to fix the washer71on the guide rod50, prevent the nut and the guide rod50from moving due to the elastic force of the spring90, and meanwhile prevent a use effect of the hinge100from being affected due to irregular changes of the elastic force. Specifically, the washer71may be an anti-slip washer.

As shown inFIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the spring sheath80includes a round tube portion81and an annular flange portion82. Specifically, the round tube portion81is fitted over the guide rod50, the annular flange portion82is provided on an upper end of the round tube portion81, and the upper end of the annular flange portion82abuts against a lower end of the washer71. In other words, the annular flange portion82extends around a circumferential direction of the round tube portion81and protrudes from an outer circumferential wall of the round tube portion81, the annular flange portion82is located between the lower end of the washer71and the upper end of the spring90, the round tube portion81is fitted over the guide rod50, and the spring90is fitted over the round tube portion81.

In addition, it should be understood that, the spring sheath80may be a POM spring sheath80, and the spring sheath80of POM material has higher wear resistance, which thus may prevent the spring90from bending towards a direction away from an axis of the guide rod to the greatest extent, and avoid friction between the spring90and the guide rod50to prevent noise.

As shown inFIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a spacer51located between the lower end of the spring90and the supporting seat60is fitted over an lower part of the guide rod50. Alternatively, the spacer51may be a rubber spacer51, which thus may further avoid direct contact between the spring90and the supporting seat60to prevent noise.

In some specific embodiments of the present invention, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, a C-shaped connecting portion52with an opening is provided on the upper end of the guide rod50, and the second pivot shaft40is provided in the C-shaped connecting portion52, which makes it convenient to assemble the guide rod50to the second pivot shaft40. In order to prevent the upper end of the guide rod50from moving in an axial direction of the second pivot shaft40, the second pivot shaft40is provided with shaft sleeves41located at two sides of the C-shaped connecting portion52to define the position of the C-shaped connecting portion52on the second pivot shaft40.

It should be understood that, the shaft sleeves41located at two sides of the C-shaped connecting portion52may be integrally formed in one piece, and a middle portion of the shaft sleeve41at a position where it is connected to the C-shaped connecting portion52is provided with a groove body42which extends along a circumferential direction of the shaft sleeve41, is recessed towards an axial direction of the shaft sleeve41, and is fitted with the C-shaped connecting portion52. Thus, the C-shaped connecting portion52may rotate with respect to the shaft sleeve41.

It should be noted that, the fact the shaft sleeve41fitted with the C-shaped connecting portion52of the guide rod50is fitted over the second pivot shaft40makes the contact between the guide rod50and the second pivot shaft40change from a point contact into a surface contact, which thus improves the reliability of the hinge100. The structure of the groove body42in the middle of the shaft sleeve41may effectively control the relative movement between the guide rod50and the second pivot shaft40, so as to further reduce the noise.

A freezer according to embodiments of the present invention (not illustrated), includes the above-described hinge100.

The freezer according to embodiments of the present invention, by providing the spring sheath80between the guide rod50and the spring90, may effectively prevent the spring90from bending towards the direction away from the center line of the guide rod50, and avoid the direct contact between the spring90and the guide rod50to prevent friction noise, which improves the performance of the freezer and improves the user's satisfaction.

Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated that the above embodiments cannot be construed to limit the present disclosure, and changes, alternatives, and modifications can be made in the embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art.