Patent Publication Number: US-8985718-B2

Title: Refrigerator and door locking assembly for the same

Description:
FIELD 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of refrigeration, and more particularly to a refrigerator and a door locking assembly for the refrigerator. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The existing refrigerators such as French side by side type refrigerator and Japanese multiple-door type refrigerator have a large refrigeration compartment which is convenient for use. In the refrigerator having two doors disposed side by side, a movable rotating beam needs to be provided between the two doors in order to seal the refrigeration compartment. Due to the poor stopping effect, the door on one side may be opened because of the air pressure during closing the door on the other side, thus causing refrigeration leakage of the refrigerator. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure seek to solve at least one of the problems existing in the related art to at least some extent. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a door locking assembly for a refrigerator. The door locking assembly may lock a door of the refrigerator onto the refrigerator body of the refrigerator. 
     Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator including the above-identified door locking assembly. 
     In order to achieve the above objects, embodiments of a first aspect of the present disclosure provide a door locking assembly for a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a door and a cabinet, and the locking assembly includes: a pivoting shaft mounted on the door along a vertical direction; a rotating member defining a first end pivotably connected with the pivoting shaft and a second end; an elastic member defining a first end fixed on the door and a second end connected with the rotating member so as to apply a force on the rotating member; a stopping member disposed on the door and configured to stop the rotating member at a predetermined position; and a positioning member disposed on the cabinet and configured to engage with the second end of the rotating member so as to lock the door onto the cabinet when the door is closed. 
     With the door locking assembly for a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure, when the door is closed, the door may be locked tightly by means of the positioning member via the rotating member, thus locking the door onto the cabinet. Thereby, even when the air pressure in a refrigeration compartment of the cabinet is increased suddenly, the door may not be opened. The door is locked tightly on the cabinet, and then the refrigeration leakage of the refrigerator is prevented efficiently. 
     In addition, the door locking assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further have the following features. 
     In some embodiments, the second end of the rotating member has a first hook, and the positioning member has a second hook adapted to engage with the first hook. 
     In some embodiments, the elastic member and the stopping member are positioned on the same side of the rotating member, and the elastic member is configured to apply a tensile force on the rotating member. 
     In some embodiments, the elastic member and the stopping member are positioned on opposite sides of the rotating member respectively, and the elastic member is configured to apply a compression force on the rotating member. 
     In some embodiments, the positioning member is disposed on a hinge configured to connect the door and the cabinet. 
     In some embodiments, the hinge is a top-mounted hinge, and a groove is formed in an upper end of the door and adapted to receive the stopping member, the pivoting shaft, the rotating member and the elastic member. 
     In some embodiments, the stopping member is disposed such that the rotating member is perpendicular to the door when the door is closed. 
     In some embodiments, the door locking assembly further includes a snapping groove is formed in the positioning member, and the second end of the rotating member has a protrusion adapted to be elastically engaged into the snapping groove. 
     Embodiments of a second broad aspect of the present disclosure provide a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes: a cabinet defining a refrigeration compartment therein; a door pivotably connected with the cabinet via a hinge to open and close the refrigeration compartment; and the above-identified door locking assembly configured to lock the door onto the cabinet. 
     The refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure has the door locking assembly. When the door is closed, the door may be locked tightly with the positioning member via the rotating member, thus locking the door onto the cabinet. Thereby, even when the air pressure in the refrigeration compartment of the cabinet is increased suddenly, the door may not be opened. The door is locked tightly on the cabinet, and then the refrigeration leakage of the refrigerator is prevented efficiently. 
     In some embodiments, the refrigerator is configured as side by side type refrigerator including two doors arranged side by side, and the refrigerator includes two door locking assemblies adapted to lock the two doors onto the cabinet respectively. 
     Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of present disclosure will be given in part in the following descriptions, become apparent in part from the following descriptions, or be learned from the practice of the embodiments of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a door locking assembly for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of part A in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure. The same or similar elements and the elements having same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, illustrative, and used to generally understand the present disclosure. The embodiments shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure. 
     In the specification, it should be understood that, the terms such as “central”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “width”, “thickness”, “above”, “below”, “front”, “rear”, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “clockwise”, “counter-clockwise” should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings. These terms are merely for convenience and concision of description and do not alone indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation. Thus, it cannot be understood to limit the present disclosure. 
     In the present invention, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “coupled,” “fixed” and the like are used broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; may also be mechanical or electrical connections; may also be direct connections or indirect connections via intervening structures; may also be inner communications of two elements, which can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations. 
     A door locking assembly for a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the refrigerator includes a door  80  and a cabinet  90 , and the door locking assembly for a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a stopping member  10 , a pivoting shaft  20 , a rotating member  30 , an elastic member  40  and a positioning member  50 . 
     Specifically, the stopping member  10  is disposed on the door  80 . Alternatively, the stopping member  10  may be fixed on the door  80 . 
     The pivoting shaft  20  is mounted on the door  80  along a vertical direction, for example, the vertical direction is perpendicular to the paper sheet in  FIG. 1 . 
     The rotating member  30  defines a first end  31  pivotably connected with the pivoting shaft  20  so as to rotate about the pivoting shaft  20  in the horizontal plane, for example, the plane defined by the paper sheet, and a second end  32 . The stopping member  10  is configured to stop the rotating member  30  at a predetermined position. 
     The elastic member  40  defines a first end  41  fixed on the door  80  and a second end  42  connected with the rotating member  30 , so as to apply a force on the rotating member  30  and to abut the rotating member  30  against the stopping member  10 . 
     The positioning member  50  is disposed on the cabinet  90  and configured to engage with the second end  32  of the rotating member  30  so as to lock the door  80  onto the cabinet  90  when the door  80  is closed. 
     With the door locking assembly for a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure, when the door  80  is in a closed state, the door  80  may be locked tightly with the positioning member  50  via the rotating member  30 , thus locking the door  80  onto the cabinet  90 . In this way, even when the air pressure in a refrigeration compartment of the cabinet  90  is increased suddenly, the door  80  may not be opened. The door  80  is locked tightly on the cabinet  90 , which ensures that the refrigeration leakage of the refrigerator is prevented efficiently. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the second end  32  of the rotating member  30  has a first hook  321 , and the positioning member  50  has a second hook  501  adapted to engage with the first hook  321 . 
     In other words, the rotating member  30  and the positioning member  50  are engaged with each other via the first hook  321  formed at the rotating member  30  and the second hook  501  formed at the positioning member  50 . Thereby, when the door  80  is closed, the first and second hooks  321 ,  501  are engaged to lock the rotating member  30  and the positioning member  50 , thus locking the door  80  onto the cabinet  90  via the rotating member  30  and the positioning member  50 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the elastic member  40  and the stopping member  10  are positioned on the same side of the rotating member  30 , and the elastic member  40  is configured to apply a tensile force on the rotating member  30 . For example, the elastic member  40  may be a spring. Thereby, the rotating member  30  may be driven by the tensile force of the elastic member  40  such as a spring and abuts against the stopping member  10 , thus positioning at a predetermined position with regard to the door  80 . For example, the predetermined position is advantageous for locking the rotating member  30  and the positioning member  50 . 
     Alternatively, the elastic member  40  and the stopping member  10  are positioned on opposite sides of the rotating member  30  respectively, and the elastic member  40  is configured to apply a compression force on the rotating member  30 . Thereby, the rotating member  30  may be driven by the compression force of the elastic member  40  such as a spring and abuts against the stopping member  10 , thus positioning at a predetermined position with regard to the door  80 . For example, the predetermined position is advantageous for locking the rotating member  30  and the positioning member  50 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the positioning member  50  is disposed on a hinge  70  configured to connect the door  80  and the cabinet  90 . Thereby, the arrangement of the positioning member  50  may be achieved without significant adjustment on the structure of a conventional refrigerator. Then the manufacturing cost is reduced. 
     In some embodiments, the hinge  70  is a top-mounted hinge, and a groove  60  is formed in an upper end of the door  80  and adapted to receive the stopping member  10 , the pivoting shaft  20 , the rotating member  30  and the elastic member  40 . The groove  60  and the top-mounted hinge are corresponding to each other in position, thus facilitating to engage the rotating member  30  with the positioning member  50 . The door locking assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be arranged externally of the refrigeration compartment of the refrigerator, thus the reliability of the door locking assembly during use may be improved. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , In some embodiments, the stopping member  10  is disposed such that the rotating member  30  is perpendicular to the door  80  when the door  80  is closed. In other words, by the driving of the elastic member  40  and the stop of the stopping member  10 , the rotating member  30  is positioned perpendicularly to the door  80  when the door  80  is closed. Thereby, when the door  80  is in the closed state, the rotating member  30  and the positioning member  50  may be locked tightly with each other. 
     In some embodiments, a snapping groove (not shown) is formed in the positioning member  50 , and the second end  32  of the rotating member  30  has a protrusion (not shown) adapted to be elastically engaged into the snapping groove. When the door  80  is in the closed state, the protrusion is inserted in the snapping groove in order to lock the door  80  on the cabinet  90 . 
     The operation process of the door locking assembly for a refrigerator according embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. 
     When the door  80  changes from an open state to a closed state, the rotating member  30  is perpendicular to the door  80 . During the rotating process of the door  80 , the first hook  321  of the rotating member  30  is contacted with the second hook  501  of the positioning member  50 . As the door  80  keeps on rotating, the rotating member  30  is rotated about the pivoting shaft  20  due to the interaction between the first and second hooks  321 ,  501 . Then the elastic member  40 , such as a spring, is stretched (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). When a closing angle (for example, the closing angle is defined by a plane of the door  80  and a plane of the front side of the cabinet  90 ) is smaller than a predetermined angle such as 2 degrees, the rotating member  30  rotates along a reversed direction by the tensile force of the spring, until the first and second hooks  321 ,  501  are engaged with each other. In this way, the door  80  and the cabinet  90  are locked tightly with each other. 
     When the door  80  changes from the closed state to the open state, the operation process of the door locking assembly for a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure is in contrary to the operation process described above (i.e. the operation process during the door  80  changing from the open state to the closed state), thus details thereof are omitted herein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a cabinet  90 , a door  80  and a door locking assembly as described above. 
     Specifically, the cabinet  90  defines a refrigeration compartment (now shown) therein. 
     The door  80  is pivotably connected with the cabinet  90  via a hinge  70  and configured to open and close the refrigeration compartment. 
     The door locking assembly is the above-identified door locking assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and configured to lock the door  80  onto the cabinet  90 . 
     The refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure has the door locking assembly. When the door  80  is in a closed state, the door  80  may be locked tightly on the positioning member  50  via the rotating member  30 , thus locking the door  80  onto the cabinet  90 . In this way, even when the air pressure in the refrigeration compartment is increased suddenly, the door  80  may not be opened. The door  80  is locked tightly on the cabinet  90 , which ensures that the refrigeration leakage of the refrigerator is prevented efficiently. 
     In some embodiments, the refrigerator is configured as a side by side type refrigerator. The side by side type refrigerator may include two doors arranged side by side, and the refrigerator includes two door locking assemblies adapted to lock the two doors onto the cabinet respectively. Thereby, when the air pressure in the refrigeration compartment is increased suddenly, for example, during a process that one door changes from the open state to the closed state while the other door is in the closed state, the other door being opened due to the increased air pressure may be efficiently prevented by using the refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment”, “another example,” “an example,” “a specific example,” or “some examples,” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases such as “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, “in another example,” “in an example,” “in a specific example,” or “in some examples,” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. 
     Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments can not be construed to limit the present disclosure, and changes, alternatives, and modifications can be made in the embodiments without departing from spirit, principles and scope of the present disclosure.