Patent Description:
Usually, a refrigerator and a door move relatively by means of a fixed hinge part, thus greatly limiting an opening-closing freedom degree of the door; that is, a motion track of the door is unable to be freely controlled to adapt to different application scenarios.

For example, in recent years, with progress of society and an improvement of people's living standard, placement positions and modes of the refrigerators in homes are more and more emphasized by common users, and for current home decoration styles, part of the homes pursue style integration, the refrigerator is required to be placed in a cupboard to form a so-called embedded refrigerator device, the refrigerator is called an embedded refrigerator, and the current refrigerator is difficult to adapt to the embedded application scenario.

<CIT> describes a refrigerator, comprising a body, a door, and a hinge body. The door is provided with a guide block; the hinge body is provided with a rotary shaft; the guide block is provided with a rotary shaft groove.

<CIT> describes a refrigerator which comprises a refrigerator body, a door body and an embedded type hinge device.

<CIT> describes a double-pivot door hinge suited for household appliances such as refrigerators or microwave ovens.

In view of this, the existing refrigerator is necessary to be improved to solve the above-mentioned problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with a switchable hinge assembly, which may effectively increase an opening-closing freedom degree of a door.

To implement one of the above inventive objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator according to claim <NUM>.

Further improvements of the refrigerator are described in claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

Compared with a prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: with the hinge assembly and the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the opening-closing freedom degree of the door may be increased, and various motion tracks may be generated to adapt to different application scenarios.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments have no limitations on the present invention, and any transformations of structure, method, or function made by persons skilled in the art according to these embodiments fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In drawings of the invention, some of the dimensions of the structure or portion may be enlarged relative to those of other structures or portions for ease of illustration and thus are merely used to illustrate the basic structure of the subject matter of the present invention.

In addition, the terms expressive of spatial relative positions, such as "upper", "above", "lower", "below", "left", "right", or the like herein are used to describe the relationship of a unit or feature relative to another unit or feature in the drawings, for the purpose of illustration and description. Terms expressive of the spatial relative positions are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation other than the orientations shown in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is turned over, the units which are described to be located "below" or "under" other units or features are "above" other units or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" may include both the "above" and "below" orientations. The device may be oriented (rotated by <NUM> degrees or other orientations) in other ways, correspondingly explaining the expressions related to the space herein.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator <NUM> according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The refrigerator <NUM> includes a cabinet <NUM>, a door <NUM> for opening and closing the cabinet <NUM>, and a hinge assembly <NUM> for connecting the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>.

<FIG> are schematic diagrams of the hinge assembly <NUM> in the first embodiment of the present invention.

It should be emphasized that the hinge assembly <NUM> in the present embodiment is applicable to not only the refrigerator <NUM>, but also other scenarios, such as a cupboard, a wine cabinet, a wardrobe, or the like, and the present invention is exemplified with the hinge assembly <NUM> applied to the refrigerator <NUM>, but not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, the hinge assembly <NUM> includes a plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> and a switching assembly <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> controls a switching operation between the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM>.

Here, the "switching operation" means that the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> may alternately operate to control opening and closing processes of the door <NUM>, thus improving a degree of freedom in the opening and closing process of the door <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM>.

It should be noted that the switching assembly <NUM> may realize the switching operation between the hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> by means of mechanical control, electrical control, or the like.

In the present embodiment, for example, the hinge assembly <NUM> includes a first hinge part <NUM> and a second hinge part <NUM>; it may be understood that in other embodiments, the hinge assembly <NUM> may include other numbers of hinge parts; for example, the hinge assembly <NUM> includes three hinge parts, and the switching assembly <NUM> controls the switching operation between the three hinge parts, which may be determined according to actual situations.

In addition, here, for example, the first hinge part <NUM> is connected to the cabinet <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> is connected to the door <NUM>; the first hinge part <NUM> has one end fixed to the cabinet <NUM> and the other end extending above the door <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> is embedded in the door <NUM>.

The switching assembly <NUM> is connected with the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>; that is, the first hinge part <NUM> and the switching assembly <NUM> may interact with each other, and the second hinge part <NUM> and the switching assembly <NUM> may interact with each other.

When the hinge assembly <NUM> is in a first operating state, the first hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>, and when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in a second operating state, the second hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>.

That is, the switching assembly <NUM> may control an operating sequence of the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> by interacting with the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the switching assembly <NUM> includes a first fitting part <NUM> and a second fitting part <NUM>; when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the first operating state (referring to <FIG>), the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively, and the second fitting part <NUM> limits the second hinge part <NUM>; when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in a process of switching from the first operating state to the second operating state (referring to <FIG>), the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the second fitting part <NUM>, and the first fitting part <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>; when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the second operating state (referring to <FIG>), the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively.

In the present embodiment, the first fitting part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> are specifically configured as a first switching part <NUM> and a second switching part <NUM> which are fitted with each other; that is, the switching assembly <NUM> includes the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> which are fitted with each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

When the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the first operating state or the second operating state, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are relatively stationary, and when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the process of switching from the first operating state to the second operating state, the first switching part <NUM> moves relative to the second switching part <NUM>, such that the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the second fitting part <NUM>, and the first fitting part <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>.

That is, the switching assembly <NUM> includes the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> which may move relatively, and the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> may be locked and unlocked by controlling a relative position relationship among the first hinge part <NUM>, the second hinge part <NUM>, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM>, such that the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> sequentially operate by the switching assembly <NUM>.

It may be understood that the "first operating state" here means that the first hinge part <NUM> is in an unlocked state, such that the first hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> is in a locked state; the "second operating state" means that the second hinge part <NUM> is in an unlocked state, such that the second hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>, and the first hinge part <NUM> is in a locked state; the "switching from the first operating state to the second operating state" means that by the relative movement of the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM>, the first hinge part <NUM> is changed from the unlocked state to the locked state, and meanwhile, the second hinge part <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, such that the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> operate sequentially.

Here, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> have similar profiles; when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the first operating state, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are overlapped with each other; when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the process of switching from the first operating state to the second operating state, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are staggered by a certain angle; when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the second operating state, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are relatively stationary and maintain the previous staggered state.

In the present embodiment, the hinge assembly <NUM> is applied to the refrigerator <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle α1, the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the first operating state, the first hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> locks the second hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to a second opening angle α2, the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the process of switching from the first operating state to the second operating state, the switching assembly <NUM> unlocks the second hinge part <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> locks the first hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to a maximum opening angle α3, the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the second operating state, and the second hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>.

Specifically, the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively by a first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> which are fitted with each other, and the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively by a second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> which are fitted with each other; certainly, other fitting forms may be adopted between the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>, and between the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a first shaft <NUM> and a second shaft <NUM>, the first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a first groove <NUM> fitted with the first shaft <NUM> and a second groove <NUM> fitted with the second shaft <NUM>, the second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a third shaft <NUM> and a fourth shaft <NUM>, and the second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a third groove <NUM> fitted with the third shaft <NUM> and a fourth groove <NUM> fitted with the fourth shaft <NUM>.

Here, the first shaft <NUM> is located at one of the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>, and the first groove <NUM> is located at the other of the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>.

The second shaft <NUM> is located at one of the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>, and the second groove <NUM> is located at the other of the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>.

The third shaft <NUM> is located at one of the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>, and the third groove <NUM> is located at the other of the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>.

The fourth shaft <NUM> is located at one of the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>, and the fourth groove <NUM> is located at the other of the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>.

That is, the hinge assembly <NUM> may be distributed in various ways; for example, the first hinge part <NUM> includes the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM>, the first fitting part <NUM> includes the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM>, the second fitting part <NUM> includes the third groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> includes the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM>; or the first hinge part <NUM> includes the first shaft <NUM> and the second groove <NUM>, the first fitting part <NUM> includes the first groove <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM>, the second hinge part <NUM> includes the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>, and the second fitting part <NUM> includes the third groove <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM>; the specific distribution may be determined according to actual situations.

Here, for example, the first hinge part <NUM> includes the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM>, the first fitting part <NUM> includes the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM>, the second fitting part <NUM> includes the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> includes the third groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>.

It may be seen that in the present embodiment, the first hinge part <NUM> is fitted with the first fitting part <NUM> by double shafts and double grooves, and the second hinge part <NUM> is fitted with the second fitting part <NUM> by double shafts and double grooves, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In other embodiments, a single-shaft single-groove fitting form may be included; for example, the first shaft set includes the first shaft, the first groove set includes the first groove fitted with the first shaft, and/or the second shaft set includes the third shaft, and the second groove set includes the third groove fitted with the third shaft.

Certainly, a single-shaft single-groove fitting form may be adopted between the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>, and a double-shaft double-groove fitting form may be adopted between the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>; or a double-shaft double-groove fitting form may be adopted between the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM>, and a single-shaft single-groove fitting form may be adopted between the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM>; or the fitting operation may be realized by other numbers of shafts and other numbers of grooves.

In the present embodiment, with continued reference to <FIG>, for example, the first fitting part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> are specifically configured as the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> which are fitted with each other for description.

The first groove <NUM> includes a first upper groove <NUM> located at the first switching part <NUM> and a first lower groove <NUM> located at the second switching part <NUM>, the first upper groove <NUM> includes a first upper free section <NUM>, and the first lower groove <NUM> includes a first lower free section <NUM>.

The second groove <NUM> includes a second upper groove <NUM> located at the first switching part <NUM> and a second lower groove <NUM> located at the second switching part <NUM>, the second upper groove <NUM> includes a second upper free section <NUM>, and the second lower groove <NUM> includes a second lower free section <NUM>.

The third groove <NUM> includes a third free section <NUM>.

The fourth groove <NUM> includes a fourth free section <NUM>.

The first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> includes locking sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and the second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a limiting section <NUM>.

The locking sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> include a first upper locking section <NUM> located at the first upper groove <NUM>, a first lower locking section <NUM> located at the first lower groove <NUM>, a second upper locking section <NUM> located at the second upper groove <NUM>, and a second lower locking section <NUM> located at the second lower groove <NUM>, and the limiting section <NUM> includes a fourth limiting section <NUM> located at the fourth groove <NUM>.

The first upper locking section <NUM> is communicated with the first upper free section <NUM>, the first lower locking section <NUM> is communicated with the second lower free section <NUM>, the second upper locking section <NUM> is communicated with the second upper free section <NUM>, and the second lower locking section <NUM> is communicated with the second lower free section <NUM>.

The first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM> are always staggered, and the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM> are always staggered.

Here, the "always staggered" means that the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM> are not completely overlapped and the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM> are not completely overlapped in the opening process of the door <NUM>.

Certainly, the arrangement positions, the number, or the like, of the locking sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and the limiting section <NUM> are not limited to the above description; for example, the third groove <NUM> may also include the limiting section <NUM>, or the first upper groove <NUM> and the first lower groove <NUM> may not include the locking sections.

In the present embodiment, the first switching part <NUM> is closer to the first hinge part <NUM> than the second switching part <NUM>; that is, the first hinge part <NUM>, the first switching part <NUM>, the second switching part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> are stacked in sequence.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the hinge assembly <NUM> further includes a first riveting sheet <NUM> and a second riveting sheet <NUM>; when the first shaft <NUM> extends into the first groove <NUM>, the first riveting sheet <NUM> is located below the second switching part <NUM>, and the first shaft <NUM> is sleeved with the first riveting sheet <NUM>, so as to prevent the first shaft <NUM> from being separated from the first groove <NUM>; similarly, when the second shaft <NUM> extends into the second groove <NUM>, the second riveting sheet <NUM> is located below the second switching part <NUM>, and the second shaft <NUM> is sleeved with the second riveting sheet <NUM>, so as to prevent the second shaft <NUM> from being separated from the second groove <NUM>.

The first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are fitted and connected with each other by a fifth shaft <NUM>.

Here, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are provided with a first through hole <NUM> and a second through hole <NUM>, and an independent riveting part as the fifth shaft <NUM> penetrates through the first through hole <NUM> and the second through hole <NUM>.

Specifically, the fifth shaft <NUM> includes a riveting post <NUM> and a riveting post gasket <NUM>, the riveting post <NUM> has a large end located below the second through hole <NUM> and a small end sequentially extending into the second through hole <NUM> and the first through hole <NUM>, and the riveting post gasket <NUM> is located above the first through hole <NUM> and fitted with the riveting post <NUM> to lock the riveting post <NUM>.

In this way, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> may be fitted and connected with each other; that is, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> may move relative to each other, and the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> may not be separated from each other.

It should be noted that the first through hole <NUM> and the second through hole <NUM> are matched with the fifth shaft <NUM>, and the first switching part <NUM> rotates in situ relative to the second switching part <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the through hole may be provided in one of the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM>, and the fifth shaft <NUM> may be provided at the other of the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM>, such that the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are fitted and connected with each other by fitting the fifth shaft <NUM> with the through hole, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, the first switching part <NUM> includes the third shaft <NUM>, the second switching part <NUM> has a through hole <NUM>, the third shaft <NUM> extends to the third groove <NUM> through the through hole <NUM>, the second switching part <NUM> includes the fourth shaft <NUM>, and the fourth shaft <NUM> extends to the fourth groove <NUM>.

Here, the through hole <NUM> may have a greater size than the third shaft <NUM>, such that the third shaft <NUM> may move in the through hole <NUM>, and when the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> move relatively, the through hole <NUM> and the third shaft <NUM> may be prevented from interfering with each other.

That is, in the present embodiment, the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM> are located at different switching parts, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first switching part <NUM> includes a first lining <NUM>, a first sliding sheet <NUM>, and a first bushing <NUM> which are stacked in sequence, and the second switching part <NUM> includes a second lining <NUM>, a second sliding sheet <NUM>, and a second bushing <NUM> which are stacked in sequence.

Here, the first hinge part <NUM>, the first lining <NUM>, the first sliding sheet <NUM>, the first bushing <NUM>, the second lining <NUM>, the second sliding sheet <NUM>, the second bushing <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> are stacked in sequence from top to bottom.

The first lining <NUM>, the first bushing <NUM>, the second lining <NUM> and the second bushing <NUM> are made of plastic, such as polyformaldehyde (POM), or the like.

The first sliding sheet <NUM> and the second sliding sheet <NUM> are made of metal, such as stainless steel, Q235 steel, or the like.

The first lining <NUM>, the first sliding sheet <NUM> and the first bushing <NUM> have matched profiles, and the first lining <NUM> and the first bushing <NUM> are fitted with each other to sandwich the first sliding sheet <NUM> therebetween; the first lining <NUM>, the first sliding sheet <NUM> and the first bushing <NUM> are all required to be provided with slots to form the first upper groove <NUM>, the second upper groove <NUM> and the first through hole <NUM> in cooperation.

Here, the slots may be formed only in the first sliding sheet <NUM> and the first bushing <NUM> to form the first through hole <NUM>; that is, the first through hole <NUM> does not penetrate through the first lining <NUM>, and at this point, the fifth shaft <NUM> extends from a position below the first switching part <NUM> into the first through hole <NUM>, and the first lining <NUM> may shield the first through hole <NUM> and the fifth shaft <NUM>, thereby improving attractiveness.

The second lining <NUM>, the second sliding sheet <NUM> and the second bushing <NUM> have matched profiles, and the second lining <NUM> and the second bushing <NUM> are fitted with each other to sandwich the second sliding sheet <NUM> therebetween; the second lining <NUM>, the second sliding sheet <NUM> and the second bushing <NUM> are all required to be provided with slots to form the first lower groove <NUM>, the second lower groove <NUM> and the second through hole <NUM> in cooperation.

Here, the slots may be formed only in the second lining <NUM> and the second sliding sheet <NUM> to form the second through hole <NUM>; that is, the second through hole <NUM> does not penetrate through the second bushing <NUM>, and at this point, the fifth shaft <NUM> extends from a position below the second bushing <NUM> into the second through hole <NUM> and the first through hole <NUM>, and the second bushing <NUM> may shield the second through hole <NUM> and the fifth shaft <NUM>, thereby improving the attractiveness.

At this point, one end of the riveting post <NUM> of the fifth shaft <NUM> may be limited in the second bushing <NUM>, so as to further improve a fitting effect of the second lining <NUM>, the second sliding sheet <NUM> and the second bushing <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the first switching part <NUM> further includes a first decorative sheet <NUM> covering peripheries of the first lining <NUM>, the first sliding sheet <NUM>, and the first bushing <NUM>, the second switching part <NUM> further includes a second decorative sheet <NUM> covering peripheries of the second lining <NUM>, the second sliding sheet <NUM>, and the second bushing <NUM>, and the first decorative sheet <NUM> and the second decorative sheet <NUM> are separated from each other.

Here, "the first decorative sheet <NUM> and the second decorative sheet <NUM> are separated from each other" means that the first decorative sheet <NUM> and the second decorative sheet <NUM> have independent structures, and when the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> move relatively, the first decorative sheet <NUM> and the second decorative sheet <NUM> also move relatively.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the first decorative sheet <NUM> is in an n shape; that is, the first decorative sheet <NUM> covers only three side surfaces of the first switching part <NUM>, so as to assemble the first decorative sheet <NUM>; the three side surfaces may be provided with snap structures to be fitted with the first decorative sheet <NUM>, and in a stacking direction of the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM>, a width of the first decorative sheet <NUM> is substantially equal to a sum of thicknesses of the first lining <NUM>, the first sliding sheet <NUM>, and the first bushing <NUM>.

Similarly, the second decorative sheet <NUM> is in an n shape; that is, the second decorative sheet <NUM> covers only three side surfaces of the second switching part <NUM>, so as to assemble the second decorative sheet <NUM>; the three side surfaces may be provided with snap structures to be fitted with the second decorative sheet <NUM>, and in the stacking direction of the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM>, a width of the second decorative sheet <NUM> is substantially equal to a sum of thicknesses of the second lining <NUM>, the second sliding sheet <NUM>, and the second bushing <NUM>.

The first decorative sheet <NUM> and the second decorative sheet <NUM> may be made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic.

Next, a specific operation flow of the hinge assembly <NUM> will be described.

Referring to <FIG>, when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the first operating state, that is, when the door <NUM> is opened from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are relatively stationary, the first upper free section <NUM> and the first lower free section <NUM> are overlapped to form a first free section S1, the second upper free section <NUM> and the second lower free section <NUM> are overlapped to form a second free section S2, the first shaft <NUM> moves at the first free section S <NUM>, the second shaft <NUM> moves at the second free section S2, and the third shaft <NUM> and/or the fourth shaft <NUM> are/is limited at the limiting section <NUM>, such that the switching assembly <NUM> limits the second hinge part <NUM>.

Here, "the third shaft <NUM> and/or the fourth shaft <NUM> are/is limited at the limiting section <NUM>" means that the third shaft <NUM> is limited at the limiting section <NUM> (that is, the limiting section <NUM> is located in the third groove <NUM>) and the fourth shaft <NUM> is not limited, or the third shaft <NUM> is not limited and the fourth shaft <NUM> is limited at the limiting section <NUM> (that is, the limiting section <NUM> is located in the fourth groove <NUM>), or both the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM> are limited at the limiting section <NUM> (that is, the limiting section <NUM> is simultaneously located in the third groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>).

Specifically, the fourth shaft <NUM> is limited at the fourth limiting section <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> is in the locked state.

Here, the first upper free section <NUM> and the first lower free section <NUM> are always overlapped into the first free section S1, and the second upper free section <NUM> and the second lower free section <NUM> are always overlapped into the second free section S2; that is, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> have completely same motion tracks, the first shaft <NUM> moves at the first free section S <NUM>, and meanwhile, the second shaft <NUM> moves at the second free section S2; in this process, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are never staggered; that is, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are kept stationary relatively, such that the first upper free section <NUM> and the first lower free section <NUM> may be prevented from being staggered, and meanwhile, the second upper free section <NUM> and the second lower free section <NUM> are prevented from being staggered, thus ensuring that the first shaft <NUM> may move smoothly at the first free section S1, and the second shaft <NUM> may move smoothly at the second free section S2.

With reference to <FIG>, when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the process of switching from the first operating state to the second operating state, that is, when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> move relatively, such that the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the switching assembly <NUM>, and the first shaft <NUM> and/or the second shaft <NUM> are/is limited at the locking sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, such that the switching assembly <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>.

Here, "the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> move relatively, such that the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the switching assembly <NUM>, and the first shaft <NUM> and/or the second shaft <NUM> are/is limited at the locking sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, such that the switching assembly <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>" means that the switching assembly <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> move relatively, such that no mutual limit exists between the switching assembly <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> and the first hinge part <NUM> move relatively, such that the switching assembly <NUM> and the first hinge part <NUM> are limited by each other.

In an example, the first shaft <NUM> is simultaneously limited at the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>, the second shaft <NUM> is simultaneously limited at the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM>, and the fourth shaft <NUM> is separated from the fourth limiting section <NUM>, which is described as follows.

When the door <NUM> is opened to the first opening angle α1, the second shaft <NUM> moves from the second free section S2 to the second lower locking section <NUM> and is limited, and at this point, the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> may no longer move relative to the first free section S1 and the second free section S2, and at this point, the first shaft <NUM> is close to the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>, the second shaft <NUM> is close to the second upper locking section <NUM>, and tracks of the first upper locking section <NUM> and the second upper locking section <NUM> are adapted to moving paths of the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM>.

When the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1, the door <NUM> drives the second hinge part <NUM> connected to the door <NUM> to move, the second hinge part <NUM> applies an acting force to the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM> through the third free section <NUM> and the fourth limiting section <NUM>, and then, the third shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM> drive the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> to move.

Specifically, at this point, the first shaft <NUM> is close to the first upper locking section <NUM>, and the second shaft <NUM> is close to the second upper locking section <NUM>; the first switching part <NUM> may move by a first angle relative to the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> until the first shaft <NUM> is limited at the first upper locking section <NUM>, and the second shaft <NUM> is limited at the second upper locking section <NUM>; meanwhile, the second switching part <NUM> moves around the fifth shaft <NUM> by a second angle relative to the first shaft <NUM> until the first shaft <NUM> is limited in the second locking section <NUM>; in this process, the second shaft <NUM> always contacts the second lower locking section <NUM>, and the second angle is greater than the first angle.

That is, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> both rotate by certain angles, and the rotation angle of the second switching part <NUM> is greater than the rotation angle of the first switching part <NUM>, such that the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> also move relatively to be staggered.

It may be understood that the rotation processes of the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are not in a certain sequence, and the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> may rotate simultaneously; for example, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> synchronously rotate within a certain rotation angle range, and are then staggered.

In practice, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> drive the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> to rotate relative to the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> respectively, and the first shaft <NUM> is separated from the first free section S1 and abuts against the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>; that is, the first shaft <NUM> is simultaneously limited at the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>; the second shaft <NUM> is separated from the second free section S2 and abuts against the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM>; that is, the second shaft <NUM> is simultaneously limited at the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM>; meanwhile, the movement of the second switching part <NUM> makes the fourth shaft <NUM> separated from the fourth limiting section <NUM>.

It may be understood that when the first shaft <NUM> is located at the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>, since the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are staggered, the first upper free section <NUM> and the first lower free section <NUM> which are originally overlapped with each other are also staggered, and at this point, the first upper free section <NUM> and the first lower free section <NUM> which are staggered restrict the first shaft <NUM> from being separated from the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>, thus ensuring that the first shaft <NUM> is always kept at the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM> in the process of continuously opening the door <NUM>.

Similarly, when the second shaft <NUM> is located at the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM>, since the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are staggered, the second upper free section <NUM> and the second lower free section <NUM> which are originally overlapped with each other are also staggered, and at this point, the second upper free section <NUM> and the second lower free section <NUM> which are staggered restrict the second shaft <NUM> from being separated from the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM>, thus ensuring that the second shaft <NUM> is always kept at the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM> in the process of continuously opening the door <NUM>.

In addition, the rotation angle of the second switching part <NUM> is greater than the rotation angle of the first switching part <NUM>; that is, the second switching part <NUM> and the first switching part <NUM> are staggered, thus further improving a locking effect between the first hinge part <NUM> and the switching assembly <NUM>, and ensuring that the first shaft <NUM> is always kept at the first upper locking section <NUM> and the first lower locking section <NUM>, and the second shaft <NUM> is always kept at the second upper locking section <NUM> and the second lower locking section <NUM>.

Meanwhile, when the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> move relatively, a distance between the third shaft <NUM> located at the first switching part <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM> located at the second switching part <NUM> changes, the third shaft <NUM> is always located at the third free section <NUM>, and the fourth shaft <NUM> moves from the fourth limiting section <NUM> to the fourth free section <NUM>; that is, the fourth shaft <NUM> is separated from the fourth limiting section <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, when the hinge assembly <NUM> is in the second operating state, that is, when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the third shaft <NUM> moves at the third free section <NUM>, and the fourth shaft <NUM> moves at the fourth free section <NUM>.

It may be seen that in the present embodiment, by the unlocking and locking effects of the switching assembly <NUM> on the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>, the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> may be effectively controlled to be switched sequentially, such that the door <NUM> may be opened stably.

It may be understood that, when the door <NUM> is in a closing process, that is, when the door <NUM> starts to be closed from the maximum opening angle α3, the switching assembly <NUM> may also effectively control the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> to be switched sequentially; that is, when the door <NUM> is closed from the maximum opening angle α3 to the second opening angle α2, the third shaft <NUM> moves at the third free section <NUM>, the fourth shaft <NUM> moves at the fourth free section <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> locks the first hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is closed from the second opening angle α2 to the first opening angle α1, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> relatively move to make the first hinge part <NUM> released from the limit of the switching assembly <NUM>, the fourth shaft <NUM> is limited at the fourth limiting section <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> locks the second hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is completely closed from the first opening angle α1, the first shaft <NUM> moves at the first free section S1, and the second shaft <NUM> moves at the second free section S2.

In other words, the closing process of the door <NUM> and the opening process of the door <NUM> are processes in reverse orders, and the switching sequence of the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> in the opening and closing processes of the door <NUM> may be effectively controlled by the unlocking and locking effects of the switching assembly <NUM> on the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the first shaft <NUM> and the third shaft <NUM> are staggered, and thus, the refrigerator may be suitable for an embedded cupboard or a scenario with a small space for accommodating the refrigerator <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, a simple schematic diagram in which the refrigerator <NUM> is embedded in a cupboard <NUM> is taken as an example for illustration.

In the present embodiment, the cabinet <NUM> includes an opening <NUM> and a front end surface <NUM> provided around the opening <NUM>; the cabinet <NUM> further includes an accommodating chamber S and an outer side surface <NUM> adjacent to the hinge assembly <NUM> and on an extension section of a rotation path of the door <NUM>, the door <NUM> includes a front wall <NUM> apart from the accommodating chamber S and a side wall <NUM> always clamped between the front wall <NUM> and the accommodating chamber S, and a side edge <NUM> is provided between the front wall <NUM> and the side wall <NUM>.

Here, when the door <NUM> is opened to the first opening angle α1 from the closed state, the door <NUM> rotates around the first shaft <NUM>, and a first distance exists between the first shaft <NUM> and the front end surface <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the door <NUM> rotates around the third shaft <NUM>, a second distance exists between the third shaft <NUM> and the front end surface <NUM>, and the second distance is greater than the first distance, thus greatly increasing the maximum opening angle of the fully-embedded refrigerator <NUM>.

In addition, a third distance exists between the first shaft <NUM> and the outer side surface <NUM>, and when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, a fourth distance exists between the third shaft <NUM> and the outer side surface <NUM>, and the fourth distance is less than the third distance, thus further increasing the opening degree of the cabinet <NUM>.

In some motion tracks of the refrigerator <NUM>, the door <NUM> may be considered to move sequentially around the first shaft <NUM> and the third shaft <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the hinge assembly <NUM> further includes the second shaft <NUM> fitted with the first shaft <NUM> and the fourth shaft <NUM> fitted with the third shaft <NUM>, and for simplicity of description, the door <NUM> is simply considered to rotate around the first shaft <NUM> first, and be then switched to rotate around the third shaft <NUM> by the switching assembly <NUM>.

In practice, in order to improve an embedding effect, the refrigerator <NUM> is preferably embedded into the cupboard <NUM> completely, and the refrigerator <NUM> is configured as a free-embedded refrigerator; that is, a front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> is located on a same plane as the front wall <NUM> on a side of the door <NUM> apart from the cabinet <NUM>, or the front wall <NUM> of the door <NUM> does not protrude from the front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> at all.

In a prior art, all refrigerators are single-shaft refrigerators, and certain distances are required to be kept between a rotating shaft of the refrigerator and a side wall and a front wall of the refrigerator, such that enough spaces may be provided to satisfy foaming or other processes; that is, the rotating shaft of the existing refrigerator is approximately located at the position of the first shaft <NUM> in <FIG>; in this case, after the single-shaft refrigerator is embedded into the cupboard <NUM>, since a corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> between the front end <NUM> and an inner wall <NUM> is provided corresponding to the side edge <NUM> of the door <NUM>, when the door <NUM> is opened, the side edge <NUM> interferes with the door <NUM> to limit the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM>; in order to ensure that the door <NUM> is opened normally, a common method in the prior art is to increase a gap between the inner wall <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> and the refrigerator <NUM>, and this gap is required to have a size of approximate <NUM>, which seriously affects the embedding effect and is not favorable for rational utilization of a limited space.

Referring to <FIG>, a shaded region represents the door <NUM> in the closed state; when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, and when the door <NUM> always rotates around the first shaft <NUM> (i.e., the prior art), referring to the dotted-line door <NUM>' in <FIG>, since the first shaft <NUM> is close to the front end surface <NUM> ( that is, apart from the front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM>), after the door <NUM>' is opened to a certain angle, the corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> interferes with the door <NUM>' to limit the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM>'.

In the present embodiment, the third shaft <NUM> is located at the first switching part <NUM>, and in the opening process of the door <NUM>, the switching assembly <NUM> moves relative to the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>, such that the third shaft <NUM> gradually moves away from the front end surface <NUM>; that is, the third shaft <NUM> gradually moves towards the front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM>; that is, at this point, the whole door <NUM> moves away from the cabinet <NUM>; referring to the solid-line door <NUM> in <FIG>, the interference effect of the corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> on the door <NUM> is reduced greatly, and the corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> interferes with the door when the door <NUM> is opened to a larger angle, thereby greatly increasing the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM>.

That is, in the present embodiment, the door <NUM> may rotate around the third shaft <NUM> in a later period under the action of the switching assembly <NUM>, such that the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM> may be effectively increased on the premise of ensuring that the refrigerator <NUM> is freely embedded into the cupboard <NUM>, thus facilitating a user to operate the refrigerator <NUM>, and greatly improving user experiences.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the gap between the inner wall <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> and the refrigerator <NUM> is not required to be increased, and the refrigerator <NUM> and the cupboard <NUM> may be connected seamlessly, thereby greatly improving the embedding effect.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the switching assembly <NUM> drives the third shaft <NUM> to gradually move towards the front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM>, and simultaneously drives the third shaft <NUM> to gradually approach the inner wall <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM>; that is, when the door <NUM> rotates around the third shaft <NUM>, the third shaft <NUM> is closer to the front end <NUM> and the inner wall <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> than the first shaft <NUM>, so as to increase the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM>, and make the door <NUM> apart from the cabinet <NUM> to increase the opening degree of the cabinet <NUM>, thereby facilitating opening and closing operations of racks, drawers, or the like, in the cabinet <NUM>, or facilitating taking and placing operations of articles.

Certainly, the third shaft <NUM> finally used as the rotating shaft may be located at other positions; for example, when the door <NUM> rotates around the third shaft <NUM>, the third shaft <NUM> is closer to the front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> than the first shaft <NUM>, and the third shaft <NUM> is farther away from the inner wall <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> than the first shaft <NUM>, or the like.

It may be understood that the switching assembly <NUM> controls the switching sequence of the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> in the opening and closing processes of the door <NUM>, thus effectively preventing the door <NUM> from interfering with the cupboard <NUM> in the opening and closing processes.

In addition, it should be noted that the motion track of the door <NUM> may be effectively controlled by specific designs of the shaft and the groove; in the present embodiment, the cabinet <NUM> includes a pivoting side P connected to the hinge assembly <NUM>, and when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the hinge assembly <NUM> at least drives the door <NUM> to move from the pivoting side P towards the accommodating chamber S, so as to prevent the door <NUM> from interfering with the peripheral cupboard or wall, or the like, in the opening process; for the specific designs of the shaft and the groove, reference may be made to the following example.

In an example, with reference to <FIG>, the first free section S1 includes an initial position A1 and a stop position A2 which are arranged oppositely, and the second free section S2 includes a first section L1, a second section L2, and a third section L3 which are connected in sequence.

Referring to <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is in the closed state, the first shaft <NUM> is located at the initial position A1, the second shaft <NUM> is located at an end of the first section L1 apart from the second section L2, and the fourth shaft <NUM> is located at the limiting section <NUM>, such that the switching assembly <NUM> limits the second hinge part <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is opened from the closed state to the first opening angle α1, the first shaft <NUM> rotates in situ at the initial position A1, the second shaft <NUM> moves in the first section L1 around the first shaft <NUM>, the door <NUM> rotates in situ relative to the cabinet <NUM>, the second shaft <NUM> then moves in the second section L2 to drive the first shaft <NUM> to move from the initial position A1 to the stop position A2, the door <NUM> moves from the pivoting side P to the accommodating chamber S, the second shaft <NUM> then moves in the third section L3 to drive the first shaft <NUM> to move from the stop position A2 to the initial position A1, and the door <NUM> moves from the accommodating chamber S to the pivoting side P.

Specifically, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is opened from the closed state to a first intermediate opening angle, the first shaft <NUM> rotates in situ at the initial position A1, the second shaft <NUM> moves in the first section L1 around the first shaft <NUM>, and the door <NUM> rotates in situ relative to the cabinet <NUM>.

Here, when opened to the first intermediate opening angle from the closed state, the door <NUM> rotates in situ relative to the cabinet <NUM>; that is, the door <NUM> only rotates without generating displacement in other directions, thus effectively avoiding that the door <NUM> is unable to be normally opened due to displacement in a certain direction of the door <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is opened from the first intermediate opening angle to a second intermediate opening angle, the second shaft <NUM> moves in the second section L2 to drive the first shaft <NUM> to move from the initial position A1 to the stop position A2, and the door <NUM> moves from the pivoting side P towards the accommodating chamber S.

Here, when the door <NUM> is continuously opened to the second intermediate opening angle from the first intermediate opening angle, the door <NUM> moves towards a side of the accommodating chamber S; that is, at this point, the door <NUM> rotates relative to the cabinet <NUM> and is displaced relative to the cabinet <NUM> in a first direction X, thus greatly reducing a distance by which the door <NUM> protrudes out of the cabinet <NUM> towards a side apart from the accommodating chamber S in the rotation process; that is, the displacement of the door <NUM> in the first direction X counteracts a part of the door <NUM> protruding out of the cabinet <NUM> in a second direction Y in the rotation process, thereby preventing the door <NUM> from interfering with the peripheral cupboard or wall, or the like, in the opening process; the refrigerator is suitable for the embedded cupboard or the scenario with a small space for accommodating the refrigerator <NUM>.

Here, the first direction X is a direction from the pivoting side P towards the accommodating chamber S, and the second direction Y is a direction from the accommodating chamber S towards the pivoting side P.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is opened from the second intermediate opening angle to the first opening angle α1, the second shaft <NUM> moves in the third section L3 to drive the first shaft <NUM> to move from the stop position A2 to the initial position A1, and the door <NUM> moves from the accommodating chamber S to the pivoting side P.

Here, when continuously opened to the first opening angle α1 from the second intermediate opening angle, the door <NUM> moves towards a side of the pivoting side P; that is, at this point, the door <NUM> rotates relative to the cabinet <NUM> and is displaced in the second direction Y relative to the cabinet <NUM>, such that the door <NUM> may be as far away from the cabinet <NUM> as possible, thus guaranteeing the opening degree of the cabinet <NUM>, and avoiding a problem that the drawers, the racks, or the like, in the cabinet <NUM> are unable to be opened due to interference of the door <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the fourth shaft <NUM> is separated from the limiting section <NUM>, and the first shaft <NUM> and/or the second shaft <NUM> are/is limited at the locking sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, such that the switching assembly <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the third shaft <NUM> rotates in situ in the third free section <NUM>, the fourth shaft <NUM> moves in the fourth free section <NUM> around the third shaft <NUM>, and the door <NUM> continuously rotates in situ relative to the cabinet <NUM>.

It may be understood that the motion track of the refrigerator <NUM> is not limited to the above description, and in other examples, other forms of motion may be generated between the first hinge part <NUM> and the switching assembly <NUM>, or other forms of motion may be generated between the second hinge part <NUM> and the switching assembly <NUM>, such that the refrigerator may be adapted to various application scenarios, and the specific motion track may be determined according to actual situations.

In the present embodiment, the hinge assembly <NUM> is structurally different in different regions of the door <NUM>, the above-mentioned hinge assembly <NUM> is located between an upper portion of the door <NUM> and the cabinet <NUM>, and hereinafter, the hinge assembly <NUM>' located between a lower portion of the door <NUM> and the cabinet <NUM> will be briefly described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

The lower hinge assembly <NUM>' is different from the upper hinge assembly <NUM> in that: the first hinge part <NUM>' of the lower hinge assembly <NUM>' has a projection <NUM>', the second hinge part <NUM>' has a corresponding hook <NUM>', and the hook <NUM>' is configured as an elastic part; when the door <NUM> is in the closed state, the projection <NUM>' acts on the hook <NUM>' to deform, such that the door <NUM> is in close fit with the cabinet <NUM>, and when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the door <NUM> drives the hook <NUM>' to move, and the hook <NUM>' deforms to be separated from the projection <NUM>'.

That is, when the door <NUM> is in the closed state, the projection <NUM>' is in interference fit with the hook <NUM>', thus enhancing a closing effect of the door <NUM>.

It should be noted that, since the switching assembly <NUM>' is connected between the first hinge part <NUM>' and the second hinge part <NUM>', the second hinge part <NUM>' further includes an extension section <NUM>' passing through the switching assembly <NUM>' in a thickness direction, and the extension section <NUM>' is connected to the hook <NUM>', such that the hook <NUM>' may be provided horizontally and fitted with the projection <NUM>'.

In the present embodiment, with reference to <FIG>, the refrigerator <NUM> is configured as a refrigerator <NUM> with a wiring module <NUM>.

The wiring module <NUM> includes a fixed end <NUM> and a free end <NUM> which are provided oppositely, the fixed end <NUM> is connected to the door <NUM>, the free end <NUM> is movably provided at the cabinet <NUM>, and wiring E of the cabinet <NUM> sequentially passes through the free end <NUM> and the fixed end <NUM> and extends to the door <NUM>.

Here, "the free end <NUM> is movably provided at the cabinet <NUM>" means that the free end <NUM> is not fixed to the cabinet <NUM>, and as the door <NUM> is opened, the free end <NUM> may move relative to the cabinet <NUM>, such that the wiring E in the wiring module <NUM> may also move freely as the door <NUM> is opened.

It should be noted that, with intellectualization and multi-functionalization of the refrigerator <NUM>, some functional modules, such as an ice making module, a display module, or the like, are usually provided on the door <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM>, and these modules are usually required to be connected with a control module in the cabinet <NUM> through the wiring E; the wiring E in the present embodiment extends to the door <NUM> by means of the wiring module <NUM>, which may effectively avoid a phenomenon that the wiring E is pulled in the opening and closing processes of the door <NUM>, and may adapt to the door <NUM> with various motion tracks; for example, when the hinge assembly <NUM> drives the door <NUM> to move from the pivoting side P towards the accommodating chamber S, an extension track of the wiring E also changes, and the present embodiment may completely adapt to the movement of the door <NUM> using the design of the wiring module <NUM>; that is, the extension track of the wiring E may be flexibly adjusted by the wiring module <NUM>, so as to avoid a wiring jamming problem.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator <NUM> further includes a limiting space <NUM>, the limiting space <NUM> includes a notch <NUM> provided towards the door <NUM>, the fixed end <NUM> of the wiring module <NUM> passes through the notch <NUM> to be connected to the door <NUM>, and when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the door <NUM> drives the wiring module <NUM> to move in the limiting space <NUM>, and the free end <NUM> is always located in the limiting space <NUM>.

Here, the limiting space <NUM> is located at a top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM>, the wiring module <NUM> is provided parallel to the top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM>, and the fixed end <NUM> is movably connected to the door <NUM>; certainly, the limiting space <NUM> may be provided in other regions.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the wiring module <NUM> includes a first housing <NUM> and a second housing <NUM>, the second housing <NUM> is provided near the top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM>, the first housing <NUM> is apart from the top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM> relative to the second housing <NUM>, the first housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> are fitted with each other to form an accommodating cavity <NUM> for accommodating the wiring E, and two end openings of the accommodating cavity <NUM> are configured as the fixed end <NUM> and the free end <NUM>.

The door <NUM> protrudes upwards from the top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM>, an edge of the top <NUM> close to the door <NUM> is provided with a stopper <NUM> protruding from the top <NUM>, the notch <NUM> is formed in the stopper <NUM>, the refrigerator <NUM> includes a plurality of protrusions <NUM> protruding from the top <NUM>, and the plurality of protrusions <NUM> enclose the limiting space <NUM>.

Here, the first hinge part <NUM> is fixed at the edge of the top <NUM>, and in order to adapt to the design of the door <NUM> protruding from the top <NUM>, the first hinge part <NUM> of the hinge assembly <NUM> has a substantial Z shape, such that the first hinge part <NUM> may extend from the top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM> to a top of the door <NUM> to be fitted with the switching assembly <NUM> at the top of the door <NUM>; the plurality of protrusions <NUM> include a first protrusion <NUM> between the first hinge part <NUM> and the wiring module <NUM> and a second protrusion <NUM> spaced apart from the first protrusion <NUM>, the first protrusion <NUM> may prevent the wiring module <NUM> from interfering with the first hinge part <NUM>, a profile of the first protrusion <NUM> adapts to the motion track of the wiring module <NUM>, and the second protrusions <NUM> may be configured as a plurality of convex posts to reduce an impact between the wiring module <NUM> and the second protrusions <NUM>.

The refrigerator <NUM> may further include a cover <NUM>, the cover <NUM> is located at the top <NUM> and covers the limiting space <NUM>, the first hinge part <NUM>, or the like, the cover <NUM> may be fitted with the stopper <NUM>, and a shape of the cover <NUM> may be determined according to specific requirements.

In addition, the fixed end <NUM> and the notch <NUM> of the wiring module <NUM> are both provided close to the hinge assembly <NUM>, and it may be understood that in the opening process of the door <NUM>, the wiring module <NUM> may be exposed in an opening gap of the door <NUM>; the fixed end <NUM> and the notch <NUM> are provided close to the hinge assembly <NUM>, such that on the one hand, the motion track of the wiring module <NUM> may be controlled reasonably, and on the other hand, the wiring module <NUM> may be prevented from affecting an appearance and normal use of the refrigerator <NUM>.

The wiring module <NUM> is provided horizontally and extends to the door <NUM> through the notch <NUM>; the door <NUM> is provided with a wiring hole H, the wiring E extends from the fixed end <NUM> into the door <NUM> through the wiring hole H, a region C adjacent to the wiring hole H is pivotally connected to a region of the fixed end <NUM>, and the door <NUM> includes a lid <NUM> covering the fixed end <NUM>, the wiring hole H and the region C, such that the wiring module <NUM> may be movably connected with the door <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the door <NUM> drives the wiring module <NUM> to move, and the wiring module <NUM> may move freely according to different tracks in the limiting space <NUM>; that is, the motion track of the wiring module <NUM> may be completely adapted to the motion track of the door <NUM>, thereby avoiding the wire jamming problem.

In addition, the wiring module <NUM> includes an arc section D, such that the wiring E may be further prevented from being disturbed in the accommodating cavity <NUM>.

It should be noted that, in order to avoid abrasion and sliding noise of the wiring module <NUM>, a buffer component, a sliding component, or the like, may be provided between the second housing <NUM> of the wiring module <NUM> and the top <NUM> of the cabinet <NUM>, and the specific component may be determined according to actual situations.

In the present embodiment, the notch <NUM> of the limiting space <NUM> has a first notch width, the wiring module <NUM> includes a movable portion <NUM> located between the fixed end <NUM> and the free end <NUM>, and the first notch width is greater than a maximum width of the movable portion <NUM>.

That is, as the door <NUM> is opened, the movable portion <NUM> gradually protrudes from the limiting space <NUM>; the first notch width is greater than the maximum width of the movable portion <NUM>, so as to prevent the notch <NUM> from limiting the protrusion of the movable portion <NUM> from the limiting space <NUM>; the notch <NUM> may control the motion track of the wiring module <NUM> to a certain extent, thereby avoiding that the wiring module <NUM> is separated from the limiting space <NUM> due to an excessively large motion amplitude.

Here, in order to further prevent the wiring module <NUM> from being separated from the limiting space <NUM>, the free end <NUM> may be bent; that is, an included angle is formed between the free end <NUM> and the movable portion <NUM>.

With continued reference to <FIG> which are schematic diagrams of a refrigerator with a switchable hinge assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention, for ease of description, similar structures of the second embodiment to the first embodiment are given same or similar numerals.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator <NUM> with a switchable hinge assembly includes a cabinet <NUM>, a door <NUM> for opening and closing the cabinet <NUM>, and the hinge assembly <NUM> for connecting the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>; the hinge assembly <NUM> includes a plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM>, and a switching assembly <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is in an opening process, the switching assembly <NUM> controls the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> to successively operate in a first sequence, and when the door <NUM> is in a closing process, the switching assembly <NUM> controls the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> to successively operate in a second sequence, and the first sequence is opposite to the second sequence.

Here, the "first sequence" and the "second sequence" refer to sequential orders of operation of the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the operating sequence of the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> may be effectively controlled under the action of the switching assembly <NUM>, thus avoiding mutual interference between the door <NUM> and a cupboard in the opening and closing processes due to a disorder of the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM>; the technology is suitable for the field of embedded refrigerators.

In addition, the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM> may be controlled to operate sequentially under the action of the switching assembly <NUM>, thus effectively improving a stability of the opening and closing processes of the door <NUM>; a motion track of the door <NUM> may be effectively controlled by switching the plurality of hinge parts <NUM>, <NUM>, so as to adapt to various application scenarios of the refrigerator <NUM>.

It should be emphasized that the structure in the present embodiment is applicable to not only the refrigerator <NUM> with a switchable hinge assembly <NUM>, but also other scenarios, such as the cupboard, a wine cabinet, a wardrobe, or the like, and the present invention is exemplified with the refrigerator <NUM> with a switchable hinge assembly, but not limited thereto.

The switching assembly <NUM> is connected with the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>, the first hinge part <NUM> is fixed to the cabinet <NUM>, and the second hinge part <NUM> is fixed to the door <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the first hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM> first, and then, the second hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>; that is, the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> operate successively in the first sequence; when the door <NUM> is in the closing process, the second hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM> first, and then, the first hinge part <NUM> moves relative to the switching assembly <NUM>; that is, the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> operate successively in the second sequence.

In the present embodiment, the switching assembly <NUM> includes a first fitting part <NUM> and a second fitting part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is opened from the closed state to a first opening angle α1, the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively, and the second fitting part <NUM> limits the second hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to a second opening angle α2, the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the second fitting part <NUM>, and the first fitting part <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to a maximum opening angle α3, the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively.

It may be seen that the switching assembly <NUM> in the present embodiment may realize locking and unlocking operations of the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>; the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> may be effectively controlled to operate sequentially by the locking and unlocking operations, such that the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> may operate in the first sequence in the opening process of the door <NUM>, and in the second sequence in the closing process of the door <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the switching assembly <NUM> includes a first switching part <NUM> and a second switching part <NUM> which are fitted with each other, the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively by a first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> which are fitted with each other, and the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively by a second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> which are fitted with each other.

That is, the sequential switching operation may be realized by cooperation of the double shafts, the double grooves and the switching assembly <NUM>, and certainly, the technology may also be applied to a single-shaft single-groove fitting scenario.

For other descriptions of the hinge assembly <NUM> in the present embodiment, reference may be made to the description of the first embodiment, and details are not repeated herein; for example, on the premise that the refrigerator <NUM> is completely embedded in the cupboard <NUM>, the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM> may be effectively increased, and the refrigerator <NUM> has the wiring module <NUM>.

It should be noted that the motion track of the door <NUM> may be effectively controlled by specific designs of the shaft and the groove; in the present embodiment, when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the hinge assembly <NUM> at least drives the door <NUM> to move from the pivoting side P towards the accommodating chamber S, so as to prevent the door <NUM> from interfering with the peripheral cupboard or wall, or the like, in the opening process.

With continued reference to <FIG> which are schematic diagrams of an embedded refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention, for ease of description, similar structures of the third embodiment to the first embodiment are given same or similar numerals.

In the present embodiment, the embedded refrigerator <NUM> includes a cabinet <NUM>, a door <NUM> for opening and closing the cabinet <NUM>, and a hinge assembly <NUM> for connecting the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>; the hinge assembly <NUM> includes at least a first shaft set and a second shaft set which are staggered, and when the door <NUM> is in an opening process, the door <NUM> rotates relative to the first shaft set first, and then, the door rotates relative to the second shaft set.

In the present embodiment, in the opening process of the door <NUM>, the door <NUM> rotates around different shaft sets, which may effectively increase a degree of freedom of the opening and closing processes of the door <NUM>, thus effectively controlling a motion track of the door <NUM> to adapt to various application scenarios of the refrigerator <NUM>.

It should be emphasized that the structure in the present embodiment is applicable to not only the embedded refrigerator <NUM>, but also other scenarios, such as a cupboard, a wine cabinet, a wardrobe, or the like, and the present invention is exemplified with the embedded refrigerator <NUM>, but not limited thereto.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, referring to <FIG>, the first shaft set includes a first rotating shaft <NUM>', the second shaft set includes a second rotating shaft <NUM>', and when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the door <NUM> rotates around the first rotating shaft <NUM>' first, and then, the door <NUM> rotates around the second rotating shaft <NUM><NUM>'.

The cabinet <NUM> includes an opening <NUM> and a front end surface <NUM> provided around the opening <NUM>; the cabinet <NUM> further includes an accommodating chamber S and an outer side surface <NUM> adjacent to the hinge assembly <NUM> and on an extension section of a rotation path of the door <NUM>, the door <NUM> includes a front wall <NUM> apart from the accommodating chamber S and a side wall <NUM> always clamped between the front wall <NUM> and the accommodating chamber S, and a side edge <NUM> is provided between the front wall <NUM> and the side wall <NUM>; a distance between the first rotating shaft <NUM>' and the front end surface <NUM> is less than a distance between the second rotating shaft <NUM>' and the front end surface <NUM>, and a distance between the first rotating shaft <NUM>' and the outer side surface <NUM> is greater than a distance between the second rotating shaft <NUM>' and the outer side surface <NUM>.

Referring to the description of the first embodiment and <FIG>, when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, and when the door <NUM> always rotates around the first rotating shaft <NUM>', referring to the dotted-line door <NUM>' in <FIG>, since the first rotating shaft <NUM>' is close to the front end surface <NUM> ( that is, apart from the front end <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM>), after the door <NUM>' is opened to a certain angle, the corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> interferes with the door <NUM>' to limit the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM>'.

In the present embodiment, the door <NUM> rotates around the second rotating shaft <NUM>' in a later period; referring to the solid-line door <NUM> in <FIG>, the interference effect of the corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> on the door <NUM> is reduced greatly, and the corner <NUM> of the cupboard <NUM> interferes with the door when the door <NUM> is opened to a larger angle, thereby greatly increasing the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM>.

That is, in the present embodiment, the door <NUM> may rotate around the second rotating shaft <NUM>' in the later period by switching the rotating shafts, such that the maximum opening angle of the door <NUM> may be effectively increased on the premise of ensuring that the refrigerator <NUM> is completely embedded into the cupboard <NUM>, thus facilitating a user to operate the refrigerator <NUM>, and greatly improving user experiences.

In addition, the distance between the first rotating shaft <NUM>' and the outer side surface <NUM> is greater than the distance between the second rotating shaft <NUM>' and the outer side surface <NUM>, such that the door <NUM> is apart from the cabinet <NUM> to increase the opening degree of the cabinet <NUM>.

Certainly, the second rotating shaft <NUM>' may be located at other positions; for example, the distance between the first rotating shaft <NUM>' and the outer side surface <NUM> is less than or equal to the distance between the second rotating shaft <NUM>' and the outer side surface <NUM>, or the like.

It should be noted that the refrigerator <NUM> according to the present embodiment may only include the first rotating shaft <NUM>', the second rotating shaft <NUM>', and grooves fitted therewith (i.e., a single-shaft single-groove fitting form); the door <NUM> may be automatically switched from the first rotating shaft <NUM>' to the second rotating shaft <NUM>' in the opening process, or the first rotating shaft <NUM>' and the second rotating shaft <NUM>' may be switched in cooperation with a switching structure.

Certainly, in the refrigerator <NUM> according to the present embodiment, the first rotating shaft <NUM>' and the second rotating shaft <NUM>' may be switched in cooperation with the switching assembly <NUM> in the first embodiment, and at this point, when the door <NUM> is in the opening process, the switching assembly <NUM> acts on the door <NUM> to rotate relative to the first rotating shaft <NUM>' first, and then, the switching assembly <NUM> acts on the door <NUM> to rotate relative to the second rotating shaft <NUM>'.

In other embodiments, the hinge assembly <NUM> includes a first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> fitted with the first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> fitted with the second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle α1, the first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and the first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> move relatively, and the switching assembly <NUM> locks the second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to a second opening angle α2, the switching assembly <NUM> unlocks the second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> locks the first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to a maximum opening angle α3, the second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and the second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> move relatively.

Specifically, the first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a first shaft <NUM> and a second shaft <NUM>, the first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a first groove <NUM> fitted with the first shaft <NUM> and a second groove <NUM> fitted with the second shaft <NUM>, the second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a third shaft <NUM> and a fourth shaft <NUM>, and the second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> includes a third groove <NUM> fitted with the third shaft <NUM> and a fourth groove <NUM> fitted with the fourth shaft <NUM>.

With continued reference to <FIG> which are schematic diagrams of a refrigerator with a movable hinge assembly according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, for ease of description, similar structures of the fourth embodiment to the first embodiment are given same or similar numerals.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator <NUM> with a movable hinge assembly includes a cabinet <NUM> and a door <NUM> for opening and closing the cabinet <NUM>, the hinge assembly <NUM> is configured to connect the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>, and when the door <NUM> is in an opening process, at least part of the hinge assembly <NUM> moves relative to the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>.

Here, "at least part of the hinge assembly <NUM> moves relative to the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>" means that at least part of the hinge assembly <NUM> moves relative to the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM> at the same time; that is, at least part of the hinge assembly <NUM> is sandwiched between the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM> rather than being completely embedded in the cabinet <NUM> or the door <NUM>.

Generally, in an existing refrigerator structure, the hinge assembly is usually embedded in the cabinet and the door; that is, the hinge assembly is static relative to the cabinet or the door, thus greatly limiting a motion track of the door <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, at least part of the hinge assembly <NUM> moves relative to the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>, thus effectively increasing a degree of freedom of the door <NUM> in the opening and closing processes, and effectively controlling the motion track of the door <NUM> to adapt to various application scenarios of the refrigerator <NUM>.

It should be emphasized that the structure in the present embodiment is applicable to not only the refrigerator <NUM> with a movable hinge assembly, but also other scenarios, such as a cupboard, a wine cabinet, a wardrobe, or the like, and the present invention is exemplified with the refrigerator <NUM> with a movable hinge assembly, but not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, for example, the hinge assembly <NUM> includes a first hinge part <NUM> and a second hinge part <NUM>; it may be understood that in other embodiments, the hinge assembly <NUM> may include other numbers of hinge parts; for example, the hinge assembly <NUM> includes three hinge parts, which may be determined according to actual situations.

The hinge assembly <NUM> further includes a switching assembly <NUM> connected with the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>, the first hinge part <NUM> is fixed to the cabinet <NUM>, the second hinge part <NUM> is fixed to the door <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> moves relative to the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> when the door <NUM> is in the opening process.

That is, the first hinge part <NUM> is stationary relative to the cabinet <NUM>, the second hinge part <NUM> is stationary relative to the door <NUM>, and the switching assembly <NUM> in the hinge assembly <NUM> moves relative to the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM>; referring to the first embodiment, the switching assembly <NUM> may be used for the switching operation between the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>, but not limited thereto; the switching assembly <NUM> in the present embodiment may be used for other purposes as long as the switching assembly <NUM> may be guaranteed to move relative to the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>.

In the invention, the switching assembly <NUM> includes a first fitting part <NUM> and a second fitting part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle α1, the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively, and the second fitting part <NUM> limits the second hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to a second opening angle α2, the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the second fitting part <NUM>, and the first fitting part <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to a maximum opening angle α3, the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively.

In addition, the switching assembly <NUM> includes a first switching part <NUM> and a second switching part <NUM> which are fitted with each other; when the door <NUM> is opened from the closed state to the first opening angle α1 or continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to the maximum opening angle α3, the first switching part <NUM> and the second switching part <NUM> are relatively stationary, and when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to the second opening angle α2, the first switching part <NUM> moves relative to the second switching part <NUM>, such that the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the second fitting part <NUM>, and the first fitting part <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>.

It may be seen that the switching assembly <NUM> in the present embodiment may realize locking and unlocking operations of the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM>; the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> may be effectively controlled to operate sequentially by the locking and unlocking operations; the switching assembly <NUM> moves relative to the first hinge part <NUM> and the second hinge part <NUM> to achieve the locking and unlocking functions, and a movement process of the switching assembly <NUM> greatly expands functions of the hinge assembly <NUM>, such that the hinge assembly <NUM> has a wider application range.

In addition, the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively by a first shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a first groove set <NUM>, <NUM> which are fitted with each other, and the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively by a second shaft set <NUM>, <NUM> and a second groove set <NUM>, <NUM> which are fitted with each other.

That is, the movement of the hinge assembly <NUM> relative to the cabinet <NUM> and the door <NUM> may be realized by cooperation of the double shafts, the double grooves and the switching assembly <NUM>, and certainly, the technology may also be applied to a single-shaft single-groove fitting scenario.

The above embodiments are merely used for explaining the technical solution of the present invention and not limiting. Although the present invention have been described in detail with reference to preferable embodiments, for example, when technologies in different embodiments may be used in conjunction with each other to achieve corresponding effects at the same time, the solutions thereof also fall within a protection scope of the present invention. A person skilled in the art shall understand that various modifications or equivalent substitutions may be made to the technical solution of the present invention without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. a third groove <NUM> fitted with the third shaft <NUM> and a fourth groove <NUM> fitted with the fourth shaft <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the switching assembly <NUM> includes a first fitting part <NUM> and a second fitting part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle α1, the first hinge part <NUM> and the first fitting part <NUM> move relatively, and the second fitting part <NUM> limits the second hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the first opening angle α1 to a second opening angle α2, the second hinge part <NUM> is released from the limit of the second fitting part <NUM>, and the first fitting part <NUM> limits the first hinge part <NUM>; when the door <NUM> is continuously opened from the second opening angle α2 to a maximum opening angle α3, the second hinge part <NUM> and the second fitting part <NUM> move relatively.

Claim 1:
A refrigerator (<NUM>) with a switchable hinge assembly (<NUM>), comprising: a cabinet (<NUM>), a door (<NUM>) for opening and closing the cabinet (<NUM>), and the hinge assembly (<NUM>) for connecting the cabinet (<NUM>) and the door (<NUM>), wherein the hinge assembly (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of hinge parts (<NUM>, <NUM>), and a switching assembly (<NUM>); when the door (<NUM>) is in an opening process, the switching assembly (<NUM>) controls the plurality of hinge parts (<NUM>, <NUM>) to successively operate in a first sequence, and when the door (<NUM>) is in a closing process, the switching assembly (<NUM>) controls the plurality of hinge parts (<NUM>, <NUM>) to successively operate in a second sequence, and the first sequence is opposite to the second sequence,
wherein the hinge assembly (<NUM>) comprises a first hinge part (<NUM>) and a second hinge part (<NUM>), the switching assembly (<NUM>) is connected with the first hinge part (<NUM>) and the second hinge part (<NUM>), the first hinge part (<NUM>) is fixed to the cabinet (<NUM>), and the second hinge part (<NUM>) is fixed to the door (<NUM>) ; when the door (<NUM>) is in the opening process, the first hinge part (<NUM>) moves relative to the switching assembly (<NUM>) first, and then, the second hinge part moves relative to the switching assembly (<NUM>); when the door (<NUM>) is in a closing process, the second hinge part (<NUM>) moves relative to the switching assembly (<NUM>) first, and then, the first hinge part (<NUM>) moves relative to the switching assembly (<NUM>).
characterized in that the switching assembly (<NUM>) comprises a first fitting part (<NUM>) and a second fitting part (<NUM>); when the door (<NUM>) is opened from a closed state to a first opening angle, the first hinge part (<NUM>) and the first fitting part (<NUM>) move relatively, and the second fitting part (<NUM>) limits the second hinge part (<NUM>); when the door (<NUM>) is continuously opened from the first opening angle to a second opening angle, the second hinge part (<NUM>) is released from the limit of the second fitting part (<NUM>), and the first fitting part (<NUM>) limits the first hinge part (<NUM>); when the door (<NUM>) is continuously opened from the second opening angle to a maximum opening angle, the second hinge part (<NUM>) and the second fitting part (<NUM>) move relatively.