CN107906838B - Opening mechanism and household appliance with same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an opening device (1) for opening a drawer (3) or a door body (4), characterized in that the opening device (1) comprises: a power section having a motor (5); an output part having a crank (8) with a first arc-shaped section (12); a transmission part which transmits torque from the motor (5) to the output part so that a crank (8) of the output part rotates; a housing (2) accommodating the power portion and the transmission portion; wherein, as the crank (8) rotates, a first arcuate section (12) of the crank (8) rotationally engages the drawer (3) or the door body (4) and urges the drawer (3) or the door body (4) to open. The invention also relates to a household appliance comprising said opening device (1).

Description

Opening mechanism and household appliance with same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an opening mechanism which can be used for opening various drawers or door bodies, for example, for opening drawers or door bodies of household appliances such as refrigerators, or for opening drawers or door bodies of furniture such as cabinets in home life. The invention also relates to a household appliance or the like having the opening mechanism.

Background

In the prior art, drawers or door bodies of household appliances such as refrigerators or cabinet furniture are provided with magnetic attraction parts so as to realize close closing. In addition to manually opening the drawer or door, it is desirable to use various opening mechanisms to achieve automatic opening to achieve the user's effort-saving effect. However, the conventional automatic opening mechanism has the following drawbacks.

Currently existing automatic opening mechanisms basically include two structures: the output terminal of the rack-and-pinion pair is a rack, and the drawer or the door body is pushed through the rack. The other is an electromagnet, and the opening is realized by changing the direction of the current connected to the electromagnet to generate a magnetic field with the same polarity. However, in the first structure, only a certain section of the rack stroke plays a role in actual pushing, and the rest strokes do not do work, so that output force is wasted. In the second configuration, the electromagnet mechanism is charged each time it is turned on, so that a magnetic force sufficient for pushing effect is generated, and the energy consumption is high. In addition, for a refrigerator drawer or door body, an opening mechanism needs to be installed inside the refrigerator cabinet body, which requires good sealing waterproof performance. If a gear-rack pair or an electromagnet type driving scheme is adopted, the whole shell of the device is required to be sealed, and the structural design of the waterproof scheme is very complex.

In addition, in order to realize the function of automatic opening, the mechanism often occupies a longer space in the opening direction, so that not only is the volume of the opening mechanism increased, but also the front-back distance of the whole refrigerator or cabinet along the opening direction of the drawer or door body is lengthened, further, the volume of the automatic opening mechanism is increased, and the volume of the refrigerator or cabinet is also increased, which is not expected by any manufacturer.

Therefore, an automatic opening mechanism is needed, which can realize the effective opening of the drawer or the door body and simultaneously meet the requirements of small volume, low energy consumption, easy sealing and the like.

Disclosure of Invention

The present solution addresses the above-mentioned problems and needs by proposing an opening mechanism. The opening mechanism solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art by the features listed below, and has other advantages not mentioned above.

The invention first proposes an opening mechanism for opening a drawer or a door, wherein the opening mechanism comprises:

a power section having a motor;

An output portion having a crank with a first arcuate section;

a transmission portion that transmits torque from the motor to the output portion so that a crank of the output portion rotates;

a housing accommodating the power portion and the power transmission portion;

wherein as the crank rotates, a first arcuate segment of the crank rotationally engages the drawer or door body and urges the drawer or door body open.

Alternatively, the motor is a direct current motor, and forward and reverse rotation operations can be selectively performed.

Optionally, the power part further has a worm, wherein the motor drives the worm to rotate.

Optionally, the drive portion of the opening mechanism comprises a split nested gear comprising separable first and second gear portions, wherein the first gear portion has a larger diameter than the second gear portion.

Optionally, the first gear portion of the split nested gear is made of a plastic material and the second gear portion is made of a metal material.

Optionally, the transmission portion includes a slip mechanism that transmits torque when the transmitted torque is less than a predetermined value and that slips when the transmitted torque is greater than a predetermined value.

Optionally, the slip mechanism comprises a first portion having ratchet teeth and a second portion having pawls, the ratchet teeth and pawls engaging and transmitting torque when the transmitted torque is less than a predetermined value, the pawls elastically deforming to slip between the ratchet teeth and pawls when the transmitted torque is greater than the predetermined value.

Optionally, the slip mechanism is made of plastic.

Optionally, the transmission portion of the opening mechanism includes a first combination gear engaged with the power portion and a second combination gear engaged with the output portion.

Optionally, the first combination gear is made of plastic and the second combination gear is made of metal.

Optionally, the crank is located outside the housing.

Optionally, the output part further has an output gear and an output shaft, wherein the output shaft, the output gear and the crank rotate synchronously.

Optionally, the output gear is located within a housing through which the output shaft extends, and the crank is connected to the output shaft outside the housing.

Optionally, the output shaft engages the output gear through a polygonal structure.

Optionally, the output shaft has a bead at its end which engages in a correspondingly shaped recess of the crank so that the output shaft rotates in synchronism with the crank.

Optionally, the crank has a crank apex offset from the crank axis of rotation in the transverse direction.

Optionally, the crank vertex is offset from the crank rotation axis by 18mm to 28mm in the transverse direction.

Optionally, the opening mechanism further comprises a position sensing device.

Optionally, the position sensing device comprises a hall detection component arranged on a shell of the opening mechanism and magnetic steel arranged on the tail of the crank.

Optionally, the hall detection component is provided with a first hall detection end and a second hall detection end, wherein the first hall detection end and the second hall detection end are used for detecting the positions of the magnetic steels, the magnetic steels at the tail parts of the hall detection component are close to the first hall detection end when the crank is at the initial position, and the magnetic steels at the tail parts of the hall detection component are close to the second hall detection end when the crank is at the opening position.

Optionally, the shell comprises an upper shell and a lower shell, and the contact surfaces of the upper shell and the lower shell are welded by ultrasonic waves.

Optionally, a seal ring is provided between the output shaft and the housing, the seal ring comprising a first protrusion forming an outer ring seal and a second protrusion forming an inner ring seal.

The invention also provides a household appliance which comprises a drawer or a door body and the opening mechanism.

Optionally, the household appliance is a refrigerator.

Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings so that the features and advantages of the present invention can be easily understood.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention, the following description will briefly explain the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating some embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary application of an opening mechanism in a refrigerator;

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate an exemplary process of an opening mechanism pushing open a refrigerator drawer;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an opening mechanism;

fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the opening mechanism after removal of the upper housing;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an opening mechanism;

FIG. 6 illustrates another exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an opening mechanism;

FIG. 7 illustrates the power portion of one embodiment of an opening mechanism;

8A-8B illustrate the drive portion of one embodiment of an opening mechanism;

9A-9C illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a slip mechanism;

FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate an exemplary compound gear of a drive section;

11A-11C illustrate the output portion of one embodiment of an opening mechanism;

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a crank;

FIG. 13 shows the arrangement between the crank and the housing of the opening device;

FIG. 14 illustrates the upper and lower housing portions of the opening mechanism, and the seal between the upper and lower housings;

15A-15B illustrate the seal between the output shaft and the upper housing;

FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary thrust travel curve for an opening mechanism;

fig. 17 illustrates an exemplary speed travel curve for an opening mechanism.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the technical solutions of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of specific embodiments of the present invention. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like parts. It should be noted that the described embodiments are some, but not all embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments, which can be made by a person skilled in the art without creative efforts, based on the described embodiments of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In the following description, the opening mechanism 1 is mounted to a refrigerator, and is specifically used to open a drawer 3 of the refrigerator. However, the opening mechanism 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the application described below, but can be used to open drawers or doors of various devices, including but not limited to household appliances, cabinet-like furniture, etc.

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary installation position of an opening device 1 according to the invention in a refrigerator. For convenience, the description of the orientation is described with reference to X, Y, Z three directions, wherein the drawer opening direction (simply referred to as the opening direction) of the refrigerator is defined as the Y-axis direction; the height direction of the refrigerator (simply called as the height direction) in the whole structure of the refrigerator is defined as the Z-axis direction; the direction transverse to the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (simply referred to as the transverse direction) is defined as the X-axis direction.

Referring to fig. 1, the refrigerator includes a drawer 3 and a door body 4, and the opening mechanism 1 is installed under the drawer 3 for pushing the drawer 3. The opening device 1 may also be mounted near the door body 4 for opening the door body 4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the opening mechanism 1 is preferably mounted below a refrigerator drawer 3. The opening mechanism 1 is preferably located near the center of the whole drawer 3 in the X-axis direction and slightly near the opening end of the drawer 3 in the Y-axis direction, so that the stress balance when the drawer 3 is pushed open is effectively achieved, and the opening mechanism 1 performs the optimal pushing function.

Fig. 2A-B show the basic operation of the opening device 1 according to the invention: the power part of the opening device 1 directly or indirectly drives the crank 8 to rotate. As the crank 8 rotates, the crank 8 rotationally engages the drawer 3 and pushes the drawer 3 open. Wherein in fig. 2A the crank 8 is in an initial position, which corresponds to the closed position of the drawer 3; in fig. 2B, the crank 8 is in an open position, which corresponds to the open position of the drawer 3. Fig. 3-6 show an overall view of the opening device 1 in different views, respectively, wherein fig. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the opening device 1, in which the crank 8 is in the initial position shown in fig. 2A. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the opening mechanism 1 after removal of the upper housing 27. Fig. 5-6 show the various parts/portions of the opening device 1 in exploded view.

The specific structure of the opening device 1 will be described hereinafter.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the opening mechanism 1 mainly comprises a power section, a transmission section, an output section, a housing section, and a position sensing device. Each specific portion will be described below. It should be noted that only exemplary embodiments of the various parts of the opening device 1 are described herein, and that various modifications may be made to each of the power portion, the transmission portion, the output portion, the housing portion, and the position sensing device.

1. Power section

The power portion is used to power the opening mechanism 1. As shown in fig. 7, the power section includes a motor 5, which is a power source of the entire opening mechanism 1. The motor 5 finally drives the crank 8 to rotate, so that the drawer 3 is pushed to open.

The power section may also include a worm 11. When the motor 5 rotates, the worm 11 is driven to rotate. The worm 11 may be fixedly connected to the motor output shaft of the motor 5 or may be made in one piece with the motor output shaft.

Preferably, the motor 5 is a direct current motor. More preferably, the motor 5 may selectively perform a forward rotation or a reverse rotation operation. For example, when the motor 5 performs a forward rotation operation, it may drive the crank 8 to push the drawer open; and when the motor 5 performs the reversing operation, it withdraws the crank 8, i.e., brings the crank 8 back to its starting position.

The power provided by the motor 5 may be directly transferred to the crank 8. More preferably, however, said power is transmitted to the crank 8 through the transmission part.

2. Transmission part

The transmission part of the opening device 1 is used for transmitting torque from the power part to the crank 8 of the output part. The transmission portion may include a plurality of gears that mesh with one another to act as torque transfer and speed reduction. Preferably, the transmission part further comprises a slipping mechanism 15 to slip when the transmitted torque is abnormal, interrupting the transmission of torque, thereby protecting the whole opening mechanism 1. Wherein, when the torque transmitted by the slipping mechanism 15 is smaller than a predetermined value, the slipping mechanism 15 can normally transmit torque, and when the transmitted torque is larger than the predetermined value, the slipping mechanism 15 slips. Exemplary embodiments of the driving portion will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 8A and 8B show an assembled rear view and an exploded view, respectively, of the transmission part. As shown, the transmission section includes a first combination gear 6, a slip mechanism 15, a split nested gear 7, and a second combination gear 9. The power from the power section is first transmitted to the first combination gear 6, and is transmitted by the first combination gear 6 to the slip mechanism 15, the split nested gear 7, and the second combination gear 9 in order. The second combination gear 9 then continues to transmit power to the crank 8 of the output section.

Gear engagement relationship indicator lines are indicated in fig. 8B. It can be seen that for each meshing relationship, a manner is employed in which the pinion gear meshes with the bull gear and torque is transferred from the pinion gear to the bull gear to effect deceleration.

The first combination gear 6, the slip mechanism 15, the split nested gear 7 and the second combination gear 9 of the transmission portion will be described below, respectively.

2.1 First composite gear 6

The first combination gear 6 is engaged with the power section. The first composite gear comprises two parts: the worm gear part 10 and the transmission pinion part. The two parts of the first combination gear 6 are preferably of integrally formed construction. Wherein the worm wheel part 10 is adapted to engage with the worm 11 so as to receive torque from the worm 11. The drive pinion portion is used to continue the transmission of the torque to a slip mechanism 15 described below.

Wherein the worm gear part 10 has a smaller diameter than the transmission pinion part to achieve deceleration.

Preferably, the two parts of the first combination gear 6 are of integrally formed plastic construction, so as to enable good noise reduction.

2.2 Slip mechanism 15

In use, due to improper operation or various unexpected situations, an excessive torque transmission may occur, which may damage the internal parts of the opening mechanism 1. For example, the refrigerator drawer may suddenly be closed by suddenly receiving an external force in an opened state, resulting in a large impact on the crank 8.

In order to avoid this, a slip mechanism 15 is preferably provided in the transmission part to protect the whole set of opening devices 1. When the slip mechanism 15 is present, if the torque received by the transmission portion is greater than the slip threshold value of the slip mechanism 15, the slip mechanism 15 generates a "slip" operation, and the transmission of the torque is interrupted, thereby protecting the respective portions of the opening mechanism 1.

Fig. 9A-C show a specific configuration of the slip mechanism 15. Wherein, as shown in fig. 9B, the slip mechanism 15 comprises two separable parts: a first part 18 with ratchet teeth and a second part 19 with pawls. In the free state, the pawls of the second portion 19 naturally spread outwards. When the first and second parts 18, 19 are assembled, the two parts are engaged together by the pawl and ratchet teeth due to the flaring of the pawl, as shown in fig. 9C. So that during normal opening (torque transmitted is less than a predetermined value) the ratchet teeth and pawl are engaged and torque from the power section is transmitted from the ratchet teeth of the first section 18 to the pawl of the second section 19, thereby rotating the entire second section 19. As the second portion 19 rotates, it continues to transmit torque to the split nested gear 7 through the gear mesh. And in the event of an abnormal force (torque greater than a predetermined value being transmitted), the pawl is elastically deformed to disengage from the ratchet portion, i.e., to "slip" between the ratchet and pawl, due to the torque being greater than the slip threshold of the slip mechanism 15. The slip threshold of the slip mechanism 15 can be adjusted by changing the size of the pawls and ratchet teeth.

The slip mechanism 15 having the above-described configuration has few parts, and thus is simple in structure and occupies a small space. In addition, the processing is convenient, and the common injection molding process is adopted for processing. Moreover, the slip mechanism 15 is assembled by simply manually placing the pawl portion into the ratchet portion, avoiding a complicated installation process.

Preferably, the ratchet portion and the pawl portion of the slip mechanism 15 are both plastic materials, which on the one hand facilitates the deformation of the pawl and on the other hand has the advantage of reducing noise compared to the case of using a metal material.

2.3 Separate nested gear 7

Fig. 10A-10B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a split nested gear 7.

Preferably, as shown in fig. 10B, the split nested gear 7 comprises two separable first gear portions 20 and second gear portions 21, wherein the first gear portion 20 is adapted to engage and be rotated by the second portion 19 of the slip mechanism 15. The first gear portion 20 has a larger diameter than the second gear portion 21.

The first gear portion 20 and the second gear portion 21 may be nested together, in the form of polygonal shaft bores or spline-like formations, to transfer torque.

Preferably, the first gear portion 20 located further upstream of the torque transmission path is of plastic construction and the second gear portion 21 located further downstream of the torque transmission path is of metal construction. By such a construction, the low speed end further downstream of the torque transmission path is of a metal structure, thereby ensuring the strength of the low speed end gear to be able to transmit and output a large torque, while the high speed end further upstream of the torque transmission path is of a plastic structure, so as to reduce noise. The gear structure nested by the split type dissimilar materials effectively balances the output capacity of the gear and the noise control.

2.4 Second combination gear 9

As shown in fig. 8B, the second combination gear 9 includes a first gear engagement portion and a second gear engagement portion. Wherein the first gear engagement portion engages with the second gear portion 21 of the split nested gear 7 to receive torque from the second gear portion 21 of the split nested gear 7. The second combination gear 9 is engaged with an output portion, specifically, a second gear meshing portion of the second combination gear 9 is for meshing with the output portion described below, thereby transmitting torque to the output portion.

The second composite gear 9 is preferably a metal-made integral structure. The second combination gear 9 is of a metal structure, so that the strength of the low-speed end gear can be ensured, and larger moment can be transmitted and output.

For the whole transmission part, according to the power transmission direction, the first combined gear 6 closest to the power part is of a plastic part structure, the sliding mechanism 15 at the downstream of the first combined gear is of a plastic part structure, the next split nested gear 7 is of a split gear formed by nesting a plastic structure and a metal structure, the upper stream in the power transmission direction is of a plastic material, and the lower stream is of a metal material. The second combination gear 9 closest to the output member is generally a metal gear. With such a general construction, the low speed end further downstream of the torque transmission path is of a metal structure, thereby ensuring the low speed end gear strength to be able to transmit and output a large torque, while the high speed end further upstream of the torque transmission path is of a plastic structure, so as to reduce noise. Thus, gear output capability and noise control are effectively balanced.

3. Output part

Fig. 11A-11C illustrate one exemplary embodiment of an output section. Wherein fig. 11A shows an overall schematic of the output section, and fig. 11B and 11C show exploded views of the output section at different viewing angles, respectively.

As shown, the output portion may include the crank 8, the set screw 23, the seal 26, the output gear 16, and the output shaft 17. The tightening screw 23 fixedly connects the output gear 16 with the crank 8, and restricts the separation of the output gear 16 from the crank 8 in the output gear axis direction. A sealing ring 26 may be fitted over the output shaft 17 to assist in securing and sealing. The output shaft 17, the output gear 16 and the crank 8 rotate synchronously.

Referring to fig. 11B and 11C, the output shaft 17 has at its end a positioning cylindrical structure 25 extending from the end of the output shaft in the axial direction of the output shaft, and a bead 24. The positioning cylindrical structure 25 and the ribs 24 may be an integral structure. The number of ribs 24 may be plural, for example, two. The positioning cylindrical structure 25 engages in a corresponding recess of the crank 8 (see preferably fig. 6) for axial positioning of the output shaft 17 relative to the crank 8. Further, the output shaft 17 may have a polygonal structure (e.g., a hexagonal structure) for mating with a correspondingly shaped gear hole of the output gear 16 to transmit torque. With the above structure, the rotation of the output shaft 17 can be stably transmitted to the crank 8. When the drawer is opened, the output gear 16 rotates by receiving torque from the motor 5 and drives the output shaft to rotate, and the output shaft transmits the torque to the crank 8 in a rib transmission manner.

Here, the split design of the output gear 16 and the output shaft 17 is adopted, which brings about at least the effect that the output gear 16 can be manufactured by adopting a general powder metallurgy process so as to reduce the cost; the output shaft 17 is manufactured by forging or machining process to ensure strength and avoid breakage of the structures such as the ribs 24 on the output shaft assembly caused by overload or impact due to the fact that the crank bears a large load.

The specific structure of the crank 8 will be described in detail below.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the crank 8 is a structure of uniform thickness, which may include a base portion having an axial bore, a shank portion, and a tail portion. The tail may be used to mount a magnetic steel 32 of a position sensing device, as described below. The crank base may be of a generally circular configuration with a shaft bore formed therein such that the crank 8 is rotatable about a crank axis of rotation between an initial position and an open position.

During the process of opening the drawer or door, the force pushing the drawer or door is varied: the pushing force required for the initial opening phase is greatest because the early output force is required to overcome the magnetic attraction on the refrigerator drawer or door body. As the drawer or door body is pushed open, the magnetic attraction force is instantaneously reduced, and the required pushing force is also instantaneously reduced. The gradual width of the crank 8 is configured to meet the varying demands of such forces: the wider portion of the shank corresponds to the stage of greater thrust and the narrower portion of the shank corresponds to the subsequent stage of lesser thrust. An exemplary variation of crank thrust during opening can be seen in fig. 16.

As shown in fig. 12, the crank 8 has a crank vertex 22, which is the point farthest from the crank rotation axis in the opening direction (Y-axis direction). In an actual crank, the crank point 22 need not be exactly a "point", but may be an arc portion having a radius of curvature of, for example, 1 mm. The crank vertex 22 is the initial contact point of the crank 8 with the drawer when the crank 8 is in the initial position.

The crank vertex 22 is offset from the crank rotation axis in the transverse direction (X-axis direction), i.e. offset by a distance L. The larger the value of L, the larger the torque demand on the motor 5, but the larger the high thrust stroke, and the smaller L, the lower the torque demand on the motor 5, but the smaller the high thrust stroke. The balance value needs to be taken between the motor load and the high thrust stroke, so that the motor load is reduced as much as possible, and the high thrust stroke is enough to separate from the magnetic attraction and the negative pressure attraction of the refrigerator drawer. Preferably, this distance L is between 18mm and 28mm, in particular 23mm, in which case the high thrust travel can reach a maximum of 7mm. And the refrigerator drawer can be completely separated from the suction force of the refrigerator drawer as long as the refrigerator drawer can be opened for a distance of 5mm in the opening process.

As shown in fig. 12, the crank vertex 22 is the intersection of the first arcuate segment 12 and the straight segment 14. The angle α between the straight section 14 and the transverse direction X is set to 3 ° to 15 °, preferably 5 °.

The shank of the crank 8 is mainly defined by a first arcuate segment 12 of radius R1 and a second arcuate segment 13 of radius R2. The radius of curvature of the first arcuate segment 12 is preferably 500mm. The first and second arcuate sections 12, 13 provide the shank of the crank 8 with the gradual width change configuration described above, i.e. wider near the crank base and narrower away from the crank base. During opening, the first arcuate segment 12 rotatably engages the drawer or door and urges the drawer or door open.

This design of the shank of the crank 8 brings about the following technical effects: firstly, the crank structure can play a role in saving materials on the premise of meeting the functions of a mechanism; secondly, the crank is designed to be narrow in front and wide in back, so that the placement space of the transmission part is increased by the narrow structural part at the front, and the utilization rate of a limited space is maximized; thirdly, in the whole opening action, the movement of the crank is rotation, and the contact between the profile of the crank and the drawer or the door body is smooth transition flexible contact all the time, so that hard and step impact is avoided, and the click sound caused by the hard impact is reduced; fourth, the thrust of the crank with the structure accords with the opening characteristics of the refrigerator drawer or door body that the resistance of the initial section is larger and the later period is sharply reduced; fifth, the pushing speed of the crank output during the crank rotation produces an acceleration effect, see the curve shown in fig. 17, which corresponds to the opening characteristics of the refrigerator drawer.

4. Shell body

The housing 2 includes an upper housing 27 and a lower housing 28. Preferably, the power section, the power transmission section, and the output gear 16 of the output section are accommodated in the housing 2. The output shaft of the output section protrudes through the upper housing 27, as shown in fig. 13, the crank 8 being located outside the housing 2. Specifically, as shown in fig. 3 and 13, the crank 8 is fixed to the output shaft 17 by a fastening screw 23 outside the housing 2. Since the crank 8 is disposed outside the cavity formed by the upper housing 27 and the lower housing 28, the waterproof sealing of the opening mechanism 1 becomes simple, since only the sealing of the gap between the upper housing 27 and the lower housing 28, the sealing of the junction of the output shaft and the upper housing 27, and the sealing of the housing outlet for leading out various connection lines need be considered.

As shown in fig. 14, the contact surfaces of the upper case 27 and the lower case 28 are ultrasonically welded. Specifically, as shown in the drawing, on the contact surface of the upper case 27 and the lower case 28, the upper case 27 is provided with a welding guide structure, and the lower case 28 is provided with a positioning structure. The height h2 of the positioning structure of the lower housing 28 is lower than the height h1 of the welding guide structure of the upper housing 27. When the ultrasonic welding is performed, the lower shell 28 and the upper shell 27 are joined along the contact surface, the welding guide structure of the upper shell 27 melts and merges with the concave part on the inner side of the positioning structure of the lower shell 28 as shown in part a of fig. 15A, so as to realize the non-detachable sealing connection of the upper shell 27 and the lower shell 28, and realize the optimal waterproof or anti-condensation and anti-sundry effect. The ultrasonic welding is adopted to ensure the bonding strength of the welding surface between the upper shell 27 and the lower shell 28, and simultaneously, the time and the materials can be saved more effectively than the connection of other modes such as glue bonding, screw connection and the like, and the cost can be reduced effectively.

In addition, in order to better realize the sealing connection between the upper housing 27 and the lower housing 28, a sealing member or the like may be used at the joint between the two for filling the gap at the joint between the two.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, a waterproof structure is also employed to achieve a seal between the output shaft 17 and the upper housing 27 of the housing 2, such as a seal, waterproof pad, or the like. As shown in fig. 15A-15B, a seal 26 is preferably provided between the upper housing 27 of the housing 2 and the output shaft 17. The seal ring 26 has a first protrusion 34 and a second protrusion 35 in the shape of a ring, wherein the first protrusion 34 forms an outer ring seal, and the second protrusion 35 forms an inner ring seal, and by such a double-layer seal, external grease, moisture, impurities, etc. can be effectively prevented from entering the inside of the housing.

The opening mechanism 1 adopting the structure can be used in a humid environment such as a refrigerator in a household appliance, and the like, and prevents water vapor or water mist from entering a product, so that the mechanism is aged.

5. Position sensor

As described above, the motor 5 can perform forward rotation and reverse rotation operations according to different situations. In order to better feed back the movement state of the crank 8 to the electrical control system of the opening device 1 and thus to properly control the motor 5 for forward or reverse rotation, it is preferable to provide position sensing means near the crank 8 for detecting the current position of the crank 8 and/or sensing the movement state of the crank 8 and thus to control the operation of the motor 5.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the position sensing device is embodied as a hall position sensing device comprising a hall sensing element 29 provided in the housing 2 and a magnetic steel 32 provided at the tail of the crank 8. The hall sensing member 29 may be specifically provided to the upper housing 27 at a position near the tail of the crank 8.

The hall sensing element 29 has a first hall sensing terminal 30 and a second hall sensing terminal 31 for sensing the position of the magnetic steel 32. When the crank 8 is at the initial position, the magnetic steel 32 at the tail part of the crank is close to the first Hall detection end 30; when the crank 8 is in the open position, the magnetic steel 32 at the tail of the crank is close to the second hall sensing end 31.

When the drawer or the door body is at the closing position, the crank 8 is at the initial position, the magnetic steel 32 at the tail part of the crank is at the approaching position with the first Hall detection end 30, the Hall detection part 29 transmits a signal of the crank 8 at the initial position to the control system, and the control system commands the motor 5 to forward rotate to transmit power so as to drive the crank 8 to forward rotate. As the crank 8 rotates, the magnetic steel 32 at the tail part thereof gradually moves away from the first hall sensing end 30. After the opening is completed, the crank 8 is at the opening position, and the magnetic steel 32 at the tail part reaches a position close to the second Hall detection end 31. The hall sensing means 29 can transmit a signal to the control system that the crank 8 has opened the drawer or door in place, thereby controlling the motor 5 to stop operating or directly begin reversing operation to retract the crank.

When the drawer or door has been opened, the crank 8 is in the open position. To return the crank 8 to the initial position, the hall sensing element 29 may transmit a signal to the control system that the crank 8 has opened the drawer or door in place, the control system commanding the motor 5 to reverse the transmission power to drive the crank 8 to rotate in reverse. As the crank 8 rotates, the magnetic steel 32 at the tail part thereof gradually moves away from the second hall sensing end 31 until reaching a position close to the first hall sensing end 30. After reaching this position, the hall sensing unit 29 transmits a signal that the crank 8 has returned to the initial position to the control system, so that the control system controls the motor 5 to stop rotating.

Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein should be given the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims, are not used for any order, quantity, or importance, but are used for distinguishing between different elements. Likewise, the terms "a" or "an" and the like do not necessarily denote a limitation of quantity. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that elements or items preceding the word are included in the element or item listed after the word and equivalents thereof, but does not exclude other elements or items. The terms "connected" or "connected," and the like, are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. are used merely to indicate relative positional relationships, which may also be changed when the absolute position of the object to be described is changed.

The term "substantially" as used herein is understood to be within the normal tolerances of the art unless the context specifically specifies or clearly indicated. Unless otherwise clear from context, all numerical values provided herein can be modified by the term "substantially".

While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and adaptations to the specific embodiments described above can be made and that various combinations of the features and structures presented can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

List of reference numerals

1. Opening mechanism

2. Shell body

3. Drawer with a drawer body

4. Door body

5. Motor with a motor housing

6. First combined gear

7. Split nested gear

8. Crank arm

9. Second combined gear

10. Worm wheel part

11. Worm screw

12. A first arc-shaped section

13. Second arc-shaped section

14. Straight line segment

15. Slipping mechanism

16. Output gear

17. Output shaft

18. First part

19. Second part

20. A first gear part

21. A second gear part

22. Crank vertex

23. Fastening screw

24. Convex rib

25. Positioning cylinder structure

26. Sealing ring

27. Upper shell

28. Lower shell

29. Hall detection component

30. First Hall detection end

31. Second Hall detection end

32. Magnetic steel

34. First protrusion

35. And a second protrusion.

Claims (23)

1. An opening mechanism (1) for opening a drawer (3) or a door body (4), characterized in that the opening mechanism (1) comprises:

A power section having a motor (5);

an output portion having a crank (8) with a first arcuate section (12) and a crank apex (22), the crank apex (22) being the point furthest from the crank axis of rotation in the opening direction and offset from the crank axis of rotation in the transverse direction;

A transmission part which transmits torque from the motor (5) to the output part so that a crank (8) of the output part rotates;

a housing (2) accommodating the power portion and the transmission portion;

Wherein, as the crank (8) rotates, a first arcuate section (12) of the crank (8) rotationally engages the drawer (3) or the door body (4) and urges the drawer (3) or the door body (4) to open.

2. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor (5) is a direct current motor and is selectively operated in forward and reverse rotation.

3. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the power section further has a worm (11), wherein the motor (5) rotates the worm (11).

4. An opening mechanism (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission part of the opening mechanism (1) comprises a split nested gear (7), the split nested gear (7) comprising a first gear part (20) and a second gear part (21) which are separable, wherein the first gear part (20) has a larger diameter than the second gear part (21).

5. An opening device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the first gear part (20) of the split nested gear (7) is made of a plastic material and the second gear part (21) is made of a metal material.

6. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission part comprises a slipping mechanism (15), which slipping mechanism (15) transfers torque when the transferred torque is smaller than a predetermined value, and which slipping mechanism (15) slips when the transferred torque is larger than a predetermined value.

7. An opening device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the slip means (15) comprises a first part (18) with ratchet teeth and a second part (19) with pawls, the ratchet teeth and pawls engaging and transmitting torque when the transmitted torque is smaller than a predetermined value and the pawls elastically deforming to slip between the ratchet teeth and pawls when the transmitted torque is larger than a predetermined value.

8. An opening device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the slip means (15) are made of plastic.

9. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission part of the opening device (1) comprises a first combination gear (6) engaging the power part and a second combination gear (9) engaging the output part.

10. The opening device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said first combination gear (6) is made of plastic and said second combination gear (9) is made of metal.

11. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the crank (8) is located outside the housing (2).

12. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the output part further has an output gear (16) and an output shaft (17), wherein the output shaft (17), the output gear (16) and the crank (8) rotate synchronously.

13. An opening device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the output gear (16) is located in the housing (2), the output shaft (17) extending through the housing (2), the crank (8) being connected to the output shaft (17) outside the housing (2).

14. An opening device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the output shaft (17) engages the output gear (16) through a polygonal structure.

15. An opening device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the output shaft (17) has a bead (24) at its end, which engages in a correspondingly shaped recess of the crank (8), so that the output shaft (17) rotates synchronously with the crank (8).

16. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the crank vertex (22) is offset from the crank rotation axis in the transverse direction by 18-28 mm.

17. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening device (1) further comprises position sensing means.

18. An opening device (1) according to claim 17, characterized in that the position sensing means comprise a hall sensing member (29) arranged in the housing (13) of the opening device (1) and a magnetic steel (32) arranged in the tail of the crank (8).

19. An opening device (1) according to claim 18, characterized in that the hall sensing member (29) has a first hall sensing end (30) and a second hall sensing end (31) for sensing the position of the magnetic steel (32), the magnetic steel (32) at the tail of which is close to the first hall sensing end (30) when the crank (8) is in the initial position, and the magnetic steel (32) at the tail of which is close to the second hall sensing end (31) when the crank (8) is in the open position.

20. An opening device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (2) comprises an upper housing (27) and a lower housing (28), the contact surfaces of the upper housing (27) and the lower housing (28) being ultrasonically welded.

21. An opening device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that a sealing ring (26) is arranged between the output shaft (17) and the housing (2), said sealing ring (26) comprising a first protrusion (34) forming an outer ring seal and a second protrusion (35) forming an inner ring seal.

22. A household appliance, characterized in that it comprises a drawer (3) or a door body (4), and an opening mechanism (1) according to any one of claims 1-21.

23. The household appliance of claim 22, wherein the household appliance is a refrigerator.