Freezer and hinge for same

• US 10,203,149 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hefei Hualing Company Limited (Midea Group Co., Ltd), Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co., Ltd. (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Hefei Hualing Company Limited (Midea Group Co., Ltd), Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co., Ltd. (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Liu, Chao, Pu, Xianghai, Wu, An
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ayres, Timothy M
• Application Number:
  US15/305,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20170045287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 312401, 312405
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/082 with substantially radial friction, e.g. cylindrical friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1261 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/306 for freezers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A hinge for a freezer, comprising:

a base, provided with a first flange portion at a left side of the base, and provided with a second flange portion opposite to the first flange portion at a right side thereof, the first flange portion and the second flange portion being provided with sliding grooves opposite to each other;

a connecting seat, pivotally connected to an upper part of the base, provided with a third flange portion adjacent to the first flange portion at a left side of the connecting seat, and provided with a fourth flange portion adjacent to the second flange portion at a right side thereof;

a first pivot shaft, provided to the upper part of the base, and having a left end pivotally connected to the first flange portion and third flange portion, and a right end pivotally connected to the second flange portion and the fourth flange portion;

a second pivot shaft parallel to the first pivot shaft, having a left end connected to the third flange, and a right end connected to the fourth flange, wherein both ends of the second pivot shaft are slidable in the corresponding sliding grooves of the first flange portion and the second flange portion respectively;

a guide rod, having an upper end pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft;

a supporting seat, provided to a lower part of the base, wherein an lower end of the guide rod penetrates the supporting seat;

a positioning part provided to the guide rod;

a spring sheath, fitted over the guide rod and movable between the positioning part and the supporting seat; and

a spring, fitted over the spring sheath and located between the positioning part and the supporting seat;

wherein the spring sheath extends along the guide rod such that the spring is prevented from bending away from the guide rod, and the spring sheath is a polyoxymethylene (POM) spring sheath;

wherein a spacer located between a lower end of the spring and the supporting seat is fitted over the lower part of the guide rod, and the spacer is a rubber spacer;

wherein the upper end of the guide rod is provided with a C-shaped connecting portion pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft and having an opening on an upper end thereof, and the second pivot shaft is provided with shaft sleeves located at two sides of the C-shaped connecting portion;

wherein the shaft sleeves are integrally formed in one piece with a middle portion at a position where the shaft sleeves are connected to the C-shaped connecting portion, and the middle portion includes a groove body which extends along a circumferential direction of the shaft sleeves, which is recessed towards an axial direction of the shaft sleeve, and is fitted with the C-shaped connecting portion.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the guide rod is provided with an external thread, and the positioning part is a nut threaded to the guide rod.

3. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein a washer threaded to the guide rod is provided under the nut.

4. The hinge according to claim 3, wherein the spring sheath comprises a round tube portion fitted over the guide rod, and an annular flange portion provided on an upper end of the round tube portion, and an upper end of the annular flange portion abuts against a lower end of the washer.

5. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein the nut is a hexagon nut.

6. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the guide rod is a cylindrical guide rod.

7. A freezer, comprising:

a hinge comprising a base, provided with a first flange portion at a left side of the base, and provided with a second flange portion opposite to the first flange portion at a right side thereof, the first flange portion and the second flange portion being provided with sliding grooves opposite to each other;

a connecting seat, pivotally connected to an upper part of the base, provided with a third flange portion adjacent to the first flange portion at a left side of the connecting seat, and provided with a fourth flange portion adjacent to the second flange portion at a right side thereof;

a first pivot shaft, provided to the upper part of the base, and having a left end pivotally connected to the first flange portion and third flange portion, and a right end pivotally connected to the second flange portion and the fourth flange portion;

a second pivot shaft parallel to the first pivot shaft, having a left end connected to the third flange, and a right end connected to the fourth flange, wherein both ends of the second pivot shaft are slidable in the corresponding sliding grooves of the first flange portion and the second flange portion respectively;

a guide rod, having an upper end pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft;

a supporting seat, provided to a lower part of the base, wherein an lower end of the guide rod penetrates the supporting seat;

a positioning part provided to the guide rod;

a spring sheath, fitted over the guide rod and movable between the positioning part and the supporting seat; and

a spring, fitted over the spring sheath and located between the positioning part and the supporting seat;

wherein the spring sheath extends along the guide rod such that the spring is prevented from bending away from the guide rod, and the spring sheath is a polyoxymethylene (POM) spring sheath;

wherein a spacer located between a lower end of the spring and the supporting seat is fitted over the lower part of the guide rod, and the spacer is a rubber spacer;

wherein the upper end of the guide rod is provided with a C-shaped connecting portion pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft and having an opening on an upper end thereof, and the second pivot shaft is provided with shaft sleeves located at two sides of the C-shaped connecting portion;

wherein the shaft sleeves are integrally formed in one piece with a middle portion at a position where the shaft sleeves are connected to the C-shaped connecting portion, and the middle portion includes a groove body which extends along a circumferential direction of the shaft sleeves, which is recessed towards an axial direction of the shaft sleeve, and is fitted with the C-shaped connecting portion.

8. The freezer according to claim 7, wherein the guide rod is provided with an external thread, and the positioning part is a nut threaded to the guide rod.

9. The freezer according to claim 8, wherein a washer threaded to the guide rod is provided under the nut.

10. The freezer according to claim 9, wherein the spring sheath comprises a round tube portion fitted over the guide rod, and an annular flange portion provided on an upper end of the round tube portion, and an upper end of the annular flange portion abuts against a lower end of the washer.

11. The freezer according to claim 8, wherein the nut is a hexagon nut.

12. The freezer according to claim 7, wherein the guide rod is a cylindrical guide rod.

13. A hinge for a freezer, comprising:

a base, provided with a first flange portion at a left side of the base, and provided with a second flange portion opposite to the first flange portion at a right side thereof, the first flange portion and the second flange portion being provided with sliding grooves opposite to each other;

a connecting seat, pivotally connected to an upper part of the base, provided with a third flange portion adjacent to the first flange portion at a left side of the connecting seat, and provided with a fourth flange portion adjacent to the second flange portion at a right side thereof;

a first pivot shaft, provided to the upper part of the base, and having a left end pivotally connected to the first flange portion and third flange portion, and a right end pivotally connected to the second flange portion and the fourth flange portion;

a second pivot shaft parallel to the first pivot shaft, having a left end connected to the third flange, and a right end connected to the fourth flange, wherein both ends of the second pivot shaft are slidable in the corresponding sliding grooves of the first flange portion and the second flange portion respectively;

a guide rod, having an upper end pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft;

a supporting seat, provided to a lower part of the base, wherein an lower end of the guide rod penetrates the supporting seat;

a positioning part provided to the guide rod;

a spring sheath, fitted over the guide rod and movable between the positioning part and the supporting seat; and

a spring, fitted over the spring sheath and located between the positioning part and the supporting seat;

wherein the spring sheath extends along the guide rod such that the spring is prevented from bending away from the guide rod, and the spring sheath is a polyoxymethylene (POM) spring sheath;

wherein the guide rod is provided with an external thread, and the positioning part is a nut threaded to the guide rod;

wherein a washer threaded to the guide rod is provided under the nut;

wherein the spring sheath comprises a round tube portion fitted over the guide rod, and an annular flange portion provided on an upper end of the round tube portion, and an upper end of the annular flange portion abuts against a lower end of the washer;

wherein a spacer located between a lower end of the spring and the supporting seat is fitted over the lower part of the guide rod, and the spacer is a rubber spacer,

wherein the upper end of the guide rod is provided with a C-shaped connecting portion pivotally connected to the second pivot shaft and having an opening on an upper end thereof, and the second pivot shaft is provided with shaft sleeves located at two sides of the C-shaped connecting portion,

wherein the shaft sleeves are integrally formed in one piece with a middle portion at a position where the shaft sleeves are connected to the C-shaped connecting portion, and the middle portion includes a groove body which extends along a circumferential direction of the shaft sleeves, which is recessed towards an axial direction of the shaft sleeve, and is fitted with the C-shaped connecting portion.