Lock catch, heat preservation plate assembly and refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11339819-B2
Application number	US-201716472040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A lock catch comprises: a first lock catch portion, comprising: a first housing and a first connection portion arranged in the first housing; and a second lock catch portion, comprising: a second housing, a surface of the second housing includes a first and second insert hole; a rotary draw-bar assembly arranged in the second housing and comprising a draw-bar and rotation portion arranged on the draw-bar, the rotation portion and the first insert hole arranged oppositely, one end of the draw-bar includes a second connection portion matching the first connection portion, another end of the draw-bar includes a fixed connection portion, and the second connection portion connected to the first connection portion by the rotation portion driving the draw-bar to rotate, and a fixed shaft, arranged in the second housing and opposite the second insert hole, the fixed shaft locked with the fixed connection portion by rotating a specified angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lock catch, which comprises:
a first lock catch portion comprising a first housing and a first connection portion arranged in the first housing; and
a second lock catch portion, comprising:
a second housing, a surface of the second housing being provided with a first insert hole and a second insert hole;
a rotary draw-bar assembly arranged in the second housing, the rotary draw-bar assembly comprising a draw-bar and a rotation portion arranged on the draw-bar, the rotation portion and the first insert hole being arranged oppositely, one end of the draw-bar being provided with a second connection portion matching the first connection portion, the other end of the draw-bar being provided with a fixed connection portion, and the second connection portion being connected to the first connection portion by means of the rotation portion driving the draw-bar to rotate such the first lock catch portion and the second lock catch portion are connected; and
a fixed shaft, arranged in the second housing and arranged opposite the second insert hole, the fixed shaft being locked tightly and fixed with the fixed connection portion by rotating a specified angle such that the first lock catch portion is locked tightly and fixed with the second lock catch portion.

2. The lock catch of claim 1 , wherein the rotation portion is a rotating shaft, which is arranged in the second housing by being inserting into the first insert hole, and a sidewall of the rotating shaft is provided with a third insert hole, the rotating shaft being on the draw-bar at a specified position of the draw-bar, the draw-bar passing through the third insert hole.

3. The lock catch of claim 2 , wherein
a sidewall of the draw-bar is provided with a first limiting structure;
a second limiting structure that cooperates with the first limiting structure is arranged in the third insert hole;
a third limiting structure is also arranged in the third insert hole; and
an elastic buffer member is disposed between the first limiting structure and the third limiting structure.

4. The lock catch of claim 3 , wherein the elastic buffer member is a spring on and around the draw-bar or an elastic filler disposed in the third insert hole.

5. The lock catch of claim 4 , wherein
the second connection portion is a cylindrical plug;
the fixed shaft is circumferentially provided with a notch portion to insert the cylindrical plug into the fixed shaft after the draw-bar is rotated; and
the notch portion is provided with the first engaging surface, which matches the inner end surface of the cylindrical plug to realize the engagement of the draw-bar.

6. The lock catch of claim 5 , wherein
the notch portion is further provided with a second engaging surface having a specified angle with the first engaging surface, and the fixed shaft is rotated by the specified angle such that the inner end surface is engaged with the second engaging surface,
wherein a first distance between the first engaging surface and the axis of the fixed shaft is greater than a second distance between the second engaging surface and the axis of the fixed shaft to reduce the assembly gap between the first housing and the second housing by the rotation of the fixed shaft.

7. The lock catch of claim 6 , wherein the engaging area of the second engaging surface is further provided with a contact surface matching a fillet surface of the head of the cylindrical plug, so as to achieve locking by an interference fit of the fillet surface of the head and the contact surface.

8. The lock catch of claim 7 , wherein the upper end surface of the rotating shaft and the upper end surface of the fixed shaft are provided with a hexagonal axial hole, respectively.

9. The lock catch of claim 1 , wherein
the surface of the first housing is provided with a fourth insert hole;
the first connection portion is a fixed bar, which is disposed in the first housing by being inserted into the fourth insert hole;
the second connection portion is a hook, which is hooked to the fixed bar, to realize the connection between the first lock catch portion and the second lock catch portion.

10. The lock catch of claim 1 , wherein
the first connection portion is a slot;
the second connection portion is a hook, which is inserted into the slot, to realize the connection between the first lock catch portion and the second lock catch portion.

11. A heat preservation plate assembly, comprising:
the lock catch of claim 1 ;
a first heat preservation plate, including a first upper casing, a first lower casing, and a first heat preservation layer in the middle which is provided with a first lock catch portion of the lock catch;
a second heat preservation plate, including a second upper casing, a second lower casing and a second heat preservation layer in the middle, the second upper casing being provided with a first matching hole, the second heat preservation layer being provided with a second matching hole, and the second upper casing and the second heat preservation layer being matched and assembled with the second lock catch portion of the lock catch through the first matching hole and the second matching hole.

12. A refrigerator comprising the heat preservation plate assembly of claim 11 .

Assignees

• Hefei Hualing Co Ltd
• Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co
• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yao Jun
• Jiang Mingbo
• Zhu Guoliang

Classifications

• F25D23/063 Primary

  formed by an assembly of panels · CPC title

• F16B12/2009 Primary

  actuated by rotary motion · CPC title

• F25D23/065

  Details · CPC title

• F16B1/02 Primary

  Means for securing elements of mechanisms after operation (means for bringing members to rest F16D) · CPC title

• F16B12/10

  using pegs, bolts, tenons, clamps, clips, or the like (glued F16B12/04; fastening means per se F16B15/00 - F16B47/00) · CPC title