WO2026007796A1 - Connection apparatus for embedded refrigerator door body, and mounting method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A connection apparatus for an embedded refrigerator door body, and a mounting method therefor. The connection apparatus comprises a first assembly (3), and a second assembly (4). The first assembly (3) is provided with a fixing structure (31) used for positioning same with respect to a first door body (1), and a first fitting portion (32). The second assembly (4) is provided with a second fitting portion (41) fitted with the first fitting portion (32), and a pre-positioning portion (42) detachably connected to the second fitting portion (41). The pre-positioning portion (42) is provided with a first pre-positioning portion (421) used for pre-positioning the second assembly (4) and a second door body (2), and a second pre-positioning portion (422) used for fitting with the first assembly (3) or the first door body (1) for limiting. The connection apparatus is also provided with a fixing piece (5) fixedly connecting the second fitting portion (41) and the second door body (2), and the first fitting portion (32) is slidingly fitted with the second fitting portion (41) or the fixing piece (5). The structure is simple, and the mounting is easy.

Description

Connection device and installation method of embedded refrigerator door

This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications filed on July 4, 2024, with application number 202421568143.8 entitled "Connecting Device for Embedded Refrigerator Door" and application number 202410891245.1, filed on July 4, 2024, entitled "Connecting Device for Embedded Refrigerator Door and Installation Method Thereof", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

This application relates to a connection device for an embedded refrigerator door and its installation method.

Background Technology

Currently, with the improvement of living standards, more and more users are pursuing integrated furniture. Users choose their refrigerator before decorating, design cabinets according to the refrigerator's dimensions, and place the refrigerator inside. To enhance the overall aesthetic, the cabinet doors are often installed on the refrigerator doors after the refrigerator is installed inside; this type of refrigerator is called a built-in refrigerator.

In the installation of existing sliding door built-in refrigerators, when the refrigerator door is opened to a certain angle, the sliding components fixed to the cabinet door panel are exposed, affecting the aesthetics and resulting in a poor user experience. In addition, most current installation devices require measuring tools to measure the installation points, which increases the workload for installers and is prone to errors.

Any prior art mentioned in the specification does not imply confirmation or suggestion that such prior art constitutes part of the general common knowledge in any jurisdiction, or that it can be reasonably expected that such prior art will be understood, regarded as relevant and/or combined with other prior art by a person skilled in the art.

Summary of the Invention

This application provides a simple and easy-to-adjust embedded refrigerator door connection device and its installation method to solve at least some of the problems in the related art.

This application provides a connecting device for an embedded refrigerator door, including a first component for connecting to a first door and a second component for connecting to a second door. The first component has a fixing structure for positioning it to the first door and a first mating portion. The second component has a second mating portion that mates with the first mating portion and a pre-positioning portion that is detachably connected to the second mating portion. The pre-positioning portion has a first pre-positioning part for pre-positioning the second component to the second door and a second pre-positioning part for mating and limiting the first component or the first door. The connecting device also has a fixing member that fixes the second mating portion and the second door, and the first mating portion slidably mates with the second mating portion or the fixing member.

In one embodiment of this application, the first mating portion is provided with a slide extending in the lateral direction, and the fixing member does not slide beyond the range of the first mating portion.

In one embodiment of this application, the second mating portion is provided with a guide groove extending parallel to the slide, and the first mating portion is inserted into the guide groove and can slide therein.

As one embodiment of this application, the connecting device further includes a connector for fixing the second component to the second door body.

In one embodiment of this application, the fixing member is inserted into the slide and is able to slide within it.

In one embodiment of this application, the second mating portion is sleeved on the outside of the fixing member, and is inserted into the slide rail and can slide within the slide rail.

In one embodiment of this application, the second prepositioning part and the first component have mutually cooperating positioning protrusions and positioning grooves.

In one embodiment of this application, the first mating portion is provided with a limiting post and a snap-fit post for mating with the second pre-positioning portion, and the second pre-positioning portion is provided with a hole-like structure for mating with the limiting post and the snap-fit post.

As one embodiment of this application, the first component includes a slide plate and the fixing structure formed by bending the slide plate, the first mating part is disposed on the slide plate, and the fixing structure is disposed perpendicular to the slide plate.

In one embodiment of this application, the first mating portion is disposed on the slide plate, and the first component also has a cover that is flipped to be connected to the outside of the fixed structure, which covers the fixed structure after being flipped.

As one embodiment of this application, the fixing structure is provided with a fixing groove formed through it along its thickness direction and a limiting boss formed in the fixing groove. The fixing groove is open at one end in the thickness direction of the slide plate and forms a slot. A pair of limiting bosses are arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the slot.

As one embodiment of this application, the second pre-positioning part includes a first limiting part that cooperates with the first component for positioning and a second limiting part that cooperates with the first door body for positioning.

As one embodiment of this application, the second component further includes a connecting rib that detachably connects the second mating portion and the prepositioning portion.

In one embodiment of this application, the second component includes a fastener for fixed connection with the second door body, the fastener being inserted into the slide rail, and the dimension of the fastener in the front-rear direction being greater than the depth of the slide rail in the front-rear direction.

In one embodiment of this application, the second mating portion is sleeved outside the fixing member, and the second mating portion moves along its sliding direction within the extension range of the first mating portion.

As one embodiment of this application, the second component further includes a swing member sleeved outside the second mating portion. The swing member and the second mating portion are connected to each other by a connector, and the installation direction of the connector is perpendicular to the installation direction of the swing member.

This application also provides a method for installing a connection device for an embedded refrigerator door, including the following steps:

The connecting device is positioned as a whole on the first door body by the fixing structure of the first component;

The first door and the second door are brought close together so that the second component is pre-positioned onto the second door by the first pre-positioning part;

Rotate the first door body to move it away from the second door body, so that the connecting device is completely detached from the first door body, and fix the second mating part to the second door body by means of a fastener;

Remove the pre-positioning portion of the second component, including the first pre-positioning part;

The first door and the second door are brought close together, and the first component is fixed to the first door by the fixing structure of the first component.

As one embodiment of this application, before the step of "positioning the connecting device as a whole on the first door body by means of the fixing structure of the first component", the method further includes: assembling the first component and the second component together to form the connecting device.

As one embodiment of this application, the step of "assembling the first component and the second component together to form the connecting device" specifically includes: pre-installing the first component and the second component together through the second pre-positioning part.

As one embodiment of this application, the step "positioning the connecting device as a whole on the first door body by means of the fixing structure of the first component" specifically includes: loosening the locking member pre-installed on the first door body, assembling the fixing structure to the end of the first door body, and then tightening the locking member to fix the fixing structure to the first door body.

The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application slides between the first mating part and the second mating part or the fixing member, and the first pre-positioning part realizes the pre-positioning of the connecting device on the second door body, and the second pre-positioning part realizes the pre-positioning between the second component and the first component or the first door body. After the pre-positioning is completed, the connecting device is fixed to the second door body by the fixing member. Thus, the connecting device has a simple structure, low cost, and can effectively reduce the installation and adjustment steps and improve installation efficiency.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connecting device after it is installed to the first and second doors in the first embodiment of the embedded refrigerator door of this application.

Figure 2 is a top view of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 1 when it is installed to the first and second doors.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 1 after it has been installed onto the first door.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is another view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 5 after it has been installed onto the second door.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the embedded refrigerator door connecting device shown in Figure 6 after the pre-positioned part has been removed.

Figure 8 is a partial sectional view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a partial sectional view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a top view of the connecting device in the second embodiment of the embedded refrigerator door of this application when it is installed to the first door and the second door.

Figure 11 is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is another view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 12 being installed on the second door.

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 14 after the positioning fixture has been removed.

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a top view of the connecting device in the third embodiment of the embedded refrigerator door of this application when it is installed to the first door and the second door.

Figure 18 is a perspective view of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 17 when it is installed to the first and second doors.

Figure 19 is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 18.

Figure 20 is another view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 19.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of the first component of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 19.

Figure 22 is a perspective view of the embedded refrigerator door connecting device shown in Figure 19 after it has been installed onto the second door and the positioning fixture has been removed.

Figure 23 is a partial sectional view of the connection device of the embedded refrigerator door shown in Figure 22.

Detailed Implementation

The present application will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present application, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 23 for schematic diagrams of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application. Figures 1 to 9 show the first embodiment of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application, Figures 10 to 16 show the second embodiment of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application, and Figures 17 to 23 show the third embodiment of the connection device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application. The door of the embedded refrigerator includes a first door 1 and a second door 2 that are slidably connected.

For ease of explanation, the following description will take the side of the built-in refrigerator facing the user as the front side and the other side facing away as the rear side. At the same time, one of the directions perpendicular to the front and back is taken as the left and right direction, that is, the horizontal direction, and the other direction perpendicular to the front and back is taken as the up and down direction, that is, the height direction.

Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door includes a first component 3 for connecting to the first door 1 and a second component 4 for fixing to the second door 2. In some embodiments of this application, the first door 1 is a refrigerator door and the second door 2 is a cabinet door. The first door 1 and the second door 2 are collectively referred to as the door. The door is closably connected to the front side of the cabinet 100 of the embedded refrigerator.

Please refer to Figures 3 to 23. The first component 3 has a fixing structure 31 for positioning it to the first door body 2 and a first mating portion 32. The second component 4 has a second mating portion 41 that mates with the first mating portion 32 and a pre-positioning portion 42 that is detachably connected to the second mating portion 32. The pre-positioning portion 42 is provided with a first pre-positioning part 421 for pre-positioning the second component 4 to the second door body 2 and a second pre-positioning part 422 for cooperating with and limiting the first component 3 or the first door body 1. The connecting device also has a fixing member 5 that fixes the second mating part 41 and the second door body 2. The first mating part 32 slides with the second mating part 41 or the fixing member 5. The connecting device is pre-positioned on the second door body 2 by the first pre-positioning part 421, and the second pre-positioning part 422 is pre-positioned between the second component 3 and the first component 3 or the first door body 1. After the pre-positioning is completed, the connecting device is fixed to the second door body 2 by the fixing member 5. Thus, the connecting device has a simple structure, low cost, and can effectively reduce the installation and adjustment steps and improve installation efficiency.

The first mating portion 32 is provided with a slide rail 321 extending in a transverse direction, which is perpendicular to both the thickness direction and the vertical direction of the first mating portion 32. The fixing member 5 does not slide beyond the range of the first mating portion 32. The slide rail 321 is elongated, and the fixing member 5 or the second mating portion 41 is inserted into the slide rail 321 and slides with the slide rail 321 along its length. Thus, the connecting device has a simple structure, low cost, and can effectively reduce installation steps and improve installation efficiency.

In some embodiments, the second component 4 includes a fixing member 5 for fixed connection with the second door body 2. The fixing member 5 is inserted into the slide rail 321, and the dimension of the fixing member 5 in the front-rear direction is greater than the depth of the slide rail 321 in the front-rear direction, so that it can continue to be inserted and fixed to the second door body 2 after being inserted into the slide rail 321. When the first and second door bodies 1 and 2 rotate, the fixing member 5 slides within the slide rail 321, and the fixing member 5 can slidably connect the first component 3 and the second component 4 together, effectively preventing separation.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 9. In the first embodiment of this application, the fixing member 5 is inserted into the second mating part 41 and the slide rail 321, and slides within the slide rail 321 to achieve a sliding connection between the first door body 1 and the second door body 2. Please refer to Figures 10 to 23. In the second embodiment of this application, the second mating part 41 is inserted into the slide rail 321, and slides within the slide rail 321 to achieve a sliding connection between the first door body 1 and the second door body 2.

In the first to third embodiments of this application, the fixing structure 31 is detachably connected to the side end of the first door body 1 by an adjustable locking member 62. The fixing structure 31 includes a fixing groove 312 formed through it along its thickness direction and a limiting boss 313 formed in the fixing groove 312. The fixing groove 312 is open at one end in the thickness direction of the slide plate 33 to form a slot 314. A pair of limiting bosses 313 are disposed opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the slot 314 to restrict the locking member 62 from disengaging outward from the slot 314.

In some embodiments of this application, due to the slot 314, the locking member 62 can be installed onto the first component 3 without completely removing it from the first door body 1, thus making the installation and disassembly of the connecting device more convenient. Of course, in other embodiments of this application, the slot 314 may not be provided. In this case, the locking member 62 needs to be completely removed from the first door body 1, the first component 3 is hung on the first door body 1, and then the locking member 62 is locked onto the first component 3.

The limiting boss 313 protrudes in the vertical direction, and the fixing groove 312 has a first groove segment 3121 and a second groove segment 3122 that are connected vertically. The first and second groove segments 3121 and 3122 are coaxially arranged, and the diameter of the first groove segment 3121 is larger than the diameter of the second groove segment 3122, so as to form a separating surface between the first groove segment 3121 and the second groove segment 3122.

The fixing structure 31 is further provided with a pair of protrusions 315 protruding into the fixing groove 312. The pair of protrusions 315 are arranged to protrude toward each other along the sliding engagement direction of the second component 4, so as to lock the locking member 62 in the fixing groove 312 and prevent the locking member 62 from coming out of the fixing structure 31.

The first component 3 also includes a cover 34 that is flipped to the outside of the fixing structure 31. The cover 34 flips over and covers the fixing groove 312 and the locking member 62 inserted in the fixing groove 312. When the locking member 62 is locked into the fixing groove 312, its head is received in the first groove segment 3121 and abuts against the partition surface.

The fixing structure 31 is also provided with a number of snap holes 316 located on its periphery. The cover 34 is provided with snap protrusions 341 that snap into the snap holes 316. In this way, after the locking member 62 is tightened, the cover 34 can be flipped over to combine with the fixing structure 31, and the snap protrusions 341 can be snapped into the corresponding snap holes 316 for positioning, thereby making the appearance of the embedded refrigerator door neat and beautiful.

In some embodiments of this application, the locking member 62 is pre-installed on the end of the first door body 1. When installing the connecting device, the locking member 62 is loosened so that it is inserted from the slot 314 into the fixing slot 312. In other embodiments, since the fixing slot 312 does not have a slot 314, the locking member 62 needs to be completely removed. After the fixing structure 31 is attached to the first door body 1, the locking member 62 is then inserted vertically into the fixing slot 312 and the end of the first door body 1.

In the first to third embodiments of this application, the first component 3 includes a slide plate 33 and a fixing structure 31 formed by bending the slide plate. The first mating part 32 is disposed on the slide plate 33, and the fixing structure 31 is disposed perpendicular to the slide plate 33.

The thickness of the first mating portion 32 is smaller than the thickness of the portion of the slide plate 33 adjacent to the fixing structure 31, so as to facilitate the installation and sliding mating of the first mating portion 32 with the second component 4.

In a first embodiment of this application, the second component 4 is provided with a guide groove 401 open on one side in the vertical direction, a first mating groove 402 communicating with the guide groove 401, and a second mating groove 403 located on the other side of the guide groove 401 in the vertical direction. In one embodiment, the second mating portion 41 is provided with the guide groove 401 extending parallel to the slide rail 321, and the first mating portion 32 is inserted into the guide groove 401 and can slide within it. The guide groove 401, the first mating groove 402, and the second mating groove 403 are all disposed in the second mating portion 41.

In this embodiment, the connecting device also includes a connector 61 that connects the second component 4 to the second door body 2. In some embodiments, the connector 61 connects the second mating groove 403 to the second door body 2. After the connector 61 is inserted into the second mating groove 403, it is further inserted into the second door body 2. After the fixing member 5 is inserted into the first mating groove 402 and the slide rail 321, it is further inserted into the second door body 2, thereby realizing a sliding connection between the first component 3 and the second component 4.

In the second and third embodiments of this application, the fixing member 5 is also inserted into the slide rail 321 and can slide within it. Additionally, the second mating portion 41 is sleeved on the outside of the fixing member 5, inserted into the slide rail 321, and can slide within the slide rail 321.

The second mating part 41 moves along its sliding direction within the extension range of the slide plate 33. That is, no matter how the fixing member 5 slides, it will not exceed the area where the slide plate 33 is located or exceed the slide plate 33 in the sliding direction.

In the first to third embodiments of this application, Figures 3 to 5 are used as examples for illustration. The first prepositioning part 421 is disposed on the side of the second mating part 41 near the door opening side, and the side of the first prepositioning part 421 that prepositions with the second door body 2 is provided with a connecting part 4211. The connecting part 4211 can be separated from or connected to the second door body 2.

In some embodiments of this application, the connecting portion 4211 is adhesive so that it can be removably connected to the second door body 2. Specifically, the connecting portion 4211 includes a receiving groove 42112 recessed in front of the first prepositioning portion 421 and an adhesive member 42113 housed in the receiving groove 42112. The adhesive member 42113 is adhesive. Preferably, the adhesive member 42113 is double-sided adhesive so that the installer can quickly preposition and easily remove it without damaging the surface of the second door body 2.

In the first embodiment of this application, the first pre-positioning part 421 has a first pre-installation part 4212 and a second pre-installation part 4213 that are detachably connected to each other. The connecting part 4211 is disposed on the front side of the first pre-installation part 4212, and the second pre-installation part 4213 is provided with a pre-installation groove 42132 for accommodating the connector 61 and the fixing member 5. Further, the second pre-installation part 4213 is a box-shaped structure connected to one side of the first pre-installation part 4212 in the vertical direction. The second pre-installation part 4213 is provided with at least one storage part, which is elastic and forms the pre-installation groove 42132. In this way, the time for installers to search for the connector 61 among many accessories is saved, thereby improving installation efficiency.

After the second component 4 is prepositioned to the second door body 2 by the first prepositioning part 421, the connector 61 fixes the fixing part 411 to the second door body 2.

In the first to third embodiments of this application, the first pre-positioning part 421 further has a hook 4214 disposed at its lateral end, the hook 4214 being hooked to the second door body 2, and the first pre-positioning part 421 and the second door body 2 being detachably connected. When the connecting device is abutted against the second door body 2, the hook 4214 abuts against the side surface of the second door body 2. After the hook 4214 hooks onto the side surface of the second door body 2, the connecting part 4211 of the first pre-positioning part 421 is then connected to the second door body 2, thereby realizing the pre-positioning of the second component 4. In this way, the pre-positioning operation is simple and easy to perform, eliminating the need for manual measurement of the installation position, simplifying the installation steps, and effectively improving installation efficiency.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, in the first embodiment of this application, the second pre-positioning portion 422 and the first component 3 have mutually cooperating positioning protrusions 4221 and positioning grooves 323. The positioning groove 323 is a through hole formed by penetrating the slide plate 33 along its thickness direction, and serves as a positioning structure for positioning the first component 3 and the pre-positioning portion 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the positioning protrusion 4221 is disposed on the second pre-positioning portion 422, and the positioning groove 323 is disposed on the first cooperating portion 32; in other embodiments, the positioning protrusion 4221 may also be disposed on the first cooperating portion 32, and the positioning groove 323 may be disposed on the second pre-positioning portion 422.

As shown in Figures 13 and 21, in the second and third embodiments of this application, the first mating portion 32 is further provided with a limiting post 324 and a latching post 325 for cooperating with the second pre-positioning portion 422. The limiting post 324 and the latching post 325 are convex structures extending along the thickness direction of the slide plate 33, and serve as positioning structures for positioning the first component 3 with the pre-positioning portion 42. The pre-positioning portion 42 is provided with a hole-like structure that cooperates with the limiting post 324 and the latching post 325 to fix the relative position of the second component 4 and the first component 3. In one embodiment, the second pre-positioning portion 422 includes a first limiting portion 4222 that cooperates with and limits the first component 3 and a second limiting portion 4223 that cooperates with and limits the first door body 1. The first limiting portion 4222 is the aforementioned hole-like structure, which includes a limiting structure 42221 and a latching structure 42223 for cooperating with the first component 3. The limiting post 324 is inserted into the limiting structure 42221, and the snap-fit post 325 is inserted into and snapped into the snap-fit structure 42223.

As shown in Figures 12 to 13 and Figure 19, in the second and third embodiments of this application, the second component 4 further includes a connecting rib 404 that detachably connects the second mating portion 41 and the prepositioning portion 42, so as to separate the prepositioning portion 42 from the second mating portion 41.

In the second and third embodiments of this application, the second mating part 41 is provided with a first mounting hole 412 and a second mounting hole 413 that are connected front and rear, and a pressing part 414 that protrudes outward in the radial direction. The diameter of the second mounting hole 413 is larger than the diameter of the first mounting hole 412. The pressing part 414 is located on the side of the slide plate 33 away from the second door body 2 to limit the first component 3.

Please refer to Figures 22 and 23. In the third embodiment of this application, the second component 4 further includes a swing member 45 sleeved outside the second mating part 41. The swing member 45 and the second mating part 41 are connected to each other by a connector 46. The installation direction of the connector 46 is perpendicular to the installation direction of the swing member 45.

Before being fitted onto the second mating part 41, the swing member 45 is detachably connected to the first pre-installation part 421. After the second component 4 is fixed to the second door body 2, the swing member 45 can be detached from the first pre-installation part 421 and fitted onto the outside of the second mating part 41.

As shown in Figures 22 and 23, in some embodiments of this example, the swing member 45 is annular and has a pair of first insertion holes 451 arranged opposite each other in its radial direction for insertion of the insertion member 43. The second mating portion 41 has a second insertion hole 4121 corresponding to the first insertion holes 451 for insertion of the insertion member 46; thus, the swing member 45 can rotate around the insertion member 46 at a certain angle, thereby absorbing a certain amount of sway and ensuring smooth relative rotation between the first door body 1 and the second door body 2, thereby avoiding jamming.

The connector 46 has an operating part 461 and a pair of connector rods 462 protruding from the operating part 461. One end of the pair of connector rods 462 is connected to the operating part 461, and the other end is separated from each other. The separated ends of the pair of connector rods 462 are their free ends. The extension lengths of the pair of connector rods 462 are different to facilitate their insertion into the first and second connector holes 451 and 4121.

During assembly, the plug rod 462 is inserted into one of the first plug holes 421 and then continues to be inserted into the adjacent second plug hole 4121. The plug rod 462 is located on the side of the head of the fixing member 5 away from the second door body 2 to block and limit it. The operating part 461 protrudes from the upper or lower side of the second mating part 41 to facilitate the operation of the installer.

Figure 10 is a top view of a second embodiment of the connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application after it is installed to the first door 1 and the second door 2, and shows the rotation process of the first door 1 during the installation of the connecting device; Figure 17 is a top view of a third embodiment of the connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door of this application after it is installed to the first door 1 and the second door 2. The above figures all show the rotation process of the first door 1 during the installation of the connecting device, that is, a schematic diagram of the process of the connecting device rotating towards the second door 2 after it is installed to the first door 1.

The installation method of the connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door includes the following steps:

The connecting device is positioned on the first door body 1 by the fixing structure 31 of the first component 3;

The first door 1 and the second door 2 are brought close to each other (as shown by the arrows in Figures 2, 7 and 10) so that the second component 4 is pre-positioned onto the second door 2 by the first pre-positioning part 421.

Rotate the first door body 1 to move it away from the second door body 2, so that the connecting device is completely detached from the first door body 1, and fix the second mating part 41 to the second door body 2 by means of the fastener 5;

Remove the prepositioning portion 42, which includes the first prepositioning portion 421, from the second component;

The first door 1 and the second door 2 are brought close together, and the first component 3 is fixed to the first door 1 by the fixing structure 31 of the first component 3.

Before the step of “positioning the connecting device as a whole on the first door body 1 by the fixing structure 31 of the first component 3”, the method further includes: assembling the first component 3 and the second component 4 together to form the connecting device.

The step of "assembling the first component 3 and the second component 4 together to form the connecting device" specifically includes: pre-installing the first component 3 and the second component 4 together through the second pre-positioning part 422.

The step of “positioning the connecting device as a whole on the first door body 1 by means of the fixing structure 31 of the first component 3” specifically includes: loosening the locking member 62 pre-installed on the first door body 1, assembling the fixing structure 31 to the end of the first door body 1, and then tightening the locking member 62 to fix the fixing structure 31 to the first door body 1.

In some embodiments of this application, the fixing structure 31 is assembled to the end of the first door body 1 along the thickness direction of the first door body 1; in other embodiments, the fixing structure 31 may also be assembled to the end of the first door body 1 along the vertical direction.

In some embodiments of this application, the connecting device of the embedded refrigerator door body slides between the first mating part 32 and the second mating part 41 or the fixing member 5, and the first pre-positioning part 421 realizes the pre-positioning of the connecting device on the second door body 2, and the second pre-positioning part 422 realizes the pre-positioning between the second component 3 and the first component 3 or the first door body 1. After the pre-positioning is completed, the connecting device is fixed to the second door body 2 by the fixing member 5. In this way, the connecting device has a simple structure, low cost, and can effectively reduce the installation and adjustment steps and improve installation efficiency.

In some embodiments of this application, the connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door is formed by creating a first mating portion 32 with an elongated slide rail 321 on the first component 3, allowing the second component 4 to be inserted into the slide rail 321 and slide in cooperation with the slide rail 321 along its length. Thus, the connecting device has a simple structure, low cost, and can effectively reduce installation steps and improve installation efficiency, thereby achieving a sliding connection between the first and second doors 1 and 2. In addition, after the first component 3 and the second component 4 are installed between the first door 1 and the second door 2, the pre-positioned portion 42 can be removed to prevent it from being exposed outward from between the first and second doors 1 and 2, thereby ensuring the neat appearance of the embedded refrigerator door.

It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible implementation methods of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. All equivalent implementation methods or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the art of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims (20)

A connecting device for an embedded refrigerator door includes a first component for connecting to a first door and a second component for connecting to a second door. The first component has a fixing structure for positioning it to the first door and a first mating portion. The second component has a second mating portion that mates with the first mating portion and a pre-positioning portion detachably connected to the second mating portion. The pre-positioning portion has a first pre-positioning part for pre-positioning the second component to the second door and a second pre-positioning part for limiting its engagement with the first component or the first door. The connecting device also includes a fixing member for fixing the second mating portion and the second door, wherein the first mating portion slidably engages with the second mating portion or the fixing member. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door body according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the first mating part is provided with a slide rail extending in the lateral direction, and the fixing member does not slide beyond the range of the first mating part. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door body according to claim 2 is characterized in that: the second mating part is provided with a guide groove extending parallel to the slide rail, and the first mating part is inserted into the guide groove and can slide therein. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 3 is characterized in that: the connecting device further includes a connector for fixing the second component to the second door. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 2 is characterized in that: the fixing member is inserted into the slide rail and can slide within it. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 2 is characterized in that: the second mating part is sleeved outside the fixing member, and is inserted into the slide rail and can slide within the slide rail. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door body according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the second pre-positioning part and the first component have mutually cooperating positioning protrusions and positioning grooves. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door body according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the first mating part is provided with a limiting post and a snap post for mating with the second pre-positioning part, and the second pre-positioning part is provided with a hole-like structure for mating with the limiting post and the snap post. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the first component includes a slide plate and the fixing structure formed by bending the slide plate, the first mating part is disposed on the slide plate, and the fixing structure is disposed perpendicular to the slide plate. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 9 is characterized in that: the first component further has a cover that is flip-connected to the outside of the fixed structure, and the cover covers the fixed structure after being flipped. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 9 is characterized in that: the fixing structure is provided with a fixing groove formed through it along its thickness direction and a limiting boss formed in the fixing groove, the fixing groove is opened at one end in the thickness direction of the slide plate and forms a slot, and a pair of limiting bosses are arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the slot. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the second prepositioning part includes a first limiting part that cooperates with the first component for limiting and a second limiting part that cooperates with the first door body for limiting. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door body according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the second component further has a connecting rib that can detachably connect the second mating part and the prepositioning part. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the second component includes a fixing member for fixed connection with the second door body, the fixing member is inserted into the slide rail, and the dimension of the fixing member in the front-back direction is greater than the depth of the slide rail in the front-back direction. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 15 is characterized in that: the second mating part is sleeved outside the fixing member, and the second mating part moves along its sliding direction within the extension range of the first mating part. The connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 15 is characterized in that: the second component further includes a swing member sleeved outside the second mating part, the swing member and the second mating part are connected to each other by a plug-in member, and the installation direction of the plug-in member is perpendicular to the installation direction of the swing member. A method for installing a connecting device for an embedded refrigerator door, characterized by comprising the following steps: The connecting device is positioned as a whole on the first door body by the fixing structure of the first component; The first door and the second door are brought close together so that the second component is pre-positioned onto the second door by the first pre-positioning part; Rotate the first door body to move it away from the second door body, so that the connecting device is completely detached from the first door body, and fix the second mating part to the second door body by means of a fastener; Remove the prepositioning portion of the second component, including the first prepositioning part; The first door and the second door are brought close together, and the first component is fixed to the first door by the fixing structure of the first component. The installation method of the embedded refrigerator door connection device according to claim 17 is characterized in that: before the step of "positioning the connection device as a whole on the first door body by means of the fixing structure of the first component", it further includes: assembling the first component and the second component together to form the connection device. The installation method of the embedded refrigerator door connection device according to claim 18 is characterized in that: the step of "assembling the first component and the second component together to form the connection device" specifically includes: pre-installing the first component and the second component together through the second pre-positioning part. The installation method of the connecting device for the embedded refrigerator door according to claim 17 is characterized in that: the step of "positioning the connecting device as a whole on the first door body by means of the fixing structure of the first component" specifically includes: loosening the locking member pre-installed on the first door body, assembling the fixing structure to the end of the first door body, and then tightening the locking member to fix the fixing structure to the first door body.