Refrigerator and method for adjusting a lid of a drawer in a refrigeration compartment

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a drawer in a refrigeration compartment including a support on a wall of the compartment, and a work slot oblique to a lid. The lid opens or closes the drawer and includes a protruding portion on an upper surface and a motion member on a side edge of the lid moving in the work slot. A motor module includes a cam and a motor driving the cam in first rotation, to push the protruding portion to drive the motion member to move obliquely upward along the work slot, so the lid ascends to a first position, and driving the cam in second rotation opposite the first to cause the lid to drive the motion member under gravity obliquely downward along the work slot, so the lid descends to a second position lower than the first in automatically adjustment. A method for lid adjustment is also provided.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a refrigeration compartment having an inner side wall; and   a drawer located inside said refrigeration compartment;   said refrigeration compartment including:
 a lid located in a plane and adapted to open or close said drawer; 
 a support mounted or formed on said inner side wall of said refrigeration compartment, said support having a work slot formed therein obliquely relative to said plane of said lid; 
 said lid including an upper surface, a protruding portion disposed on said upper surface, a side edge and a motion member disposed on said side edge and adapted to move in said work slot; and 
 a motor module including a cam and a motor; 
 said motor adapted to drive said cam to generate a first rotation to push said protruding portion to drive said motion member to move obliquely upward along said work slot, causing said lid to ascend to a first position; 
 said motor adapted to drive said cam to generate a second rotation opposite to a direction of said first rotation causing said lid to drive said motion member under the force of gravity to move obliquely downward along said work slot, causing said lid to descend to a second position; and 
 said first position being higher than said second position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said cam includes a rotation center axis, a far end and a near end, said far end disposed at a longer vertical distance from said rotation center axis than said near end, said cam adapted to cause said far end to gradually approach said protruding portion upon said first rotation being generated, and said cam adapted to cause said near end to gradually approach said protruding portion upon said second rotation being generated. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said first position is a highest position to which the lid ascends when pushed by said cam, said second position is a lowest position to which said lid descends under the force of gravity, said lid is adapted to open said drawer when in said first position, and said lid is adapted to close said drawer when in said second position. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said inner side wall of said refrigeration compartment is one of a left inner side wall and a right inner side wall;   said support is one of a first support and a second support each mounted or formed on a respective one of said left inner side wall or said right inner side wall of said refrigeration compartment;   said work slot is one of a first work slot and a second work slot;   said support is one of a first support and said second support each having a respective one of said first work slot or a second work slot formed therein;   said side edge of said lid is one of a left side edge and a right side edge;   said motion member includes a first motion member and a second motion member each disposed on a respective one of said left side edge or a right side edge of said lid; and   said first motion member and said second motion member are each adapted to move in a respective one of said first work slot or said second work slot.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 said first support includes two first work slots disposed in a front-rear direction, and said first motion member includes two first motion members each adapted to move in a respective one of said two first work slots; and   said second support includes two second work slots disposed in a front-rear direction, and said second motion member includes two second motion members each adapted to move in a respective one of said two second work slots.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said motor is adapted to drive said cam to generate said first rotation when a set humidity of said drawer is adjusted from a first humidity range to a second humidity range;   said motor is adapted to drive said cam to generate said second rotation when the set humidity is adjusted from said second humidity range to said first humidity range; and   any humidity value in said first humidity range is greater than any humidity value in said second humidity range.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said work slot forms an acute angle relative to a front-to-rear direction and said protruding portion is located on a rear side of said cam in a working state, or said work slot forms an obtuse angle relative to the front-to-rear direction and said protruding portion is located on a front side of said cam in said working state.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein said acute angle is in a range of 35 degrees to 45 degrees, and said obtuse angle is in a range of 135 degrees to 145 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said support includes a guide slot in communication with said work slot;   said protruding portion is adapted to pass through said cam from one side of said cam and reach another side of said cam in a process in which said motion member moves from said guide slot to said work slot and reaches said work slot, and   said protruding portion is adapted to pass through said cam from said other side to said one side in a process in which said motion member moves from said work slot to said guide slot and reaches said guide slot.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said motion member is a roller adapted to roll in said work slot or a movable member adapted to move in said work slot. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first rotation makes said cam and said protruding portion switch from a first contact state to a second contact state;   said second rotation makes said cam and said protruding portion switch from said second contact state to said first contact state;   said first contact state includes a state in which said cam is out of contact with said protruding portion and a state in which said cam is in contact with said protruding portion to apply a first acting force;   said second contact state includes a state in which said cam is in contact with said protruding portion to apply a second acting force; and   said first acting force is greater than or equal to zero Newtons and is less than said second acting force.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said motor is adapted to drive said cam to generate said first rotation when a set temperature of said refrigeration compartment is adjusted from a first temperature range to a second temperature range;   said motor is adapted to drive said cam to generate said second rotation when said set temperature is adjusted from said second temperature range to said first temperature range; and   any temperature value in said first temperature range is greater than any temperature value in said second temperature range.   
     
     
         13 . A method for adjusting a lid of a drawer in a refrigeration compartment, the method comprising:
 providing the refrigeration compartment of the refrigerator according to  claim 1 ;   determining whether an adjustment of the refrigeration compartment belongs to a first adjustment or a second adjustment;   when the adjustment belongs to the first adjustment, driving the cam to generate the first rotation, moving the motion member obliquely upward along the work slot based on the first rotation, and raising the lid to a first position based on the obliquely upward movement of the motion member;   when the adjustment belongs to the second adjustment, driving the cam to generate the second rotation opposite to the direction of the first rotation, moving the motion member obliquely downward along the work slot based on the second rotation, and lowering the lid to a second position based on the obliquely downward movement of the motion member; and   selecting the first position to be higher than the second position.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , which further comprises:
 using the first rotation to make the cam and the protruding portion switch from a first contact state to a second contact state;   using the second rotation to make the cam and the protruding portion switch from the second contact state to the first contact state;   the first contact state including a state in which the cam is out of contact with the protruding portion and a state in which the cam is in contact with the protruding portion to apply a first acting force;   the second contact state including a state in which the cam is in contact with the protruding portion to apply a second acting force; and   the first acting force is greater than or equal to zero Newtons and is less than the second acting force.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , which further comprises:
 providing the first adjustment as an adjustment of a set temperature of the refrigeration compartment from a first temperature range to a second temperature range, providing the second adjustment as an adjustment of the set temperature from the second temperature range to the first temperature range, and any temperature value in the first temperature range is greater than any temperature value in the second temperature range; or   providing the first adjustment as an adjustment of a set humidity of the drawer from a first humidity range to a second humidity range, providing the second adjustment as an adjustment of the set humidity from the second humidity range to the first humidity range, and any humidity value in the first humidity range is greater than any humidity value in the second humidity range.