CN101788219B - Refrigeration appliance and container for refrigeration appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance includes a storage space (2) capable of maintaining a low-pressure state, and a low-pressure relief device (4) for releasing the low-pressure state of the storage space (2), and the low-pressure relief device (4) includes a A gas channel (5) in fluid communication with the space (2) and a valve element (6) for opening or closing the gas channel (5), wherein the valve element (6) includes a Movable piece (7) for rotary motion. The low-pressure relief device (4) further includes a drive member (8) for driving the movable member (7) to move from the closed position to the open position. According to the suggestion of the present invention, the driving member (8) is relatively movably connected to the movable member (7), and when the movable member (7) moves between the closed position and the open position , the driving member (8) moves linearly.

Description

Refrigerating appliance and container for refrigerating appliance

[technical field]

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance and a container for the refrigeration appliance, in particular to a refrigeration appliance with a storage space capable of maintaining low pressure and a container with the storage space.

[Background technique]

It is known to provide storage spaces with low oxygen content in refrigeration appliances to preserve food for longer. For example, CN2900399 discloses a refrigeration appliance with a low-pressure storage container accommodated in a storage chamber, wherein the low-pressure storage container defines a storage space suitable for storing food, and the storage space can be exhausted by an air extraction system arranged in the refrigeration appliance. The gas inside is at least partly extracted to form a low pressure state to improve the preservation environment of food.

The low-pressure storage container is provided with a low-pressure release device for releasing the low-pressure state in the storage space. The low-pressure relief device includes a gas channel arranged on the cover of the low-pressure storage container and a valve device associated with the gas channel. Through the control of the valve device, the gas channel is selectively opened or closed, thereby controlling whether the storage space communicates with the outside world. When the gas channel is opened, external air can enter the storage space, thereby releasing the storage space from a low-pressure state, and then the storage space can be opened for operations such as taking and placing food. The valve arrangement includes a one-piece cantilever arm including a first end having an aperture for engaging a protrusion of a handle for opening the low pressure storage container. When the user operates the handle to open the low-pressure storage container, the first end of the cantilever is pressed down and causes the second end opposite to the first end to rotate upward, so that the gas channel is opened, and the outside air enters the low-pressure storage container Release the low pressure inside it. In this way, releasing the low-pressure state of the low-pressure storage container and opening the low-pressure storage container can be completed in one step, and the operation of the low-pressure storage container can thus be simplified.

However, when the boom is moved between the open position and the closed position, the boom moves horizontally and longitudinally with rotational motion. Therefore, there must be a large gap in the horizontal direction between the hole and the protrusion to allow the cantilever to have displacement in the horizontal direction, and in the process of driving the cantilever movement, the horizontal movement of the protrusion causes the protrusion and the cantilever to move. pressure between. Therefore, the first end of the cantilever and the protrusion of the handle must have sufficient strength to withstand this pressure to prevent the protrusion or the cantilever from being crushed. In addition, when the hole is exposed to the outside of the container, foreign matter such as dust easily enters the hole through such a gap, possibly causing contamination of the valve device and reduction of airtightness between the gas passage and the valve device. These disadvantages lead to a reduced reliability of the low-pressure storage container and a reduced service life of the associated components.

[Content of the invention]

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the above technical problems, thereby providing a more reliable container for a refrigeration appliance and a refrigeration appliance including such a container.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance. The refrigerating appliance includes: a storage space capable of maintaining a low-pressure state; an air extraction system for extracting gas in the storage space; and a low-pressure relief device for releasing the low-pressure state of the storage space, the low-pressure relief The device includes a gas channel in fluid communication with the storage space and a valve element for opening or closing the gas channel, wherein the valve element includes a movable member that can move between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the gas passage is closed, and in the second position, the gas passage is opened; when the movable member moves between the first position and the second position, The movable member has a rotational movement at least in part of the stroke; the low pressure release device further includes a driving member for driving the movable member to move from the first position to the second position; it is characterized in that the The driving member is relatively movably connected to the movable member, and when the movable member moves between the first position and the second position, the driving member moves linearly.

In this way, the running track of the driving member is simplified, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the low pressure relief device.

Other features which are considered characteristic of the invention either alone or in combination with other features are set forth in the appended claims below.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving member and the movable member are in point contact or line contact. In this way, the frictional force between the driving part and the movable part can be greatly reduced, so that it is possible to move the driving part relative to the movable part with a relatively small force.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving member includes an end surface in contact with the movable member, and the end surface is a curved surface. Particularly advantageously, the end surface is a part of a spherical surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low-voltage relief device includes a guide hole for guiding the driving member, and the driving member includes at least part of the guide hole that is accommodated in the guide hole and can move relative to the guide hole. the first part of the . Therefore, the driving member can form an accurate linear movement guided by the guide hole.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide hole has a shape corresponding to that of the first part, and the inner size of the guide hole is substantially equal to the outer size of the first part. Therefore, the gap between the guide hole and the first part can be very small, which not only reduces the visibility of the guide hole and the driving part, but also is particularly beneficial to obtain a beautiful and tidy refrigeration appliance.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving member includes a button for being operated by a user.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the movable member includes a cantilever with one end connected to the driving member and the other end associated with the gas channel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low pressure relief device is arranged on the wall of the storage space.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a box body and a storage room defined by the box body are included, and the storage space is formed by containers accommodated in the storage room.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container is removably accommodated in the storage room, and the container is configured such that when the container is removed from the storage room, the Low pressure can still be maintained.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a container for a refrigeration appliance. The container includes a storage space capable of maintaining a low-pressure state and a low-pressure release device for releasing the low-pressure state of the storage space; the low-pressure release device includes a gas channel in fluid communication with the storage space and is used to open or close the storage space. The valve element of the gas passage, wherein the valve element includes a movable member movable between a first position and a second position, in which the gas passage is closed, and in the second position , the gas channel is opened; when the movable member moves between the first position and the second position, the movable member has a rotational movement at least in part of the stroke; the low pressure release device also It includes a driving member used to drive the movable member to move from the first position to the second position; it is characterized in that the driving member is relatively movable connected to the movable member, and when the The driving member moves linearly when the movable member moves between the first position and the second position.

The structure of the present invention as well as its other invention objectives and beneficial effects will be more clearly understood through the description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[Description of drawings]

As part of the specification and to provide a further understanding of the invention, the following drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. in,

Fig. 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a refrigeration appliance 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a container 13 having a low-pressure relief device 4 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of the lid body 16 of the container 13 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Detailed ways]

Please refer to the attached drawings, and first to Figure 1 in particular. The refrigeration appliance 1 includes a box body 17 defining at least one storage compartment 12 . The storage compartment 12 is suitable for storing items such as food. The front end of the storage compartment 12 is selectively opened or closed by a door 18 connected to the box body 17 . The box body 17 and the door 18 are respectively provided with heat insulating foam layers to reduce the heat exchange between the storage room 12 and the outside.

The refrigeration appliance 1 includes a container 13 accommodated in a storage room 12 and an air extraction system 3 for extracting gas in the container 13 . In this embodiment, the pumping system 3 includes a vacuum pump 19 and a pipeline 20 connected between the container 13 and the vacuum pump 19 . When the vacuum pump 19 was switched on, the gas in the container 13 was evacuated, so that the oxygen content in the container 13 could be reduced to prolong the preservation time of the food in the container 13.

The container 13 includes a storage space 2 that can maintain a low pressure state and is suitable for keeping food. The term "low pressure" used in the present invention is relative to a standard atmospheric pressure, which is lower than a standard atmospheric pressure. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is between a standard atmospheric pressure and absolute vacuum, for example, when the absolute pressure in the storage space 2 is 500-600 mbar (relative pressure is 400-500 mbar), it can Considered suitable for preserving food. Since the air pressure in the storage space 2 is lower than a standard atmospheric pressure, those skilled in the art also commonly call the container 13 a "vacuum preservation container".

The container 13 is provided so that the user can selectively open or close the storage space 2 . In this embodiment, the container 13 includes a box body 14 forming most of the storage space 2 and a cover body 15 detachably connected to the box body 14 . The cover body 15 and the box body 14 are closely connected to prevent external air from entering the storage space 2 from the junction of the box body 14 and the cover body 15 when the pressure in the storage space 2 is lower than the external air pressure. The box body 14 and the cover body 15 jointly form a wall 16 defining the storage space 2 . In this embodiment, the container 13 has a substantially rectangular shape, so the wall 16 includes a top wall (not shown), a bottom wall (not shown) and four side walls (not shown).

The container 13 is provided with an air extraction path 22 on the cover 15 in fluid communication with the storage space 2 , one end of the air extraction path 22 communicates with the storage space 2 , and the other end is used for fluid connection with the air extraction system 3 . Therefore, the gas in the storage space 2 leaves the storage space 2 under the action of the vacuum pump 19 , thereby reducing the amount of gas in the storage space 2 and reducing the pressure of the storage space 2 . Preferably, the container 13 includes a pumping valve located in the pumping path 22 for opening or closing the pumping path 22 . The air extraction valve is set so that: when the air extraction procedure is performed on the container 13, the air extraction path 22 is opened; low pressure state.

Preferably, the container 13 is entirely removably housed in the storage room 2 , and is configured such that when the container 13 is removed from the storage room 12 , the low pressure in the storage space 2 can still be maintained. This improves the ease of use of the container 13 . The container 13 may be provided with a handle to facilitate moving and carrying the container 13 .

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the container 13 also includes a low-pressure relief device 4 for releasing the storage space 2 from a low-pressure state, so that the pressure inside and outside the storage space 2 is balanced and the storage space 2 can be opened for such as taking and placing food. and so on.

In this embodiment, the low pressure relief device 4 is arranged on the cover body 15 . The low-pressure relief device 4 includes an inflation passage 5 disposed through the wall 16 and a valve element 6 for controlling the inflation passage 5 . Under normal conditions, that is, when the storage space 2 is closed and maintained at a low pressure state, the valve element 6 of the inflation channel 5 is closed. When the storage space 2 needs to be released from the low-pressure state, the valve element 6 opens the inflatable channel 5 to communicate the storage space 2 with the outside, so that external air can enter the storage space 2 through the inflatable channel 5 until the internal and external pressures are equal.

The cover body 15 includes a recessed portion 23 for installing the valve element 16 , wherein the upper end of the inflation channel 5 communicates with the recessed portion 23 . The valve element 6 is accommodated in the recessed portion 23 and fixed in the recessed portion 23 by the fixing block 24 .

The valve element 6 includes a movable part 7 that is movable relative to the inflation channel 5 . The movable member 7 is embodied in the form of a cantilever, which includes a first end supported on the spring 27 and a second end opposite to the first end, close to the upper port of the charging channel 5 to close the charging channel 5 . A longitudinally deformable spring 27 is fixed in the recessed portion 23 to support the movable member 7 upward. When there is no external force, the second end of the movable member 7 is pushed up by the spring 27 to be in the first position (as shown in FIG. 2 ) where it can be pressed against the upper port of the inflatable channel 5 .

The low-pressure relief device 4 includes a driving member 8 for driving the movable member 7 to move the latter from a first position to a second position where the inflatable channel 5 is opened. In this embodiment, the driving member 8 is formed by a key that is exposed outside the container 13 and can be manually operated by the user. The driving part 8 is connected to the upper surface of the first end of the movable part 7, so that when an external force is applied to the driving part 8 to make it move downward, the first end of the movable part 7 will move downward due to the drive of the driving part 8 , correspondingly, the second end of the movable member 7 is tilted upwards to the extent that the inflatable channel 5 is opened. In this way, outside air can enter the storage space 2 , thereby releasing the low-pressure state in the storage space 2 .

Since the force applied by the driving member 8 to the movable member 7 obviously deviates from the center of gravity of the latter, during the movement of the movable member 7 from the first position where the inflatable channel 6 is closed to the second position where the inflatable channel 6 is opened, The movable part 7 performs a rotational movement so as to have a displacement vector not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the transverse direction.

The movable member 7 includes an elastic diaphragm 26 . The diaphragm 26 is sleeved on the second end of the movable part 7. When the storage space 2 is in a low-pressure state and the movable part 7 is in the first position, the diaphragm 26 will Under the action of air pressure), the part corresponding to the upper port of the inflatable passage 5 is deformed and recessed downward, so that the inflatable passage 5 is more reliably closed. The upper end buckle of the inflation channel 5 preferably has an inverted tapered inner surface to strengthen the sealing effect between the diaphragm 26 and the inflation channel 5 . Preferably, the diaphragm 26 is made of silicone rubber.

Referring to FIG. 2 in particular, the driving part 8 and the movable part 7 are two separate components, and the driving part 8 is connected to the movable part 7 so as to be movable relative to the movable part 7 . In this embodiment, the lower end surface 9 of the driving member 8 is in contact with the upper surface of the movable member 7 . When the movable member 7 moves between the first position and the second position and thus has displacement vectors in two directions perpendicular to each other, the driving member 8 has a certain longitudinal direction along the guide hole 11. linear movement. At the same time, when the driving member 8 moves downward under the action of external force, the lower end surface 9 and the upper surface of the movable member 7 slide relative to each other.

In order to reduce the frictional force between the lower end surface 9 of the driving member 8 and the upper surface of the movable member 7, the lower end surface 9 and the movable member 7 are preferably in point contact or surface contact. In a preferred embodiment, the lower end surface 9 has a spherical or spherical-like shape, and the corresponding contact surface of the movable member 7 is a plane.

The fixed cover 24 includes a guiding hole 11 for guiding the linear movement of the driving member 8 . The driving member 8 includes a first portion 10 received in the guiding hole 11 and capable of moving up and down relative to the guiding hole 11 . Preferably, the guide hole 11 has a shape corresponding to the first part 10 of the driver 8, eg the first part 10 of the driver and the guide hole 11 have cylindrical outer/inner surfaces.

Since the first part 10 only needs to move linearly to drive the movable member 7 to rotate, the guide hole 11 is preferably set to just accommodate the first part 10 and allow the first part 10 to move up and down in the guide hole 11 . Therefore, the inner dimension of the guide hole 11 is approximately equal to the outer dimension of the first part 10, preferably the former is slightly larger than the latter. Thus, the gap between the guide hole 11 and the first part 10 can be kept very small.

In the above embodiments, the driving member 8 drives the movable member 7 to perform rotational movement by moving in the longitudinal direction. However, the present invention should not be limited thereto, but can have other embodiments. For example, with a suitable arrangement, it is also possible for the driving member 8 to drive the movable member 7 to rotate by moving in its horizontal direction.

Claims (22)

1. A refrigeration appliance (1) comprising:

a storage space (2) capable of maintaining a low pressure state,

an extraction system (3) for extracting gas from the storage space (2), and

a low pressure release device (4) for releasing a low pressure state of the storage space (2), the low pressure release device (4) including a gas passage (5) in fluid communication with the storage space (2) and a valve element (6) for opening or closing the gas passage (5), wherein the valve element (6) includes a movable member (7) movable between a first position in which the gas passage (5) is closed and a second position in which the gas passage (5) is opened; -said movable member (7) has a rotary motion at least for part of its travel when said movable member (7) moves between said first position and said second position;

the low pressure release device (4) further comprises a driving member (8) for driving the movable member (7) to move from the first position to the second position;

characterized in that the driving member (8) is relatively movably connected to the movable member (7) and that the driving member (8) moves linearly when the movable member (7) moves between the first position and the second position.

2. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein the driving member (8) and the movable member (7) are in point contact or line contact.

3. A refrigerator appliance (1) as in claim 1, characterized by the driving member (8) comprising an end surface (9) in contact with the movable member (7), said end surface (9) being curved.

4. A refrigerator appliance (1) as in claim 2, characterized by the driving member (8) comprising an end surface (9) in contact with the movable member (7), said end surface (9) being curved.

5. A refrigerator appliance (1) as in claim 3, characterized by the end surface (9) being a portion of a sphere.

6. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 4, characterized by the end surface (9) being a portion of a sphere.

7. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, wherein the low pressure relief device (4) comprises a guide hole (11) for guiding the driving member (8), the driving member (8) comprising a first part (10) at least partially received in the guide hole (11) and being movable relative to the guide hole (11).

8. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the guide hole (11) has a shape corresponding to the first portion (10), and the inner dimension of the guide hole (11) is substantially equal to the outer dimension of the first portion (10).

9. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the driving element (8) comprising a push button for operation by a user.

10. A refrigerator (1) as in claim 7, characterized by the driving element (8) comprising a button for operation by a user.

11. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the movable member (7) comprising a cantilever arm connected at one end to the driving member (8) and arranged at the other end in connection with the gas channel (5).

12. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 7, wherein said movable member (7) comprises a cantilever arm connected at one end to said driving member (8) and at the other end arranged in association with said gas channel (5).

13. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the low pressure relief device (4) is arranged on a wall (16) of the storage space (2).

14. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any of the claims 1 to 6, comprising a cabinet (17) and a storage compartment (12) defined by the cabinet (17), the storage space (2) being formed by a container (13) housed inside the storage compartment (12).

15. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any of the claims 1 to 6, wherein said container (13) is removably housed inside said storage compartment (12), and said container (13) is arranged to: the low pressure in the storage space (2) can be maintained after the container (13) is removed from the storage compartment (12).

16. A container (13) for a refrigeration appliance (1), comprising a storage space (2) which can be kept in a low-pressure state, and low-pressure relief means (4) for relieving the low-pressure state of the storage space (2); the low pressure relief means (4) comprising a gas passage (5) in fluid communication with the storage space (2) and a valve element (6) to open or close the gas passage (5), wherein the valve element (6) comprises a movable member (7) movable between a first position in which the gas passage (5) is closed and a second position in which the gas passage (5) is open; -said movable member (7) has a rotary motion at least for part of its travel when said movable member (7) moves between said first position and said second position; the low pressure release device (4) further comprises a driving member (8) for driving the movable member (7) to move from the first position to the second position; characterized in that the driving member (8) is relatively movably connected to the movable member (7) and that the driving member (8) moves linearly when the movable member (7) moves between the first position and the second position.

17. A container (13) according to claim 16, wherein said drive member (8) and said movable member (7) are in point or line contact.

18. A container (13) according to claim 16, wherein said drive member (8) has an end surface (9) in contact with said movable member (7), said end surface (9) being curved.

19. A container (13) according to claim 17, wherein said drive member (8) has an end surface (9) in contact with said movable member (7), said end surface (9) being curved.

20. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of claims 16 to 19, characterized by a low pressure relief device (4) comprising a guide hole (11) for guiding the driving member (8), the driving member (8) comprising a first portion (10) at least partially received in the guide hole (11) and movable relative to the guide hole (11), the guide hole (11) having a shape corresponding to the first portion (10), and the inner dimension of the guide hole (11) being arranged to snugly receive the first portion (10).

21. A container (13) according to any of claims 16 to 19, wherein the actuating member (8) is a push button controlled by a user.

22. A container (13) according to claim 20, wherein the actuating member (8) is a push button controlled by the user.

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