CN118328615A

CN118328615A - Refrigerator and air duct component thereof

Info

Publication number: CN118328615A
Application number: CN202310071532.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘飞; 许以浩; 董凌云; 程学丽
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-01-12
Filing date: 2023-01-12
Publication date: 2024-07-12
Also published as: WO2024149313A1

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and an air duct component thereof. An air duct member for a refrigerator includes a first cover plate, a second cover plate, and a heat insulating foam layer. The second cover plate is buckled on the inner side of the first cover plate and is limited with the first cover plate at intervals. The heat insulating foam layer is formed in a space between the first cover plate and the second cover plate through a foaming process and is used for defining an air duct of the refrigerator. The air duct component has the advantages of simple and novel structure, higher assembly efficiency and lower cost.

Description

Refrigerator and air duct component thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a refrigeration and freezing device, in particular to a refrigerator and an air duct component thereof.

Background

With the continuous development of technology, air-cooled refrigerators have become a mainstream product of the refrigerator market. Air-cooled refrigerators generally require air ducts to convey cool air produced by an evaporator from a cooling compartment to each storage compartment for cooling the storage compartments.

The air duct of the existing refrigerator is generally formed by assembling various cover plates, heat-insulating foam and auxiliary materials, the assembling procedures are more, the assembling efficiency is too low, and the cost is higher.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a wind tunnel component with a simple and novel structure, a higher assembly efficiency and a lower cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having the above air duct member.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an air duct member for a refrigerator, comprising:

A first cover plate;

The second cover plate is buckled on the inner side of the first cover plate and is defined with the first cover plate at intervals; and

And the heat insulation foam layer is formed in the interval between the first cover plate and the second cover plate through a foaming process and is used for defining an air duct of the refrigerator.

Optionally, the air duct component is used for being installed inside a liner of the refrigerator, and the first cover plate is abutted against the liner;

The heat insulation foam layer is formed on the inner side surface of the second cover plate.

Optionally, the inner side surface of the first cover plate is provided with a plurality of ribs, and the air duct is formed by the plurality of ribs, the inner side surface of the first cover plate and the heat insulation foam layer.

Optionally, the heat insulation foam layer is formed with a groove matched with the shape of the air duct, and the groove, the plurality of ribs and the inner side surface of the first cover plate jointly enclose the air duct.

Optionally, one side edge of the second cover plate is connected to one side edge of the first cover plate through at least one connecting portion, and the connecting portion is configured to allow the second cover plate and the first cover plate to be turned to a buckling state that inner side faces of the second cover plate and the first cover plate are opposite.

Optionally, each connecting part is a bar-shaped structure connected between the first cover plate and the second cover plate;

the thickness of each connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the adjacent sections of the first cover plate and the second cover plate and the connecting portion so as to be folded.

Optionally, the first cover plate includes a first base plate and a first flange bent and extended from the periphery of the first base plate, and the second cover plate includes a second base plate and a second flange bent and extended from the periphery of the second base plate;

when the first cover plate and the second cover plate are in the buckling state, the first flanging is in sealing contact with the second flanging.

Optionally, the edge of the first substrate and/or the edge of the first flanging is provided with at least one first clamping strip extending along the length direction of the first substrate and having a U-shaped cross section;

The edge of the second substrate and/or the edge of the second flanging are/is provided with at least one second clamping strip which extends along the length direction of the second substrate and has a U-shaped cross section, so that when the first cover plate and the second cover plate are in the buckling state, the convex side of each first clamping strip is inserted into the concave side of the corresponding second clamping strip, and the clamping connection is realized.

Optionally, the air duct component is used for being installed on the inner side of the liner of the refrigerator;

The inner side surface of the inner container is provided with a strip-shaped clamping groove formed by inwards sinking, and the second clamping strip is also used for being clamped into the strip-shaped clamping groove so as to realize the clamping and fixing of the air duct component and the inner container.

In another aspect, the present invention also provides a refrigerator including the air duct part as set forth in any one of the above, for delivering cool air produced by the refrigerator.

The air duct component of the present invention includes a first cover plate, a second cover plate, and a layer of insulating foam. The insulating foam layer is directly formed in the space between the first cover plate and the second cover plate through a foaming process without separate manufacturing or outsourcing, so that the cost is lower.

Further, in the air duct component of the invention, the first cover plate and the second cover plate are connected through the connecting part so as to be turned to a buckling state that the inner side surfaces of the first cover plate and the second cover plate are opposite, so that an air duct is formed at the interval between the first cover plate and the second cover plate. The invention utilizes the turnover folding process to manufacture the air duct component, reduces or avoids the use of fasteners such as screws, reduces the splicing and mounting procedures, ensures that the structure is simpler, the cost is lower, and improves the assembly efficiency. And the splicing gaps are fewer, and the sealing performance is better.

Furthermore, in the air duct component, the first cover plate and the second cover plate are fastened and assembled through the clamping connection of the U-shaped first clamping strip and the U-shaped second clamping strip, and the assembly is simple and quick. Moreover, the air duct component is also clamped with the inner container of the refrigerator by the second clamping strip, so that the air duct component has double functions and is very ingenious in design.

The above, as well as additional objectives, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Some specific embodiments of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter by way of example and not by way of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts or portions. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

fig. 1 is a partial structural schematic view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the liner and air duct member of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view at A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view at B of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an expanded configuration of an air duct member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded schematic view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the air duct component of FIG. 5 with the insulating foam layer hidden;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view at C of FIG. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view at D of fig. 7.

Detailed Description

An air duct member for a refrigerator and a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 9. Where the terms "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "transverse", etc., refer to an orientation or positional relationship based on that shown in the drawings, this is merely for convenience in describing the invention and to simplify the description, and does not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the invention.

The terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first", "a second", etc. may include at least one, i.e. one or more, of the feature, either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless specifically defined otherwise. When a feature "comprises or includes" a feature or some of its coverage, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may further include other features, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Unless specifically stated or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," "coupled," and the like should be construed broadly, as they may be fixed, removable, or integral, for example; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly, through intermediaries, or both, may be in communication with each other or in interaction with each other, unless expressly defined otherwise. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand the specific meaning of the terms described above in the present invention as the case may be.

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator.

Fig. 1 is a partial structural schematic view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; fig. 2 is an exploded view of the liner 12 and the air duct member 30 of the structure shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention may generally include a cabinet 10 and a duct member 30.

The case 10 defines a storage compartment 128 for storing food or other items. Specifically, the case 10 may include an outer case (not shown) and an inner container 12. The liner 12 is disposed inside the housing. A foam layer is provided between the outer shell and the inner liner 12. The exterior of the housing forms the exterior of the refrigerator and the liner 12 defines a storage compartment 128.

The storage compartment may be divided into a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, a temperature changing compartment, etc., according to the difference of storage temperatures. The temperature ranges within the various types of storage compartments are different. For example, the temperature in the refrigeration compartment is generally controlled between 2 ℃ and 10 ℃, preferably between 4 ℃ and 7 ℃. The temperature in the freezer compartment is typically controlled in the range of-22 ℃ to-14 ℃. The temperature changing chamber can be adjusted between-18 ℃ and 8 ℃ to realize the temperature changing effect. The optimal storage temperatures of different kinds of articles are different, and the storage compartments suitable for storage are also different. For example, fruit and vegetable foods are suitably stored in the refrigerating chamber, and meat foods are suitably stored in the freezing chamber. Each storage compartment is provided with a door or drawer (not shown) for opening and closing the storage compartment.

In some embodiments, the refrigerator may use a vapor compression refrigeration cycle to cool to produce cool air. Vapor compression refrigeration cycle systems include compressors, condensers, evaporators, throttling devices, and other refrigeration fittings.

The air duct member 30 is an air duct member 30 according to any of the embodiments of the present invention. The duct member 30 functions to deliver cool air produced by the refrigerator. For example, some refrigerators have a cooling chamber in which an evaporator is provided for producing cool air. The air duct member 30 may be used to deliver cool air in the cooling compartment into the storage compartment. Or the air duct member 30 is used to deliver cool air in one compartment to another compartment. Or the air duct 310 defined by the air duct member 30 is a section of the complete air duct of the refrigerator.

The air duct member 30 may be mounted inside the inner liner 12. Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the air channel member 30 is mounted inside the rear wall of the inner container 12. Of course, in other embodiments, the air duct member 30 may be mounted to a lateral side wall, bottom wall, or top wall of the liner 12.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view at A of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged view at B of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an expanded configuration of an air duct member according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is an exploded schematic view of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the air duct component of FIG. 5 with the insulating foam layer hidden; FIG. 8 is an enlarged view at C of FIG. 7; fig. 9 is an enlarged view at D of fig. 7.

The air duct member 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 9.

As shown in fig. 2 and 7, the air duct component 30 of an embodiment of the present invention may generally include a first cover plate 100, a second cover plate 200, and a layer of insulating foam 500.

The second cover plate 200 is fastened to the inner side of the first cover plate 100 and defines a space with the first cover plate 100 for accommodating the insulating foam layer 500.

The insulating foam layer 500 is formed in a space between the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 through a foaming process, and serves to define the air duct 310 of the refrigerator. The air duct 310 serves to guide cool air inside the refrigerator. In the manufacturing process, foaming is performed on the inner side surface 101 of the first cover plate 100 or the inner side surface 201 of the second cover plate 200 to form a foaming layer, and then the second cover plate 200 is fastened to the first cover plate 100.

In the air duct member 30 of the present invention, the insulating foam layer 500 is directly formed in the space between the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 through the foaming process, without separate manufacturing or outsourcing, so that the cost is lower.

In some embodiments, the air duct component 30 is configured to be mounted inside the liner 12 of the refrigerator, with the first cover plate 100 abutting the liner 12, as shown in fig. 1. A thermal insulating foam layer 500 is formed on the inner side 201 of the second cover plate 200 as shown in fig. 5 and 6. The first cover plate 100 is attached to the inner container 12, and the back side of the inner container 12 is provided with a foaming layer, so that the heat insulation performance is good. And the outer surface of the second cover plate is directly contacted with the indoor environment of the storage room, so that heat transfer is easier. Therefore, the heat insulating foam layer 500 is formed on the inner side 201 of the second cover plate 200 in this embodiment to strengthen the heat insulation of the second cover plate 200 near the storage compartment side, so as to maintain the temperature of the air flow inside the air duct 310. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 7, the inner side 101 of the first cover plate 100 is formed with a plurality of ribs 113, 114, 115, and the plurality of ribs 113, 114, 115 together with the inner side 101 of the first cover plate 100 and the insulating foam layer 500 enclose the air duct 310. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the inner side 101 of the first cover plate 100 is formed with three ribs 113, 114, 115, which are ribs 113, 114 arranged in the lateral direction, and ribs 115 located above the ribs 113, 114 and extending in the lateral direction. The bottoms of ribs 113 and 114 define the main flow path of air duct 310, ribs 113 and 115 define one branch flow path of air duct 310, and ribs 114 and 115 define the other branch flow path of air duct 310. Thus, the air duct 310 is made to intake air from the bottom and to discharge air to both lateral sides. The air duct member 30 has an air outlet 303 and an air outlet 304 on both lateral sides thereof, respectively.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, insulating foam layer 500 may be formed with grooves 510 that match the shape of air chute 310. When the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 are in the buckled state, the grooves 510, the plurality of ribs 113, 114, 115 and the inner side 201 of the second cover plate 200 together form the air channel 310.

Further, the insulating foam layer 500 may be formed with a plurality of guide ribs 511, and the guide ribs 511 are located in the grooves 510 for guiding the direction of the airflow in the air duct 310. The length direction of the guide rib 511 may be identical to the direction of the duct 310.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 and 7, one side of the second cover plate 200 is connected to one side of the first cover plate 100 by at least one connection portion 305. The connection portion 305 is configured to allow the second cover plate 200 and the first cover plate 100 to be turned to a fastened state in which the inner side surfaces 101, 201 of the two are opposite to each other, so that the space between the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 forms an air duct 310 for guiding cool air inside the refrigerator. In fig. 2, the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 are in a buckled state.

Specifically, before the duct member 30 is manufactured, the base material of the duct member 30 includes the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 connected by the connection portion 305, and the base material is substantially in the form of an expanded plate as a whole. For example, the first cover panel 100 and the second cover panel 200 may be brought into a substantially coplanar condition to facilitate packaging. When the duct member 30 is manufactured, the first cover plate 100 or the second cover plate 200 is folded/turned over along the connection portion 305, and the two are folded to the above-described fastened state and positioned so as to be kept in the fastened state. At this time, the connection portion 305 constitutes one side of the air channel member 30.

The air duct component 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200, and the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 are connected by the connection portion 305 so as to be turned to a fastening state in which the inner sides 101 and 201 of the two are opposite to each other, so that the air duct 310 is formed by the interval between the two. The invention utilizes the turnover folding process to manufacture the air duct component 30, reduces or avoids the use of fasteners such as screws, reduces splicing and mounting procedures, ensures simpler structure and lower cost, and improves the assembly efficiency. And the splicing gaps are fewer, and the sealing performance is better.

In some embodiments, the first cover plate 100, the second cover plate 200, and the connecting portion 305 may together form an integral piece formed by a plastic molding process, that is, the three are three portions of one integral piece. When the first cover plate 100 or the second cover plate 200 is folded, the connecting portion 305 is deformed by the flexibility of the material thereof, allowing the first cover plate 100 or the second cover plate 200 to turn over. The first cover plate 100, the second cover plate 200 and the connecting portion 305 are made of PP material as a whole. Alternatively, the connection portion 305 may be made of a material that is more flexible and more foldable than the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200.

Further, as shown in fig. 7, each connecting portion 305 may be a strip-shaped structure connected between the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200, and in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the number of connecting portions 305 is two, denoted as ab-segment and cd-segment respectively. The thickness of each connection portion 305 is smaller than the thicknesses of the adjacent sections of the first and second cover plates 100 and 200 and the connection portion 305 so as to be folded. In other words, the connection portion 305 is a thinned section having a thickness smaller than that of the adjacent section.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 7, the first cover plate 100 may include a first base plate 110 and a first flange 120 bent and extended from a peripheral edge of the first base plate 110, and the second cover plate 200 includes a second base plate 210 and a second flange 220 bent and extended from a peripheral edge of the second base plate 210. When the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 are in the buckled state, the first flange 120 and the second flange 220 are in sealing contact. When the first flange 120 abuts against the second flange 220, the first flange 120 may be located inside the second flange 220. In other embodiments, the second flange 220 may also be located on the inside. In this way, the first flange 120 and the second flange 220 are used to enclose the space between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 210.

Further, as shown in fig. 7 to 9, the edge of the first substrate 110 and/or the edge of the first flange 120 may have at least one first clip strip 190 extending along the length direction thereof and having a "U" shape in cross section. In the illustrated embodiment, the first clip strip 190 extends from an edge of the first substrate 110. The edge of the second substrate 210 and/or the edge of the second flange 220 has at least one second clip strip 290 extending along its length and having a "U" shaped cross-section. In the illustrated embodiment, the second locking strip 290 extends from an edge of the second flange 220.

When the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 are in the buckled state, the convex side of each first clamping strip 190 is inserted into the concave side of the corresponding second clamping strip 290 so as to realize the buckling. Since the first and second locking strips 190 and 290 are each "U" -shaped, they are sufficiently resilient. The outer width of the first clamping strip 190 may be slightly larger than the inner width of the second clamping strip 290, so that after the first clamping strip 190 is inserted into the concave side of the corresponding second clamping strip 290, the first clamping strip 190 is forced to be extruded and narrowed, and the second clamping strip 290 is spread and widened, so that the first clamping strip 190 and the second clamping strip generate elastic force, and tight clamping is realized under the action of the elastic force. The embodiment of the invention realizes the positioning of the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 by using the clamping mode, and the assembly is simple and quick.

Further, as shown in fig. 2 to 4, the air channel member 30 is configured to be mounted inside the inner container 12 of the refrigerator, i.e., on the side defining the storage compartment 128. The inner side surface of the inner container 12 is provided with a strip-shaped clamping groove 121 formed by inwards sinking, and the second clamping strip 290 is also used for being clamped into the strip-shaped clamping groove 121 so as to realize the clamping and fixing of the air duct component 30 and the inner container 12. In this way, the concave side of the second locking strip 290 is used for being locked with the first locking strip 190, and the convex side is used for being locked with the liner 12, so that the dual function is achieved, and the design is very ingenious.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 7, the bottom end of the first substrate 110 may be extended downward to form a damper substrate 130, and the edge of the damper substrate 130 is bent to extend out of the damper flange 140. The bottom end of the second substrate 210 extends downward to form a door substrate 230 (reference numeral referring to fig. 6), and the edge of the door substrate 230 extends out of the door flange 240. When the first cover plate 100 and the second cover plate 200 are in the buckled state, the door cover substrate 230 and the air door substrate 130 are buckled together, the air door flange 140 and the door cover flange 240 are sealed and abutted, so that a diversion space with a downward opening is formed for installing the air door, and the bottom opening of the diversion space forms an inlet 301 for air intake. Cool air enters between the door base 230 and the damper base 130 through the inlet 301, and then enters the air duct 310. The air door is used for controlling the on-off and the flow of the cold air.

The damper flange 140 may be provided with a first snap-in strip 190 and the door flange 240 may also be provided with a second snap-in strip 290 to facilitate snap-in securing of the damper flange 140 to the door flange 240. A thermal insulating foam layer 600 may also be provided between the door cover substrate 230 and the damper substrate 130. The insulating foam layer 600 is formed on the inner side surface of the door cover substrate 230.

In the description of the present embodiment, a description referring to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

By now it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while a number of exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein in detail, many other variations or modifications of the invention consistent with the principles of the invention may be directly ascertained or inferred from the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An air duct member for a refrigerator, comprising:

A first cover plate;

2. The air duct member of claim 1, wherein,

The air duct component is used for being arranged on the inner side of the liner of the refrigerator, and the first cover plate is abutted against the liner;

3. The air duct member of claim 2, wherein,

The inner side surface of the first cover plate is provided with a plurality of ribs, and the air duct is formed by the plurality of ribs, the inner side surface of the first cover plate and the heat insulation foam layer.

4. The air duct member of claim 3,

The heat insulation foam layer is formed with a groove matched with the air duct in shape, and the groove, the ribs and the inner side surface of the first cover plate jointly enclose the air duct.

5. The air duct member of claim 1, wherein,

One side edge of the second cover plate is connected to one side edge of the first cover plate through at least one connecting part, and the connecting part is configured to allow the second cover plate and the first cover plate to be turned to a buckling state enabling inner side faces of the second cover plate and the first cover plate to be opposite.

6. The air duct member of claim 5, wherein,

Each connecting part is a strip-shaped structure connected between the first cover plate and the second cover plate;

7. The air duct member of claim 5, wherein,

The first cover plate comprises a first base plate and a first flanging which is bent and extended from the periphery of the first base plate, and the second cover plate comprises a second base plate and a second flanging which is bent and extended from the periphery of the second base plate;

8. The air duct member of claim 7,

The edge of the first substrate and/or the edge of the first flanging is provided with at least one first clamping strip which extends along the length direction and has a U-shaped cross section;

9. The air duct member of claim 8, wherein,

The air duct component is used for being arranged on the inner side of the liner of the refrigerator;

10. A refrigerator characterized by comprising the air duct member according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for delivering cool air produced by the refrigerator.