WO2022222887A1

WO2022222887A1 - Refrigeration and freezing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2022222887A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/087433
Authority: WO
Inventors: 房雯雯; 孙永升; 陶瑞涛; 李靖; 冯茹丹; 赵向辉
Original assignee: 青岛海尔智能技术研发有限公司; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-04-19
Filing date: 2022-04-18
Publication date: 2022-10-27
Also published as: CN115218584A

Abstract

A refrigeration and freezing apparatus. The refrigeration and freezing apparatus comprises a box body, at least one door body, an ice making unit which is provided within one door body, and a cooling system for providing cooling capacity for at least one storage compartment and the ice making unit. The cooling system is a vapor compression cooling system, and the box body defines a compressor chamber and is used for accommodating a compressor of the cooling system. The refrigeration and freezing apparatus further comprises a drainage system, and the drainage system is configured to collect defrosted water produced by the ice making unit and blow gaseous defrosted water into the compressor chamber. By collecting defrosted water produced by an ice making unit and blowing gaseous defrosted water into a compressor chamber, the present invention may reduce the condensation of the gaseous defrosted water by utilizing the relatively high temperature of the compressor chamber, and achieve more effective drainage and treatment of the defrosted water. In addition, the present invention also simplifies the structure of door bodies, reduces production difficulty and production costs, and enables the door bodies to have a larger ice making and ice storage space.

Description

Refrigerator and Freezer

technical field

The invention relates to the field of refrigeration and freezing, in particular to a refrigeration and freezing device with an ice-making unit provided on a door body.

Background technique

At present, most refrigerators with an ice-making compartment installed on the door body mainly introduce the cooling capacity of the freezing compartment into the ice-making compartment of the door body through the air duct. Condensation is easy to occur, the ice making time is long, and the ice making room is easy to mix with the freezing room, which affects the cleanliness of the ice cubes. However, if the door body is directly cooled to make ice, not only the refrigerant pipeline connection is complicated and difficult, the transmission distance is too long, but also effective defrosting and drainage need to be realized in a narrow space. and unsolved technical problems.

Considering comprehensively, it is necessary to provide a refrigerating and freezing device with a door ice-making unit, which can effectively drain water and perform defrost water treatment in design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to overcome at least one technical defect in the prior art, and to provide a refrigerating and freezing device with a door ice-making unit.

A further object of the present invention is to improve the drainage efficiency and shorten the drainage period.

Another further object of the present invention is to prevent excess water vapor from condensing in the sump.

In particular, the present invention provides a refrigeration and freezing device, comprising:

a box body, defining at least one storage compartment;

at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment;

an ice-making unit disposed within one of the door bodies; and

a refrigeration system for providing cooling to the at least one storage compartment and the ice making unit; wherein

The refrigeration system is a vapor compression refrigeration system, and the box body defines a compressor chamber for accommodating the compressor of the refrigeration system; and the refrigerating and freezing device further includes:

The drainage system is configured to collect the defrost water produced by the ice making unit and blow the gaseous defrost water into the compressor chamber.

Optionally, the drainage system includes:

a water collector, arranged on the door body, for collecting the defrosting water generated by the ice making unit;

a drainage air duct, arranged to communicate the water collector and the compressor chamber; and

a drainage fan, which is arranged to promote the flow of air from the water collector to the compressor chamber, so that the gaseous defrosted water flows into the compressor chamber; wherein

One end of the water collector away from the drainage air duct is arranged to communicate with the indoor environment.

Optionally, the drainage fan is arranged in the press room and is arranged close to the drainage air duct; and

The drainage fan is arranged to cause the air in the drainage duct to flow along the top of the press chamber.

Optionally, the outer periphery of the water collector is provided with a thermal insulation layer.

Optionally, the door body defines an ice-making compartment, the ice-making unit is disposed in the ice-making compartment, and the ice-making unit includes:

An ice-making box, defined with at least one ice-making slot for accommodating water or ice;

heat exchange fins and refrigeration pipes, the heat exchange fins are arranged to be thermally connected with the refrigeration pipes to provide cooling capacity for the ice-making compartment;

a separator configured to drive movement of ice cubes within the ice making trough; and

a heating tube for heating the heat exchange fins for defrosting; wherein

The heating pipe and the drainage fan are arranged to work after each time the separator completes driving the ice cubes.

Optionally, the bottom of the water collector is provided with a heating wire; and

When the temperature of the indoor environment is greater than or equal to the preset temperature threshold and the humidity is greater than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, the heating wire is set to work after the separator completes driving the ice cubes, and the drainage fan is set to The heating wire works after a preset time.

Optionally, when the temperature of the indoor environment is less than the preset temperature threshold and the humidity is less than the preset humidity threshold, the drainage fan is set to start heating the heat exchange fins when the heating pipe starts. At the same time, start to work, and work until the height of the defrosted water in the water collector is less than or equal to a preset height threshold.

Optionally, the drainage air duct includes:

a door body section, which is arranged on the door body and communicates with the water collector at one end; and

a box body section, which is arranged on the box body and communicates with the press chamber at one end; wherein

The door body section is configured to be connected to and communicate with the box body section when the door body is in a closed state.

Optionally, the box body section is arranged to extend downward vertically or obliquely.

Optionally, the drainage system further includes:

an evaporating dish, arranged in the press chamber; and

The bottom of the drainage air duct is provided with a drainage port, and the projection of the drainage port on the horizontal plane falls into the evaporating dish.

By collecting the defrosting water produced by the ice making unit and blowing the gaseous defrosting water into the compressor chamber, the invention can utilize the higher temperature of the compressor chamber to reduce the condensation of the gaseous defrosting water and realize more effective defrosting water. The discharge and treatment also simplifies the door body structure, reduces the production difficulty and production cost, and enables the door body to have a larger ice making and ice storage space.

Further, in the present invention, the drainage fan is arranged in the compressor chamber, and the drainage fan promotes the air in the drainage air duct to flow along the top of the compressor chamber, so that the low-temperature air in the drainage air duct can be fully diffused in the compressor chamber, and the air in the drainage duct can be fully diffused in the compressor chamber. Indoor heating devices (such as compressors, condensers) dissipate heat. Even if tiny water droplets are blown out with the air, they can quickly evaporate under the action of the heating devices, thereby improving drainage efficiency, shortening drainage cycles, and reducing heat generation. The energy required to dissipate heat from the device.

Further, when the temperature and humidity of the indoor environment are high, the present invention uses the heating wire to heat the water collector, which can improve the evaporation efficiency of the defrosted water and prevent more water vapor from condensing in the water collector. ; When the temperature and humidity of the indoor environment are low, the heating pipe and the drainage fan can start to work at the same time, the ambient air can be used to preheat the water collector, and the defrosting and drainage can be carried out at the same time, which further shortens the drainage cycle .

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of example and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in the figures designate the same or similar parts or parts. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In the attached picture:

1 is a schematic axonometric view of a refrigerating and freezing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic axonometric view of the door body of Fig. 1, wherein part of the outer shell of the door body and the ice-making liner are removed;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ice making unit in FIG. 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic exploded view of the water receiving assembly in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a schematic axonometric view of the water collector in Figure 1 viewed from below;

FIG. 6 is a schematic axonometric view of the case of FIG. 1 from the rear to the front, wherein the back panel and one side panel of the case are removed;

Figure 7 is a schematic partial rear view of the case shown in Figure 6;

8 is a schematic axonometric view of a water collector and its return air duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

1 is a schematic axonometric view of a refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic axonometric view of the door body 120 in FIG. Gallbladder 122 is removed. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 may include a box body 110 defining at least one storage compartment, at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment, a door disposed in one door 120 An ice making unit 130 , and a refrigeration system for providing cooling capacity for at least one storage compartment and the ice making unit 130 . In the present invention, at least one is one, two, or more than two.

The door body 120 may include an outer shell 121 , an ice-making inner container 122 disposed in the outer shell 121 , and a thermal insulation layer disposed between the outer shell 121 and the ice-making inner container 122 . Wherein, the inner space of the ice-making inner pot 122 may define an ice-making room (for the location and structure of the ice-making room, please refer to the inner space of the inner pot 122 in FIG. 1 ), and the ice-making unit 130 may be arranged in the ice-making room, In order to increase the effective storage volume of the storage compartment 111 .

The refrigeration system may be a vapor compression refrigeration system, including a compressor, a condenser, a throttling element, and an evaporator disposed in the storage compartment 111 . Since the structure of the vapor compression refrigeration system is well known to those skilled in the art, it is not marked in the drawings.

The casing 110 may define a compressor chamber 112 for housing the compressor and condenser of the refrigeration system. The press chamber 112 may be located at the bottom of the rear side of the casing 110 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ice making unit 130 of FIG. 1 . Referring to FIG. 3 , the ice making unit 130 may include an ice making box 131 , a cooling pipe 132 , a heat exchange fin 133 , a heating pipe 135 , and a separator 136 .

The ice making bin 131 may define at least one ice making slot (not shown) for accommodating water or ice cubes. The number of ice making slots may be multiple and distributed along the longitudinal direction of the ice making bin 131 . On the basis of understanding the present embodiment, those skilled in the art should easily know the structure of the ice-making tank, so there is no mark in the drawings.

The heat exchange fins 133 may be disposed in thermal connection with the refrigeration pipes 132 to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making compartment. In the present invention, the refrigeration pipe 132 can be a refrigerant evaporation pipe, communicated with the part of the refrigeration system located in the box 110 through a flexible hose, and connected in parallel with the evaporator.

The heat exchange fins 133 can be arranged below the ice making box 131, and the refrigeration pipe 132 is sandwiched between the ice making box 131 and the ice making box 131, so that the ice making box 131 and the heat exchange fins 133 are cooled at the same time, thereby improving the production efficiency. The compact structure of the ice unit 130 reduces the occupied space.

A heat insulating member 134 may be disposed between the refrigeration pipe 132 and the ice-making box 131 to reduce the speed of ice-making and improve the transparency of ice-making.

The heating pipe 135 can also be sandwiched between the ice-making box 131 and the heat exchange fins 133 for heating the ice-making box 131 to remove ice and/or to heat the heat exchange fins 133 for defrosting.

Alternatively, the cooling tubes 132 and the heating tubes 135 may also be fixed to the heat exchange fins 133 , and the heat exchange fins 133 are then thermally connected to the ice making box 131 .

Separator 136 may be configured to drive movement of ice cubes within the ice making slot. Illustratively, the separator 136 may include a lever and a drive device that drives movement of the lever.

The ice making unit 130 may further include a lid 137 . The box cover 137 may be disposed above the ice-making box 131 , and guide the ice cubes driven by the separator 136 to the lower side of the ice-making box 131 . An ice storage box may be provided below the ice making unit 130 for receiving dropped ice cubes.

The ice making unit 130 may also include a fan assembly 138 to facilitate air circulation within the ice making compartment.

The fan assembly 138 may include a circulation fan and a fan mount. The circulation fan may be arranged to promote the air in the ice-making room to flow through the heat exchange fins 133 . The fan bracket can be arranged to be fixedly connected with the box cover 137 and support the circulating fan.

In some embodiments, ice making unit 130 may also include a water receiving assembly 139 . The water receiving component 139 may be disposed below the heat exchange fins 133 for receiving the defrost water generated by the heat exchange fins 133 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view of the water receiving assembly 139 of FIG. 3 . Referring to FIG. 4 , the water receiving assembly 139 may include a water receiving tray 1391 , a heating wire 1392 , a heat insulating material 1394 , and a lower cover plate 1393 .

The water receiving tray 1391 can be disposed below the heat exchange fins 133 to receive the defrost water generated by the heat exchange fins 133 when the heating tube 135 is working.

The heating wire 1392 can be disposed on the bottom wall of the water receiving tray 1391 to prevent the defrosting water from being frozen in the water receiving tray 1391, so that the defrosting water can be discharged smoothly.

The heating wire 1392 may be disposed below the water receiving tray 1391 to avoid potential safety hazards and improve the safety of the ice making unit 130.

The insulating material 1394 can be disposed below the heating wire 1392 to reduce the temperature effect of heating on the environment below the heating wire 1392 .

The lower cover plate 1393 can be disposed under the insulating material 1394 to support the water receiving tray 1391 , the heating wire 1392 and the insulating material 1394 . The lower cover plate 1393 may be configured to be fixedly connected with at least one of the drive device of the separator 136 and the box cover 137 , thereby fixing the water receiving assembly 139 to facilitate the production and transportation of the ice making unit 130 .

The lower cover 1393 may be provided with a drain port 1444 and a wire hole, so that the defrost water in the water receiving tray 1391 is discharged through the drain port 1444, and the heating wire 1392 is electrically connected through the wire hole.

The projection of the heat exchange fins 133 in the vertical plane may be located in the lower cover plate 1393 to improve the compactness of the structure of the ice making unit 130 .

The lower cover plate 1393 may be provided with ventilation holes penetrating the circumferential side wall of the lower cover plate 1393 in the horizontal direction, so that the heat exchange fins 133 can exchange heat with the surrounding environment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic axonometric view of the case body 110 in FIG. 1 viewed from the rear to the front, wherein the back panel and one side panel of the case body 110 are removed; FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the case body 110 shown in FIG. 6 . Partial rear view. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , 6 and 7 , the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 may further include a drainage system.

In particular, the drainage system may be configured to collect the defrost water produced by the ice making unit 130 and blow the gaseous defrost water into the compressor chamber 112 to reduce condensation of the gaseous defrost water by utilizing the higher temperature of the compressor chamber 112 , to achieve more effective discharge and treatment of defrosted water, simplify the structure of the door body 120, reduce production difficulty and production cost, and make the door body 120 have a larger ice making and ice storage space.

The drainage system may include a water collector 141 ,

drainage air ducts

143 , 144 and a drainage fan 145 . The water collector 141 may be disposed on the door body 120 and communicated with the water receiving tray 1391 through the pipe 142 for collecting the defrost water generated by the ice making unit 130 .

The

drainage air ducts

143 and 144 may be arranged to communicate with the water collector 141 and the press chamber 112 . The drainage fan 145 can be set to promote the air to flow from the water collector 141 to the compressor chamber 112 , so that the gaseous defrosted water flows into the compressor chamber 112 .

In some embodiments, the

drainage ducts

143 , 144 may include a door body section 143 and a box body section 144 . The box body section 144 may be disposed on the box body 110 and communicate with the press chamber 112 at one end.

The door body section 143 may be disposed on the door body 120 and communicate with the water collector 141 at one end. The door body section 143 may be configured to be connected to and communicate with the box body section 144 when the door body 120 is in a closed state, so that the defrost water may be transmitted to the press chamber 112 . The door body section 143 and the box body section 144 may be respectively formed with a door body interface 1431 and a box body interface 1441 for docking communication.

Illustratively, the door body 120 may be configured to be partially located within the storage compartment 111 when in the closed state. The door body interface 1431 may be disposed on the portion of the door body 120 located in the storage compartment 111 , and may be disposed on the side wall close to the rotation axis of the door body 120 . The box body section 144 may be at least partially pre-positioned in the thermal insulation layer of the box body 110 , and the box body interface 1441 may be disposed on the side wall of the storage compartment 111 close to the rotation axis of the door body 120 .

The box body section 144 may further include a pre-embedded portion 1442 partially pre-placed in the foam layer of the box body 110, and a cover 1443 disposed in the press chamber 112 and communicated with the pre-embedded portion 1442, so as to facilitate the box body section 144 installation.

The drainage fan 145 can be arranged in the compressor chamber 112 and close to the drainage air duct (ie, the casing 1443 ), and is arranged to make the air in the

drainage air ducts

143 and 144 flow along the top of the compressor chamber 112 , so that the drainage air duct can flow. The low-temperature air in 143 and 144 is fully diffused in the compressor chamber 112 to dissipate heat to the heating devices (such as compressors and condensers) in the compressor chamber 112. Under the action of the rapid evaporation, the drainage efficiency is improved, the drainage cycle is shortened, and the energy consumption required for the heat dissipation of the heating device is reduced.

The box body section 144 may be arranged to extend downward vertically or obliquely, so as to avoid liquid defrosting water from accumulating therein.

The drainage system may also include an evaporating dish 146 disposed within the press chamber 112 . The compressor and condenser may be located within the evaporating dish 146 .

A drain port 1444 may be opened at the bottom of the drain air ducts 143 and 144 (ie, the bottom of the casing 1443), and the projection of the drain port 1444 on the horizontal plane falls into the evaporating dish 146, so that the liquid defrosting water can be lowered to the evaporating dish. within 146.

FIG. 8 is a schematic axonometric view of the water collector 141 and its return air duct 148 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8 , one end of the water collector 141 away from the

drainage air ducts

143 and 144 may be arranged to communicate with the indoor environment through the return air duct 148 to realize the circulating flow of air.

Exemplarily, the door body 120 may further be provided with a water distributor, and the housing 123 of the water distributor may have a cavity recessed backward. The return air duct 148 may be arranged to pass through the housing 123 of the water distributor and communicate with the cavity to suck indoor air.

In some embodiments, the heating pipe 135 and the drainage fan 145 can be set to work after the separator 136 completes driving the ice cubes, that is, defrosting the heat exchange fins 133 and removing ice after each completion of ice making. Defrost water is treated to reduce the amount of defrost water produced by a single defrost.

5 is a schematic axonometric view of the water collector 141 in FIG. 1 viewed from the bottom up. Referring to FIG. 5 , the bottom of the water collector 141 may be provided with a heating wire 147 to heat the defrost water in the water collector 141.

When the temperature of the indoor environment is greater than or equal to the preset temperature threshold and the humidity is greater than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, the heating wire 147 can be set to work after the separator 136 completes driving the ice cubes, and the drain fan 145 can be set to work after heating The wire 147 works after a preset time to improve the evaporation efficiency of the defrosted water and prevent more water vapor from condensing in the water collector 141 .

When the temperature of the indoor environment is less than the preset temperature threshold and the humidity is less than the preset humidity threshold, the drainage fan 145 can be set to start working when the heating pipe 135 starts to heat the heat exchange fins 133 and work to the water collector The height of the defrosting water in 141 is less than or equal to a preset height threshold, so that the water collector 141 can be preheated by ambient air, and the defrosting and drainage can be performed at the same time, thereby further shortening the drainage cycle.

The preset height threshold may be 0, that is, the drainage fan 145 works until the defrost water in the water collector 141 is completely removed.

The outer periphery of the water collector 141 may be provided with a thermal insulation layer (not shown) to prevent condensation on the outer wall of the water collector 141 and reduce the influence of the cooling capacity of the ice making compartment on the temperature of the water collector 141 . The water collector 141 may be directly disposed in the foam layer of the door body 120, or may be disposed outside the foam layer of the door body 120 and separately covered with a thermal insulation material. The above-mentioned thermal insulation layer is made of thermal insulation material. Since the thermal insulation layer made of thermal insulation material is well known to those skilled in the art, it is not marked in the drawings.

By now, those skilled in the art will recognize that, although various exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, the present invention may still be implemented in accordance with the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The content directly determines or derives many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

A refrigerating and freezing device, comprising:

a box body, defining at least one storage compartment;

at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment;

an ice-making unit disposed within one of the door bodies; and

a refrigeration system for providing cooling to the at least one storage compartment and the ice making unit; wherein

The refrigeration system is a vapor compression refrigeration system, and the box body defines a compressor chamber for accommodating the compressor of the refrigeration system; and the refrigerating and freezing device further includes:

The drainage system is configured to collect the defrost water produced by the ice making unit and blow the gaseous defrost water into the compressor chamber.
The refrigerating and freezing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drainage system comprises:

a water collector, arranged on the door body, for collecting the defrosting water generated by the ice making unit;

a drainage air duct, arranged to communicate the water collector and the compressor chamber; and

a drainage fan, which is arranged to promote the flow of air from the water collector to the compressor chamber, so that the gaseous defrosted water flows into the compressor chamber; wherein

One end of the water collector away from the drainage air duct is arranged to communicate with the indoor environment.
The refrigerating and freezing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

the drainage fan is arranged in the press room and is arranged close to the drainage air duct; and

The drainage fan is arranged to cause the air in the drainage duct to flow along the top of the press chamber.
The refrigerating and freezing device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein,

The outer periphery of the water collector is provided with a thermal insulation layer.
The refrigerating and freezing apparatus according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the door body defines an ice-making compartment, the ice-making unit is disposed in the ice-making compartment, and the ice-making unit include:

An ice-making box, defined with at least one ice-making slot for accommodating water or ice;

heat exchange fins and refrigeration pipes, the heat exchange fins are arranged to be thermally connected with the refrigeration pipes to provide cooling capacity for the ice-making compartment;

a separator configured to drive movement of ice cubes within the ice making trough; and

a heating tube for heating the heat exchange fins for defrosting; wherein

The heating pipe and the drainage fan are arranged to work after each time the separator completes driving the ice cubes.
The refrigerating and freezing device according to claim 5, wherein,

The bottom of the water collector is provided with a heating wire; and

When the temperature of the indoor environment is greater than or equal to the preset temperature threshold and the humidity is greater than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, the heating wire is set to work after the separator completes driving the ice cubes, and the drainage fan is set to The heating wire works after a preset time.
The refrigerating and freezing device according to claim 6, wherein,

When the temperature of the indoor environment is less than the preset temperature threshold and the humidity is less than the preset humidity threshold, the drainage fan is set to start working when the heating pipe starts to heat the heat exchange fins, And work until the height of the defrosted water in the water collector is less than or equal to a preset height threshold.
The refrigerating and freezing device according to any one of claims 2-7, wherein the drainage air duct comprises:

a door body section, which is arranged on the door body and communicates with the water collector at one end; and

a box body section, which is arranged on the box body and communicates with the press chamber at one end; wherein

The door body section is configured to be connected to and communicate with the box body section when the door body is in a closed state.
The refrigerating and freezing device according to claim 8, wherein,

The box segments are arranged to extend vertically or obliquely downward.
The refrigerating and freezing device according to any one of claims 2-9, wherein the drainage system further comprises:

an evaporating dish, arranged in the press chamber; and

The bottom of the drainage air duct is provided with a drainage port, and the projection of the drainage port on the horizontal plane falls into the evaporating dish.