WO2023005461A1

WO2023005461A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2023005461A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/098433
Authority: WO
Inventors: 费斌; 黄璐璐; 张育宁; 李孟成
Original assignee: 重庆海尔制冷电器有限公司; 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-07-30
Filing date: 2022-06-13
Publication date: 2023-02-02
Also published as: CN115682548A

Abstract

A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body (110), a storage space being defined therein; a door body (120) arranged on a front surface of the refrigerator body (110), so as to close the storage space; a sealed drawer (200) arranged in the storage space and comprising a drawer cover plate (210) and a drawer body (220), wherein an upper surface of the drawer cover plate is provided with an operation panel (211), the drawer body (220) is arranged below the drawer cover plate (210), and a rear wall of the drawer body is provided with a through hole (221); and a humidity controller (300) embedded at the through hole (221) and configured to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer (200), wherein the humidity controller (300) comprises a module integrated shell (310), a cavity being defined therein, and a humidity control module (320) inserted into the cavity. The refrigerator can adjust and compensate for the humidity in the sealed drawer (200) such that constancy can be achieved; the problem whereby only a "drying compartment" or a "humidity compartment" with a single function can be realized is solved; and no intervention by a user is required, automatic cycling of moisture absorption and moisture release is achieved, and the usage experience of the user is improved.

Description

refrigerator

technical field

The invention relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a refrigerator.

Background technique

With the development of society and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, people's pace of life is getting faster and faster, and people may buy and store a lot of food at one time. In order to ensure the storage effect of food, refrigerators have become one of the indispensable household appliances in people's daily life.

At present, some refrigerators are provided with drying chambers for storing some articles requiring a dry environment. To achieve the purpose of drying the drying room, the following methods are often used: the air outlet of the refrigerated air duct blows dry cold air into the drying room, taking away the moisture inside and storing food, the cold air flows through the evaporator through the return air outlet, and the water condenses into ice in the evaporator , turn into dry cold wind again, and use this cycle to achieve the purpose of drying.

But there is following shortcoming in above-mentioned way: the first, because the peculiar smell in refrigerator can be brought into by circulating cold wind, time is a bit long, and peculiar smell can be absorbed by the article inside drying chamber, and original smell quality declines. For example: if durian and other heavy-smelling foods are originally stored in the refrigerator, the circulating cold air will also bring the smell of durian into the drying room; second, it can only realize the drying function, and cannot increase the humidity at the same time, and the function is single.

In order to achieve the purpose of adjusting the humidity, the solution is as follows: improve the airtightness of the drawer or combine with a one-way breathable film to prevent moisture from escaping, but this method cannot automatically adjust the humidity and can only slow down the evaporation of the item itself. Or increase the humidity in the drawer, for example, using an ultrasonic humidifier, etc., but this method may cause excessive moisture to adhere to the item and promote its corruption; the user needs to add water regularly to ensure the normal operation of the humidifying device, which will affect the use of the user experience.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to realize the automatic adjustment of the humidity in the sealed drawer of the refrigerator, so as to improve the user experience.

A further object of the present invention is to prevent the interior of the sealed drawer from being affected by external odors and improve the storage effect.

In particular, the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising: a box body defining a storage space inside; a door body arranged on the front surface of the box body to close the storage space; a sealed drawer arranged in the storage space , including: a drawer cover, an operation panel is arranged on the upper surface; a drawer body is arranged under the drawer cover, and a through hole is opened on the rear wall; and a humidity controller is embedded in the through hole, configured to adjust the sealed drawer The internal humidity, wherein the humidity controller includes: a module integrated shell, which defines a cavity inside; a humidity control module, inserted in the cavity.

Optionally, the humidity control module includes: a semiconductor refrigerating sheet, an insulating frame, two heat-conducting metal plates, and a deflector, wherein the semiconductor refrigerating sheet has a first end face facing inside the sealed drawer and a second end face facing outside the sealed drawer, and the semiconductor refrigerating sheet The cooling plate is embedded in the heat-insulating frame, and two heat-conducting metal plates are respectively attached to the first end surface and the second end surface, and the area of each heat-conducting metal plate covers the heat-insulating frame, and the deflector is attached and wrapped around two pieces of heat-conducting metal plate.

Optionally, two electrode wires are provided on the top of the semiconductive cooling sheet to connect to a DC power supply, and the first end surface and the second end surface can be converted from a cold end surface to a hot end surface by switching the direction of conduction.

Optionally, when the first end face is a cold end face, the water vapor inside the sealed drawer condenses to form water droplets on the first end face, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer is reduced; when the first end face is a hot end face, the diversion The moisture on the board is continuously evaporated by the first end surface, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer increases.

Optionally, the thermal insulation frame is made of a material with poor thermal conductivity, which is used to block and reduce the thermal bridge effect between the first end surface and the second end surface.

Optionally, the deflector is made of a hydrophilic and water-conducting material.

Optionally, the deflector is "U-shaped", and its front and rear sides are provided with circular or grid-shaped matrix openings, so that the heat of the first end surface and the second end surface can be dissipated and absorbed, and the moisture can be diverted. The absorbing diffusion of the plate.

Optionally, the module integration case includes: a case and a cover, a cavity is defined inside the case, and the cover is snap-fitted with the case.

Optionally, a boss is provided on the bottom of the housing to support the humidity control module, and a water storage tank is formed in the gap between the boss and the bottom surface of the housing to temporarily store excess water after the deflector is saturated with water .

Optionally, the refrigerator further includes: a humidity sensor disposed inside the sealed drawer and configured to detect the humidity inside the sealed drawer.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a box body, which defines a storage space inside; a door body, arranged on the front surface of the box body, to close the storage space; a sealed drawer, arranged in the storage space, comprising: a drawer cover plate , the upper surface is provided with an operation panel; the drawer body is arranged under the drawer cover, and a through hole is opened on the rear wall; and a humidity controller is embedded in the through hole, configured to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer, wherein the humidity The controller includes: a module integration shell, which defines a cavity inside; and a humidity control module, which is inserted in the cavity. The humidity controller is suitable for any type of refrigerator, which can adjust and compensate the humidity in the sealed drawer, and can achieve constant; it solves the situation of "drying room" or "humidity room" that can only realize a single function before; no user manual Intervention, realizes the automatic cycle of moisture absorption and desorption, and improves the user experience.

Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the semiconductive refrigeration sheet has a first end surface facing the inside of the sealed drawer and a second end surface facing the outside of the sealed drawer. The direction makes the first end surface and the second end surface realize the conversion of cold end surface and hot end surface. When the first end surface is a cold end surface, the water vapor inside the sealed drawer condenses on the first end surface to form water droplets, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer is reduced. ; When the first end face is a hot end face, the moisture on the deflector is continuously evaporated by the first end face, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer rises. The humidity controller utilizes the characteristics of semiconductor refrigeration to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer through the semiconductor refrigeration sheet, avoiding the influence of external odor on the inside of the sealed drawer caused by wind circulation, and also avoiding the excessive moisture attached to the food caused by traditional humidification equipment to promote corruption situation, effectively improving the storage effect of items.

Those skilled in the art will be more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention according to the following detailed description of 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 illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings designate the same or similar parts or parts. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the attached picture:

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

Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a sealed drawer in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic diagram of a drawer body and a humidity controller in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is an exploded schematic diagram of a humidity controller in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded schematic diagram of a humidity control module in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

This embodiment provides a refrigerator, which can adjust and compensate the humidity in the sealed drawer, and can achieve constant; it solves the previous situation where only a single function of "drying room" or "humidity room" can be realized; no user intervention is required , Realize the automatic cycle of moisture absorption and release, and improve the user experience. Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of a sealed drawer 200 in a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a drawer in a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention An exploded schematic diagram of the body 220 and the humidity controller 300; FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the humidity controller 300 in the refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 5 is a humidity control module 320 in the refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention The decomposition diagram. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the refrigerator 100 of this embodiment may generally include: a box body 110 , a door body 120 , a sealed drawer 200 and a humidity controller 300 .

Wherein, a storage space is defined inside the box body 110 . In fact, the number and structure of storage spaces can be configured according to needs. Moreover, the storage space can be configured as a refrigerated space, a frozen space, a variable temperature space or a fresh-keeping space according to different purposes. Each storage space can be divided into multiple storage areas by partition boards, and items can be stored using shelves or drawers. As shown in FIG. 1 , three storage spaces may be defined inside the cabinet 110 of the refrigerator 100 in this embodiment from top to bottom.

The door body 120 may be disposed on the front surface of the box body 110 to close the storage space. The door body 120 may be provided corresponding to the storage space, that is, each storage space corresponds to one or more door bodies 120 . The door body 120 can be pivotally opened or can be opened in a drawer style. For example, the door body 120 corresponding to the first upper storage space can be pivotally opened, and the remaining storage spaces can be opened in a drawer style.

The airtight drawer 200 can be arranged in the storage space, including: a drawer cover 210 with an operation panel 211 on its upper surface; The humidity controller 300 may be embedded in the through hole 221 and configured to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the humidity controller 300 may include: a module integration case 310 defining a cavity inside; a humidity control module 320 inserted in the cavity.

The humidity controller 300 in this embodiment is suitable for any type of refrigerator, such as air-cooled refrigerators and direct-cooled refrigerators, and can adjust and compensate the humidity in the sealed drawer 200, and can achieve constant; solves the problem that only a single function can be realized before The situation of "drying room" or "humidity room"; without human intervention by the user, it realizes the automatic cycle of moisture absorption and desorption, and improves the user experience.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the humidity control module 320 includes: a semiconductor cooling plate 321 , an insulating frame 322 , two heat-conducting metal plates 323 and a deflector 324 . Wherein, the semiconductor cooling sheet 321 has a first end surface 331 facing the inside of the sealed drawer 200 and a second end surface 332 facing outside the sealing drawer 200, the semiconductor cooling sheet 321 is embedded in the heat insulating frame 322, and two heat-conducting metal plates 323 are attached to each other respectively. Attached to the first end surface 331 and the second end surface 332 , and the area of each heat-conducting metal plate 323 covers the heat-insulating frame 322 , and the deflector 324 is attached to and wraps the two heat-conducting metal plates 323 .

Two electrode wires 333 are provided on the top of the semiconductor cooling plate 321 to connect to a DC power supply, and the first end surface 331 and the second end surface 332 realize the conversion of the cold end surface and the hot end surface by switching the direction of electricity supply. The two electrode wires 333 may be red and black columns respectively. Specifically, the semiconductor cooling plate 321 can utilize the Peltier effect of semiconductor materials. When direct current passes through a galvanic couple formed by two different semiconductor materials in series, heat can be absorbed and released at both ends of the galvanic couple, and the purpose of cooling can be achieved. , When the positive and negative poles are switched on, the hot and cold sides will also be switched. It is a refrigeration technology that produces negative thermal resistance. It is characterized by no moving parts and relatively high reliability. It is used in some occasions where space is limited, high reliability is required, and there is no refrigerant pollution.

In a preferred embodiment, when the first end surface 331 is a cold end surface, the water vapor inside the sealed drawer 200 condenses on the first end surface 331 to form water drops, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 decreases; When 331 is a hot end surface, the moisture on the deflector 324 is continuously evaporated by the first end surface 331, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 rises.

Specifically, the heat insulating frame 322 can be made of a material with poor thermal conductivity, so as to block and reduce the thermal bridge effect of the first end surface 331 and the second end surface 332 . For example, the heat insulating frame 322 may be made of EPS material. Polystyrene foam (Expanded Polystyrene, referred to as EPS) is a light polymer. It uses polystyrene resin to add foaming agent, while heating to soften, generate gas, and form a foam plastic with a rigid closed-cell structure.

The deflector 324 may be made of a hydrophilic and water-conducting material. In a specific embodiment, the deflector 324 can be "U-shaped", and its front and rear sides are provided with circular or grid-shaped matrix openings 341, so that the heat from the first end surface 331 and the second end surface 332 Diverge and absorb, and promote the absorption and diffusion of moisture in the deflector 324. In some other embodiments, the deflector 324 may also be "L-shaped".

As shown in FIG. 4 , the module integration case 310 may include: a housing 311 and a cover 312 , a cavity is defined inside the housing 311 , and the cover 312 is snap-connected with the housing 311 . The humidity control module 320 is inserted into the cavity of the casing 311 , and then the cover 312 is fastened, and the casing 311 and the cover 312 are fastened together to form a complete humidity controller 300 . Holes for the electrode wires 333 to pass through may be provided above the heat insulating frame 322 and on the cover 312 .

The bottom of the casing 311 is provided with a boss to support the humidity control module 320, and the gap between the boss and the bottom surface of the casing 311 forms a water storage tank, which is used as a temporary storage of excess water after the deflector 324 is saturated with water . It should be noted that, due to viewing angle, neither the boss nor the water storage tank is shown in the figure.

In a preferred embodiment, the refrigerator 100 may further include: a humidity sensor (not shown in the figure), disposed inside the sealed drawer 200 and configured to detect the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 . The humidity controller 300 can perform specific adjustments according to the humidity detected by the humidity sensor. In addition, in some other embodiments, the sealed drawer 200 can also be configured as a cabin or a compartment.

The airtight drawer 200 can be pulled out or inserted inwardly, and when the airtight drawer 200 is inserted inwardly and resets, it has good sealing performance with the drawer cover plate 210 . With the operation panel 211 provided on the upper surface of the drawer cover 210, the user can set the humidity requirement with one click, or preset several humidity modes according to the requirements of different storage items.

The airtight drawer 200 in this embodiment has a through hole 221 on the rear wall. In other embodiments, it can also be arranged on other side walls of the airtight drawer 200, including the bottom wall of the airtight drawer 200 and the bottom of the drawer cover plate 210. . The shape of the through hole 221 is equal to the outer dimensions of the humidity controller 300 , and the humidity controller 300 is tightly embedded in the through hole 221 to ensure sealing. The first end surface 331 of the humidity controller 300 faces inside the drawer and is in direct contact with the air in the drawer, and the second end surface 332 faces outside the drawer.

That is to say, in the refrigerator 100 of this embodiment, the cold end surface and the hot end surface will be formed when the semiconductor refrigeration sheet 321 is energized, and the switching of the positive and negative poles will also produce the basic characteristics of conversion, combined with the detection of the humidity sensor and Signal feedback, through logic setting, controls the working time and conversion of the hot and cold ends of the semiconductor cooling chip 321 . When the humidity needs to be reduced, switch the first end surface 331 facing the inside of the sealed drawer 200 to the cold end, so that the water vapor in contact with it can condense and condense; Switch to the hot end, so that the water in the deflector attached to it is heated and evaporated, and enters the air. Finally, the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 reaches a set constant value, so as to meet the optimal humidity requirements for storage of different items.

Several embodiments are described in detail below:

Regarding the moisture absorption process, the positive and negative poles of the humidity controller 300 are energized, the first end surface 331 facing the inside of the drawer is a cold end surface, and the second end surface 332 facing the outside of the drawer is a hot end surface; at this time, the water vapor inside the sealed drawer 200 is at the first When the end surface 331 encounters condensation, it forms water droplets, which are continuously absorbed by the hydrophilic deflector 324, and the humidity in the sealed drawer 200 continues to drop; after finally reaching the set value, the humidity controller 300 stops under the feedback signal of the humidity sensor. Work. When the humidity controller 300 continues to work, the excess condensed water absorbed by the hydrophilic deflector 324 on the first end surface 331 will accumulate in the water storage tank at the bottom of the housing 311, and then penetrate to the surface of the second end surface 332 through capillary action , is evaporated by the second end surface 332 and diffuses to the outside of the sealed drawer 200 , completing the transfer process of water vapor from the inside of the sealed drawer 200 to the outside.

Regarding the dehumidification process, the positive and negative poles of the humidity controller 300 are energized, the first end surface 331 facing the inside of the drawer is the hot end surface, and the second end surface 332 facing the outside of the drawer is the cold end surface; The moisture is continuously evaporated by the first end surface 331, and the humidity in the sealed drawer 200 gradually rises; when finally reaching the set value, the humidity controller 300 stops working under the feedback signal of the humidity sensor. Similarly, when the humidity controller 300 continues to work, the excess condensed water on the second end surface 332 outside the sealed drawer 200 will accumulate in the bottom water storage tank, penetrate into the first end surface 331 inside the sealed drawer 200, and be heated and evaporated. , diverge into the internal air, and complete the transfer of water vapor from the outside to the inside.

Regarding the constant humidity control process, after the user sets a certain target humidity for the sealed drawer 200 through the operation panel 211, the humidity sensor in the sealed drawer 200 detects the real-time humidity in the sealed drawer 200, and continuously feeds back; if the real-time humidity is higher than the target humidity , the humidity controller 300 is in the working state of "moisture absorption" through the adjustment of the positive and negative electrodes; if the real-time humidity is lower than the target humidity, the humidity controller 300 is in the working state of "dehumidification" through the adjustment of the positive and negative electrodes; Wet" interaction, so that the interior of the sealed drawer 200 maintains the set target humidity and remains constant.

In addition, the refrigerator 100 may also include a compression refrigeration system to provide cold energy to the storage space. It should be noted that the cooling capacity provided by the compression refrigeration system 140 to various types of storage spaces is different, so that the temperatures in various types of storage spaces are also different. The temperature in the refrigerated space is generally between 2°C and 10°C, preferably 4°C to 7°C. The temperature range in the refrigerated space is typically -22°C to -14°C. The optimal storage temperature for different types of items is not the same, and the suitable storage space for storage is also different. For example, fruits and vegetables are suitable for storage in refrigerated space or fresh-keeping space, while meat food is suitable for storage in freezer space. The refrigerator 100 in this embodiment can effectively adjust both the temperature and the humidity to fully meet storage requirements.

The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment includes: a box body 110, which defines a storage space inside; a door body 120, which is arranged on the front surface of the box body 110, to close the storage space; a sealed drawer 200, which is arranged in the storage space , including: a drawer cover 210, an operation panel 211 is arranged on its upper surface; a drawer body 220 is arranged below the drawer cover 210, and a through hole 221 is opened on the rear wall; and a humidity controller 300 is embedded in the through hole 221 is configured to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200, wherein the humidity controller 300 includes: a module integrated case 310 defining a cavity inside; a humidity control module 320 inserted in the cavity. The humidity controller 300 is suitable for any type of refrigerator, and can adjust and compensate the humidity in the sealed drawer 200, and can achieve constant; it solves the situation of "drying room" or "humidity room" that can only realize a single function before; no need The human intervention of the user realizes the automatic cycle of moisture absorption and release, which improves the user experience.

Further, in the refrigerator 100 of this embodiment, the semiconductor cooling sheet 321 has a first end surface 331 facing the inside of the sealed drawer 200 and a second end surface 332 facing outside the sealing drawer 200, and the top of the semiconductor cooling sheet 321 is provided with two electrode wires 333 , to connect a DC power supply, by switching the direction of conduction, the first end surface 331 and the second end surface 332 realize the conversion of the cold end surface and the hot end surface. One end surface 331 condenses to form water droplets, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 decreases; when the first end surface 331 is a hot end surface, the moisture on the deflector 324 is continuously evaporated by the first end surface 331, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 rises. high. The humidity controller 300 utilizes the characteristics of semiconductor refrigeration to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer 200 through the semiconductor refrigeration sheet 321, avoiding the influence of external odor on the inside of the sealed drawer 200 caused by wind circulation, and also avoiding the excessive moisture attached to the food caused by traditional humidification equipment The environment that promotes corruption can effectively improve the storage effect of items.

So far, those skilled in the art should appreciate that, although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the disclosed embodiments of the present invention can still be used. Many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention are directly identified or derived from the content. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

A refrigerator comprising:

The box body defines a storage space inside;

a door body arranged on the front surface of the box to close the storage space;

The sealed drawer is arranged in the storage space, including: a drawer cover, an operation panel is arranged on the upper surface; a drawer body is arranged under the drawer cover, and a through hole is opened on the rear wall; and

The humidity controller is embedded in the through hole and is configured to adjust the humidity inside the sealed drawer, wherein the humidity controller includes: a module integrated shell, which defines a cavity inside; a humidity control module inserted in the in the cavity.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein,

The humidity control module includes: a semiconductor refrigerating sheet, an insulating frame, two heat-conducting metal plates and a deflector,

Wherein the semiconductor refrigeration sheet has a first end surface facing inside the sealed drawer and a second end surface facing outside the sealed drawer,

The semiconductor cooling chip is embedded in the heat insulation frame,

The two heat-conducting metal plates are respectively attached to the first end surface and the second end surface, and the area of each heat-conducting metal plate covers the heat-insulating frame,

The deflector attaches and wraps the two heat-conducting metal plates.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein,

Two electrode wires are provided on the top of the semiconductor refrigeration sheet to connect to a DC power supply, and the first end surface and the second end surface can be converted from a cold end surface to a hot end surface by switching the direction of power supply.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein,

When the first end face is a cold end face, the water vapor inside the sealed drawer condenses to form water droplets on the first end face, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer decreases;

When the first end surface is a hot end surface, the moisture on the deflector is continuously evaporated by the first end surface, and the humidity inside the sealed drawer increases.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein,

The heat insulating frame is made of a poor thermal conductor material, which is used to block and reduce the thermal bridge effect between the first end surface and the second end surface.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein,

The deflector is made of hydrophilic and water-conducting material.
The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein,

The deflector is "U-shaped", and its front and rear sides are provided with circular or grid-shaped matrix openings, so as to radiate and absorb heat from the first end surface and the second end surface, and promote moisture in the The deflector absorbs the diffusion.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein,

The module integration case includes: a case and a cover, the cavity is defined inside the case, and the cover is snap-connected with the case.
The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein:

The bottom of the housing is provided with a boss to support the humidity control module, and the gap between the boss and the bottom surface of the housing is formed with a water storage tank, so that after the deflector is saturated with water, For temporary storage of excess moisture.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising:

The humidity sensor is arranged inside the sealed drawer and is configured to detect the humidity inside the sealed drawer.