WO2023098735A1

WO2023098735A1 - Oxygen treatment device and refrigerator having same

Info

Publication number: WO2023098735A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/135506
Authority: WO
Inventors: 王睿龙; 苗建林; 刘浩泉; 黄璐璐
Original assignee: 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-12-03
Filing date: 2022-11-30
Publication date: 2023-06-08
Also published as: CN116222116A

Abstract

An oxygen treatment device and a refrigerator having same. The oxygen treatment device comprises: a cathode portion, which is used for consuming oxygen by means of an electrochemical reaction under the action of an electrolytic voltage; an anode portion, which is used for generating oxygen by means of the electrochemical reaction under the action of the electrolytic voltage; and an isolation portion, which is arranged between the anode portion and the cathode portion and is used for isolating the anode portion from the cathode portion, so as to prevent the oxygen generated by the anode portion from diffusing to the cathode portion. The isolation portion is additionally provided between the anode portion and the cathode portion, so that the oxygen generated by the anode portion is prevented from diffusing to the cathode portion, thereby promoting directional output of the oxygen generated by the anode portion, and also avoiding the situation whereby the oxygen treatment device cannot consume oxygen from an external space since the cathode portion uses the oxygen from the anode portion to carry out the electrochemical reaction. Therefore, the oxygen treatment device and the refrigerator have a relatively high oxygen consumption efficiency and oxygen supply efficiency.

Description

Oxygen treatment device and refrigerator having the same

technical field

The invention relates to fresh-keeping technology, in particular to an oxygen treatment device and a refrigerator with the same.

Background technique

With the continuous improvement of living standards, people have higher and higher requirements for the preservation of articles. In the field of preservation of articles (such as food materials, medicines, etc.), oxygen is one of the key factors affecting the preservation effect of articles. For example, for foods such as fruits and vegetables, high-concentration oxygen will promote the respiration of fruits and vegetables, reduce the content of organic matter, and lead to the loss of nutrients. For foods such as meat, low-concentration oxygen may affect the color and taste of foods.

The inventor realized that it is necessary to develop an oxygen treatment device with oxygen consumption function and oxygen supply function. On this basis, the inventor also realized that since both the oxygen consumption process and the oxygen supply process are processed for oxygen, the oxygen consumption process and the oxygen supply process may interfere with each other, thereby reducing the oxygen consumption efficiency and supply efficiency of the device. oxygen efficiency.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to overcome at least one technical defect in the prior art, and provide an oxygen treatment device and a refrigerator having the same.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an oxygen treatment device and a refrigerator with higher oxygen consumption efficiency and oxygen supply efficiency.

Another further object of the present invention is to make the oxygen treatment device and the refrigerator simultaneously create a low-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere and a high-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere with a simple structure.

A further object of the present invention is to enable the oxygen treatment device itself to have the function of replenishing liquid, so as to prolong the effective working time.

A further object of the present invention is to keep the liquid level in the liquid storage chamber of the oxygen treatment device at a high level all the time.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an oxygen treatment device is provided, comprising: a cathode part, used for consuming oxygen through electrochemical reaction under the action of electrolysis voltage; an anode part, used for through electrochemical reaction under the action of electrolysis voltage Oxygen is generated; and the blocking part is arranged between the anode part and the cathode part, and is used to block the anode part and the cathode part, so as to prevent the oxygen gas generated in the anode part from diffusing to the cathode part.

Optionally, the oxygen treatment device further includes: a casing with an opening; and the cathode portion is disposed at the opening to define together with the casing a liquid storage chamber for containing the electrolyte; the barrier portion is disposed in the liquid storage The cavity is divided into a first subspace and a second subspace; and the first subspace communicates with the cathode part, and the anode part is arranged in the second subspace.

Optionally, the barrier part is a porous mesh diaphragm with a pore size less than or equal to 1mm, which is used to allow the electrolyte to pass through and prevent oxygen bubbles from passing through, wherein the oxygen bubbles are formed when oxygen generated by the anode part flows in the electrolyte.

Optionally, the anode part is nickel mesh or titanium mesh.

Optionally, the cathode part has a catalytic film, and the catalytic film is made of a precursor through hot-pressing treatment; and the precursor includes carbon-supported silver particles and carbon-supported manganese dioxide particles.

Optionally, the interior of the casing further defines a liquid replenishment chamber, which is located on one side of the liquid storage chamber and communicates with the liquid storage chamber to replenish liquid to the liquid storage chamber.

Optionally, there is a partition inside the casing, which divides the inner space of the casing into a liquid storage chamber and a liquid replacement chamber; and a communication port is opened on the partition for communicating the liquid replacement chamber and the liquid storage chamber.

Optionally, the partition extends obliquely at a preset angle to the vertical direction, so that the liquid storage chamber is gradually expanded from bottom to top, and the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replacement chamber are horizontally arranged side by side; and the communication port is located on the side of the partition bottom section.

Optionally, a liquid replenishment port is opened on the shell for communicating with the liquid replenishment cavity and the external environment of the shell; The liquid supply port is used to communicate with the liquid replenishment port to replenish liquid to the liquid replenishment chamber; and the liquid level switch has a switch body, is arranged in the liquid replenishment chamber, and is configured to be opened when the liquid level in the liquid replenishment chamber drops below the cathode part The liquid rehydration port enables the rehydration container to replenish liquid to the rehydration cavity.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a refrigerator comprising: the oxygen treatment device according to any one of the above items.

In the oxygen treatment device of the present invention and the refrigerator having it, since a barrier part is provided between the anode part and the cathode part, the barrier part plays a role in preventing the oxygen generated in the anode part from diffusing to the cathode part by blocking the anode part and the cathode part , so as to promote the directional output of the oxygen produced by the anode part, and also avoid the oxygen treatment device from being unable to consume the oxygen in the external space caused by the electrochemical reaction of the cathode part using the oxygen from the anode part. Therefore, the oxygen treatment device of the present invention and Refrigerators have high oxygen consumption efficiency and oxygen supply efficiency.

Further, the oxygen treatment device of the present invention and the refrigerator equipped with it can treat oxygen The device can not only supply oxygen to a certain external space, but also consume oxygen in another external space. Therefore, the oxygen treatment device and the refrigerator of the present invention can simultaneously create a low-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere and a high-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere with a simple structure.

Furthermore, in the oxygen treatment device and the refrigerator with it of the present invention, since the casing of the oxygen treatment device has a liquid replenishment chamber, the liquid replenishment chamber communicates with the liquid storage chamber and can replenish liquid to the liquid storage chamber. Therefore, the oxygen treatment device of the present invention The device itself has the function of replenishing liquid, which is beneficial to prolong the effective working time of the anode and cathode parts.

Furthermore, the oxygen treatment device and the refrigerator with it of the present invention, since the oxygen treatment device also has a liquid replenishment container for replenishing liquid to the liquid replenishment chamber, and the double liquid supply part is formed by combining the liquid replenishment chamber and the liquid replenishment container, the oxygen treatment can be improved. The liquid storage capacity of the device, so that the liquid level in the liquid storage chamber of the oxygen treatment device is always at a high level.

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:

1 is a schematic structural diagram of an oxygen treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic structural diagram of an oxygen treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid level switch of an oxygen treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic exploded view of the liquid level switch of the oxygen treatment device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a liquid level switch of the oxygen treatment device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an oxygen treatment device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The oxygen treatment device 10 of this embodiment is used to be installed in the refrigerator 1 to adjust the oxygen concentration in the storage space of the refrigerator 1 .

In order to illustrate the internal structure, Figure 1 is a perspective view. The oxygen treatment device 10 may generally include a cathode portion 110 , an anode portion 120 and a barrier portion 130 .

Wherein, the cathode part 110 is used for consuming oxygen through an electrochemical reaction under the action of the electrolysis voltage. The anode part 120 is used to generate oxygen through an electrochemical reaction under the action of an electrolysis voltage. The blocking part 130 is disposed between the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110 for blocking the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110 to prevent the oxygen gas generated in the anode part 120 from diffusing to the cathode part 110 .

That is to say, the barrier part 130 separates the space where the cathode part 110 is located and the space where the anode part 120 is located into two spaces that are not connected to each other, thereby preventing gas exchange between the two spaces. For example, the barrier part 130 can be a gas barrier film, or a porous mesh film with a specific pore size, a nuclear pore film, a non-woven fabric, etc., as long as it can prevent gas penetration. The cathode part 110 and the anode part 120 may be a cathode electrode and an anode electrode, respectively, and perform a reduction reaction and an oxidation reaction, respectively.

In the oxygen treatment device 10 of the present invention, since the barrier part 130 is arranged between the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110, the barrier part 130 prevents the oxygen gas produced by the anode part 120 from flowing to the cathode part by blocking the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110. 110 diffusion, so as to promote the directional output of the oxygen produced by the anode part 120, and also prevent the cathode part 110 from using the oxygen from the anode part 120 for electrochemical reaction, causing the oxygen treatment device 10 to be unable to consume the oxygen in the external space. , the oxygen treatment device 10 and the refrigerator 1 of the present invention have higher oxygen consumption efficiency and oxygen supply efficiency.

By setting the barrier part 130 between the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110, and making the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110 carry out the oxygen supply reaction and the oxygen consumption reaction respectively, the oxygen treatment device 10 can be supplied to a certain external space. Oxygen can consume oxygen in another external space. Therefore, the oxygen treatment device 10 of the present invention can simultaneously create a low-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere and a high-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere with a simple structure. When the oxygen treatment device 10 of the present invention is applied to the refrigerator 1, it is no longer necessary to separately install an oxygen removal module for oxygen consumption and an oxygen supply module for oxygen supply.

It should be noted that although the oxygen treatment device 10 of the present invention substantially has both the oxygen consumption function and the oxygen supply function, when it is applied to the refrigerator 1 , it does not necessarily perform the oxygen consumption work and the oxygen supply work at the same time. Users or engineers can selectively enable the oxygen consumption function and the oxygen supply function of the oxygen treatment device 10 according to actual usage requirements. For example, when the oxygen consumption function needs to be activated, the cathode part 110 can be communicated with the space to be deoxygenated; when the oxygen supply function needs to be activated, the anode part 120 or the exhaust port 201 of the oxygen treatment device The air flow in the space of oxygen can be communicated.

In some optional embodiments, the oxygen treatment device 10 may further include a casing 200 with an opening (not shown) thereon. FIG. 1 is a side view, where the cathode part 110 is the opening of the casing 200 .

The cathode portion 110 is disposed at the opening to define together with the casing 200 a liquid storage chamber for containing the electrolyte. The barrier part 130 is disposed in the liquid storage chamber and divides the liquid storage chamber into a first subspace 211 and a second subspace 212 . The first subspace 211 communicates with the cathode part 110 , and the anode part 120 is disposed in the second subspace 212 .

For example, the housing 200 may be roughly in the shape of a flat cuboid, and one of the side walls of the housing 200 may be opened to form the aforementioned opening. The barrier part 130 can be arranged parallel to the side wall where the opening is located in the liquid storage chamber, so as to divide the liquid storage chamber into a first subspace 211 communicating with the opening and a second subspace 212 not communicating with the opening. Since the cathode portion 110 is closed at the opening, it also communicates with the first subspace 211 . The anode part 120 is disposed in the second subspace 212 .

With the above-mentioned structure, the cathode part 110 can be directly exposed to the external environment of the housing 200, thereby being easy to contact with the air in the external environment of the housing 200, which improves the contact efficiency of the cathode part 110 with the oxygen in the external air, without Other gas guiding structures are installed to deliver oxygen to the cathode portion 110 .

When energized, the cathode portion 110 is used to consume oxygen through an electrochemical reaction. For example, oxygen in the air can undergo a reduction reaction at the cathode part 110 , namely: O ₂ +2H ₂ O+4e ⁻ →4OH ⁻ . The OH ⁻ produced by the cathode part 110 can undergo an oxidation reaction at the anode part 120 to generate oxygen, namely: 4OH ⁻ →O ₂ +2H ₂ O+4e ⁻ . Oxygen can be exhausted through the exhaust port 201 on the housing 200 .

In some optional embodiments, the barrier part 130 is a porous mesh membrane for allowing the electrolyte to pass through and preventing oxygen bubbles from passing through, wherein the oxygen bubbles are formed when the oxygen gas generated by the anode part 120 flows in the electrolyte. That is to say, the first subspace 211 where the cathode part 110 is located is not completely isolated from the second subspace 212 where the anode part 120 is located, and the electrolyte can flow freely in the two subspaces.

The inventors found that a large number of tiny oxygen bubbles will be generated during the oxygen evolution process of the anode part 120, and these tiny oxygen bubbles are not easy to burst and aggregate into large bubbles, so they are not easy to be rapidly separated from the electrolyte, but will form a white mist with the electrolyte At the same time, some oxygen bubbles will contact the cathode part 110, adhere to the catalytic membrane of the cathode part 110, and enter into the hydrophobic pores, and participate in the electrochemical reaction of the cathode part 110 as reactants In this way, the ability of the cathode part 110 to consume oxygen in the ambient air outside the casing 200 is reduced, and the oxygen consumption ability of the oxygen treatment device 10 is also weakened.

By using the porous mesh film to separate the second subspace 212 where the anode part 120 is located and the first subspace 211 where the cathode part 110 is located, it is possible to prevent oxygen bubbles from diffusing to the first subspace 211 where the cathode part 110 is located. Affect the free flow of electrolyte.

The electrolytic solution is an acidic aqueous solution or an alkaline aqueous solution. In some optional embodiments, the pore size of the porous mesh film is smaller than the diameter of oxygen bubbles and larger than the diameter of water molecules. For example, the pore diameter of the porous mesh membrane is less than or equal to 1mm, and may be 0.9mm, 0.8mm or 0.7mm.

In some optional embodiments, the anode part 120 is a nickel mesh or a titanium mesh. For example, it may be a nickel mesh or a titanium mesh of 1 to 400 meshes, which may be roughly in the shape of a plate, or in the shape of a flat plate. The use of nickel mesh or titanium mesh as the anode part 120 is conducive to improving the flow rate of ions. For example, the ^OH- or ^HO2- generated by the cathode part 110 can freely pass through the anode part 120, so that the anode part 120 is easy to be absorbed by high-concentration OH ^- or HO ² -wrapping, which is beneficial to increase the rate of electrochemical reaction of the anode part 120 .

In some optional embodiments, the cathode portion 110 has a catalytic membrane. The catalytic membrane is made from the precursor by hot pressing. And the precursor includes carbon-supported silver particles and carbon-supported manganese dioxide particles. Using carbon-supported silver particles and carbon-supported manganese dioxide particles as precursors for hot-pressing treatment, the formed catalytic film contains silver and manganese dioxide as a composite catalyst, which can significantly increase the electrochemical reaction rate of the cathode part 110 .

The carbon carrier can be activated carbon. For example, the manganese dioxide catalyst content can be 15%-40% of the active carbon support content, and the silver catalyst content can be 15%-40% of the active carbon support content. In some embodiments, the precursor of the catalytic membrane may further include polytetrafluoroethylene and acetylene black. The precursor is obtained by mixing polytetrafluoroethylene, acetylene black, activated carbon-supported silver, and activated carbon-supported manganese dioxide under preset conditions according to a preset ratio and a preset sequence.

Acetylene black acts as a conductor and can reduce the impedance of the entire catalytic membrane. PTFE is hydrophobic. During the hot-pressing process, polytetrafluoroethylene can form a porous structure, which can allow gas to enter the interior of the cathode part 110 and can prevent the electrolyte from penetrating.

In some embodiments, the cathode part 110 may further include a current collecting net and two waterproof and gas-permeable membranes. For example, the current collecting net can be a titanium net or a nickel net, which is arranged on one side of the catalytic membrane. The first waterproof and gas-permeable membrane is arranged between the collector net and the catalytic membrane, and the second waterproof and breathable membrane is arranged on the side of the collector net facing away from the catalytic membrane.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an oxygen treatment device 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is the main view. In order to illustrate the internal structure, Figure 2 is a perspective view.

In some optional embodiments, the interior of the casing 200 further defines a liquid refill chamber 220, which is located at one side of the liquid storage chamber and communicates with the liquid storage chamber to replenish liquid to the liquid storage chamber.

That is to say, the casing 200 of this embodiment has a liquid replenishing chamber 220 and a liquid storage chamber inside. Wherein, the liquid storage chamber is used as a place for electrochemical reaction, and the liquid replenishment chamber 220 is used as a liquid supply part of the liquid storage chamber. The type of liquid contained in the liquid replenishment chamber 220 can be determined according to the type of electrochemical reaction, and is generally the substance consumed by the electrochemical reaction. For example, when the electrochemical reaction is the reaction of electrolyzing water, the liquid contained in the rehydration chamber 220 is water.

By defining a liquid storage chamber and a liquid replacement chamber 220 in the housing 200 of the oxygen treatment device 10, and assembling the anode part 120, the cathode part 110 and the barrier part 130 in the liquid storage chamber, and making the liquid replacement chamber 220 communicate with the liquid storage chamber That is, the liquid replenishment chamber 220 of the oxygen treatment device 10 itself can be used to replenish liquid to the liquid storage chamber, which enables the oxygen treatment device 10 itself to have a liquid replenishment function.

Since the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replacement chamber 220 are integrated in the housing 200, an integrated liquid replacement-consumption structure is formed, which greatly simplifies the structure of the entire device and reduces the number of necessary components, for example, the communication with the liquid replacement chamber can be omitted 220 and the pipeline structure of the liquid storage cavity. Moreover, since the liquid replenishment process can be performed inside the casing 200, this is beneficial to improve the safety of the liquid replenishment process.

By temporarily storing a specific amount of liquid in the liquid replenishment chamber 220, the liquid replenishment requirements of the cathode part 110 and the anode part 120 can be met within a certain range, and the problem that the oxygen treatment device 10 cannot work normally due to insufficient electrolyte can be reduced or avoided. It is beneficial to improve the working performance of the oxygen treatment device 10 .

Since the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replenishment chamber 220 form an integrated liquid replenishment-consumption structure, the housing 200 with a specific spatial layout structure can be obtained through the molding process, and the process is simple. Compared with the split liquid replenishment structure, the The assembling process is complicated, and the sealed communication between the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replacement chamber 220 is guaranteed.

There is a partition 400 inside the housing 200 , which divides the inner space of the housing 200 into a liquid storage chamber and a liquid refill chamber 220 . For example, the partition 400 may be a partition, which may be formed inside the housing 200 through a molding process.

A communicating port 410 is opened on the separator 400 for connecting the liquid replenishing chamber 220 and the liquid storage chamber. The liquid in the liquid replenishment chamber 220 can flow into the liquid storage chamber through the communication port 410 to supply liquid to the liquid storage chamber.

The partition 400 extends obliquely at a predetermined angle with the vertical direction, so that the liquid storage chamber is gradually expanded from bottom to top, and the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replacement chamber 220 are horizontally arranged side by side. The liquid storage chamber is gradually expanded from bottom to top, which is beneficial to the upward movement of the air bubbles, and can quickly discharge the oxygen generated by the anode part 120 . In some other embodiments, the partition 400 can also be arranged vertically, which can simplify the molding process of the casing 200 .

The communication port 410 is located at the bottom section of the partition 400 , which allows the liquid in the liquid replenishment chamber 220 to pass through the communication port 410 by its own gravity and flow into the liquid storage chamber. The flow process of the liquid from the liquid replenishment chamber 220 to the liquid storage chamber does not require driving force from a driving module such as a pump, and the liquid replenishment process can be carried out automatically.

It should be noted that terms such as “vertical” and “horizontal” indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships in the state of use. Having a particular orientation, being constructed and operating in a particular orientation, and therefore not to be construed as limiting the invention.

A liquid replenishment port (not shown) is opened on the casing 200 for communicating the liquid replenishment chamber 220 with the external environment of the casing 200 to allow liquid from the external environment of the casing 200 to flow into the liquid replenishment chamber 220 . The liquid replenishment port may be located on the top of the casing 200 , for example, may be located on the top wall for closing the liquid replenishment cavity 220 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the part in contact with the top of the switch body 320 of the liquid level switch 300 is the liquid replenishment port. In some optional embodiments, the liquid replenishment port can also be located inside the casing 200 , and a buffer zone is formed inside the casing 200 to communicate the liquid replenishment port with the external environment of the casing 200 .

In some embodiments, since the housing 200 is provided with a rehydration port, which connects the rehydration chamber 220 with the external environment of the housing 200, when the liquid storage in the rehydration chamber 220 decreases, the The outside of 200 replenishes liquid to the liquid replenishment chamber 220 , which enables the liquid replenishment chamber 220 to continuously supply electrolyte to the liquid storage chamber, thereby improving the working performance of the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110 .

In some other optional embodiments, the oxygen treatment device 10 may further include a liquid replacement container 500 and a liquid level switch 300 .

Wherein, a liquid replacement space 510 for storing liquid is formed inside the liquid replacement container 500 , and a liquid supply port is opened on the liquid replacement container 500 for communicating with the liquid replacement port to supply liquid to the liquid replacement chamber 220 .

Since the oxygen treatment device 10 has a liquid replacement container 500 for replenishing liquid to the liquid replacement chamber 220, the combination of the liquid replacement chamber 220 and the liquid replacement container 500 forms a double liquid supply part, which can improve the liquid storage capacity of the oxygen treatment device 10, so that the oxygen treatment device The liquid level in the liquid storage cavity of 10 is at a higher level all the time.

The liquid level switch 300 has a switch body, is installed in the liquid replenishment chamber 220 , and is configured to open the liquid replenishment port when the liquid level in the liquid replenishment chamber 220 falls below the cathode part 110 , so that the liquid replenishment container 500 replenishes liquid into the liquid replenishment chamber 220 . Wherein, the liquid level falls below the cathode part 110 means that the liquid level is equal to or lower than the highest point of the cathode part 110 .

The inventor realizes that although the cathode part 110 seals the opening of the casing 200, the cathode part 110 has waterproof and gas permeability, and when the liquid level in the liquid storage chamber drops below the cathode part 110, it will cause the cathode part 110 to be exposed to electrolysis. The outside of the liquid, which will cause the air outside the housing 200 to pass through the cathode part 110 and enter the liquid storage chamber, and may also cause the air in the liquid storage chamber to pass through the cathode part 110 and flow to the outside of the cathode part 110, both will cause Interference with the normal operation of the oxygen treatment plant 10 occurs.

Therefore, by using the liquid level switch 300 to control the liquid level in the liquid replenishment chamber 220 and the liquid storage chamber, the liquid can be replenished in time when the liquid level drops to the highest point of the cathode part 110, thereby improving the liquid replenishment chamber 220 and the liquid storage chamber. The liquid level ensures that the cathode part 110 is always submerged in the electrolyte solution, and prevents gas exchange at the cathode part 110.

In some further embodiments, the cathode part 110 may be lower than the anode part 120, that is, the highest point of the cathode part 110 is lower than the highest point of the anode part 120, which can reduce the risk of the cathode part 110 being exposed to the outside of the electrolyte.

The level switch 300 can be electronic, or it can be mechanical. For example, when the liquid level switch 300 is electronic, the oxygen treatment device 10 may further include a liquid level monitoring component connected to the liquid level switch 300 for monitoring the liquid level in the rehydration chamber 220, and during the rehydration When the liquid level in the cavity 220 drops below the cathode part 110 , an indication signal is sent to the liquid level switch 300 to instruct the liquid level switch 300 to open the liquid replenishment port.

The structure of the liquid level switch 300 will be further introduced below by taking the mechanical liquid level switch 300 as an example.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the liquid level switch 300 of the oxygen treatment device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 4 is a schematic exploded view of the liquid level switch 300 of the oxygen treatment device 10 shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid level switch 300 of the oxygen treatment device 10 shown in FIG. 3 .

The liquid level switch 300 also includes a float 320 , which is fixedly connected with the switch body 310 or integrated with the switch body 310 , and is used to drive the switch body 310 to move by floating or sinking around an axis in the liquid replenishment chamber. That is to say, the switch body 310 is "driven" by the float 320, and the power required for the movement of the float 320 is determined by the buoyancy it experiences in the fluid replacement chamber.

For example, a part of the float 320 is immersed in the liquid, so that the float 320 is buoyed by the liquid. When the liquid level in the liquid replenishing chamber changes, the buoyancy force on the float 320 will also change, so that the resultant force of the buoyancy force on the float 320 and the gravity will change. For example, when the liquid level in the rehydration chamber decreases, the buoyancy force on the float 320 will decrease, and if the resultant force of the buoyancy force on the float 320 and gravity is downward, the float 320 will move downward. On the contrary, it will cause the float 320 to move upward. The float 320 may rise or fall in a vertical direction, or may rise or fall in a curve.

In some optional embodiments, the float 320 is rotatably arranged around an axis. That is, the float 320 of the present embodiment does not move up and down in a straight line, but rises or falls in a manner of rotating around an axis. In such a design, it is only necessary to pivotally connect the float 320 to a certain fixed shaft, and there is no need to The installation of guide components with high dimensional accuracy has the advantages of compact structure, simple assembly process and good device reliability.

Since the float 320 is rotatably arranged around the axis, the movement trajectory is clear and definite, which makes the float 320 and the switch body 310 of this embodiment easy to move along a clear and definite movement trajectory, thereby improving the reliability of the liquid level switch 300 and reducing or avoiding the Due to the free movement of the float 320, problems such as poor sealing are caused.

The liquid level switch 300 may further include a rotating shaft 340 and a connecting piece 330 .

Wherein, the rotating shaft 340 is fixed in the fluid replacement chamber. For example, the rotating shaft 340 may be fixedly connected with the container inner wall of the fluid replacement chamber.

In some optional embodiments, the rotating shaft 340 can also be detachably fixed to the liquid replenishment chamber, which can adjust the height of the rotating shaft 340 according to actual needs, thereby adjusting the liquid level in the liquid replenishment chamber at which the liquid replenishment starts.

The connecting member 330 is fixedly connected with the float 320 or integrally formed with the float 320 , and has a shaft hole 341 formed therein for the rotation shaft 340 to be inserted into and rotatably matched to realize the rotatable connection. That is to say, the connecting member 330 assembles the rotating shaft 340 and the float 320 into an organic whole, so that the float 320 can rotate around the rotating shaft 340 .

By opening the shaft hole 341 on the connecting piece 330 and rotatably fitting the shaft hole 340 with the shaft hole 341, the float 320 can be rotatably assembled to the shaft 340. The structure is exquisite and the process is simple.

The switch body 310 is rod-shaped. A mounting hole 342 is also formed on the connecting member 330 for a part of the switch body 310 to be inserted thereinto achieve fixed assembly. That is to say, a part of the switch body 310 is indirectly fixedly connected with the float 320 by being fixedly assembled with the connecting piece 330 . For example, a part of the above-mentioned switch body 310 can be assembled with the mounting hole 342 of the connecting piece 330 through an interference fit.

The rotating shaft 340 and the switch body 310 are respectively assembled to the connecting piece 330 fixedly connected with the float 320 or integrated with the float 320 to form the liquid level switch 300 with strong structural integrity. The switch body 310 and the float 320 are located on the same side of the rotation shaft 340 . The same side of the switch body 310 and the float 320 means that the switch body 310 is located between the rotating shaft 340 and the float 320, which makes the switch body 310 "move in the same direction" as the float 320 according to the liquid level in the inner space of the liquid replacement chamber. The key is to obtain a larger "moment arm ratio".

In this embodiment, the central axis of the rotating shaft 340 extends along the horizontal direction and is perpendicular to the central longitudinal vertical symmetry plane of the float 320 . For example, for the cylindrical float 320, when the two bottom surfaces 321 of the float 320 are arranged opposite to each other along the horizontal direction, the central longitudinal vertical symmetrical plane of the float 320 is the longitudinal center section of the float 320 extending in the vertical direction. When the switch body 310 closes the liquid replenishment port, the central axis of the mounting hole 342 extends vertically and is parallel to the central longitudinal vertical centerline of the float 320, wherein the central longitudinal vertical centerline of the float 320 is the float 320 is the longitudinal centerline of the longitudinal center section extending in the vertical direction. Orientation words such as "horizontal" and "longitudinal" are relative to the actual use state of the liquid level switch 300, and the longitudinal direction is roughly the vertical direction.

In some optional embodiments, the float 320 is in the shape of a hollow column. The cylinder of the float 320 in this embodiment is a cavity structure, which can further enhance the buoyancy (the overall density is lower than that of the liquid). The central axis of the float 320 is parallel to the central axis of the shaft hole 341 . Wherein, the central axis of the float 320 is collinear with the centers of the two bottom surfaces 321 respectively. Since the central axis of the shaft hole 341 extends along the horizontal direction, the central axis of the float 320 also extends along the horizontal direction, and the two bottom surfaces 321 of the float 320 are disposed opposite to each other along the horizontal direction.

In some optional embodiments, the connecting member 330 is a cantilever formed by extending obliquely outward and upward from the upper side section of the column side 322 of the float 320 . Wherein, “outward” means radially outward along the side surface 322 of the cylinder.

The switch body 310 is a rod-shaped plug having an assembly portion 311 and a blocking portion 312 . Wherein the assembly part 311 is a rod, and is fixedly assembled in the installation hole 342 . The blocking part 312 is a plug cap connected to the top of the assembly part 311 for opening or closing the liquid replenishment port. The plug cover can be cylindrical, and its upper surface is planar. Compared with the matching structure of the traditional tapered head plug and the faucet, the matching mechanism of the plug cover and the lower annular flange of this embodiment has the advantage of high position error tolerance, and the plug cover does not need to be connected with the liquid outlet of the lower annular flange. Precise alignment, as long as the upper surface of the plug cover can cover the mouth of the tapered spout. The plug cover and the rod in this embodiment are one piece.

A central section of the inner wall of the mounting hole 342 extends radially inward to form a central annular flange 342a. The main body rod 311c of the fitting part 311 has the same rod diameter as the hole diameter of the middle annular flange 342a so as to be inserted into the hole defined by the middle annular flange 342a. The assembly part 311 also has an upper annular boss 311a and a lower annular boss 311b extending radially outward from its main body rod 311c, respectively positioned above and below the middle annular flange 342a to limit the switch body 310 relative to the mounting hole. 342 degrees of freedom of movement.

By designing the hole structure of the mounting hole 342 and the rod structure and plug structure of the switch body 310 , the structural stability of the overall structure obtained through fixed assembly between the switch body 310 and the mounting hole 342 can be improved.

In some optional embodiments, the switch body 310 is made of acid-resistant and alkali-resistant elastic materials, such as EPDM rubber or fluororubber, etc., relying on its own elastic deformation to squeeze the liquid replenishment port that is sealed with it, so as to achieve sealing . The rotating shaft 340 is made of acid and alkali resistant materials, such as chrome-plated metal materials, ceramic materials or plastic materials. The float 320 can be made of acid and alkali resistant materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene or polybutylene adipamide.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 1 may generally include a box body 20 and the oxygen treatment device 10 as in any of the above embodiments. The interior of the box body 20 defines a storage space. The oxygen treatment device 10 is installed on the box body 20 and is used for consuming oxygen in the storage space, or for supplying oxygen to the storage space. For example, there can be multiple storage spaces, the cathode part can be in airflow communication with a certain storage space to reduce the oxygen content in the storage space, and the anode part can be in airflow communication with another storage space to increase the storage space. Oxygen content in the space.

The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is an electrical device with a low-temperature storage function, including not only a refrigerator 1 in a narrow sense, but also a freezer, a storage cabinet, and other refrigerating and freezing devices. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment can quickly create a low-oxygen fresh-keeping environment, inhibit the respiration of ingredients such as fruits and vegetables, slow down physiological metabolism, and prolong the fresh-keeping time. It can also quickly create a high-oxygen fresh-keeping environment to provide meat, mushrooms and other ingredients. High oxygen adjusts the fresh-keeping atmosphere.

The oxygen treatment device 10 of the present invention and the refrigerator 1 having it, since the barrier part 130 is provided between the anode part 120 and the cathode part 110, the barrier part 130 prevents the anode part 120 from Oxygen produced in the anode part 110 diffuses to the cathode part 110, so as to promote the directional output of the oxygen generated in the anode part 120, and also prevent the cathode part 110 from using the oxygen from the anode part 120 for electrochemical reaction, causing the oxygen treatment device 10 to be unable to consume Therefore, the oxygen treatment device 10 and the refrigerator 1 of the present invention have higher oxygen consumption efficiency and oxygen supply efficiency.

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

An oxygen treatment device comprising:

Cathode part for consuming oxygen by electrochemical reaction under the action of electrolysis voltage;

an anode portion for producing oxygen by an electrochemical reaction under the action of an electrolysis voltage; and

The blocking part is arranged between the anode part and the cathode part, and is used for blocking the anode part and the cathode part, so as to prevent the oxygen gas generated in the anode part from diffusing to the cathode part.
The oxygen treatment plant according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing with an opening therein; and

The cathode portion is disposed at the opening to define together with the housing a liquid storage chamber for containing electrolyte; the barrier portion is disposed in the liquid storage chamber, and the liquid storage chamber It is divided into a first subspace and a second subspace; and the first subspace communicates with the cathode part, and the anode part is arranged in the second subspace.
The oxygen treatment plant of claim 1, wherein:

The barrier part is a porous mesh diaphragm with a pore size less than or equal to 1mm, which is used to allow the electrolyte to pass through and prevent oxygen bubbles from passing through, wherein the oxygen bubbles are oxygen generated by the anode part flowing in the electrolyte formed when.
The oxygen treatment plant of claim 1, wherein:

The anode part is nickel mesh or titanium mesh.
The oxygen treatment plant of claim 1, wherein:

The cathode part has a catalytic film, and the catalytic film is made of a precursor through hot-pressing treatment; and the precursor includes carbon-supported silver particles and carbon-supported manganese dioxide particles.
An oxygen treatment plant according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein:

The interior of the housing also defines a liquid replenishment chamber, which is located at one side of the liquid storage chamber and communicates with the liquid storage chamber to replenish liquid to the liquid storage chamber.
The oxygen treatment plant of claim 6, wherein:

There is a partition inside the housing, which divides the inner space of the housing into the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replacement chamber; and the partition is provided with a communication port for communicating with the liquid replacement chamber with the reservoir chamber.
The oxygen treatment plant of claim 7, wherein:

The partition extends obliquely at a predetermined angle with the vertical direction, so that the liquid storage chamber is gradually expanded from bottom to top, and the liquid storage chamber and the liquid replacement chamber are horizontally arranged side by side; and

The communication port is located at the bottom section of the partition.
The oxygen treatment plant of claim 6, wherein:

A liquid replenishment port is opened on the housing for communicating the liquid replenishment chamber with the external environment of the housing;

The oxygen treatment device also includes:

A fluid replacement container, which forms a fluid replacement space for storing fluid inside, and a fluid supply port is opened on the fluid replacement container, which is used to communicate with the fluid replacement port, so as to replenish fluid to the fluid replacement cavity; and

A liquid level switch, which has a switch body, is arranged in the liquid replenishment chamber, and is configured to open the liquid replenishment port when the liquid level in the liquid replenishment chamber drops below the cathode part, so that the liquid replenishment container is directed to the Rehydration cavity rehydration.
A refrigerator comprising:

An oxygen treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1-9.