Method of changing gas nitrogen oxygen concentration, oxygen reduction device and method, and refrigerator

Abstract

The present application provides a method for changing the concentration of nitrogen and oxygen in a gas, an oxygen reduction device and method, and a refrigerator. The oxygen reduction device comprises: a sorbent tank; a first pipeline in communication with the sorbent tank, the first pipeline being used to connect with the storage chamber to introduce the gas in the storage chamber into the sorbent tank, a first electromagnetic valve being arranged on the first pipeline; a vacuum pump, an input end of the vacuum pump being in communication with the sorbent tank; a second pipeline in communication with an output end of the vacuum pump, the second pipeline being used to connect with the storage chamber to deliver the extracted gas to the storage chamber, a second electromagnetic valve being arranged on the second pipeline; and a third pipeline in communication with the output end of the vacuum pump, a third electromagnetic valve controlled by the control device being arranged on the third pipeline; a control device, the control device controlling the operation of the vacuum pump and controlling the opening and closing of the first electromagnetic valve, the second electromagnetic valve and the third electromagnetic valve.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of adjusting the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas, and more particularly, to a method of changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas and its application in food preservation and refrigerators. BACKGROUND

[0002] It is well known that it is desirable to preserve food, especially vegetables and fruits, in a low-oxygen environment. There are many patent documents in the prior art that provide various methods of reducing the oxygen content in a storage chamber.

[0003] US Patent Application No. US20090266095A1 discloses a membrane-based nitrogen generation device to reduce the oxygen content in a storage chamber. In order to separate nitrogen and oxygen, a compressor is provided to continuously supply air to the unit. Due to the compressor, the oxygen-reducing device will have a large noise and a large volume. On the other hand, small compressors are very expensive, even higher than the price of a normal commercially available refrigerator.

[0004] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN201199115Y discloses a device that uses a membrane and a vacuum pump to separate air to reduce the oxygen content in a storage chamber. Oxygen is drawn out of the storage chamber through the membrane to reduce the oxygen content in the storage chamber. However, the nitrogen-oxygen separation efficiency of this device is low because a large number of nitrogen molecules are concentrated on one side of the membrane, making it difficult for oxygen molecules to pass through. On the other hand, the nitrogen-oxygen selectivity of the membrane is not high, and the pressure difference provided by the vacuum pump is small, making the efficiency of the membrane in separating nitrogen and oxygen very low.

[0005] In addition, International Application No. WO2013004619 A1, and Chinese Patent Publication No. CN1225253A, etc. desire to consume oxygen in the storage chamber in a chemical manner, such as combustion and catalysis, etc. These solutions are all complex, lack practicality and may pose a safety hazard. SUMMARY

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to solve or at least alleviate the problems in the prior art;

[0007] According to some aspects, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple method of changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas;

[0008] According to some aspects, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple method of reducing the oxygen content in a storage chamber;

[0009] According to some aspects, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oxygen-reducing device that is simple in structure, small in size and low in cost, and a refrigerator having the same;

[0010] According to some aspects, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oxygen-reducing device that is high in efficiency and long in service life, and a refrigerator having the same;

[0011] According to some aspects, the present invention aims to reduce the noise of the above-mentioned device and simplify the operation.

[0012] To achieve the above-mentioned object or other objects, according to another aspect, there is provided a device for reducing the oxygen content in a storage chamber, comprising:

[0013] a sorbent tank in which a sorbent is arranged, the sorbent having selective adsorption separation capability for oxygen molecules and / or nitrogen molecules;

[0014] a first pipeline in communication with the sorbent tank, the first pipeline being used to connect with the storage chamber to introduce the gas in the storage chamber into the sorbent tank, a first electromagnetic valve being arranged on the first pipeline;

[0015] a vacuum pump, an input end of the vacuum pump being in communication with the sorbent tank;

[0016] a second pipeline in communication with an output end of the vacuum pump, the second pipeline being used to connect with the storage chamber to deliver the extracted gas to the storage chamber, a second electromagnetic valve being arranged on the second pipeline; and

[0017] a third pipeline in communication with the output end of the vacuum pump, a third electromagnetic valve controlled by the control device being arranged on the third pipeline;

[0018] a control device, the control device being configurable to control the vacuum pump to operate and control the first electromagnetic valve, the second electromagnetic valve and the third electromagnetic valve to open and close in a desired order.

[0019] According to another aspect, there is provided a refrigerator comprising the device for reducing the oxygen content according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] According to another aspect, there is provided a method for changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas, the method comprising: providing a sorbent tank in which a sorbent such as a zeolite molecular sieve sorbent or a carbon molecular sieve sorbent is arranged, and using a vacuum pump to vacuumize the sorbent tank, continuously for a first time T1 and a second time T2 in succession, delivering the gas extracted from the sorbent tank in the first time T1 and the gas extracted from the sorbent tank in the second time T2 to different targets respectively, and then supplementing air to the sorbent tank and repeating the above steps, wherein the concentration of oxygen or nitrogen in the gas extracted from the sorbent tank in the first time T1 is greater than a threshold value, and the concentration of oxygen or nitrogen in the gas extracted from the sorbent tank in the second time T2 is less than the threshold value.

[0021] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of reducing the oxygen content in a storage chamber, the method comprising delivering a low oxygen content gas produced by the method of changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas according to various embodiments of the present application to the storage chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The principles of the present application will become more apparent from the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a device implementing the method of changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas according to one embodiment is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of an oxygen reduction device for reducing the oxygen content in a storage chamber according to one embodiment is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 A graph showing the change in oxygen content in a storage chamber over time when the device of Figure 2 is employed; and

[0026] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of an oxygen reduction device for reducing the oxygen content in a storage chamber according to another embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] It is readily understood that the technical solution according to the present application can have various structural modes and implementation modes that can be substituted for each other without changing the essential spirit of the present application, which can be proposed by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the technical solution of the present application, and should not be considered as the whole or as a limitation or restriction on the technical solution of the present application.

[0028] In the present specification, the orientation terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front side, back side, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or possibly mentioned are defined with respect to the structure shown in the drawings, and are relative concepts, and thus can be changed accordingly depending on the different positions and different use states. Therefore, these or other orientation terms should not be interpreted as limiting terms.

[0029] Figure 1A structural diagram of an apparatus for implementing a method of changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas is shown. The apparatus for implementing a method of changing the nitrogen-oxygen concentration of a gas includes a first pipe 11 and a first solenoid valve 111 thereon in communication with a sorbent tank 1, the sorbent tank 1, a vacuum pump 2 having an input end in communication with the sorbent tank 1 and an output end in communication with a second pipe 12 and a third pipe 13, a second solenoid valve 121 on the second pipe 12, and a third solenoid valve 131 on the third pipe. The sorbent tank 1 can have two opposing ports, a first port 101 and a second port 102. The sorbent tank 1 has a sorbent therein having a selective adsorption separation capacity for oxygen molecules and / or nitrogen molecules, and a typical sorbent can include a zeolite molecular sieve sorbent or a carbon molecular sieve sorbent, and a zeolite molecular sieve sorbent that can be used includes but is not limited to UOP Oxysiv MDX or Oxysiv HP MDX. The present application uses the time variation of the oxygen concentration of the gas released from the sorbent tank during desorption to separate gases having different oxygen contents. More specifically, when a sorbent tank containing a zeolite molecular sieve sorbent is evacuated, most of the adsorbed oxygen molecules are preferentially released due to the stronger adsorption capacity of the zeolite molecular sieve sorbent for nitrogen molecules, and the oxygen content of the released gas decreases over time, and conversely, when a sorbent tank containing a carbon molecular sieve sorbent is evacuated, most of the nitrogen molecules are preferentially released due to the faster diffusion rate of oxygen molecules in the carbon molecular sieve sorbent tank than nitrogen molecules, and the oxygen content of the released gas increases over time, and thus gases having an oxygen content below a target oxygen content (threshold value) and gases having an oxygen content above the target oxygen content can be separated by control according to time. More specifically, when the oxygen content of the released gas is below the target oxygen content, the second solenoid valve 121 is opened and the third solenoid valve 131 is closed, and when the oxygen content of the released gas is above the target oxygen content, the second solenoid valve 121 is closed and the third solenoid valve 131 is opened. Figure 1The method of changing the nitrogen and oxygen concentration of a gas can be performed by the following steps: 1. Turn on vacuum pump 2, turn off electromagnetic valves 111, 121, turn on electromagnetic valve 131, and send the gas drawn from the adsorbent tank to target G1 for a duration of T1; 2. Turn off electromagnetic valves 111, 131, turn on electromagnetic valve 121, and send the gas drawn from the adsorbent tank to target G2 for a duration of T2; 3. Turn off electromagnetic valve 121 or 131 or both, turn on electromagnetic valve 111, and send the gas from O1 to make-up adsorbent tank 1; and repeat steps 1-3. By the above steps, the gas can be separated into a gas with a higher oxygen content and a gas with a lower oxygen content, and sent to targets G1 and G2, respectively. For example, when adsorbent tank 1 contains a zeolite molecular sieve adsorbent, the gas sent to G1 has a higher oxygen content, which can be greater than a target oxygen content (threshold), such as 10-65%, and the gas sent to G2 has a lower oxygen content, which can be less than a target oxygen content (threshold), such as 3-10%, where the minimum content can depend on the amount of adsorbent in the adsorbent tank and the capacity of vacuum pump 2. When adsorbent tank 1 contains a carbon molecular sieve adsorbent, the gas sent to G1 during T1 has a higher nitrogen content, which is greater than a threshold, and the gas sent to G2 during T2 has a lower nitrogen content, which is less than a threshold. Various target oxygen contents can be achieved by adjusting the power of vacuum pump 2 and the durations of T1 and T2. T1 and T2 can also be adjusted to achieve a target oxygen content, such as by experimentation.

[0030] Reference is now made to Figure 2 to describe Figure 1 the implementation of the method of changing the nitrogen and oxygen concentration of a gas using the apparatus of Figure 2The oxygen reduction device 3 for reducing the oxygen content in the storage chamber 4 is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises at least: a sorbent tank 1 in which a sorbent is arranged; a first line 21 in communication with the sorbent tank 1 for connecting to the storage chamber 4 to introduce gas from the storage chamber 4 into the sorbent tank 1, the first line 21 being provided with a first solenoid valve 211; a vacuum pump 2, the input 201 of which is in communication with the sorbent tank 1; a second line 22 in communication with the output 202 of the vacuum pump 2 for connecting to the storage chamber 4 to deliver the extracted gas to the storage chamber 4, the second line 22 being provided with a second solenoid valve 221; a third line 23 in communication with the output 202 of the vacuum pump 2, the third line 23 being provided with a third solenoid valve 231; and a control device 5 which controls the operation of the vacuum pump 2 and the opening and closing of the first, second and third solenoid valves 211, 221 and 231. It will be understood that the control device 5 can be configured to control the vacuum pump and the various solenoid valves in the desired manner, for example the control device 5 can be programmed to perform the controls and operations described in detail below in a specific time sequence. In some embodiments, the third line 23 leads to a discharge. In some embodiments, the sorbent tank 1 is in communication with ambient air via a fourth line 24 provided with a fourth solenoid valve 241 controlled by the control device 5. In some embodiments, the sorbent tank 1 has two ports, the first line 21 and the fourth line 24 being in communication with a first port 101 of the sorbent tank 1, and the input 201 of the vacuum pump being in communication with a second port 102 of the sorbent tank 1.

[0031] Next, the control method of the oxygen reduction device will be described. Figure 2 The control method of the oxygen reduction device will be described.

[0032] S1: introducing ambient air continuously through the sorbent tank, in which a zeolite molecular sieve sorbent is arranged, and discharging, for a duration A1; and

[0033] S2: sealing the sorbent tank and evacuating the sorbent tank using a vacuum pump, for a first time T1 and a second time T2 in succession, discharging the gas extracted from the sorbent tank during the first time T1 and delivering the gas extracted from the sorbent tank during the second time T2 to the storage chamber; and

[0034] S3 (optional): delivering a small amount of gas from the storage chamber to the sorbent tank, for a duration A2, evacuating the sorbent tank using a vacuum pump and delivering the extracted gas back to the storage chamber, for a duration A3;

[0035] repeating step S3 (optional) one or more times;

[0036] S4 (optional): passing outdoor air through the adsorbent tank to the storage chamber for a duration A4; and

[0037] Steps S1-S4 are repeated.

[0038] In particular Figure 2 The device will be connected to the storage chamber 4 with the oxygen reduction device 3, for example by connecting the ports 501, 502 of the oxygen reduction device 3 to the ports 401, 402 of the storage chamber 4, respectively.

[0039] The storage compartment 4 can be a vegetable and fruit preserving drawer of a refrigerator, which should have a certain sealing property when closed, and the oxygen reduction device 3 can also be integrated in the refrigerator, such as being arranged at the back side of the preserving drawer. The storage compartment 4 can have sensors, such as a first sensor for monitoring the opening and closing of the storage compartment 4 and a second sensor (not shown) for monitoring the oxygen content of the gas in the storage compartment 4. The oxygen reduction device 3 is activated during the closing of the storage compartment 4 and when the oxygen content therein is higher than a predetermined value (which can be generally higher than the target oxygen content), to reduce the oxygen content of the gas in the storage compartment 4 and provide a suitable atmosphere for the preservation of vegetables and fruits. Specifically, the control device 5 of the oxygen reduction device 3 controls the respective electromagnetic valves and vacuum pump to perform at least part of the above steps S1-S4. In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum pump 2 is continuously operated, and in step S1, the first electromagnetic valve 211 and the second electromagnetic valve 221 are closed, and the third electromagnetic valve 231 and the fourth electromagnetic valve 241 are opened, so that the ambient air passes through the adsorbent tank 1 and is discharged, and the duration A1 can be between 20-60 seconds. Since the adsorbent tank 1 contains zeolite molecular sieve adsorbent, the oxygen content of the gas output from the adsorbent tank 1 can be about 30-60% or even higher at the initial stage of the duration A1, and as the nitrogen molecules adsorbed in the adsorbent tank 1 gradually saturate, the oxygen content of the gas output from the adsorbent tank 1 approaches the atmospheric oxygen content, about 20.9%, at the end stage of the duration A1. The purpose of this step is to enrich the nitrogen molecules in the adsorbent tank 1, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the entire device. Another purpose of this step is to use air to purge the adsorbent tank 1 to remove undesirable water or oxygen molecules therein, so as to increase the efficiency and service life of the adsorbent tank 1 and the entire oxygen reduction device 3. In step S2, the first electromagnetic valve 211, the second electromagnetic valve 221 and the fourth electromagnetic valve 241 are first closed, and the third electromagnetic valve 231 is opened, and the duration T1 is, for example, between 60-90 seconds. In this process, the adsorbent tank 1 is closed and vacuumed by the vacuum pump 2, although the adsorbent tank 1 is enriched with nitrogen molecules in step S1, so that the oxygen content of the gas extracted in the T1 time is less than 20.9% of the atmospheric oxygen content, but it is still greater than the target oxygen content of the storage compartment 4, such as 10%. Therefore, the extracted gas is discharged through the third pipeline 23 at this time. Subsequently, the first electromagnetic valve 211, the third electromagnetic valve 231 and the fourth electromagnetic valve 241 are closed, and the second electromagnetic valve 221 is opened, and the duration T2 is, for example, between 30-70 seconds. At this time, more nitrogen molecules are extracted, so that the oxygen content of the gas extracted in the T2 time is lower than the target oxygen content of the storage compartment 4, and even depending on the power of the vacuum pump 2, the oxygen content of the extracted gas can be as low as 5-6%, which is discharged into the storage compartment 4 through the second pipeline 22, thereby diluting the oxygen content of the atmosphere in the storage compartment 4.Subsequently, step S3 is optionally performed at least once, which comprises: S31 closing the third solenoid valve 231, the fourth solenoid valve 241, opening the first solenoid valve 211, the second solenoid valve 221 for a duration A2, such as 0-3 seconds, and subsequently, S32 closing the first solenoid valve 211, the third solenoid valve 231 and the fourth solenoid valve 241, opening the second solenoid valve S221 for a duration A3, such as 5-35 seconds. Although the adsorbent tank 1 is evacuated in step S2, the nitrogen molecules in the adsorbent tank 1 cannot be completely evacuated by the vacuum pump, and the adsorbent tank is in a vacuum state at this time. In step S31, a small amount of gas in the storage chamber 4 (the first solenoid valve is opened for only 3 seconds) is transported to the adsorbent tank 1 to displace the nitrogen-rich gas adsorbed therein, and in S32, the gas in the adsorbent tank 1 is transported to the storage chamber 4 through the second pipeline 22, which at this time even only has an oxygen content of 1-2%. In some embodiments, step S3 can be performed once, twice or more times, depending on the amount of adsorbent in the adsorbent tank and the power of the vacuum pump. Step S3 can further improve the efficiency of the entire oxygen reduction device. In addition, after step S3, step S4 can be optionally performed, which comprises closing the first solenoid valve 211, the third solenoid valve 231, opening the second solenoid valve 221, the fourth solenoid valve 241 for a duration A3, such as 0-10 seconds. Although the nitrogen-rich gas in the adsorbent tank 1 is further transported to the storage chamber 4 in step S3, due to the small gas flow, the adsorbent tank 1 still contains nitrogen-rich gas, and in step S4, the adsorbent tank 1 is purged with ambient gas, and the nitrogen-rich gas purged out below the target concentration is transported into the storage chamber 4, further diluting the atmosphere in the storage chamber. After step S4, steps S1-S4 can be repeated until the second sensor senses that the oxygen content in the storage chamber 4 is below the target oxygen content, and then the control device 5 closes the vacuum pump 2 and all solenoid valves, and the oxygen reduction device 3 temporarily stops working until the storage chamber 4 is opened or the oxygen content therein exceeds the predetermined value.

[0040] Figure 3 The oxygen content in a 40L storage chamber 4 connected to the oxygen reduction device of the present application is shown in the following graph. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the target oxygen content is set to 13%, and when the power of the vacuum pump is 80W, the oxygen reduction device only needs about 2 hours to reduce the oxygen content in the 40L storage chamber 4 to 15%, and if a 5W vacuum pump is used, it takes about 4 hours. Optimizing the vacuum degree of the storage chamber 4 and the parameters of the pump can reduce the oxygen content in the storage chamber 4 to below 15% in 1.5 hours or even less time. In general, for the application of refrigerators, considering factors such as the cost, size and energy consumption of the vacuum pump, a 5-50W power vacuum pump 2 can be selected.

[0041] Now referring to Figure 4 to describe Figure 1The implementation changes the method of the device for changing the gas nitrogen oxygen concentration in the oxygen reduction device 3. In Figure 4 The oxygen reduction device 3 for reducing the oxygen content in the storage chamber 4 is shown in the figure. The oxygen reduction device 3 at least includes: an adsorbent tank 1, in which an adsorbent is arranged; a first pipeline 31 communicating with the adsorbent tank 1, which is used to connect with the storage chamber 4 to introduce the gas in the storage chamber 4 into the adsorbent tank 1, and a first electromagnetic valve 311 is arranged on the first pipeline 31; a vacuum pump 2, the input end of which communicates with the adsorbent tank 1; a second pipeline 32 communicating with the output end of the vacuum pump 2, which is used to connect with the storage chamber 4 to transport the extracted gas to the storage chamber 4, and a second electromagnetic valve 321 is arranged on the second pipeline 32; and a third pipeline 33 communicating with the output end of the vacuum pump 2, and a third electromagnetic valve 331 is arranged on the third pipeline 33; and a control device 5, which controls the operation of the vacuum pump 2 and controls the opening and closing of the first electromagnetic valve 311, the second electromagnetic valve 321 and the third electromagnetic valve 331. In some embodiments, the third pipeline 33 leads to the adsorbent tank 1, and a one-way valve 332, a gas storage chamber 333 and the third electromagnetic valve 331 are arranged in sequence on the third pipeline 33, and a fifth electromagnetic valve 35 controlled by the control device 5 is arranged between the vacuum pump 2 and the adsorbent tank 1. In some embodiments, the adsorbent tank 1 includes two ports, the first pipeline 31, the third pipeline 33 and the input end of the vacuum pump 2 communicate with the first port 101 of the adsorbent tank, and the second port 102 of the adsorbent tank leads to the exhaust through the one-way valve 36.

[0042] Next, according to Figure 4 The control method of the oxygen reduction device is introduced. The control method generally includes the following steps:

[0043] S11: seal the adsorbent tank, the adsorbent tank is arranged with a zeolite molecular sieve adsorbent, and a vacuum pump is used to vacuum the adsorbent tank, and the first time T1 and the second time T2 are continuously extracted from the adsorbent tank, and the gas in the storage chamber is transported to the gas storage chamber, and the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank in the second time T2 is transported to the storage chamber;

[0044] S12: make the adsorbent tank communicate with the storage chamber, and use the pressure difference to transport part of the gas in the storage chamber to the adsorbent tank, and the duration B1;

[0045] S13: make the adsorbent tank communicate with the gas storage chamber, and use the pressure difference to make the gas in the gas storage chamber flow through the adsorbent tank and be discharged, and the duration B2; and

[0046] The steps S11-S13 are cycled.

[0047] Figure 4In the embodiment of the application, the control device 5 of the oxygen reduction device 3 controls the oxygen reduction device 3 to perform steps S11-S13. Specifically, in step S11, first, the first solenoid valve 311, the second solenoid valve 321 and the third solenoid valve 331 are closed, the fifth solenoid valve 35 is opened, and the duration T1, such as 30-90 seconds, is maintained. Subsequently, the first solenoid valve 311, the third solenoid valve 331 are closed, the second solenoid valve 321, the fifth solenoid valve 35 are opened, and the duration T2, such as 30-90 seconds, is maintained. In step S11, first, the gas with a high oxygen content extracted from the adsorbent tank 1 in the T1 time period is stored in the storage chamber 333 via the one-way valve 332, and depending on the power of the pressure pump 2, the storage chamber 333 can be pressurized to 1.0-1.2 atmospheres absolute. Subsequently, the nitrogen-rich gas, for example, with an oxygen content of, for example, between 1-6 percent, is extracted from the adsorbent tank 1 in the T2 time period, and the gas is delivered to the storage chamber 4 to dilute the oxygen content of the atmosphere in the storage chamber 4. In step S12, the second solenoid valve 321, the third solenoid valve 331 and the fifth solenoid valve 35 are closed, and the first solenoid valve 311 is opened to allow the storage chamber 4 to communicate with the adsorbent tank 1. Due to the vacuum degree of the adsorbent tank 1, a small amount of gas in the storage chamber 4 is delivered to the adsorbent tank 1 due to the pressure difference to replenish the adsorbent tank 1, but at this time the pressure in the adsorbent tank 1 is still lower than atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, step S13 is performed, the first solenoid valve 311, the second solenoid valve 321 and the fifth solenoid valve 35 are closed, and the third solenoid valve 311 is opened to allow the storage chamber 333 to communicate with the adsorbent tank 1. Due to the positive pressure in the storage chamber 333, the gas in the storage chamber 333 will be partially delivered to the adsorbent tank, and will be discharged through the adsorbent tank 1 and the one-way valve 36, while simultaneously purging water and oxygen in the adsorbent tank 1. Subsequently, S11-S13 are repeated until the oxygen content in the storage chamber 4 is reduced to below the target oxygen content, and then the vacuum pump and the various solenoid valves are closed. With respect to the embodiment of the application, Figure 2 the embodiment of the application, Figure 4 the oxygen reduction device in the embodiment of the application can have higher efficiency, and due to the purging of the adsorbent tank, the entire oxygen reduction device will have a longer service life. The oxygen reduction device according to various embodiments of the application can have a service life of more than 3 years when serving a refrigerator application.

[0048] In another aspect, the application also aims to protect a refrigerator having an oxygen reduction device according to various embodiments.

[0049] The oxygen reduction device and method of the embodiments of the application have advantages including but not limited to: simple structure, small size and low cost; low noise and high efficiency; long service life and essentially no need for operation.

[0050] It should be understood that all the above preferred embodiments are exemplary and not limiting, and various modifications or variations of the specific embodiments described above made by those skilled in the art under the concept of the application shall be within the legal protection scope of the application.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the oxygen content in a storage room, characterized in that, The method includes: An adsorbent tank containing an adsorbent is provided, and the adsorbent tank is evacuated using a vacuum pump for a first time T1 and a second time T2. The gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the first time T1 and the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the second time T2 are respectively delivered to different targets. Then, air is replenished to the adsorbent tank and the above steps are repeated. The adsorbent has selective adsorption and separation capabilities for oxygen molecules and / or nitrogen molecules. The gas with the lower oxygen content extracted from the adsorbent tank during the first time T1 and the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the second time T2 is transported to the storage room; The method further includes the following steps: S1: Ambient air is continuously guided through and discharged from the adsorbent tank for a duration of A1. The adsorbent tank contains zeolite molecular sieve adsorbent. S2: Seal the adsorbent container and use a vacuum pump to evacuate the adsorbent container for a first time T1 and a second time T2, respectively, to discharge the gas extracted from the adsorbent container during the first time T1 and to transport the gas extracted from the adsorbent container during the second time T2 to the storage chamber; and Step S3 is performed at least once after step S2, including: S31 conveying a small amount of gas from the storage chamber to the adsorbent tank for a duration of A2; S32 seals the adsorbent container, uses a vacuum pump to evacuate the adsorbent container, and transports the gas extracted from the adsorbent container back to the storage chamber for a duration of A3.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes determining a target oxygen content and determining a first time T1 and a second time T2 based at least in part on the target oxygen content, such that the oxygen content of the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the first time T1 and the second time T2 is greater than or less than the target oxygen content, respectively.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes performing step S4 after step S3: passing outdoor air through the adsorbent tank to the storage room for a duration of A4.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The time A2 is between 0 and 3 seconds, and / or the time A3 is between 5 and 35 seconds, and / or the time A4 is between 0 and 10 seconds.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The time A1 is between 20 and 60 seconds, and / or the first time T1 is between 60 and 90 seconds, and / or the second time T2 is between 30 and 70 seconds.

6. A method for reducing the oxygen content in a storage room, characterized in that, The method includes: An adsorbent tank containing an adsorbent is provided, and the adsorbent tank is evacuated using a vacuum pump for a first time T1 and a second time T2. The gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the first time T1 and the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the second time T2 are respectively delivered to different targets. Then, air is replenished to the adsorbent tank and the above steps are repeated. The adsorbent has selective adsorption and separation capabilities for oxygen molecules and / or nitrogen molecules. The gas with the lower oxygen content extracted from the adsorbent tank during the first time T1 and the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the second time T2 is transported to the storage room; The method further includes the following steps: S11: Vacuum pump is used to evacuate the adsorbent tank containing zeolite molecular sieve adsorbent for a first time T1 and a second time T2. The gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the first time T1 is transported to the gas storage chamber, and the gas extracted from the adsorbent tank during the second time T2 is transported to the storage chamber. S12: Connect the adsorbent tank to the storage chamber, and use the pressure difference to transport a portion of the gas in the storage chamber to the adsorbent tank, duration B1; and S13: Connect the adsorbent tank to the gas storage chamber, and use the pressure difference to make part of the gas in the gas storage chamber flow through the adsorbent tank and be discharged through the one-way valve for a duration of B2.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first time T1 is between 0 and 90 seconds, and / or the second time T2 is between 0 and 90 seconds, and / or the time B1 is between 0 and 20 seconds, and / or the time B2 is between 0 and 20 seconds.

8. An oxygen-reducing device for lowering the oxygen content in a storage room, comprising: An adsorbent tank, wherein an adsorbent is disposed in the adsorbent tank, and the adsorbent has selective adsorption and separation capabilities for oxygen molecules and / or nitrogen molecules; A first pipeline connected to the adsorbent tank, the first pipeline being used to connect to the storage chamber to introduce gas from the storage chamber into the adsorbent tank, and a first solenoid valve being provided on the first pipeline; A vacuum pump, the input end of which is connected to the adsorbent tank; A second pipeline connected to the output end of the vacuum pump, the second pipeline being used to connect to the storage chamber to deliver the extracted gas to the storage chamber, and a second solenoid valve being provided on the second pipeline; as well as A third pipeline connected to the output end of the vacuum pump is provided with a third solenoid valve controlled by a control device. A control device configured to control the operation of the vacuum pump in a desired sequence and to control the opening and closing of the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, and the third solenoid valve.

9. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The third pipeline leads to the discharge port.

10. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The adsorbent tank is connected to the ambient air via a fourth pipeline, and a fourth solenoid valve controlled by the control device is installed on the fourth pipeline.

11. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The adsorbent tank has two opposing ports. The first pipeline and the fourth pipeline are connected to the first port of the adsorbent tank, and the input end of the vacuum pump is connected to the second port of the adsorbent tank.

12. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The third pipeline leads to the adsorbent tank, and a first one-way valve, a gas storage chamber, and a third solenoid valve are sequentially installed on the third pipeline. A fifth solenoid valve controlled by the control device is installed between the vacuum pump and the adsorbent tank.

13. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The adsorbent tank includes two opposing ports. The first pipeline, the third pipeline, and the input end of the vacuum pump are connected to the first port of the adsorbent tank. The second port of the adsorbent tank is connected to the discharge port through a second one-way valve.

14. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The adsorbent tank is filled with zeolite molecular sieve adsorbent, and the control device is configured to perform the following operations: To operate the vacuum pump, the first solenoid valve is closed, and the third solenoid valve is opened first, while the second solenoid valve is closed, for a first time T1. Then the second solenoid valve is opened, and the third solenoid valve is closed, for a second time T2.

15. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The adsorbent tank contains a carbon molecular sieve adsorbent, and the control device is configured to perform the following operations: To operate the vacuum pump, close the first solenoid valve, first open the second solenoid valve, then close the third solenoid valve, and continue for a first time T1. Then open the third solenoid valve, close the second solenoid valve, and continue for a second time T2.

16. The oxygen reduction device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control device is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

17. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes an oxygen-reducing device as described in any one of claims 8-16.

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