Refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator, which includes a box body and a door body. The front side of the box body is open to define a first compartment. The door body includes a main door for opening and closing the first compartment and defining a second compartment, and a sub-door for opening and closing the second compartment. Among them, an air supply port for introducing the air in the first compartment into the second compartment and an air return port for allowing the second compartment to return air to the first compartment are provided on the rear wall of the main door. A dry storage part is arranged in the second compartment; the rear wall of the main door includes a front shell and a rear shell which are arranged at intervals in the front and rear. A wind channel is defined between the two. The wind channel is configured to introduce the cold air produced by the refrigerator, make the cold air condense on the inner wall of the wind channel, become dry gas, and then flow into the dry storage part. In the present invention, an independent storage space is provided in the door body compartment, which is independent of the box body compartment, so as to enrich the storage function of the door body compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigeration and freezing, and particularly to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of technology and the improvement of people's living standards, users' requirements for refrigerators are getting higher and higher. Traditional refrigerators with only a refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber and a variable-temperature chamber can no longer meet users' diverse needs for storage space.

[0003] In recent years, a composite door technology has emerged in the field of refrigerators. As is well known, the traditional refrigerator door is used to open and close the refrigerating compartment of the cabinet, and at most a bottle holder is provided on the inner lining of the refrigerating door for placing bottled items. While the refrigerator with a composite door improves the door structure and function, making the door include a main door and a sub-door. The main door is used to open and close the refrigerating compartment. And, the main door defines a door compartment that is open at the front side, and the sub-door is used to open and close the door compartment. During the rotation of the main door, the sub-door remains closed. The door compartment can be used to place storage items, and when taking and placing, only the sub-door needs to be opened, without opening the main door. This not only makes the operation more convenient and fast, but also avoids excessive loss of cold due to frequent opening of the main door.

[0004] However, composite door refrigerators also have many defects. For example, the space of the door compartment is too small, the temperature and humidity are not easy to control, the storage conditions are similar to those of the refrigerating chamber, and even completely communicate with the refrigerating chamber and become part of the refrigerating chamber. These problems will have a negative impact on the user experience and hinder the further development of the composite door technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to at least solve one of the above-mentioned defects existing in the prior art, enrich the storage function of the door compartment in the composite door refrigerator, and meet users' higher requirements for the door storage function.

[0006] A further purpose of the present invention is to separate and extract dry and wet cold air inside the door body.

[0007] Specifically, the present invention provides a refrigerator, including a cabinet and a door body. The front side of the cabinet is open to define a first compartment, and the door body includes a main door for opening and closing the first compartment and defining a second compartment, and a sub-door for opening and closing the second compartment. Among them,

[0008] An air supply port for introducing the air in the first compartment into the second compartment and a return air port for allowing the second compartment to return air to the first compartment are provided on the rear wall of the main door. A dry storage part is arranged in the second compartment;

[0009] The rear wall of the main door includes a front shell and a rear shell which are arranged at intervals front and rear. A air duct is defined between the two. The air duct is configured to introduce the cold air produced by the refrigerator, make the cold air condense on the inner wall of the air duct and become dry gas, and then flow into the dry storage part.

[0010] Optionally, a humidity-preserving storage part is arranged in the second compartment; and an atomizing device is arranged downstream of the air duct for atomizing the condensed water accumulated on the inner wall of the air duct; the air duct is configured to introduce the cold air mixed with mist into the humidity-preserving storage part.

[0011] Optionally, a wind baffle is arranged in the air duct, and the connection points of the dry storage part and the humidity-preserving storage part with the air duct are respectively located upstream and downstream of the wind baffle; and the wind baffle is arranged at an interval from the rear shell to allow the condensed water and part of the cold air to flow towards the downstream direction of the wind baffle.

[0012] Optionally, the dry storage part is configured to return air to the second compartment; and the internal space of the humidity-preserving storage part is isolated from the second compartment.

[0013] Optionally, a front air outlet communicating with the cooling chamber of the refrigerator is formed on the inner wall of the box body, and the front air outlet is adjacent to the rear shell to blow air towards the rear surface of the rear shell, thereby cooling the rear shell.

[0014] Optionally, the front air outlet is arranged at the front part of the top wall of the box body.

[0015] Optionally, a rear air outlet communicating with the cooling chamber is formed at the rear side of the box body for blowing air to the rear part of the first compartment.

[0016] Optionally, the air supply port is located at the top of the rear wall, and the top of the air duct is connected to the air supply port to allow the cold air in the first compartment to enter the second compartment and the air duct through the air supply port.

[0017] Optionally, a front air outlet communicating with the cooling chamber of the refrigerator is formed at the front part of the top wall of the box body, and the front air outlet is configured to blow air towards the rear surface of the rear shell and the air supply port simultaneously.

[0018] Optionally, the rear shell is made of a metal material.

[0019] In the refrigerator of the present invention, a dry storage part is arranged in the door body compartment (i.e., the second compartment), which can be specifically used to store items that need to be stored dry and refrigerated, enriching the storage function of the second compartment, making the second compartment more available, meeting the higher requirements of users for the storage function of the door body, and improving the user experience.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present invention, an air duct is particularly provided inside the rear wall of the main door, and cold air is introduced into the dry storage portion through the air duct. During the process of the cold air flowing through the air duct, water vapor in the cold air condenses on the inner wall of the air duct, realizing the separation of moisture, so that the cold air flowing into the dry storage portion is dry air. Through this simple structure, the present invention completes the drying process during the transportation of cold air to the dry storage portion. The water vapor during the drying process condenses naturally and does not require other additional structures, and the design is very ingenious. Moreover, the second compartment is formed in the main door, and its volume is very limited, and the volume of the dry storage portion is even smaller. Therefore, there is no need for the air duct to have a large cross-sectional area for fluid flow. Thus, the impact of opening the air duct on the thickness of the rear wall of the main door is also negligible and does not occupy the storage space of the second compartment.

[0021] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, not only a dry storage portion is provided in the second compartment, but also a humidity storage portion is provided for storing refrigerated items that require a relatively high humidity environment. Moreover, the present invention uses an atomizing device to atomize the condensed dew in the air duct, humidify the cold air in the air duct with it and supply it to the humidity storage portion. This process precisely recycles the condensed water generated during the production process of dry air, enabling the organic combination of the drying process and the humidifying process of cold air, realizing the separate extraction of dry and wet cold air, omitting the design of additional dehumidification and humidification structures and control programs, with low cost and good effect, and being suitable for mass production and promotion. In addition, the more condensed dew during the drying process, the drier the obtained dry air; at the same time, the more accumulated condensed water, making the finally obtained humidified air more humid. It can be seen that the drying process and the humidifying process of cold air are in a mutually promoting relationship, making the drying and humidifying effects very good.

[0022] Furthermore, the refrigerator of the present invention also uses the air discharged from the front air outlet on the inner wall of the box body to cool the rear surface of the rear shell, making the temperature of the rear shell lower, which is beneficial to the condensation process on the front surface of the rear shell (i.e., the rear wall of the air duct), making the cold air supplied to the dry storage portion drier. Moreover, while the air discharged from the front air outlet cools the rear surface of the rear shell, it also cools the front space of the first compartment, avoiding the problem that the front space of the first compartment is not cooled favorably due to only the air supply from the rear wall of the box body.

[0023] Based on the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will be more clearly aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in an exemplary but non-restrictive manner. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar components or parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1It is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic view of the air duct circulation of the refrigerator shown;

[0027] Figure 3 is Figure 2 an enlarged view of part A of

[0028] Figure 4 is Figure 2 an enlarged view of part B of Specific embodiments

[0029] The following will describe the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 4 Among them, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "lateral", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic view of the air duct circulation of the refrigerator shown; Figure 3 is Figure 2 an enlarged view of part A of Figure 4 is Figure 2 an enlarged view of part B of , and the arrow in the figure indicates the air flow direction.

[0031] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention generally includes a box body 100 and a door body 200. Among them, the front side of the box body 100 (in the present invention, the side where the door body 200 is located is taken as the front side of the refrigerator, and the front-back direction has been shown in the figure) is open to define a first compartment 101. The door body 200 includes a main door 210 and a sub-door 220. The main door 210 is used to open and close the first compartment 101 and defines a second compartment 201. The sub-door 220 is used to open and close the second compartment 201.

[0032] The main door 210 can be rotatably installed on the front side of the box body 100. The front side of the main door 210 is open to define the aforementioned second compartment 201. The sub-door 220 can be rotatably installed on the front side of the main door 210. When the main door 210 is opened, the user can access items from the first compartment 101. When the main door 210 is closed and the sub-door 220 is opened, the user can access items from the second compartment 201.

[0033] The refrigerator can be refrigerated through a vapor compression refrigeration cycle system, a semiconductor refrigeration system or other means. According to different refrigeration temperatures, each compartment inside the refrigerator can be divided into a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment and a variable temperature compartment. For example, the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment is generally controlled between 2°C and 10°C, preferably between 4°C and 7°C. The temperature range inside the freezing compartment is generally controlled between -22°C and -14°C. The variable temperature compartment can be adjusted between -18°C and 8°C to achieve the variable temperature effect. The optimal storage temperatures of different types of items are not the same, and the suitable storage compartments are also not the same. For example, fruits and vegetables are suitable to be stored in the refrigerating compartment, while meat is suitable to be stored in the freezing compartment. The first compartment 101 of the embodiment of the present invention is preferably a refrigerating compartment.

[0034] As Figures 2 to 4 shown, an air supply port 212 for introducing the air inside the first compartment 101 into the second compartment 201 and an air return port 214 for allowing the second compartment 201 to return air to the first compartment 101 are formed on the rear wall 211 of the main door 210. Or rather, an air supply port 212 and an air return port 214 are formed on the rear wall 211. The air supply port 212 is used for supplying air from the first compartment 101 to the second compartment 201, and the air return port 214 is used for returning air from the second compartment 201 to the first compartment 101 to achieve the refrigeration of the second compartment 201. A first fan 310 may be installed at the air supply port 212 for blowing cold air into the second compartment 201.

[0035] A dry storage part 400 is arranged inside the second compartment 201. The rear wall 211 of the main door 210 includes a front shell 2112 and a rear shell 2114 which are arranged at intervals in the front and rear. A duct 215 is defined between the two. The front surface of the front shell 2112 constitutes the rear wall 211 surface of the second compartment 201, and the rear surface of the rear shell 2114 constitutes the outermost rear surface of the main door 210. The front shell 2112 and the rear shell 2114 can be different components that need to be assembled later, or can be an integrally formed whole part. The duct 215 is configured to introduce the cold air produced by the refrigerator, make the cold air condense on the inner wall of the duct 215 and become dry gas, and then flow into the dry storage part 400. The dry storage part 400 may be provided with a dry air inlet 410 to introduce the dry air inside the duct 215. A fan 330 may be installed at the dry air inlet 410 for promoting the dry air to flow towards the dry storage part 400. The dry storage part 400 can be a drawer.

[0036] The inventor found that since the rear wall 211 of the main door 210 is in direct contact with the first compartment 101, the temperature of the rear wall 211 of the main door 210 is lower than other parts of the main door 210. Therefore, opening an air duct 215 on the rear wall 211 of the main door 210 is most conducive to the generation of condensation. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is also preferred that the rear shell 2114 is made of a metal material. Since the metal material has better heat transfer performance, its temperature is lower, which is conducive to the formation of condensation on the front surface of the rear shell 2114 (i.e., the inner wall of the air duct 215). The front shell 2112 can be made of a non-metallic material with better heat insulation performance to maintain a low-temperature environment inside the air duct 215 and reduce the influence of the temperature of the second compartment 201 (relatively higher than the temperature of the first compartment 101) on the temperature of the air duct 215.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present invention, the introduction of the dry gas makes the relative humidity of the air in the dry storage part 400 very low, which can be specifically used to store items that need to be stored dry and refrigerated (such as medicines), enriching the storage function of the second compartment 201, making the second compartment 201 more available, meeting the higher requirements of users for the storage function of the door body, and improving the user experience.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present invention, an air duct 215 is specifically opened inside the rear wall 211 of the main door 210, and the cold air is introduced into the dry storage part 400 through the air duct 215. During the process of the cold air flowing through the air duct 215, the water vapor in the cold air condenses on the inner wall of the air duct 215, realizing the separation of moisture, so that the cold air flowing into the dry storage part 400 is dry air. Through this simple structure, the embodiment of the present invention completes the drying process during the process of transporting the cold air to the dry storage part 400. The water vapor in the drying process condenses naturally and does not require other additional structures, and the design is very ingenious. Moreover, the second compartment 201 is formed in the main door 210, and its volume is very limited, and the volume of the dry storage part 400 is even smaller. Therefore, there is no need for the air duct 215 to have a large flow area. Therefore, the influence of opening the air duct 215 on the thickness of the rear wall 211 of the main door 210 is also negligible and does not occupy the storage space of the second compartment 201.

[0039] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 4 shown, a humidity storage part 500 is provided in the second compartment 201. The relative humidity of the air in the humidity storage part 500 is relatively high and is used to store refrigerated items that require a relatively high humidity environment. A atomizing device 600 is provided downstream of the air duct 215 for atomizing the condensed water accumulated by the condensation on the inner wall of the air duct 215. The air duct 215 is configured to introduce the cold air mixed with mist into the humidity storage part 500. The humidity storage part 500 can be a drawer. The atomizing device 600 can be an ultrasonic atomizer, a compression atomizer or a mesh atomizer commonly used in the atomization field, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0040] It can be as Figure 2As shown, the inlet of air duct 215 is positioned at the upper portion of rear wall 211, allowing cool air, due to its greater density, to flow from top to bottom within air duct 215. Thus, upstream of air duct 215 refers to its upper portion, and downstream refers to its lower portion. Atomizing device 600 is positioned at the bottom of air duct 215. Condensation on the inner wall of air duct 215 flows downward under gravity to the bottom of air duct 215, where it is atomized by atomizing device 600. The moisturizing storage section 500 is positioned below the dry storage section 400 and opposite the bottom of air duct 215, directly receiving the high-humidity airflow.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, a windshield 2116 may also be provided within the air duct 215. The connection points between the dry storage unit 400 and the moisturizing storage unit 500 and the air duct 215 are located upstream and downstream of the windshield 2116, respectively. The windshield 2116 is spaced apart from the rear housing 2114 to allow condensed water and some cold air to flow downstream of the windshield 2116. In other words, the function of the windshield 2116 is to isolate dry air from high-humidity air, allowing only condensed water on the rear wall 211 of the air duct 215 to flow downstream.

[0042] In this embodiment of the present invention, the second compartment 201 is provided with not only a drying storage unit 400 but also a moisturizing storage unit 500. Furthermore, the present invention utilizes an atomizing device 600 to atomize the condensation in the air duct 215, thereby humidifying the cold air in the air duct 215 and supplying it to the moisturizing storage unit 500. This process effectively recycles the condensed water generated during the dry air production process, organically combining the drying and humidification processes of the cold air, achieving the separation and extraction of dry and wet cold air, and eliminating the need for additional dehumidification and humidification structural design and control program design. This approach is cost-effective and effective, making it suitable for mass production and promotion. Furthermore, the more condensation that occurs during the drying process, the drier the dry air obtained; this also results in the accumulation of more condensed water, resulting in the moister humidified air obtained. Thus, the drying and humidification processes of the cold air are mutually reinforcing, resulting in excellent drying and humidification effects.

[0043] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the dry storage section 400 can be configured to return air into the second compartment 201, isolating the interior space of the moisturizing storage section 500 from the second compartment 201. Specifically, a rearward-open dry return air vent 420 can be provided at the rear bottom of the dry storage section 400 for air discharge. The moisturizing storage section 500 is provided only with a moisturizing vent 510 connected to the air duct 215. This embodiment employs different return air designs for the dry storage section 400 and the moisturizing storage section 500, allowing relatively dry air from the dry storage section 400 to enter the second compartment 201 while preventing the highly humid air from the moisturizing storage section 500 from entering the second compartment 201. This prevents condensation caused by increased humidity in the second compartment 201.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, a front air outlet 122 communicating with the cooling chamber 102 of the refrigerator is formed on the inner wall of the cabinet 100. The front air outlet 122 communicates with the cooling chamber 102 through the main air duct 120. The front air outlet 122 is adjacent to the rear case 2114 to blow air toward the rear surface of the rear case 2114, thereby cooling the rear case 2114 and making the temperature of the rear case 2114 lower, which is beneficial to the condensation process on the front surface (i.e., the rear wall 211 of the air duct 215) of the rear case 2114, and making the cold air supplied to the dry storage section 400 more dry. The front air outlet 122 can be arranged at the front part of the top wall of the cabinet 100 to be closer to the rear case 2114, which is more conducive to blowing air to the rear case 2114. A second blower 320 can be installed at the front air outlet 122 for blowing air downward.

[0045] A rear air outlet 130 communicating with the cooling chamber 102 for blowing air to the rear part of the first compartment 101 can be formed at the rear side of the cabinet 100. In this way, while the air blown out from the front air outlet 122 cools the rear surface of the rear case 2114, it also cools the front space of the first compartment 101, avoiding the problem that the front space of the first compartment 101 is not cooled effectively due to only blowing air from the rear wall 211 of the cabinet 100, and making the temperature more uniform at all parts, front and rear, of the first compartment 101.

[0046] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the air supply port 212 can be located at the top of the rear wall 211, and the top of the air duct 215 is connected to the air supply port 212 to allow the cold air in the first compartment 101 to enter the second compartment 201 and the air duct 215 through the air supply port 212. In this way, the air duct 215 is connected to the first compartment 101 by borrowing the air supply port 212, without the need to separately open an opening on the rear case 2114, simplifying the structure of the rear case 2114. The air return port 214 can be arranged at the bottom of the rear wall 211.

[0047] Furthermore, a front air outlet 122 communicating with the cooling chamber 102 of the refrigerator is formed at the front part of the top wall of the cabinet 100, and the front air outlet 122 is configured to blow air toward the rear surface of the rear case 2114 and the air supply port 212 simultaneously. The cold air blown out from the front air outlet 122 comes from the cooling chamber 102 and has a lower temperature than that in the first compartment 101. Therefore, in this embodiment, a part of this cold air is blown toward the air supply port 212 to enter the air duct 215 and the second compartment 201, which is very beneficial for the refrigeration of the second compartment 201 and the condensation on the inner wall of the air duct 215.

[0048] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that although numerous exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived from the disclosed content of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet and a door, wherein the front side of the cabinet is open to define a first compartment, the door comprising a main door for opening and closing the first compartment and defining a second compartment, and a secondary door for opening and closing the second compartment, characterized in that: The rear wall of the main door is provided with an air supply port for introducing air in the first chamber into the second chamber, and an air return port for allowing air from the second chamber to return to the first chamber, and the second chamber is provided with a dry storage unit; The rear wall of the main door includes a front shell and a rear shell spaced apart from each other, defining an air duct therebetween, the air duct being configured to introduce cold air produced by the refrigerator, causing the cold air to condense on the inner wall of the air duct, become dry gas, and then flow into the dry storage portion; The second room is provided with a moisturizing storage unit; and An atomizing device is provided downstream of the air duct for atomizing condensed water accumulated on the inner wall of the air duct; the air duct is configured to introduce cold air mixed with mist into the moisturizing storage portion; The inner wall of the box body is formed with a front air outlet connected to the cooling chamber of the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: A windshield is provided in the air duct, and the connection points between the dry storage part and the moisturizing storage part and the air duct are respectively located upstream and downstream of the windshield; and The wind shield is spaced apart from the rear shell to allow condensed water and part of the cold air to flow toward the downstream direction of the wind shield.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The dry storage section is configured to return air toward the second room; and The inner space of the moisturizing storage portion is isolated from the second chamber.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The front air outlet is adjacent to the rear shell to discharge air toward a rear surface of the rear shell, thereby cooling the rear shell.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that The front air outlet is arranged at the front portion of the top wall of the box body.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that A rear air outlet is formed on the rear side of the box body and is connected to the cooling chamber for supplying air to the rear of the first chamber.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The air supply port is located at the top of the rear wall, and the top of the air duct is connected to the air supply port to allow cold air from the first chamber to enter the second chamber and the air duct through the air supply port.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that A front air outlet communicating with the cooling chamber of the refrigerator is formed on the front portion of the top wall of the box body, and the front air outlet is configured to simultaneously supply air toward the rear surface of the rear shell and the air supply port.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The rear shell is made of metal material.

Images