Refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigeration cabinet, which comprises a cabinet, an evaporator, a water pan and a drain pipe. The evaporator is arranged in the cabinet for cooling air flowing therethrough to form cool air for cooling the refrigeration cabinet. The water pan has a drain opening and is arranged in the cabinet below the evaporator for receiving condensed water dripping from the evaporator. The top end of the drain pipe is inserted into the drain opening to lead water in the water pan out, and the position of the top end of the drain pipe is higher than the position of the drain opening. Since the position of the top end is higher than the position of the drain opening, a certain amount of water is ensured to remain in the water pan, which makes the water pan in a high-humidity environment, makes the evaporator in a high-humidity environment, and further improves the humidity of the whole refrigeration cabinet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration, and in particular to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Fresh fruits and vegetables require a low temperature and high humidity (75-99%) during storage. Low humidity can cause them to lose water and even wilt, significantly impacting their freshness and value. Air-cooled refrigerators continuously supply cool air to regulate the interior temperature. They offer advantages such as uniform temperature distribution, rapid cooling, and frost-free operation. However, they also have the disadvantage of low relative humidity, which can lead to food losing water and even drying out.

[0003] During the refrigerator's cooling process, the hot air inside the refrigerator passes through the evaporator, where moisture condenses as frost on the surface. This causes the humidity inside the refrigerator to gradually drop. As the air inside the refrigerator continuously circulates between the refrigerator and the evaporator, the humidity inside the refrigerator continues to drop. The evaporator acts as a dehumidifier, constantly removing moisture from the refrigerator, causing the humidity to drop continuously, affecting the refrigerator's ability to preserve fruits and vegetables. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a refrigerator to solve the above technical problems.

[0005] The present invention provides a refrigerated cabinet, comprising:

[0006] chassis,

[0007] an evaporator, disposed in the housing, for cooling the air flowing through it to form cold air for cooling the refrigerator;

[0008] A water tray with a drain port is provided inside the casing and below the evaporator to receive condensed water dripping from the evaporator;

[0009] The top end of the drain pipe is inserted into the drain port to drain the water in the water receiving tray, and the top end of the drain pipe is located higher than the drain port.

[0010] Optionally, the bottom of the fin of the evaporator is located lower than the top, so that the bottom of the fin is immersed in the condensed water in the water receiving tray.

[0011] Optionally, the fins are made of powder metallurgy porous material.

[0012] Optionally, the evaporator is located on the bottom wall of the water receiving tray.

[0013] Optionally, the side walls of the water receiving tray are inclined downward so that the condensed water collects on the bottom wall of the water receiving tray.

[0014] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

[0015] The inner tank is arranged in the casing, and a receiving cavity is formed between the bottom wall of the inner tank and the bottom wall of the casing. The receiving cavity is used to accommodate the evaporator and the water receiving tray.

[0016] Optionally, an air supply duct is formed between the rear wall of the inner container and the rear wall of the casing.

[0017] Optionally, the water receiving tray is opened upward on the bottom wall of the inner liner, and the bottom wall of the inner liner is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet and the air outlet are opposite to the water receiving tray, and the air outlet is connected to the air supply duct.

[0018] Optionally, the evaporator is located in the water receiving tray and opposite to the air outlet.

[0019] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

[0020] The fan is arranged in the water receiving tray and is opposite to the air inlet.

[0021] The present invention provides a refrigerator, which includes a casing, an evaporator, a water receiving tray and a drain pipe. The evaporator is arranged in the casing and is used to cool the air flowing through it to form cold wind to cool the refrigerator. The water receiving tray has a drain port, which is arranged in the casing and is located below the evaporator, and is used to receive condensed water dripping from the evaporator. The top end of the drain pipe is inserted into the drain port to drain the water in the water receiving tray, and the position of the top end of the drain pipe is higher than the position of the drain port. Since the position of the top end is higher than the position of the drain port, a certain amount of water is ensured to remain in the water receiving tray, which puts the water receiving tray in a high-humidity environment, puts the evaporator in a high-humidity environment, and thus increases the humidity of the entire refrigerator.

[0022] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration mechanism in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of a water receiving tray in a refrigeration mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration mechanism in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of a water receiving tray in a refrigeration mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a refrigerator 1, which includes a refrigeration mechanism 10 and a housing 100. The refrigeration mechanism 10 includes an evaporator 200, a water tray 300, and a drain pipe 400. The refrigerator 1 provided in this embodiment is mainly used for refrigerating fresh fruits and vegetables, etc., and a high humidity and low temperature environment is required in the refrigerator 1. As a specific embodiment, the humidity in the refrigerator 1 is set to 75% to 99%, and the temperature in the refrigerator 1 is set to -2°C to 6°C. Obviously, this temperature and humidity of the refrigerator 1 is only exemplary and not exclusive.

[0029] In this embodiment, the shape of the casing 100 is not specifically limited. For example, the shape of the casing 100 can be circular, square or other irregular shapes. The casing 100 is used to carry and accommodate the evaporator 200, the water tray 300 and the drain pipe 400. The evaporator 200 is arranged in the casing 100, and is used to cool the air flowing through it to form cold air to cool the refrigerator 1. The evaporator 200 is a device for heat exchange. The high-pressure refrigerant enters the evaporator 200 through the expansion valve. The expansion valve throttles the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant into low-temperature, low-pressure wet steam. The refrigerant then absorbs heat in the evaporator 200 to achieve a cooling effect. In this embodiment, the position of the evaporator 200 in the shell is not limited and can be selected as needed. As a specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the evaporator 200 is located at the bottom of the housing 100. This is, of course, merely exemplary and not exclusive. In this embodiment, the specific structure of the evaporator 200 is not limited. As a specific embodiment, the evaporator 200 includes fins 210 and evaporation tubes 220. The evaporation tubes 220 are disposed within the fins 210 to ensure stability and reduce the contact thermal resistance between the evaporation tubes 220 and the fins 210.

[0030] The water receiving tray 300 has a drain port 310, which is arranged in the casing 100 and below the evaporator 200, and is used to receive the condensed water dripping from the evaporator 200. In this embodiment, the specific shape of the water receiving tray 300 is not limited. For example, the shape of the water receiving tray 300 can be circular, square or other irregular shapes, and the water receiving tray 300 can be used to receive the condensed water from the evaporator 200. The drain port 310 is used to discharge the condensed water in the water receiving tray 300 to prevent the condensed water from accumulating in the water receiving tray 300. In this embodiment, the shape of the drain port 310 is not specifically limited. For example, the shape of the drain port 310 can be circular, square or other irregular shapes. As a specific embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the shape of the drain outlet 310 is circular. The size of the drain outlet 310 is not specifically limited, and the size of the drain outlet 310 can be selected according to specific needs. The specific opening position of the drain outlet 310 is not limited, and can be selected according to needs. As a specific embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the drain port 310 is opened on the bottom wall 320 of the water receiving tray.

[0031] The specific manner in which the water receiving tray 300 is disposed within the casing 100 is not limited. For example, the water receiving tray 300 can be disposed directly within the casing 100 or indirectly within the casing 100, as long as the water receiving tray 300 is fixed within the casing 100. The water receiving tray 300 being located below the evaporator 200 includes the water receiving tray 300 being located directly below the evaporator 200 and diagonally below the evaporator 200.

[0032] The top end 410 of the drain pipe is inserted into the drain opening 310 to drain the water from the drain pan 300. The top end 410 of the drain pipe is positioned higher than the drain opening 310. The drain pipe 400 communicates with the drain pan 300 through the drain opening 310 to drain the water from the drain pan 300. The top end 410 of the drain pipe refers to the end of the drain pipe 400 that is inserted into the drain pan 300, that is, the inlet end of the drain pipe 400. The top end 410 of the drain pipe is positioned higher than the drain opening 310, that is, it protrudes from the drain opening 310, allowing some condensed water to remain in the drain pan 300.

[0033] It can be seen that the position of the top 410 is higher than the position of the drain outlet 310 to ensure that a certain amount of water is retained in the water receiving tray 300, which puts the water receiving tray 300 in a high-humidity environment, and puts the evaporator 200 in a high-humidity environment, thereby increasing the humidity of the entire refrigerator 1.

[0034] In some other embodiments, the bottom of the fin 210 of the evaporator is positioned lower than the top end 410, i.e. the top end 410 is higher than the bottom of the fin 210 of the evaporator. This allows the bottom of the fin 210 of the evaporator to be submerged in the condensate water in the drip tray 300, i.e. the condensate water in the drip tray 300 is higher than the bottom of the fin 210 of the evaporator. This allows the bottom of the fin 210 to be submerged in the condensate water in the drip tray 300, i.e. the condensate water in the drip tray 300 to submerge the bottom of the fin 210, i.e. the bottom of the fin 210 to be constantly soaked in the condensate water in the drip tray 300. As the bottom of the fin 210 is positioned lower than the top end 410, the bottom of the fin 210 is able to be submerged in the condensate water in the drip tray 300, allowing the fin 210 to maintain a higher humidity, allowing the air flowing through the fin 210 to maintain a higher humidity, and thereby increasing the humidity of the entire refrigerator 1.

[0035] In some other embodiments, the fin 210 is made of powder metallurgy porous material. Powder metallurgy porous material, also known as sintered porous material. It is made of spherical or irregular shaped metal or alloy powder, which is formed and sintered, also known as sintered porous material. This material is a porous body with longitudinal and transverse intersecting and interconnected pores, usually with a porosity of 30-60% by volume, and a pore size of 1-100 microns. Commonly used metals or alloys include bronze, stainless steel, iron, nickel, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, and refractory metal compounds. The characteristics of powder metallurgy porous material are: ① the pore size and porosity can be controlled; ② excellent permeability, and can be regenerated after use, thus having a long service life; ③ thermal and electrical conductivity; ④ high temperature resistance, low temperature resistance, and thermal shock resistance; ⑤ resistance to medium corrosion; ⑥ large specific surface area; ⑦ weldable and processable, etc. The use of powder metallurgy porous material for the fin 210 can take advantage of the excellent high thermal conductivity of the porous material to facilitate the evaporator 200 to complete heat exchange as soon as possible and improve the efficiency of heat exchange. The use of powder metallurgy porous material for the fin 210 allows the fin 210 to have water absorption, which allows the fin 210 to lock the defrosting water or the condensate water in the drip tray 300 to fully humidify the air in the refrigerator 1. The use of powder metallurgy porous material for the fin 210 allows the fin 210 to have water absorption and a longitudinal and transverse intersecting and interconnected porous body, which allows the bottom of the fin 210 to absorb condensate water from the drip tray 300 and diffuse upward using the longitudinal and transverse intersecting and interconnected porous body, and to easily disperse the water inside the material to the air in the refrigerator 1 using the large specific surface area of the porous material. As the fin 210 is able to lock the defrosting water and absorb water from the drip tray 300, the bottom of the fin 210 is submerged in the condensate water in the drip tray 300, allowing the fin 210 to maintain a higher humidity, allowing the air flowing through the fin 210 to maintain a higher humidity, and thereby increasing the humidity of the entire refrigerator 1.

[0036] In some other embodiments, the evaporator 200 is located on the bottom wall 320 of the water tray, and the condensed water in the water tray 300 will collect on the bottom wall 320 of the water tray. Therefore, the placement of the evaporator 200 on the bottom wall 320 of the water tray allows the bottom of the evaporator's fins 210 to be located in the condensed water for a longer period of time. In other words, the bottom of the evaporator's fins 210 can preferentially contact the condensed water on the bottom wall 320 of the water tray. This maintains a high humidity level in the fins 210, and the air flowing through the fins 210 maintains a high humidity level, thereby increasing the humidity level of the entire refrigerator 1.

[0037] In some other embodiments, the side wall 330 of the water receiving tray is tilted downward so that the condensed water collects on the bottom wall 320 of the water receiving tray. The side wall 330 of the water receiving tray is tilted downward so that the water receiving tray 300 has space to accommodate other devices, such as the fan 600. This can also reduce the expansion area of ​​the condensed water on the water receiving tray 300, increase the liquid level of the condensed water, and make the bottom of the fin 210 always immersed in the condensed water. That is, the side wall 330 of the water receiving tray is tilted downward so that the condensed water collects at the fin 210, so that the lowest point of the fin 210 is always immersed in the condensed water. This allows the fin 210 to maintain a higher humidity, and the air flowing through the fin 210 to maintain a higher humidity, thereby increasing the humidity of the entire refrigerator 1.

[0038] In some other embodiments, the refrigerator 1 further includes an inner liner 500, which is disposed in the housing 100. A receiving cavity 510 is formed between the bottom wall 320 and the bottom wall of the housing. The receiving cavity 510 is used to accommodate the evaporator 200 and the water receiving tray 300. In this embodiment, the specific shapes of the receiving cavity 510 and the inner liner 500 are not limited and can be set as needed. As a specific embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the shapes of the housing 100, the inner liner 500, and the accommodating cavity 510 are all rectangular parallelepiped. Obviously, this is merely exemplary and not exclusive. The accommodating cavity 510 is formed between the bottom wall of the inner liner 500 and the bottom wall of the housing, making the structure of the refrigerator 1 relatively compact. The bottom wall of the housing bears the weight of the evaporator 200, the drain pan 300, and the compressor, freeing the inner liner 500 from bearing the weight. This allows for a wider range of material options for the inner liner 500.

[0039] In some other embodiments, an air supply duct 520 is formed between the rear wall of the inner container 500 and the rear wall of the housing 100. The water tray 300 is disposed on the bottom wall of the inner container 500 with its opening facing upward. The bottom wall of the inner container 500 defines an air inlet 530 and an air outlet 540. The air inlet 530 and air outlet 540 face the water tray 300, and the air outlet 540 communicates with the air supply duct 520. This results in a compact structure for the refrigerator 1 and high cooling efficiency.

[0040] In some other embodiments, the evaporator 200 is located in the water receiving tray 300 and is opposite to the air outlet 540. This makes the overall refrigeration efficiency of the refrigerator 1 higher.

[0041] In some other embodiments, the refrigerator 1 further includes a fan 600, which is disposed in the water receiving tray 300 and opposite to the air inlet 530. This makes the structure of the refrigerator 1 more compact.

[0042] In the description of this embodiment, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply 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 understood as limiting the present invention.

[0043] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features, that is, include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. When a feature "includes or contains" one or more of the features it covers, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may further include other features.

[0044] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," "coupled," and the like should be interpreted broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed or detachable connections, or integration; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. A person of ordinary skill in the art should be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0045] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact via another feature between them. That is, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above," "above," and "above" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below," "below," or "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the description of this embodiment have the same meaning as commonly understood by ordinary technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs.

[0047] In the description of the present embodiment, reference to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the exemplary expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0048] At this point, those skilled in the art will recognize that, although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the present invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure 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 deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: chassis, an evaporator, disposed in the housing, for cooling air flowing through the evaporator to form cold air for cooling the refrigerator; a water receiving tray having a drain port, disposed in the housing and below the evaporator, for receiving condensed water dripping from the evaporator; a drain pipe, the top end of which is inserted into the drain port to drain the water in the water receiving tray, and the top end of the drain pipe is located higher than the drain port; The bottom of the fin of the evaporator is located lower than the top of the drain pipe so that the bottom of the fin is immersed in the condensed water in the water receiving tray; An inner liner is arranged in the casing; an air supply duct is formed between the rear wall of the inner liner and the rear wall of the casing.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fins are made of powder metallurgy porous material.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The evaporator is located on the bottom wall of the water receiving tray.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The side wall of the water receiving tray is inclined downward so that the condensed water is collected on the bottom wall of the water receiving tray.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: An accommodating cavity is formed between the bottom wall of the inner container and the bottom wall of the casing, and the accommodating cavity is used to accommodate the evaporator and the water receiving tray.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The water receiving tray is opened upward on the bottom wall of the inner container. The bottom wall of the inner container is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet and the air outlet are opposite to the water receiving tray, and the air outlet is connected to the air supply duct.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The evaporator is located in the water receiving tray and is opposite to the air outlet.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: The fan is arranged in the water receiving tray and is opposite to the air inlet.

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