Ultrasonic-assisted pickling device and refrigerator

Abstract

The present application provides an ultrasonic-assisted pickling device, comprising: an ultrasonic base, an upper surface of the ultrasonic base being formed with at least one upwardly protruding protrusion; and a container, a lower surface of the container having a lap joint part matching the shape of the protrusion; the container is configured to be buckled on the ultrasonic base, so that the lap joint part of the container and the protrusion of the ultrasonic base abut each other; the ultrasonic base is configured to generate ultrasonic waves under control, so that the ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the container through the protrusion and the lap joint part. The advantage of the present application is that better pickling effect can be achieved in lower salt concentration and faster time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration and freezing equipment, and in particular to an ultrasonic-assisted pickling device and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the evaluation of refrigerator storage performance is no longer simply about extending storage time; some users have also raised demands for certain auxiliary functions (such as pickling).

[0003] Traditional marinating methods first involve manually rubbing the meat to ensure the marinade is fully in contact with the meat, and then placing it in the refrigerator to sit at a low temperature to ensure that the quality of the ingredients does not change during the marinating process.

[0004] However, the low temperature of a refrigerator slows down the marinating process, increasing the waiting time for users and affecting the freshness of the ingredients. Furthermore, the high salt concentration in the marinating solution is not good for health. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of the first aspect of the present invention is to overcome at least one deficiency in the prior art and to provide an ultrasonic-assisted pickling device that can achieve better pickling results at a lower salt concentration and in a faster time.

[0006] A further objective of the first aspect of the present invention is to prevent the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator from affecting the marinating process of the food.

[0007] The second aspect of this invention is to provide a refrigerator.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonic-assisted pickling apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0009] An ultrasonic base, the upper surface of which has at least one upwardly protruding protrusion; and

[0010] A container, the lower surface of which has an overlapping portion adapted to the shape of the protrusion;

[0011] The container is configured to snap onto the ultrasound base so that the overlapping part of the container abuts against the protrusion of the ultrasound base.

[0012] The ultrasonic base is configured to generate ultrasonic waves in a controlled manner, which are then transmitted to the container via protrusions and overlaps.

[0013] Furthermore, the ultrasound base includes:

[0014] The base body has an internally defined cavity containing a sandwich medium for transmitting ultrasonic waves; and

[0015] At least one ultrasonic generator is fixed to the lower surface of the base body.

[0016] Furthermore, multiple ultrasonic generators are provided, and a corresponding protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the base body directly above each ultrasonic generator.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower surface of the base body has an upwardly recessed mounting groove, and each ultrasonic generator is installed in the mounting groove; and

[0018] The ultrasonic base also includes a sealing base plate, which is fixed to the lower surface of the base body to seal the mounting groove.

[0019] Furthermore, the specific heat capacity of the interlayer medium is configured to be between 1 KJ / (kg·K) and 5 KJ / (kg·K).

[0020] Furthermore, both the container and the base are made of stainless steel.

[0021] Furthermore, the container includes a container base plate and container side plates surrounding the container base plate;

[0022] The lower edges of the container base plate and the container side plate are spaced apart by a preset distance to form a receiving space under the container base plate, configured so that when the container is placed on the ultrasonic base, the ultrasonic base is stored in the receiving space.

[0023] Furthermore, the protrusion is truncated cone-shaped;

[0024] The overlapping portion includes two opposing overlapping plates, the horizontal distance between the two overlapping plates gradually increasing from top to bottom, configured such that when the container is placed on the ultrasonic base, the two overlapping plates abut against the two sides of the protrusion, and the lower surface of the container bottom plate abuts against the upper surface of the protrusion.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a refrigerator having an internally defined storage compartment, wherein any of the above-described ultrasonic-assisted pickling devices are disposed within the storage compartment.

[0026] Furthermore, the container of the ultrasonic-assisted pickling device is a drawer-type container, which is configured to be operablely pulled out or retracted into the storage compartment.

[0027] The ultrasonic-assisted marinating device of the present invention includes an ultrasonic base and a container, with the container fastened to the ultrasonic base. During the marinating process, the food to be marinated is first placed in the container. Then, ultrasonic waves are generated by the ultrasonic base, allowing the waves to be transmitted to the container through protrusions and overlaps, acting on the food. This causes the food to vibrate slightly, and during this continuous vibration, the marinating liquid can penetrate the food thoroughly and quickly, resulting in even flavoring and a better marinating effect. Furthermore, because the ultrasonic waves significantly improve the penetration ability of the marinating liquid, a higher concentration of the marinating liquid is not required, reducing the cost of preparing the marinating liquid.

[0028] Furthermore, the ultrasonic base of the present invention includes a base body and an ultrasonic generator, the ultrasonic generator being mounted on the lower surface of the base. Because the base body has an internal cavity filled with a sandwich medium, the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator pass through the sandwich medium and act on the food inside the container. Thus, the sandwich medium absorbs the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator during operation, effectively dissipating heat from the ultrasonic generator and preventing heat transfer to the food, thereby avoiding any impact on the marinating process.

[0029] The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of an ultrasonic-assisted pickling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the container's structure when viewed from below;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic-assisted pickling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of part A in the middle. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0037] It should be understood that in the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They 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, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The refrigerator may include a cabinet 100, the interior of which is defined by one or more storage compartments 200. The storage compartments 200 can be configured to form frozen storage space, refrigerated storage space, variable temperature storage space, etc., according to the cooling temperature. The specific number, function, and layout of the storage compartments 200 can be configured according to requirements.

[0039] The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device 300 of this invention can be installed in a refrigerated storage space (or a variable-temperature storage space with the target temperature set above freezing), and it is also possible to install it in a frozen storage space. The temperature in the refrigerated storage space is generally configured to be above 0°C, used for storing fresh fruits and vegetables or ingredients for short-term storage. In this embodiment, the refrigerated storage space can be used to place the ingredients to be pickled (i.e., ingredients whose surface has been coated with pickling sauce or immersed in pickling liquid), and the ultrasonic-assisted pickling device 300 accelerates the pickling speed and improves the pickling effect. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device 300 will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Reference Figures 2 to 5 The ultrasonic-assisted pickling apparatus 300 includes an ultrasonic base 310 and a container 320. The upper surface of the ultrasonic base 310 has at least one upwardly protruding protrusion 313, and the lower surface of the container 320 has an overlapping portion 323 adapted to the shape of the protrusion 313. The container 320 is configured to fasten onto the ultrasonic base 310 such that the overlapping portion 323 of the container 320 abuts against the protrusion 313 of the ultrasonic base 310. The ultrasonic base 310 is configured to controllably generate ultrasonic waves, which are transmitted to the container 320 via the protrusion 313 and the overlapping portion 323.

[0041] In the ultrasonic-assisted marinating device 300 of the present invention, during the actual marinating process, the ingredients to be marinated are first placed in a container 320. Then, ultrasonic waves are generated by the ultrasonic base 310, allowing the ultrasonic waves to be transmitted to the container 320 through the protrusion 313 and the overlapping part 323 and act on the ingredients, causing the ingredients to vibrate slightly. During the continuous vibration, the marinating liquid can penetrate the ingredients more fully and quickly, ensuring even flavoring and a better marinating effect. In addition, since the action of ultrasound can significantly improve the penetration ability of the marinating liquid, the concentration of the marinating liquid does not need to be high, reducing the cost of preparing the marinating liquid.

[0042] In some alternative embodiments, the lower surface of the container 320 may not have an overlapping portion 323, and the upper surface of the ultrasonic base 310 may not have a protrusion 313. The container 320 is placed directly on the ultrasonic base 310, meaning that the lower surface of the container 320 and the lower surface of the ultrasonic base 310 are in contact. However, this design causes the ultrasonic waves transmitted to the lower surface of the container 320 to be more diffused, resulting in poor effects on the food. This requires increasing the power of the ultrasonic generator 312, which is not conducive to energy conservation. Furthermore, the ultrasonic generator 312 generates a large amount of heat when operating at high power, and the heat transferred to the container 320 will also affect the marinating of the food.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic base 310 includes a base body 311 and at least one ultrasonic generator 312. The base body 311 has an internal cavity containing a sandwich medium 314 for conducting ultrasonic waves, filling the cavity completely. Each ultrasonic generator 312 is fixed to the lower surface of the base body 311. Thus, when the ultrasonic generator 312 is operating, the ultrasonic waves it generates can act on the food inside the container 320 through the sandwich medium 314. The sandwich medium 314 can effectively absorb the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator 312, dissipating heat from the ultrasonic generator 312 and preventing heat transfer to the food, thus avoiding any impact on the marinating process.

[0044] In an optional embodiment, the specific heat capacity of the interlayer medium 314 can be configured to be between 1 KJ / (kg·K) and 5 KJ / (kg·K). The interlayer medium 314 can be a specific mixed solution that is not a hazardous material, is non-flammable, has good safety, is non-toxic and harmless, and meets the relevant additive laws and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) standards.

[0045] Furthermore, multiple ultrasonic generators 312 can be provided. A protrusion 313 is correspondingly provided on the upper surface of the base body 311 directly above each ultrasonic generator 312. Correspondingly, the lower surface of the container 320 also has an overlapping portion 323 adapted to each protrusion 313. By positioning the protrusions 313 directly above the ultrasonic generators 312, when the ultrasonic generators 312 generate ultrasonic waves, most of the ultrasonic waves can be transmitted to the container 320 through the protrusions 313 and the overlapping portions 323, with only a small portion dissipating in all directions. This improves the utilization rate of the ultrasonic waves and reduces energy consumption. In addition, the simultaneous operation of multiple ultrasonic generators 312 can accelerate the penetration of the marinating liquid, shorten the marinating time, and ensure the freshness of the ingredients.

[0046] Preferably, multiple ultrasonic generators 312 can be arranged in a matrix on the lower surface of the base body 311 so that the ultrasonic waves can be transmitted to the food more evenly, thereby improving the uniformity of the marinating process.

[0047] Considering that the ultrasonic generator 312 is located at the bottom of the base body 311, during the marinating process, the weight of the base, the container 320, the marinating liquid, and the food are all applied to the ultrasonic generator 312, which can easily damage it. Therefore, to solve this problem, in this embodiment, the bottom of the base body 311 is recessed upward to form a mounting groove 315, and the ultrasonic generator 312 can be fixed in the mounting groove 315.

[0048] Furthermore, the ultrasonic base 310 may also include a sealing base plate 316, which is fixed to the lower surface of the base body 311 to seal the mounting groove 315. The sealing base plate 316 places the ultrasonic generator 312 within a relatively enclosed space, protecting it and reducing the risk of damage. It also weakens or isolates the ultrasonic waves, preventing them from affecting people or objects outside the refrigerator or the refrigerator's functionality.

[0049] In this embodiment, to facilitate ultrasonic wave transmission, the container 320 and the base body 311 can be made of stainless steel or aluminum-magnesium alloy. The wall thickness of the container 320 and the base body 311 can be 0.6mm to 0.8mm to ensure sufficient structural strength of the container 320 and the base body 311 while saving materials.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, the container 320 may be box-shaped, comprising at least a bottom plate and side plates surrounding the bottom plate. The lower edges of the bottom plate and side plates are spaced apart by a predetermined distance to form a receiving space beneath the bottom plate, configured such that when the container 320 is placed on the ultrasonic base 310, the ultrasonic base 310 is housed within this receiving space. This avoids the ultrasonic-assisted pickling device 300 occupying a large amount of refrigerated storage space, thus improving the utilization rate of the refrigerated storage space.

[0051] In some preferred embodiments, the protrusion 313 can be designed as a truncated cone (i.e., a frustum shape). The truncated cone shape of the protrusion 313 is easy to process and shape, reducing the difficulty of production. The overlapping portion 323 includes two oppositely arranged overlapping plates 3231. The horizontal distance between the two overlapping plates 3231 gradually increases from top to bottom. It is configured such that when the container 320 is placed on the ultrasonic base 310, the two overlapping plates 3231 abut against the two sides of the protrusion 313, and the lower surface of the bottom plate of the container 320 abuts against the upper surface of the protrusion 313.

[0052] Furthermore, the container 320 in this invention can be a drawer-type container, configured to be operablely pulled out or retracted into the storage compartment 200. It is understood that, to prevent the ultrasonic base 310 from detaching when the drawer-type container is pulled out, the sealing base plate 316 of the ultrasonic base 310 can be fixed to the side plates of the container 320 around it.

[0053] According to any one or a combination of multiple optional embodiments of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0054] The ultrasonic-assisted marinating device 300 of the present invention includes an ultrasonic base 310 and a container 320, with the container 320 fastened to the ultrasonic base 310. During the marinating process, the food to be marinated is first placed in the container 320. Then, ultrasonic waves are generated by the ultrasonic base 310, allowing the waves to be transmitted through the protrusion 313 and the overlapping portion 323 to the container 320 and act on the food, causing the food to vibrate slightly. During this continuous vibration, the marinating liquid can penetrate the food sufficiently and quickly, ensuring even flavoring and a good marinating effect. Furthermore, because the ultrasonic waves significantly improve the penetration ability of the marinating liquid, the concentration of the marinating liquid does not need to be high, reducing the cost of preparing the marinating liquid.

[0055] Furthermore, the ultrasonic base 310 of the present invention includes a base body 311 and an ultrasonic generator 312, the ultrasonic generator 312 being mounted on the lower surface of the base. Since the base body 311 has an internal cavity containing a sandwich medium 314, the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator pass through the sandwich medium 314 and act on the food inside the container 320. Thus, the sandwich medium 314 can absorb the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator 312 during operation, effectively dissipating heat from the ultrasonic generator 312 and preventing heat transfer to the food, thereby avoiding any impact on the marinating process.

[0056] Therefore, 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 conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be understood and construed as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An ultrasound-assisted pickling device, comprising: An ultrasonic base, wherein at least one upwardly protruding protrusion is formed on the upper surface of the ultrasonic base; and A container, the lower surface of which has an overlapping portion adapted to the shape of the protrusion; The container is configured to snap onto the ultrasound base such that the overlapping portion of the container abuts against the protrusion of the ultrasound base. The ultrasonic base is configured to generate ultrasonic waves in a controlled manner, such that the ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the container via the protrusion and the overlap.

2. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 1, wherein, The ultrasonic base includes: The base body has an internally defined cavity containing a sandwich medium for transmitting ultrasonic waves; and At least one ultrasonic generator is fixed to the lower surface of the base body.

3. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 2, wherein, The ultrasonic generator is provided in multiple ways, and a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the base body directly above each ultrasonic generator.

4. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 2, wherein, The lower surface of the base body has an upwardly recessed mounting groove, and each of the ultrasonic generators is installed in the mounting groove; and The ultrasonic base also includes a sealing base plate, which is fixed to the lower surface of the base body to seal the mounting groove.

5. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 2, wherein, The specific heat capacity of the interlayer medium is configured to be between 1 KJ / (kg·K) and 5 KJ / (kg·K).

6. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 2, wherein, Both the container and the base body are made of stainless steel.

7. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 1, wherein, The container includes a container bottom plate and container side plates surrounding the container bottom plate; The lower edges of the container bottom plate and the container side plate are spaced apart by a preset distance to form a receiving space below the container bottom plate, configured so that when the container is placed on the ultrasonic base, the ultrasonic base is housed in the receiving space.

8. The ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to claim 7, wherein, The protrusion is truncated cone-shaped; The overlapping portion includes two opposing overlapping plates, the horizontal distance between the two overlapping plates gradually increasing from top to bottom, configured such that when the container is placed on the ultrasonic base, the two overlapping plates abut against the two sides of the protrusion, and the lower surface of the container bottom plate abuts against the upper surface of the protrusion.

9. A refrigerator having an internally defined storage compartment, wherein the storage compartment is provided with an ultrasonic-assisted pickling device according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein, The container of the ultrasonic-assisted pickling device is a drawer-type container, which is configured to be operablely pulled out or retracted into the storage compartment.

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