Ultrasonic assisted processing device and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an ultrasonic assisted processing device and a refrigerator having the same. The ultrasonic assisted processing device is used to be arranged in a low-temperature space to accelerate the freezing rate and / or pickling rate of food stored in the low-temperature space. The ultrasonic assisted processing device includes a container and an ultrasonic generator. The container is used to hold food. The ultrasonic generator is arranged on the periphery of the container and is configured to generate ultrasonic waves in a controlled manner so that at least a portion of the ultrasonic waves is applied to the food. An interlayer cavity is formed between the container and the ultrasonic generator. The interlayer cavity is filled with an interlayer medium. The interlayer medium is configured to cool the ultrasonic generator and buffer the freezing rate of the food. The ultrasonic assisted processing device of the present invention is provided with an interlayer medium between the container and the ultrasonic generator, which not only smoothly and stably dissipates heat from the food, but also absorbs the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator when it is working. It has outstanding advantages and is easy to promote.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of refrigeration and freezing devices, in particular to an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device and a refrigerator having the same. Background Art

[0002] Users usually store meat products in the freezer of the refrigerator. As the storage cycle changes, the meat pieces in the freezer will become dull in color, lose juice, have a bad odor, and have a reduced taste.

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, refrigerators with quick freezing modes have appeared on the market, such as refrigerators that use ultrasonic assisted freezing technology to speed up freezing. The refrigerator uses an ultrasonic generator to release ultrasonic waves into the compartment to increase the freezing rate, which solves the defects to a certain extent.

[0004] However, for refrigerators with quick-freezing function in the prior art, since the ultrasonic generator consumes a large amount of power when working and the heat dissipation effect inside the refrigerator is poor, the ultrasonic generator may malfunction due to untimely heat dissipation, affecting the quick-freezing efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to overcome at least one defect in the prior art and to provide an ultrasound-assisted processing device and a refrigerator having the same.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to smoothly and stably dissipate the heat of food and absorb the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator when it is working.

[0007] Another further object of the present invention is to optimize heat exchange.

[0008] In particular, the present invention provides an ultrasonic assisted processing device for being arranged in a low-temperature space to accelerate the freezing rate and / or pickling rate of food stored in the low-temperature space, and the ultrasonic assisted processing device comprises:

[0009] Containers for holding food; and

[0010] The ultrasonic generator is disposed on the outer periphery of the container and is configured to generate ultrasonic waves in a controlled manner so that at least a portion of the ultrasonic waves is applied to the food;

[0011] An interlayer cavity is formed between the container and the ultrasonic generator, and the interlayer cavity is filled with an interlayer medium, which is configured to cool the ultrasonic generator and buffer the freezing rate of the food.

[0012] Furthermore, the ultrasound-assisted processing device also includes:

[0013] The barrier forming member is buckled on at least a part of the container to form a barrier cavity between the containers.

[0014] Further, the ultrasonic generator is arranged on a side of the barrier forming member facing away from the container.

[0015] Further, the barrier forming member is located below the container.

[0016] Furthermore, the container also includes:

[0017] The carrier plate is opposite to the barrier forming member and has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the barrier forming member. The protrusions are configured so that at least a portion of the protrusions is immersed in the barrier medium to increase the contact area between the carrier plate and the barrier medium.

[0018] Further, the container is a drawer; and

[0019] The load-bearing board serves as the bottom plate of the drawer.

[0020] Furthermore, the ratio of the volume of the interlayer medium to the volume of the interlayer cavity is between 1 / 5 and 4 / 5.

[0021] Furthermore, the ultrasonic generator is an ultrasonic vibrator or an ultrasonic chip.

[0022] Further, the solidification temperature of the interlayer medium is configured to be between -40 and 0°C; and

[0023] The specific heat capacity of the interlayer medium is configured to be between 1 and 5 KJ / (kg·K).

[0024] In particular, the present invention further provides a refrigerator, which defines a low-temperature space inside, and any of the above-mentioned ultrasonic-assisted processing devices is arranged in the low-temperature space.

[0025] In the ultrasonic assisted processing device of the present invention, since an interlayer cavity is formed between the container and the ultrasonic generator, and an interlayer medium is filled in the interlayer cavity, and the interlayer medium is a refrigerant with a large specific heat capacity, the interlayer medium can be directly or indirectly connected to the ultrasonic generator and the container at the same time. On the one hand, it can ensure that the temperature change rate of the container remains smooth and stable, thereby ensuring that the food is cooled evenly and the temperature change rate is uniform, thereby avoiding the internal texture of the food from being destroyed and improving the quality of the food; on the other hand, the interlayer medium can also absorb the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator when it is working, has a heat dissipation effect on the ultrasonic generator, and ensures the reliability of the operation of the ultrasonic generator.

[0026] Furthermore, in the ultrasonic-assisted processing device of the present invention, the supporting plate is opposite to the barrier forming member, and has a plurality of protruding portions protruding toward the barrier forming member, and at least part of the protruding portions is immersed in the barrier medium, which not only increases the heat exchange area between the food and the container, but also increases the contact area between the supporting plate and the barrier medium, thereby optimizing the heat exchange.

[0027] 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

[0028] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Moreover, the same reference symbols are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the container is shown as a drawer;

[0030] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic assisted treatment device in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a compartment cavity is formed on a side wall of a drawer;

[0031] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic-assisted treatment device in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a compartment cavity is formed on a bottom wall of a drawer;

[0032] Figure 4 is an exploded view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the container is shown as a tray;

[0033] Figure 5 is an exploded view of an ultrasonic-assisted processing device in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic assisted treatment device in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein a partition cavity is formed below a tray. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0036] See also Figures 1 to 6 , Figure 1 is an exploded view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the container is a drawer, Figure 2is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic assisted treatment device in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a compartment cavity is formed on a side wall of a drawer, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic assisted treatment device in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a compartment cavity is formed on the bottom wall of a drawer, Figure 4 is an exploded view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the container is a tray, Figure 5 1 is an exploded view of an ultrasonic assisted processing device in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic assisted treatment device in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein a partition cavity is formed below a tray.

[0037] The present invention provides a refrigerator 1, which generally may include a box body 10, and the box body 10 may include an outer shell and a storage liner. The outer shell wraps the storage liner, and the space between the outer shell and the storage liner is filled with a heat-insulating material (forming a foaming layer) to reduce the heat dissipation of the storage liner to the outside.

[0038] There can be multiple storage liners, each of which can define a storage space 110. The multiple storage spaces 110 can be configured as a refrigerator, a freezer, a temperature-changing chamber, etc. The specific number and function of the storage space 110 can be configured according to pre-determined requirements.

[0039] In some embodiments, one of the storage tanks may be specifically configured as a low-temperature space 120, and the low-temperature space 120 may be used as a quick-freezing compartment of the refrigerator 1 to meet the user's needs for quick-freezing food.

[0040] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 1 may further include an ultrasonic assisted processing device, which may be arranged in the low-temperature space 120 to accelerate the freezing rate and / or pickling rate of food stored in the low-temperature space 120 .

[0041] See also Figure 1 and Figure 4 Specifically, the ultrasound-assisted processing device may include a container and an ultrasonic generator 240 .

[0042] A container may be provided in the low temperature space 120 for holding food. For example, the container may be a drawer 210 or a tray 250 with a storage function, and the user may place food (meat food, etc.) in the drawer 210 or on the tray 250 for quick freezing.

[0043] The ultrasonic generator 240 may be disposed on the outer circumference of the container, and the ultrasonic generator 240 may controllably generate ultrasonic waves, at least a portion of which may be applied to the food to cause the food to freeze.

[0044] That is, the ultrasonic assisted processing device of this embodiment introduces ultrasonic assisted freezing technology, which can quickly freeze food, that is, it can enhance heat transfer during the freezing process of food. The physical effect of ultrasound (cavitation effect) can not only promote the formation of crystal nuclei during the freezing process of food, but also the microbubbles generated by the cavitation effect can serve as new crystal nuclei, change the nucleation temperature of the water inside the food, reduce the supercooling of the food, and promote the rapid nucleation of ice crystals. Therefore, ultrasound can accelerate the internal heat transfer of food and speed up the cooling of food. At the same time, ultrasound can also break up larger ice crystals, forming small and uniform ice crystals, reducing damage to cells and ensuring the freshness of food.

[0045] For example, the temperature range of the low-temperature space can be adjusted to between -40 and 0°C (the specific temperature range can be adjusted as needed). The ultrasonic assisted processing device is set in the low-temperature space. The food crystallizes under the action of ultrasound. The cavitation effect of ultrasound can not only promote the formation of crystal nuclei, accelerate internal heat transfer, and increase the cooling rate, but also break up larger ice crystals to form small and uniform ice crystals, reduce damage to cells, and thus greatly improve the quality of frozen storage of food. That is, at this time, the ultrasonic assisted processing device acts as an auxiliary freezing device to accelerate the freezing rate of food.

[0046] For another example, the temperature range of the low temperature space can be adjusted to above 0°C for storing fresh fruits and vegetables or food that is stored for a short time. In addition, the inventors also realized that when the temperature of the low temperature space is set to above 0°C, the ultrasonic generator 240 can also speed up the pickling rate of the food to be pickled (the food that has been smeared with marinade on the surface or immersed in marinade), that is, the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic generator 240 has a promoting effect on the pickling rate of the food to be pickled. That is, at this time, the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device acts as an auxiliary pickling device to speed up the pickling rate of the food.

[0047] It should be noted that the above examples are only for clearly describing the working principle of the ultrasonic generator 240 in this embodiment, and do not separate the freezing process and the pickling process according to the temperature environment in which the ultrasonic-assisted processing device is located. Those skilled in the art should be able to clearly carry out the pickling process while freezing the food.

[0048] In some specific embodiments, the sound intensity of the ultrasonic signal generated by the ultrasonic generator 240 can be set to 0.05 W / cm 2 Up to 2W / cm 2 Between, for example 0.05W / cm 2 , 1W / cm 2 or 2W / cm 2 etc. to meet the freezing needs.

[0049] An interlayer cavity 212 is formed between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240. The interlayer cavity 212 is filled with an interlayer medium, which can be used to cool the ultrasonic generator 240 and buffer the freezing rate of the food. The interlayer medium can be a cold storage agent with a large specific heat capacity, such as a cold storage gel, etc., preferably a solution or a semi-solidified medium.

[0050] Since the interlayer cavity 212 is arranged between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240, the interlayer medium can be directly or indirectly connected to the ultrasonic generator 240 and the container at the same time. Therefore, on the one hand, after the interlayer medium absorbs the cold in the low-temperature environment, its temperature change rate is less than the temperature change rate of the container and the food on the container. In this way, the interlayer medium can try to ensure that the temperature change rate of the container remains smooth and stable, thereby ensuring that the food is cooled evenly and the temperature change rate is stable, thereby avoiding the internal texture of the food from being destroyed and improving the quality of the food; on the other hand, since the interlayer medium is also indirectly in contact with the ultrasonic generator 240 at the same time, the interlayer medium can also absorb the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator 240 when it is working, has a heat dissipation effect on the ultrasonic generator 240, and ensures the reliability of the operation of the ultrasonic generator 240. Moreover, since the interlayer medium has a large specific heat, after absorbing the heat of the ultrasonic generator 240, the temperature of the interlayer medium does not change much, and will not affect the freezing efficiency of the entire ultrasonic-assisted processing device.

[0051] In some specific embodiments, the interlayer medium may be a refrigerant having a solidification temperature between -40 and 0°C, for example, -40°C, -20°C or 0°C, and the interlayer medium may be a refrigerant having a specific heat capacity between 1 and 5 KJ / (kg·K), for example, 1 KJ / (kg·K), 3 KJ / (kg·K) or 5 KJ / (kg·K). In addition, the selection of the interlayer medium should also take into account its properties such as hazard, flammability, and non-toxicity to meet the use environment of the refrigerator 1.

[0052] In some specific embodiments, when the container is a flat tray 250 , the partition cavity 212 may be formed above or below the tray 250 .

[0053] Since the interlayer cavity 212 is located between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240, when the interlayer cavity 212 is located above the tray 250, the ultrasonic generator 240 can be set above the interlayer cavity 212, and then release ultrasonic waves from top to bottom to the food on the tray 250 to freeze the food.

[0054] See also Figures 4 to 6Similarly, when the interlayer cavity 212 is located below the tray 250, the ultrasonic generator 240 can be arranged below the interlayer cavity 212, and then release ultrasonic waves from bottom to top to the food on the tray 250 to freeze the food. Compared with the above arrangement, when the ultrasonic generator 240 is arranged below the interlayer cavity 212, the food can be avoided, the bearing area of ​​the container is increased, and the arrangement is more reasonable.

[0055] See also Figures 1 to 3 In some other specific embodiments, when the container is a drawer 210, the interlayer cavity 212 may be formed inside or outside the drawer 210. As can be seen from the above, when the interlayer cavity 212 is formed inside the drawer 210, the ultrasonic generator 240 is located inside the drawer 210; when the interlayer cavity 212 is formed outside the drawer 210, the ultrasonic generator 240 is located outside the drawer 210.

[0056] In addition, when the container is a drawer 210, the compartment cavity 212 may also be formed on a panel on any side of the drawer 210, for example, a front panel, a side panel (such as a front panel) of the drawer 210. Figure 2 As shown), bottom plate (as Figure 3 as shown) or on the rear panel.

[0057] In conclusion, in this embodiment, no matter when the container is a drawer 210 or a tray 250 , the compartment cavity 212 can be disposed at any position between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240 to achieve the above technical effects, which will not be elaborated one by one here.

[0058] As described in the background technology section, for refrigerators with quick-freezing function in the prior art, since the ultrasonic generator consumes a large amount of power when working and the heat dissipation effect inside the refrigerator is poor, the ultrasonic generator may malfunction due to untimely heat dissipation, affecting the quick-freezing efficiency.

[0059] In order to overcome the defects in the above-mentioned prior art, the ultrasonic assisted processing device in this embodiment adopts an interlayer medium between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240, which can not only ensure that the temperature change rate of the container remains smooth and stable, and ensure that the food is cooled evenly, but also can utilize the property of the interlayer medium with a large specific heat capacity to absorb the heat of the ultrasonic generator 240, thereby ensuring the reliability of the operation of the ultrasonic generator 240.

[0060] In addition, since the container can be a tray 250 or a drawer 210, and the position of the interlayer cavity 212 is relatively flexible, the above technical effect can be achieved as long as the interlayer cavity 212 is arranged between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240, which has strong practicality.

[0061] See also Figures 1 to 6In some embodiments, the ultrasound-assisted treatment device may further include a barrier forming member 230. The barrier forming member 230 is buckled on at least a portion of the container to form a barrier cavity 212 between the containers.

[0062] In this embodiment, the barrier forming member 230 can be recessed inward to form a liquid storage cavity, and the barrier forming member 230 is buckled on the container to cooperate with the container to form a barrier cavity 212. In order to facilitate users or maintenance personnel to add barrier media, a liquid infusion port (not shown in the figure) can be opened on the barrier forming member 230, and after the liquid infusion is completed, the liquid infusion port can be sealed with a plug.

[0063] In order to ensure the sealing between the barrier forming member 230 and the container, the barrier forming member 230 and the container can also be directly sealed, such as adding a sealing strip, performing a sealing process, and other related processes.

[0064] As can be seen from the foregoing, since an interlayer cavity 212 is formed between the container and the ultrasonic generator 240, the ultrasonic generator 240 is arranged on the side of the interlayer forming member 230 facing away from the container, so that the interlayer medium filled in the interlayer cavity 212 can not only play a role in smoothly and stably dissipating the heat of the food, but also absorb the heat generated by the ultrasonic generator 240 when it is working.

[0065] Furthermore, in order to increase the bearing area of ​​the container, the partition forming member 230 can be located below the container, no longer occupying the upper space of the container, and avoiding food.

[0066] See also Figures 1 to 6 In some embodiments, the container may further include a supporting plate 220, which is opposite to the barrier forming member 230 and has a plurality of extensions 222 protruding toward the barrier forming member 230, and at least a portion of the extensions 222 is immersed in the barrier medium to increase the contact area between the supporting plate 220 and the barrier medium.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the container is a drawer 210, the carrier plate 220 can be used as the bottom plate of the drawer 210, and the carrier plate 220 and the barrier forming member 230 form a barrier cavity 212. Since the extension 222 of the carrier plate 220 protrudes toward the barrier forming member 230, the extension 222 forms a recessed portion on the side of the carrier plate 220 away from the barrier forming member 230, and the recessed portion can be used to prevent food from entering. Moreover, since the extension 222 is immersed in the barrier medium in sections, this not only increases the heat exchange area between the food and the container, but also increases the contact area between the carrier plate 220 and the barrier medium, thereby optimizing heat exchange.

[0068] In some embodiments, the ratio of the volume of the interlayer medium to the volume of the interlayer cavity 212 can also be set to be between 1 / 5 and 4 / 5, such as 1 / 5, 2 / 5 or 4 / 5, etc. The above definition can not only ensure that the interlayer medium will not overflow due to being too full, and the extension portion 222 can be immersed in the interlayer medium, but also ensure the stability of heat transfer.

[0069] In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of ultrasonic generators 240, and the plurality of ultrasonic generators 240 may be one of ultrasonic vibrators or ultrasonic wafers. The plurality of ultrasonic generators 240 may be evenly arranged on a side of the barrier forming member 230 away from the container, and the specific specifications and quantity thereof may be set according to actual conditions.

[0070] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple 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 based on the content disclosed in 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 these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic assisted processing device, arranged in a low-temperature space to accelerate the freezing rate and / or pickling rate of food stored in the low-temperature space, the ultrasonic assisted processing device comprising: A container for containing the food; and an ultrasonic generator, disposed on the outer periphery of the container, configured to generate ultrasonic waves in a controlled manner so that at least a portion of the ultrasonic waves is applied to the food; An interlayer cavity is formed between the container and the ultrasonic generator, and the interlayer cavity is filled with an interlayer medium. The interlayer medium is configured to cool the ultrasonic generator and buffer the freezing rate of the food. The interlayer medium is a refrigerant of a solution or a semi-solidified medium, and the solidification temperature of the interlayer medium is configured to be between -40 and 0°C.

2. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising: The barrier forming member is buckled on at least a part of the container to form the barrier cavity between the containers.

3. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 2, wherein The ultrasonic generator is arranged on a side of the barrier forming member facing away from the container.

4. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 3, wherein The barrier forming member is located below the container.

5. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 3, wherein: The container also includes: The carrier plate is opposite to the barrier forming member and has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the barrier forming member, wherein at least a portion of the protrusions is configured to be immersed in the barrier medium to increase the contact area between the carrier plate and the barrier medium.

6. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 5, wherein The container is a drawer; and The bearing plate serves as the bottom plate of the drawer.

7. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 1, wherein The ratio of the volume of the interlayer medium to the volume of the interlayer cavity is between 1 / 5 and 4 / 5.

8. The ultrasound-assisted treatment device according to claim 1, wherein The ultrasonic generator is an ultrasonic vibrator or an ultrasonic chip.

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

10. A refrigerator, wherein a low-temperature space is defined inside the refrigerator, wherein the ultrasonic assisted processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is arranged in the low-temperature space.

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