A refrigerator

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and discloses a refrigerator which comprises a refrigerator inner container, an ice maker, an air duct component, a filter, a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe; the ice maker is arranged in the refrigerator inner container; the air duct component is arranged in the refrigerator inner container and close to the rear side wall of the refrigerator inner container, the air duct component and the rear side wall of the refrigerator inner container define an air duct, the air duct component forms a pipe-through channel, and the two ends of the pipe-through channel respectively penetrate through the front and rear sides of the air duct component; the filter is arranged in the refrigerator inner container and located at the front side of the air duct component; the first end of the water inlet pipe is used for leading in ice-making water, the second end of the water inlet pipe penetrates through the pipe-through channel and is communicated with the water inlet end of the filter; the first end of the water outlet pipe is communicated with the ice maker, and the second end of the water outlet pipe penetrates through the pipe-through channel and is communicated with the water outlet end of the filter. According to the refrigerator, the filter can be arranged in front of the air duct component, the user can conveniently disassemble and wash the filter from the front, and the use convenience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigerator technology, and in particular to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, some refrigerators have an ice maker inside the refrigerator liner. This ice maker quickly freezes water to form ice cubes for users, meeting their ice needs. Therefore, the ice maker needs to be connected to an external water source to meet ice-making requirements. Since external water sources contain impurities, a filter is generally used to filter the water before it enters the ice maker to ensure the water quality is safe. In existing technology, because the existing air duct components are fully enclosed, the filter needs to be located behind the air duct components. When users need to disassemble, clean, or replace the filter, they must first remove the air duct components, which is a complex disassembly process, making filter removal cumbersome and reducing the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the filter is installed in front of the air duct component, allowing the user to remove and clean the filter from the front of the inner liner, avoiding the hassle of removing the air duct component and improving the user experience.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising:

[0005] Refrigerator liner;

[0006] An ice maker, wherein the ice maker is disposed in the inner liner of the refrigerator;

[0007] An air duct component is disposed in the refrigerator liner and near the rear side wall of the refrigerator liner. The air duct component and the rear side wall of the refrigerator liner define an air duct. The air duct component forms a through-tube channel, and the two ends of the through-tube channel pass through the front and rear sides of the air duct component, respectively.

[0008] A filter is disposed in the inner liner of the refrigerator and located in front of the air duct component;

[0009] An inlet pipe, the first end of which is used to introduce ice-making water, and the second end of which passes through the through-pipe channel and connects to the inlet end of the filter; and

[0010] The water outlet pipe has a first end connected to the ice maker and a second end passing through the pipe channel and connected to the water outlet of the filter.

[0011] In some embodiments, the central axis of the conduit channel gradually slopes upward in the front-to-back direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, an insulation layer is provided on the inner side of the pipe passage.

[0013] In some embodiments, a hollow water pipe sleeve with openings at both ends is also included, the front end of which is inserted into the through-pipe channel, and the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are respectively inserted inside the water pipe sleeve.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the water pipe sleeve is formed with a limiting barrier that abuts against the outer side of the refrigerator liner.

[0015] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the water pipe sleeve is provided with at least one reinforcing rib extending axially along the water pipe sleeve.

[0016] In some embodiments, the inner rear end of the water pipe sleeve expands radially outward to form a trumpet shape.

[0017] In some embodiments, a refrigerator back panel is also provided at intervals on the rear side of the refrigerator liner, the refrigerator back panel having a perforation for the water inlet pipe to pass through; the rear end of the water pipe sleeve has an installation enclosure that abuts against the refrigerator back panel.

[0018] In some embodiments, the system also includes a mounting base and a fixing block fixed to the top of the refrigerator liner. The filter is mounted on the mounting base, and the top of the mounting base has a fixing hole that engages with the fixing block.

[0019] In some embodiments, the sidewall of the mounting base is fixedly connected to the sidewall of the refrigerator liner by threaded fasteners.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the refrigerator of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] The ice maker and filter are installed separately inside the refrigerator liner, with the filter positioned in front of the air duct assembly. The air duct assembly has through-ducts to allow the inlet and outlet pipes connecting to the filter to pass through, thus smoothly guiding external ice-making water into the filter. The filter then filters the ice-making water before guiding it into the ice maker to complete the ice-making process. Because the filter is located in front of the air duct assembly, users can directly remove the filter from the front of the refrigerator liner when cleaning it, avoiding the hassle of disassembling the air duct assembly, improving the ease of filter removal and enhancing the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments of the present invention at one angle;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments of the present invention from another angle;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air duct components, filter, mounting base, inlet pipe, outlet pipe and water pipe sleeve of some embodiments of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 These are schematic diagrams of the structure of air duct components according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A sectional view along line A-A;

[0027] Figure 6 These are schematic diagrams of the water pipe sleeve according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 These are schematic diagrams of the structure of the fixing base according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0029] In the picture,

[0030] 1. Refrigerator inner liner; 11. Fixing block;

[0031] 2. Duct components; 21. Pipe passage;

[0032] 3. Filter;

[0033] 4. Water inlet pipe;

[0034] 5. Water outlet pipe;

[0035] 6. Water pipe sleeve; 61. Limiting enclosure; 62. Reinforcing ribs; 63. Installation enclosure;

[0036] 7. Refrigerator back panel; 71. Perforation;

[0037] 8. Fixing base; 81. Fixing hole. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," 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 this 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 limitations on this invention.

[0040] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0041] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 7 This invention provides a refrigerator, including a refrigerator liner 1, an ice maker (not shown), an air duct component 2, a filter 3, a water inlet pipe 4, and a water outlet pipe 5. The ice maker is disposed in the refrigerator liner 1. The air duct component 2 is disposed in the refrigerator liner 1 and is located near the rear side wall of the refrigerator liner 1. The air duct component 2 and the rear side wall of the refrigerator liner 1 define an air duct. The air duct component 2 has a through-pipe channel 21, with both ends of the through-pipe channel 21 passing through the front and rear sides of the air duct component 2, respectively. The filter 3 is disposed in the refrigerator liner 1 and is located in front of the air duct component 2. The first end of the water inlet pipe 4 is used to introduce ice-making water, and the second end of the water inlet pipe 4 passes through the through-pipe channel 21 and is connected to the water inlet end of the filter 3. The first end of the water outlet pipe 5 is connected to the ice maker, and the second end of the water outlet pipe 5 passes through the through-pipe channel 21 and is connected to the water outlet end of the filter 3.

[0044] Based on the above solution, both the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 pass through the pipe channel 21 into the air duct component 2 and connect to the filter 3, thus smoothly guiding the external ice-making water into the filter 3. The filter 3 filters the ice-making water and then guides it into the ice maker to complete the ice-making process. Since the filter 3 is located on the front side of the air duct component 2, users can directly remove the filter 3 from the front of the refrigerator inner liner 1 when disassembling and cleaning it, avoiding the trouble of disassembling the air duct component 2, improving the ease of disassembly of the filter 3, and enhancing the user experience.

[0045] It should be noted that the filter 3 in this embodiment of the invention is a commonly used filtration device in the art, which serves to filter impurities in the ice-making water and kill bacteria and viruses, or to add beneficial electrolytes to the ice-making water. Therefore, the specific structure and principle of the filter 3 are omitted in this invention. To prevent cold air in the air duct from escaping from the through-pipe channel 21, the position of the through-pipe channel 21 and the position of the air duct can be staggered to avoid positional interference. Preferably, the through-pipe channel 21 is located near the top of the air duct component 2, and the air duct is staggered at the position of the through-pipe channel 21, so that the air duct is a full-width air duct, increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct, thereby increasing the air volume and enhancing the cooling effect. At the same time, the refrigerator inner liner 1 has a corresponding through-hole structure at the position of the through-pipe channel 21, so that the second ends of the water inlet pipe 4 and the water outlet pipe 5 can pass through the through-hole first and then smoothly pass through the through-pipe channel 21.

[0046] In some implementation methods, please refer to Figure 5 The central axis of the pipe passage 21 gradually slopes upwards in the front-to-back direction, so that the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 are arranged with a lower front end and a higher rear end within the pipe passage 21. Since the temperature of the ice-making water in the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 is much lower than the temperature of the air duct, condensation occurs on the surfaces of both the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5. To prevent this condensation from flowing back into the rear of the air duct component 2 and burning out the terminals or other electrical components, or from freezing, the pipe passage 21 is designed to be inclined so that the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 are arranged with a lower front end and a higher rear end within the pipe passage 21. Under the effect of the height difference, the condensation is guided along the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 to the front of the air duct component 2, preventing the condensation from flowing to the rear of the air duct component 2.

[0047] In some embodiments, an insulation layer is provided on the inner side of the pipe passage 21. The insulation layer can be an insulation coating applied to the inner side of the pipe passage 21, or it can be insulation material laid on the inner side of the pipe passage 21. The insulation material is, for example, insulation foam, to prevent the cold air in the air duct from being transferred to the inlet pipe 4 or the outlet pipe 5, to prevent the refrigeration in the inlet pipe 4 or the outlet pipe 5 from freezing, and also to effectively prevent the formation of condensate on the surface of the inlet pipe 4 or the outlet pipe 5.

[0048] In some embodiments, the refrigerator of this invention further includes a hollow water pipe sleeve 6 with openings at both ends. The front end of the water pipe sleeve 6 is inserted into the pipe passage 21, and the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 are respectively inserted inside the water pipe sleeve 6. The water pipe sleeve 6 is used to constrain the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5, preventing them from shaking and improving stability. Simultaneously, the water pipe sleeve 6 supports the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5, preventing them from bending inside the refrigerator and ensuring smooth flow of refrigerant. The water pipe sleeve 6 is made of foamed material.

[0049] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the water pipe sleeve 6 is formed with a limiting barrier 61 that abuts against the outer side of the refrigerator inner liner 1. The cross-sectional area of ​​the limiting barrier 61 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe passage 21, so that the limiting barrier 61 can cover the rear end opening of the pipe passage 21. During the insertion of the front end of the water pipe sleeve 6 into the pipe passage 21, when the limiting barrier 61 abuts against the outer side of the refrigerator inner liner 1, the limiting barrier 61 restricts further movement of the water pipe sleeve 6 within the pipe passage 21, controls the insertion depth of the water pipe sleeve 6 within the pipe passage 21, and prevents it from being inserted too deeply and protruding into the refrigerator inner liner 1.

[0050] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the water pipe sleeve 6 is provided with at least one reinforcing rib 62 extending axially along the water pipe sleeve 6. For example, there may be multiple reinforcing ribs 62, which are arranged sequentially at intervals along the circumference of the water pipe sleeve 6. The reinforcing ribs 62 can prevent the water pipe sleeve 6 from deforming under high-temperature foaming, ensuring that the structure and deformation of the water pipe sleeve 6 do not change.

[0051] In some embodiments, the inner rear end of the water pipe sleeve 6 expands radially outward to form a trumpet shape, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the rear end of the water pipe sleeve 6 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the front end of the water pipe sleeve 6. In this way, the internal space at the rear end of the water pipe sleeve 6 is larger, so that the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 are given sufficient space for turning, preventing the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 from being excessively bent.

[0052] In some embodiments, the refrigerator of this invention further includes a refrigerator back panel 7 spaced apart behind the refrigerator inner liner 1. The refrigerator back panel 7 is used to prevent damage to the refrigerator inner liner 1. The refrigerator back panel 7 has a through hole 71 for the water inlet pipe 4 to pass through. The rear end of the water pipe sleeve 6 forms an installation baffle 63 that abuts against the refrigerator back panel 7. The installation baffle 63 serves two purposes: firstly, it is used for positioning and installation, facilitating the fixing of the rear end of the water pipe sleeve 6 to the refrigerator back panel 7 with screws; secondly, it prevents the foaming material from overflowing during the foaming process of the water pipe sleeve 6. The first ends of the water inlet pipe 4 and the water outlet pipe 5 are respectively located on the outer side of the refrigerator back panel 7.

[0053] In some embodiments, the refrigerator of this invention further includes a mounting base 8 and a mounting block 11 fixed to the top of the refrigerator inner liner 1. The filter 3 is installed on the mounting base 8, and the top of the mounting base 8 has mounting holes 81 that engage with the mounting block 11. The number of mounting blocks 11 can be one or more, for example, two mounting blocks 11, which are arranged relatively spaced apart. The number and position of the mounting holes 81 correspond to the mounting blocks 11. The filter 3 can be fixed to the mounting base 8 with screws, making it easy to remove the filter 3 from the mounting base 8 individually; alternatively, the filter 3 and the mounting base 8 can be removed from the refrigerator inner liner 1 simultaneously.

[0054] Furthermore, in some embodiments, to improve the installation stability of the mounting base 8 in the refrigerator liner 1, the side wall of the mounting base 8 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the refrigerator liner 1 by threaded fasteners (not shown in the figure). The threaded fasteners are, for example, screws or bolts, and the mounting base 8 and the side wall of the refrigerator liner 1 are respectively provided with mounting holes for the threaded fasteners to pass through and connect.

[0055] In summary, this invention provides a refrigerator in which an ice maker and a filter 3 are installed in the refrigerator liner 1. The filter 3 is located on the front side of the air duct component 2. The air duct component 2 has a through-pipe channel 21, allowing the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 connecting to the filter 3 to pass through the through-pipe channel 21 into the air duct component 2, thereby smoothly guiding external ice-making water into the filter 3. The filter 3 filters the ice-making water and then guides it into the ice maker to complete the ice-making process. Because the filter 3 is located on the front side of the air duct component 2, the user can directly remove the filter 3 from the front of the refrigerator liner 1 when cleaning it, avoiding the trouble of disassembling the air duct component 2, improving the ease of disassembly of the filter 3, and enhancing the user experience.

[0056] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0057] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: Refrigerator liner; An ice maker, wherein the ice maker is disposed in the inner liner of the refrigerator; An air duct component is disposed in the refrigerator liner and near the rear side wall of the refrigerator liner. The air duct component and the rear side wall of the refrigerator liner define an air duct. The air duct component forms a through-tube channel, and the two ends of the through-tube channel pass through the front and rear sides of the air duct component, respectively. A filter is disposed in the inner liner of the refrigerator and located in front of the air duct component; An inlet pipe, the first end of which is used to introduce ice-making water, and the second end of which passes through the through-pipe channel and connects to the inlet end of the filter; and The water outlet pipe has a first end connected to the ice maker and a second end passing through the pipe channel and connected to the water outlet of the filter.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The central axis of the pipe channel gradually slopes upwards in the front-to-back direction.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inner side of the pipe passage is provided with an insulation layer.

4. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a hollow water pipe sleeve with openings at both ends, the front end of which is inserted into the pipe passage, and the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are respectively inserted inside the water pipe sleeve.

5. The refrigerator as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The outer wall of the water pipe sleeve is formed with a limiting barrier that abuts against the outer side of the refrigerator liner.

6. The refrigerator as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The outer wall of the water pipe sleeve is provided with at least one reinforcing rib extending axially along the water pipe sleeve.

7. The refrigerator as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The inner rear end of the water pipe sleeve expands radially outward to form a trumpet shape.

8. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that, It also includes a refrigerator back panel spaced at the rear of the refrigerator liner, the refrigerator back panel having a perforation for the water inlet pipe to pass through; the rear end of the water pipe sleeve has an installation enclosure that abuts against the refrigerator back panel.

9. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a mounting base and a fixing block fixed to the top of the refrigerator liner. The filter is installed on the mounting base, and the top of the mounting base has a fixing hole that engages with the fixing block.

10. The refrigerator as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The side wall of the mounting base is fixedly connected to the side wall of the refrigerator liner by threaded fasteners.

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