refrigerator

Abstract

This invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a rear duct shell with an intake port, a duct foam board that, together with the rear duct shell, defines an air supply duct, a front duct shell, a fan corresponding to the intake port, and a shielding device disposed between the front duct shell and the fan; wherein, the duct foam board has a clearance hole corresponding to the intake port; the shielding device is housed within the clearance hole; the shielding device includes a shielding ring plate and a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism driving the shielding ring plate to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan, so that the shielding ring plate surrounds the fan to isolate the intake port from the air supply duct, or moves the shielding ring plate into the clearance hole to connect the intake port with the air supply duct; the shielding device provided by this invention is convenient to install, has high operational reliability, effectively isolates the defrosting heat of the evaporator, does not require thinning of the duct foam board layer, and avoids excessive thickness of the air supply unit composed of the front duct shell, duct foam board, duct rear shell, and shielding device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of household refrigerators, and particularly relates to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] For refrigerators, the preservation level of frozen food is a key indicator. Temperature fluctuations accelerate protein degradation, promote microbial growth and reproduction, and damage muscle tissue. Therefore, temperature fluctuations in the freezer directly affect the shelf life of frozen meat and can also cause ice cream to melt and refreeze, affecting its taste. Currently, the mainstream refrigerators are frost-free, air-cooled models. After the evaporator frosts up during cooling, defrosting is done by heating the evaporator with heating wires, eliminating the need for user defrosting. While frost-free refrigerators offer convenience, they also impact the preservation of food in the freezer. During evaporator defrosting, the air ducts in the freezer are not closed, and the air in the evaporator area is connected to the air inside the freezer. When the evaporator heating wires heat up, hot air enters the freezer directly through the upper air vents, causing temperature fluctuations that can reach around 15°C. To solve this problem, we designed an evaporator defrosting shielding device, installed at the fan inlet. During defrosting of the evaporator, the motor drives the gears, which in turn drive the rack and pinion structure to move the shielding structure back and forth. This seals off the fan intake during defrosting, preventing defrosting heat from entering the freezer compartment and causing temperature fluctuations.

[0003] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a refrigerator.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] Refrigerator, which includes:

[0007] The enclosure defines an insulated storage room;

[0008] The rear shell of the air duct, together with the rear wall of the storage chamber, defines a main air duct that houses the evaporator; and the rear shell of the air duct is provided with an intake port that communicates with the main air duct.

[0009] The duct foam board, together with the duct rear shell, defines an air supply duct that communicates with the storage compartment; the duct foam board is provided with clearance holes corresponding to the position of the intake port;

[0010] The front shell of the air duct is located on the side of the air duct foam board away from the rear shell of the air duct;

[0011] A fan, corresponding to the intake port, is used to deliver the airflow passing through the evaporator into the air supply duct;

[0012] A shielding device is disposed between the front housing of the air duct and the fan, and is housed within the clearance hole; the shielding device includes:

[0013] Shielding ring plate;

[0014] A drive mechanism drives the shielding ring plate to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan, so that the shielding ring plate surrounds the fan to isolate the inlet from the air supply duct, or moves the shielding ring plate into the clearance hole to connect the inlet with the air supply duct.

[0015] As one possible implementation, the shielding device includes a housing with an annular receiving groove formed around its periphery, the opening of which faces the rear shell of the air duct; the shielding ring plate is movably installed within the receiving groove.

[0016] Under the action of the drive mechanism, the shielding ring plate moves into or out of the receiving slot along the rotation axis O of the fan, so that the inlet is connected to or disconnected from the air supply duct.

[0017] As one possible implementation, the housing defines a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity having an opening at one end near the front housing of the air duct; and the opening end of the receiving cavity is provided with a baffle to cover its opening; the drive mechanism is housed within the receiving cavity.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the drive mechanism includes a first drive unit and a second drive unit; the first drive unit includes a first output shaft having a first output terminal and a second output terminal disposed opposite to each other; the second drive unit includes a second output shaft having a third output terminal and a fourth output terminal disposed opposite to each other.

[0019] The inner ring wall of the shielding ring plate is provided with a first rack, a second rack, a third rack, and a fourth rack that mesh sequentially with the first output end, the second output end, the third output end, and the fourth output end.

[0020] As one feasible approach, in the projection of the plane where the baffle is located, the first rack, the second rack, the third rack and the fourth rack are respectively denoted as A1, A2, A3 and A4; the projection of the rotating shaft O of the fan is denoted as O; wherein, A1 and A3 are symmetrical about O, and A2 and A4 are symmetrical about O.

[0021] As an implementable approach, ∠A1OA2∈[70°, 90°].

[0022] As an feasible approach, ∠A1OA2=∠A3OA4=80°.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first drive unit or the second drive unit includes a first housing and a second housing that together define a cavity; a stepper motor and a transmission gear system meshing with the stepper motor are installed in the cavity, the transmission gear system meshing with the first output shaft or the second output shaft; the first output shaft or the second output shaft passes through the adjacent housing.

[0024] As one possible implementation, the bottom wall of the housing, which is disposed opposite to the baffle, is provided with a first mounting base and a second mounting base, the first driving unit being installed in the first mounting base and the second driving unit being installed in the second mounting base.

[0025] As one possible approach, the front shell of the air duct is provided with multiple fixing posts in the area corresponding to the clearance hole;

[0026] The outer casing of the shielding device is provided with a fixing hole, and the fixing post is installed in the fixing hole;

[0027] The fan is mounted on a fan mounting base, and the fan mounting base is provided with a mounting plate around its circumference. The mounting plate is fixedly connected to the mounting column.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0029] This invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a rear duct shell with an intake port, a duct foam board that, together with the rear duct shell, defines an air supply duct, a front duct shell, a fan corresponding to the intake port, and a shielding device disposed between the front duct shell and the fan; wherein, the duct foam board has a clearance hole corresponding to the intake port; the shielding device is housed within the clearance hole; the shielding device includes a shielding ring plate and a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism driving the shielding ring plate to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan, so that the shielding ring plate surrounds the fan to isolate the intake port from the air supply duct, or moves the shielding ring plate into the clearance hole to connect the intake port with the air supply duct; the shielding device provided by this invention is convenient to install, has high operational reliability, effectively isolates the defrosting heat of the evaporator, does not require thinning of the duct foam board layer, and avoids excessive thickness of the air supply unit composed of the front duct shell, duct foam board, duct rear shell, and shielding device. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of the air supply unit of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the air duct front shell, air duct foam board, shielding device, and fan of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3This is an exploded structural diagram of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention from another perspective.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the air supply unit of the refrigerator of the present invention during normal cooling.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the air supply unit during defrosting of the evaporator in the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell and receiving slot of the refrigerator's shielding device according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell and receiving slot of the refrigerator's shielding device from another perspective.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shielding ring plate of the shielding device for the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a partial structural diagram of the shielding ring plate of the refrigerator's shielding device when it is located inside the receiving slot.

[0040] Figure 11 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the shielding ring plate of the refrigerator's shielding device from another perspective when it is located inside the receiving slot.

[0041] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the shielding device for the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention from another perspective;

[0043] Figure 14 This is an exploded structural diagram of the drive unit of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the shielding ring plate and the water-proof ring of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 16 This is an exploded structural diagram of the shielding ring and water-proof ring of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 17 This is an exploded structural diagram of the shielding ring and water-proof ring of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention from another perspective.

[0047] Figure 18This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly of the fan and fan mounting base of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 19 This is a cross-sectional view of the shielding ring plate of the shielding device of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 20 for Figure 19 A magnified view of region A in the middle;

[0050] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the air duct front shell of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 22 for Figure 21 A magnified view of region B in the middle;

[0052] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the insulating foam structure of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0053] In the above figures: shielding device 200; rear shell of air duct 1; inlet 10; fan 11; fan mounting base 12; mounting plate 13; baffle 14; shielding plate 15; shielding ring protrusion 16; shielding cover 17; air duct foam board 2; clearance hole 20; front shell of air duct 3; fixing column 30; shielding ring plate 4; first rack 41; second rack 42; third rack 43; fourth rack 44; slot 45; slot 46; first drive unit 7; first output shaft 70; first output end 71; second output end 72; first housing 73; Second housing 74; Stepper motor 75; Transmission gear system 76; Second drive unit 8; Second output shaft 80; Third output end 81; Fourth output end 82; Outer housing 5; Receiving cavity 50; First guide groove 51; Second guide groove 52; Third guide groove 53; Fourth guide groove 54; First mounting base 55; Second mounting base 56; Fixing hole 57; Water-proof ring 6; Water-proof plate 61; Connecting ring 62; Locking protrusion 63; Receiving groove 9; Isolation foam 21; Mating groove 22; Screw post 31; First connecting plate 32; Second connecting plate 33. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the scope of protection claimed by the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0055] It should be noted that the descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., in this invention are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature.

[0056] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0057] A type of refrigerator, such as Figures 1-23 As shown, it includes a box body defining an insulated storage compartment; the box body includes an inner liner and an outer shell 5 (not shown); the inner liner encloses the storage compartment and forms an opening at the front end of the inner liner. The inner liner includes a rear wall corresponding to the opening.

[0058] An air supply unit is installed on the rear wall of the storage room. Specifically, such as... Figures 1-2 As shown, the air supply unit includes a rear shell 1 of the air duct, a foam board 2 of the air duct, and a front shell 3 of the air duct. The front shell 3 and the rear shell 1 together define a receiving cavity. The foam board 2 is disposed within the receiving cavity, and the side of the foam board 2 away from the rear shell 1 mates with the front shell 3. An air supply area is formed on the foam board 2, and the foam board 2 and the rear shell 1 together define the air supply duct.

[0059] The rear shell 1 of the air duct is located between the air duct foam board 2 and the rear wall of the liner, and the rear shell 1 of the air duct and the rear wall of the liner together define the main air duct. In this embodiment, an evaporator is provided in the main air duct; a heating tube for defrosting the evaporator is provided at the bottom of the evaporator. The rear shell 1 of the air duct has an intake port 10, which connects the main air duct and the supply air duct; the low-temperature airflow passing through the evaporator enters the supply air duct through the intake port 10 and is then sent into the storage chamber by the supply air duct.

[0060] A clearance hole 20 corresponding to the inlet 10 is formed on the duct foam board 2. A shielding device 200 is provided on the front cover of the duct, and the shielding device 200 is housed in the clearance hole 20 of the duct foam board 2. A fan 11 is provided at an adjacent position of the shielding device 200 near the rear shell 1 of the duct, that is, the shielding device 200 is located between the front shell 3 of the duct and the fan 11, and is housed in the clearance hole 20.

[0061] Specifically, such as Figures 3-4 As shown, the shielding device 200 includes a shielding ring plate 4 for shielding the fan 11 and a drive mechanism for moving the shielding ring plate 4. The drive mechanism drives the shielding ring plate 4 to move along the rotation axis O of the fan 11, so that the shielding ring plate 4 disconnects or connects the inlet 10 with the air supply duct. Specifically, as... Figure 5As shown, during normal cooling, the shielding ring plate 4 is housed within the clearance hole 20 of the air duct foam board 2. The suction inlet 10 is connected to the air supply duct. The fan 11 operates to create negative pressure. The low-temperature airflow passing through the evaporator enters the air supply duct through the suction inlet 10 and is then sent into the storage room through the air supply duct to cool the storage room. Figure 6 As shown, during evaporator defrosting, the drive mechanism drives the shielding ring plate 4 to move along the rotation axis O of the fan 11 toward the rear shell 1 of the air duct. The shielding ring plate 4 approaches the rear shell 1 of the air duct and moves until it abuts against the rear shell 1 of the air duct. At this time, the shielding ring plate 4 surrounds the fan 11 and seals against the rear shell 1 of the air duct. At this time, the shielding ring plate 4 separates the fan 11 from the air supply duct, that is, it isolates the suction port 10 from the air supply duct, thereby preventing the hot air generated during evaporator defrosting from entering the air supply duct through the suction port 10 and entering the storage room through the air supply duct, thus disturbing the temperature in the storage room.

[0062] As an feasible approach, such as Figures 7-14 As shown, the shielding device 200 includes a housing 5; the housing 5 defines a receiving cavity 50, and the receiving cavity 50 has an opening at one end near the front shell 3 of the air duct; a baffle 14 is provided at the opening end of the receiving cavity 50 to cover its opening. The drive mechanism is housed within the receiving cavity 50 defined by the housing 5. An annular receiving groove 9 is formed on the periphery of the housing 5, and the opening of the receiving groove 9 faces away from the baffle 14 (i.e., the opening of the receiving groove 9 faces the rear shell 1 of the air duct); a shielding ring plate 4 is movably installed in the receiving groove 9 and cooperates with the drive mechanism; under the action of the drive mechanism, the shielding ring plate 4 moves into or out of the receiving groove 9, so that the suction port 10 is connected to or disconnected from the air supply duct.

[0063] Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving mechanism includes a first driving unit 7 and a second driving unit 8. The first driving unit 7 has a first output shaft 70, which includes a first output end 71 and a second output end 72 located at opposite ends. The second driving unit 8 has a second output shaft 80, which includes a third output end 81 and a fourth output end 82 located at opposite ends. The first output shaft 70 and the second output shaft 80 are arranged parallel to each other. The shell wall of the outer casing 5 is provided with a plurality of guide grooves connecting the receiving groove 9 and the receiving cavity 50. Specifically, in this embodiment, a first guide groove 51, a second guide groove 52, a third guide groove 53, and a fourth guide groove 54 are provided. The first guide groove 51, the second guide groove 52, the third guide groove 53, and the fourth guide groove 54 correspond sequentially to the first output end 71, the second output end 72, the third output end 81, and the fourth output end 82.

[0064] The inner ring wall of the shielding ring plate 4 is circumferentially provided with a first rack 41, a second rack 42, a third rack 43, and a fourth rack 44; the first rack 41, the second rack 42, the third rack 43, and the fourth rack 44 are all perpendicular to the cross-section of the shielding ring plate 4. Among them, the first rack 41, the second rack 42, the third rack 43, and the fourth rack 44 correspond to the first guide groove 51, the second guide groove 52, the third guide groove 53, and the fourth guide groove 54 in sequence; the first rack 41 meshes with the first output end 71 in the first guide groove 51; the second rack 42 meshes with the second output end 72 in the second guide groove 52; the third rack 43 meshes with the third output end 81 in the third guide groove 53; and the fourth rack 44 meshes with the fourth output end 82 in the fourth guide groove 54. When the first drive unit 7 and the second drive unit 8 work synchronously, the first output shaft 70 and the second output shaft 80 rotate synchronously, and the first output end 71, the second output end 72, the third output end 81, and the fourth output end 82 rotate synchronously, each driving the first rack 41, the second rack 42, the third rack 43, and the fourth rack 44 to move, ultimately driving the shielding ring plate 4 to move along the rotation axis O of the fan 11. In this embodiment, the first drive unit 7 and the second drive unit 8 are provided to provide sufficient driving force for the movement of the shielding ring plate 4, ensuring that the shielding ring plate 4 has sufficient power to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan 11.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first driving unit 7 and the second driving unit 8 have the same structure. The following description uses the first driving unit 7 as an example to illustrate its structure. Figure 14 As shown, the first drive unit 7 includes a first housing 73 and a second housing 74; the first housing 73 and the second housing 74 together define a cavity. A stepper motor 75 is installed in the cavity, and the stepper motor 75 meshes with a transmission gear system 76, which meshes with a first output shaft 70; the first output end 71 of the first output shaft 70 passes through the first housing 73, and the second output end 72 passes through the second housing 74. When the stepper motor 75 operates, it drives the first output shaft 70 to rotate through the transmission gear system 76; the first output shaft 70 drives the first rack 41 to move through the first output end 71; the first output shaft 70 drives the second rack 42 to move through the second output end 72. Similarly, the second output shaft 80 drives the third rack 43 to move through the third output end 81; the second output shaft 80 drives the fourth rack 44 to move through the fourth output end 82. The first drive unit 7 and the second drive unit 8 above effectively increase the output torque of the stepper motor 75 through the transmission gear system 76, and can obtain a larger output torque. Through the first output shaft 70 or the second output shaft 80 cooperating with the corresponding rack, the driving force for driving the shielding ring plate 4 to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan 11 is effectively increased.

[0066] During the reciprocating movement of the shielding ring plate 4 along the rotation axis O of the fan 11, due to the high humidity in the storage room during defrosting, water droplets inevitably condense on the part of the shielding ring plate 4 that contacts the rear shell 1 of the air duct. After defrosting, the shielding device 200 remains closed for a certain period of time (the shielding ring plate 4 is in contact with the rear shell 1 of the air duct) to prevent residual heat from the evaporator from entering the storage room and causing large temperature fluctuations. The above process may cause the shielding ring plate 4 to freeze onto the rear shell 1 of the air duct. In this embodiment, two drive units (first drive unit 7 and second drive unit 8) are provided, which effectively increases the driving force for the shielding ring plate 4 to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan 11, and can avoid the situation where the shielding ring plate 4 cannot move due to freezing onto the rear shell 1 of the air duct.

[0067] As another feasible approach, such as Figures 15-17 As shown, a water-proof ring 6 is provided on the end face of the shielding ring plate 4 near the rear shell 1 of the air duct. In this embodiment, the water-proof ring 6 is made of EPS foam material, which has the characteristics of not absorbing water and easily separating from plastic parts such as ABS. The water-proof ring separates the shielding ring plate 4 from the rear shell 1 of the air duct when the shielding device 200 is closed, thereby preventing water from accumulating between the water-proof ring 6 and the rear shell 1 of the air duct, and effectively preventing the shielding ring plate 4 and the rear shell 1 of the air duct from freezing. Since the humidity of the environment where the shielding device 200 is located is high, if the water-proof ring 6 is fixed to the shielding ring plate 4 by adhesive, the adhesive position between the water-proof ring 6 and the shielding ring plate 4 is easily soaked with water, causing the adhesive to fail and the water-proof ring 6 to detach. In this embodiment, the shielding ring plate 4 has a slot 45 at one end near the rear shell 1 of the air duct, and a locking hole 46 is provided circumferentially on the groove wall of the slot 45; the water-proof ring 6 includes a water-proof sheet 61 and a connecting ring 62; wherein the connecting ring 62 has a locking protrusion 63; the connecting ring 62 is installed in the slot 45, and the locking protrusion 63 is installed in the locking hole 46, so as to fix the water-proof ring 6 to the shielding ring plate 4; the water-proof sheet 61 covers the end face of the shielding ring plate 4 near the rear shell 1 of the air duct, so as to separate the shielding ring plate 4 from the rear shell 1 of the air duct when the shielding ring plate 4 abuts against the rear shell 1 of the air duct. The above settings can ensure the installation stability of the water-proof ring 6 and the effectiveness of the water-proof ring 6 in preventing icing.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, a first mounting base 55 and a second mounting base 56 are provided on the bottom wall of the outer shell 5 corresponding to the opening of the accommodating cavity 50. The first driving unit 7 is installed in the first mounting base 55, and the second driving unit 8 is installed in the second mounting base 56. The arrangement of the first mounting base 55 and the second mounting base 56 allows the first driving unit 7 or the second driving unit 8 as a whole module to be installed in the corresponding mounting base by snap-fit, which greatly improves the installation efficiency of the first driving unit 7 or the second driving unit 8 and effectively improves the installation convenience of each component of the shielding mechanism.

[0069] See Figure 11In the projection of the plane containing baffle 14, the first rack 41, the second rack 42, the third rack 43, and the fourth rack 44 are denoted as A1, A2, A3, and A4, respectively; the center of the shielding ring plate 4 is collinear with the rotation axis O of the fan 11; the projection of the rotation axis O of the fan 11 is denoted as O. In the projection of the plane containing baffle 14, A1 and A3 are symmetrical about O, and A2 and A4 are symmetrical about O. As an optional configuration, ∠A1OA2 ∈ [70°, 90°]; in this embodiment, ∠A1OA2 = ∠A3OA4 = 80°. The above configuration ensures that when the drive mechanism moves the shielding ring plate 4, the shielding ring plate 4 is subjected to balanced forces, ensuring the stability and smoothness of the movement of the shielding ring plate 4.

[0070] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 10 As shown, multiple fixing posts 30 are provided on the front shell 3 of the air duct corresponding to the intake 10. Fixing holes 57 corresponding to the fixing posts 30 are provided on the inner wall of the outer shell 5 of the shielding device 200; as shown... Figure 18 As shown, the fan 11 is mounted on the fan mounting base 12, and the fan mounting base 12 is provided with a fixing plate 13 corresponding to the fixing column 30 in the circumferential direction. The fixing column 30 on the front shell 3 of the air duct is installed in the fixing hole 57 of the shielding device 200, and the fixing column 30 on the front shell 3 of the air duct and the fixing hole 57 on the shielding device 200 of the fan 11 are overfitted to ensure the circumferential installation stability of the shielding device 200. The fan 11 is installed on the side of the shielding device 200 near the rear shell 1 of the air duct, and the fan mounting base 12 is pressed on the shielding device 200. The front shell 3 of the air duct, the shielding device 200 and the fan 11 are fixedly connected by the fixing plate 13 and the fixing column 30, thereby ensuring the installation stability of the shielding device 200 and the fan 11. In this embodiment, the fixing plate 13 and the fixing column 30 can be connected by screws, and the shielding device 200 is positioned along the rotation axis O of the fan 11 by applying pressure to the fan fixing seat 12. The shielding device 200 is thus stably fixed to the front shell 3 of the air duct. The shielding device 200 and the fan 11 are connected in series, and the shielding device 200 is installed in the clearance hole 20 of the air duct foam board 2. This effectively utilizes the thickness of the air duct foam board 2, eliminating the need to reduce its thickness. This avoids the air supply unit becoming too thick due to the shielding device 200 occupying internal space, which would otherwise result in a small gap between the return air inlet connecting the storage compartment and the main air duct below the air supply unit and the rear wall of the inner liner. This effectively avoids difficulties in air return or noise caused by a small gap between the return air inlet and the rear wall of the inner liner.

[0071] Furthermore, since the shielding device 200 is an optional mechanism, it is an optional accessory for different models and product requirements. The installation and fixing method of the shielding device 200 designed in this embodiment has universal installation capabilities. That is, regardless of whether the shielding device 200 is installed, the installation position and installation method of the fan 11 can be kept relatively unchanged.

[0072] Specifically, when the shielding device 200 is not required, the fan 11 is mounted on the fixed column 30 via the fan mounting base 12; the circumferential fixation of the fan 11 remains unchanged; in the direction of the rotation axis O of the fan 11, only the thickness of the sheet metal of the shielding device 200 is reduced by about 1.4mm; thus, the position of the fan 11 in the air supply unit remains basically unchanged, effectively enhancing the installation versatility of the fan 11.

[0073] The above-mentioned shielding device 200 is used to shield the fan 11 to disconnect the intake 10 from the air supply duct. The shielding device 200 is housed within the clearance hole 20 of the duct foam board 2. To ensure the installability of the shielding device 200, an installation gap is left between the shielding device 200 and the wall of the clearance hole 20 of the duct foam board 2. When the refrigerator is cooling and the fan 11 is working, cold air will enter the installation gap, thereby cooling the front of the duct. However, excessively low humidity will cause a large amount of condensation to form on the front shell 3 of the duct in the refrigerator compartment or variable temperature compartment, affecting user operation.

[0074] In this embodiment, as Figures 19-20 As shown, a shielding ring plate 4 is provided with a shielding cover 17 at one end near the rear shell 1 of the air duct, and the opening of the shielding cover 17 faces the baffle plate 14. A water-proof ring 6 is provided on the cover wall of the shielding cover 17 near the rear shell 1 of the air duct. A shielding plate 15 is provided at the end of the outer ring cover wall of the shielding cover 17 near its opening. When the shielding ring plate 4 is housed in the receiving groove 9 so that the inlet 10 is connected to the air supply duct, the shielding cover 17 covers the end of the receiving groove 9 to prevent cold air from entering the receiving groove 9, thereby preventing the cold air from being transferred to the front shell 3 of the air duct through the receiving groove 9; at the same time, it also prevents humid air from entering the receiving groove 9 and entering the receiving cavity 50 where the drive unit is installed through the guide grooves (first guide groove 51, second guide groove 52, third guide groove 53 and fourth guide groove 54), which would damage the drive unit (first drive unit 7 and second drive unit 8). In addition, the duct foam board 2 is provided with a shielding ring protrusion 16 surrounding the clearance hole 20. The shielding ring protrusion 16 cooperates with the shielding plate 15 to seal the installation gap between the shielding device 200 and the hole wall of the clearance hole 20 of the duct foam board 2, thereby preventing cold air from entering the installation gap and effectively preventing the duct front shell 3 from becoming too cold and causing condensation on the duct front shell 3. The above-mentioned shielding ring protrusion 16 and shielding plate 15 cooperate to limit the contact area between the shielding ring protrusion 16 and shielding plate 15, and improve the sealing performance of the shielding ring protrusion 16 and shielding plate 15.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, as Figures 21-23 As shown, the front shell 3 of the duct is provided with multiple screw posts 31, which pass through the duct foam board 2; and an installation gap is also left between the circumferential sidewall of the screw post 31 and the duct foam board 2; cold air can also pass through the installation gap defined by the screw post 31 and the duct foam board 2. The screw posts 31 are mounted on the front shell 3 of the duct via connecting seats; the bottom of the mounting seats is provided with isolation foam 21 that fits tightly with both the duct front plate and the duct foam board 2; the isolation foam 21 separates the installation gap defined by the circumferential sidewall of the screw post 31 and the duct foam board 2 from the duct front plate, thereby blocking the transfer of cold air to the front shell 3 of the duct through the installation gap defined by the screw post 31 and the duct foam board 2. The duct foam board 2 is made of PE foam or EPS foam.

[0076] As one feasible approach, the connector includes a first connecting plate 32 connected to the end face of the screw post 31, and the first connecting plate 32 is provided with a plurality of second connecting plates 33 spaced apart; the plurality of second connecting plates 33 are fixedly connected to the front shell 3 of the air duct. The insulating foam 21 is plate-shaped and is provided with a plurality of mating grooves 22 with one end open; the mating grooves 22 of the insulating foam 21 correspond to the positions of the second connecting plates 33; during installation, the insulating foam 21 is moved so that the second connecting plates 33 are installed in the mating grooves 22, thereby installing the insulating foam 21 at the bottom of the screw post 31, separating the installation gap defined by the screw post 31 and the air duct foam board 2 from the front shell of the air duct, and preventing condensation from occurring in the area on the front shell 3 of the air duct corresponding to the position of the screw post 31.

[0077] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any person skilled in the art may make changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments for application in other fields. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator characterized by It includes: The enclosure defines an insulated storage room; The rear shell of the air duct, together with the rear wall of the storage chamber, defines a main air duct that houses the evaporator; and the rear shell of the air duct is provided with an intake port that communicates with the main air duct. The duct foam board, together with the duct rear shell, defines an air supply duct that communicates with the storage compartment; the duct foam board is provided with clearance holes corresponding to the position of the intake port; The front shell of the air duct is located on the side of the air duct foam board away from the rear shell of the air duct; A fan, corresponding to the intake port, is used to deliver the airflow passing through the evaporator into the air supply duct; A shielding device is disposed between the front housing of the air duct and the fan, and is housed within the clearance hole; the shielding device includes: Shielding ring plate; A drive mechanism drives the shielding ring plate to reciprocate along the rotation axis O of the fan, so that the shielding ring plate surrounds the fan to isolate the inlet from the air supply duct, or moves the shielding ring plate into the clearance hole to connect the inlet with the air supply duct. The driving mechanism includes a first driving unit and a second driving unit; the first driving unit includes a first output shaft having a first output end and a second output end that are arranged opposite to each other; the second driving unit includes a second output shaft having a third output end and a fourth output end that are arranged opposite to each other. The inner ring wall of the shielding ring plate is provided with a first rack, a second rack, a third rack and a fourth rack that mesh sequentially with the first output end, the second output end, the third output end and the fourth output end. A water-proof ring is provided on the end face of the shielding ring plate near the rear shell of the air duct; the water-proof ring separates the shielding ring plate from the rear shell of the air duct when the shielding device is closed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding device includes a housing, with an annular receiving groove formed around the periphery of the housing, and the opening of the receiving groove facing the rear shell of the air duct; the shielding ring plate is movably installed in the receiving groove; Under the action of the drive mechanism, the shielding ring plate moves into or out of the receiving slot along the rotation axis O of the fan, so that the inlet is connected to or disconnected from the air supply duct.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer shell defines a receiving cavity, and the receiving cavity has an opening at one end near the front shell of the air duct; and the opening end of the receiving cavity is provided with a baffle to cover its opening; the drive mechanism is housed in the receiving cavity.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the projection of the plane where the baffle is located, the first rack, the second rack, the third rack and the fourth rack are respectively denoted as A1, A2, A3 and A4; the projection of the rotating shaft O of the fan is denoted as O; wherein, A1 and A3 are symmetrical about O, and A2 and A4 are symmetrical about O.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that: ∠A1OA2∈[70°,90°].

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that: in, ∠A1OA2=∠A3OA4=80°.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that: The first drive unit or the second drive unit includes a first housing and a second housing that together define a cavity; a stepper motor and a transmission gear system that meshes with the stepper motor are installed in the cavity, and the transmission gear system meshes with the first output shaft or the second output shaft; the first output shaft or the second output shaft passes through the adjacent housing.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that: The bottom wall of the outer casing, which is opposite to the baffle, is provided with a first mounting base and a second mounting base. The first driving unit is installed in the first mounting base, and the second driving unit is installed in the second mounting base.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, characterized in that: The front shell of the air duct is provided with multiple fixing posts in the area corresponding to the clearance hole; The outer casing of the shielding device is provided with a fixing hole, and the fixing post is installed in the fixing hole; The fan is mounted on a fan mounting base, and the fan mounting base is provided with a mounting plate around its circumference. The mounting plate is fixedly connected to the mounting column.

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