Refrigerator

Abstract

This invention proposes a refrigerator, belonging to the field of household appliance technology. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment; an ice-making compartment is located in the refrigerator compartment, and the ice-making compartment includes: an ice maker for producing ice; an ice-making evaporator for providing cooling to the ice maker; an ice storage tray for storing the ice produced by the ice maker; and an air duct connecting the ice-making compartment and the freezer compartment to facilitate airflow between them. This refrigerator avoids frost buildup on the ice-making compartment and the ice-making evaporator, has a simple structure, and low manufacturing cost.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of domestic application 202111506654.8, filed on 2021-12-10. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more particularly to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0003] In related technologies, some refrigerators have an ice-making structure to achieve the refrigerator's ice-making function. (See reference...) Figure 1 An insulation wall 12 separates an ice-making chamber 11 in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 1. An ice maker 1122, an ice-making evaporator 1121, and an ice storage box 1111 are located inside the ice-making chamber 11. The ice-making evaporator 1121 is positioned close to the ice maker 1122 to provide cooling, causing the water inside the ice maker 1122 to freeze into ice. The ice produced in the ice maker 1122 then slides down into the ice storage box 1111 under gravity. Under the action of the ice dispensing pusher, the ice is distributed to the outside of the refrigerator through the ice outlet 41 via the distributor 4 on the door. A fan 6 is also installed inside the ice-making chamber 11. The forced action of the fan 6 circulates the cooling energy from the ice-making evaporator 1121 within the ice-making chamber 11, thus controlling the temperature of the ice-making chamber 11.

[0004] In the above ice-making structure, due to the moisture generated by the ice blocks in the ice-making chamber, frost can easily form in the ice-making chamber and on the ice-making evaporator, which in turn affects the cooling effect of the ice-making chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention at least partially solves one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0006] Therefore, this application aims to provide a refrigerator that avoids frost formation on the ice maker and ice evaporator.

[0007] The refrigerator according to this application includes: a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment; an ice-making compartment disposed in the refrigerator compartment, the ice-making compartment having: an ice maker for producing ice; an ice-making evaporator for providing cooling capacity to the ice maker; an ice storage box for storing the ice produced by the ice maker; and further includes: an air duct connecting the ice-making compartment and the freezer compartment to realize airflow between the ice-making compartment and the freezer compartment.

[0008] According to this application, the refrigerator, by setting an air duct connecting the ice-making compartment and the freezer compartment, can realize the airflow between the ice-making compartment and the freezer compartment, thereby achieving the purpose of introducing the cold energy from the freezer compartment into the ice-making compartment to regulate the ice-making compartment temperature. On the one hand, compared with the related technology that regulates the ice-making compartment temperature through the ice-making evaporator and requires a fan in the ice-making compartment to promote airflow circulation, this application directly uses the fan in the freezer compartment, which can eliminate the need for a fan in the ice-making compartment and simplify the structure of the ice-making compartment. On the other hand, the airflow containing moisture in the ice-making compartment can flow into the freezer compartment through the air duct, avoiding the problem of moisture in the ice-making compartment having nowhere to be released and causing frost to form on the inner wall of the ice-making compartment and the ice-making evaporator in the related technology, thus improving the ice-making efficiency of the ice maker and the cooling efficiency of the ice-making compartment. This application does not require a defrosting structure at the ice-making evaporator, further simplifying the product structure and reducing the product cost. Furthermore, compared with the related technology, when... In traditional refrigerator systems, the ice-making process and temperature control of the ice-making compartment must be paused when the ice evaporator is defrosting. This application, however, relies on the cooling capacity of the freezer compartment to regulate the temperature of the ice-making compartment, thus avoiding the influence of the ice evaporator. Furthermore, the structure of this application reduces the problem of frost buildup on the ice evaporator. Therefore, the ice maker can operate at any time, and the temperature control of the ice-making compartment is unaffected by the ice evaporator. Moreover, compared to related technologies where frost easily forms in areas not circulated by the ice evaporator due to the small space and insufficient airflow in the ice-making compartment, the airflow in this application flows between the ice-making and freezer compartments, resulting in better circulation. Additionally, unlike related technologies where the ice evaporator continues to operate to maintain the temperature inside the ice-making compartment even when the ice maker is not working (e.g., when the ice is full and no ice making is needed), this application maintains the temperature inside the ice-making compartment through the freezer compartment, allowing the ice evaporator to stop working when ice making is not required, thus offering energy-saving advantages.

[0009] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the air duct includes a supply air duct and a return air duct that are respectively connected between the ice-making chamber and the freezer chamber; the airflow in the freezer chamber is supplied to the ice-making chamber through the supply air duct, and the airflow in the ice-making chamber then flows into the freezer chamber through the return air duct.

[0010] The refrigerator according to this application, by setting up air supply ducts and return air ducts, can make the airflow between the ice-making compartment and the freezer compartment more orderly and improve the airflow circulation efficiency.

[0011] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the ice-making chamber is further provided with an air supply channel, which is connected to the air supply duct, and the air supply channel is provided with an air supply port to supply airflow from the air supply duct to the ice storage box.

[0012] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the gas supply channel divides the ice-making chamber into a first area and a second area, with the ice storage box located in the first area and the ice-making evaporator and ice maker located in the second area.

[0013] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the gas supply channel is enclosed by a partition.

[0014] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, a fan is also provided in the freezer compartment; the fan enables airflow circulation between the freezer compartment and the ice-making compartment.

[0015] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, an evaporator is also provided in the freezer compartment. The evaporator and the fan are located in the evaporator cavity at the rear of the freezer compartment, and the evaporator cavity is connected to the front area of ​​the freezer compartment and the air duct, respectively.

[0016] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, a first air vent is provided at the rear of the ice-making chamber, and a second air vent is provided below the first air vent; a third air vent is provided at the rear of the evaporator chamber, and a fourth air vent is provided below the third air vent; the two ends of the air supply duct are respectively connected to the first air vent and the fourth air vent, and the two ends of the air return duct are respectively connected to the second air vent and the third air vent.

[0017] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the air duct is located within the foam layer of the refrigerator.

[0018] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of this application, the ice-making evaporator is located on the lower side of the ice maker.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator based on related technologies;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] In the above diagrams: 100, Refrigerator; 1, Refrigerator compartment; 11, Ice maker compartment; 111, First zone; 1111, Ice storage box; 112, Second zone; 1121, Ice evaporator; 1122, Ice maker; 113, Gas supply channel; 1131, Gas inlet; 1132, Shelf; 114, First air vent; 115, Second air vent; 116, Ice outlet; 12, Insulation wall; 2, Freezer compartment; 21, Evaporator cavity; 211, Fan; 212, Evaporator; 213, Third air vent; 214, Fourth air vent; 3, Air duct; 31, Supply air duct; 32, Return air duct; 4, Distributor; 41, Ice outlet; 5, Foam layer; 6, Fan. Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that, without further description, elements, structures, and features in one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing 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.

[0026] 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. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] In the following, embodiments of this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a side sectional view of a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Reference Figure 2According to an embodiment of this application, a refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator compartment 1 and a freezer compartment 2 disposed below the refrigerator compartment 1. An ice-making compartment 11 is disposed within the refrigerator compartment 1, and the ice-making compartment 11 includes an ice maker 1122, an ice-making evaporator 1121, and an ice storage box 1111. The ice maker 1122 is used to produce ice; the ice-making evaporator 1121 is used to provide cooling capacity to the ice maker 1122; and the ice storage box 1111 is used to store the ice produced by the ice maker 1122.

[0031] The refrigerator 100 may also include an air duct 3, which connects the ice-making chamber 11 and the freezer chamber 2 to facilitate airflow between the ice-making chamber 11 and the freezer chamber 2.

[0032] The refrigerator 100 is vertically divided into a refrigerator compartment 1 and a freezer compartment 2. In other embodiments, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment may also be arranged horizontally side by side. The refrigerator compartment 1 and the freezer compartment 2 each have a door on the front side of the refrigerator 100, which can be opened and closed by opening and closing the doors. An ice-making compartment 11 is located at the top of the refrigerator compartment 1. The ice-making compartment 11 is separated from other areas of the refrigerator compartment 1 by an insulation wall 12. Because the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 11 is lower than the temperature in other areas of the refrigerator compartment 1, the insulation wall 12 can maintain the low temperature inside the ice-making compartment 11. The insulation material can be foam plastic or other insulation materials.

[0033] The ice-making chamber 11 is equipped with an ice maker 1122, which is used to make ice. Various types of ice makers 1122 can be selected, and there are multiple selection methods, which are flexible and convenient. The ice-making chamber 11 is also equipped with an ice-making evaporator 1121, in which refrigerant flows. The evaporation of the refrigerant absorbs heat to make water freeze into ice.

[0034] According to an embodiment of this application, the water supplied from the water source first passes through a filter to remove impurities and obtain drinkable water, and then is sent to the ice maker 1122 through the ice maker water pipe, where the ice maker 1122 turns the water into ice.

[0035] The ice-making chamber 11 contains an ice storage box 1111 located below the ice maker 1122. The ice storage box 1111 can store the ice produced by the ice maker 1122. The ice produced by the ice maker 1122 slides into the ice storage box 1111 under the influence of gravity. The ice storage box 1111 can temporarily store the ice produced by the ice maker 1122. The ice storage box 1111 is equipped with a spiral rod (not shown in the figure) for conveying ice blocks.

[0036] The refrigerator 100 also includes a distributor 4 located on the door of the refrigerator compartment 1. The distributor 4 can transfer ice from the ice storage box 1111 to the outside of the refrigerator 100. The distributor 4 includes an ice outlet 41 for dispensing ice; the ice storage box 1111 is provided with an ice dispensing port 116. The ice outlet 41 is positioned opposite to and below the ice dispensing port 116. Ice from the ice storage box 1111 falls into the ice outlet 41 of the distributor 4 through the ice dispensing port 116, and then into the distributor 4. The distributor 4 is provided with an operating lever or button, allowing the user to open the ice outlet 41 to obtain ice without opening the refrigerator 100 door by using the operating lever or knob.

[0037] The refrigerator 100 includes an air duct 3 that connects the ice-making compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 2. Low-temperature cold air in the freezer compartment 2 can be transported to the ice-making compartment 11 through the air duct 3 to regulate the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 11. Air in the ice-making compartment 11 can also be transported to the freezer compartment 2 through the air duct 3, preventing moisture in the air from condensing on the surface of the ice-making evaporator 1121 and the inner wall of the ice-making compartment 11, thus preventing frost formation and improving ice-making efficiency and the cooling effect of the ice-making compartment 11.

[0038] In the current example, since the refrigerator compartment 1 and the freezer compartment 2 are arranged vertically, the air duct 3 extends vertically between the ice-making compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 2; when the refrigerator compartment 1 and the freezer compartment 2 are arranged horizontally, the air duct 3 extends horizontally accordingly.

[0039] According to the refrigerator of this application, airflow circulation between the ice-making compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 2 is achieved by setting an air duct 3 between the ice-making compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 2. In this way, the temperature regulation in the ice-making compartment 11 can be achieved by introducing the cold air from the freezer compartment 2, without relying on the ice-making evaporator 1121 to regulate the temperature of the ice-making compartment 11.

[0040] In this application, when the ice maker 1122 is not working, for example, when it is full of ice and no ice making is needed, the ice evaporator 1121 can stop working, compared to Figure 1 The ice-making evaporator 1121 still needs to work to adjust the ice-making chamber 11, and this application is more energy-efficient.

[0041] Since the airflow circulation during refrigeration in the ice-making chamber 11 of this application can be directly achieved by using the fan 211 in the freezer chamber 2, the airflow circulation can be omitted. Figure 1 The fan 6 inside the ice-making chamber 11 simplifies the product structure and reduces product costs.

[0042] In this application, the moisture in the ice-making chamber 11 can be discharged into the freezer chamber 2 through the air duct 3, thereby avoiding... Figure 1 The inability of moisture to escape from the ice chamber 11 can lead to frost formation on the inner walls of the ice chamber 11 and the ice evaporator 1121.

[0043] In this application, the airflow circulates between the ice-making chamber 11 and the freezer chamber 2 through the air duct 3, compared to Figure 1 The problem of poor airflow circulation in the small ice-making compartment 11 has been addressed by this refrigerator, which has better airflow circulation.

[0044] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the ice-making evaporator 1121 is located below the ice maker 1122. Low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows in the refrigeration evaporator 212, absorbing heat from the ice maker 1122 and becoming a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. Since the ice-making evaporator 1121 is located below the ice maker 1122, the heat exchange between the refrigerant and the ice maker 1122 can be more complete, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0045] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the air duct 3 includes a supply air duct 31 and a return air duct 32 that respectively connect the ice-making compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 2. The airflow in the freezer compartment 2 is supplied to the ice-making compartment 11 through the supply air duct 31, which can deliver cold air from the freezer compartment 2 to the ice-making compartment 11 to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making compartment 11 and regulate the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 11; the airflow in the ice-making compartment 11 then flows back into the freezer compartment 2 through the return air duct 32, realizing the circulation of airflow in the ice-making compartment 11. When the air in the ice-making chamber 11 comes into contact with the ice, it carries water vapor. This water vapor, when in contact with the ice-making evaporator 1121, causes frost to form on the evaporator, reducing its ice-making efficiency. However, since the airflow in the ice-making chamber 11 can flow into the freezer chamber 2 through the return air duct 32, frost formation on the surface of the ice-making evaporator 1121 and inside the ice-making chamber 11 is prevented, thus ensuring the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making evaporator 1121. At the same time, there is no need to install a defrosting device in the ice-making chamber 11, reducing costs and simplifying the structure.

[0046] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the ice-making chamber 11 is further provided with an air supply channel 113. The air supply channel 113 is connected to the air supply duct 31, and the air supply channel 113 is provided with an air supply port 1131 to supply airflow from the air supply duct 31 to the ice storage box 1111. The air supply channel 113 ensures that the airflow from the air supply duct 31 flows into the ice storage box 1111 in an orderly manner from the air supply port 1131, and that the airflow flows along the air supply channel 113. The airflow supplied by the air supply duct 31 and the airflow flowing out of the return air duct 32 will not directly mix, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the airflow and the ice in the ice-making chamber 11 and avoiding waste of cooling capacity.

[0047] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the gas supply channel 113 divides the ice-making chamber 11 into a first region 111 located below the gas supply channel 113 and a second region 112 located above the gas supply channel 113. The ice storage box 1111 is located in the first region 111, and the ice evaporator 1121 and the ice maker 1122 are located in the second region 112.

[0048] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the air supply channel 113 is surrounded by a partition 1132. The partition 1132 encloses the air supply channel 113 into a rectangular channel or other types of channel, so as to avoid the airflow in the air supply duct 31 from mixing with the airflow in the ice-making chamber 11 when it first enters the ice-making chamber 11, and also to prevent the airflow that just enters the ice-making chamber 11 from flowing directly out of the return air duct 32, so as to ensure that the airflow entering the ice-making chamber 11 from the air supply duct 31 can fully exchange heat and enhance the heat exchange efficiency.

[0049] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the refrigerator 100 further includes a fan 211 disposed in the freezer compartment 2. The airflow between the freezer compartment 2 and the ice-making compartment 11 is circulated by the fan 211. The fan 211 can provide power for the airflow exchange between the freezer compartment 2 and the ice-making compartment 11, so as to circulate the airflow between the freezer compartment 2 and the ice-making compartment 11.

[0050] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, an evaporator 212 is also provided in the freezer compartment 2. The evaporator 212 and the fan 211 are located in the evaporator cavity 21 at the rear of the freezer compartment 2, and the evaporator cavity 21 is connected to the front area of ​​the freezer compartment 2 and the air duct 3, respectively. The evaporator 212 is connected to the compressor and the condenser. When the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flows through the evaporator 212, it absorbs heat to provide cooling capacity to the freezer compartment 2. The fan 211 can transport a portion of the cold air in the evaporator cavity 21 to the front area of ​​the freezer compartment 2, and another portion of the air to the ice-making compartment 11.

[0051] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the rear of the ice-making chamber 11 is provided with a first air vent 114 and a second air vent 115 located below the first air vent 114, and the rear of the evaporator chamber 21 is provided with a third air vent 213 and a fourth air vent 214 located below the third air vent 213. The two ends of the air supply duct 31 are respectively connected to the first air vent 114 and the fourth air vent 214, and the two ends of the return air duct 32 are respectively connected to the second air vent 115 and the third air vent 213. Since the first air vent 114 is located above the second air vent 115, the airflow supplied by the first air vent 114 directly enters the air supply channel 113, and then slowly sinks into the ice storage box 1111 to provide cooling for the ice. After heat exchange, the airflow flows out from the ice storage box 1111, and then sinks to the second air vent 115 and flows out through the second air vent 115. Inside the evaporator cavity 21, the fan 211 is located above the evaporator 212. The air flowing into the evaporator cavity 21 from the return air duct 32 is cooled by the evaporator 212 and then flows into the air supply duct through the fourth air outlet 214.

[0052] It should be noted that the airflow flowing in from the return air duct 32 is cooled by the evaporator 212, and the evaporator 212 in the evaporator cavity 21 can defrost. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 only needs to install a defrosting device in the evaporator cavity 21, and does not need to install an additional defrosting device at the ice-making evaporator 1121. The air in the ice-making compartment 11 circulates with the air in the evaporator cavity 21, which can reduce the moisture content of the air in the ice-making compartment 11, prevent frost from forming on the ice-making evaporator 1121 and the ice-making compartment 11, and improve the operating efficiency of the refrigerator 100.

[0053] In some embodiments of the refrigerator 100 of this application, the air duct 3 is located within the foam layer 5 of the refrigerator 100. The foam layer 5 is a heat insulation material that can keep the refrigerator warm. The air duct 3 is located within the foam layer 5, which can reduce the loss of cold air in the air duct 3 and improve the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 100. At the same time, it can hide the air duct 3 and avoid the air duct 3 being distributed in the refrigerator compartment 1 and the freezer compartment 2, making it more aesthetically pleasing.

[0054] The working process of the refrigerator 100 according to this application will be described in detail below:

[0055] Reference Figure 2 When the refrigerator 100 starts operating, the evaporator 212, compressor, and condenser are connected. Low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant flows within the evaporator 212. The liquid refrigerant absorbs heat, lowering the gas temperature within the evaporator cavity 21. A fan 211 is installed within the evaporator cavity 21. Part of the air is delivered to the front area of ​​the freezer compartment 2, while the remaining airflow is delivered to the ice-making compartment 11 via the air duct 3. The air within the evaporator cavity 21 flows into the ice-making compartment 11 through the air supply duct 31. After heat exchange within the ice-making compartment 11, the air returns to the evaporator cavity 21 through the return air duct 32.

[0056] The ice-making chamber 11 contains an ice maker 1122 and an ice-making evaporator 1121. The ice-making evaporator 1121 provides cooling capacity, while the ice maker 1122 produces ice cubes. Below the ice maker 1122 is an ice storage box 1111, which can temporarily store ice cubes. Air in the evaporator chamber 21 is delivered through the air duct 3 to cool the ice cubes in the ice storage box 1111. The ice storage box 1111 has an ice dispensing port 116, which is connected to the ice outlet 41 of the distributor 4, allowing ice cubes to fall through the ice dispensing port 116 into the ice outlet 41, thereby entering the distributor 4, and then being delivered to the outside of the refrigerator 100 through the ice outlet 41.

[0057] According to this application, by setting up an air duct connecting the ice-making chamber 11 and the freezer chamber 2, airflow between the ice-making chamber and the freezer chamber can be realized, thereby achieving the purpose of introducing the cold energy of the freezer chamber 2 into the ice-making chamber 11 to regulate the temperature of the ice-making chamber 11.

[0058] According to this application, the problem of directly using the fan 211 and cooling capacity in the freezer compartment 2 to regulate the ice-making compartment 11 can be omitted. Figure 1 The central fan 6 simplifies the structure inside the ice-making chamber 11.

[0059] According to this application, the airflow containing moisture in the ice-making chamber 11 can flow into the freezer chamber 2 through the air duct 3, thus avoiding... Figure 1 The problem of frost forming on the inner wall of the ice-making chamber 11 and the ice-making evaporator 1121 caused by the lack of release of moisture in the ice-making chamber 11 is solved, thus improving the ice-making efficiency of the ice maker and the cooling efficiency of the ice-making chamber.

[0060] According to this application, since the frosting problem at the ice-making evaporator 1121 has been solved, there is no need to set up a defrosting structure, which further simplifies the product structure and reduces the product cost.

[0061] According to this application, since the frosting problem at the ice-making evaporator 1121 has been solved, compared to Figure 1 The ice maker 1122 cannot work when the ice evaporator 1121 is defrosting and the temperature of the ice chamber 11 cannot be adjusted. The ice maker 1122 of this application can carry out ice making work, and the temperature of the ice chamber 11 can be adjusted at any time.

[0062] According to this application, airflow flows between the ice-making chamber 11 and the freezing chamber 2 through the air duct 3, compared to Figure 1 The problem of frost forming in areas of the ice-making chamber 11 that are not circulated due to the small space and insufficient airflow in the ice-making chamber 11 is addressed by the present application, which has a better airflow circulation effect.

[0063] According to this application, compared to Figure 1 When the ice maker 1122 is not working (e.g., the ice is full and no ice is needed), the ice evaporator 1121 still needs to work to maintain the temperature inside the ice chamber 11. Since the temperature inside the ice chamber 11 is maintained by the freezer chamber 2, the ice evaporator 1121 can stop working when no ice is needed, which has the advantage of energy saving.

[0064] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: Refrigerator and freezer compartments; An ice-making chamber, located within the refrigerator compartment, is separated from other areas of the refrigerator compartment by an insulated wall. The ice-making chamber contains: An ice maker is used to produce ice. An ice-making evaporator is used to provide cooling capacity to the ice maker; An ice storage box is used to store ice produced by the ice maker. Also includes: An air duct connects the ice-making chamber and the freezing chamber to facilitate airflow between them. The air duct includes a supply air duct and a return air duct that connect the ice-making chamber and the freezing chamber respectively. The airflow in the freezer chamber is supplied to the ice-making chamber through the air supply duct, and the airflow in the ice-making chamber then flows back into the freezer chamber through the return air duct. When the ice maker is not working, the temperature inside the ice maker is maintained by the freezing chamber, and the ice evaporator can stop working. Moisture in the ice-making chamber can be discharged to the freezer chamber through the return air duct.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making chamber is also equipped with: An air supply channel is connected to the air supply duct, and the air supply channel is provided with an air supply port to supply airflow from the air supply duct to the ice storage box.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas supply channel divides the ice-making chamber into a first area and a second area. The ice storage box is located in the first area, and the ice evaporator and the ice maker are located in the second area.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The gas supply channel is enclosed by a partition.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a fan located in the freezer chamber; the fan enables airflow circulation between the freezer chamber and the ice-making chamber.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The freezer compartment is also equipped with an evaporator. The evaporator and the fan are located in the evaporator cavity at the rear of the freezer compartment. The evaporator cavity is connected to the front area of ​​the freezer compartment and the air duct, respectively.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rear of the ice-making chamber is provided with a first air vent and a second air vent located below the first air vent; the rear of the evaporator chamber is provided with a third air vent and a fourth air vent located below the third air vent. The two ends of the air supply duct are respectively connected to the first air outlet and the fourth air outlet, and the two ends of the return air duct are respectively connected to the second air outlet and the third air outlet.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The air duct is located within the foam layer of the refrigerator.

9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The ice-making evaporator is located on the lower side of the ice maker.

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