Self-wiping drawer for a cabinet and refrigerator applying the same

Abstract

The application provides a self-wiping drawer for a cabinet and a refrigerator applying the same, wherein the self-wiping drawer for the cabinet comprises a cabinet, a drawer body with a tail end opening, which is pullably installed in the cabinet, a movable wiping device arranged at the tail end of the drawer body, and a linear driving device for driving the movable wiping device to linearly move along the head-to-tail direction of the drawer body so that the movable wiping device wipes the drawer body from the tail end of the drawer body into the drawer body. The self-wiping drawer for the cabinet and the refrigerator applying the same provided by the application set the tail end of the drawer body as the movable wiping device independently from the drawer body, drive the movable wiping device by the linear driving device arranged in the cabinet, and make the movable wiping device reciprocate along the head-to-tail direction of the drawer into the drawer body with the tail end opening to automatically wipe the inner wall of the drawer. After the cleaning is completed, the wiping block at the bottom of the movable wiping device can be withdrawn into the air duct of the refrigerator to receive defrosting water when the evaporator defrosts and clean the wrung wiping block together with the pressing plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigerator cleaning technology, and in particular to a self-wiping drawer for the refrigerator body and a refrigerator using the same. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators, as essential food freezing and refrigeration equipment in daily household life, can experience problems during use due to the storage of various types of food or food spoilage. These issues can lead to bacterial growth, grease and dirt accumulation, and unpleasant odors in the compartments and drawers, accelerating food spoilage, affecting food preservation, and harming the user's health, thus hindering long-term food storage. This is especially true for refrigerators used for baby products and cosmetics, which require even higher levels of cleanliness. Therefore, the storage drawers in refrigerator compartments need regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent the long-term growth of bacteria and the accumulation of dirt on their internal surfaces.

[0003] However, for French-style refrigerator drawers with a pull-rod pull-out damping experience, the requirements for refrigerator aesthetics, drawer insulation, and pull-out experience mean that the refrigerator drawers cannot be easily disassembled or disassembled; while for traditional tray-style drawers, frequent loading and unloading can easily cause damage by colliding with the compartments or cabinets during the process, so disassembling and cleaning refrigerator drawers is somewhat difficult, and there is a need to provide an automatic cleaning function for refrigerator drawers.

[0004] Existing refrigerator technology typically relies solely on steam rinsing or water rinsing to automatically clean refrigerator drawers, which may not be able to effectively remove some food residues such as blood, oil, or dirt, resulting in limited cleaning effectiveness.

[0005] Meanwhile, this cleaning method is difficult to guarantee the quality of the cleaning water and is inconvenient to use. For example, a Chinese patent discloses a self-cleaning refrigerator and its control method, which uses an odor sensor to identify the cleanliness of the refrigerator compartments in real time, activates the sterilization and spray nozzles to spray water, and outputs cleaning wastewater through a water tank. However, the quality of the pre-stored water is difficult to maintain in the long term, and users need to manually wipe the drawers and compartments dry after each cleaning, which is very inconvenient. Another Chinese patent discloses a refrigerator cleaning method that requires manual water addition from the top of the refrigerator, and the overall water system is complex.

[0006] Another Chinese patent discloses an automatic garbage-cleaning drawer, in which a brush drive mechanism is installed inside the drawer and pulled out with it. However, the brush, its mechanical transmission structure, and the accompanying lubricating grease, located on the bottom surface of the drawer's storage space, can easily affect the storage environment inside the drawer. Food can easily become contaminated when items are placed in the drawer. Food placed inside the drawer comes into direct contact with the mechanical transmission structure, and collisions between the food and the structure during drawer movement can easily lead to food damage and spoilage, as well as malfunctions in the mechanical transmission structure. Furthermore, this method of directly placing the brush drive mechanism inside the drawer significantly increases the overall weight of the drawer and complicates the wiring layout of the drive motor, increasing manufacturing costs and making the drawer difficult to pull out and reducing its lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention proposes a self-wiping drawer for a refrigerator body and a refrigerator using the same, to solve the technical problems of existing refrigerator drawers where brushes are used to sweep away fixed garbage or water is sprayed to clean the inner wall of the drawer, but blood stains and dirt cannot be automatically wiped away, resulting in poor cleaning effect.

[0008] To solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0009] This invention provides a self-wiping drawer for a cabinet, comprising:

[0010] Box;

[0011] The drawer body, which opens at the rear, can be pulled out and installed inside the box;

[0012] A movable wiping device is located at the rear end of the drawer body;

[0013] A linear drive mechanism is used to drive the movable wiping device to move linearly along the front and rear ends of the drawer body, so that the movable wiping device enters the drawer body from the rear end of the drawer body to wipe the drawer body.

[0014] Preferably, the linear drive device includes:

[0015] One or two synchronous pulley mechanisms are installed inside the housing. One side of the movable wiping device is fixedly installed on the synchronous belt of the synchronous pulley mechanism. The synchronous pulley mechanism is used to drive the synchronous belt to reciprocate in the direction of the beginning and end, so as to drive the movable wiping device to move linearly in the direction of the beginning and end.

[0016] Preferably, the drawer body includes a bottom wall, a front panel surrounding the bottom wall, and a pair of side walls. The drawer body is open at the same end of the pair of side walls opposite to the front panel. The side walls are movably installed in the cabinet along the head-to-tail direction. Two synchronous pulley mechanisms are installed parallel and spaced apart in the cabinet.

[0017] The distance between a pair of sidewalls is greater than the distance between two synchronous belt pulley mechanisms;

[0018] There is a clearance between the bottom wall and a pair of side walls, and the width of the clearance matches the dimensions of the synchronous belt pulley mechanism;

[0019] When the drawer body is pulled out, two synchronous pulley mechanisms can extend into or retract from the drawer body through the clearance.

[0020] Preferably, the stroke of the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism driving the movable wiping device to move linearly along the head and tail direction is matched with the length of the bottom wall.

[0021] Preferably, the movable wiping device includes:

[0022] The movable tail plate connected to the linear drive mechanism is sized to match the internal space dimensions of the drawer body.

[0023] The bottom wiping block, installed on the movable end plate, is used to wipe the bottom of the interior space of the drawer body.

[0024] Furthermore, the active wiping device also includes:

[0025] Side wiping blocks installed on opposite sides of the movable tail panel are used to wipe the inside sides of the drawer body.

[0026] The present invention also provides a refrigerator, including a cabinet, the cabinet of which is equipped with the self-wiping drawer described above.

[0027] Furthermore, the refrigerator also includes:

[0028] The air duct located at the rear end of the casing, and the heat exchanger located in the air duct;

[0029] The movable wiping device can move to the bottom of the heat exchanger and receive the working drainage of the heat exchanger.

[0030] Preferably, the bottom wiping block of the movable wiping device is made of an elastic absorbent material.

[0031] Furthermore, the active wiping device also includes:

[0032] The extrusion component is located at the rear end of the housing and between the heat exchanger and its water receiving box in the air duct. The linear drive device can drive the bottom wiping block to move to the position of the extrusion component.

[0033] Furthermore, the active wiping device also includes:

[0034] The wiping block cover is fixedly installed on the movable tail plate of the movable wiping device, and the bottom wiping block is fixedly installed on the bottom of the wiping block cover. The wiping block cover is provided with multiple water collection holes at intervals to guide the defrosting water falling from the heat exchanger above to the bottom wiping block.

[0035] Preferably, the extruded part is provided with multiple drainage holes at intervals.

[0036] Preferably, the end of the extrusion member near the rear end of the housing is higher than its opposite end, and the angle between the extrusion member and the direction of the front and rear ends is 5-20 degrees.

[0037] Preferably, when the bottom wiping block of the movable wiping device reaches below the heat exchanger, the movable tail plate of the movable wiping device can cooperate with the tail of the drawer body to form a tail end plate for closing the drawer body.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0039] The present invention provides a self-wiping drawer for a refrigerator body and a refrigerator using the same. The rear of the drawer body is set as a movable wiping device, which is independent of the drawer body and can be opened periodically when no food is placed in the drawer body. The movable wiping device is driven by a linear drive device set in the cabinet body and can reciprocate linearly into the open drawer body at the rear end along the direction of the front and rear ends of the drawer body. Through the physical contact between the bottom wiping block and the side wiping block set in the movable wiping device and the internal space surface of the drawer body, blood stains, oil stains and dirt on the inner wall of the drawer body are automatically wiped. After the drawer is cleaned, the movable wiping device can also be withdrawn from the internal space of the drawer body, and its bottom wiping block can be moved into the air duct of the refrigerator so that it can receive defrost water or defrost steam to clean the bottom wiping block during the defrosting operation of the evaporator. The bottom wiping block reset stroke and the squeezing and squeezing of the extrusion part extending into the air duct are used to repeatedly absorb and squeeze out moisture, so as to maintain the clean environment of the refrigerator drawer and improve the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0040] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present invention, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make changes to these drawings under the concept of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 1 A three-dimensional assembly structure diagram of an embodiment of the self-wiping drawer for a cabinet provided by the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the active wiping device moving close to the front end plate and the linear drive device removing the timing belt cover and attaching the extrusion piece;

[0043] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial exploded 3D structural diagram of the self-wiping drawer in the picture;

[0044] Figure 4 for Figure 3A schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the active wiping device and the linear drive device in the diagram;

[0045] Figure 5 A side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the refrigerator provided by the present invention;

[0046] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partially enlarged structural diagram of the compartment with the self-wiping drawer;

[0047] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the active wiping device and the extrusion component.

[0048] The main markings in the attached figures are as follows:

[0049] 1. Cabinet body; 11. Compartment; 12. Air duct; 13. Open end; 14. Rear end of cabinet body; 15. Foam layer; 16. Inner liner; 17. Horizontal partition; 2. Drawer body; 21. Bottom wall; 22. Side wall; 221. Drawer guide rail; 222. Motor clearance opening; 23. Front panel; 24. Clearance gap; 25. Internal space; 26. Drawer opening; 3. Linear drive device; 31. First synchronous belt pulley mechanism; 311. First synchronous... 312. First drive motor; 313. First driving pulley; 314. First driven pulley; 32. Second synchronous belt pulley mechanism; 321. Second synchronous belt; 322. Second driven pulley; 33. Synchronous belt cover; 4. Movable wiping device; 41. Movable tail plate; 42. Bottom wiping block; 421. Wiping block cover; 422. Water collection hole; 43. Side wiping block; 5. Heat exchanger; 6. Extrusion part; 61. Drain hole; 7. Water collection box.

[0050] Other markings in the diagram:

[0051] A. Direction of the beginning and end; B. Angle. Detailed Implementation

[0052] To make the technical problem to be solved, the technical solution and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the following description is provided in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1-7 The present invention will be further described in detail with reference to embodiments.

[0053] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 The self-wiping drawer for a cabinet provided by the present invention includes:

[0054] Box 1; drawer body 2 with an open end, which can be pulled out and installed inside the box 1; specifically, the drawer body 2 can reciprocate linearly in a pulling direction, so as to partially pull out the opening end 13 of the box 1 for the user to take out food, food or other items into the internal space 25 of the drawer body 2, or fully extend into the opening end 13 of the box 1 so that the internal space 25 of the drawer body 2 is closed in the box 1.

[0055] The movable wiping device 4 is located at the rear end of the drawer body 2;

[0056] A linear drive device 3, installed in the cabinet 1, drives the movable wiping device 4 to reciprocate linearly along the head-to-tail direction A (i.e., the direction of the drawer body 2's pulling motion) so that the movable wiping device 4 enters the drawer body 2 from the tail end. This allows the movable wiping device 4 to reciprocate linearly relative to the drawer body 2 in the head-to-tail direction A within the drawer body 2, thereby achieving relative contact between the movable wiping device 4 and the inner surface of the drawer body 2, so that blood stains, oil stains, and other dirt on the inner surface of the drawer body 2 can be wiped clean.

[0057] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 In this embodiment, the linear drive device 3 includes:

[0058] One or two synchronous pulley mechanisms are installed inside the housing 1. One end of the movable wiping device 4 is fixedly installed on the synchronous belt of the synchronous pulley mechanism. The synchronous pulley mechanism is used to drive the synchronous belt to reciprocate in the direction A from the beginning to the end, so as to drive the movable wiping device 4 to move linearly in the direction A from the beginning to the end.

[0059] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 In this embodiment, the linear drive device 3 includes:

[0060] The first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 is installed inside the housing 1. One side of the movable wiping device 4 is fixedly installed on the first synchronous belt 311 of the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31. The first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 is used to drive the first synchronous belt 311 to reciprocate in a cyclical motion along the head and tail direction A of the drawer body 2, so as to drive the movable wiping device 4 to reciprocate linearly along the head and tail direction A.

[0061] The second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 is installed inside the housing 1 and is arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31. The other end of the movable wiping device 4 is fixedly installed on the second synchronous belt 321 of the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32. The second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 is used to cooperate with the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 for transmission, so that the first synchronous belt 311, the movable wiping device 4 and the second synchronous belt 321 move synchronously as a whole, so that the transmission of the movable wiping device 4 is more stable and the stroke accuracy is higher.

[0062] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 As one embodiment of this example, the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 includes at least one first drive motor 312 and a first drive pulley 313, and one or more first driven pulleys 314 disposed on the same straight line (along the head-to-tail direction A) as the first drive pulley 313, and the first synchronous belt 311 is sleeved on the first drive pulley 313 and one or more first driven pulleys 314; the second synchronous belt pulley mechanism 32 includes two or more second driven pulleys 322 disposed on the same straight line (along the head-to-tail direction A), and the second synchronous belt 321 is sleeved on the two or more second driven pulleys 322.

[0063] As one embodiment of this invention (not shown in the figure), the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 includes two or more first drive motors 312 and first drive pulleys 313 that move synchronously.

[0064] As one embodiment of this example (not shown in the figure), the second synchronous belt pulley mechanism 32 is provided with a second drive motor and a second drive wheel that are matched and symmetrical to the number of the first drive motor 312 and the first drive wheel 313 of the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31. The two drive motors and the second drive wheel move synchronously with the corresponding first drive motor 312 and the first drive wheel 313.

[0065] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 , 4 In this embodiment, the first synchronous belt 311 and the second synchronous belt 321 are preferably toothed belts, and the first driving pulley 313, the first driven pulley 314, the second driving pulley and the second driven pulley 322 are preferably gears that mesh with the first synchronous belt 311 and the second synchronous belt 321 respectively.

[0066] In other embodiments (not shown in the figure), the first synchronous belt 311 and the second synchronous belt 321 may also be transmission belts, and the first driving pulley 313, the first driven pulley 314, the second driving pulley and the second driven pulley 322 may also be pulleys that correspond to and cooperate with the first synchronous belt 311 and the second synchronous belt 321 respectively.

[0067] In other embodiments (not shown in the figures), the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 may also be provided with two or more synchronously moving drive pulleys.

[0068] In another embodiment (not shown in the figure), the drive motor and the driving wheel are both mounted on the movable wiping device 4. The driving wheel is used to drive a drive shaft with a driven wheel in the middle to rotate. A pair of drive wheels are respectively provided at both ends of the drive shaft. The positions of the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous belt pulley mechanism 32 are replaced by a pair of fixed racks that are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. The pair of drive wheels at both ends of the drive shaft are respectively synchronously engaged with the pair of fixed racks, so that the movable wiping device 4 reciprocates linearly along the head-tail direction A under the coordinated transmission of the pair of drive wheels and the pair of fixed racks.

[0069] In other embodiments (not shown in the figure), the linear drive device 3 can also use a linear transmission mechanism such as cable drive (grooving wheel and rope transmission) or electric push rod drive to replace the synchronous belt pulley mechanism, which can also realize the reciprocating linear motion of the movable wiping device 4.

[0070] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-3 In this embodiment, the drawer body 2 includes a bottom wall 21, a front end plate 23 surrounding the bottom wall 21, and a pair of side walls 22. The drawer body 2 forms a drawer opening 26 (i.e., a tail opening of the drawer body 2) at the same end of the pair of side walls 22 and the bottom wall 21 relative to the front end plate 23. The side walls 22 can be movably installed in the box 1 along the head-to-tail direction A, so as to drive the entire drawer body 2 to reciprocate linearly within the box 1 along the head-to-tail direction A. When the drawer body 2 is fully inserted into the box 1, it reaches the extreme position. When the position (depth) is limited, the vertical plane where the front panel 23 is located extends into the box 1, and the drawer body 2 reaches the deepest point of the box 1 from the opening end 13 relative to the tail end of the front panel 23, and is close to the tail end 14 of the box 1 away from its opening end 13; when the drawer body 2 is partially pulled out of the box 1 from the opening end 13, the front panel 23 is pulled out along the head-tail direction A away from the tail end 14 of the box 1, and the drawer body 2 moves towards the opening end 13 of the box 1 relative to the tail end of the front panel 23.

[0071] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , 3 In this embodiment, a pair of sidewalls 22 are provided with drawer guide rails 221 extending along the head-to-tail direction A on their outer surfaces opposite to the other sidewall 22, and the inner side of the box body 1 is provided with drawer guide grooves (not shown in the figure) that match the corresponding drawer guide rails 221 of the pair of sidewalls 22.

[0072] In other embodiments (not shown in the figures), the drawer guide rail 221 may also be provided inside the box body 1, while the drawer guide groove is correspondingly provided on the outer side of a pair of side walls 22 that are opposite to the other side wall 22.

[0073] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-3In this embodiment, the distance between a pair of sidewalls 22 is greater than the distance between the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32; there is a clearance gap 24 between the bottom wall 21 and the pair of sidewalls 22, and the width of the clearance gap 24 matches the size of the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 or the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32; as a preferred embodiment, the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 or the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 are the same size, and the width of the pair of clearance gaps 24 is correspondingly the same.

[0074] When the drawer body 2 is pulled out, the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 can extend into or out of the drawer body 2 from the drawer opening 26 at the rear end of the drawer body 2 through the clearance 24, so as to avoid interference with the drawer body 2.

[0075] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , 3 In a preferred embodiment, the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous belt pulley mechanism 32 further include synchronous belt covers. The first synchronous belt 311, the first driving pulley 313, the first driven pulley 314, the second synchronous belt 321, the second driving pulley, and the second driven pulley 322 are installed in the corresponding synchronous belt covers. The synchronous belt covers are fixedly installed in the inner cavity of the drawer body 2 of the housing 1. While protecting the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous belt pulley mechanism 32, it also prevents the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous belt pulley mechanism 32 from directly contacting the surface of the inner space 25 of the drawer body 2 and the food, other items contained therein during the process of the drawer body 2 being pulled out or left stationary, thus avoiding contamination.

[0076] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 In this embodiment, the movable wiping device includes:

[0077] The movable tail plate 41 connected to the linear drive device 3 has dimensions that match the internal space 25 of the drawer body 2. Specifically, the movable tail plate 41 is set perpendicular to the head and tail direction A of the drawer body 2. The head and tail direction A of the drawer body 2 is preferably parallel to the horizontal direction. Correspondingly, the movable tail plate 41 is preferably set vertically. The two ends of the movable tail plate 41 relative to the head and tail direction A of the drawer body 2 are respectively fixedly connected to the first synchronous belt 311 and the second synchronous belt 321, so that the first synchronous belt 311, the second synchronous belt 321 and the movable tail plate 41 are connected as a whole and move synchronously.

[0078] The bottom wiping block 42 installed on the movable tail plate 41 is used to wipe the bottom of the interior space 25 of the drawer body 2; the bottom wiping block 42 is preferably installed on the rear bottom side of the movable tail plate 41 facing away from the front end plate 23, and is preferably extended in the horizontal direction.

[0079] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 In this embodiment, the movable wiping device 4 further includes:

[0080] A pair of side wiping blocks 43 installed on opposite sides of the movable tail plate 41 are used to wipe the inner surfaces of the drawer body 2 (i.e., the opposite inner surfaces of a pair of side walls 22).

[0081] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-3 In this embodiment, the stroke of the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 driving the movable wiping device 4 to move linearly along the head-tail direction A is matched with the length of the bottom wall 21, so that the stroke of the first synchronous pulley mechanism 31 and the second synchronous pulley mechanism 32 driving the movable wiping device 4 can match the length of the drawer body 2 in the head-tail direction A.

[0082] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-3 One of the side walls 22 near the first synchronous belt 311 mechanism is provided with a motor clearance port 222 to make way for the first drive motor 312; the first drive motor 312 and the first drive wheel 313 it drives are preferably located at the end of the first synchronous belt 311 mechanism away from the opening end 13 of the drawer body 2 when it is pulled out of the box 1, so that when the drawer body 2 is fully inserted into the box 1 and reaches the limit position (depth), the first drive motor 312 just extends into the motor clearance port 222.

[0083] The self-wiping drawer for cabinet 1 provided by the present invention, compared with the existing refrigerator drawers that can only be automatically washed with water, can realize automatic wiping of refrigerator drawers without disassembly. When applied to refrigerators or other cabinets 1 based on the same principle as described below, it can greatly improve the cleaning effect of refrigerator drawers.

[0084] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 The present invention also provides a refrigerator, including a cabinet 1, one side of which is an open end.

[0085] The refrigerator body 1 uses the aforementioned self-wiping drawer.

[0086] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, the refrigerator further includes:

[0087] The air duct 12 is located at the rear end of the cabinet 1, and the heat exchanger 5 is located in the air duct 12. The movable wiping device 4 can move to the bottom of the heat exchanger 5 and receive the working drainage of the heat exchanger 5. Specifically, the air duct 12 is located inside the cabinet 1 and is located inside the foam layer 15 of the rear end 14 of the cabinet 1, which is opposite to its opening end 13, and outside the inner liner 16 of the refrigerator. In a preferred embodiment, the inner liner 16 of the refrigerator is provided with a horizontal partition 17 at the middle of its height direction. The horizontal partition 17 divides the inner cavity of the inner liner 16 into a pair of compartments 11 (i.e., the inner cavity of the cabinet 1) arranged vertically opposite each other. The self-wiping drawer is installed in the compartment 11 located above the horizontal partition 17 and is located at the bottom of the compartment 11 near the horizontal partition 17. The inner surface of the compartment 11 is provided with drawer guide grooves (not shown in the figure) that match the corresponding drawer guide rails 221 of the pair of side walls 22 of the drawer body 2. The timing belt covers 33 of the first timing belt pulley mechanism 31 and the second timing belt pulley mechanism 32 extend horizontally and are fixedly installed on both sides of the bottom of the compartment 11 in parallel intervals.

[0088] In other embodiments (not shown in the figure), the middle of the inner liner 16 of the refrigerator may not be provided with a horizontal partition 17, so that the inner cavity of the inner liner 16 forms an integral compartment 11, and the self-wiping drawer is installed in the middle of the height direction of the compartment 11.

[0089] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, the main body of the air duct 12 extends vertically or obliquely in the vertical direction. The drawer body 2 is located in the compartment 11 of the refrigerator. The main body or extended part of the air duct 12 communicates with the end of the compartment 11 where the drawer body 2 is located that is away from the opening end 13 of the cabinet 1 (i.e., the end of the compartment 11 near the tail end 14 of the cabinet 1). The heat exchanger 5 is located in the middle or upper part of the air duct 12 in the height direction. The linear drive device 3 can drive the movable wiping device 4 to reach the end of the compartment 11 away from the opening end 13 of the cabinet 1 in the head-to-tail direction A. Furthermore, when the movable tail plate 41 of the movable wiping device 4 reaches the area below the heat exchanger 5 in the air duct 12 along the head-to-tail direction A, the bottom wiping block 42 extends from the compartment 11 into the air duct 12 and is located directly below the heat exchanger 5. At this time, the bottom wiping block 42 can be continuously cleaned by the water flow formed by the working drainage continuously falling from the upper heat exchanger 5, in order to cooperate with the wiping effect of the movable wiping device 4 on the surface of the internal space 25 of the drawer body 2, greatly improving the automatic cleaning effect of the refrigerator drawer without disassembly and enhancing the user experience of the refrigerator product.

[0090] After cleaning, the movable wiping device 4 moves along the direction A from the beginning and end to the bottom of the heat exchanger 5 in the air duct 12 and enters the interior of the drawer body 2. After wiping the surface of the interior space 25 of the drawer body 2, it moves along the direction A from the beginning and end to the bottom of the heat exchanger 5 in the air duct 12 to receive the working drainage water from the heat exchanger 5 for cleaning. This process is repeated to achieve the wiping and water washing cleaning of the interior space 25 of the drawer body 2.

[0091] In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 5 is an evaporator, and the working drainage of the heat exchanger 5 is the continuously dripping defrosting water generated during its operation. The defrosting water generated by the heat exchanger 5 can be used to continuously clean the movable wiping device 4.

[0092] In other embodiments, the heat exchanger 5 is a condenser, and the working drainage of the heat exchanger 5 is the continuously dripping condensate generated during its operation.

[0093] In this embodiment, both the bottom wiping block 42 and the side wiping block 43 of the movable wiping device 4 are made of sponge material. In other embodiments, the bottom wiping block 42 and the side wiping block 43 may also be made of other elastic plastics, porous materials, or foam materials.

[0094] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, the bottom wiping block 42 is made of sponge material, and the refrigerator also includes:

[0095] The extrusion member 6 is located at the rear end of the housing 1 and extends into the air duct 12 below the heat exchanger 5. The linear drive device 3 can drive the bottom wiping block 42 to move to the position of the extrusion member 6. When the movable wiping device 4 reaches the bottom of the heat exchanger 5 in the air duct 12 along the head-to-tail direction A, the extrusion member 6 and the wiping block cover 421 work together to squeeze the bottom wiping block 42 to squeeze out the residual working drainage (defrosting water) on the bottom wiping block 42.

[0096] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, the refrigerator further includes:

[0097] The water receiving box 7 is located in the air duct 12 and below the heat exchanger 5. The extrusion member 6 is located below the edge of the compartment 11 (i.e. the rear end of the box) where the air duct 12 communicates with the compartment 11 where the drawer body 2 is installed, and extends to the right into the space between the heat exchanger 5 and the water receiving box 7, so that the water receiving box 7 can directly receive the defrosting water squeezed out by the extrusion member 6 from the bottom wiping block 42.

[0098] Please refer to the following: Figure 1-4 7. In this embodiment, the movable wiping device 4 further includes:

[0099] The wiping block cover 421 is fixedly installed on the movable tail plate 41, and the bottom wiping block 42 is fixedly installed in the bottom mounting groove of the wiping block cover 421. The wiping block cover 421 is provided with multiple water receiving holes 422 at intervals, which are used to guide the defrosting water falling from the upper heat exchanger 5 to the bottom wiping block 42.

[0100] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, the extruder 6 is an extrusion plate, and the extruder 6 is provided with a plurality of drainage holes 61 at intervals, so that the extruder 6 can quickly discharge the defrosting water into and collect it in the water collection box 7 in the air duct 12 below it.

[0101] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, the end of the extruder 6 near the tail end of the box is higher than its opposite end. That is, the end of the extruder 6 near the front end plate 23 and the opening end 13 of the box 1 is lower than the end away from the front end plate 23 and the opening end 13 of the box 1. In other words, the extruder 6 is inclined upward in the direction away from the opening end 13 of the box 1 and near the tail end 14 of the box 1, so that as the bottom wiping block 42 moves closer to the tail end 14 of the box 1, the bottom wiping block 42 and the extruder 6 are squeezed against each other under the limiting action of the wiping block cover 421.

[0102] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In a preferred embodiment, the direction A of the first and last ends of the drawer body 2 is parallel to the horizontal direction, and the angle B between the squeezing member 6 and the direction A of the first and last ends of the drawer body 2 (i.e., with the horizontal plane) is 5-20 degrees, preferably 5 degrees, to avoid the squeezing effect of the sponge being too small, and at the same time to avoid the motor resistance and power consumption being too large.

[0103] In other embodiments (not shown in the figure), the extruder 6 can be a U-shaped or V-shaped bent plate with a tapered opening. As the bottom wiping block 42 moves closer to the bent plate, the tapered opening of the bent plate presses the bottom wiping block 42 from opposite (left and right) sides in the horizontal direction.

[0104] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7In this embodiment, when the bottom wiping block 42 of the movable wiping device 4 reaches below the heat exchanger 5, the movable tail plate 41 of the movable wiping device 4 can cooperate with the tail of the drawer body 2 to form the tail end plate of the closed drawer body 2. Specifically, the linear drive device 3 can drive the movable tail plate 41 along the head-to-tail direction A to reach the edge of the compartment 11 near the air duct 12, so that the bottom wiping block 42 at the rear bottom end of the movable tail plate 41 reaches the area below the heat exchanger 5 in the air duct 12; the travel limit position of the tail of the drawer body 2 extending into the box 1 along the head-to-tail direction A is also set at the edge of the air duct 12. Therefore, when the movable tail plate 41 moves linearly along the head-to-tail direction A to the edge of the air duct 12, it can just match the drawer opening 26 at the tail end of the drawer body 2 that has reached the edge of the air duct 12 (i.e., reached the travel limit position), so that the movable tail plate 41 can form the tail end plate of the closed drawer body 2 at this time, preventing the items contained in the drawer body 2 from falling into the air duct 12 from the drawer opening 26 at its tail end when the drawer body 2 is closed in place.

[0105] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , 2 The working principle of the self-wiping drawer for the cabinet provided by this invention when applied to a refrigerator is as follows:

[0106] A movable wiping device 4 driven by a linear drive device 3 is provided at the rear end of the drawer body 2 of the refrigerator, which is a pull-out drawer body 2 with an open rear end. The movable wiping device 4 is set independently of the drawer body 2 as a movable component. When the movable wiping device 4 does not need to perform wiping operations, it serves as a movable rear end plate for closing the drawer opening 26 at the rear end of the drawer body 2. The movable wiping device 4 can reciprocate linearly relative to the drawer body 2 independently of the drawer body 2 along the direction A of the front and rear ends of the drawer body 2 (parallel to the pull-out direction of the drawer body 2).

[0107] When the refrigerator's sensor system (not shown in the figure) senses that the drawer opening 26 at the rear end of the drawer body 2 reaches the edge of the air duct 12 (i.e., reaches the limit position of the travel), and the refrigerator's control system (not shown in the figure) detects that the user has turned on the wiping mode or that the camera unit or gravity sensor has detected that no food or items are placed inside the drawer body 2, and at the same time, it meets the conditions that it is nighttime or the user's preset cleaning time, the control system turns on the automatic wiping cleaning mode, and the first drive motor 312 of the linear drive device 3 rotates in the forward (counterclockwise) direction, driving the movable wiping device 4 to move in the direction of the front end plate 23 of the drawer body 2, so as to pass through the drawer opening 26 at the rear end of the drawer body 2 and enter the internal space 25 of the drawer body 2;

[0108] After the movable wiping device 4 reaches the front panel 23, the first drive motor 312 is controlled to rotate in the opposite direction (clockwise), driving the movable wiping device 4 to move horizontally towards the drawer opening 26 at the rear end of the drawer body 2, until the movable wiping device reaches the drawer opening 26. This process is repeated, driving the movable wiping device 4 to move back and forth linearly N times along the direction A of the front and rear ends of the drawer body 2 in the internal space 25 of the drawer body 2. N can be any value preset by the user.

[0109] During the reciprocating linear motion of the active wiping device 4, the bottom and sides of the inner surface of the drawer body 2's internal space 25 are repeatedly wiped by its sponge-like bottom wiping block 42 and side wiping block 43, respectively, to remove residual food blood stains, oil stains, dirt and dust from the inner surface of the drawer body 2's internal space 25.

[0110] After completing N back-and-forth wiping actions, the control system controls the first drive motor 312 to reverse (clockwise) until the movable wiping device 4 returns to the initial position and closes the drawer opening 26 at the rear end of the drawer body 2 again, so that the movable wiping device 4 and the pull-out drawer body 2 constitute a complete refrigerator drawer.

[0111] Please see Figure 2 In this embodiment, the travel limit of the left end of the movable wiping device 4 (in the direction near the front end plate 23 of the drawer body 2) can be achieved by moving the movable wiping device 4 to the left until it touches the front end plate 23. The control system detects the resistance of the motor on the front end plate 23, as fed back by the sensor of the first drive motor 312, and controls the first drive motor 312 to automatically stop rotating forward and reverse. Similarly, the travel limit of the right end of the movable wiping device 4 (in the direction near the drawer opening 26 at the rear of the drawer body 2, the initial position of the movable wiping device 4) can be achieved by moving the movable wiping device 4 to the right until it touches the pressing member 6. The control system detects the resistance of the motor on the pressing member 6, as fed back by the sensor of the first drive motor 312, and controls the first drive motor 312 to automatically stop rotating backward and rotate forward or to completely stop and standby. Motor resistance adjustment can be achieved through PG signal feedback.

[0112] In another embodiment, the travel limit of the left and right ends of the movable wiping device 4 can be achieved by controlling the first drive motor 312 to rotate forward or backward a fixed number of cycles according to the size specifications of the synchronous toothed belt of the first synchronous belt pulley mechanism 31 and the first drive pulley 313.

[0113] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7When the self-wiping drawer for the cabinet provided by the present invention is applied to the cabinet 1 of a refrigerator, when the movable wiping device 4 is in the initial position, the bottom wiping block 42 at its tail end is inserted into the air duct 12 with the refrigeration air supply function inside the tail end 14 of the cabinet to the right, and is located directly below the heat exchanger 5 (which is the evaporator at this time) with the refrigeration function and directly above the water collection box 7 that extends into the air duct. The wiping block cover 421, which is fixedly connected to the movable tail plate 41 and the bottom wiping block 42, has multiple water collection holes 422, so that the working drainage (defrosting water) generated during the defrosting operation of the heat exchanger 5 (evaporator) can flow down and rinse the sponge bottom wiping block 42 through the water collection holes 422.

[0114] To ensure minimal residual moisture on the sponge bottom wiping block 42 when wiping the drawer body 2, facilitating cleaning and subsequent drying of the drawer body 2, an inclined pressing member 6 (pressing plate) is installed below the initial position of the movable wiping device 4 and above the water collection box 7 in the compartment 11. This member extends diagonally upwards into the air duct 12 at an angle B to the horizontal direction A. Multiple drainage holes 61 are also provided on the pressing member 6. When the wiping operation is completed and the movable wiping device 4 returns to its initial position, upon contact with the inclined pressing member 6, the horizontally extending bottom wiping block 42 continues to rotate clockwise with the first drive motor 312. This causes the sponge bottom wiping block 42 to be squeezed by the wiping block cover 421 and the pressing member 6 along with the upward angle B of the pressing member 6. This squeezes out excess defrosting water absorbed by the sponge bottom wiping block 42, which then falls into the water collection box 7 below through the drainage holes 61 of the pressing member 6. This process collects wastewater from cleaning the bottom wiping block 42 for subsequent centralized treatment.

[0115] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7 In this embodiment, before the control system controls the heat exchanger 5 (evaporator) to start the defrosting operation, it first controls the movable wiping device 4 to move a short stroke L (not shown in the figure) to the left (near the front end plate 23) to the water absorption position. When the movable wiping device 4 is in the water absorption position, it can reduce or release the squeezing force on the sponge bottom wiping block 42, so that the bottom wiping block 42 is in the water absorption position with less squeezing or completely restored to its original state before the heat exchanger 5 (evaporator) defrosts. At this time, the sponge bottom wiping block 42 can fully absorb water in the subsequent defrosting process of the heat exchanger 5 (evaporator), thereby avoiding the sponge bottom wiping block 42 from being overly squeezed by the squeezing member 6, resulting in insufficient water absorption or even failure to absorb water, affecting the cleaning effect of the bottom wiping block 42 and its subsequent wiping effect on the drawer body 2.

[0116] Please refer to the following: Figure 5-7In this embodiment, based on the fact that the left and right widths of a single heat exchanger 5 (evaporator) installed in the refrigerator air duct 12 and the left and right widths of the water collection box 7 are usually around 30mm, if a double-row heat exchanger 5 (evaporator) is used, the total width of the two heat exchangers 5 can reach 60mm. Therefore, the value range of the short stroke L is set to 2-50mm. During the defrosting of the heat exchanger 5 (evaporator) and when the defrosting water falls continuously, the bottom wiping block 42 is driven to reciprocate linearly within the short stroke L range N times (e.g., N=5 times). This can realize the repeated water absorption, water squeezing, and pressure release water absorption cycle of the bottom wiping block 42, automatically rinsing and cleaning the bottom wiping block 42 and squeezing out the water to clean the bottom wiping block 42, and resetting the bottom wiping block 42 after cleaning.

[0117] In this embodiment, the defrosting steam generated during the defrosting process of the evaporator can also be used to clean the bottom wiping block 42.

[0118] In one embodiment, since bloodstains and dirt are not easily formed on the inner sides of the pair of side walls 22 of the drawer body 2, it is not necessary to clean with defrosting water or to press the pair of side wiping blocks 43 with the extruder 6.

[0119] In another embodiment (not shown in the figure), the side wiping block 43 can be rinsed by spraying water through a spray pipe installed inside the housing 1.

[0120] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-wiping drawer for a cabinet body, characterized in that, include: Box; The drawer body, which has an open end, can be pulled out and installed inside the box. A movable wiping device is located at the rear end of the drawer body; A linear drive device is used to drive the movable wiping device to move linearly along the head and tail of the drawer body, so that the movable wiping device enters the drawer body from the tail and wipes the drawer body. The linear drive device includes: One or two synchronous pulley mechanisms are installed inside the housing. One side of the movable wiping device is fixedly installed on the synchronous belt of the synchronous pulley mechanism. The synchronous pulley mechanism is used to drive the synchronous belt to reciprocate and circulate along the head and tail direction, so as to drive the movable wiping device to move linearly along the head and tail direction. The drawer body includes a bottom wall, a front end plate surrounding the bottom wall, and a pair of side walls. The drawer body is open at the same end of the pair of side walls opposite to the front end plate. The side walls are movably installed in the housing along the direction of the front and rear ends. The two synchronous pulley mechanisms are installed in parallel and spaced apart in the housing. The distance between a pair of sidewalls is greater than the distance between two synchronous belt pulley mechanisms; There is a clearance between the bottom wall and a pair of side walls, the width of which matches the dimensions of the synchronous pulley mechanism; When the drawer body is pulled out, two synchronous pulley mechanisms can extend into or retract from the drawer body through the clearance.

2. The self-wiping drawer for a cabinet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The stroke of the synchronous belt pulley mechanism driving the movable wiping device to move linearly along the head and tail direction is matched with the length of the bottom wall.

3. The self-wiping drawer for a cabinet as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The movable wiping device includes: The movable tail plate connected to the linear drive device has dimensions that match the internal space dimensions of the drawer body. The bottom wiping block installed on the movable tail plate is used to wipe the bottom of the interior space of the drawer body.

4. The self-wiping drawer for a cabinet as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The movable wiping device also includes: Side wiping blocks installed on opposite sides of the movable tail plate are used to wipe the inside space of the drawer body on both sides.

5. A refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, characterized in that, The cabinet incorporates a self-wiping drawer as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. The refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: An air duct located at the rear end of the housing, and a heat exchanger located within the air duct; The movable wiping device can move to the bottom of the heat exchanger and receive the working drainage of the heat exchanger.

7. The refrigerator as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom wiping block of the movable wiping device is made of elastic absorbent material.

8. The refrigerator as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: An extrusion component is located at the rear end of the housing and in the air duct between the heat exchanger and its water receiving box. The linear drive device can drive the bottom wiping block to move to the position of the extrusion component.

9. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movable wiping device further comprises: The wiping block cover is fixedly installed on the movable tail plate of the movable wiping device. The bottom wiping block is fixedly installed on the bottom of the wiping block cover. The wiping block cover is provided with multiple water collection holes at intervals to guide the defrosting water falling from the heat exchanger above into the bottom wiping block.

10. The refrigerator as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The extrusion piece is provided with multiple drainage holes at intervals.

11. The refrigerator as described in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The end of the extrusion member near the rear end of the box is higher than its opposite end, and the angle between the extrusion member and the direction of the front and rear ends is 5-20 degrees.

12. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 6-10, characterized in that, When the bottom wiping block of the movable wiping device reaches below the heat exchanger, the movable tail plate of the movable wiping device can cooperate with the tail of the drawer body to form a tail end plate that closes the drawer body.

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