Refrigeration and freezing equipment

Abstract

This invention relates to a refrigeration and freezing apparatus, comprising an inner liner containing: an evaporator cover for dividing the internal space of the inner liner into a storage space and a cooling chamber located below the storage space, the cooling chamber housing the evaporator; and an air duct assembly disposed on the rear side of the storage space, having multiple air outlets spaced vertically. At least one storage drawer is provided in the lower part of the storage space, with a gap channel formed between the lowest storage drawer adjacent to the evaporator cover and the evaporator cover. The lower air outlet of the air duct assembly, closest to the cooling chamber, has a downward-facing sub-air outlet configured to allow the cooling airflow blowing through it to flow into the gap channel, thereby quickly removing moisture generated by heat exchange in the gap channel using the flowing cooling airflow, effectively solving the problem of frost or ice buildup on the outside of the storage drawer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to refrigeration and freezing technology, and in particular to a refrigeration and freezing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In daily life, people mainly use refrigerators to store and preserve items. Common refrigerators in current technology include traditional two-door refrigerators, T-type refrigerators, French door refrigerators, and side-by-side refrigerators, etc. The evaporators of these refrigerators are usually located at the back of the refrigerator body. Some refrigerators, in order to increase storage space and improve user convenience, place the cooling compartment that houses the evaporator at the bottom of the refrigerator, and separate the cooling compartment from the storage compartment above it by an evaporator cover. The bottom of the storage compartment usually has drawers, and the back of the bottommost drawer is prone to frost or ice buildup, even affecting the normal opening of the drawer. Furthermore, condensation easily forms on the front of the evaporator cover, and the condensate dripping out affects user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Currently, those skilled in the art have not found the root cause of the technical problems raised in the background section. The applicant of this application has creatively recognized that items newly placed in a storage drawer are relatively hot, while the cooling chamber below the evaporator cover is an extremely cold environment, especially for the freezer cooling chamber that provides cooling airflow to the freezer compartment, where the temperature is even lower. Furthermore, the back of the evaporator cover is usually not insulated with foam, allowing the cold air in the cooling chamber to easily transfer upwards through the evaporator cover to the space between it and the storage drawer, resulting in a low temperature in that space. The heat from the relatively hot items stored in the storage drawer is transferred to the drawer, causing frost or ice to form on the outer surface of the drawer where it comes into contact with the cold air. Severe icing can prevent the drawer from opening properly. The return airflow that has absorbed heat from the storage compartment flows back to the cooling chamber after passing through the front of the evaporator cover. The temperature of the return airflow is relatively high, while the temperature of the cooling chamber below the evaporator cover and the temperature of the items in the storage drawer after they have been frozen are relatively low. Therefore, a high-temperature and low-temperature interface area is formed on the front of the evaporator cover, which easily leads to condensation problems.

[0004] To solve these technical problems, the transition between hot and cold air can be achieved by increasing the distance between the storage drawer and the evaporator cover. However, this wastes a large portion of the available space and the effect is inconsistent.

[0005] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to overcome at least one defect of the prior art and to provide a refrigeration and freezing device in which the exterior of the storage drawer of the storage space is less prone to frost or ice formation.

[0006] Another objective of this invention is to prevent condensation from forming on the front side of the evaporator cover.

[0007] A further objective of this invention is to improve the cooling effect of the storage drawer.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a refrigeration and freezing apparatus, comprising an inner liner, wherein the inner liner is provided with:

[0009] An evaporator cover divides the interior space of the inner liner into a storage space and a cooling chamber located below the storage space, the cooling chamber containing an evaporator for cooling the airflow passing through it; and

[0010] An air duct assembly, disposed at the rear of the storage space, has multiple air outlets spaced apart in a vertical direction to deliver cooling airflow cooled by the evaporator to the storage space through the air outlets; wherein

[0011] The lower part of the storage space is provided with at least one storage drawer, and a gap channel is formed between the lowest storage drawer, which is adjacent to the evaporator cover, and the evaporator cover; and

[0012] The lower air outlet of the air duct assembly, which is closest to the cooling chamber, has a downward-facing sub-air outlet, which is configured such that the cooling airflow blown out through it flows into the gap channel.

[0013] Optionally, the evaporator cover includes a rear section extending downwardly at an angle from back to front, and a middle section extending forward from the front end of the rear section; wherein

[0014] The gap channel is formed between the rear end of the bottommost storage drawer and the rear section, and between the bottom of the bottommost storage drawer and the middle section.

[0015] Optionally, the downward sub-vent is located above the gap channel between the rear end of the lowest storage drawer and the rear section.

[0016] Optionally, the lower air outlet includes an air outlet duct that extends forward from the forward surface of the air duct assembly, and the lower sub-air outlet is opened on the bottom wall of the air outlet duct and is adjacent to the forward surface of the air duct assembly.

[0017] Optionally, the air duct assembly is further provided with a guide plate located below the lower air outlet, the guide plate extending forward and downward from the forward surface of the air duct assembly to the top of the gap channel.

[0018] Optionally, the air duct assembly is further provided with a limiting structure located below the guide plate, and the rear end of the evaporator cover plate cooperates with the limiting structure to limit the relative displacement between the evaporator cover plate and the air duct assembly at least in the vertical direction.

[0019] Optionally, the angle formed between the guide vane and the forward surface of the air duct assembly above the guide vane is any angle value between 130° and 150°.

[0020] Optionally, the lower air outlet further includes a forward-facing sub-air outlet configured to blow cooling airflow toward the top and above the bottommost storage drawer.

[0021] Optionally, the lower part of the storage space is provided with multiple storage drawers; wherein

[0022] An overflow gap is formed between the upper storage drawer located adjacent to the lower storage drawer and the lower storage drawer, and the forward sub-vent is configured to face the overflow gap to blow cooling airflow into the overflow gap.

[0023] Optionally, the inner liner is further provided with a return air hood connected to the front side of the evaporator cover plate. The return air hood plate covers the front side of the cooling chamber, and the return air hood plate has a front return air inlet for allowing the return airflow in the storage space to return to the cooling chamber.

[0024] Optionally, the evaporator cover includes a rear section extending downwards at an angle from back to front, a middle section extending forward from the front end of the rear section, and a front section extending downwards from the front end of the middle section; wherein

[0025] The front section is located on the front side of the cooling chamber and on the rear side of the return air shroud. The front section has a rear return air vent for returning the return airflow from the front return air vent to the cooling chamber.

[0026] Optionally, the storage space may form a freezer room with a frozen storage environment, or selectively a variable temperature room with a frozen storage environment or a refrigerated storage environment.

[0027] Optionally, the evaporator cover includes a rear section extending downwardly at an angle from back to front, and a middle section extending forward from the front end of the rear section; wherein

[0028] A heat-insulating structure is formed between the middle section and the evaporator. The top of the heat-insulating structure abuts against the lower surface of the middle section, and the bottom of the heat-insulating structure abuts against the top of the evaporator.

[0029] The refrigeration and freezing device of the present invention includes an inner liner, within which an evaporator cover and an air duct assembly are provided. The evaporator cover divides the internal space of the inner liner into a storage space and a cooling chamber located below the storage space. At least one storage drawer is provided in the lower part of the storage space, and a gap channel is formed between the bottom storage drawer and the evaporator cover. The lower air outlet of the freezing air duct has a downward-facing sub-air outlet. The cooling airflow blowing from the downward-facing sub-air outlet can flow into the gap channel, thereby quickly carrying away the water vapor formed by heat exchange in the gap channel using the flowing cooling airflow. The water vapor flows forward with the cooling airflow and eventually returns to the cooling chamber, forming condensate in the cooling chamber and being discharged through a drain outlet at the bottom of the cooling chamber, effectively solving the problem of frost or ice forming on the outside of the storage drawer.

[0030] Furthermore, when the cooling chamber returns air from its front side, the cooling airflow flowing through the gap channel can also pass over the front side of the evaporator cover, thereby carrying away the water vapor formed on the front side of the evaporator cover due to heat exchange. The water vapor returns to the cooling chamber with the cooling airflow, forming condensate in the cooling chamber and being discharged through the drain outlet at the bottom of the cooling chamber, effectively solving the problem of condensate easily forming on the front side of the evaporator cover.

[0031] Furthermore, the lower air outlet includes not only a downward sub-air outlet for supplying air into the gap channel, but also a forward sub-air outlet for supplying air to the top of the lowest storage drawer. Thus, the cooling airflow from the downward and forward sub-air outlets envelops the entire lowest storage drawer, cooling it simultaneously from top to bottom. This results in higher cooling efficiency for the food inside the lowest storage drawer, improving its overall cooling efficiency. This invention, through a clever design of the lower air outlet structure, replaces the complex air ducts used in existing enveloping air supply systems, resulting in a simpler structure that does not occupy drawer storage space.

[0032] The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the invention in detail by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or portions. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigeration and freezing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view taken by the cutting line AA in the diagram;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner liner and its internal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic enlarged view of part B in the middle section;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a duct assembly and an evaporator cover according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic enlarged view of the middle part C;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic exploded view of the evaporator cover, return air hood, and insulation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic bottom view and a partially enlarged view of the evaporator cover and insulation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] This invention provides a refrigeration and freezing device. Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigeration and freezing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view taken by section line AA. See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The refrigeration and freezing device 1 of the present invention includes an inner liner 110, and each inner liner 110 is provided with an evaporator cover plate 40 and an air duct assembly 50.

[0043] The evaporator cover 40 divides the internal space of the inner liner 110 into a storage space 111 and a cooling chamber 112 located below the storage space 111. The cooling chamber 112 contains an evaporator 30 for cooling the airflow flowing through it. The air duct assembly 50 is located at the rear of the storage space 111 and has multiple air outlets spaced apart in the vertical direction to deliver the cooled airflow cooled by the evaporator 30 to the storage space 111 through the multiple air outlets.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner liner and its internal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 yes Figure 3A schematic enlarged view of section B. The lower part of storage space 111 is provided with at least one storage drawer, with a gap channel 71 formed between the lowest storage drawer 61, adjacent to the evaporator cover 40, and the evaporator cover 40. The lower air outlet 51 of the air duct assembly 50, closest to the cooling chamber 112, has a downward-facing sub-air outlet 511, configured such that the cooling airflow blown from it flows into the gap channel 71.

[0045] The refrigeration and freezing device 1 of the present invention includes an inner liner 110, in which an evaporator cover 40 and an air duct assembly 50 are provided. The evaporator cover 40 divides the internal space of the inner liner into a storage space 111 and a cooling chamber 112 located below the storage space 111. At least one storage drawer is provided in the lower part of the storage space 111, and a gap channel 71 is formed between the bottom storage drawer 61 and the evaporator cover 40. The lower air outlet 51 of the freezing air duct 50 has a downward-facing sub-air outlet 511. The cooling airflow blown out from the downward-facing sub-air outlet 511 can flow into the gap channel 71, thereby using the flowing cooling airflow to quickly carry away the water vapor formed by heat exchange in the gap channel 71. The water vapor flows forward with the cooling airflow and eventually returns to the cooling chamber 112, forming condensate in the cooling chamber 112 and being discharged through the drain outlet at the bottom of the cooling chamber 112, effectively solving the problem of frost or ice forming on the outside of the storage drawer.

[0046] Furthermore, when the cooling chamber 112 returns air from its front side, the cooling airflow flowing through the gap channel 71 can also pass above the front side of the evaporator cover plate 40, thereby carrying away the water vapor formed on the front side of the evaporator cover plate 40 due to heat exchange. The water vapor returns to the cooling chamber 112 along with the cooling airflow, forming condensate in the cooling chamber 112 and being discharged through the drain port at the bottom of the cooling chamber 112, effectively solving the problem of condensate easily forming on the front side of the evaporator cover plate 40.

[0047] In some embodiments, the evaporator cover 40 includes a rear section 41 extending downwardly at an angle from rear to front, and a middle section 42 extending forward from the front end of the rear section 41. A gap passage 71 is formed between the rear end of the bottom storage drawer 61 and the rear section 41, and between the bottom of the bottom storage drawer 61 and the middle section 42. That is, cooling airflow flows through the rear and bottom of the bottom storage drawer 61, and cooling airflow flows through the entire upper side of the evaporator cover 40. This allows the cooling airflow to remove moisture formed at any location on the rear and bottom of the bottom storage drawer 61, as well as moisture formed at any location on the upper side of the evaporator cover 40, thereby more comprehensively and thoroughly preventing condensation or frost formation on the outer side of the bottom storage drawer 61 and the upper surface of the evaporator cover 40.

[0048] Specifically, the gap passage 71 may include an upstream section formed between the rear end and the rear section 41 of the bottommost storage drawer 61 and extending downward at an angle from back to front, and a downstream section formed between the bottom and the middle section 42 of the bottommost storage drawer 61 and extending forward.

[0049] In some embodiments, the downward-facing sub-vent 511 is located above the gap channel 71 between the rear end and the rear section 41 of the lowest storage drawer 61. That is, the downward-facing sub-vent 511 is located above the upstream section of the gap channel 71. Thus, the downward-facing sub-vent 511 directly corresponds to the upstream section of the gap channel 71, so as to directly blow cooling airflow towards the upstream section of the gap channel 71. The cooling airflow smoothly transitions from the upstream section to the downstream section of the gap channel 71, completing a smooth reversal of the cooling airflow, reducing the flow resistance of the cooling airflow, and ensuring that the cooling airflow has a high flow velocity to carry away moisture.

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of an air duct assembly and an evaporator cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic enlarged view of the middle section C. In some embodiments, the lower air outlet 51 includes an air outlet duct 513 extending forward from the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50, and a downward sub-air outlet 511 is formed on the bottom wall of the air outlet duct 513 and adjacent to the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50. That is, the downward sub-air outlet 511 is formed at the position of the air outlet duct 513 closest to the air supply duct inside the air duct assembly 50, so that at least part of the cooling airflow flowing into the air outlet duct 513 from the air supply duct can flow out from the downward sub-air outlet 511 as quickly as possible, thereby minimizing the flow rate loss of the cooling airflow flowing into the gap channel 71.

[0051] Because the downward sub-vent 511 is located relatively far back on the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50, the cooling airflow blowing downward through the downward sub-vent 511 is close to the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50, making it less prone to dispersion and flow into the gap channel 71. Therefore, in some embodiments, the air duct assembly 50 is further provided with a guide plate 52 located below the lower air outlet 51. The guide plate 52 extends forward and downward from the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50 to the top of the gap channel 71. Thus, when the cooling airflow blowing downward from the downward sub-vent 511 encounters the guide plate 52 below, it flows forward and downward into the gap channel 71 under the guidance of the guide plate 52, thereby allowing the relatively rearward cooling airflow to smoothly complete its reversal and flow forward and downward, reducing airflow resistance.

[0052] Specifically, the guide plate 52 is a strip plate extending laterally along the air duct assembly 50, so as to guide the cooling airflow in the lateral direction of the entire air duct assembly 50, with a wide guiding range.

[0053] In some embodiments, the air duct assembly 50 is further provided with a limiting structure 53 located below the guide plate 52. The rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40 cooperates with the limiting structure 53 to limit the relative displacement between the evaporator cover plate 40 and the air duct assembly 50, at least in the vertical direction. That is, the rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40 is installed on the limiting structure 53 of the air duct assembly 50, and the resulting gap channel 71 is located below the guide plate 52, which can receive the cooling airflow guided by the guide plate 52. The position design is very reasonable. Furthermore, the limiting structure 53 can limit the rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40, preventing the rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40 from moving upward.

[0054] Furthermore, the limiting structure 53 is configured to include a positioning rib extending forward from the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50 and then bending downward, thereby forming a limiting space below the positioning rib. Specifically, the limiting space may be enclosed by the positioning rib and the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50, and the limiting space is open downward. The rear end of the evaporator cover 40 is inserted into the limiting space to restrict the rear end of the evaporator cover 40 from moving upward or backward. The positioning rib extending forward and then bending downward increases the mating interface area between the rear end of the evaporator cover 40 and the air duct assembly 50, improving the sealing effect between them and preventing air leakage between the cooling chamber 112 and the gap channel 71.

[0055] Specifically, the top of the rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40 can abut against the bottom wall of the positioning rib, thereby restricting the upward movement of the evaporator cover plate 40; the front side of the rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40 can abut against the front wall of the positioning rib, and the rear side of the rear end of the evaporator cover plate 40 can abut against the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50, thereby restricting the forward and backward movement of the evaporator cover plate 40.

[0056] Furthermore, both the guide vane 52 and the limiting structure 53 are elongated structures extending from one lateral side of the air duct assembly 50 to the other lateral side, resulting in limited structural strength. Therefore, this invention further connects the extended end of the guide vane 52 to the limiting structure 53, thereby forming a single unit that improves the structural strength of both the guide vane 52 and the limiting structure 53 and prevents deformation or breakage of the elongated guide vane 52 and the limiting structure 53.

[0057] Specifically, the extended end of the guide plate 52 can be integrally formed with the upper part of the positioning rib of the limiting structure 53.

[0058] In some embodiments, the angle formed between the guide vane 52 and the forward surface 50a of the air duct assembly 50 above the guide vane 52 is any angle value between 130° and 150°. For example, the angle formed between the guide vane 52 and the forward surface of the air duct assembly 50 above the guide vane 52 can specifically be 130°, 132°, 134°, 136°, 138°, 140°, 142°, 144°, 146°, 148°, or 150°. Within this range, the air guiding effect of the guide vane 52 is optimal. If the angle is too small, i.e., the tilt of the guide vane 52 is relatively large, the reversal of the cooling airflow after encountering the guide vane 52 is relatively abrupt. Correspondingly, the airflow resistance generated by the guide vane 52 on the cooling airflow is also relatively large, resulting in a greater loss of cooling airflow velocity and a reduction in the cooling airflow velocity within the gap channel 71. If the included angle is too large, that is, the tilt of the guide plate 52 is relatively small, the guiding effect of the guide plate 52 is not obvious. A longer guiding path is required to guide the cooling airflow to the gap channel 71, which occupies a lot of space and is very unreasonable.

[0059] In some embodiments, the lower air outlet 51 further includes a forward-facing sub-air outlet 512, which is configured to blow cooling airflow toward the top of the bottommost storage drawer 61. That is, in addition to the lower sub-air outlet 511 for blowing air into the gap channel 71, the lower air outlet 51 also includes a forward-facing sub-air outlet 512 for blowing air toward the top of the bottommost storage drawer 61. Thus, the cooling airflow blown out by the lower sub-air outlet 511 and the forward-facing sub-air outlet 512 covers the entire bottommost storage drawer 61, and the bottommost storage drawer 61 is cooled simultaneously from top to bottom, making the food in the bottommost storage drawer 61 cooler more efficiently and improving the cooling efficiency of the bottommost storage drawer 61.

[0060] The present invention cleverly designs the structure of the lower air outlet 51, replacing the complex air duct used in the existing wrap-around air supply, resulting in a simpler structure that does not take up drawer storage space.

[0061] In some embodiments, the lower part of the storage space 111 is provided with a plurality of storage drawers. An overflow gap 72 is formed between the upper storage drawer 62, which is adjacent to the lower storage drawer 61, and the lower storage drawer 61. A forward sub-air vent 512 is configured to face the overflow gap 72 to blow cooling airflow into the overflow gap 72. Thus, the cooling airflow flowing within the overflow gap 72 can simultaneously cool both the upper storage drawer 62 and the lower storage drawer 61, making full use of the cooling capacity of the cooling airflow flowing within the overflow gap 72 and improving the cooling efficiency of the storage drawers.

[0062] Figure 7This is a schematic exploded view of the evaporator cover, return air hood, and insulation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the inner liner 110 is further provided with a return air hood 80 connected to the front side of the evaporator cover 40. The return air hood 80 covers the front side of the cooling chamber 112, and the return air hood 80 has a front return air inlet 81 for allowing the return airflow in the storage space 111 to return to the cooling chamber 112. The return air hood 80 can play a certain decorative role in the front of the evaporator cover 40 and the cooling chamber 112, improving the appearance of the refrigeration and freezing device 1.

[0063] In some embodiments, the evaporator cover 40 includes a rear section 41 that extends downward at an angle from back to front, a middle section 42 that extends forward from the front end of the rear section 41, and a front section 43 that extends downward from the front end of the middle section 42. That is, the evaporator cover 40 is stepped, which better adapts to the shape of the bottom of the inner liner 110 and makes full use of the space.

[0064] Furthermore, the front section 43 is located on the front side of the cooling chamber 112 and on the rear side of the return air shroud 80, and the front section 43 is provided with a rear return air vent 431 for the return airflow flowing out from the front return air vent 81 to return to the cooling chamber 112.

[0065] In some embodiments, the storage space 111 forms a freezer compartment with a frozen storage environment, or selectively a variable temperature compartment with either a frozen or refrigerated storage environment. That is, the storage space 111 can be either a freezer compartment or a variable temperature compartment. Since the temperature in a freezer compartment is low, typically between -25°C and 8°C, and the temperature in a variable temperature compartment can typically be set between -25°C and 8°C, its temperature is also relatively low when set to a frozen state. Therefore, for both freezer and variable temperature compartments, the bottom storage drawer 61 and the evaporator cover 40 are more prone to condensation or frost, making the above-described technical solution of this application more suitable to avoid these problems.

[0066] In some embodiments, the evaporator cover 40 includes a rear section 41 extending downwardly at an angle from rear to front, and a middle section 42 extending forward from the front end of the rear section 41. A thermal insulation structure 20 is formed between the middle section 42 and the evaporator 30. The top of the thermal insulation structure 20 abuts against the lower surface of the middle section 42, and the bottom of the thermal insulation structure 20 abuts against the top of the evaporator 30, thereby stably confining the thermal insulation structure 20 between the evaporator cover 40 and the evaporator 30. This effectively isolates the storage space 111 above the evaporator cover 40 from heat transfer between the evaporator cover 40 and the evaporator 30, thereby avoiding any impact on the cooling effect of the storage space 111.

[0067] Further, see Figure 8 The schematic bottom view and partially enlarged view of the evaporator cover and insulation structure shown indicate that the central section 42 has downwardly protruding side flanges 421 on both sides, with the insulation structure 20 confined between the two side flanges 421. The applicant recognizes that, due to the assembly gap between the insulation structure 20 and the side flanges 421, some return air in the storage space 111 flows from front to back through the front-to-back gap formed between the insulation structure 20 and the side flanges 421 of the evaporator cover 40. This return air may flow directly into the storage space 111 without being cooled by the cooling chamber 112, affecting the cooling efficiency of the storage space 111.

[0068] Therefore, in some embodiments, the thermal insulation structure 20 has multiple clearance grooves 21 spaced apart on both sides. The side flange 421 has multiple flow-deflecting ribs 422 spaced apart, and the multiple flow-deflecting ribs 422 are respectively inserted into the multiple clearance grooves 21 to form multiple flow-deflecting bends in the gap between the side flange 421 and the thermal insulation structure 20 in the front-to-back direction.

[0069] When the return air in the storage space 111 flows from front to back through the gap extending in the front-to-back direction formed between the insulation structure 20 and the side flange 421 of the evaporator cover plate 40, it flows through multiple relief grooves 21 in sequence and bypasses the baffles 422 in the relief grooves 21 before continuing to flow backward. This is equivalent to flowing through multiple bends, which prolongs the flow path of this part of the return air and increases the number of times the flow direction of this part of the return air changes, thereby increasing the wind resistance of this part of the return air. This effectively reduces the amount of return air flowing from front to back through this gap without passing through the evaporator for heat exchange, thus improving the cooling effect. Furthermore, the cooperation between the baffles 422 and the relief grooves 21 can also restrict the relative movement of the insulation structure 20 and the evaporator cover plate 40 in the front-to-back direction.

[0070] Specifically, the recess 21 is recessed laterally inward from the transverse side surface of the insulation structure 20, and the baffle 422 protrudes inward from the inner side surface of the side flange 421.

[0071] In some embodiments, the refrigeration and freezing device 1 may be a single-compartment refrigerator having only one inner liner 110.

[0072] In other embodiments, the refrigeration and freezing device 1 can be a refrigerator with multiple compartments. The refrigeration and freezing device 1 also includes a second inner liner 120 and a third inner liner 130. The inner liner 110 is disposed on a first side in the transverse direction of the cabinet 10, and the storage space 111 formed therein is a freezing space with a freezing storage environment. The second inner liner 120 and the third inner liner 130 are both disposed on a second side in the transverse direction of the cabinet 10, and the second inner liner 120 is located above the third inner liner 130. The second inner liner 120 forms a refrigeration space with a refrigeration storage environment, and the third inner liner 130 forms a variable temperature space that selectively has a refrigeration storage environment or a freezing storage environment, as well as a variable temperature cooling chamber for providing cooling capacity to the refrigeration space in the second inner liner 120 and the variable temperature space in the third inner liner 130, and another evaporator is disposed in the variable temperature cooling chamber.

[0073] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described above are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are intended to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Based on the embodiments provided by the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0074] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, terms such as “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” and “outer,” which indicate direction or positional relationship, are based on the actual use of the refrigeration and freezing device 1. They are used only for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0075] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, 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, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0076] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although numerous exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be understood and construed as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A cold appliance, characterized in The inner container is provided with: an evaporator cover plate for separating the inner space of the inner container into a storage space and a cooling chamber below the storage space, the cooling chamber containing an evaporator for cooling air flow passing therethrough; and an air duct assembly arranged at the rear side of the storage space and having a plurality of air outlets arranged in the up-down direction to deliver the cooled air flow passing through the evaporator to the storage space through the air outlets; wherein the lower part of the storage space is provided with at least one storage drawer, and the gap passage is formed between the lowermost storage drawer and the evaporator cover plate adjacent above the evaporator cover plate; and the lower air outlet of the air duct assembly closest to the cooling chamber has a downwardly directed lower sub-air outlet, which is configured to allow the cooled air flow blown therefrom to flow into the gap passage; the evaporator cover plate comprises a rear section extending downwardly from rear to front, and a middle section extending forwardly from the front end of the rear section; wherein the gap passage is formed between the rear end of the lowermost storage drawer and the rear section, and between the bottom of the lowermost storage drawer and the middle section.

2. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein the lower sub-air outlet is located above the gap passage between the rear end of the lowermost storage drawer and the rear section.

3. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein the lower air outlet comprises an air outlet cylinder protruding forwardly from the front surface of the air duct assembly, and the lower sub-air outlet is formed on the bottom wall of the air outlet cylinder and is adjacent to the front surface of the air duct assembly.

4. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein the air duct assembly is further provided with a flow guide plate below the lower air outlet, the flow guide plate extending downwardly and forwardly from the front surface of the air duct assembly to the top of the gap passage.

5. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 4, wherein the air duct assembly is further provided with a limiting structure below the flow guide plate, and the rear end of the evaporator cover plate cooperates with the limiting structure to limit the relative displacement of the evaporator cover plate and the air duct assembly at least in the up-down direction.

6. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 4, wherein the included angle formed by the flow guide plate and the front surface of the air duct assembly above the flow guide plate is any angle value in the range of 130°-150°.

7. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein the lower air outlet further comprises a forwardly directed forward sub-air outlet, which is configured to blow the cooled air flow towards above the top of the lowermost storage drawer.

8. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 7, wherein the lower part of the storage space is provided with a plurality of storage drawers; wherein An upper storage drawer adjacent to the lowermost storage drawer forms an over-flow gap between the upper storage drawer and the lowermost storage drawer, and the forward sub-air port is configured to direct the cooling air flow toward the over-flow gap.

9. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein, The inner container further comprises a return air cover plate connected to the front side of the evaporator cover plate, the return air cover plate covers the front side of the cooling chamber, and the return air cover plate is provided with a front return air port for the return air flow in the storage space to return to the cooling chamber.

10. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 9, wherein, The evaporator cover plate further comprises a front section extending downward from the front end of the middle section; wherein The front section is located at the front side of the cooling chamber and at the rear side of the return air cover plate, and the front section is provided with a rear return air port for the return air flow from the front return air port to return to the cooling chamber.

11. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein, The storage space forms a freezing compartment with a freezing storage environment, or a variable-temperature compartment with a freezing storage environment or a refrigerating storage environment.

12. The refrigerator-freezer of claim 1, wherein, The middle section and the evaporator form a heat preservation structure, the top of the heat preservation structure abuts the lower surface of the middle section, and the bottom of the heat preservation structure abuts the top of the evaporator.

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