Food thawing apparatus, refrigerator and food thawing method

Abstract

This invention relates to a food defrosting device, a refrigerator, and a food defrosting method. The food defrosting device includes a food freezing space, a food defrosting space, a partition, and a food transfer mechanism. The partition has a food conveying port connecting the food freezing space and the food defrosting space. The food transfer mechanism extends through the food conveying port and includes a food storage component and a driving component. The food storage component includes multiple food storage compartments for storing different foods. The driving component drives the multiple food storage compartments to sequentially transfer from the food freezing space to the food defrosting space. Multiple portions of food are placed from the food freezing space into the food transfer mechanism at once, and the food transfer mechanism sequentially transfers the multiple portions of food to the food defrosting space. This eliminates the need to remove each portion of food from the freezing space for defrosting, avoiding the problems of needing to remove food multiple times for defrosting and forgetting to remove it for defrosting.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In daily life, we often have to move frozen meat products to the refrigerator to thaw, which is inconvenient. Therefore, users need a storage area with variable temperature and space. Most refrigerators on the market now have a variable temperature compartment. Currently, the space inside the variable temperature compartment is fixed; the temperature is adjusted by a defrosting heater to freeze and preserve food. When defrosting in the variable temperature compartment, all food in the compartment defrosts simultaneously, so users don't need to defrost large quantities of food, and it's easy for users to forget to put food that needs defrosting in the variable temperature compartment first.

[0003] Chinese invention patent application CN113606852A discloses a compartment and refrigerator. The interior space is divided into a first section and a second section. The first section is connected to a cold air duct. The compartment also includes storage compartments whose positions can be switched between the first and second sections. This invention uses a tray within the compartment. Food to be thawed can be rotated between the freezing and defrosting chambers. A pressure sensor on the tray detects the weight of the food and estimates the defrosting time. When the user-preset defrosting start time is reached, the rotating tray moves the food from the freezing chamber to the defrosting chamber. The system determines whether the user should remove the food based on a significant change in tray pressure. If the food is not removed for an extended period, a motor restarts, rotating the defrosted food back into the freezing chamber to prevent bacterial growth and spoilage. The technical problem solved by the rotating tray in the aforementioned patent is how to accurately control the defrosting time—that is, when to start defrosting, when to end defrosting, and for how long. The rotating tray in the aforementioned patent can prevent food spoilage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the problem in the prior art that food must be taken out of the freezer space every time it is thawed.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a food defrosting device, comprising a food freezing space, a food defrosting space, a partition, and a food transfer mechanism. The partition is provided with a food conveying port connecting the food freezing space and the food defrosting space. The food transfer mechanism passes through the food conveying port and includes a food storage component and a driving component. The food storage component includes multiple food storage compartments for storing food, and the driving component is used to drive the multiple food storage compartments to sequentially transfer from the food freezing space to the food defrosting space.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the food transfer mechanism is sealed to the food delivery port.

[0007] The food delivery port is U-shaped, comprising a lower rectangular area and two upper rectangular areas located above the lower rectangular area. A base plate is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the lower rectangular area; the base plate is horizontally positioned. The upper surface of the base plate is divided into an annular area and a central area located within the annular area. A top plate is fixedly connected to the top wall of the lower rectangular area; the top plate is horizontally positioned and located above the central area.

[0008] The food storage assembly extends horizontally circumferentially and is located above the annular region. The food storage assembly also includes multiple sealing sections. The multiple food storage compartments and the multiple sealing sections are alternately arranged circumferentially along the food storage assembly. The food storage assembly circulates through the two upper rectangular regions at different positions along the circumference.

[0009] The drive assembly includes a guide rail, a chain, a drive wheel, a reduction gear, and a motor. The guide rail extends horizontally in a circumferential direction and is installed on the annular area of ​​the base plate and located below the food storage assembly. The guide rail guides the food storage assembly to move in a circumferential direction. The chain and the drive wheel are installed on the central area of ​​the base plate and located below the top plate. The chain is located inside the guide rail and connects to multiple different positions of the food storage assembly in a circumferential direction at multiple different positions along the chain. The drive wheel is located inside the chain and drives the chain to move in a circumferential direction. The reduction gear and the motor are located below the base plate. The motor drives the food storage assembly to move in a circumferential direction through the sequentially transmitted reduction gear, drive wheel, and chain.

[0010] In the first and second working states, the two sealing sections of the food storage component are respectively sealed to the inner sides of the two upper rectangular areas.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall of the upper rectangular region is provided with a sealing airbag, and the sealing section is a sealing airbag.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a positioning post is provided on the lower side of the food storage component, and the food storage component slides on the guide rail via the positioning post.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the food storage component, the guide rail, and the chain are all circular.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the food thawing space is a refrigerator compartment, and the food freezing space is a freezer compartment.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, a controller is further included, which controls the drive component to move one or more of the food storage compartments from the food freezing space to the food thawing space at a time.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the food storage compartments is provided with a sealing lid.

[0017] The present invention also provides another technical solution: a refrigerator, including the aforementioned food defrosting device.

[0018] The present invention also provides another technical solution: the food defrosting method of the aforementioned food defrosting device includes the following steps:

[0019] S1. Place N portions of food from the food freezing space into N empty food storage cells located in the food freezing space simultaneously to obtain N full food storage cells, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2;

[0020] S2. The food transfer mechanism sequentially transfers the N full food storage compartments to the food thawing space for thawing at different set times.

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0022] 1) The food thawing device and thawing method described in this invention involve placing food into food storage compartments according to the consumption amount and freezing them. The storage compartments will transfer one or more compartments from the food freezing space to the food thawing space every day according to the settings for thawing. Multiple portions of food are placed from the food freezing space into the food transfer mechanism at once. The food transfer mechanism transfers multiple portions of food to the food thawing space in sequence. It is not necessary to take the food out of the freezing space every time it is thawed, thus avoiding the problems of needing to take it out for thawing multiple times and forgetting to take it out for thawing.

[0023] 2) The food thawing device and thawing method of the present invention are configured to be shape-matched and sealed between the food transfer mechanism and the food output port to prevent the food freezing space and the food thawing space from affecting each other. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the first angle of engagement of the food transfer mechanism disclosed in this invention;

[0026] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram illustrating the second angle of the food transfer mechanism disclosed in this invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a top view showing the positional relationship between the food transfer mechanism, the food freezing space, and the food thawing space disclosed in this invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a side view showing the positional relationship between the food transfer mechanism, the food freezing space, and the food thawing space disclosed in this invention.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator disclosed in this invention.

[0030] Explanation of the markings on the accompanying drawings: 1. Food freezing space; 2. Food thawing space; 3. Partition; 31. Food conveying port; 32. Bottom plate; 33. Top plate; 34. Sealing airbag; 4. Food transfer mechanism; 411. Food storage compartment; 412. Sealing section; 413. Positioning column; 421. Guide rail; 422. Chain; 423. Drive wheel; 424. Reduction gear; 425. Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0032] See Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a food defrosting device includes a food freezing space 1, a food defrosting space 2, a partition 3, and a food transfer mechanism 4. The partition 3 is provided with a food conveying port 31 connecting the food freezing space 1 and the food defrosting space 2. The food transfer mechanism 4 passes through the food conveying port 31. The food transfer mechanism 4 includes a food storage component and a driving component. The food storage component includes a plurality of food storage compartments 411 for storing food respectively. The driving component is used to drive the plurality of food storage compartments 411 to be transferred sequentially from the food freezing space 1 to the food defrosting space 2.

[0033] In the first working state, at least two of the aforementioned food storage compartments 411 are located within the aforementioned food freezing space 1;

[0034] In the second working state, at least one of the aforementioned food storage compartments 411 is located within the aforementioned food thawing space 2.

[0035] As described above, each of the aforementioned food storage components includes multiple food storage compartments. In the first operating state, it is preferable that most of the food storage compartments are located in the food freezing space, and a few in the food thawing space. This ensures that as much food as possible can be placed into the food storage compartments at a time, while only a small amount of food thaws in the food thawing space each time. First, at least two of the aforementioned food storage compartments are transferred to the food freezing space. Then, at least two portions of food are placed into at least two of the aforementioned food storage compartments respectively. Afterward, the controller will periodically transfer some of the aforementioned food storage compartments to the food thawing space according to the settings. Users can freeze meat products and other items in portions according to their personal or family needs. Each food storage compartment has a certain degree of airtightness, which can prevent odor mixing to a certain extent. The food storage compartments will rotate one or more compartments from the food freezing space to the food thawing space daily according to the settings, so that they can be processed and consumed after get off work. Specifically, in this embodiment, the food storage component includes seven food storage compartments. When the drive component moves the food storage component in a straight line, initially, all seven food storage compartments are located in the food freezing space. Then, the seven food storage compartments are sequentially transferred to the food thawing space. When the drive component moves the food storage component in a circumferential direction, initially, five to six food storage compartments are located in the food freezing space. Then, the five to six food storage compartments storing food are sequentially transferred to the food thawing space. Each food storage compartment, after being transferred to the food thawing space, shortly returns to the food freezing space. One food storage compartment is transferred each day for six to seven consecutive days, and food is replenished weekly.

[0036] In this preferred embodiment, the food transfer mechanism 4 is sealed to the food delivery port 31.

[0037] The food conveying port 31 is U-shaped, including a lower rectangular area and two upper rectangular areas located above the lower rectangular area. A base plate 32 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the lower rectangular area. The base plate 32 is horizontally arranged, and its upper surface is divided into an annular area and a central area located inside the annular area. A top plate 33 is fixedly connected to the top wall of the lower rectangular area. The top plate 33 is horizontally arranged and located above the central area.

[0038] The aforementioned food storage assembly extends horizontally circumferentially and is located above the aforementioned annular region. The food storage assembly also includes multiple sealing sections 412. The multiple food storage compartments 411 and the multiple sealing sections 412 are alternately arranged circumferentially along the food storage assembly. The food storage assembly circulates through the two upper rectangular regions at different positions along the circumference.

[0039] The aforementioned drive assembly includes a guide rail 421, a chain 422, a transmission wheel 423, a reduction gear 424, and a motor 425. The guide rail 421 extends horizontally in a circumferential direction and is mounted on the annular area of ​​the base plate 32, located below the food storage assembly. The guide rail 421 guides the food storage assembly to move circumferentially. The chain 422 and the transmission wheel 423 are mounted on the central area of ​​the base plate 32, located below the top plate 33. The chain 422 is positioned on the upper... Inside the guide rail 421, the chain 422 is connected to multiple different positions along the circumference of the food storage component. The transmission wheel 423 is located inside the chain 422 and drives the chain 422 to move in the circumference. The reduction gear 424 and the motor 425 are located below the base plate 32. The motor 425 drives the food storage component to move in the circumference through the reduction gear 424, the transmission wheel 423, and the chain 422 in sequence.

[0040] In the first and second working states, the two sealing sections 412 of the food storage component are respectively sealed to the inner sides of the two upper rectangular areas.

[0041] The food transfer mechanism uses a motor-driven synchronous belt (chain) to rotate the food storage compartments on a guide rail, allowing them to switch between the freezing and thawing zones. The size and number of storage compartments can be customized to user needs. To prevent air leakage at the food delivery port, airbag seals (commonly made of PVC or similar materials) are installed, and the storage compartments are also connected by sealed sections (soft rubber airbags). This design differs from conventional refrigerator variable temperature compartment designs, offering flexible and movable design.

[0042] In this preferred embodiment, the inner wall of the aforementioned upper rectangular region is provided with a sealing airbag 34, and the aforementioned sealing section 412 is a sealing airbag. The aforementioned sealing airbag is an elastic sealing element that can be compressed and adaptively compensated.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the food storage component has a positioning post 413 on its lower side, and the food storage component slides on the guide rail 421 via the positioning post 413. The positioning post is a side pulley that slides along the side of the guide rail.

[0044] In this preferred embodiment, the food storage component, the guide rail 421, and the chain 422 are all circular. Specifically, in this embodiment, the circular shape is racetrack-shaped, comprising two arc segments and two straight segments. One arc segment of the racetrack is located within the food defrosting space, while the other arc segment and the two straight segments are located within the food freezing space. This ensures that most of the food storage component is located within the food freezing space, allowing for the storage of more food at once. Furthermore, only one or two food storage compartments are transferred to the food defrosting space at a time.

[0045] In this preferred embodiment, the food thawing space 2 is a refrigerator compartment, and the food freezing space 1 is a freezer compartment. The refrigerator compartment can preserve food after thawing. In other embodiments, the food thawing space is a food heating space.

[0046] In this preferred embodiment, the food defrosting device is a refrigerator. This invention fully utilizes the existing freezing and refrigeration functions of a refrigerator, achieving the conversion between frozen and fresh states simply by switching between the freezing and refrigeration compartments.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a controller (not shown in the figure) is also included. The controller controls the drive component to move one or more of the food storage compartments 411 from the food freezing space 1 to the food thawing space 2 at a time.

[0048] In this preferred embodiment, each of the above-mentioned food storage compartments 411 is provided with a sealing lid.

[0049] See Figure 5 As shown, a refrigerator includes the aforementioned food defrosting device. This invention fully utilizes the existing freezing and refrigeration functions of a refrigerator, achieving the conversion between frozen and fresh states simply by switching between the freezing and refrigeration compartments.

[0050] The following describes the food defrosting method using the aforementioned food defrosting device, including the following steps:

[0051] S1. Place the N portions of food in the food freezing space 1 into the N empty food storage cells 411 in the food freezing space 1 at the same time to obtain N full food storage cells, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0052] S2. The food transfer mechanism 4 transfers the N full food storage compartments to the food thawing space 2 in sequence at different set times for thawing.

[0053] For example, in the above thawing method, 7 portions of food are placed each time, and 1 portion of food is transferred to the food thawing space every day of the week. Alternatively, if N in step S1 is 4, 1 portion of food is transferred to the food thawing space every other day. This can also effectively control the amount of meat consumed, achieving multiple benefits in one go.

[0054] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A food defrosting device, comprising a food freezing space, a food defrosting space, a partition, and a food transfer mechanism, wherein the partition is provided with a food conveying port communicating with the food freezing space and the food defrosting space, and the food transfer mechanism passes through the food conveying port, characterized in that, The food transfer mechanism includes a food storage component and a drive component. The food storage component includes multiple food storage compartments for storing food, and the drive component is used to drive the multiple food storage compartments to be transferred sequentially from the food freezing space to the food thawing space. The food thawing space is a refrigerator compartment, and the food freezing space is a freezer compartment; The food transfer mechanism is sealed to the food delivery port. The food delivery port is U-shaped, comprising a lower rectangular area and two upper rectangular areas located above the lower rectangular area. A base plate is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the lower rectangular area; the base plate is horizontally positioned. The upper surface of the base plate is divided into an annular area and a central area located within the annular area. A top plate is fixedly connected to the top wall of the lower rectangular area; the top plate is horizontally positioned and located above the central area. The food storage assembly extends horizontally circumferentially and is located above the annular region. The food storage assembly also includes multiple sealing sections, and the multiple food storage compartments and the multiple sealing sections are alternately arranged circumferentially along the food storage assembly. The food storage assembly circulates through the two upper rectangular regions at different positions along the circumference. In the first and second working states, the two sealing sections of the food storage component are respectively sealed to the inner sides of the two upper rectangular areas.

2. The food defrosting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a guide rail, a chain, a drive wheel, a reduction gear, and a motor. The guide rail extends horizontally in a circumferential direction and is mounted on the annular area of ​​the base plate, located below the food storage assembly. The guide rail guides the food storage assembly to move in a circumferential direction. The chain and the drive wheel are mounted on the central area of ​​the base plate, located below the top plate. The chain is located inside the guide rail, and multiple circumferential positions of the chain connect to multiple circumferential positions of the food storage assembly. The drive wheel is located inside the chain and drives the chain to move in a circumferential direction. The reduction gear and the motor are located below the base plate, and the motor drives the food storage assembly to move in a circumferential direction through the sequentially transmitted reduction gear, drive wheel, and chain.

3. The food defrosting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the upper rectangular area is provided with a sealing airbag, and the sealing section is a sealing airbag.

4. The food defrosting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The food storage component has a positioning post on its lower side, and the food storage component slides on the guide rail via the positioning post.

5. The food defrosting apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The food storage component, the guide rail, and the chain are all circular.

6. The food defrosting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a controller that controls the drive assembly to move one or more of the food storage compartments from the food freezing space to the food thawing space at a time.

7. The food defrosting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned food storage compartments is equipped with a sealing lid.

8. A refrigerator, characterized in that: It includes a food defrosting device as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A food thawing method using the food thawing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Place N portions of food from the food freezing space into N empty food storage cells located in the food freezing space simultaneously to obtain N full food storage cells, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; S2. The food transfer mechanism sequentially transfers the N full food storage compartments to the food thawing space for thawing at different set times.

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