Refrigerator and drawer assembly thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and a drawer assembly thereof, the drawer assembly comprises at least one set of environment adjusting system, each set of environment adjusting system comprises a magnetic operation block, a magnetic induction module, an environment adjusting module and a control mainboard, the magnetic operation block can slide along the upper surface of a cover plate and is configured to generate a magnetic field, and the magnetic induction module is configured to generate a magnetic field; the magnetic induction module is fixed to the cover plate and used for detecting magnetic fields generated by the magnetic operation block at different positions and converting the magnetic fields into electric signals, the environment adjusting module is used for adjusting air parameters in the drawer body, and the control mainboard is electrically connected with the magnetic induction module and the environment adjusting module and used for receiving the electric signals and controlling the environment adjusting module according to the electric signals. According to the drawer assembly, the parameters of the drawer body are adjusted in a magnetic induction mode, a traditional drive-by-wire mode is abandoned, wiring does not need to be considered, and the structure is simpler.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a refrigeration and freezing device, in particular to a refrigerator and a drawer assembly thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, refrigerators with independent sealed drawers are often provided with adjustment switches to control parameters such as temperature and humidity inside the drawers. The adjustment switches are traditional wire-controlled switches, which inevitably cause wiring difficulties because the drawers need to be pulled out and moved during operation, so further improvements are needed. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to overcome at least one defect in the prior art and provide a refrigerator and a drawer assembly thereof.

[0004] A further object of the present invention is to use magnetic induction to adjust the parameters of the drawer body, abandoning the traditional wire control method, without considering the wiring, and the structure is simpler.

[0005] Another further object of the present invention is to facilitate users to detect the air parameters of the drawer body.

[0006] In particular, the present invention provides a drawer assembly for a refrigerator, the drawer assembly comprising a drawer body and a cover plate for closing an opening of the drawer body when the drawer body is in a closed position, the drawer assembly further comprising at least one set of environmental adjustment systems, each set of environmental adjustment systems comprising: a magnetic operating block, which can slide along the upper surface of the cover plate and is configured to generate a magnetic field; a magnetic induction module, which is fixed to the cover plate and is used to detect the magnetic field generated by the magnetic operating block at different positions and convert it into an electrical signal; an environmental adjustment module, which is used to adjust the air parameters inside the drawer body; and a control main board, which is electrically connected to the magnetic induction module and the environmental adjustment module, and is used to receive the electrical signal and control the environmental adjustment module according to the electrical signal.

[0007] Optionally, each magnetic operating block includes: a shell defining a receiving cavity; and a magnet disposed in the receiving cavity to generate a magnetic field.

[0008] Optionally, each magnetic operating block further includes: a display module, which is arranged on the upper surface of the shell, and the display module is electrically connected to the control mainboard, and is used to receive and display the adjustment parameters sent by the control mainboard.

[0009] Optionally, each set of environmental conditioning systems further includes: a fixing box, fixed to the lower surface of the cover plate, and having a fixing cavity therein; and the magnetic induction module is installed in the fixing cavity.

[0010] Optionally, the environmental regulation system is divided into two groups; the environmental regulation modules of one group of environmental regulation systems are configured as temperature regulation modules for regulating the temperature inside the drawer body; the environmental regulation modules of the other group of environmental regulation systems are configured as temperature regulation modules for regulating the air humidity inside the drawer body.

[0011] Optionally, each group of environmental adjustment systems also includes: an environmental sensing module, which is arranged at the bottom of the fixed box and exposed to the interior of the drawer body, and is used to detect the air parameters inside the drawer body; the environmental sensing modules of one group of environmental adjustment systems are arranged as humidity sensing modules, which are used to detect the air humidity inside the drawer body; and the environmental sensing modules of another group of environmental adjustment systems are arranged as temperature sensing modules, which are used to detect the temperature inside the drawer body.

[0012] Optionally, two sliding rails are arranged on the upper surface of the cover plate in the lateral direction, and each sliding rail extends in the lateral direction; and the magnetic operating blocks in the two sets of environmental adjustment systems are slidably disposed on the two sliding rails respectively.

[0013] Optionally, the distance between the front edge of each sliding rail and the front edge of the cover plate is set to between 0.5 cm and 5 cm.

[0014] Optionally, the width of each sliding rail is set to between 3 cm and 5 cm.

[0015] Optionally, the length of each sliding rail is set to between 5 cm and 15 cm.

[0016] Optionally, the distance between adjacent ends of each sliding rail is set to be between 10 cm and 22 cm.

[0017] In particular, the present invention also provides a refrigerator, comprising a drawer assembly according to any one of the above items.

[0018] The drawer assembly of the present invention can change the magnetic field strength transmitted through the magnetic induction module itself when the magnetic operating block slides along the upper surface of the cover plate, thereby changing the output voltage of the magnetic induction module. Therefore, the output voltage of the magnetic induction module can link the position of the magnetic operating block with the preset air parameters. In other words, the magnetic operating block can set the preset air parameters by magnetic induction. Compared with the traditional wire control method, the drawer assembly of the present invention does not need to consider wiring, has a simpler structure, and can make the environmental adjustment system more waterproof and moisture-proof, making the control more stable and reliable.

[0019] Furthermore, in the drawer assembly of the present invention, the display module is arranged on the upper surface of the shell of the magnetic operating block and is electrically connected to the control main board. The control main board can query the preset air parameters corresponding to the current output voltage of the magnetic induction module and send the preset air parameters to the display module. In addition, the environmental sensing module is used to detect the air parameters inside the drawer body. The environmental sensing module is electrically connected to the control main board. The control main board sends the real-time air parameters to the display module for display on the display module, so that the user can intuitively monitor the air parameters of the drawer body and control the magnetic operating block.

[0020] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a drawer assembly in a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a drawer assembly in a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of the drawer assembly shown;

[0026] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the drawer assembly shown;

[0027] Figure 6 is a control principle block diagram of a temperature adjustment system in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 1 is a control principle block diagram of a humidity adjustment system in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the description of this embodiment, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "depth" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation in normal use as a reference, and can be determined with reference to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, for example, the "front" indicating the orientation refers to the side facing the user. This is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0030] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention provides a refrigerator 1, which generally may include a cabinet 10 and a door 20.

[0031] The box body 10 may include an outer shell and a plurality of inner tanks, and the outer shell is located at the outermost side of the whole refrigerator 1 to protect the whole refrigerator 1. The plurality of inner tanks are wrapped by the outer shell, and the space between the inner tanks and the outer shell is filled with a heat-insulating material (forming a foaming layer) to reduce the heat dissipation of the inner tanks to the outside. Each inner tank may define a storage compartment open to the front, and the storage compartment may be configured as a refrigerator, a freezer, a temperature-changing chamber, etc. The number and function of the specific storage compartments may be configured according to pre-determined requirements.

[0032] The door body 20 is movably arranged in front of the inner container to open and close the storage compartment of the inner container. For example, the door body 20 can be hingedly arranged on one side of the front part of the box body 10 to open and close the storage compartment by pivoting.

[0033] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 1 may further include a drawer assembly 30. The drawer assembly 30 may be disposed in the housing 10. A user may open and close the drawer assembly 30 by pulling to take out food therein.

[0034] The drawer assembly 30 may further include a cover plate 310 and a drawer body 320 , wherein the drawer body 320 has a storage space 210 that is open upward, and the drawer body 320 may be pullably disposed below the cover plate 310 so that when it is in a closed position, the cover plate 310 covers the storage space 210 .

[0035] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 3 is a schematic diagram of a drawer assembly 30 in a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some specific embodiments, the cover plate 310 can be arranged in the storage compartment along the horizontal direction to form a pull-out space together with the bottom wall of the inner container, the rear wall of the inner container and the two side walls of the inner container, and the drawer body 320 can be pulled out and arranged in the pull-out space.

[0036] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 3 is a schematic diagram of a drawer assembly 30 in a refrigerator 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In some other specific embodiments, the drawer assembly 30 may further include a cylinder 330, and the cover plate 310 may serve as an upper wall of the cylinder 330. The cylinder 330 is disposed in the storage compartment, or the cylinder 330 is fixed to the housing in the form of foaming, the cylinder 330 is open forward, and the drawer body 320 is disposed in the cylinder 330 in a pullable manner.

[0037] In some embodiments, the drawer assembly 30 may further include an environment adjustment module, which is used to adjust air parameters inside the drawer body 320 , such as temperature, humidity, and other parameters inside the drawer body 320 .

[0038] The environment adjustment module may be a temperature adjustment module 432, which is used to adjust the internal temperature of the drawer body 320. Specifically, the temperature adjustment module 432 may be configured as an airflow damper, which may be driven by a motor to control the opening of the airflow damper, thereby adjusting the amount of cooling airflow entering the drawer body 320, and thereby adjusting the temperature of the drawer body 320.

[0039] The environment adjustment module may also be a humidity adjustment module 434, which is used to adjust the internal humidity of the drawer body 320. The humidity adjustment module 434 may be in various forms, such as a humidifying fan to release humidifying mist to the drawer body 320, or a refrigeration system of a refrigerator. The lower the temperature of the evaporator, the stronger its ability to condense water vapor, that is, the lower the humidity of the refrigeration airflow, which can reduce the air humidity of the drawer body 320, or increase the air humidity of the drawer body 320.

[0040] See also Figures 4 to 7 , Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of the drawer assembly shown, Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the drawer assembly shown, Figure 6 is a control principle block diagram of a temperature adjustment system 42 in a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 1 is a control principle block diagram of a temperature adjustment system 44 in a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] In some embodiments, the drawer assembly 30 may further include an environmental conditioning system, which may further include a magnetic operating block 410 , a magnetic sensing module 420 , and a control mainboard 440 .

[0042] The number of environmental adjustment systems can be configured according to the environmental adjustment module. For example, when there is one environmental adjustment module, such as when the temperature adjustment module 432 and the humidity adjustment module 434 are selected, the environmental adjustment system is a group. When there are two environmental adjustment modules, such as when the temperature adjustment module 432 and the humidity adjustment module 434 are set at the same time, the environmental adjustment system is two groups. When there are more environmental adjustment modules, the number of environmental adjustment systems should match them.

[0043] The magnetic operation block 410 can slide along the upper surface of the cover plate 310 and is configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic induction module 420 is fixed to the cover plate 310 and is used to detect the magnetic field generated by the magnetic operation block 410 at different positions and convert it into an electrical signal. The control mainboard 440 is electrically connected to the magnetic induction module 420 and the environmental adjustment module, and is used to receive the electrical signal and control the environmental adjustment module according to the electrical signal.

[0044] In some specific embodiments, the magnetic induction module 420 may be a Hall element, which works by utilizing the Hall effect to measure the magnetic field. Furthermore, the Hall element may also be a linear Hall element, whose output voltage is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field passing through it. Its output voltage rises or falls according to the characteristics and strength of the magnetic field, and the change of the corresponding position data can be known by the change of the magnetic field strength. The relationship between the output voltage and the polarity and strength of the induced magnetic field is fixed.

[0045] Since the magnetic induction module 420 is disposed on the cover plate 310, it is fixed. When the magnetic operation block 410 slides along the upper surface of the cover plate 310, it can change the magnetic field strength transmitted through the magnetic induction module 420 itself, thereby changing the output voltage of the magnetic induction module 420. Therefore, on the one hand, the output voltage of the magnetic induction module 420 can represent the position of the magnetic operation block 410, and on the other hand, the output voltage of the magnetic induction module 420 can be set to correspond to the preset air parameters (such as temperature, humidity, etc.). In this way, the output voltage of the magnetic induction module 420 can be used to link the position of the magnetic operation block 410 with the preset air parameters. In other words, the preset air parameters can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the magnetic operation block 410.

[0046] The control mainboard 440 is provided with a memory, which can pre-store the corresponding relationship between the output voltage and the preset air parameters. When the magnetic induction module 420 transmits the output voltage to the control mainboard 440, the control mainboard 440 can query the corresponding preset air parameters in the memory, and then control the environment adjustment module according to the preset air parameters.

[0047] It can be seen that in the drawer assembly 30 of this embodiment, since the magnetic operating block 410 can set the preset air parameters by magnetic induction, the magnetic operating block 410 can abandon the traditional wire control method, there is no need to consider wiring, the structure is simpler, and it can make the environmental adjustment system more waterproof and moisture-proof, making the control more stable and reliable.

[0048] In some embodiments, each magnetic operation block 410 may further include a housing 412 and a magnet 414, wherein a housing cavity 412a is defined in the housing 412. The magnet 414 is disposed in the housing cavity 412a to generate a magnetic field. The magnet 414 may be a permanent magnet, and the magnet 414 may be fixed to the housing cavity 412a by fasteners, thermal welding, etc., and may even be injection molded together with the housing 412, which is not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0049] In some embodiments, each magnetic operating block 410 may further include a display module 450 , which is disposed on the upper surface of the housing 412 and is electrically connected to the control mainboard 440 for receiving and displaying adjustment parameters sent by the control mainboard 440 .

[0050] The control mainboard 440 can query the preset air parameters corresponding to the current output voltage of the magnetic induction module 420, and send the preset air parameters to the display module 450 for display on the display module 450, so that the user can intuitively monitor and control the magnetic operation block 410.

[0051] In some embodiments, the environment adjustment system may further include an environment sensing module 460, which may be used to detect air parameters inside the drawer body 320. The environment sensing module 460 may also be electrically connected to the control mainboard 440 to send the real-time air parameters detected by the environment sensing module 460 to the control mainboard 440. The category of the environment sensing module 460 may be consistent with the category of the environment adjustment module.

[0052] For example, the control main board 440 connected to the temperature adjustment module 432 is connected to the temperature sensing module 462. The temperature sensing module 462 can detect the real-time air temperature and send it to the control main board 440. The control main board 440 can control the temperature adjustment module 432 according to the real-time air temperature to adjust the internal temperature of the drawer body 320 to the preset target temperature.

[0053] For another example, the control mainboard 440 connected to the humidity adjustment module 434 is connected to the humidity sensing module 464. The humidity sensing module 464 can detect the real-time air humidity and send it to the control mainboard 440. The control mainboard 440 can control the humidity adjustment module 434 according to the real-time air humidity to adjust the internal humidity of the drawer body 320 to the preset target humidity.

[0054] In addition, the control mainboard 440 may also send the real-time air parameters to the display module 450 for display on the display module 450 , so that the user can intuitively monitor the real-time air parameters inside the drawer body 320 .

[0055] In some embodiments, the environment adjustment system may further include a fixing box 470 , which is fixed to the lower surface of the cover plate 310 and has a fixing cavity 472 therein. The magnetic induction module 420 is installed in the fixing cavity 472 .

[0056] The fixing box 470 can be specifically fixed to the lower surface of the cover plate 310 at a relatively forward position, so as to avoid interference between the fixing box 470 and the rear wall of the drawer body 320 when being pulled out. In addition, since the fixing box 470 is arranged on the lower surface of the cover plate 310, the fixing box 470 can be hidden, and the aesthetics of the drawer assembly 30 will not be affected.

[0057] In addition, the environment sensing module 460 may be disposed at the bottom of the fixing box 470 and exposed to the inside of the drawer body 320 , so as to detect air parameters inside the drawer body 320 .

[0058] In some embodiments, two sliding rails 312 are arranged on the upper surface of the cover plate 310 in the lateral direction, and each sliding rail 312 extends in the lateral direction. The magnetic operating blocks 410 in the two sets of environmental adjustment systems are slidably disposed on the two sliding rails 312 respectively.

[0059] Furthermore, the distance M between the front edge of each sliding rail 312 and the front edge of the cover 310 is set to between 0.5 cm and 5 cm (for example, 0.5 cm, 2 cm, 5 cm, etc.), so that the sliding rail 312 is closer to the front, making it easier for users to observe and operate the magnetic operating block 410.

[0060] Furthermore, the width W of each sliding rail 312 is set to be between 3 cm and 5 cm (eg, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, etc.).

[0061] Furthermore, the length D of each sliding rail 312 is set to be between 5 cm and 15 cm (eg, 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, etc.).

[0062] Furthermore, the distance L between the adjacent ends of each sliding rail 312 is set to be between 10 cm and 22 cm (eg, 10 cm, 22 cm, 15 cm, etc.) to reduce the magnetic field interference between the two magnetic operating blocks 410 .

[0063] The working principle of the present invention is described below by taking two sets of environmental adjustment systems as examples: one set is a temperature adjustment system 42 for adjusting the temperature of the drawer body 320 , and the other set is a humidity adjustment system 44 for adjusting the humidity of the drawer body 320 .

[0064] See also Figure 6 The temperature adjustment system 42 may include a temperature magnetic operation block 416, a temperature magnetic induction module 422, a temperature sensing module 462, a temperature adjustment module 432, a temperature display module 452, and a temperature control mainboard 442. The temperature magnetic induction module 422 and the temperature sensing module 462 are connected to the input end of the temperature control mainboard 442, and the temperature adjustment module 432 and the temperature display module 452 are connected to the output end of the temperature control mainboard 442. The user operates the temperature magnetic operation block 416 to slide to the target position in the sliding track 312, and the temperature magnetic induction module 422 detects the magnetic field of the temperature magnetic operation block 416 at the target position, and generates a corresponding electrical signal and transmits it to the temperature control mainboard 442. The temperature control mainboard 442 controls the temperature adjustment module 432 according to the target temperature corresponding to the electrical signal and the real-time temperature detected by the temperature sensing module 462, so that the temperature of the drawer body 320 reaches the target temperature. At the same time, the temperature control mainboard 442 sends the target temperature and the real-time temperature to the temperature display module 452 for real-time monitoring by the user.

[0065] See also Figure 7 , the humidity adjustment system 44 may include a humidity magnetic operation block 418, a humidity magnetic induction module 424, a humidity induction module 464, a humidity adjustment module 434, a humidity display module 454 and a humidity control mainboard 444. The humidity magnetic induction module 424 and the humidity induction module 464 are connected to the input end of the humidity control mainboard 444, and the humidity adjustment module 434 and the humidity display module 454 are connected to the output end of the humidity control mainboard 444. The user operates the humidity magnetic operation block 418 to slide to the target position in the sliding track 312, and the humidity magnetic induction module 424 detects the magnetic field of the humidity magnetic operation block 418 at the target position, and generates a corresponding electrical signal and transmits it to the humidity control mainboard 444. The humidity control mainboard 444 controls the humidity adjustment module 434 according to the target humidity corresponding to the electrical signal and the real-time humidity detected by the humidity induction module 464, so that the humidity of the drawer body 320 reaches the target humidity. At the same time, the humidity control mainboard 444 sends the target humidity and the real-time humidity to the humidity display module 454 for real-time monitoring by the user.

[0066] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived based on the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A drawer assembly for a refrigerator, comprising a drawer body and a cover plate for closing an opening of the drawer body when the drawer body is in a closed position, characterized in that: The drawer assembly further comprises at least one set of environmental conditioning systems, each set of the environmental conditioning systems comprising: a magnetic operating block, slidable along the upper surface of the cover plate and configured to generate a magnetic field; A magnetic induction module, fixed to the cover plate, for detecting the magnetic field generated by the magnetic operating block at different positions and converting it into an electrical signal; An environmental adjustment module, used for adjusting air parameters inside the drawer body; The control mainboard is electrically connected to the magnetic induction module and the environment adjustment module, and is used to receive the electrical signal and control the environment adjustment module according to the electrical signal.

2. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the magnetic operating blocks comprises: A housing, wherein a receiving cavity is defined in the housing; A magnet is arranged in the accommodating cavity to generate the magnetic field.

3. The drawer assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the magnetic operating blocks further includes: a display module, which is arranged on the upper surface of the shell, and the display module is electrically connected to the control mainboard and is used to receive and display the adjustment parameters sent by the control mainboard.

4. The drawer assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each set of the environmental conditioning system further includes: a fixing box, fixed to the lower surface of the cover plate, and having a fixing cavity therein; and, The magnetic induction module is installed in the fixed cavity.

5. The drawer assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The environmental adjustment system is arranged into two groups; The environment adjustment modules of one group of the environment adjustment systems are configured as temperature adjustment modules for adjusting the internal temperature of the drawer body; Another group of the environmental adjustment modules of the environmental adjustment system is configured as a temperature adjustment module for adjusting the air humidity inside the drawer body.

6. The drawer assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each set of the environmental conditioning system further includes: an environmental sensing module, which is disposed at the bottom of the fixing box and exposed to the interior of the drawer body, and is used to detect air parameters inside the drawer body; The environment sensing modules of one group of the environment adjustment systems are configured as humidity sensing modules for detecting the air humidity inside the drawer body; Another group of the environment sensing modules of the environment adjustment system is configured as a temperature sensing module for detecting the temperature inside the drawer body.

7. The drawer assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: Two sliding rails are arranged on the upper surface of the cover plate in a transverse direction, and each of the sliding rails extends in a transverse direction; and, The magnetic operating blocks in the two sets of the environmental adjustment systems are slidably arranged on the two sliding rails respectively.

8. The drawer assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The distance between the front edge of each sliding track and the front edge of the cover plate is set to be between 0.5 cm and 5 cm; The width of each sliding track is set to be between 3 cm and 5 cm; and / or, The length of each sliding track is set to be between 5 cm and 15 cm.

9. The drawer assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The distance between the adjacent ends of each sliding rail is set to be between 10 cm and 22 cm.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that Comprising the drawer assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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