Refrigerator and temperature controller thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and a temperature controller thereof, the temperature controller comprises a fixed main body, a purification cover body and a purification module, the purification cover body covers the front part of the fixed main body so as to define a first mounting cavity together with the fixed main body, a plurality of air holes are formed in the purification cover body, and the purification module is arranged in the first mounting cavity; and the air purifier is configured to purify peculiar smell molecules in air entering the first mounting cavity through the air holes. The temperature controller is integrated with the purification module, the functionality of the temperature controller is enriched, an independent purification module can be omitted, the effective volume of a storage chamber is increased, the number of modules is reduced, the installation efficiency is simplified, and the temperature controller is quite suitable for refrigerators with small volumes such as a single door, two doors and three doors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of refrigeration and freezing, and in particular to a refrigerator and a temperature controller thereof. Background Art

[0002] The existing refrigerator thermostat is generally arranged in the storage room, and is mainly used to adjust the refrigeration gear of the refrigerator and provide lighting, but the function is single, and further improvement is necessary. Summary of the invention

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

[0004] A further object of the present invention is to enrich the functionality of the thermostat, increase the effective volume of the storage compartment, reduce the number of modules, and simplify installation efficiency.

[0005] Another further object of the present invention is to facilitate the disassembly of the purification cover.

[0006] In particular, the present invention provides a thermostat for a refrigerator, which is used to be arranged in a storage compartment of the refrigerator, comprising: a fixed body; a purification cover body, which is buckled on the front of the fixed body to define a first installation cavity together with the fixed body, and a plurality of air holes are opened on the purification cover body; and a purification module, which is arranged in the first installation cavity and is configured to purify odor molecules in the air entering the first installation cavity through the air holes.

[0007] Optionally, the purification module is configured as a honeycomb activated carbon having a plurality of honeycomb holes; and the purification module is further configured with its honeycomb holes facing the air permeable holes.

[0008] Optionally, an adsorption magnet is arranged in the fixed body; the purification cover is arranged to be made of magnetic material so as to be combined with the fixed body by utilizing the magnetic attraction force generated by the adsorption magnet.

[0009] Optionally, the fixed body includes a first flat plate portion and two side wall portions, and the two side wall portions are formed on the front surface of the first flat plate portion opposite to each other on the left and right sides; the purification cover body also includes a panel wall and an upper wall formed on the upper edge of the panel wall and extending in a direction perpendicular to the panel wall; when the purification cover body is combined with the fixed body, the panel wall is spaced apart from the first flat plate portion, and the left and right sides respectively abut against the front ends of the two side wall portions, and the end of the upper wall abuts against the front surface of the first flat plate portion, and the left and right ends respectively abut against the top ends of the two side wall portions.

[0010] Optionally, a plurality of ventilation holes are provided on the panel wall.

[0011] Optionally, the purification cover further includes: two clamping plates, which are oppositely formed on the rear surface of the panel wall and are used to clamp the purification module; and a limiting hook is formed at the end of each clamping plate for limiting the purification module.

[0012] Optionally, the temperature controller also includes: at least one group of positioning structures for positioning the position between the fixed body and the purification cover body, each group of positioning structures includes: a positioning pin, the positioning pin is arranged on one of the rear surface of the panel wall and the front surface of the first flat plate part; a positioning sleeve, the positioning sleeve is arranged on the other of the rear surface of the panel wall and the front wall surface of the first flat plate part, the positioning sleeve has a positioning hole, the positioning pin extends into the positioning hole to position the position between the fixed body and the purification cover body.

[0013] Optionally, the two side wall portions are respectively recorded as the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion; and the fixed body includes a second flat plate portion connected to the first flat plate portion and located on the side of the first side wall portion away from the first flat plate portion; the temperature controller also includes: a light-transmitting cover body, which is buckled on the front of the second flat plate portion to define a second installation cavity together with the second flat plate portion and the first side wall portion; a light-emitting unit is arranged in the second installation cavity to generate illumination light passing through the light-transmitting cover body to provide illumination for the storage compartment.

[0014] Optionally, the thermostat further includes: a temperature control knob, disposed on the second side wall portion, for adjusting the refrigeration gear of the refrigerator.

[0015] In particular, the present invention also provides a refrigerator, comprising: a box body, including an inner liner, the inner liner defines a storage compartment; and, a thermostat according to any of the above items, arranged in the storage compartment, and the thermostat is arranged so that its fixed body is combined with the inner liner wall of the inner liner.

[0016] The thermostat of the present invention has a purification cover body buckled on the front of the fixed body to define a first installation cavity together with the fixed body, and a plurality of air holes are provided on the purification cover body, and a purification module is arranged in the first installation cavity to purify odor molecules in the air entering the first installation cavity through the air holes. That is, the purification module is integrated into the thermostat, which not only enriches the functionality of the thermostat, but also eliminates the need for a separate purification module, increases the effective volume of the storage compartment, reduces the number of modules, simplifies installation efficiency, and is very suitable for refrigerators with small volumes such as single-door, double-door, and three-door refrigerators.

[0017] Furthermore, in the temperature controller of the present invention, the fixed body defines a receiving groove inside the corresponding purification cover body, and an adsorption magnet can be placed in the receiving groove. The purification cover body is made of magnetic material, so that the magnetic attraction force generated by the adsorption magnet can be utilized to combine the purification cover body with the fixed body. When the user wants to replace the honeycomb activated carbon, it can be removed by simply applying a force to the purification cover body to overcome the magnetic attraction force. This is simple and convenient.

[0018] 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

[0019] 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:

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the installation relationship between the thermostat and the inner tank wall in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the installation relationship between the thermostat and the inner tank wall in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 4 is an exploded view of a thermostat in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 It is an assembly cross-sectional view of a thermostat and an inner container wall in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 2 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 includes a cabinet 10 and a door 20.

[0027] The box body 10 may include an outer shell and one or more inner tanks 12, and the outer shell is located at the outermost side of the whole refrigerator 1 to protect the entire refrigerator 1. The space between the inner tank 12 and the outer shell is filled with a heat-insulating material to reduce the heat dissipation of the inner tank 12 to the outside. Each inner tank 12 may define one or more storage compartments 120, and the storage compartments 120 may be configured as a refrigerator, a freezer, a temperature-changing room, etc. The number, function, and arrangement of the specific storage compartments 120 may be configured according to pre-determined requirements, and this document will not elaborate on this.

[0028] The door body 20 can be set on the box body 10 to open and close the storage compartment 120. The door body 20 can be set on one side of the box body 10 in a hinged manner and open and close the storage compartment 120 by pivoting. The number of door bodies 20 can match the number of storage compartments 120, so that the storage compartments 120 can be opened one by one.

[0029] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 1 may further include a thermostat 30, which may be disposed in the storage compartment 120 of the refrigerator 1, and whose basic function is to adjust the refrigeration level of the refrigerator 1. In addition, the thermostat 30 proposed in this embodiment also has a purification function to purify the air in the storage compartment 120.

[0030] Combine the following Figures 2 to 5 The structure and working principle of the thermostat 30 will be described in detail. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the installation relationship between the thermostat and the inner tank wall in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 , Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the installation relationship between the thermostat and the inner tank wall in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 , Figure 4 is an exploded view of a thermostat in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 It is an assembly cross-sectional view of a thermostat and an inner container wall in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Specifically, the thermostat 30 may include a fixed body 310, a purification cover 320, and a purification module 330. The purification cover 320 is buckled on the front of the fixed body 310 to define a first installation cavity 301 together with the fixed body 310, and a plurality of air holes 322a are provided on the purification cover 320. The purification module 330 is disposed in the first installation cavity 301 and is configured to purify odor molecules in the air entering the first installation cavity 301 through the air holes 322a.

[0032] The fixing body 310 can be combined with the inner liner wall 122 of the inner liner 120 through the buckle 317, so that the thermostat 30 is fixed in the storage compartment 120. The purification cover 320 is provided with an air hole 322a, and the air in the storage compartment 120 can enter the first installation cavity 301 through the air hole 322a. The first installation cavity 301 is provided with a purification module 330, which can contact the air entering the first installation cavity 301, thereby purifying the odor molecules in the air, and the purified air is discharged into the storage compartment 120 again to improve the air freshness of the entire storage compartment 120.

[0033] Since the purification module 330 is integrated into the thermostat 30, a separate purification module can be eliminated, which not only increases the effective volume of the storage compartment 120, but also reduces the number of modules and simplifies installation efficiency. It is very suitable for single-door, double-door and three-door refrigerators with smaller volumes.

[0034] The type and form of the purification module 330 can be flexibly selected according to actual conditions.

[0035] In some specific embodiments, the purification module 330 can be set to an active purification mode, that is, the purification module 330 can release purification particles (such as ozone, negative ions, etc.) for sterilization and deodorization to the first installation cavity 301. After these purification particles combine with odor molecules, they will actively decompose them to achieve the purpose of purification. In this embodiment, it can be optionally used with an airflow disturbance device to improve the purification efficiency.

[0036] In some other specific embodiments, the purification module 330 can also be set to a passive purification (absorption purification) mode. For example, the purification module 330 can be an adsorbent such as honeycomb activated carbon, zeolite, etc., and the odor molecules in the air entering the first installation cavity 301 can be adsorbed by the purification module 330 to achieve the purpose of purification. In this embodiment, it can also be used with an exhaust device to improve the adsorption efficiency. Of course, it is also possible not to use an exhaust device, and only using the kinetic energy of the air in the air-cooled refrigerator can also ensure a higher adsorption efficiency.

[0037] The following mainly introduces the scheme of using honeycomb activated carbon to purify the air. Honeycomb activated carbon is an environmentally friendly purification product made into a honeycomb shape. Its main raw materials include coal-based activated carbon powder, high-iodine coconut shell activated carbon powder, super decolorized wood activated carbon powder, etc. It can effectively absorb odor molecules and pollutant molecules and improve air quality.

[0038] Specifically, the honeycomb activated carbon has a plurality of honeycomb holes 332 , and the plurality of honeycomb holes 332 can increase the specific surface area of ​​the entire honeycomb activated carbon, increase the contact area between air and the honeycomb activated carbon, and improve the adsorption efficiency.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, the specific surface area of ​​the honeycomb activated carbon is set to 500m2 / g to 1700m 2 / g (e.g. 500m 2 / g, 800m 2 / g、1000m 2 / g、1300m 2 / g、1700m 2 / g, etc.).

[0040] In some specific embodiments, the multiple honeycomb holes 332 on the honeycomb activated carbon are arranged in parallel and face the air holes 322a, so that the air entering the first installation cavity from the air holes 322a can be dispersed into the multiple honeycomb holes 332, so that the air is fully in contact with the honeycomb activated carbon, thereby improving the adsorption efficiency.

[0041] In some embodiments, since the honeycomb activated carbon may need to be replaced after being used for a period of time, in order to facilitate the user to open the purification cover 320, the installation method of the purification cover 320 can be selected to be easy to disassemble.

[0042] In some specific embodiments, the purification cover 320 can be installed on the fixed body 310 by magnetic attraction. Specifically, the fixed body 310 defines a receiving groove 319 inside the corresponding purification cover 320, and an adsorption magnet 340 (i.e., a magnet) can be placed in the receiving groove 319. The purification cover 320 is made of magnetic material, so that the magnetic attraction force generated by the adsorption magnet 340 can be used to combine the purification cover 320 with the fixed body 310. When the user wants to replace the honeycomb activated carbon, it can be removed by applying a force to the purification cover 320 to overcome the magnetic attraction force, which is simple and convenient.

[0043] Of course, in addition to the above-mentioned magnetic installation method, those skilled in the art may also use other methods to install the purification cover body 320, such as snap-on connection, etc.

[0044] In some embodiments, the fixed body 310 includes a first flat plate portion 312 and two side wall portions 316, 318, and the two side wall portions 316, 318 are formed on the front surface of the first flat plate portion 312. The purification cover 320 also includes a panel wall 322 and an upper perimeter wall 324 formed on the upper edge of the panel wall 322 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the panel wall 322.

[0045] When the purification cover body 320 is combined with the fixed main body 310, the panel wall 322 is spaced apart from the first flat plate portion 312, and the left and right sides of the panel wall 322 respectively abut against the front ends of the two side wall portions 316 and 318, and the end of the upper wall 324 abuts against the front surface of the first flat plate portion 312, and the left and right ends of the upper wall 324 respectively abut against the top ends of the two side wall portions 316 and 318.

[0046] Furthermore, a sealing step 312a may be formed on the front surface of the first flat plate portion 312. When the purification cover body 320 is combined with the fixed body 310, the lower surface of the upper wall 324 may cooperate with the sealing step 312a, so that the sealing step 312a can provide supporting force to the purification cover body 320 to prevent the purification cover body 320 from falling off.

[0047] In addition, the upper surface of the sealing step 312a and the lower surface of the peripheral wall may be designed to be connected in a concave-convex manner, so that the front and rear positions of the purification cover body 320 can be positioned.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first installation cavity 301 enclosed by the fixed body 310 and the purification cover body 320 is open at the bottom, which can further improve the circulation efficiency between the air and the first installation cavity and further improve the purification efficiency of the purification module 330.

[0049] Furthermore, a plurality of air holes 322a may be provided on the panel wall 322. Accordingly, the honeycomb activated carbon is arranged in such a manner that the plurality of honeycomb holes 332 thereon face the panel wall 322.

[0050] Furthermore, the purification cover body 320 may also include two clamping plates 326, which are formed oppositely on the rear surface of the panel wall 322 to clamp the purification module 330. It should be noted that the extension direction of the two clamping plates 326 can be flexibly selected according to actual conditions, and can be vertically extended and opposite to each other, or can be extended to the left and right and opposite to each other up and down, or can even be inclined.

[0051] A limiting hook 326 a for limiting the position of the purification module 330 is formed at the end of each clamping plate 326 to further fix the purification module 330 .

[0052] During installation, the purification module 330 is first clamped between the two clamping plates 326, and then the purification module 330 and the purification cover body 320 are assembled on the fixed body 310, which is simple and convenient.

[0053] Further, the thermostat 30 may also include at least one group of positioning structures for positioning the position between the fixed body 310 and the purification cover body 320, and each group of positioning structures may include a positioning pin 352 and a positioning sleeve 354. The positioning pin 352 is disposed on one of the rear surface of the panel wall 322 and the front surface of the first flat plate portion 312, and the positioning sleeve 354 is disposed on the other of the rear surface of the panel wall 322 and the front wall surface of the first flat plate portion 312. The positioning sleeve 354 has a positioning hole, and the positioning pin 352 extends into the positioning hole to position the fixed body 310 and the purification cover body 320.

[0054] In some specific embodiments, since the top of the purification cover 320 is designed with an upper periphery wall 324 having a certain positioning function, the positioning structure can be designed below the purification cover 320 to fully position the purification cover 320. When multiple sets of positioning structures are designed, the multiple sets of positioning structures can be arranged below the purification cover 320 in the horizontal direction.

[0055] In some embodiments, the two sidewalls are respectively referred to as a first sidewall 316 and a second sidewall 318. The fixing body 310 includes a second flat plate portion 314 connected to the first flat plate portion 312 and located on a side of the first sidewall 316 away from the first flat plate portion 312.

[0056] The thermostat 30 may further include a light-transmitting cover 360, which is buckled on the front of the second flat plate portion 314 to define a second installation cavity together with the second flat plate portion 314 and the first side wall portion 316. The light-emitting unit 362 is disposed in the second installation cavity to generate illumination light that passes through the light-transmitting cover 360 to provide illumination for the storage compartment.

[0057] In some embodiments, the thermostat 30 may further include a temperature control knob 370 , which is disposed on the second side wall portion 318 and is used to adjust the cooling gear of the refrigerator.

[0058] It can be seen that the thermostat 30 integrates three functions (purification, lighting and temperature control) into an integral module, which not only increases the effective volume of the storage compartment, but also reduces the number of modules and simplifies installation efficiency. It is very suitable for single-door, double-door and three-door refrigerators with smaller volumes.

[0059] 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 thermostat for a refrigerator, arranged in a storage compartment of the refrigerator, characterized in that include: Fix the subject; A purification cover body, which is buckled on the front part of the fixed body to define a first installation cavity together with the fixed body, and a plurality of air holes are opened on the purification cover body; and, The purification module is disposed in the first installation cavity and is configured to purify odor molecules in the air entering the first installation cavity through the air permeable hole.

2. The thermostat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The purification module is configured as a honeycomb activated carbon having a plurality of honeycomb holes; and The purification module is also configured so that the honeycomb holes thereof face the air holes.

3. The thermostat according to claim 1, characterized in that: An adsorption magnet is arranged in the fixed body; The purification cover is configured to be made of magnetic material so as to be combined with the fixed body by utilizing the magnetic attraction force generated by the adsorption magnet.

4. The thermostat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed body comprises a first flat plate portion and two side wall portions, wherein the two side wall portions are formed on the front surface of the first flat plate portion opposite to each other. The purification cover body further includes a panel wall and an upper peripheral wall formed at the upper edge of the panel wall and extending in a direction perpendicular to the panel wall; When the purification cover is combined with the fixed body, the panel wall is spaced apart from the first flat plate portion, and the left and right sides respectively abut against the front ends of the two side wall portions, and the end of the upper wall abuts against the front surface of the first flat plate portion, and the left and right ends respectively abut against the top ends of the two side wall portions.

5. The thermostat according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of ventilation holes are arranged on the panel wall.

6. The thermostat according to claim 4, characterized in that: The purification cover body also includes: two clamping plates, the two clamping plates are oppositely formed on the rear surface of the panel wall and are used to clamp the purification module; and, A limiting hook for limiting the position of the purification module is also formed at the end of each clamping plate.

7. The thermostat according to claim 4, characterized in that Also includes: At least one group of positioning structures is used to locate the position between the fixed body and the purification cover body, and each group of the positioning structures includes: a positioning pin disposed on one of the rear surface of the panel wall and the front surface of the first flat plate portion; A positioning sleeve is arranged on the other of the rear surface of the panel wall and the front wall surface of the first flat plate portion. The positioning sleeve has a positioning hole, and the positioning pin extends into the positioning hole to locate the position between the fixed body and the purification cover body.

8. The thermostat according to claim 4, characterized in that: The two side wall portions are respectively recorded as a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion; and, The fixing body comprises a second flat plate portion connected to the first flat plate portion and located on a side of the first side wall portion away from the first flat plate portion; The thermostat also includes: A light-transmitting cover body, which is buckled on the front part of the second flat plate part, so as to define a second installation cavity together with the second flat plate part and the first side wall part; The light emitting unit is arranged in the second installation cavity to generate illumination light passing through the light-transmitting cover body to provide illumination for the storage compartment.

9. The thermostat according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: A temperature control knob is arranged on the second side wall portion and is used to adjust the cooling gear of the refrigerator.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that include: The box body includes an inner liner, wherein the inner liner defines a storage compartment; and, The thermostat according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is arranged in the storage room, and the thermostat is arranged so that its fixed body is combined with the inner liner wall of the inner liner.

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