Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator which comprises a refrigerator body, an evaporator, a centrifugal fan and an air supply duct, a cooling chamber located on the lower portion and at least one storage chamber located above the cooling chamber are defined in the refrigerator body, and the evaporator is arranged in the cooling chamber and configured to cool airflow entering the cooling chamber to form cooling airflow. The centrifugal fan comprises a volute and an impeller arranged in the volute, and the air supply duct is detachably connected with the volute, communicates with an air outlet of the volute and is arranged to convey cooling airflow into at least one storage chamber. According to the refrigerator, the cooling chamber is located below the refrigerator body, so that the cooling chamber occupies the lower space in the refrigerator body, the storage chamber is located above the cooling chamber, the compressor cabin can be defined behind the cooling chamber, the storage chamber does not need to give way to the compressor cabin any more, and the storage volume of the storage chamber is guaranteed. In addition, the air supply duct and the centrifugal fan are designed in a split mode, modularization is achieved, disassembly, assembly and transportation are convenient, and the yield is increased.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with application number 201910143307.X, application date February 26, 2019, and application name “Refrigerator with a centrifugal fan with a volute”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0003] In existing refrigerators, the freezer compartment is generally located at the bottom of the refrigerator, the evaporator is located at the rear of the outer side of the freezer compartment, and the compressor compartment is located at the rear of the freezer compartment. The freezer compartment needs to make way for the compressor compartment, which makes the freezer compartment irregular and limits the depth of the freezer compartment. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that overcomes the above problems or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0005] A further object of the present invention is to realize modularization of the air supply duct and the centrifugal fan to facilitate disassembly, assembly and transportation.

[0006] The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising:

[0007] A box body, which defines a cooling chamber located below and at least one storage compartment located above the cooling chamber;

[0008] an evaporator disposed in the cooling chamber and configured to cool the airflow entering the cooling chamber to form a cooling airflow;

[0009] a centrifugal fan, including a volute and an impeller disposed in the volute, configured to force a cooling airflow to flow into at least one storage compartment;

[0010] The air supply duct is detachably connected to the volute and communicated with the air outlet of the volute, and is configured to deliver the cooling airflow to at least one storage room.

[0011] Optionally, the centrifugal fan is located behind the evaporator, and the air supply duct is located on the inner side of the rear wall of the centrifugal fan;

[0012] The volute includes:

[0013] A lower box body with an open upper portion and a rear end, and an upper cover body with an open lower portion and a rear end that is buckled on the lower box body, wherein the rear end of the upper cover body and the rear end of the lower box body define a volute air outlet;

[0014] The air supply duct comprises a front duct cover plate located at the front side and a rear duct cover plate located at the rear side. The front duct cover plate is detachably connected to the upper cover body, and the rear duct cover plate is detachably connected to the lower box body.

[0015] Optionally, the rear cover plate of the air duct includes a rear vertical plate section extending vertically at the lower part and a joint section extending forward and downward from the lower end of the rear vertical plate section, and the joint section and the lower end of the front cover plate of the air duct define an air inlet of the air duct connected to the air outlet of the volute;

[0016] The rear cover plate of the air duct is detachably connected to the lower box body through the joint section.

[0017] Optionally, the joint section includes a horizontal straight section located at the frontmost side and extending forward and backward, a first vertical plate extending vertically downward is formed at the front end of the horizontal straight section, the first vertical plate extends from one lateral side of the horizontal straight section to the other side, and at least one first buckle protruding forward is formed on the front vertical surface of the first vertical plate;

[0018] A second vertical plate extending vertically downward is formed at the rear end of the bottom wall of the lower box body, and the second vertical plate extends from one lateral side of the bottom wall of the lower box body to the other side;

[0019] A first notch is formed at the lower end of the second vertical plate, corresponding to and matching at least one first buckle;

[0020] The first buckle is inserted into the corresponding first notch and is hooked with the front vertical surface of the second vertical plate to assemble the lower box body and the air duct rear cover plate.

[0021] Optionally, a third vertical plate extending upward is formed at the rear end of the top wall of the upper cover body, and the third vertical plate extends from one lateral side of the top wall of the upper cover body to the other side;

[0022] The air duct front cover plate comprises a vertically extending front vertical plate section at the lower part, the transverse dimension of the front vertical plate section is equal to or greater than the transverse dimension of the third vertical plate, and at least one second buckle protruding forward is formed on the front wall surface of the front vertical plate section;

[0023] The upper end of the third vertical plate is formed with at least one second notch corresponding to and adapted to the at least one second buckle;

[0024] The second buckle is inserted into the corresponding second notch and is hooked with the front vertical surface of the third vertical plate to assemble the upper cover body and the front cover plate of the air duct.

[0025] Optionally, the section defined by the rear vertical plate section and the joint section is recorded as the lower plate section of the rear cover plate of the air duct;

[0026] A sealing portion is formed on the inner sides of both lateral ends of the lower plate section, and both sealing portions extend forward into the volute to seal the lateral sides of the junction of the air duct inlet and the volute outlet.

[0027] Optionally, when the upper cover body is snap-fitted to the lower box body, the side wall of the upper cover body is located on the inner side of the side wall of the lower box body, so as to define the volute air duct in the volute by utilizing the side wall of the upper cover body, the top wall of the upper cover body and the bottom wall of the lower box body.

[0028] Optionally, a volute air inlet is formed on the top wall of the upper cover;

[0029] The included angle between the rotation axis of the impeller and the vertical line is 20° to 35°.

[0030] Optionally, a horizontal distance between the front end surface of the volute and the rear end surface of the evaporator is 15 mm to 35 mm.

[0031] Optionally, the box body includes a freezing liner located at the bottom, and a cooling chamber is defined in the freezing liner;

[0032] The storage compartment includes a freezer compartment defined by a freezer liner and located above the cooling compartment;

[0033] The centrifugal fan is configured to force the cooling air flow to flow into the freezing chamber through the air supply duct.

[0034] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the cooling chamber is located below the box body, so that the cooling chamber occupies the lower space in the box body, and the storage compartment is located above the cooling chamber, and a pressurizing cabin can be defined at the rear and lower part of the cooling chamber, and the storage compartment does not need to give way to the pressurizing cabin, thereby ensuring the storage capacity of the storage compartment. In addition, the air supply duct and the centrifugal fan adopt a split design to achieve modularization, facilitate disassembly and transportation, and improve the yield rate.

[0035] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the front cover plate of the air duct cooperates with the upper cover body of the volute to achieve a snap-fit ​​assembly of the two, and the rear cover plate of the air duct cooperates with the lower box body of the volute to achieve a snap-fit ​​assembly of the two, thereby achieving modularization and ensuring the stability and sealing of the assembly of the air supply duct and the volute.

[0036] 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

[0037] 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:

[0038] Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a freezer container of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4It is a front view of the assembly of a freezer tank, an evaporator, a centrifugal fan and an air supply duct of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The cross-sectional view in the AA direction;

[0043] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of area A in the middle;

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an air supply duct and a centrifugal fan assembly of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 8 is an exploded schematic diagram of an air supply duct and a centrifugal fan of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an upper cover of a volute of a centrifugal fan of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the lower box body and the impeller of the volute of the centrifugal fan of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.11 is a partially exploded schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0049] Fig.12 is a partial schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] This embodiment provides a refrigerator 10. Figures 1 to 12 In the following description, the directions or positional relationships indicated by "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are directions or positional relationships based on the refrigerator 10 itself as a reference. Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 The direction indicated, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, “lateral” refers to a direction parallel to the width direction of the refrigerator 10 .

[0051] Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective schematic diagram of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the refrigerator 10 may generally include a box body 100, the box body 100 includes an outer shell 110 and a storage liner arranged inside the outer shell 110, the space between the outer shell 110 and the storage liner is filled with a heat preservation material (forming a foaming layer), and a storage compartment is defined in the storage liner. The storage liner may generally include a freezing liner 130, a refrigerating liner 120, etc. The storage compartment includes a freezing chamber 132 defined by the freezing liner 130 and a refrigerating chamber 121 defined by the refrigerating liner 120. A door body is also provided on the front side of the storage liner to open or close the storage compartment. Figure 1 , Figure 2 The doors have all been hidden.

[0053] As those skilled in the art can appreciate, the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment may further include an evaporator 101, an air supply fan (in this embodiment, the air supply fan is a centrifugal fan 103), a compressor 104, a condenser 105, and a throttling element (not shown), etc. The evaporator 101 is connected to the compressor 104, the condenser 105, and the throttling element via a refrigerant pipeline to form a refrigeration cycle, and the temperature is reduced when the compressor 104 is started to cool the air flowing through it.

[0054] In particular, in this embodiment, a cooling chamber is defined in the box body 100 at the bottom, and a storage compartment is located above the cooling chamber. The evaporator 101 is disposed in the cooling chamber to cool the airflow entering the cooling chamber to form a cooling airflow.

[0055] In a traditional refrigerator 10, the cooling chamber is generally located in the rear space of the box body 100, the freezing chamber 132 is generally located at the bottom of the box body, and the compressor compartment is located behind the freezing chamber 132. The freezing chamber 132 inevitably has to be made into an irregular space to make room for the compressor compartment, which reduces the storage capacity of the freezing chamber 132 and also brings about the following problems. On the one hand, the freezer compartment 132 is located at a relatively low position, and the user needs to bend over or squat significantly to take and put items in the freezer compartment 132, which is inconvenient for users, especially for the elderly. On the other hand, since the depth of the freezer compartment 132 is reduced, in order to ensure the storage volume of the freezer compartment 132, the space in the height direction of the freezer compartment 132 needs to be increased. When the user stores items in the freezer compartment 132, the items need to be stacked in the height direction, which is inconvenient for the user to find items. In addition, the items at the bottom of the freezer compartment 132 are easily blocked, making it difficult for the user to find them and forget them, resulting in deterioration and waste of the items. Furthermore, since the freezer compartment 132 is of an irregular shape and not a rectangular space, it is inconvenient to place some large and difficult to divide items in the freezer compartment 132.

[0056] In this embodiment, the cooling chamber is located below the box body 100, so that the cooling chamber occupies the lower space in the box body 100, and the storage room is located above the cooling chamber. The rear lower part of the cooling chamber can define a press cabin, and the storage room no longer needs to make way for the press cabin, thereby ensuring the storage capacity of the storage room.

[0057] Specifically, the cooling chamber can be defined by the freezer liner 130. The freezer liner 130 is generally located at the lower part of the box body 100. The freezer liner 130 defines a cooling chamber and a freezing chamber 132 located above the cooling chamber. This raises the freezing chamber 132, reduces the degree of bending when the user takes and places items in the freezing chamber 132, and improves the user experience. At the same time, the freezing chamber 132 no longer needs to make way for the press cabin, so that the freezing chamber 132 is a rectangular space, so that the items can be stored in a flat-laying manner instead of in a stacked manner, which is convenient for users to find items and saves users' time and energy; at the same time, it is also convenient to place large items that are difficult to divide, solving the pain point that large items cannot be placed in the freezing chamber 132.

[0058] Generally, the refrigerator 10 further includes another storage liner located above the freezing liner 130, and the storage liner may be a variable temperature liner 131 or a refrigerating liner 120. In this embodiment, the variable temperature liner 131 is located above the freezing liner 130, and the refrigerating liner 120 is located above the variable temperature liner 131. The variable temperature liner 131 defines a variable temperature chamber 1311, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, there are two temperature-variable inner containers 131 , which are distributed laterally, and each temperature-variable inner container 131 defines a temperature-variable chamber 1311 .

[0059] As is well known to those skilled in the art, the temperature in the refrigerator 121 is generally between 2°C and 10°C, preferably between 4°C and 7°C. The temperature in the freezer 132 is generally between -22°C and -14°C. The temperature of the variable temperature chamber 1311 can be adjusted to -18°C to 8°C at will. Different types of items have different optimal storage temperatures and different suitable storage locations. For example, fruit and vegetable foods are suitable for storage in the refrigerator 121, while meat foods are suitable for storage in the freezer 132.

[0060] A refrigeration air duct (not shown) may be defined in the refrigeration liner 120 , and a refrigeration evaporator (not shown) and a refrigeration fan (not shown) may be disposed in the refrigeration air duct to independently supply air to the refrigeration chamber 121 .

[0061] Driven by the centrifugal fan 103, the cooling air flow is transported to at least one storage room above the cooling chamber through the air supply duct 141. In this embodiment, the cooling air flow is transported to the freezing chamber 132 through the air supply duct 141. Figure 1As shown, the air supply duct 141 is located on the inner side of the rear wall of the freezing liner 130, and the air supply duct 141 is formed with a freezing chamber air inlet 141a communicating with the freezing chamber 132, so as to deliver at least part of the cooling airflow into the freezing chamber 132. Generally, the rear wall of the freezing liner 130 is formed with a recessed portion that is recessed backwards and matches the air supply duct 141, and the air supply duct 141 is embedded in the recessed portion.

[0062] A variable temperature room air duct (not shown) may be provided on the rear side of the rear wall of each variable temperature inner liner 131, and a variable temperature room air inlet 131a connected to the air outlet of the variable temperature room air duct is formed on the rear wall of the variable temperature inner liner 131, and the variable temperature room air duct is configured to be connected to the air supply duct 141 in a controllable manner to transport part of the cooling airflow of the air supply duct 141 to the variable temperature room 1311.

[0063] like Figure 7 As shown, at least one first top opening 141g is formed at the top of the air supply duct 141, and the first top opening 141g corresponds to the air inlet of the temperature-changing air duct one-to-one. The top wall of the freezing liner 130 is formed with at least one second top opening 130d corresponding to the at least one first top opening 141g, so that the first top opening 141g is connected to the air inlet of the temperature-changing air duct through the second top opening 130d. A damper may be provided at the first top opening 141g of the air supply duct 141 to controllably open or close the first top opening 141g. Figure 1 As shown, there are two variable temperature inner tanks 131, and accordingly, there are two variable temperature room air ducts, and there are two first top openings 141g and two second top openings 130d.

[0064] The freezing liner 130 and the cooling chamber are described in detail below:

[0065] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the two lateral side walls of the freezing liner 130 and the areas corresponding to the cooling chamber respectively protrude toward the cooling chamber to form a second limiting boss 130b respectively.

[0066] The refrigerator 10 also includes a cover plate, which constitutes the top wall and the front wall of the cooling chamber, and together with the two second limiting bosses 130b, the sections of the side walls of the two freezing inner tanks 130 located in front of the corresponding second limiting bosses 130b, the bottom wall of the freezing inner tank 130 and the rear wall of the freezing inner tank 130, define the cooling chamber.

[0067] The evaporator 101 as a whole can be placed horizontally in the cooling chamber in a flat cubic shape, that is, the length and width of the evaporator 101 are parallel to the horizontal plane, the thickness surface is placed perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the thickness dimension is significantly smaller than the length dimension of the evaporator 101. By placing the evaporator 101 horizontally in the cooling chamber, the evaporator 101 is prevented from occupying more space, and the storage volume of the freezing chamber 132 above the cooling chamber is guaranteed.

[0068] like Figure 2 As shown, the cover plate includes a top cover 1021 and at least one front cover group 102, the top cover 1021 is located above the evaporator 101, and at least one front return air inlet is formed on the front side of each front cover group 102, so that the return air flow of the freezer chamber 132 enters the cooling chamber through the at least one front return air inlet and is cooled by the evaporator 101, thereby forming an air flow circulation between the cooling chamber and the freezer chamber 132.

[0069] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, there are two front cover groups 102, which are distributed in the transverse direction. Two front return air inlets are formed on the front side of each front cover group 102, namely a first front return air inlet 102a and a second front return air inlet 102b.

[0070] A side return air inlet (not shown) is formed on the side wall of the freezing inner tank 130, and the side return air inlet is connected to the variable temperature inner tank 131 through a side return air channel (not shown), so that the return air flow of the variable temperature chamber 1311 can be transported to the cooling chamber for cooling by utilizing the side return air channel, thereby forming an air circulation between the variable temperature chamber 1311 and the cooling chamber.

[0071] Preferably, the side return air inlet is formed on the side wall of the freezing tank 130 in a section in front of the corresponding second limiting boss 130b, so that the side return air inlet is closer to the front, so that the return air flow of the variable temperature chamber 1311 flows from the front to the rear of the evaporator 101, extending the heat exchange path between the return air flow of the variable temperature chamber 1311 and the evaporator 101, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0072] The rear section of the bottom wall of the freezing liner 130 is formed with at least one first limiting boss 130a protruding upward, and each first limiting boss 130a forms a limiting groove 130a1; the lower section of the air supply duct 141 is formed with a matching portion 141f that matches with the limiting groove 130a1, and the matching portion 141f matches with the limiting groove 130a1 to prevent the air supply duct 141 from moving downward.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, there are two first limiting bosses 130a, which are spaced apart in the lateral direction. Accordingly, there are two matching portions 141f, which are spaced apart in the lateral direction.

[0074] Generally, the lower section of the air supply duct 141 located in the freezing liner 130 will inevitably form a gap with the bottom wall of the freezing liner 130. After the refrigerator 10 is assembled, under normal circumstances, the first top opening 141g at the top of the air supply duct 141 should be sealed with the second top opening 130d corresponding to the top wall of the freezing liner 130.

[0075] When the refrigerator 10 is transported, it is easy to cause the air supply duct 141 to fall when it is hit, so that a gap appears between the first top opening 141g at the top of the air supply duct 141 and the second top opening 130d corresponding to the top wall of the freezing liner 130. During the operation of the refrigerator 10, the airflow in the variable temperature room 1311 will enter the freezing chamber 132 through the gap. Since the airflow temperature in the variable temperature room 1311 is generally higher than the airflow temperature in the freezing chamber 132, frost will form near the top of the air supply duct 141, which will affect the temperature of the freezing chamber 132 and the delivery of the cooling airflow. In this embodiment, by making the above special design on the bottom wall of the freezing liner 130 and the lower section of the air supply duct 141, it is possible to avoid the air supply duct 141 falling due to collision during the transportation of the refrigerator 10, thereby ensuring the refrigeration effect during the operation of the refrigerator 10.

[0076] A third limiting boss 130c protruding upward is formed on both lateral sides of the bottom wall of the freezing tank 130 near the rear end. The two third limiting bosses 130c and the section of the bottom wall of the freezing tank 130 located behind the evaporator 101 define a space for arranging the centrifugal fan 103.

[0077] Each third limiting boss 130c may be formed with a first mounting hole (not numbered). The volute of the centrifugal fan 103 is formed with second mounting holes 103c1 corresponding to the two first mounting holes, so that the volute of the centrifugal fan 103 is mounted on the bottom wall of the freezing container 130 by means of mounting members (e.g., screws) passing through the second mounting holes 103c1 and the first mounting holes in sequence. Figure 8 , Fig.10 As shown, a mounting plate 103c is formed on both lateral sides of the side wall of the lower box body 1032, and the mounting plate 103c is formed with a second mounting hole 103c1 corresponding to the corresponding first mounting hole.

[0078] The centrifugal fan 103 and the air supply duct 141 are described in detail below:

[0079] The centrifugal fan 103 is located at the rear of the evaporator 101, and includes a volute and an impeller 1031 arranged in the volute. The air supply duct 141 is detachably connected to the volute, and the air duct inlet of the air supply duct is connected to the volute outlet of the volute, so that the airflow in the volute enters the air supply duct 141.

[0080] In the existing refrigerator 10, the air duct and the volute of the fan are mostly integrated structures, which are inconvenient to transport and cannot be modularized. In this embodiment, the air supply duct 141 and the volute of the centrifugal fan 103 adopt a split design to achieve modularization, facilitate disassembly and transportation, and improve the yield rate.

[0081] The volute includes a lower box body 1032 and an upper cover 1033 disposed on the lower box body 1032. The lower box body 1032 and the upper cover 1033 can be snap-fitted to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the volute. The rear end and the upper part of the upper cover 1033 are both open, that is, the upper cover 1033 includes a top wall 103a and a first side wall 103d extending downward from the top wall 103a; correspondingly, the rear end and the lower part of the lower box body 1032 are both open, and the lower box body 1032 includes a bottom wall 103b and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom wall 103b. The top wall 103a of the upper cover 1033 is formed with a volute air inlet 1033a, and the rear end of the upper cover 1033 and the rear end of the lower box body 1032 define a volute air outlet.

[0082] After the upper cover body 1033 is buckled with the lower box body 1032, the first side wall 103d of the upper cover body 1033 is located on the inner side of the second side wall of the lower box body 1032, that is to say, the first side wall 103d of the upper cover body 1033 and the top wall 103a of the upper cover body 1033 and the bottom wall 103b of the lower box body 1032 define the air supply duct in the volute.

[0083] like Fig. 9 As shown, the first side wall 103d of the upper cover 1033 has a volute line, which is configured as a volute air duct, which better guides the airflow to flow toward the volute air outlet and reduces noise. The inner surface of the top wall 103a of the upper cover 1033 is formed with a volute groove 103a3, and the volute groove 103a3 cooperates with the first side wall 103d of the upper cover 1033 to better guide the airflow. For example, the inner surface of the seventh inclined straight section of the top wall 103a of the upper cover 1033 is formed with a volute groove 103a3. The volute groove 103a3 is formed with the aforementioned volute air inlet 1033a, and the impeller 1031 is arranged in the area defined by the volute groove 103a3 and the lower box body 1032.

[0084] The angle β between the rotation axis of the impeller 1031 and the vertical line can be 20° to 35°, for example, β is 20°, 25°, 33°, 35°, etc.

[0085] The horizontal distance α between the front end surface of the volute of the centrifugal fan 103 and the rear end surface of the evaporator 101 can be 15mm to 35mm, for example, α is 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm, to avoid frosting of the centrifugal fan 103 due to the small distance between the centrifugal fan 103 and the evaporator 101.

[0086] The bottom wall 103b of the lower box body 1032 may be formed with at least one drainage hole 103b3, such as Fig.10 As shown, there are two drainage holes 103b3 to facilitate drainage of condensed water that may be formed.

[0087] The air supply duct 141 is located at the rear of the centrifugal fan 103, and includes a duct front cover plate 1411 located at the front side and a duct rear cover plate 1412 located at the rear side, and the duct front cover plate 1411 and the duct rear cover plate 1412 can be snapped together. The duct front cover plate 1411 is detachably connected to the upper cover body 1033, and the duct rear cover plate 1412 is detachably connected to the lower box body 1032, so that the volute air outlet is connected to the duct inlet of the air supply duct 141.

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, the air duct rear cover plate 1412 may include a rear vertical plate section 1412e extending vertically at the lower part and a joint section extending forward and downward by bending from the lower end of the rear vertical plate section 1412e, the joint section is located below the air duct front cover plate 1411, and the front end of the joint section and the lower end of the air duct front cover plate 1411 define an air duct air inlet. The air duct rear cover plate 1412 is detachably connected to the lower box body 1032 through the joint section, and the aforementioned matching portion 141f is formed on the joint section.

[0089] In this embodiment, the air duct rear cover plate 1412 is designed to have a joint section that bends and extends forward and downward from the lower end of the rear vertical plate section 1412e, so as to facilitate connection with the volute of the centrifugal fan 103 in front, so as to promote the air flow in the volute to smoothly enter the air supply duct 141, thereby reducing noise. At the same time, the joint section forms a matching portion 141f that matches the limiting groove 130a1 on the bottom wall of the freezing liner 130, so that the air duct rear cover plate 1412 can actively cooperate with the freezing liner 130 and the volute of the centrifugal fan 103, and the overall layout is more compact and reasonable.

[0090] like Figure 6 As shown, the joining section of the air duct rear cover plate 1412 includes a transition curved section 1412a extending forward and downward from the rear vertical plate section 1412e, a first inclined straight section 1412b extending forward and downward from the transition curved section 1412a, and a horizontal straight section 1412c extending forward and backward from the first inclined straight section 1412b.

[0091] A first vertical plate 1412d extending vertically downward is formed at the front end of the horizontal straight section 1412c. The first vertical plate 1412d extends from one lateral side of the horizontal straight section 1412c to the other side. The front vertical surface of the first vertical plate 1412d is formed with at least one first buckle 141c protruding forward, and the rear vertical surface of the first vertical plate 1412d can be formed with the aforementioned matching portion 141f protruding backward.

[0092] A second vertical plate 103b1 extending vertically downward is formed at the rear end of the bottom wall 103b of the lower box body 1032. The second vertical plate 103b1 extends from one lateral side to the other side of the bottom wall 103b of the lower box body 1032. A first notch 103b11 corresponding to and adapted to at least one first buckle 141c is formed at the lower end of the second vertical plate 103b1. The first buckle 141c is snapped into the corresponding first notch 103b11 and hooked with the front facade of the second vertical plate 103b1 to buckle the lower box body 1032 on the rear cover plate 1412 of the air duct.

[0093] There are two first buckles 141c, and the three first buckles 141c are spaced apart in the transverse direction. Accordingly, there are three first notches 103b11, and the three first notches 103b11 are spaced apart in the transverse direction.

[0094] When the lower box body 1032 is buckled with the air duct rear cover plate 1412, the front facade of the first vertical plate 1412d is closely fitted with the rear facade of the second vertical plate 103b1, and there is a small spacing gap between them, and a sponge strip can be stuffed into the spacing gap to prevent air leakage.

[0095] like Figure 6 As shown, the air duct front cover plate 1411 includes a vertically extending front vertical plate section 1411a located at the lower part, and the front wall surface of the front vertical plate section 1411a is formed with at least one second buckle 141b protruding forward.

[0096] A third vertical plate 103a1 extending upward is formed at the rear end of the top wall 103a of the upper cover body 1033. The third vertical plate 103a1 extends from one lateral side of the top wall 103a of the upper cover body 1033 to the other side. At least one second notch 103a11 corresponding to and adapted to at least one second buckle 141b is formed at the upper end of the third vertical plate 103a1. The second buckle 141b is inserted into the corresponding second notch 103a11 and hooked with the front facade of the third vertical plate 103a1 to buckle the upper cover body 1033 on the front cover plate 1411 of the air duct.

[0097] There are two second buckles 141b, which are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, there are two second notches 103a11, which are spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

[0098] The lateral dimension of the front vertical plate segment 1411a should be equal to or greater than the lateral dimension of the third vertical plate 103a1. Figure 8As shown, the lateral dimension of the front vertical plate segment 1411a is substantially the same as the lateral dimension of the third vertical plate 103a1, so that when the upper cover 1033 is buckled with the front cover plate 1411 of the air duct, the front vertical plate segment 1411a can completely cover the third vertical plate 103a1. When the upper cover 1033 is buckled with the front cover plate 1411 of the air duct, the rear elevation of the front vertical plate segment 1411a is nearly in contact with the front elevation of the third vertical plate 103a1, and there is a small gap between the two, and a sponge strip can be stuffed into the gap to prevent air leakage.

[0099] The rear wall of the front vertical plate section 1411 a may be formed with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 141 e protruding rearward to enhance the strength of the front vertical plate section 1411 a .

[0100] The front facade of the third vertical plate 103a1 is formed with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 103a2 distributed at intervals along the transverse direction, and the third vertical plate 103a1 is also formed with a mounting portion 141h protruding from the third vertical plate 103a1. For example, the mounting portion 141h is formed in the transverse middle position of the third vertical plate 103a1, and a first screw hole is formed on the mounting portion 141h. A second screw hole corresponding to the first screw hole is formed in the area corresponding to the front vertical plate section 1411a and the mounting portion 141h, so that the upper cover body 1033 and the air duct front cover plate 1411 can be assembled by means of screws passing through the first screw hole and the second screw hole.

[0101] A sealing portion 141d extending forward is formed on both lateral sides of the air duct rear cover plate 1412.

[0102] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the section defined by the rear vertical plate section 1412e and the joint section of the rear cover plate 1412 of the air duct is recorded as the lower plate section of the rear cover plate 1412 of the air duct, and a sealing portion 141d extending forward is formed on the inner side of the two lateral ends of the lower plate section, and each sealing portion 141d extends into the volute of the centrifugal fan 103, and is used to seal the lateral sides of the intersection of the air supply duct 141 and the volute of the centrifugal fan 103, that is, for sealing the lateral sides of the intersection when the rear cover plate 1412 of the air duct is buckled with the lower box body 1032, and for sealing the lateral sides of the intersection when the front cover plate 1411 of the air duct is buckled with the upper cover body 1033, so as to avoid air leakage, that is, for sealing the lateral sides of the intersection of the air inlet of the air duct and the air outlet of the volute.

[0103] In the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, a press cabin is defined at the bottom of the box body 100, and the press cabin is located at the rear and lower part of the cooling chamber. As before, the freezer chamber 132 no longer needs to make way for the press cabin, thereby ensuring the depth of the freezer chamber 132, which is convenient for placing larger items that are not easy to divide.

[0104] like Fig.11As shown, the refrigerator 10 further includes a heat dissipation fan 106, which may be an axial flow fan. The compressor 104, the heat dissipation fan 106 and the condenser 105 are arranged in the compressor compartment in a sequentially spaced manner along the lateral direction.

[0105] In some embodiments, at least one rear air outlet hole 1162 a is formed in a section 1162 of the rear wall of the compressor cabin corresponding to the compressor 104 .

[0106] In fact, before the present invention, the general design idea of ​​those skilled in the art is to open a rear air inlet facing the condenser 105 and a rear air outlet 1162a facing the compressor 104 on the rear wall of the compressor cabin, so as to complete the circulation of the heat dissipation airflow at the rear of the compressor cabin; or to form ventilation holes on the front wall and the rear wall of the compressor cabin respectively, so as to form a heat dissipation circulation air path in the front-to-back direction. When faced with the problem of improving the heat dissipation effect of the compressor cabin, those skilled in the art usually increase the number of rear air inlet holes and rear air outlet holes 1162a on the rear wall of the compressor cabin to expand the ventilation area, or increase the heat exchange area of ​​the condenser 105, such as using a U-shaped condenser with a larger heat exchange area.

[0107] The applicant of the present invention creatively realized that the larger the heat exchange area of ​​the condenser 105 and the ventilation area of ​​the compressor compartment, the better. In the conventional design scheme of increasing the heat exchange area of ​​the condenser 105 and the ventilation area of ​​the compressor compartment, the problem of uneven heat dissipation of the condenser 105 will be brought about, which will have an adverse effect on the refrigeration system of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, the applicant of the present invention breaks away from the conventional design ideas and creatively proposes a new scheme different from the conventional design, such as Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the bottom wall of the box body is defined with a horizontally arranged bottom air inlet 110a adjacent to the condenser 105 and a bottom air outlet 110b adjacent to the compressor 104, so that the heat dissipation airflow circulates at the bottom of the refrigerator 10, and the space between the refrigerator 10 and the supporting surface is fully utilized. There is no need to increase the distance between the back wall of the refrigerator 10 and the cabinet, which reduces the space occupied by the refrigerator 10 while ensuring good heat dissipation of the compressor cabin, fundamentally solving the pain point of the inability to balance the heat dissipation of the compressor cabin and the space occupation of the built-in refrigerator 10, which is of particular significance.

[0108] The heat dissipation fan 106 is configured to force the ambient air around the bottom air inlet 110a to enter the compressor compartment from the bottom air inlet 110a, pass through the condenser 105 and the compressor 104 in sequence, and then flow to the external environment from the bottom air outlet 110b to dissipate heat for the compressor 104 and the condenser 105.

[0109] In the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the surface temperature of the condenser 105 is generally lower than the surface temperature of the compressor 104 . Therefore, in the above process, the external air first cools the condenser 105 and then cools the compressor 104 .

[0110] Further in particular, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plate section 1161 of the back panel 116 (the rear wall of the compressor chamber) facing the condenser 105 is a continuous plate surface, that is, there are no heat dissipation holes on the plate section 1161 of the back panel 116 facing the condenser 105.

[0111] The applicant of the present invention creatively realized that even without increasing the heat exchange area of ​​the condenser 105, reducing the ventilation area of ​​the compressor cabin in an abnormal manner can form a better heat dissipation airflow path and still achieve a better heat dissipation effect.

[0112] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the applicant breaks through the conventional design ideas and designs the rear wall (back panel 116) of the compressor cabin and the plate section 1161 corresponding to the condenser 105 as a continuous plate surface, so that the heat dissipation airflow entering the compressor cabin is sealed at the condenser 105, so that the ambient air entering from the bottom air inlet 110a is more concentrated at the condenser 105, thereby ensuring the uniformity of heat exchange of each condensation section of the condenser 105, and facilitating the formation of a better heat dissipation airflow path, which can also achieve better heat dissipation effect.

[0113] Furthermore, since the plate section 1161 of the back plate 116 facing the condenser 105 is a continuous plate surface without air inlet holes, it avoids the situation in the conventional design where both the air outlet and the air inlet are concentrated at the rear of the compressor cabin, resulting in the hot air blown out from the compressor cabin not being cooled by the ambient air in time and re-entering the compressor cabin, which has an adverse effect on the heat exchange of the condenser 105, thereby ensuring the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 105.

[0114] In some embodiments, the two lateral side walls of the compressor cabin are each formed with a side vent 119a, which may be covered with a vent cover 108, which is formed with grille-type vent holes; the outer shell of the refrigerator 10 includes two lateral box side panels 111, which extend vertically to form two side walls of the refrigerator 10, and the two box side panels 111 are respectively formed with a side opening 111a connected to the corresponding side vent 119a, so that the heat dissipation airflow flows to the outside of the refrigerator 10. This further increases the heat dissipation path and ensures the heat dissipation effect of the compressor cabin.

[0115] More specifically, the condenser 105 includes a first straight section 1051 extending transversely, a second straight section 1052 extending forward and backward, and a transition curved section (not numbered) connecting the first straight section 1051 and the second straight section 1052, thereby forming an L-shaped condenser 105 with a suitable heat exchange area. The plate section 1161 corresponding to the rear wall (back plate 116) of the compressor cabin and the condenser 105 is also the plate section 1161 of the back plate 116 facing the first straight section 1051.

[0116] The ambient air flow entering through the side vent 119a directly exchanges heat with the second straight section 1052, and the ambient air entering through the bottom air inlet 110a directly exchanges heat with the first straight section 1051, thereby further concentrating more ambient air entering the compressor cabin at the condenser 105, ensuring the uniformity of the overall heat dissipation of the condenser 105.

[0117] Further in particular, the shell of the box body 100 includes a bottom plate, a support plate 112, two side plates 119 and a vertically extending back plate 116. The support plate 112 constitutes the bottom wall of the compressor cabin, which is used to support the compressor 104, the cooling fan 106 and the condenser 105. The two side plates respectively constitute the two lateral side walls of the compressor cabin, and the vertically extending back plate 116 constitutes the rear wall of the compressor cabin.

[0118] Further in particular, the bottom plate includes a bottom horizontal section 113 located on the front side of the bottom and a bending section extending backward and upward from the rear end of the bottom horizontal section 113, the bending section extends to the top of the support plate 112, the compressor 104, the heat dissipation fan 106 and the condenser 105 are arranged on the support plate 112 in sequence along the horizontal direction, and are located in the space defined by the support plate 112, the two side panels, the back panel 116 and the bending section.

[0119] The support plate 112 and the bottom horizontal section 113 together constitute the bottom wall of the box body 100, and the support plate 112 and the bottom horizontal section 113 are spaced apart so as to define a bottom opening by using the rear end of the bottom horizontal section 113 and the front end of the support plate 112, wherein the bending section has an inclined section 114 located above the bottom air inlet 110a and the bottom air outlet 110b. The two side panels extend upward from the two lateral sides of the support plate 112 to the two lateral sides of the bending section respectively to close the two lateral sides of the compressor cabin; the back panel 116 extends upward from the rear end of the support plate 112 to the rear end of the bending section.

[0120] Specifically, the bending section may include a vertical section 1131, the aforementioned inclined section 114 and a top horizontal section 115, the vertical section 1131 extends upward from the rear end of the bottom horizontal section 113, the inclined section 114 extends rearward and upward from the upper end of the vertical section 1131 to the top of the support plate 112, and the top horizontal section 115 extends rearward from the rear end of the inclined section 114 to the back plate to shield the compressor 104, the cooling fan 106 and the top of the condenser 105.

[0121] The box body 100 also includes a partition 117, which is arranged behind the bending section, with its front portion connected to the rear end of the bottom horizontal section 113, and its rear portion connected to the front end of the support plate 112, and is configured to divide the bottom opening into a bottom air inlet 110a and a bottom air outlet 110b arranged laterally.

[0122] As can be seen from the foregoing, the bottom air inlet 110a and the bottom air outlet 110b of the present embodiment are defined by a partition 117, a support plate 112, and a bottom horizontal section 113, thereby forming a groove-shaped bottom air inlet 110a and a bottom air outlet 110b with a larger opening size, thereby increasing the air inlet and outlet area, reducing the air inlet resistance, making the air flow smoother, and making the manufacturing process simpler, thereby making the overall stability of the compressor cabin stronger.

[0123] In particular, the applicant of the present invention creatively realized that the slope structure of the inclined section 114 can guide and rectify the incoming air flow, so that the air flow entering from the bottom air inlet 110a can flow to the condenser 105 more concentratedly, avoiding the air flow being too dispersed and unable to pass more through the condenser 105, thereby further ensuring the heat dissipation effect of the condenser 105; at the same time, the slope of the inclined section 114 guides the outlet air of the bottom air outlet 110b to the front side of the ground air outlet, so that the outlet air flow can flow out of the compressor cabin more smoothly, thereby further improving the smoothness of the air flow.

[0124] Further particularly, in a preferred embodiment, the angle between the inclined section 114 and the horizontal plane is less than 45°. In this embodiment, the inclined section 114 has a better guiding and rectifying effect on the airflow.

[0125] Furthermore, surprisingly, the inventors of the present application creatively realized that the slope of the inclined section 114 has a better suppressing effect on airflow noise. In prototype tests, the noise of the compressor cabin having the aforementioned specially designed inclined section 114 can be reduced by more than 0.65 decibels.

[0126] In addition, in the conventional refrigerator 10, the bottom of the box 100 generally has a bearing plate of a substantially flat structure, and the compressor 104 is arranged on the inner side of the bearing plate. The vibration generated by the operation of the compressor 104 has a greater impact on the bottom of the box 100. In this embodiment, as mentioned above, the bottom of the box 100 is constructed into a three-dimensional structure by a bottom plate and a support plate 112 of a special structure, providing an independent three-dimensional space for the arrangement of the compressor 104, and the support plate 112 is used to carry the compressor 104, thereby reducing the impact of the vibration of the compressor 104 on other components at the bottom of the box 100. In addition, by designing the box 100 as the above-mentioned ingenious special structure, the structure of the bottom of the refrigerator 10 is compact and the layout is reasonable, which reduces the overall volume of the refrigerator 10, and at the same time fully utilizes the space at the bottom of the refrigerator 10, ensuring the heat dissipation efficiency of the compressor 104 and the condenser 105.

[0127] More specifically, a wind shield 1056 is provided at the upper end of the condenser 105. The wind shield 1056 may be a wind shield sponge, filling the space between the upper end of the condenser 105 and the bending section. That is to say, the wind shield 1056 covers the upper ends of the first straight section 1051, the second straight section 1052 and the transition curved section, and the upper end of the wind shield 1056 should abut against the bending section to seal the upper end of the condenser 105, so as to prevent part of the air entering the compressor cabin from passing through the space between the upper end of the condenser 105 and the bending section instead of passing through the condenser 105, thereby allowing as much air as possible entering the compressor cabin to exchange heat through the condenser 105, thereby further improving the heat dissipation effect of the condenser 105.

[0128] The refrigerator 10 also includes a windshield 107 extending forward and backward. The windshield 107 is located between the bottom air inlet and the bottom air outlet, extending from the lower surface of the bottom horizontal section 113 to the lower surface of the support plate 112, and connected to the lower end of the partition, so that the bottom air inlet and the bottom air outlet are completely isolated by using the windshield 107 and the partition. When the refrigerator 10 is placed on a supporting surface, the space between the bottom wall of the box body 100 and the supporting surface is transversely divided to allow external air to enter the compressor cabin through the bottom air inlet located on one lateral side of the windshield 107 under the action of the heat dissipation fan 106, and flow through the condenser 105 and the compressor 104 in turn, and finally flow out from the bottom air outlet located on the other lateral side of the windshield 107, thereby completely isolating the bottom air inlet and the bottom air outlet, ensuring that the external air entering the condenser 105 and the heat dissipation air discharged from the compressor 104 will not flow in parallel, further ensuring the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0129] 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 refrigerator, comprising: A box body, which defines a cooling chamber located below and at least one storage compartment located above the cooling chamber; the box body includes a freezing liner located at the bottom, and the cooling chamber is defined in the freezing liner; an evaporator disposed in the cooling chamber and configured to cool the airflow entering the cooling chamber to form a cooling airflow; an air supply fan, comprising a volute and an impeller disposed in the volute, configured to cause the cooling airflow to flow into at least one of the storage compartments; an air supply duct, detachably connected to the volute and in communication with the volute air outlet, configured to deliver the cooling airflow to at least one of the storage compartments; The air supply duct includes a duct front cover plate located at the front side and a duct rear cover plate located at the rear side; The air duct rear cover plate comprises a rear vertical plate section extending vertically at the lower part and a joint section extending forward and downward by bending from the lower end of the rear vertical plate section; The rear section of the bottom wall of the freezing inner container is formed with at least one first limiting boss protruding upward, and each of the first limiting bosses forms a limiting groove; the lower section of the air supply duct is formed with a matching portion that matches the limiting groove, and the matching portion is used to prevent the air supply duct from moving downward; The joining section is located below the front cover plate of the air duct, the front end of the joining section and the lower end of the front cover plate of the air duct define an air inlet of the air duct, the rear cover plate of the air duct is detachably connected to the volute through the joining section, and the mating portion is formed on the joining section.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The air supply fan is a centrifugal fan.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein The air supply fan is located behind the evaporator, and the air supply duct is located behind the air supply fan; The volute comprises: A lower box body with an open upper portion and a rear end, and an upper cover body with an open lower portion and a rear end that is buckled on the lower box body, wherein the rear end of the upper cover body and the rear end of the lower box body define the volute air outlet; The air duct front cover plate is detachably connected to the upper cover body, and the air duct rear cover plate is detachably connected to the lower box body.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein The air duct rear cover plate is detachably connected to the lower box body via the joining section.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein The joining section includes a transition curved section extending forward and downward from the rear vertical plate section, a first inclined straight section extending forward and downward from the transition curved section, and a horizontal straight section extending forward and backward from the first inclined straight section; A first vertical plate extending vertically downward is formed at the front end of the horizontal straight section, the first vertical plate extending from one lateral side of the horizontal straight section to the other side, and at least one first buckle protruding forward is formed on the front vertical surface of the first vertical plate; A second vertical plate extending vertically downward is formed at the rear end of the bottom wall of the lower box body, and the second vertical plate extends from one lateral side of the bottom wall of the lower box body to the other side; A first notch is formed at the lower end of the second vertical plate, corresponding to and matching the at least one first buckle in a one-to-one manner; The first buckle is inserted into the corresponding first notch and is hooked with the front vertical surface of the second vertical plate to assemble the lower box body and the air duct rear cover plate.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein A third vertical plate extending upward is formed at the rear end of the top wall of the upper cover body, and the third vertical plate extends from one lateral side of the top wall of the upper cover body to the other side; The air duct front cover plate comprises a vertically extending front vertical plate section at the lower part, the transverse dimension of the front vertical plate section is equal to or greater than the transverse dimension of the third vertical plate, and the front wall surface of the front vertical plate section is formed with at least one second buckle protruding forward; The upper end of the third vertical plate is formed with at least one second notch corresponding to and adapted to the at least one second buckle; The second buckle is inserted into the corresponding second notch and is hooked with the front vertical surface of the third vertical plate to assemble the upper cover body and the air duct front cover plate.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein The section defined by the rear vertical plate section and the joint section is recorded as the lower plate section of the air duct rear cover plate; A sealing portion is formed on the inner sides of both lateral ends of the lower plate section, and both sealing portions extend forward into the volute to seal the lateral sides of the junction of the air duct inlet and the volute outlet.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein When the upper cover body is buckled and connected to the lower box body, the side wall of the upper cover body is located on the inner side of the side wall of the lower box body, so that the volute air duct in the volute is defined by the side wall of the upper cover body, the top wall of the upper cover body and the bottom wall of the lower box body.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein The top wall of the upper cover body is formed with a volute air inlet; The included angle between the rotation axis of the impeller and the vertical line is 20° to 35°.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein The horizontal distance between the front end surface of the volute and the rear end surface of the evaporator is 15 mm to 35 mm.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein The storage compartment includes a freezer compartment defined by the freezer liner and located above the cooling compartment; The air supply fan is configured to cause the cooling air flow to flow into the freezing chamber through the air supply duct.

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