Refrigerator with fruit and vegetable freeze-drying function

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator with a fruit and vegetable freeze-drying function. The refrigerator comprises a freeze-drying special area, a vacuumizing device, a controller and a displayer. The special freeze-drying area comprises a storage chamber and a door body, and the door body is connected with the storage chamber through a hinge; an air inlet, an air return opening and an extraction opening are formed in the inner wall of the rear side of the storage chamber, and the extraction opening is communicated with the vacuumizing device; a heating pipe is arranged at the bottom of the storage chamber; a temperature sensor is arranged at the top of the storage chamber; a rotary grid storage rack is arranged in the storage chamber; stepping motors, driving racks and driving gears which are opposite to one another are arranged on the inner walls of the left side and the right side of the storage chamber; the stepping motor is in meshed connection with the driving rack, the driving rack is in meshed connection with the driving gear, and the left end and the right end of the rotary grid storage rack are fixedly connected with the driving gear. The freeze-drying special area is arranged in the refrigerator, the function of freeze-drying fruits and vegetables is achieved in a vacuum freeze-drying mode, and compared with a traditional drying mode, the flavor, taste and nutritional ingredients of the fruits and vegetables can be well reserved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables. Background Art

[0002] In daily life, fruits and vegetables are an indispensable and important part of people's diet. However, fruits and vegetables generally have the characteristics of high water content, easy corruption and short shelf life. Even if they are stored in a refrigerator, they still face many problems, such as difficulty in long-term preservation, and as the storage time increases, the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are prone to loss, which cannot meet people's needs for long-term preservation and nutrient retention of fruits and vegetables. Freeze-dried fruit and vegetable technology removes moisture from fruits and vegetables at low temperatures to achieve low-temperature dehydration and drying. This method can effectively extend the storage time of fruits and vegetables, while also better preserving their color, aroma and flavor. It has positive significance for solving the problem of fruit and vegetable storage, but the application of ordinary families in this regard is currently limited.

[0003] The main functions of refrigerator products currently on the market focus on conventional refrigeration and freezing. The refrigeration function is designed to slow down the deterioration of fruits and vegetables and other foods through a suitable low-temperature environment; the freezing function uses a lower temperature to freeze food, slowing down the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and some chemical reactions, thereby extending the shelf life of food. However, these refrigerator products are not yet equipped with a fruit and vegetable freeze-drying function, which means that they cannot provide users with a functional option that can dehydrate and dry fruits and vegetables at low temperatures to better extend the storage time of fruits and vegetables and retain their nutrition and quality.

[0004] Existing refrigerators are limited to conventional refrigeration and freezing, and lack the freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, which means that users cannot freeze-dry fruits and vegetables at home. As a result, faced with problems such as the easy corruption of fruits and vegetables, short shelf life, and nutrient loss caused by refrigeration, users lack effective means to deal with them, making it difficult to conveniently preserve fruits and vegetables for a long time at home. At the same time, it is also impossible to ensure that the nutrients, color, aroma, and flavor of fruits and vegetables can be well preserved. It is unable to meet people's comprehensive expectations for fruit and vegetable preservation, nutrient retention, and flexible processing of fruits and vegetables at home, which brings inconvenience to users' daily lives. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, so as to solve the problem in the prior art that when fruits and vegetables are prone to spoilage, have a short shelf life, and are prone to nutrient loss due to refrigeration, users lack effective means to deal with the problem, which makes it difficult to meet consumers' comprehensive needs for food health, nutrition, and convenience, and brings inconvenience to users.

[0006] The present application discloses a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, the refrigerator comprising:

[0007] The refrigerator includes a freeze-drying area, a vacuum pump, a controller and a display;

[0008] The freeze-drying area includes a storage compartment and a door body, and the door body is connected to the storage compartment by a hinge;

[0009] An air inlet, an air return port, and an air extraction port are arranged on the inner wall at the rear side of the storage compartment. The air inlet and the air return port are opened and closed by electric valves, and the air extraction port is connected to a vacuum pump;

[0010] A heating tube is provided at the bottom of the storage compartment; a temperature sensor is provided at the top of the storage compartment; a rotating grid rack is provided inside the storage compartment; mutually opposing stepping motors, drive racks, and drive gears are provided on the inner walls on the left and right sides of the storage compartment;

[0011] The stepper motor and the driving rack, the driving rack and the driving gear are all meshed and connected, the left and right ends of the rotating grid rack are fixedly connected to the driving gear; the controller is electrically connected to the heating tube, the temperature sensor, the stepper motor, the vacuum device, and the display.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the rotating grid rack consists of an upper grid rack and a lower grid rack.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the upper grid rack and the lower grid rack of the rotating grid rack are fixed by movable buckles, the lower grid rack is used to store fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried, and the upper grid rack is fixed on the lower grid rack to fix the food.

[0014] In some possible implementations, when the stepper motor is working, it drives the driving rack to rotate and further drives the driving gear to rotate 180 degrees.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the door body is made of double-layer glass.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the controller is configured as follows:

[0017] When obtaining the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying instruction input by the user, detecting whether there are fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried in the freeze-drying area;

[0018] When the fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried are detected, the air inlet and the air return port are controlled to be opened, the storage compartment is refrigerated, and the freeze-drying time is recorded;

[0019] When the freeze-drying time reaches a preset time, the execution of the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying instruction for the storage compartment is stopped.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the freeze-drying area is subjected to a refrigeration operation, and recording the freeze-drying time further includes:

[0021] When the temperature in the storage room of the freeze-drying area is lower than a first temperature threshold, the air inlet and the air return port are closed, the vacuum device and the heating pipe are started, and the storage room is vacuumed and heated;

[0022] When the temperature in the storage room of the freeze-drying area is greater than a second temperature threshold, the vacuum pump and the heating tube are turned off to perform a refrigeration operation on the storage room;

[0023] The refrigeration operation and the vacuuming and heating operations are performed alternately until the freeze-drying time reaches a preset time length.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the first temperature threshold is smaller than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold ranges from -20 to -30°C, and the second temperature threshold ranges from -5 to -10°C.

[0025] In some possible implementations, after the freeze-drying function is turned on in the freeze-drying area, the controller controls the rotating grid rack to rotate once every 30 to 60 minutes.

[0026] In some possible implementations, the controller is further configured to:

[0027] When the storage room door is in an open state, timing is performed for the opened door, and during the timing process, the human body sensor is used to continuously detect whether the user is near the door;

[0028] When the user does not appear near the door within a continuous preset time period after the door is opened, the door is controlled to close.

[0029] As can be seen from the above content, the present application provides a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, the refrigerator comprising: the refrigerator comprises a freeze-drying area, a vacuum device, a controller and a display; the freeze-drying area comprises a storage room and a door body, the door body is connected to the storage room by a hinge; an air inlet, an air return port and an air extraction port are arranged on the inner wall at the rear side of the storage room, the air inlet and the air return port control the opening and closing state of the air port through an electric valve, and the air extraction port is connected to the vacuum device; a heating pipe is arranged at the bottom of the storage room; a temperature sensor is arranged at the top of the storage room; a rotating grid rack is arranged in the storage room; mutually opposing stepping motors, driving racks and driving gears are arranged on the inner walls on the left and right sides of the storage room; the stepping motor and the driving rack, the driving rack and the driving gear are all meshed and connected, and the left and right ends of the rotating grid rack are fixedly connected to the driving gear; the controller is electrically connected to the heating pipe, the temperature sensor, the stepping motor, the vacuum device and the display. The freeze-drying area provided in the refrigerator provided by the present application realizes the freeze-drying function of fruits and vegetables by vacuum freeze-drying, which can better preserve the flavor, taste and nutritional components of fruits and vegetables compared with traditional drying methods. The freeze-drying area is provided with a rotating grid rack, which can improve the uniformity of freeze-drying on both sides of fruits and vegetables and improve the freeze-drying efficiency of fruits and vegetables. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator with a fruit and vegetable freeze-drying function provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the freeze-drying zone provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the freeze-drying area provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0034] Illustrations: 1-freeze drying area, 11-storage compartment, 12-door, 111-air inlet, 112-return air outlet, 113-exhaust outlet, 114-heating tube, 115-temperature sensor, 116-rotating grid rack, 117-stepping motor, 118-driving rack, 119-driving gear, 2-vacuum extraction device, 3-controller, 4-display. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following embodiments are described in detail, and examples thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the following embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. They are only examples of systems and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the claims.

[0036] In daily life, fruits and vegetables are an indispensable and important part of people's diet. However, fruits and vegetables generally have the characteristics of high water content, easy corruption and short shelf life. Even if they are stored in a refrigerator, they still face many problems, such as difficulty in long-term preservation, and as the storage time increases, the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are prone to loss, which cannot meet people's needs for long-term preservation and nutrient retention of fruits and vegetables. Freeze-dried fruit and vegetable technology removes moisture from fruits and vegetables at low temperatures to achieve low-temperature dehydration and drying. This method can effectively extend the storage time of fruits and vegetables, while also better preserving their color, aroma and flavor. It has positive significance for solving the problem of fruit and vegetable storage, but the application of ordinary families in this regard is currently limited.

[0037] The main functions of refrigerator products currently on the market focus on conventional refrigeration and freezing. The refrigeration function is designed to slow down the deterioration of fruits and vegetables and other foods through a suitable low-temperature environment; the freezing function uses a lower temperature to freeze food, slowing down the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and some chemical reactions, thereby extending the shelf life of food. However, these refrigerator products are not yet equipped with a fruit and vegetable freeze-drying function, which means that they cannot provide users with a functional option that can dehydrate and dry fruits and vegetables at low temperatures to better extend the storage time of fruits and vegetables and retain their nutrition and quality.

[0038] Existing refrigerators are limited to conventional refrigeration and freezing, and lack the freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, which means that users cannot freeze-dry fruits and vegetables at home. As a result, faced with problems such as the easy corruption of fruits and vegetables, short shelf life, and nutrient loss caused by refrigeration, users lack effective means to deal with them, making it difficult to conveniently preserve fruits and vegetables for a long time at home. At the same time, it is also impossible to ensure that the nutrients, color, aroma, and flavor of fruits and vegetables can be well preserved. It is unable to meet people's comprehensive expectations for fruit and vegetable preservation, nutrient retention, and flexible processing of fruits and vegetables at home, which brings inconvenience to users' daily lives.

[0039] Based on this, the present application provides a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, which can realize the freeze-drying function of fruits and vegetables, thereby effectively extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, while also better retaining the nutrients and taste of fruits and vegetables, so as to meet the needs of consumers for homemade freeze-dried fruits and vegetables. The freeze-drying area in the refrigerator provided by the present application is provided with a rotating grid rack, which can improve the uniformity of freeze-drying on both sides of fruits and vegetables and improve the freeze-drying efficiency of fruits and vegetables.

[0040] In some embodiments, the present application provides a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the refrigerator comprises:

[0041] The refrigerator comprises a freeze-drying area 1, a vacuum pump 2, a controller 3 and a display 4;

[0042] The freeze-drying area 1 includes a storage compartment 11 and a door 12, and the door 12 is connected to the storage compartment 11 by a hinge;

[0043] An air inlet 111, an air return port 112, and an air extraction port 113 are provided on the inner wall of the rear side of the storage compartment 11. The air inlet 111 and the air return port 112 are controlled by electric valves to control the opening and closing states of the air ports. The air extraction port 113 is connected to the vacuum device 2.

[0044] A heating tube 114 is provided at the bottom of the storage compartment 11; a temperature sensor 115 is provided at the top of the storage compartment 11; a rotating grid rack 116 is provided in the storage compartment 11; mutually opposing stepping motors 117, a driving rack 118, and a driving gear 119 are provided on the inner walls on the left and right sides of the storage compartment 11;

[0045] The stepper motor 117 and the driving rack 118, and the driving rack 118 and the driving gear 119 are all meshed and connected, and the left and right ends of the rotating grid rack 116 are fixedly connected to the driving gear 119; the controller 3 is electrically connected to the heating tube 114, the temperature sensor 115, the stepper motor 117, the vacuum device 2, and the display 4.

[0046] In some embodiments, the rotating grid rack 116 is composed of an upper grid rack and a lower grid rack. The upper grid rack and the lower grid rack of the rotating grid rack 116 are fixed by movable buckles. The lower grid rack is used to store fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried, and the upper grid rack is fixed on the lower grid rack to fix the food.

[0047] Among them, regarding the design of the storage compartment 11, a reasonable fruit and vegetable placement rack and drawer structure can be adopted to facilitate users to put in the fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried and take them out after freeze-drying. For example, a pull-out multi-layer metal mesh basket is used, which is conducive to heat transfer and air circulation, and is convenient for users to take fruits and vegetables of different sizes. The drawer has a smooth track to ensure smooth pulling and more convenient use.

[0048] The present application rationally plans an independent space inside the refrigerator as a freeze-drying area 1, which is equipped with a special refrigeration system (fan, electric valve, air inlet 111, return air outlet 112), a vacuum system (vacuum pumping device 2) and a heating system (heating tube 114). The refrigeration system is used to quickly cool the fruits and vegetables to a suitable low temperature state so that the water therein freezes; the vacuum system then pumps the freeze-drying area into a vacuum environment to lower the boiling point of water; then the heating system heats the frozen fruits and vegetables at a lower temperature, allowing the ice to sublimate directly into water vapor and be discharged, thereby achieving a freeze-drying effect. At the same time, in order to ensure the sealing and stability of the freeze-drying area, high-quality sealing materials and reliable connection structures are used to prevent outside air from entering and affecting the freeze-drying process.

[0049] Among them, for some refrigerators with limited space and inconvenient to set up independent cabins, it is possible to consider integrating the key components required for freeze-drying, such as small vacuum pumps and heating plates, into parts of the refrigeration room or freezer. For example, a heating plate is installed at the bottom of a layer of the freezer, and a vacuum pump interface is set on the side. Through the control program, when the user selects the freeze-drying function, the original refrigeration function of the freezer is first used to freeze the fruits and vegetables, and then the vacuum pump is started to evacuate the vacuum, and then the heating plate works to promote the sublimation of water to achieve the freeze-drying function. When the freeze-drying function is not used, these components will not interfere with the original freezing function of the refrigerator.

[0050] The heating tube 114 provided in the present application can make the fruits and vegetables heated more evenly during the freeze-drying process, avoiding the situation where local overheating causes the destruction of the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables or the local moisture is not fully sublimated, affecting the freeze-drying effect. It can quickly penetrate the fruits and vegetables, allow the ice crystals to sublime evenly, and improve the quality of the freeze-dried fruits and vegetables.

[0051] In some embodiments, when the stepper motor 117 is working, it drives the driving rack 118 to rotate and further drives the driving gear 119 to rotate 180 degrees.

[0052] When the stepper motor 117 is working, it drives the driving rack 118 to rotate and further drives the driving gear 119 to rotate 180 degrees, so as to improve the uniformity of freeze-drying the front and back sides of the fruit and vegetable ingredients.

[0053] In some embodiments, the door body 12 is made of double-layer glass.

[0054] The door 12 is made of double-layer glass, which is convenient for users to observe the freeze-dried state of fruits and vegetables. A visual window is set in the freeze-drying area of ​​the refrigerator, which is convenient for users to observe the progress and state of freeze-drying of fruits and vegetables at any time. At the same time, a simple and easy-to-understand operation panel, i.e., display 4, is set on the outside of the refrigerator, and users can easily select functions, set parameters, start and pause, etc., to improve the user experience.

[0055] A transparent visual window is set in the freeze-drying area 1 of the refrigerator, so that users can intuitively observe the progress and status of freeze-drying of fruits and vegetables and understand the changes in the appearance of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, a status indicator light is set at the position corresponding to the freeze-drying area 1 on the outside of the refrigerator. Indicators of different colors or flashing frequencies can represent different stages of the freeze-drying process, such as freezing, vacuuming, heating sublimation, freeze-drying completion, etc., so that users can see at a glance.

[0056] A simple and easy-to-understand operation panel, i.e., a display 4, is arranged on the front or side of the refrigerator, and the start, pause, and stop buttons of the freeze-drying function and the fruit and vegetable type selection button are clearly marked on the display 4. In addition, the operation panel also has a prompt function. When the user uses the freeze-drying function for the first time or the operation is incorrect, the corresponding operation guide and prompt information can be displayed to guide the user to use the function correctly and improve the user experience.

[0057] For users who have more control over the operation, such as those who like to adjust the freeze-drying parameters according to the actual conditions of different fruits and vegetables, a more comprehensive operation area can be set up on the side or inside the refrigerator. Not only can they select preset programs for common fruits and vegetables, but they can also manually adjust detailed parameters such as temperature, vacuum degree, and freeze-drying time. A visual window can also be set near the freeze-drying area to facilitate them to observe the freeze-drying status at any time and make operational adjustments according to actual conditions.

[0058] In some embodiments, a special independent air duct is designed for the freeze-drying area 1 in an independent compartment on the side of the refrigerator. The inlet of the air duct can be set at a lower position at the bottom or side of the compartment so that the cold air can naturally sink in; the outlet can be set at a higher position at the top or side, and the hot air will naturally rise and be discharged from the outlet due to its low density, forming a natural air convection cycle to promote air circulation. A small fan is installed in the air duct to force air flow through the operation of the fan. The fan can adjust different speeds and operating times according to different stages of the freeze-drying process, such as pre-freezing, sublimation, analytical drying, etc., to ensure that appropriate air circulation speed and flow can be provided at each stage. In the sublimation stage, it is necessary to quickly take away the water vapor sublimated from the fruits and vegetables, and the fan speed can be appropriately increased; in the analytical drying stage, the speed can be appropriately reduced to reduce heat loss and the impact on fruits and vegetables.

[0059] Considering the principle of natural air convection, the freeze-drying area 1 is arranged at a suitable height. For example, in a vertical refrigerator, the freeze-drying area 1 is set at the lower position, because hot air will naturally rise and cold air will naturally sink. In this way, during the freeze-drying process, the hot air generated by sublimation can naturally flow upward and be discharged, while the relatively cold air around can be easily replenished, reducing the need to rely on forced convection equipment such as fans to adjust the temperature and air circulation, thereby reducing energy consumption.

[0060] In the design of the freeze-drying area 1, high-performance thermal insulation materials are selected, such as high-quality polyurethane foam, vacuum insulation panels, etc. These materials are applied to the cabin wall panels, door panels and other parts to effectively reduce the external heat input and internal cold loss, so that during the freeze-drying process, the refrigeration system does not need to work frequently to maintain a low temperature environment, reducing energy consumption. Especially for independent freeze-drying cabins, good insulation can ensure the stability of the internal freeze-drying environment while significantly saving energy.

[0061] The refrigeration pipes, heating pipes and other components related to the freeze-drying function, such as the connection pipes of the vacuum pump of the vacuum device 2, are insulated and wrapped. For example, glass wool, rubber and plastic insulation materials are used to wrap the refrigeration pipes to prevent a large amount of cold energy from being lost during the transmission process, ensuring that the cold energy can efficiently act on the fruits and vegetables in the freeze-drying area 1, thereby improving the energy utilization efficiency of the entire freeze-drying system and achieving energy-saving effects.

[0062] Select a suitable high-speed vacuum pump and place it in a position that is closely connected to the freeze-drying area 1 and has a short pipeline to reduce the suction resistance and ensure that the air in the cabin can be quickly pumped out to form a stable vacuum environment. For example, install the vacuum pump on the side or bottom of the freeze-drying area 1 and connect it with a short and thick pipeline, so that the air pressure in the freeze-drying area 1 can be quickly reduced to meet the requirements of ice crystal sublimation, accelerate the starting speed of freeze-drying, and lay the foundation for subsequent efficient freeze-drying.

[0063] Among them, a multi-channel air extraction method can be designed, and air extraction ports can be set at different positions in the freeze-drying area 1, so that the air in each area of ​​the cabin can be extracted in a timely and uniform manner, ensuring that a uniform vacuum is formed in the entire cabin. In this way, the water sublimation conditions of fruits and vegetables are consistent in various places during the freeze-drying process, and there will be no problem of sublimation being too fast in some places and too slow in others due to differences in local vacuum, which helps to improve the freeze-drying efficiency, ensure the freeze-drying quality, and shorten the freeze-drying time.

[0064] In some embodiments, the controller 3 is configured as follows:

[0065] When obtaining the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying instruction input by the user, detecting whether there are fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried in the freeze-drying area;

[0066] When the fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried are detected, the air inlet and the air return port are controlled to be opened, the storage compartment is refrigerated, and the freeze-drying time is recorded;

[0067] When the freeze-drying time reaches a preset time, the execution of the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying instruction for the storage compartment is stopped.

[0068] Wherein, the freeze-drying area is subjected to refrigeration operation, and recording the freeze-drying time further comprises:

[0069] When the temperature in the storage room of the freeze-drying area is lower than a first temperature threshold, the air inlet and the air return port are closed, the vacuum device and the heating pipe are started, and the storage room is vacuumed and heated;

[0070] When the temperature in the storage room of the freeze-drying area is greater than a second temperature threshold, the vacuum pump and the heating tube are turned off to perform a refrigeration operation on the storage room;

[0071] The refrigeration operation and the vacuuming and heating operations are performed alternately until the freeze-drying time reaches a preset time length.

[0072] When the user uses the freeze-drying area 1 to freeze-dry fruits and vegetables, the display 4 is used to control the air inlet 111 and the return air outlet 112 to open and refrigerate the freeze-drying area 1; when the temperature in the storage room 11 is lower than the first temperature threshold, the air inlet 111 and the return air outlet 112 are closed, the vacuum pumping device 2 and the heating tube 114 are started, and the storage room 11 is vacuumed and heated; when the temperature in the storage room 11 is greater than the second temperature threshold, the vacuum pumping device 2 and the heating tube 114 are closed, and the air inlet 111 and the return air outlet 112 are controlled to open, and the freeze-drying area 1 is continued to be refrigerated. The freeze-drying area 1 operates periodically according to the above control rules.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first temperature threshold is smaller than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold ranges from -20 to -30°C, and the second temperature threshold ranges from -5 to -10°C.

[0074] The controller in this application is configured with freeze-drying programs for different types of fruits and vegetables, because different fruits and vegetables have different water content, texture, etc. For example, strawberries have a higher water content and a softer texture, while carrots have a relatively lower water content and a harder texture, which requires different freeze-drying time, temperature, vacuum degree and other parameter combinations. By presetting freeze-drying programs corresponding to a variety of fruits and vegetables in the control system of the refrigerator, the user only needs to select the corresponding type of fruit and vegetable, and the refrigerator can automatically perform freeze-drying operations according to the optimal parameters, thereby improving the freeze-drying effect and efficiency.

[0075] In some embodiments, monitoring devices such as humidity sensors and temperature sensors are installed inside the refrigerator to monitor the environmental parameters in the freeze-drying chamber or the freeze-drying operation area in real time. When abnormal conditions are detected during the freeze-drying process, such as humidity dropping too slowly affecting the freeze-drying progress, temperature deviating from the set value, etc., a reminder message is pushed to the user's mobile phone in a timely manner, and the relevant freeze-drying parameters can be automatically adjusted according to real-time data to ensure the smooth progress of the freeze-drying process.

[0076] In some embodiments, after the freeze-drying zone starts the freeze-drying function, the controller controls the rotating grid rack to rotate once every 30 to 60 minutes.

[0077] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0078] When the storage room door is in an open state, timing is performed for the opened door, and during the timing process, the human body sensor is used to continuously detect whether the user is near the door;

[0079] When the user does not appear near the door within a continuous preset time period after the door is opened, the door is controlled to close.

[0080] When it is detected that a door is open, a timing operation is performed; when the timing time reaches the preset time, an interface prompt is displayed in the user interface, and a voice prompt is played, which is used to prompt the user to close all opened doors. If the user does not appear near the refrigerator (door) within the second consecutive preset time after the door is opened, the door is automatically controlled to close. In this way, when the user forgets to close the door or the door is ajar, or when the door cannot be closed, the door can be closed in time and automatically, ensuring the normal operation of the refrigerator and saving energy.

[0081] The freeze-drying process first requires that the fruits and vegetables be quickly frozen to a suitable low temperature. Different fruits and vegetables have different suitable freezing temperatures, and it is not easy to accurately control the refrigeration temperature and time. In addition, during the vacuum stage, maintaining a stable and appropriate vacuum degree is crucial for water sublimation. Too high or too low a vacuum degree may cause problems. For example, too high a vacuum degree may cause the structure of fruits and vegetables to be destroyed, and too low a vacuum degree will cause the water to sublime slowly or even fail to sublimate effectively. There are technical challenges in achieving such precise vacuum control.

[0082] Therefore, in some embodiments, multiple high-precision temperature sensors are reasonably distributed in different positions of the freeze-drying area 1, such as on the shelves, four walls, and near the air outlet, to accurately monitor the temperature changes during the freeze-drying process in real time. The controller 3 automatically adjusts the power and operating time of the refrigeration system based on the data fed back by the sensors to ensure that the temperature of the freeze-drying area is always stable within the optimal range, avoiding the freeze-drying effect and the quality of fruits and vegetables affected by temperature fluctuations.

[0083] Humidity sensors are installed to monitor the humidity in freeze-drying area 1 in real time. In the early stage of freeze-drying, when the water in fruits and vegetables evaporates in large quantities, the sensor promptly detects the increase in humidity, and the control system will speed up the operation of the dehumidification system to quickly reduce the humidity; in the later stage of freeze-drying, after the humidity decreases, the system automatically adjusts the dehumidification power to achieve energy saving and ensure the freeze-drying effect.

[0084] Odor sensors are installed in the freeze-drying area 1 and other key areas of the refrigerator to detect odor changes in each area in real time. When the risk of odor cross-contamination or excessive odor is detected, an alarm will be automatically issued and corresponding anti-odor cross-contamination measures will be initiated, such as increasing air filtration intensity, temporarily closing related air circulation channels, etc., to ensure a good odor environment in the entire refrigerator.

[0085] A vacuum sensor is equipped to accurately measure the vacuum degree in the freeze-drying chamber. The controller 3 automatically controls the working state of the vacuum pump according to the data of the vacuum sensor to ensure that the vacuum degree in the chamber is maintained at an appropriate level, creating a good low-pressure environment for freeze-drying fruits and vegetables and promoting water sublimation.

[0086] The controller 3 is provided with an image recognition system or a near-field sensing device. After the user puts in fruits and vegetables, the system automatically identifies the types of fruits and vegetables. Then, according to the preset optimal freeze-drying parameters of different fruits and vegetables, the freeze-drying program is automatically adjusted, including temperature, vacuum degree, freeze-drying time, etc., without the need for manual settings by the user, to achieve one-key intelligent freeze-drying.

[0087] The temperature sensors, humidity sensors, pressure sensors, etc. installed in the freeze-drying area 1 are used to monitor various environmental parameters in real time during the freeze-drying process. When the temperature deviates from the set value, the humidity drops unexpectedly, or the vacuum degree changes abnormally, the working status of the relevant components can be automatically adjusted, such as adjusting the heating power, controlling the vacuum pump's exhaust frequency, etc., to ensure that the freeze-drying process is stable and efficient. At the same time, the abnormal situation can be fed back to the user in a timely manner, and the user can be reminded to check through the refrigerator display or mobile phone APP push notification.

[0088] In the present application, the controller 3 has a built-in wireless communication module, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, to connect the refrigerator to the user's smartphone or other smart device. The user can remotely start, pause or adjust the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying program through the mobile phone APP when going out, and can also check the freeze-drying progress, temperature, humidity, vacuum degree and other parameters in real time, and receive freeze-drying completion reminder notifications.

[0089] According to the characteristics of common fruits and vegetables, such as apples, strawberries, broccoli, etc., a variety of different freeze-drying programs are built into the controller 3 of the refrigerator. Each program sets the best freezing temperature, vacuum degree, heating temperature, freeze-drying time and other parameters for specific fruits and vegetables. The user only needs to select the corresponding type of fruit and vegetable on the operation panel, and the refrigerator can automatically perform freeze-drying operations according to the corresponding program, without the need for the user to adjust complex parameters by himself, which greatly improves the convenience of operation and the success rate of freeze-drying.

[0090] For users who are used to using smart devices for remote control, a smart module is built into the freeze-drying function layout of the refrigerator to achieve interconnection with the mobile phone APP. Through the APP, users can start the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying program in advance when they go out, or check the freeze-drying progress at any time, receive freeze-drying completion reminders, etc. In addition, an intelligent voice interaction module can be set up on the refrigerator to facilitate users to control the freeze-drying function through voice commands, such as voice start, pause, query status, etc., to meet the personalized needs of such users for intelligent operation.

[0091] Some users are more concerned about the freeze-drying speed and hope to complete the freeze-drying of fruits and vegetables in a shorter time. For such users, more efficient refrigeration, heating and vacuum systems can be used in the layout, and their layout positions can be reasonably arranged to make the systems work more efficiently together. For example, high-power refrigeration equipment and heating equipment can be compactly arranged to reduce the time for heat transfer and cold loss, while optimizing the air duct design to speed up air circulation to remove water vapor and achieve rapid freeze-drying.

[0092] Some users are more concerned about the quality of freeze-drying and the degree of nutrient retention, and don’t care too much about the length of time. In this case, when planning the layout, they can focus on creating a more stable and gentle freeze-drying environment. Through a detailed zoning layout, they can slowly and accurately control the temperature, vacuum degree and other parameters at each stage to ensure that the nutrients and quality of fruits and vegetables are retained to the greatest extent during the freeze-drying process.

[0093] Example

[0094] After the user washes and cuts the fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried, they are placed on the rotating grid rack 116 in the storage room 11, the door 12 is closed and the freeze-drying function of the freeze-drying area 1 is turned on. After the freeze-drying function is turned on, the controller 3 controls the air inlet 111 and the return air vent 112 to open, and the freeze-drying area 1 is refrigerated; when the temperature in the storage room 11 is lower than the set first temperature threshold, the air inlet 111 and the return air vent 112 are closed, the vacuum device 2 and the heating tube 114 are started, and the storage room 11 is vacuumed and heated; when the temperature in the storage room 11 is greater than the second temperature threshold, the vacuum device 2 and the heating tube 114 are closed, and the air inlet 111 and the return air vent 112 are controlled to open, and the freeze-drying area 1 continues to be refrigerated.

[0095] The freeze-drying area 1 is operated periodically according to the above control rules; after the freeze-drying function is turned on, the rotating grid rack 116 rotates once every 30 minutes; finally, the function of freeze-drying fruits and vegetables is realized.

[0096] During the freeze-drying process of fruits and vegetables, the user can observe the freeze-drying state of the fruits and vegetables through the door 12. When the freeze-drying effect of the fruits and vegetables is achieved, the freeze-drying function can be turned off through the function button on the display 4, and then the door 12 can be opened to take out the freeze-dried fruits and vegetables.

[0097] The present application can realize the function of freeze-drying fruits and vegetables, thereby effectively extending the storage time of fruits and vegetables, while also better retaining the nutritional components and taste of fruits and vegetables, so as to meet the needs of consumers for homemade freeze-dried fruits and vegetables.

[0098] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the present application provides a refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, the refrigerator comprising: the refrigerator comprising a freeze-drying area, a vacuum device, a controller and a display; the freeze-drying area comprises a storage compartment and a door body, the door body and the storage compartment are connected by a hinge; an air inlet, an air return port and an air extraction port are arranged on the inner wall at the rear side of the storage compartment, the air inlet and the air return port control the opening and closing state of the air port through an electric valve, and the air extraction port is connected to the vacuum device; a heating pipe is arranged at the bottom of the storage compartment; a temperature sensor is arranged at the top of the storage compartment; a rotating grid rack is arranged in the storage compartment; mutually opposing stepping motors, driving racks and driving gears are arranged on the inner walls on the left and right sides of the storage compartment; the stepping motor and the driving rack, the driving rack and the driving gear are all meshed and connected, and the left and right ends of the rotating grid rack are fixedly connected to the driving gear; the controller is electrically connected to the heating pipe, the temperature sensor, the stepping motor, the vacuum device and the display. The freeze-drying area provided in the refrigerator provided by the present application realizes the freeze-drying function of fruits and vegetables by vacuum freeze-drying, which can better preserve the flavor, taste and nutritional components of fruits and vegetables compared with traditional drying methods. The freeze-drying area is provided with a rotating grid rack, which can improve the uniformity of freeze-drying on both sides of fruits and vegetables and improve the freeze-drying efficiency of fruits and vegetables.

[0099] Similar parts between the embodiments provided in this application can be referenced to each other. The specific implementation methods provided above are only a few examples under the general concept of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of this application. For those skilled in the art, any other implementation methods expanded based on the scheme of this application without creative work belong to the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator with a freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables, characterized in that: The refrigerator comprises: The refrigerator comprises a freeze-drying area (1), a vacuum pump (2), a controller (3) and a display (4); The freeze-drying area (1) comprises a storage compartment (11) and a door body (12), wherein the door body (12) is connected to the storage compartment (11) via a hinge; An air inlet (111), an air return port (112), and an air extraction port (113) are provided on the inner wall at the rear side of the storage compartment (11); the air inlet (111) and the air return port (112) are controlled to be open or closed by electric valves; and the air extraction port (113) is connected to the vacuum extraction device (2); A heating tube (114) is provided at the bottom of the storage compartment (11); a temperature sensor (115) is provided at the top of the storage compartment (11); a rotating grid storage rack (116) is provided in the storage compartment (11); mutually opposing stepping motors (117), a driving rack (118), and a driving gear (119) are provided on the inner walls on the left and right sides of the storage compartment (11); The stepper motor (117) and the driving rack (118), and the driving rack (118) and the driving gear (119) are all meshed and connected, and the left and right ends of the rotating grid storage rack (116) are fixedly connected to the driving gear (119); the controller (3) is electrically connected to the heating tube (114), the temperature sensor (115), the stepper motor (117), the vacuum device (2), and the display (4).

2. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating grid storage rack (116) consists of an upper grid rack and a lower grid rack.

3. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper grid frame and the lower grid frame of the rotating grid storage rack (116) are fixed by movable buckles, the lower grid frame is used to store fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried, and the upper grid frame is fixed on the lower grid frame to fix the food.

4. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the stepping motor (117) is working, it drives the driving rack (118) to rotate and further drives the driving gear (119) to rotate 180 degrees.

5. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door body (12) is made of double-layer glass.

6. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 4, characterized in that: The controller (3) is configured to: When obtaining the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying instruction input by the user, detecting whether there are fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried in the freeze-drying area; When the fruits and vegetables to be freeze-dried are detected, the air inlet and the air return port are controlled to be opened, the storage compartment is refrigerated, and the freeze-drying time is recorded; When the freeze-drying time reaches a preset time, the execution of the fruit and vegetable freeze-drying instruction for the storage compartment is stopped.

7. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 6, characterized in that: The freeze-drying area is subjected to refrigeration operation, and recording the freeze-drying time also includes: When the temperature in the storage room of the freeze-drying area is lower than a first temperature threshold, the air inlet and the air return port are closed, the vacuum device and the heating pipe are started, and the storage room is vacuumed and heated; When the temperature in the storage room of the freeze-drying area is greater than a second temperature threshold, the vacuum pump and the heating tube are turned off to perform a refrigeration operation on the storage room; The refrigeration operation and the vacuuming and heating operations are performed alternately until the freeze-drying time reaches a preset time length.

8. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first temperature threshold is smaller than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold ranges from -20 to -30°C, and the second temperature threshold ranges from -5 to -10°C.

9. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the freeze-drying area starts the freeze-drying function, the controller controls the rotating grid rack to rotate once every 30 to 60 minutes.

10. The refrigerator with freeze-drying function for fruits and vegetables according to claim 6, characterized in that: The controller (3) is also configured to: When the door of the storage compartment (11) is in an open state, timing is performed for the opened door, and during the timing process, a human body sensor is used to continuously detect whether a user is near the door; When the user does not appear near the door within a continuous preset time period after the door is opened, the door is controlled to close.

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